8. The Ninja Star

8 The Ninja Star Arthur crept quietly up the steps of the pagoda. He held an origami star next to his ear. But this wasn't one of Oda Nobu's paper stars. This was his brother, Stanley Lambchop. "Okay, Arthur, this is it," Stanley said. His voice was muffled, folded up as he was. "When we get to the door, knock loudly. When the door opens, throw me in as hard as you can. Straight at Oda Nobu. And then run! If they come after you, you and Mom and Dad have to swim for the shore."

忍者星亚瑟悄悄地爬上宝塔的台阶。 他把一颗折纸星星放在耳边。 但这并不是Oda Nobu的纸星星。 这是他的兄弟斯坦利·兰博切。 “好了，亚瑟，就是这样了。”斯坦利说。 他的声音很低沉，因为他已经蜷缩起来了。 “当我们到达门口时，大声敲门。 门一开，你就使劲把我扔进去。 直冲织田信去。然后跑!如果它们来追你，你和爸爸妈妈就得向岸边游去。”

"Gee, Stanley, I don't think I like this plan." "We have to be as brave and daring as ninjas now," Stanley told his brother. "Oda Nobu is counting on us." Arthur took a deep breath. He raised the Stanley-star up, ready to throw, and knocked. In a moment, the door opened, and there stood… Four smiling girls! Stanley stared from under his ankle. "Um, wait a minute, Arthur," he began.

“嘿，斯坦利，我不喜欢这个计划。” “我们现在必须像忍者一样勇敢，”斯坦利告诉他的哥哥。 “Oda Nobu就指望我们了。” 阿瑟深吸了一口气。 他举起那颗斯坦利星，准备扔出去，然后敲了敲门。 不一会儿，门开了，站在那里……四个微笑着的女孩!斯坦利从脚踝下面盯着他。 “嗯，等一下，亚瑟。”他开始说。

Too late. Arthur, now thinking like a ninja, threw Stanley as hard as he could. Oda Nobu's eyes widened as he watched the ninja star fly right for his head! Stanley flew straight and true, the way a ninja star should. He hit Oda Nobu on the forehead and then bounced to the floor. "Oda-san, it's me, Stanley!" he shouted. If Oda- Nobu hadn't been tied down, he would have shot off the chair with shock. Stanley tried with all his might to get to Oda Nobu's hand. On the second try, Oda Nobu reached him, and snapped his fingers—and Stanley unfurled. Stanley pulled the tape from Oda Nobu's mouth and then began to untie him. "Arigato, Stanley-san! Thank you!" Oda Nobu whispered, as he rubbed his wrists. "Those are the craziest fans ever!" "Those girls?" Stanley asked. "Those girls are the ones who kidnapped you?" Oda Nobu shuddered. "The craziest!" he repeated. "Are they dangerous?" Stanley asked.

太迟了。阿瑟像个忍者一样思考着，用尽全力把斯坦利扔了出去。 Oda Nobu的眼睛睁大了，他看着忍者之星飞向他的头!斯坦利笔直而真实地飞行，就像一个忍者明星应该做的那样。 他击中了织田信的前额，然后弹回到地板上。 “小田先生，是我，斯坦利!”他喊道。 如果织田信没有被绑住，他会吓得把椅子打飞的。 斯坦利竭尽全力想抓住织田信的手。 在第二次尝试时，Oda Nobu到达他身边，打了个响指——Stanley张开了双臂。 斯坦利把胶带从织田信的嘴里拽出来，然后开始给他松绑。 “谢谢,Stanley-san !谢谢你!”织田信一边揉着手腕，一边小声说。 “他们是最疯狂的粉丝!”“这些女孩吗?”斯坦利问道。 “那些女孩就是绑架你的人?”Oda Nobu打了个寒颤。 “最疯狂的!”他重复道。 “他们危险吗?”斯坦利问道。

Oda Nobu stuck his head around the corner to see into the other room. He broke into a big smile. "Perhaps you should ask your brother," he suggested. Stanley looked into the other room. There was Arthur, beaming with happiness. He was surrounded by the four girls, who were folding little origami animals and giving them to him. Oda Nobu and Stanley marched straight up to Arthur and the girls. Oda Nobu said something to the girls in Japanese. His words were harsh, and the girls looked frightened. Stanley couldn't understand what Oda Nobu was telling them, but then at the end he heard, "Flat Stanley!" At this, the girls turned to look at him, wide-eyed with their hands to their mouths.

织田伸过头去看另一个房间。 他突然露出灿烂的笑容。 “也许你应该问问你哥哥。”他建议道。 斯坦利朝另一个房间望去。 阿瑟站在那里，脸上洋溢着幸福的笑容。 他被四个女孩包围着，她们正在折叠小动物，并把它们送给他。 Oda Nobu和Stanley径直走向Arthur和女孩们。 织田信用日语对女孩们说了些什么。 他的话很严厉，姑娘们显得很害怕。 斯坦利听不懂Oda Nobu在说什么，但最后他听到:“Flat Stanley!”听了这话，姑娘们都转过头来看着他，眼睛睁得大大的，用手捂着嘴。

Then all of a sudden they were all around him, laughing and taking pictures. "Hey!" Arthur said. "Mariko! Cho! Taki! Hana! What about me?" But the girls had forgotten all about Arthur. And, it seemed, Oda Nobu. But Oda Nobu had not forgotten about them. He spoke sternly again, and all four girls hung their heads as they listened. Mr. and Mrs. Lambchop appeared at the pagoda's front door. "We will now return to the inn," Oda Nobu told them. "I will telephone the parents of these very disrespectful girls."

然后，突然之间，他们都围在他身边，笑着拍照。 “嘿!”阿瑟说。“麻里子!曹!塔基•!刘荷娜!那我呢?”但是女孩们已经把亚瑟忘得一干二净了。 似乎是织田伸。但是Oda Nobu并没有忘记他们。 他又严厉地说了一遍，四个女孩都垂下了头。 兰彻先生和夫人出现在宝塔的前门。 “我们现在要回旅馆了，”织田信告诉他们。 “我会打电话给这些非常无礼的女孩的父母。”

At the inn, Arthur and Stanley watched as four taxis pulled away. In each was one very sorry girl and two very angry parents. Then Oda Nobu's limousine pulled up. Oda Nobu bowed to Mr. and Mrs. Lambchop. "Your sons have performed as the most honorable, the most fearless of ninjas this evening. I insist you accompany me to Tokyo where you will stay as my guests as long as you wish."

在旅馆里，阿瑟和斯坦利看着四辆出租车开走了。 每个房间里都有一个非常抱歉的女孩和两个非常愤怒的父母。 然后Oda Nobu的豪华轿车停了下来。 Oda Nobu向Lambchop夫妇鞠了一躬。 "你的儿子们今晚的表现是最可敬，最无畏的忍者。 我坚持要你陪我去东京，在那里你愿意待多久就待多久。”