Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 THAT AFTERNOON THE ROAD TO VESUVIUS They headed for the mountain Vesuvius, a massive triangle of green that loomed up to the east of Pompeii. As they left the city behind, Tata ripped the armor from his shoulders and legs, and threw the pieces into a ditch. He left his helmet in a field of wheat, a trade for the old tunic he snatched from the farmer's drying line. They rode for hours, crossing orchards and olive groves, pastures and fields. Night was coming, and Tata decided they should stop in a patch of woods halfway up the

第八章那天下午通往维苏威火山的路他们朝维苏威山走去，那是一片巨大的绿色三角形，隐约出现在庞贝的东面。 当他们离开这座城市时，塔塔从他的肩膀和腿上扯下盔甲，把碎片扔进了一条沟里。 他把头盔落在麦田里，这是他从农民晾衣绳上抢来的旧外衣的交换条件。 他们骑了几个小时，穿过果园、橄榄园、牧场和田野。 夜幕降临，塔塔决定他们应该在半山腰的一片树林里停下来

mountain. They got off the mare and stretched their aching legs. Marcus reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of grapes he'd snatched from a vineyard they'd passed through. "Hungry, Peg?" Marcus said to the mare. "Peg?" Tata asked, arching one of his bushy brows. "Short for Pegasus," Marcus said. Tata smiled, stroking the mare's nose. Marcus fed the grapes to Peg one by one, until they were all gone. Peg smacked her lips and rubbed Marcus's cheek with her nose. "We have a friend for life, it seems," Tata said. Peg nickered as though she agreed, and Marcus and Tata laughed. It was that moment, as their laughter filled the air, that it really hit Marcus: This was not a dream, not a wish, not a desperate prayer to the gods. He and Tata were together! A jolt of happiness practically lifted him off the ground. And Tata

山。他们下了马，伸了伸疼痛的腿。 马库斯把手伸进口袋，拿出一把葡萄，这是他从他们经过的葡萄园里抢来的。 “饿,挂钩吗?”马库斯对母马说。 “钉?”塔塔扬起浓密的眉毛问道。 “帕伽索斯的简称，”马库斯说。 塔塔微笑着，抚摸着母马的鼻子。 马库斯把葡萄一颗一颗地喂给佩格，直到它们都吃光了。 佩格咂咂嘴唇，用鼻子蹭了蹭马库斯的脸颊。 塔塔表示:“我们似乎有了一位终生的朋友。” 佩格咯咯地笑了，好像她同意了，马库斯和塔塔笑了。 就在那一刻，当他们的笑声弥漫在空气中时，马库斯真正意识到:这不是一个梦，不是一个愿望，不是对上帝绝望的祈祷。 他和塔塔在一起!一阵喜悦几乎把他从地上抱了起来。 和塔塔

seemed to feel it, too. They looked at each other and smiled. But then a shadow passed over Marcus's heart. Because as happy as he felt at this moment, he knew they were in terrible danger. "They'll come after us," Marcus whispered. The slave hunters. Festus would hire the best, most cunning men, experts in tracking their prey. "They won't look for us up here," Tata promised. "The hunters will be searching Pompeii. It will be days before they come to the mountain. And by then we'll be gone. We'll head back to Rome, Marcus. I have no doubt that Linus's friends will help us. Somehow I need to continue Linus's work." It amazed Marcus that Tata could be so certain, so filled with hope. He draped an arm around Marcus's shoulders and looked up into the sky, admiring the bright moon and the swirl of stars. But what Marcus saw in the bright moonlight was the angry bruise on Tata's cheek, the purple scar zigzagging along his chin. How Tata must have suffered these past two months!

我似乎也感觉到了。他们面面相觑，笑了。 但一个阴影掠过了马库斯的心。 因为尽管他此刻感到很高兴，但他知道他们正处于可怕的危险之中。 “他们会来追我们的。”马库斯低声说。 猎奴者。非斯都会雇佣最优秀，最狡猾的人，追踪猎物的专家。 “他们不会在这里找我们的，”塔塔保证。 “猎人们将搜索庞贝古城。 他们要过几天才能到达这座山。 到那时我们就走了。 我们要回罗马了，马库斯。 我相信莱纳斯的朋友们会帮助我们的。 无论如何，我需要继续李纳斯的工作。” 塔塔如此自信，如此充满希望，这让马库斯感到惊讶。 他把一只胳膊搭在马库斯的肩膀上，抬头望着天空，欣赏着明亮的月亮和旋转的星星。 但在明亮的月光下，马库斯看到的是塔塔脸颊上愤怒的瘀伤，紫色的伤疤沿着他的下巴蜿蜒而行。 塔塔在过去的两个月里一定很痛苦!

Marcus had already told Tata about his time with Festus. The words had poured out of him during their ride up the mountain, until at last he had told Tata about every last moment of his time with his brutal master. But Tata hadn't said a thing about being with the gladiators. And now Marcus wanted to know. "Will you tell me what happened to you, Tata?" Marcus said.

马库斯已经告诉了塔塔他和费斯图斯在一起的经历。 在他们上山的路上，他滔滔不绝地说着这些话，直到最后，他把他和残暴的主人在一起的每一个最后时刻都告诉了塔塔。 但塔塔没有说过要和角斗士们在一起。 现在马库斯想知道了。 “你能告诉我发生了什么事吗，塔塔?”马库斯说。

Pain flashed through Tata's eyes and he looked away from Marcus. "That is the past now," he said. And from his tone, Marcus knew that he must not ask again. But he couldn't help thinking about what his father must have been through. And it made his blood boil. "I hate that lanista!" Marcus burst out. "And I hate Festus! I hate all of them for what they did to you, Tata! We need to get even!" Yes, Marcus thought, they'd get revenge! They'd set fire to Festus's villa! Find the lanista and… But Tata whipped around, gripping Marcus's shoulders. "No, Marcus," he snapped. "Never speak like that. You must never let hatred take over! Then you are no better than Festus! And hatred like that will destroy you." Marcus blinked, stung by Tata's sharp tone. "I'm sorry, Tata," Marcus said. Tata's face softened. "There is goodness in the world, Marcus, and kindness. You cannot forget

塔塔眼中闪过痛苦，他把目光从马库斯身上移开。 “那是过去的事了，”他说。 从他的语气中，马库斯知道他不能再问了。 但他忍不住想起父亲一定经历了什么。 这使他怒不可遏。 “我讨厌那个lanista!”马库斯脱口而出。 “我恨非斯都!我恨他们对你所做的一切，塔塔!我们需要报复!”是的，马库斯想，他们会报复的!他们放火烧了非斯都的别墅!找到拉尼斯塔，然后……但塔塔突然转过身来，抓住马库斯的肩膀。 “不，马库斯。”他厉声说。“别这么说。 你绝不能让仇恨控制你!那你比非斯都好不了多少!那样的仇恨会毁了你。” 马库斯眨了眨眼，被塔塔尖锐的语气刺痛了。 “对不起，塔塔，”马库斯说。 塔塔的脸色软化了。“世界上有美好，马库斯，有善良。 你不能忘记

that." Goodness? Kindness? Marcus had seen none of that lately. If there was one thing Marcus had learned these past two months, it was this: The world was a dark, evil place. Only the most ruthless would survive. But Marcus said none of that to Tata, who would not approve of such dark thoughts. And they were both so tired. They led Peg into a small grove of trees and tied her up for the night. Tata stretched out on a grassy patch. "Tomorrow our new life begins," he whispered, and within seconds he was fast asleep. Marcus lay down next to Tata, but he couldn't get comfortable. His muscles ached from the long ride. But it was the strange noises that kept snapping him awake — distant rumbles, low hisses. Was he dreaming? Once, he drifted to sleep, but was awakened when the earth seemed to be shaking. He sat up, wondering if Tata felt it, too. But Tata was sound asleep.

这一点。”善良吗?的好意呢? 马库斯最近没有看到这些。 如果说马库斯在过去的两个月里学到了什么，那就是:这个世界是一个黑暗、邪恶的地方。 只有最无情的人才能生存。 但马库斯没有对塔塔说这些，因为塔塔不赞成这种阴暗的想法。 他们俩都很累。 他们把佩格带到一个小树林里，把她绑起来过夜。 塔塔躺在一片草地上。 “明天我们的新生活就要开始了。”他低声说，几秒钟后就睡着了。 马库斯躺在塔塔旁边，但他觉得不舒服。 长途旅行使他的肌肉酸痛。 但一直把他吵醒的是那些奇怪的声音——远处的隆隆声，低沉的嘶嘶声。 他是在做梦吗?有一次，他迷迷糊糊地睡着了，但当大地似乎在摇晃时，他被惊醒了。 他坐了起来，想知道塔塔是否也感觉到了。 但塔塔却睡着了。