Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 The sun was high in the sky as they approached the city. They tied Peg to a tree in an olive grove, about a half mile from Pompeii's eastern gates. Marcus hugged Peg. "I'll be back." The mare nosed him in the chest, looking him in the eye. The ground rumbled again — the tremors were definitely getting stronger. Marcus looked back nervously at the mountain and loosened Peg's rope. "If we're not back, you need to break free from here and get out on your own."

第十二章当他们接近城市时，太阳已经升得很高了。 他们把佩格绑在离庞贝东门大约半英里的橄榄树林里的一棵树上。 马库斯拥抱了佩格。“我会回来的。” 母马用鼻子碰了碰他的胸部，直视着他的眼睛。 地面又隆隆作响了——震动肯定越来越强烈了。 马库斯紧张地回头看了看那座山，松开了佩格的绳子。 “如果我们还没回来，你就得离开这里，自己出去。”

Peg eyed him. "You understand me?" he said. "Don't wait for us." The mare snorted. Marcus hoped that meant yes. He hugged her one last time, and Tata rubbed her nose before they headed for the city gates. Tata's plan was to speak to Pompeii's magistrates — the men elected to lead the city. They would know the best way to warn the people of Pompeii. Marcus and Tata wove through the crowded streets, keeping their eyes out for men who might help — and those who might be hunting for them. It didn't take long to reach the Forum — an open square surrounded by five buildings and the city's main temple, dedicated to Jupiter. Statues of emperors and generals seemed to glare at Marcus as he followed Tata to the magistrates' building. Marcus's heart pounded as they approached the entrance, where three steely-looking guards stood watch. "Stop, slave," a guard ordered. Tata held his head up.

佩格盯着他。“你明白我的话吗?”他说。 “别等我们了。”母马哼了一声。 马库斯希望这意味着同意。 他最后一次拥抱了她，塔塔在前往城门之前揉了揉她的鼻子。 塔塔的计划是和庞贝的地方官员——被选举出来领导这座城市的人——谈谈。 他们知道警告庞贝人民的最好方法。 马库斯和塔塔穿梭在拥挤的街道上，留心寻找可能帮助他们的人，以及可能正在追捕他们的人。 没过多久，他们就到达了广场——一个被五座建筑和城市的主神庙包围的露天广场，神庙是献给朱庇特的。 当马库斯跟随塔塔前往地方政府大楼时，皇帝和将军的雕像似乎在瞪着他。 当他们走到入口处时，马库斯的心怦怦直跳，那里有三个铁板一块的警卫在站岗。 “站住，奴隶，”一个卫兵命令道。 塔塔抬起头。

"Sir, I have an urgent message for the city's leaders. The city is in danger. We must warn the people of Pompeii." The man barely glanced at Tata from beneath his helmet. "Be gone," the guard ordered, shooing him as though he were a stray dog. "Sir," Tata said. "It's the mountain. There will soon be a terrible explosion. We—" The guard raised his spear menacingly.

“先生，我有紧急消息要通知本市的领导。 这座城市处于危险之中。我们必须警告庞贝的人民。” 那人从头盔下面几乎没看塔塔一眼。 “走开，”卫兵命令道，就像他是一只流浪狗一样朝他开枪。 “先生，”塔塔说。“是那座山。 很快就会发生可怕的爆炸。 我们——”卫兵威胁地举起长矛。

"Go from here! Nobody in there wants to talk to a filthy slave!" Suddenly Marcus couldn't help but see what the guard saw when he looked at Tata. With his tattered tunic and body stained with bruises, Tata looked little better than the beggar woman. The other guards stepped up, their spears glinting in the sun. This was hopeless, Marcus realized. "You are making a mistake," Tata warned, taking Marcus's arm and hurrying him away. They walked out of the Forum and headed toward the main street. "We'll have to tell people ourselves," Tata said. "We'll go to the shops and restaurants. Hopefully some people will listen." Marcus hoped Tata couldn't read his thoughts: They were wasting their time. Nobody would take the word of a slave. They stood on the sidewalk, waiting to cross the crowded street. Two laughing little boys ran behind their mother. One held a wooden sword. "I'm Cyclops!" the boy sang.

“离开这儿!”那里没有人愿意和一个肮脏的奴隶说话!”突然间，马库斯不由自主地看到了卫兵看着塔塔时所看到的东西。 塔塔衣衫褴褛，身上伤痕累累，看上去比那个女乞丐好不了多少。 其他卫兵走上前来，他们的长矛在阳光下闪闪发光。 这是没有希望的，马库斯意识到。 “你在犯一个错误。”塔塔警告道，拉住马库斯的胳膊，催促他离开。 他们走出广场，朝主街走去。 “我们必须自己告诉人们，”塔塔表示。 “我们会去商店和餐馆。 希望有人会听进去。” 马库斯希望塔塔看不懂他的想法:他们是在浪费时间。 没人会相信一个奴隶的话。 他们站在人行道上，等着穿过拥挤的街道。 两个笑着的小男孩跟在妈妈后面跑。 其中一人手持木剑。“我是独眼巨人!”男孩唱道。

The gladiator match! That's where everyone was heading! Marcus watched the boys, but then his eyes drifted up to Vesuvius. What he saw stopped his heart: a wisp of smoke, rising out of the peak. The mountain seemed to be coming alive. "Tata…" Marcus pointed up at the smoking mountain. Tata stared in horror — and fascination. They both stood there, their eyes glued to the mountain. Which is why they didn't see the golden chariot that had stopped suddenly right in front of them — or the pair of cold, pale eyes that glared at them. By the time Marcus saw Festus and his guards rushing toward them, it was too late. Penned in by the crowds, he and Tata were trapped. And seconds later Marcus was staring at the glinting tip of a spear. "Idiots," Festus hissed. "You actually believed you could escape?" Tata shook his arm from the guard's grip and stepped toward Festus.

角斗士比赛!那是每个人都要去的地方!马库斯看着孩子们，但随后他的目光转向维苏威火山。 他看到的景象使他的心都停止了跳动:一缕烟雾从山顶升起。 那座山似乎活过来了。 “塔塔……”马库斯指着冒烟的山。 塔塔惊恐而又着迷地盯着。 他们俩站在那里，眼睛紧盯着那座山。 这就是为什么他们没有看到突然停在他们面前的金色战车，也没有看到那双冰冷、苍白的眼睛瞪着他们。 当马库斯看到非斯都和他的卫兵向他们冲来时，已经太晚了。 被人群包围，他和塔塔被困住了。 几秒钟后，马库斯盯着一支闪闪发光的矛尖。 “白痴，”非斯都嘶嘶地说。“你真的相信你能逃脱吗?”塔塔挣脱卫兵的手，向费斯图斯走去。

"Sir, please, a disaster is coming. The mountain is about to explode. People must leave the city right away." Festus laughed cruelly. "You think you can save yourself by telling tales?" The guard grabbed Tata roughly, and once again Tata shook himself free. He seemed to be gaining strength from the crowd, from the fear and panic in the eyes of the people all around them. "You've felt the earth tremors. And now look at the mountain. You can see for yourself, the smoke! Any moment it's going to explode." Festus didn't even look at the mountain. He put his face close to Tata's, screaming, "You dare try to outsmart me? You think I'm a fool?" "Think of your uncle, sir, of Linus," Tata said, struggling as the guard gripped him again. "He would agree with me. I'm certain." Festus's fat cheeks turned bright red. "My uncle was a weak-minded idiot," Festus said, spitting out the words. "He cared more for a slave than me, a man who shared his own blood!" And suddenly it was all clear to Marcus — why Festus had sold Tata so quickly.

“先生，求你了，灾难就要来了。 这座山就要爆炸了。 人们必须立即离开这座城市。” 非斯都残忍地笑了。“你以为讲故事就能救你自己吗?”卫兵粗暴地抓住了塔塔，塔塔又一次挣脱了。 他似乎从人群中获得力量，从周围人的恐惧和恐慌中获得力量。 “你感受到了大地的颤动。 现在看看这座山。 你可以亲眼看到，烟!它随时都可能爆炸。” 非斯都连山都没看。 他把脸凑近塔塔的脸，尖叫道:“你竟敢比我聪明? 你以为我是个傻瓜?”“想想你的叔叔，先生，想想莱纳斯。”塔塔说，卫兵再次抓住他，他挣扎着。 “他会同意我的看法。我确定。” 非斯都的肥脸涨得通红。 非斯都说:“我叔叔是个弱智的白痴。” “他更关心一个奴隶，而不是我，一个与自己有血缘关系的人!”突然间，马库斯明白了——为什么费斯图斯这么快就卖掉了塔塔。