Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 Marcus stepped slowly, clutching the basket. At first he didn't notice how people moved aside for him, how slaves bowed their heads. And then he understood: His disguise was working! Nobody guessed he was just a slave. None of the guards tried to stop him as he approached the front of the parade. Marcus saw the lanista, his chest puffed out. And there was Tata. The big guard was jabbing him in the back with a spear, laughing at Tata's pain. Marcus's blood boiled as he walked toward the lanista.

马库斯慢慢地走着，手里抓着篮子。 起初，他没有注意到人们如何向他让开，奴隶们如何低下头。 这时他明白了:他的伪装起作用了!没人猜到他只是个奴隶。 当他走近游行队伍的前面时，没有一个卫兵试图阻止他。 马科斯看到了拉尼斯塔，他挺起胸膛。 还有塔塔。高大的卫兵用长矛戳他的后背，嘲笑塔塔的痛苦。 当马库斯走向lanista时，他的血液沸腾了。

Closer… Closer… Closer… When he was just a few feet away, the lanista looked at him. Their eyes met, and Marcus saw the flash of recognition in the man's eyes. "Stop him!" the lanista bellowed, pointing to Marcus. But it was too late. Marcus tore the lid off the basket. He lunged forward. And with all the strength he could gather, he thrust the open basket toward the lanista, propelling the snake into the air. The cobra soared, a twisting, hissing arrow. The snake struck the lanista in the chest and then landed on the ground, coiling itself tightly. The lanista's womanly scream rose up over the crowd. And everything went still and silent.

再靠近点，再靠近点，再靠近点，当他离他只有几英尺远的时候，教练看着他。 他们的目光相遇了，马库斯从那人的眼睛里看到了认出来的闪光。 “阻止他!”教练指着马库斯吼道。 但为时已晚。马库斯撕开了篮子的盖子。 他向前扑去。他使出全身的力气，把那个打开的篮子推给了拉尼斯塔，把那条蛇推到了空中。 眼镜蛇飞了起来，像一支扭曲的、嘶嘶作响的箭。 蛇咬住了兰尼斯塔的胸部，然后落在地上，紧紧地盘绕着身体。 拉尼斯塔女人般的尖叫响彻了人群。 一切都安静下来了。

People stared, hypnotized by the sight of the cobra. The creature lifted its head, rising, rising, rising, until it was as tall as a child. It flared its great

人们凝视着，被眼镜蛇的景象催眠了。 那生物抬起头，往上爬，往上爬，往上爬，直到长得像个孩子一样高。 它发出了巨大的光芒。

hood and then opened its mouth to expose its silky pink mouth and killer fangs. Hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss! And then, as if Marcus himself had pulled a lever, the earth started to rumble, just as it had earlier. Stones crumbled and fell from the wall surrounding the barracks. A roar echoed from deep under the ground. "It's a curse from the gods!" someone shouted. The crowd erupted in panic. The lanista turned and ran, and his guards followed. Gladiators bolted. The snake slithered away. The horses screeched and reared up, tossing their riders to the ground. Marcus ran to Tata, who stared at him in confusion. "Tata!" Marcus said, tossing off his toga. "It's me!" Amazement lit up Tata's eyes, but there was not a second to spare. Tata grabbed Marcus's hand as though he would never let it go.

胡德张开了嘴，露出了它柔滑的粉红色的嘴和毒牙。 Hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss !然后，好像马库斯自己拉动了一个杠杆，大地开始轰隆作响，就像之前一样。 营房周围的墙上的石头碎裂掉了下来。 一声怒吼从地下深处回响。 “这是上帝的诅咒!”有人喊道。 人群爆发出一阵恐慌。 兰尼斯塔转身就跑，他的卫兵跟在后面。 角斗士螺栓。那条蛇滑走了。 马儿尖叫起来，把骑马的人摔倒在地。 马库斯跑向塔塔，塔塔困惑地盯着他。 “塔塔!”马库斯说着，脱掉了他的长袍。 “是我!”塔塔的眼睛里充满了惊奇，但一秒钟也没有多余的时间。 塔塔抓住马库斯的手，好像他永远不会放手。

"This way!" Tata said, pulling Marcus to one of the riderless horses. It was a ragged white mare that looked a hundred years old. One of her ears looked as if it had been chewed off. Tata grabbed the reins and soothed the horse while Marcus climbed on. Tata climbed on in front of Marcus. "Hold on tight," he said, snapping the reins. Marcus doubted the old horse could even run. But she shot forward and was soon speeding them down the street. Marcus clung to Tata, his heart pounding in terror. He expected spears to fly after them, a dagger to stab him in the middle of his back. But the horse ran faster and faster; it seemed she was as eager to escape her life in Pompeii as they were. They moved so fast that Marcus felt as though they were flying. Closing his eyes, he imagined that this old white mare was the winged horse Pegasus, and that they were soaring through the clouds. When he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see they had passed through the city gates.

“这样!”塔塔说着，把马库斯拉到其中一匹无人驾驶的马跟前。 那是一匹衣衫褴褛的白母马，看上去有一百岁了。 她的一只耳朵看起来好像被咬掉了。 塔塔抓住缰绳，安抚着马，马库斯爬上了马。 塔塔爬到马库斯前面。 “抓紧，”他说着，扯了扯缰绳。 马库斯甚至怀疑那匹老马是否能跑。 但她向前冲去，很快就把他们赶出了街道。 马库斯紧紧抱住塔塔，他的心因恐惧而怦怦直跳。 他预料会有长矛向他们扑来，有匕首刺向他的后背。 但是马跑得越来越快;她似乎和他们一样渴望逃离庞贝的生活。 他们移动得如此之快，马库斯觉得他们好像在飞。 他闭上眼睛，想象这匹白色的老母马就是飞马帕伽索斯，他们正在云层中飞翔。 当他睁开眼睛时，他惊讶地看到他们已经通过了城门。

Tata raised his fist to the heavens and let out a Latin cheer. "Ecce!" They had made it.

塔塔向天空举起拳头，发出拉丁式的欢呼。 “看呀!”他们成功了。