4 “Hear Ye! Hear Ye!”

CHAPTER 4

第四章

"Hear Ye! Hear Ye!" Lucas couldn't wait for Clara and her mother to arrive at the palace. So he didn't. He snuck out and raced all the way to the bakery. Clara always went to the bakery after school. Her father, Owen Gills, worked there. Lucas peeked down the lane. The school children are coming! he thought. He didn't want them to see him, so he pressed himself against the wall alongside the bakery. Then he listened to what they were saying.

“你们当听!你们当听!”卢卡斯迫不及待地等着克拉拉和她的母亲到达宫殿。 所以他没有。他溜了出去，一路跑到面包店。 克拉拉放学后总是去面包店。 她的父亲欧文·吉尔斯在那里工作。 卢卡斯朝小巷那边瞥了一眼。 学生们来了！他想。 他不想让他们看到他，所以他靠在面包店旁边的墙上。 然后他听他们在说什么。

"Why on earth would the prince want to go to school with us?" asked a boy named Albin. "Maybe he's lonely," Clara said. "I feel sorry for him, cooped up in the castle all day." The children laughed at Clara. "How can you feel sorry for the prince?" asked a girl named Sophia. "The prince has everything!" said another girl, named Ashley.

“王子到底为什么要和我们一起上学？”一个叫阿尔宾的男孩问。 “也许他很孤独，”克拉拉说。 “我为他感到难过，整天被关在城堡里。” 孩子们嘲笑克拉拉。 “你怎么会为王子感到难过呢？”一个名叫索菲亚的女孩问道。 “王子什么都有！”另一个叫艾希礼的姑娘说。

"Not everything," said Clara. "He doesn't have a single friend. He's not even allowed to play with me when I visit the palace with my mother." "Well, I'd trade places with him any day," said Albin. "I'd love to live like a prince." "I know it sounds like the perfect life," said Clara, "but a palace, fine clothes, and delicious food aren't everything."

“不是所有的事，”克拉拉说。 “他一个朋友都没有。 当我和妈妈一起去皇宫的时候，他甚至不允许和我一起玩。” “好吧，我随时都愿意和他交换位置。”阿尔宾说。 “我想活得像个王子。” “我知道这听起来像是完美的生活，”克拉拉说，“但是宫殿、漂亮的衣服和美味的食物并不是一切。”

Bells jingled as the children stepped into the bakery. Moments later, each child carried a roll of warm butternut bread to the bench outside. Lucas's mouth watered. How he wished he could join them! As he waited, he heard horses whinny. Then someone began to shout.

孩子们走进面包店时，铃铛叮当作响。 过了一会儿，每个孩子都拿着一卷热胡桃面包到外面的长凳上。 卢卡斯流口水了。他多么希望能加入他们啊！在等待的时候，他听到了马的嘶鸣声。 然后有人开始大喊大叫。

"Hear ye! Hear ye!" he cried. "The queen of Wrenly has lost her prized emerald stone! The king has offered a grand reward to anyone who finds it!" The villagers began to hurry about to spread the news. Oh no! thought Lucas. I must get back to the palace!

“你们当听!听着！”他叫道。 “兰利女王丢失了她珍贵的祖母绿宝石！国王悬赏重赏找到它的人！”村民们开始匆忙地四处传播这一消息。 噢,不!认为卢卡斯。我必须回宫殿去！