Chapter 4

Chapter 4 I've been working really hard with Aang every day for the past few weeks. He's improved his Earthbending and Waterbending significantly. We're all pretty tired from training and traveling, so we've decided to take short vacations. At first Sokka objected, saying that we needed to find a map of the Fire Nation and come up with a plan to stop the Fire Lord once Aang was ready. But we promised him we'd spend his vacation tracking down the Fire Nation intelligence he was so keen on getting and he quieted down. He might be a total goof sometimes, but I do kind of admire his determination to kick some Fire Nation butt. Anyway, it was Katara's turn first, and she chose to go to the Misty Palms Oasis. Peace and quiet, here I come! We arrived at the place only to find that it was a rundown cantina—so much for lounging by the lake. But we did meet Professor Zei, head of anthropology at the university in Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom's capitol. He told us he was searching for a library built by a great knowledge spirit named Wan Shi Tong.

在过去的几个星期里，我每天都和安昂一起努力工作。 他的御土术和御水术进步很大。 由于训练和旅行，我们都很累，所以我们决定休个短假。 起初索卡反对，说我们需要找到一张烈火国的地图，并想出一个计划，一旦安昂准备好了，就阻止火王。 但我们答应过他，我们会在他的假期里追踪他渴望得到的烈火国情报他就安静下来了。 他有时可能是个十足的笨蛋，但我确实有点佩服他打败烈火国的决心。 总之，轮到卡塔拉先走了，她选择去了迷雾棕榈绿洲。 安静点，我来了！我们到了那个地方，却发现这是一个破旧的酒吧——在湖边闲逛就这么简单了。 但我们见到了泽伊教授，他是土强国都城永固城大学的人类学系主任。 他告诉我们他正在寻找一个由一位名叫万世通的伟大知识精神建造的图书馆。

The library was hidden somewhere in the desert and was supposed to contain knowledge from all around the world. Sokka got all excited because he decided that we're going to spend his vacation in the desert searching for the ancient library. He thinks that the library will have maps and other information about the Fire Nation. If you ask me, that sounds like a horrible vacation. Who cares about some old library? I mean, I get that he's after the Fire Nation and all, but I really hate the desert. I just can't feel anything out there in the sand. I know there are some Earthbenders that live in the desert. They're actually called Sandbenders. In fact, there were quite a few hanging around the cantina when we arrived. But I can't Sandbend, which basically means that in the desert I'm blind—really blind—without Earthbending to help me see. I'm not looking forward to this trip, but what can I do? I'm part of this team now, and there's no turning back. So, here we go, up onto Appa and off to the desert. This is so boring! I can't even see, and I know there's absolutely nothing out there. Then the professor tells us that this place may not even exist! Great. This is most definitely not my idea of what a

这座图书馆藏在沙漠的某个地方，据说藏有来自世界各地的知识。 索卡非常兴奋，因为他决定让我们利用他的假期去沙漠寻找古代图书馆。 他认为图书馆里会有关于烈火国的地图和其他信息。 要我说，那听起来像个可怕的假期。 谁会在乎某个旧图书馆？ 我知道他在追杀烈火国，但我真的很讨厌沙漠。 我只是在沙滩上感觉不到任何东西。 我知道沙漠里住着一些御土师。 他们实际上被称为御沙师。 事实上，当我们到达时，有不少人在酒吧附近闲逛。 但我不会御沙术，也就是说，在沙漠里，如果没有御土术的帮助，我就会失明——真的失明。 我并不期待这次旅行，但我能做些什么呢？ 我现在是这个团队的一员，没有回头路了。 好了，我们走吧，上了阿柏，去了沙漠。 这太无聊了！我甚至看不见，我知道外面什么都没有。 然后教授告诉我们，这个地方可能根本不存在！好了。 这绝对不是我的想法

vacation should be. I've had enough of this. Time to have a little a fun. "There it is!" Ha! Made them look. I can't believe they all listened to me! People, I'm blind, remember? "That's what it'll sound like when one of YOU spots it." "Wait, down there," Sokka said anxiously. "What's that?" Finally! Thank goodness! Time to land and get this over with already. "Forget it," Katara cried suddenly. "It's obviously not what we're looking for. The building in this drawing is enormous." "What kind of animal is that?" Sokka asked. "That could be one of Wan Shi Tong's knowledge seekers, taking the form of a fox!" the professor said excitedly. "We must be close to the library!" "No, this IS the library," Sokka said. "It's completely buried in the sand." "Buried?" the professor cried as we landed. Then he fell to his knees. Is he going to start weeping? He must think the library is ruined. Okay, Toph, time for a little reconnaissance, feel things out and see what the story is. This stone spire is definitely part of a huge

假期是应该的。我受够了。 是时候找点乐子了。 “在那儿！”哈!让他们看。 真不敢相信他们都听我的！各位，我是盲人，记得吗？ “当你们中的一个人发现它的时候，它就会发出这样的声音。” “等等，在下面。”索卡焦急地说。 “那是什么?”终于!谢天谢地!该降落了，快点结束这一切。 “算了吧。”卡塔拉突然喊道。 “这显然不是我们想要的。 这幅画中的建筑是巨大的。” “那是什么动物？”Sokka问道。 “那可能是万世通的一个求知者，变成了一只狐狸！”教授兴奋地说。 “我们一定离图书馆很近了！”“不，这是图书馆，”索卡说。 “它完全被埋在沙子里了。” “埋了？”我们着陆时，教授叫道。 然后他跪倒在地。 他要开始哭了吗？ 他一定认为图书馆毁了。 好了，拓芙，是时候侦查一下了，摸清情况，看看是怎么回事。 这个石制尖塔绝对是一个巨大的

building, and it feels like that building is buried beneath the sand. But it feels whole. "Guys, the inside seems to be completely intact… and it's huge!" This library must hold every book and map ever made. Apparently the knowledge seeker they were talking about climbed through a window on the side of the building. The others decided to follow it. Not me. Books don't do much for me. So I'm waiting outside with Appa. Geez, Appa sure does scratch himself a lot. Talk about boring. When are they going to come back? I hope they find their maps and books and whatever else they wanted to get out of the library, or else this is a huge waste of time—Whoa, what's going on? I can't feel anything! Everything is shaking and the sand beneath my feet is disappearing.… Is the library sinking? If I could just get over there and feel it, I'd be able to tell—Oh no, it IS sinking. And everyone is still inside! This is awful. I've got to stop it. I have to keep the library from disappearing or the others are doomed. Who knows how far down it will sink? This is why I hate sand—you can't get secure footing in grains that keep moving. I'm going to have to go ahead and do it anyway. Okay, fists tight, feet

建筑，感觉就像那栋建筑被埋在沙子下面。 但感觉很完整。“伙计们，里面看起来完好无损……而且它很大！”这个图书馆一定收藏了所有的书和地图。 显然，他们谈论的那个求知者是从大楼侧面的一扇窗户爬进来的。 其他人决定跟着它走。 不是我。书对我没有多大用处。 我和阿柏在外面等着。 天啊，阿柏可真会挠自己。 说到无聊。他们什么时候回来？ 我希望他们能找到他们的地图和书籍以及他们想从图书馆拿出来的任何东西，否则这就是浪费时间-哇，怎么回事？ 我什么都感觉不到！一切都在颤抖，我脚下的沙子正在消失。图书馆在下沉吗？ 如果我能过去摸摸它，我就能知道——哦，不，它在下沉。 所有人都还在里面！这太可怕了。 我必须阻止它。我得防止图书馆消失，否则其他人也难逃厄运。 谁知道它会下沉多深？ 这就是我讨厌沙子的原因——你无法在不断移动的沙粒中站稳脚跟。 不管怎样，我还是要继续做下去。 握紧拳头，脚

rooted… now push hard. Come on Toph, keep it from sinking! Fight the gravity, fight back! What am I thinking? I can't hold this building up forever. I'm not THAT strong. My feet keep slipping in this stupid sand. Come on, guys, get out of there— NOW! Please, hurry! What's that rumbling? It sounds like it's coming from far away? Is something coming toward me? I can't deal with a new threat; I can barely handle this one! Well, whatever it is, it's moving very, very quickly. "Who's there?" The sand, it feels like it's moving, and I'm not doing it. It's swirling around and around. That can only mean one thing: Sandbenders. What could they want? Oh, no. They want Appa! How can I help him without letting go of the library and losing my friends inside? I can hear the Sandbenders throwing ropes on Appa from every direction. They're trying to capture him. I can't just stand here! I have to let go and throw some earth their way, to slow them down.… WHOOSH! Take tha—Great. A sloppy cloud is all I can muster up? On solid ground I would have blasted them away. I'm useless here… and the library's sinking faster now than before!

扎根了……现在用力推。来吧，拓芙，别让它沉下去！对抗重力，反击！我在想什么？ 我不能永远守着这栋楼。 我没那么坚强。我的脚总是在这该死的沙子里打滑。 快点，伙计们，离开那里——现在！请快点!那是什么声音？ 听起来像是从很远的地方传来的？ 有什么东西朝我来了吗？ 我无法应对新的威胁；我几乎应付不了这个！不管它是什么，它移动得非常非常快。 “谁在那里?”沙子，感觉像是在动，而我没有这么做。 它不停地旋转。 那只能说明一件事，御沙师。 他们想要什么？哦,不。 他们要阿柏！我怎样才能在不失去图书馆朋友的情况下帮助他呢？ 我能听到御沙师从四面八方向阿柏扔绳子。 他们想抓住他。 我不能就这么站着！我得放手，往他们的路上扔些土，让他们慢下来。……嗖!tha-Great。 我只能凑出一片邋遢的云吗？ 在坚实的地面上，我会把它们轰走。 我在这里毫无用处……图书馆比以前下沉得更快了！