Chapter 15

chapter fifteen Back at the tree house, we all tumble out of Big Mama. Quint is energized, like he's been sucking on batteries in his spare time. He immediately retreats to his workshop with my camera. This is the photo he's so fired up about: Quint says he's now certain how we can catch (and not lose—that's important, the not losing) a zombie. And that means we can find the source of The Shrieking. And that's all I care about. Actually, also? Eating. I care about eating. Maybe even something that's not Fun Dip.

第十五章回到树屋，我们都从“大妈妈”那里摔了出来。 昆特精力充沛，就像他在业余时间吸过电池一样。 他立刻带着我的相机回到了他的工作室。 这是一张让他兴奋不已的照片：昆特说，他现在确定了我们如何才能抓住（而不是失去——这很重要，不会失去）僵尸。 也就是说我们能找到尖叫的源头。 这就是我所关心的。 实际上,也?吃东西。我关心的是吃。 甚至可能是一些不好玩的东西。

A near-deadly run-in with a Winged Wretch will leave you seriously hungry. I find Dirk angrily yanking weeds from his vegetable garden. "Pass me that Weed-B-Gone," he says, pointing to a green spray bottle. He blasts away at the weeds like they were bad- mouthing his mom or something. In seconds, the weeds shrivel away to nothing. Dirk plucks a tomato from its stem, dunks it in a bucket of rainwater, and tosses it to me. "Y'know, I'm not a big veggie guy," I say, taking a massive chomp. "But this is hitting the spot." Dirk crunches into a carrot. "Thought you were monster food back there."

与带翅膀的可怜虫发生近乎致命的冲突会让你非常饥饿。 我发现德克在生气地拔除菜园里的杂草。 他指着一个绿色的喷雾瓶说：“把那瓶大麻递给我。” 他把杂草吹走，好像它们在说他妈妈的坏话似的。 几秒钟之内，杂草就枯萎了。 德克从番茄茎上摘下一个，把它浸在一桶雨水里，然后扔给我。 “你知道，我不是个吃素的人，”我说着，大嚼了一大口。 “但这正合时宜。” 德克嘎吱嘎吱地吃胡萝卜。 “我还以为你是怪物食物呢”

I thought you were monster food. We're lucky We made it back in one piece. Winged wretches are no joke. And he's right. It's true. Entirely, totally, terrifyingly true. I think about that for a while. Just how lucky we are. Just how high the odds are stacked against us. All the other possible outcomes. I catch Dirk's eye. We're both thinking the same thing... I mean, is there any way we could ever succeed here? I've blundered my way through a few monster

我以为你是怪兽食物。 我们很幸运，我们完好无损地回来了。 长着翅膀的可怜虫可不是开玩笑的。 他是对的。这是真的。 完全，完全，可怕的真实。 我想了一会儿。 我们是多么的幸运。我们的胜算有多大。 所有其他可能的结果。 我引起了德克的注意。我们都在想同一件事…… 我是说，我们有可能在这里成功吗？ 我跌跌撞撞地闯过了几个怪物

encounters, sure—but this thing that's sucking out zombie brains? Blasting them through the air like discarded food? This thing with the power to summon zombies? Just the thought of it practically has me in a state of panic-induced puking. I make up my mind. The next morning, we need to go back to Joe's Pizza. We need to know what the monsters think about all this. "Friends!" Quint hollers. "Come down here!" I blink my eyes open. It's morning. The sun is just barely up. Too. Early. This better be good, Quint, I think. A few minutes later, I'm standing outside Quint's workshop. He's got a big bedsheet over some giant box-looking thing. He looks like a magician about to attempt his grand finale—pull a bunch of doves from under his armpit or something. Dirk's sitting on the Ping-Pong table, bouncing a ball. "Quint, kid, just get on with it."

遭遇战是肯定的，但是这个吸僵尸大脑的东西呢？ 把他们像丢弃的食物一样在空中炸开？ 这个能召唤僵尸的东西？ 只要一想到它，我就会陷入一种恐慌引发的呕吐状态。 我下定决心了。第二天早上，我们得去乔披萨店。 我们得知道怪物们是怎么想的。 “朋友!”五胞胎大喊着。“到这儿来！”我眨了眨眼睛。 这是早晨。太阳刚刚升起。 了。早。我想这最好是好消息，昆特。 几分钟后，我站在昆特的工作室外面。 他把一张大床单盖在一个巨大的盒子上。 他看起来就像一个魔术师，准备上演他的绝招——从腋窝下拽出一堆鸽子什么的。 德克正坐在乒乓球桌上，弹着球。 “昆特，孩子，继续干吧。”

Quint, totally into the magician thing, says, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm proud to introduce the latest and greatest in zombie catching..." The Cage of Death! "That name does not exactly inspire confidence," I say. "I know," he says, with a meek sigh. "But it is for catching zombies. And they are dead. Well, technically, undead... but 'The Cage of Undeath' doesn't have the same ring to it." "If you think I'm stepping in there, you're nuts," Dirk cuts in. "I get claustrophobic."

昆特完全沉迷于魔术师的把戏，他说：“女士们先生们，我很自豪地向大家介绍最新最棒的捉僵尸技术……” 死亡之笼！“这个名字并不能让人产生信心，”我说。 “我知道，”他温和地叹了口气说。 “但这是用来抓僵尸的。 他们都死了。呃，严格来说，是不死族…… 但《不死之笼》却没有这种感觉。” “如果你认为我在干涉，那你就是疯了，”德克插嘴说。 “我有幽闭恐惧症。”

Quint grins. "No! No one need step inside! No one need risk their lives. Because of... REVEAL NUMBER TWO!" With a dramatic flourish, Quint reaches inside the cage and yanks away a second sheet, revealing a sort of odd, vaguely lifelike lump. We all inch closer. I can't lie—my curiosity is piqued. "What on earth is that?" I ask. "It looks like a scarecrow. Taking a nap." Quint laughs. "It is, in fact, the complete opposite of a scarecrow. You might say it is an 'invite crow'!" "It looks familiar..." I say. Dirk scratches his head. "Yeah, like someone we know." Suddenly, June shrieks. "ME! It looks like me! Quint, it's wearing my shirt! And pants!" "I know!" Quint says, and he smiles like he's proud of that. "I call it June Bait.

昆特笑着说。“不!没人需要进去！没人需要冒生命危险。 因为……揭晓第二名！”昆特戏剧性地一挥，把手伸进笼子里，拉开了第二张纸，露出了一个奇怪的、模糊逼真的肿块。 我们都在慢慢靠近。我不能说谎——我的好奇心被激起了。 “那到底是什么？”我问。 “它看起来像个稻草人。 打个盹。”昆特笑着说。 事实上，它与稻草人完全相反。 你可以说这是一只‘邀请乌鸦’！”“看起来很眼熟……” 我说。德克挠了挠头。 “是的，就像我们认识的人一样。” 突然，琼尖叫起来。“我!它看起来像我！昆特，它穿着我的衬衫！和裤子!”“我知道!”昆特说，他笑了，好像他为此感到自豪。 “我叫它June Bait。