Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11 Chet stood on the sagging porch of the Captain's house. He'd barely knocked when the front door swung open. The Captain stood there with a scowl on his crumpled-up face. He looked at Chet like he'd never seen him before. "Yes?" he said. "What is this about?" Chet's heart sank.

第十一章切特站在船长房子的下陷的门廊上。 他刚敲门，前门就开了。 船长站在那里，皱着眉头。 他看着切特，就像从未见过他一样。 “什么事?”他说。“这是怎么回事?”切特的心一沉。

He thought of what Uncle Jerry had said, that the Captain's mind was like Swiss cheese, full of holes and gaps in his memory. "What is it?" the Captain said. "Are you selling something? I don't have all day." "Sorry, sir," Chet said. "I didn't mean to bother you." He almost turned around and walked away. But he forced himself to stay put. He stepped forward, close to the Captain, and peered right into his eyes. "Captain," he said in a loud voice. "I saw a shark. In the creek. It crashed into me." Chet lifted his shirt to show the angry-looking scrape. The Captain stared at Chet's chest. Then he looked into the distance. Did he even know where he was? "I know it sounds impossible, sir. It doesn't make any sense at all."

他想起杰瑞叔叔说过的话，船长的脑子就像瑞士奶酪，记忆里满是窟窿和缺口。 “怎么回事?”船长说。 “你在卖什么东西吗?” 我可没那么多时间。”“对不起，先生，”切特说。 “我不是故意打扰你的。” 他几乎转身就走了。 但他强迫自己原地不动。 他走上前去，靠近船长，直直地凝视着他的眼睛。 “船长，”他大声说。 “我看到了一条鲨鱼。在小溪里。 它撞到了我身上。”切特撩起衬衫，露出生气的伤痕。 船长盯着切特的胸膛。 然后他看了看远处。 他知道自己身在何处吗? “我知道这听起来不可能，先生。 这根本说不通。”

The Captain looked back at Chet. "Sure it does," he said. Chet's eyes widened in surprise. "The creek empties out into the Raritan Bay, which leads right to the Atlantic. Pirates used to come to these parts. Buried their treasure all around here." The Captain's eyes kept getting brighter. "If the tides are high, and the currents are strong, a shark could get swept right up into the creek." Of course it could. "I saw it, Captain," Chet said, more confident now. "It was huge. And its eyes, just like you said…" "Killer eyes," the Captain muttered. Chet nodded. "Why are you standing here, son?" the Captain scolded. "We need to warn people! I'm getting my boat. You get down to that swimming hole. You tell people what you saw." "What if they won't believe me?" Chet asked. The Captain put a hand on Chet's shoulder. His grip was very strong. "Go!" he said.

船长回头看了看切特。 “当然有，”他说。切特惊讶地睁大了眼睛。 这条小溪流入拉坦湾，直接通向大西洋。 海盗过去常到这些地方来。 把他们的财宝都埋在这里。” 船长的眼睛越来越亮。 “如果潮水高涨，水流湍急，鲨鱼可能会被冲进小溪。” 当然可以。“我看到了，船长。”切特说，他现在更有信心了。 “它是巨大的。还有它的眼睛，正如您所说的……” 切特点了点头。“你为什么站在这里，孩子?”船长责备道。 “我们需要警告人们!”我要去拿我的船。 你去那个水潭。 你告诉人们你看到了什么。” “如果他们不相信我怎么办?”切特问道。 船长把手放在切特的肩膀上。 他的手握得很紧。“去吧!”