Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen The King Wretch doesn't move from his perch as we race toward the Thunder Coaster. In moments, June, Quint, and I are climbing into the coaster's front car. Dirk turns a crank, and the car is chugalugged up the track. When it finally reaches the peak—a hundred feet above the ground—Dirk locks the crank into place. I can't help myself. I peek over the side of the car. It's a terrifying, head-spinning view: the car, track, and steps—they all drop off to Fun Land pavement, far, far below... The track shudders. Dirk's stomping up the steps. June sets the radio down in the car. If we can just keep this radio safe until 10 p.m., we'll be able to hear the final broadcast. But—

第十五章当我们奔向雷霆过山车时，可怜的国王没有离开他的宝座。 过了一会儿，琼、昆特和我爬上了过山车的前车厢。 德克转动曲柄，车子就沿着轨道前进了。 当它终于到达离地面100英尺的山顶时，德克把曲柄锁好。 我控制不住自己。我从汽车侧面偷看了一眼。 这是一个可怕的、令人头晕目眩的景象：汽车、轨道和台阶——它们都掉到游乐场的人行道上，在很远很远的地方…… 铁轨颤抖着。德克踏着脚步走上台阶。 琼在车里放下了收音机。 如果我们能把这台收音机保管到晚上10点，我们就能听到最后的广播了。 但是,

KING WRETCH TAIL WHIP. I reel back, gasping, heart pounding. The King Wretch is swirling through the air. He looks down, his mouth opens, and he unleashes a blood-chilling SKREEEE!!!! So much for keeping the radio safe... his big fat tail just whomped it! No one says anything. I can practically hear their hearts slamming in their chests.

国王可怜的尾巴鞭子。我向后退缩，喘着粗气，心怦怦直跳。 可怜虫王在空中打转。 他低头一看，张大了嘴，吐出了一声令人毛骨悚然的SKREEEE!!!！保护无线电安全就到此为止了…… 他的大肥尾巴撞了它一下！没人说什么。 我几乎能听到他们的心跳。

The radio sparks. It's damaged. "How bad?" I ask Quint. "It is certainly less than good." "BUT CAN YOU FIX IT?" June asks. Her voice is shaking and bordering on full-out panic. "It's the LAST BROADCAST! At ten! And it's already seven fifteen!" "We'll get it working," Dirk says. "I promise." I need to do something, anything, to make the King Wretch leave my buddies alone for a while. If I can't, then they won't be able to get the radio working. They'll miss the broadcast. "You guys fix it," I say. "I'm getting answers..." BECAUSE NO ONE MESSES WITH MY BUDDY'S ATTEMPTS TO MAKE A RADIO FUNCTION AT A HIGH ALTITUDE worst battle cry ever. He's not that bright.

无线电响了。这是损坏的。 “多么糟糕?”我问昆特。“这肯定不够好。” “但是你能修好它吗？”6月问道。 她的声音在颤抖，近乎极度恐慌。 “这是最后一次广播了！”十点!现在已经七点十五分了！”“我们会让它运转起来的，”德克说。 “我保证。”我得做点什么，任何事，让混蛋国王离开我的伙伴们一会儿。 如果我做不到，他们就无法让收音机工作。 他们会错过广播的。 “你们来修吧，”我说。“我得到了答案……” 因为没有人会干扰我朋友在高海拔地区的无线电功能，这是有史以来最糟糕的战斗呼声。 他没那么聪明。

I step up onto the roller coaster seat, raising the Louisville Slicer over my head. "HEY, KING WRETCH!" I scream. "YOU WANT ME?! COME AND GET ME!" RAAAWRRRRRR! The King Wretch shrieks and dives. His howl is high-pitched horror—the sound of evil itself. His talons flash open. "Get the radio out of the car!" I shout. "Quick! Onto the steps, on the side!" My buddies scramble from the car. Quint sets the radio on the steps, and just in time— The King Wretch practically takes my head off. His tail whips the car, and there's a sudden squeaking and squealing sound. My stomach turns and my body lurches. The car is going over... Quint cries, "Jack!" but then I hear nothing except the sound of rusty wheels and screeching metal as the car plummets down the track. The car rattles as it speeds faster along the track. I grip the coaster bar tight as the wind streams over my face. The momentum propels the car up and over the first dip, then it careens around the next bend and hurtles ahead!

我走上过山车的座位，把路易斯维尔切片机举过头顶。 “喂，王八蛋！”我尖叫。 “你要我？！”快来救我！”RAAAWRRRRRR !可怜的国王尖叫着潜入水中。 它的嚎叫是尖锐的恐怖，是邪恶本身的声音。 他的爪子一闪而开。“把收音机从车里拿出来！”我喊。 “快!到台阶上，到旁边去！”我的伙伴们从车里爬出来。 昆特把收音机放在台阶上，及时——那个卑鄙的国王几乎把我的头拧下来了。 它的尾巴抽打着汽车，突然发出吱吱的声音。 我的胃翻腾，我的身体蹒跚。 那辆车正从……昆特喊道：“杰克！”但我什么也没听到，只听到生锈的车轮声和汽车沿轨道坠落时金属发出的刺耳的声音。 汽车在轨道上加速时发出嘎嘎声。 风吹过我的脸，我紧紧抓住过山车的栏杆。 动量推动汽车上升，并在第一次下降，然后它倾斜到下一个弯道，向前冲！

Thanks, King Rich. I always wanted to ride a roller coaster. The flying beast snaps out with his talons, tearing into my hoodie and knocking me back. The coaster whips around the next turn, and I'm flung back into the seat. My stomach does an Olympic-type flip. I grip the railing. I'm about to jam the Louisville Slicer into the beast's gut, when— PLUCK! His gnarled talons grab my hoodie. The car plunges down the next drop, but I don't plunge with it—because I'm not inside the car...

谢谢你，瑞奇国王。我一直想坐过山车。 这只会飞的野兽突然伸出爪子，撕破了我的连帽衫，把我撞倒了。 过山车又转了一圈，我又被甩回座位上。 我的胃像奥运会一样翻腾。 我抓住栏杆。我正准备把路易斯维尔切片机塞进那畜生的肚子里，这时-鼓起勇气！他那粗糙的爪子抓住了我的卫衣。 车又往下掉，但我没有跟着往下掉，因为我不在车里……