06-GARLIC, GARLIC, AND MORE GARLIC

GARLIC, GARLIC, AND MORE GARLIC We climbed off the train and looked around. Now we just had to figure out how to get to Ratoff Castle. "Excuse me, sir, which way to Ratoff Castle?" I asked a tall, lean rat wearing a ragged coat, His eyes opened wide. He clutched at his garlic necklace. Then he disappeared into the fog without a word. My sister rolled her eyes. "Let me try," she grumbled. "You are absolutely useless, Germeister!" She tapped the arm of a passing female mouse. "Excuse me, could you direct me to Count Vlad von Ratoffs castle?" she said. "Aaaaiii!" shrieked the mouse. She

大蒜，大蒜，更多的大蒜我们爬下火车，环顾四周。 现在我们只需要想办法去拉托夫城堡。 “对不起，先生，去拉托夫城堡怎么走?”我问一只又高又瘦的老鼠，他穿着一件破旧的外套，眼睛睁得大大的。 他紧紧抓住他的大蒜项链。 然后，他一言不发地消失在雾中。 我妹妹翻了个白眼。 “让我试试，”她嘟囔着。 “你真是个废物，先生!”她轻轻地拍了拍一只路过的母老鼠的胳膊。 “对不起，您能告诉我弗拉德·冯·拉托夫伯爵的城堡怎么走吗?”她说。 “啊——啊!”老鼠尖叫着。 她

scampered off, shaking her bracelet of garlic cloves in the air. We decided to check out the souvenir shop across from the station. A mouse with a crooked tail stood behind the counter. He looked at us with curiosity. "Pardon me," I began. "Ye-es?" said the mouse. "Could you direct us to a CASTLE?" I continued. "Ye-es?" said the mouse. "We're looking for the castle of COUNT VON PATOFF," I finished. At the name Ratoff, the mouse's eyes nearly popped out of his furry face. He flung

跑开了，在空中摇晃着她的蒜瓣手镯。 我们决定去车站对面的纪念品商店看看。 一只尾巴弯曲的老鼠站在柜台后面。 他好奇地看着我们。 “对不起，”我开口说。“什么事?”老鼠说。 “你能告诉我们去城堡的路吗?”我接着说到。 “什么事?”老鼠说。“我们在找冯·帕托夫伯爵的城堡。”我说完。 听到Ratoff这个名字，老鼠的眼睛几乎要从毛茸茸的脸上跳出来了。 他扔

a handful of souvenir garlic necklaces around his neck. A tag hanging from the necklace read greetings from Transralania. Then in smaller letters it read GARLIC AND ME, PERFECT TOGETHER! How strange. I wondered what it all meant. But I didn't get the chance to ask. Before I knew it, the mouse was shoving us out the door. He clicked the lock behind us and turned out the lights. "How rude!" squeaked Thea. "What a way to treat tourists! I wouldn't buy his silly souvenirs if they were the last ones in town!" she ranted. "Did you see those ridiculous garlic keychains? And who would want to send a garlic postcard?" A few minutes later, we passed a fancy restaurant. I read the menu out loud. "Hearty garlic pot pie, jumbo garlic burgers, pasta with extra garlic..." What a strange menu!

他脖子上挂着一串纪念用的大蒜项链。 项链上挂着一个标签，上面写着来自特兰西拉尼亚的问候。 然后用更小的字母写着:大蒜和我，完美的一对!多么奇怪。 我想知道这一切意味着什么。 但我没机会问。 我还没反应过来，老鼠就把我们赶出了门。 他咔哒一声打开我们身后的锁，关上了灯。 “太粗鲁了!”西娅尖声说。 “你这样对待游客!”即使镇上只有这些愚蠢的纪念品，我也不会买!”她咆哮道。 “你看到那些可笑的大蒜钥匙链了吗?” 谁会想寄一张大蒜明信片呢?”几分钟后，我们经过一家高档餐厅。 我大声读菜单。“丰盛的大蒜馅饼、超大大蒜汉堡、多加大蒜的意大利面……” 多么奇怪的菜单啊!

A large mouse came to the door. "Would you like to have dinner, sir?" he asked. His breath smelled like he had just sampled every dish on the menu. "No, thank you," I gasped. "But could you tell us how to get to the castle of Count von Ratoff?" In a flash, the mouse pulled out a big bottle and gulped down the liquid inside. Judging by the stench, it must have been

一只大老鼠来到门口。 “先生，你想一起吃饭吗?”他问。 他嘴里的味道就像他刚刚尝遍了菜单上的每道菜。 “不，谢谢。”我喘着气说。 “但是你能告诉我们怎么去冯·拉托夫伯爵的城堡吗?”刹那间，老鼠拿出一个大瓶子，把里面的液体一饮而尽。 从恶臭来看，肯定是

garlic juice. Get out!" he shrieked, slamming the door in our snouts. What was it with the mice of Ratoff and their garlic? I thought about all of the mice we had passed wearing garlic necklaces. I thought about the garlic bracelets and the garlic wreaths on the front doors. No, this wasn't just a passing trend, I decided. In fact, there is only one reason why rodents would keep so much garlic. A SHIVER ran up my fur. Some say garlic is what you use to keep vampires away....

大蒜汁。出去!”他尖叫着，砰地一声关上了我们的门。 拉托夫的老鼠和他们的大蒜是怎么回事? 我想到了我们经过的所有戴着大蒜项链的老鼠。 我想到了前门上的大蒜手镯和大蒜花环。 不，这不是一时的潮流，我决定。 事实上，啮齿动物保存这么多大蒜的原因只有一个。 我浑身打了个寒战。有人说大蒜是用来赶走吸血鬼的....