Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 Pictures floated in and out of Chet's mind. Fuzzy pictures — men lifting him off the dock, the inside of Dr. Jay's motorcar, the white walls and white sheets of the hospital, unsmiling doctors shaking their heads, a pretty nurse with a soft voice. And Uncle Jerry, who always seemed to be sitting right next to Chet. Was Chet asleep? Was he awake? Was he alive or was he dead?

第十四章画面在切特的脑海里忽隐忽现。 模糊的画面——人们把他从码头上抬起来; 杰伊的汽车，医院的白墙白被单，面无表情地摇着头的医生，一个声音柔和的漂亮护士。 还有杰瑞叔叔，他似乎总是坐在切特旁边。 切特睡着了吗?他醒着吗? 他是死是活?

It was two days before Chet decided for sure he was alive, and three more before he understood what had happened to him — that the shark had ripped away part of his calf. Another few seconds and that shark would have taken off his whole leg. "It will heal," the doctor said, patting Chet on the shoulder. "It will take some time. But your leg will heal." "The miracle kid," said Uncle Jerry. "That's what the newspapers are calling you. And it's true." By then Chet had heard about the others — the boy attacked a mile down the creek from Elm Hills and the man who jumped in to try to save him. Both were dead. Chet's room was filled with flowers and cards from people all over the country. But none of it mattered to him. His leg hurt worse than it had when the shark was biting him. The medicine they gave him made him feel sick and woozy. He wanted Mama and Papa, but their train was still making its way across the country.

过了两天，切特才确定自己还活着，又过了三天，他才明白发生了什么事——鲨鱼咬掉了他的一部分小腿。 再过几秒钟，鲨鱼就会把他整条腿都咬掉。 “它会好起来的，”医生拍拍切特的肩膀说。 “这需要一些时间。但是你的腿会好起来的。” “神奇的孩子，”杰里叔叔说。 “报纸就是这么叫你的。 这是真的。”到那时，切特已经听说了其他人的情况——那个男孩在榆树山一英里外的小溪里遭到袭击，那个人跳了进去试图救他。 两人都死了。切特的房间里摆满了来自全国各地人们的鲜花和卡片。 但这些对他来说都不重要。 他的腿比鲨鱼咬他的时候还疼。 他们给他的药使他感到恶心和头昏眼花。 他想要爸爸妈妈，但他们乘坐的火车还在横穿全国的路上。

Every time Chet fell asleep, he woke up suddenly, shaking with fear, his bed soaked with sweat. The terror faded some when he was awake. But somehow that shark was always lurking. Its black killer eyes watching him, its bloody teeth glistening. Chet had never felt so alone.

每次切特睡着，他都会突然醒来，吓得浑身发抖，床上全是汗水。 当他醒过来的时候，恐惧减弱了一些。 但不知怎的，那条鲨鱼总是潜伏着。 它那黑色的杀手般的眼睛注视着他，它那血淋淋的牙齿闪闪发光。 切特从未感到如此孤独。