Chapter 2

Chapter 2 "I can't believe you've been sent home again," King Alexander of Empiria scolded his daughter later that afternoon. "Why can't you behave in school?" "Because school is boring," Princess Pulverizer told him. "Everything we study is useless! Why do I need to know how to curtsy? Or learn which fork is the right one to use? Or practice staying on the beat when dancing the saltarello?" "Because those are the things every princess needs to learn," King Alexander explained. "How else will you know how to behave correctly at a banquet, or dance at a ball with grace and elegance?"

“我真不敢相信你又被打发回家了，”那天下午晚些时候，帝国的亚历山大国王责备他的女儿。 “你为什么不能在学校守规矩？”“因为学校太无聊了。” “我们学的东西都没用！”为什么我需要知道怎么行屈膝礼？ 或者学习哪一个叉子是正确的使用？ 或者练习跳saltarello时保持节拍？”“因为这些是每个公主都需要学习的东西，”亚历山大国王解释道。 “不然你怎么知道在宴会上怎样举止得体，在舞会上怎样优雅地跳舞呢？”

"But I don't want to be a princess," Princess Pulverizer insisted. "And I don't want to go to banquets or balls. I want to rescue damsels in distress and slay dragons. I want to have sword fights. I want to be a knight." "Excuse me?" the king asked, surprised. "A knight," Princess Pulverizer repeated. "I want to go out into the world, have adventures, and earn my place among the Knights of the Skround Table."

“但我不想当公主，”粉碎公主坚持说。 “我不想参加宴会或舞会。 我要拯救陷入困境的少女，屠龙。 我想和你斗剑。 我想成为一名骑士。”“你说什么？”国王惊讶地问道。 “一个骑士。” “我想去外面的世界，去冒险，在圆桌骑士中赢得一席之地。”

Princess Pulverizer looked longingly across the room. The Skround Table was so beautiful —perfectly square, but with carefully rounded corners. Skround. The Skround Table was where the knights gathered to talk about their exciting quests. Princess Pulverizer wanted nothing more than to sit there among them. To be one of them. "I don't need to go to the Royal School of Ladylike Manners to be a knight," Princess Pulverizer continued. "I need to go to Knight School." "Actually, knights need to know a lot of the same things you are learning in school," the king told her. "Like what?" Princess Pulverizer asked. "Well, you are learning to dance gracefully," the king replied. "Every sword fight is like a dance. A knight who is light on his feet will always win. But a clumsy knight will land on his behind every time."

粉碎机公主渴望地望着房间的另一头。 圆桌是如此美丽——完美的方形，但有精心圆角。 Skround。圆桌是骑士们聚集在一起谈论他们激动人心的任务的地方。 粉碎机公主只想坐在他们中间。 成为他们中的一员。“我不需要为了成为一名骑士而去皇家淑女礼仪学校。” “我要去骑士学校。” “事实上，骑士需要知道很多你在学校里学到的东西。”国王告诉她。 “像什么?”粉碎机公主问。 “嗯，你正在学习优雅地跳舞，”国王回答说。 “每一场剑战都像一场舞蹈。 步伐轻盈的骑士永远会赢。 但一个笨手笨脚的骑士每次都会摔个跟头。”

Princess Pulverizer frowned. It was hard to argue with logic like that. Although... "Does a knight really need to know which fork to use to eat salad?" she asked her father. "Or how to pour a perfect cup of tea?" The king stared at his daughter. "You've got me there," he admitted. Princess Pulverizer smiled triumphantly. "But there are still a lot of other things you can learn from Lady Frump," the king continued. "You need to go back to the Royal School of Ladylike Manners." Princess Pulverizer's eyes flew open wide in surprise. She couldn't believe her father was making her go back to that horrible place. "B-b-but you have to let me go to Knight School," Princess Pulverizer insisted. "Why?" her father asked her. "Because I want to go," Princess Pulverizer told him. "And I'm a princess. Princesses always get what they want." "Not this time." The king shook his head.

粉碎机公主皱起了眉头。 用那样的逻辑很难争辩。 尽管……“骑士真的需要知道用哪把叉子吃沙拉吗？”她问父亲。 “或者如何倒一杯完美的茶？”国王盯着他的女儿。 “你把我难住了，”他承认。 粉碎机公主得意地笑了。 “但你仍然可以从特朗普夫人身上学到很多其他东西，”国王继续说道。 “你需要回到皇家淑女礼仪学校去。” 粉碎机公主惊讶地睁大了眼睛。 她不敢相信她父亲要让她回到那个可怕的地方。 “但是——但是你必须让我去骑士学校。” “为什么？”父亲问她。 “因为我想去。” “我是公主。公主们总能得到她们想要的。” “这次不会了。”国王摇了摇头。

"I am going to Knight School," the princess declared. She folded her arms tightly across her chest. "No, you're not," the king replied. He folded his arms tightly across his chest. "You are going back to Lady Frump." "Am not! Am not! Am not!" Princess Pulverizer started jumping up and down and shouting. "I shouldn't have to listen to Lady Frump. She should have to listen to me. I'm the princess." "But she is your teacher," the king said. "In school, she is in charge." Princess Pulverizer shook her head. "This isn't fair!" she shouted. "You won't let me go to Knight School because I'm a girl. That's not right!"

“我要去骑士学校。”公主宣布。 她把双臂紧紧地交叉在胸前。 “不，你不是。”国王回答。 他把双臂紧紧地交叉在胸前。 “你要回到特朗普夫人身边了。” “我不是!我没有!我不是!”粉碎机公主开始跳上跳下，大喊大叫。 “我不应该听特朗普夫人的话。 她应该听我的。 我是公主。”“但她是你的老师，”国王说。 “在学校里，她说了算。” 粉碎机公主摇了摇头。 “这不公平！”她喊道。 “你不让我去骑士学校，因为我是女生。 这是不对的！”