Chapter 21

chapter twenty-one We've been rescued! I think for a half-second But, no, being rescued shouldn't be this painful. We're being hauled off like sacks of potatoes. I can't see anything, and all I can hear are stomping feet. Something sharp stabs at my gut, over and over, until— OOF! Whoever's abducted us has—not so gently— dropped us to the ground. My eyes blink open. A fine web of flesh and tendon is draped across the ceiling, beaming fluorescent green. Looming over us, almost glowing in the light, three figures come into focus. Three of the most mind-bogglingly bizarre creatures I've ever seen... Goons. A... platoon of 'em. "Please tell me you're good guys..." I say.

第二十一章我们得救了！我想了半秒钟但是，不，获救不应该这么痛苦。 我们像一袋袋土豆一样被拖走。 我什么也看不见，只听到咚咚的脚步声。 有什么锋利的东西刺向我的内脏，一遍又一遍，直到——不！绑架我们的人把我们丢在了地上。 我的眼睛眨了眨。天花板上挂着一张由肉和肌腱织成的精细网，发出荧光绿色。 三个身影在我们头顶若隐若现，在灯光下闪闪发光。 我所见过的最匪夷所思的三种生物…… 暴徒。一个……一排。 “请告诉我你们是好人……” 我说。

MAN WE'RE NOT "Cool," Dirk deadpans. A stomach gurgling noise—like flat soda sloshing around a warm bottle—comes from the creature that looks like a sleepy Care Bear. But there's another sound coming from a few feet away. Something familiar. Something monstrous—but not evil.

伙计，我们不“酷”，德克面无表情。 胃里发出的汩汩声，就像平底苏打水在温暖的瓶子里晃动一样，来自一个看起来像昏昏欲睡的小熊的生物。 但从几英尺外传来另一个声音。 熟悉的东西。可怕的东西——但不是邪恶的东西。

It's funny, you hear so many weird, unexpected sounds during the Monster Apocalypse, they sorta start to blend together. But this sound stands out because— No. It can't be. It's a soft, questioning growl that builds to a yipping, yapping, eager bark. My heart races as I stand. The monster with the cannon head shoves out a meaty arm to stop me—but I duck underneath. My eyes start to blur a bit. Something big moves behind the Goon Platoon. Then a high-pitched, happy yip and suddenly the monster trio is knocked aside as—

有趣的是，在《怪物启示录》中，你会听到很多奇怪的、意想不到的声音，它们开始融合在一起。 但这个声音很突出，因为-不。 这不可能。这是一种柔和的、带有疑问的咆哮，后来变成了一种狂吠、狂吠、急切的吠叫。 我站着的时候心跳加速。 那个带着炮头的怪物伸出一只肉臂阻止我——但我躲到了下面。 我的眼睛开始有点模糊了。 有个大东西在打手排后面移动。 接着是一声高亢、欢快的“汪汪”声，怪物三人组突然被踢到一边，变成了——

Mooch. Rover, I want to believe it with every last stupid fiber of my stupid being, but... If this apocalypse has taught me anything, it's that nothing and no one can be trusted. I've seen too many weird visions, had monsters in my head showing me things that aren't real. And I want this to be real so, so bad that I'm afraid that it's a trick. It doesn't seem possible otherwise, it—

彷徨。罗孚，我想用我那愚蠢的身体的每一根愚蠢的纤维去相信它，但是…… 如果说这次天启教会了我什么，那就是没有什么人可以信任。 我看到过太多奇怪的幻象，脑子里有怪物给我看一些不真实的东西。 我太想让这一切成真了，以至于我担心这是个骗局。 否则就不可能了

Rover licks my face. It's the same messy, slobbery lick he gave me when we first met—what feels like forever ago—on the streets of Wakefield. I jam my fingers into his fur, now thick, overgrown, and matted with ooze and dirt. Rover keeps lapping at my face until I flop onto my back and he collapses on top of me—his head resting on my belly. I look up at my friends. "Guys...? It's real, right?" Quint smiles. "It's real, friend." But... if it's real, why aren't my friends rushing over to join in the hugging and reuniting? Oh right. The Goon Platoon. They still loom over us. Rover hops up and looks toward the Goon Platoon with wide eyes, swishing his tail back and forth, like he's trying to tell these guys that I'm A-OK. That we're all A-OK—and definitely not the sort of creatures that should or would make a good meal. But Rover's swishing tail hits June, knocking her to the side, and her backpack opens as she tumbles back. We watch, frozen, as the Fortress Breaker slips out, sliding across the floor toward the Goon Platoon...

罗孚舔我的脸。在韦克菲尔德的街道上，我们第一次见面时，他给了我同样的脏兮兮的、流着口水的舔，感觉就像很久以前一样。 我把手指伸进他的毛里，他的毛现在已经很厚了，长满了毛，上面沾满了淤泥和污垢。 罗孚不停地舔我的脸，直到我扑倒在地，它倒在我身上——它的头靠在我的肚子上。 我抬头看着我的朋友们。“人……吗? 这是真的，对吧？”五胞胎的笑容。 “这是真的，朋友。”但是… 如果这是真的，为什么我的朋友们没有冲过来拥抱和团聚？ 哦,对。《打手排》。 它们仍然笼罩着我们。罗孚跳起来，睁大眼睛望着打手排，尾巴来回摆动，好像在告诉这些家伙我很好。 我们都很好——绝对不是那种应该或应该成为一顿美餐的生物。 但罗孚嗖嗖作响的尾巴击中了琼，把她撞到一边，她的背包打开了，她摔倒了。 我们呆呆地看着堡垒破坏者滑了出来，滑过地板朝Goon Platoon走去……

Dirk inhales sharply. I can practically hear June's fingers digging into the hard ground. The Goon Platoon moves toward the Fortress Breaker. The beetle-looking creature with sword appendages gives it a gentle push with its leg. And then a poke at the seam. Sparkly flecks of glitter sprinkle out. "Don't!" June shouts, holding out a hand. "That's our..."

德克猛地吸了口气。我几乎能听到琼的手指在坚硬的地面上抠的声音。 打手排向堡垒破坏者移动。 这个长着剑状附属物的甲虫状生物用腿轻轻地推了它一下。 然后戳一下接缝。 闪闪发光的小点闪闪发光。 “不!”琼喊道，伸出一只手。 “这是我们的……”