7 Chapter 7 The Flat Skull

Chapter 7 The Flat Skull "I present to you," thundered Dr. Fallows in the dim light of his tent, "the flat skull of Rufiji!" Stanley, Arthur, and Mr. Lambchop all gasped. The skull was flattened the wrong way! Instead of being flat the way Stanley was flat —front and back—its edge was down the middle. Dr. Fallows turned the skull sideways, and Stanley could see right in one eye socket and out the other. Nobody spoke for a long while.

第七章扁平的头骨“我向你们呈上这个案子。” 在他帐篷昏暗的灯光下，“鲁斐奇的扁平头颅!”斯坦利、阿瑟和兰博切先生都倒吸了一口气。 头骨被压扁的方向不对!它不像斯坦利那样，前后都是平的，它的边缘在中间。 法洛斯医生把头骨转到一边，斯坦利可以看到一只眼窝里的东西，另一只眼窝里的东西。 很长一段时间没有人说话。

Arthur shook his head. "Look at its teeth," he said almost to himself. Stanley saw that they were very small and jagged. "That's not a person," Arthur said suddenly. "Not anymore!" beamed Dr. Fallows. "It's a big fish!" At once, Stanley could see that his brother was right. Dr. Fallows rotated the skull in his hand. Something changed in his eyes, and he swung around to his assistant. "You fool!" he cried. "Of course this is a fish! How dare you suggest otherwise!" With a grunt, he flung the skull out of the tent. Stanley's eyes welled up with tears, and he ran from the scene. "Stanley!" Mr. Lambchop and Arthur found Stanley where he had folded himself at the edge of the jungle. "Stanley, what's wrong?"

阿瑟摇了摇头。“看看它的牙齿，”他几乎自言自语地说。 斯坦利看到它们很小，而且参差不齐。 “那不是人。”阿瑟突然说。 “不再是了!”法洛斯医生笑道。 “这是一条大鱼!”斯坦利立刻意识到他哥哥是对的。 法洛斯医生用手旋转了头骨。 他的眼神变了，他转向他的助手。 “你这个傻瓜!”“这当然是鱼!”你怎么敢这样说!”他哼了一声，把骷髅扔出了帐篷。 斯坦利的眼睛里充满了泪水，他从现场跑了出去。 “斯坦利!”兰切普先生和阿瑟在斯坦利藏身的丛林边缘找到了他。 “斯坦利，怎么了?”

Arthur kneeled down. "What is it, Stanley?" Finally, Stanley lifted his wet face and wiped it with the back of his hands. "It's just that..." He let out a heavy sigh. "We came all this way, and... I didn't find out anything about... about why I'm flat." His voice broke, and his face crinkled into a sob. "Stanley." His father squeezed his shoulder. "Don't you see? These last few days have been the most remarkable of my entire life." "It's the best vacation ever," said Arthur. "What a time we've had! We jumped from a plane and went on a safari. We met Masai tribesmen and canoed through deepest Africa. And it's all because of you." A smile crept across Stanley's face. "We have had a lot of fun," he admitted.

阿瑟跪了下来。“怎么了，斯坦利?”最后，斯坦利抬起湿漉漉的脸，用手背擦了擦。 “只是……”他重重地叹了口气。 “我们大老远赶来，然后…… 我没发现任何关于… 为什么我是平的。”他的声音哽咽了，他的脸皱了起来，呜咽起来。 “斯坦利。”他父亲捏了捏他的肩膀。 “你还不明白吗?”这几天是我一生中最不平凡的日子。” “这是我度过的最棒的假期。”阿瑟说。 “我们玩得多开心啊!”我们从飞机上跳下来，去狩猎旅行。 我们遇到了马赛族人，乘独木舟穿越了非洲最深处。 这一切都是因为你。” 斯坦利的脸上掠过一丝微笑。 “我们玩得很开心，”他承认。

"I wouldn't trade any of it," said Mr. Lambchop. "Except maybe for a new paddle." Stanley chuckled as his father and brother wrapped him in a hug. "We're glad you're flat, Stanley," Arthur said. Surrounded by his family, Stanley thought of the long-necked giraffe on the plains, surrounded by all the other animals. They liked having him around. He helped them to see farther.

“我一个都不会拿去换，”兰切普说。 “除了换一个新船桨。” 斯坦利咯咯地笑着，他的父亲和哥哥拥抱着他。 “我们很高兴你没生气，斯坦利。”阿瑟说。 在家人的包围下，斯坦利想起了平原上的长脖子长颈鹿，周围都是其他动物。 他们喜欢有他在身边。 他帮助他们看得更远。