Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11 Carmen desperately kicked her legs and spun her arms. She stretched out her neck to try to get her head back above the goo. But the molasses was like quicksand. The more she flailed, the deeper she sank. Beneath the surface, claws of metal raked into her leg, splitting open her flesh. She felt her blood spill out, gushing into the swirling river that was carrying her away.

卡门拼命地踢着腿，旋转着胳膊。 她伸出脖子，试图让她的头回到粘稠的东西上面。 但糖蜜就像流沙。 她越挣扎，陷得越深。 在表面之下，金属爪划破了她的腿，撕开了她的肉。 她感到自己的血液喷涌而出，涌进了将她卷走的漩涡中。

It was no use struggling, she realized. The molasses was too strong, too powerful. How did she think she could fight back? The force of the flood pushed her forward. She somersaulted in the muck. She gagged and coughed, struggling to breathe through her molasses-clogged nose and mouth. No, she couldn't fight this. It was impossible. Soon there was only darkness and pain. And then a voice in her mind, just a whisper at first. Hold on. It got louder. Hold on! Papa? Was he here with her? No. It was just his voice, calling to her. He was telling her what she needed to do. But this time Carmen was all alone in the raging flood. It would be up to her to keep herself afloat. And she would not give up. Not without a fight.

她意识到，挣扎是没有用的。 糖蜜太浓了，太厉害了。 她怎么会认为自己能反击呢？ 洪水的力量推动她向前。 她在淤泥中翻了个筋斗。 她不停地咳嗽，鼻子和嘴巴都被糖蜜堵住了，挣扎着呼吸。 不，她无法抗拒。 这是不可能的。很快就只有黑暗和痛苦了。 然后她脑海里响起了一个声音，起初只是一个低语。 等一等。声音越来越大。坚持下去!爸爸? 他和她在一起吗？不。那只是他的声音，在呼唤她。 他在告诉她该怎么做。 但这一次，卡门独自一人在汹涌的洪水中。 她要靠自己才能浮起来。 她不会放弃。 不会不打一架的。

She somehow managed to straighten her body. She let herself sink down until her feet touched the solid ground. Then she pushed off, propelling herself up through the goo. Her head broke through the surface. She managed to take a breath before she sank down again. Hold on. Down and up, down and up she went, over and over again. The fourth time she came up, she managed to open her burning eyes for just a few seconds. Long enough to see an empty wooden crate floating by her. Long enough to reach out for it. To get her arms around it. She held on. Like she had before. Like Papa had taught her. Blood spilled from her leg. Her heart slowed. The world became blurred. Sounds faded. But she didn't let go.

她设法挺直了身子。 她让自己下沉，直到双脚触到坚实的地面。 然后她推了出去，把自己推到粘稠物中。 她的头从水面探了出来。 在她再次沉下去之前，她总算吸了一口气。 等一等。她上上下下，上上下下，一遍又一遍。 第四次上来时，她勉强睁开了那双灼灼的眼睛几秒钟。 长得足以看到一个空木箱从她身边漂过。 长到可以伸手去拿。 让她抱着它。 她坚持住了。就像她以前那样。 就像爸爸教她的那样。血从她的腿上流出来。 她的心跳慢了下来。世界变得模糊了。 声音消失了。但她没有放手。

Not until the men found her washed up next to a smashed house, and pried her arms away. They wiped the molasses from her nose and lifted her up. Sirens wailed. Voices called to her. But Carmen felt very far away from the North End. In Carmen's mind, she was with Papa. And she didn't want to leave him.

直到那些人发现她被冲到一幢被砸烂的房子旁边，抢走了她的胳膊。 他们擦去她鼻子上的糖蜜，把她扶了起来。 汽笛。有人在呼唤她。 但卡门觉得离北端很远。 在卡门的脑海里，她和爸爸在一起。 她不想离开他。