Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Tracking the Avatar is proving to be a more difficult task than I expected. His flying bison gives him an advantage, as he is free to travel anywhere without concern for roads, mountains, lakes, or other obstacles. We followed the Avatar through as much of the Earth Kingdom as we could cover, but soon lost him in the rugged terrain. I knew I needed a vehicle that could handle any environment I encountered. I acquired the finest all-terrain vehicle in the Fire Nation. It was a huge ironclad tank, with three sharp spikes that jutted out from the front. A tall smokestack belched black fumes from its top, and the thick treads of the tires were designed to travel over rock, sand, and water. The vehicle was even capable of climbing straight up the sides of mountains! Powered by fire itself, this tank could go forever without running out of fuel. Also traveling with us were three agile mongoose-dragons. We were more than ready for our pursuit of the Avatar. We began our hunt and found that luck was on our side. A short distance from Omashu, we discovered several large clumps of thick, white fur leading in a straight line toward the mountains. I recognize this fur. It is the fur of the Avatar's

第三章追踪神通比我想象的要困难得多。 他的会飞的野牛给了他一个优势，因为他可以自由地去任何地方旅行，而不用担心道路、山脉、湖泊或其他障碍。 我们跟着神通走遍了尽可能多的土球王国，但很快就在崎岖的地形中失去了他。 我知道我需要一辆能应付我遇到的任何环境的车。 我得到了烈火国最好的全地形车。 那是一辆巨大的铁甲坦克，从前面伸出三根尖刺。 一个高大的烟囱从顶部冒出黑色的烟雾，轮胎的厚胎面被设计成可以在岩石、沙子和水中行驶。 这辆车甚至可以直接爬上山坡！由火本身提供动力，这种坦克可以永远不耗尽燃料。 和我们一起旅行的还有三只敏捷的猫鼬龙。 我们已经准备好了追捕神通。 我们开始搜寻，发现运气站在我们这一边。 在离奥马舒不远的地方，我们发现了几大块厚厚的白色毛皮，它们笔直地通向群山。 我认得这皮草。这是神通的皮毛

bison! Perhaps this is a sign, telling me that it won't be long before I stand before my father with the Avatar at my side. Energized by this finding, I poured more fire into the tank's engine to increase our speed. With the city far behind us, we encountered a long, flat plain that stretched out for miles, leading to the mountains in the distance. There, in a wooded area at the edge of the plain, blue smoke curled into the sky. I've found them! I pushed the machine even harder, picking up speed. A short while later we reached the remains of a campsite at the edge of the woods. Charred cinders from a campfire that had been doused in water smoked and sizzled. Impressions in the grass showed where tents and bedrolls had been set up. We are too late! They must have known we were coming and fled. But how? How could they know we were following them? Then I noticed an odd tent, made from rock, jutting out of the earth. Is the Avatar now an Earthbender too? Or did one of his party do this? Perhaps whoever created this tent could sense the vibrations of our tank rumbling through the ground. I have heard that some Earthbenders can do that. But they cannot run forever, especially not from me.

野牛!也许这是个预兆，告诉我不久我就能和神通站在我父亲面前了。 我受到这个发现的鼓舞，把更多的火加到坦克的发动机里，以加快我们的速度。 城市离我们很远，我们遇到了一片绵延数英里的平坦平原，一直延伸到远处的山脉。 在那里，平原边缘的一片树林里，蓝色的烟雾袅袅升入天空。 我找到他们了！我更加用力地推机器，加快了速度。 过了一会儿，我们来到了树林边缘的一个露营地遗址。 营火上的焦渣浸在水里发出烟熏声和滋滋声。 草地上的印痕显示出帐篷和铺盖的位置。 我们来晚了!他们一定是知道我们要来，然后逃走了。 但如何?他们怎么知道我们在跟踪他们？ 然后我注意到一个奇怪的帐篷，用石头做的，从地里伸出来。 神通现在也是御土师了吗？ 还是他的政党干的？ 也许建造这个帐篷的人能感觉到我们的坦克隆隆驶过地面的震动。 我听说有些御土师能做到。 但他们不可能永远逃跑，尤其是我。

We followed the trail of fur deeper into the woods. Our tank simply flattened smaller trees, while I steered around the larger ones. As we approached a clearing in the woods, there was a flash of movement. Several people rushed around in a panic, and then I saw them—the Avatar's bison rising into the sky, with four figures mounted on its back. They headed deep into the mountains. The Avatar must think he can lose me, but he does not realize that his bison is leaving a convenient trail of fur. And of course, he has no idea what this Fire Nation tank is capable of. We arrived at the base of a tall mountain, and then began to climb—straight up! We were amazed at how easily the tank did this. When we reached a plateau, there stood the Avatar and three others. Apparently they were waiting for us—and ready to fight. Well, that's exactly what we were ready to do as well. "Prepare the animals for battle!" I ordered. I shut down the tank's engine, and the tank rolled to a stop. Then Ty Lee, Mai, and I mounted the mongoose- dragons that had traveled with us. "Ready, girls? Now the fun begins!" I threw open the door of the tank and we charged toward our enemies, riding the lizards hard. When

我们顺着皮毛留下的痕迹深入树林。 我们的坦克只是把小树夷为平地，而我则驾驶着绕过大树。 当我们走近树林里的一块空地时，突然有了动静。 几个人惊慌失措地跑来跑去，然后我看到了他们——阿凡达的野牛升上了天空，背上有四个人影。 他们向深山走去。 神通一定以为他可以甩掉我，但他没有意识到他的野牛留下了方便的皮毛。 当然，他也不知道烈火国的坦克有多厉害。 我们到了一座高山的山脚下，然后开始往上爬——直往上爬！我们惊讶于坦克能如此轻松地做到这一点。 当我们到达一个高原时，神通和另外三个人站在那里。 显然他们在等着我们，准备战斗。 这正是我们准备要做的。 “让动物们准备战斗！”我命令道。 我关掉了坦克的引擎，坦克就停了下来。 然后泰·李、麦和我骑上了和我们一起旅行的猫鼬龙。 “准备好了,女孩?现在好戏开始了！”我猛地打开坦克的门，我们骑着蜥蜴向敌人冲去。 当

we came to a river the creatures reared back, splashing across the water on their hind legs, their colorful necks flared wide open. Once back on solid ground, they dropped down to all fours and picked up speed. Suddenly a jagged mound of rock sprang from the earth right in front of me. I tugged my reins hard to the left and skipped around the obstacle, but another quickly appeared before me. Again and again, rocks rose in my path, and in front of Ty Lee and Mai as well. However, mongoose-dragons are very swift and nimble creatures, and they were able to maneuver around each rock. But who was responsible for creating these obstacles? I looked around as I pulled on the reins of my mongoose-dragon. That's when I saw a girl who had not been with the Avatar and his two companions at the exchange in Omashu. She stomped her foot on the ground, and a huge wall of rock exploded from the earth in front of me. So the Avatar has found a skilled Earthbender to help him. Cute of him to think that I could be stopped by someone like her. But this is getting tiresome, and I don't plan on going around any more of these rocks. The time has come to go THROUGH them. I fired a powerful Firebending blast that leveled the

我们来到一条河边，这些动物向后仰着身子，用后腿在水面上溅起水花，它们五颜六色的脖子张开得大大的。 一回到坚实的地面上，他们就四肢着地，加快了速度。 突然，一个参差不齐的岩石堆从我面前的地面上冒了出来。 我使劲往左边拉缰绳，绕过障碍，但另一个障碍很快出现在我面前。 石头一次又一次地出现在我的路上，在泰·李和麦的面前也是如此。 然而，猫鼬龙是非常敏捷的生物，它们能够绕过每块岩石。 但是谁应该为制造这些障碍负责呢？ 我一边拉着猫鼬龙的缰绳，一边环顾四周。 就在那时，我看到了一个女孩，她没有和神通以及他的两个同伴一起在奥马舒交换。 她在地上跺了一脚，一堵巨大的岩石墙在我面前炸开了。 所以神通找到了一个熟练的御土师来帮助他。 他真可爱，以为我能被她这样的人阻止。 但这太无聊了，我不打算再绕着这些石头走了。 现在是穿越它们的时候了。 我发射了一场强大的御火术冲击波，把

rock wall currently in front of me. Then the three of us raced forward. Seeing this, the Avatar and his companions jumped onto his bison and flew off. The cowards didn't even bother to say good-bye. We returned to our tank and continued to follow the trail of fur. It led to a clearing next to a river. Once again, we got out of the tank and surveyed the clearing on our mongoose-dragons. I spotted a saddle and the remains of food supplies, signs that they had been here. "The trail goes this way, Azula," Ty Lee announced. Sure enough, a thick trail of white fur continued into the woods heading east. I looked at the river and noticed huge amounts of fur floating in the water. Then I glanced to the west and saw a wide swath of broken branches, leading in the opposite direction from the path of fur. Why is there so much fur in the river? Of course! They must have finally realized that the beast is shedding, and that this is how we have been following them. They must have tried to wash off the creature's excess fur in the river so it would no longer leave an obvious path for us. So then why is there a trail of fur leading away

岩石墙目前在我面前。 然后我们三个向前跑去。 见状，神通和他的同伴们跳上野牛，飞走了。 那些懦夫连再见都懒得说。 我们回到水箱里，继续沿着皮毛留下的痕迹寻找。 它通向河边的一块空地。 我们又一次从水箱里出来，骑着我们的猫鼬龙去勘察那片空地。 我发现了一个马鞍和剩下的食物，表明他们来过这里。 “小路往这边走，阿祖拉。”泰·李宣布。 果然，一条白色皮毛的厚迹一直向东延伸到树林里。 我看着河水，注意到水中漂浮着大量的皮毛。 然后，我向西瞥了一眼，看到一大片断树枝，与那片毛皮小径的方向相反。 为什么河里有这么多皮毛？ 当然!他们一定是终于意识到野兽在掉毛了，我们就是这样跟踪他们的。 他们一定是想在河里把它多余的毛洗掉这样它就不会给我们留下明显的痕迹了。 那为什么会有毛的痕迹