Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 IT WAS NIGHTFALL by the time the gang arrived in Hampstead. They were still on the run, so getting to the surface there had to be done on foot via the sewers. Luckily Catface knew the way, and they ran like the wind, so they were still hopeful of finding the collar before the thief. Just like it had done six hundred years before, THE MOON LIT UP THE POND and a gentle breeze rippled across it. The cats hid for a moment in a nearby bush,

第七章匪徒到达汉普斯特德时已是夜幕降临。 他们还在逃亡，所以要想到达地面，必须步行通过下水道。 幸运的是猫脸认得路，他们跑得飞快，所以他们仍然有希望在小偷之前找到项圈。 就像六百年前一样，月亮照亮了池塘，和风拂过池塘。 猫们在附近的灌木丛里躲了一会儿，

but nothing was stirring. Luckily, it looked like they'd got there first, so they cracked a plan. 'Since my lessons with Lutra the otter, I can hold my breath for ages. I'LL BE THE ONE TO DIVE DOWN- that OK, boss?' Toto asked Larry. 'Good plan, Toto, but you'll need someone to go with you to help UNCOVER THAT BOX. I'll come too. 'WAIT A MINUTE.' SILVER GULPED. 'If the thief did crack that riddle and turns up, we need someone to fight them off. The three of us'- he gestured to Catface and Socks- 'might give it a go, but I'm not entirely sure we're cut out for the job. Larry, I think you have to stay here. I can't believe I'm saying this, but- gulp- I'LL GO.' Toto hugged her brother and touched noses. Yes, he was cheeky, yes, he pretended to be a ninja and that did annoy her a bit, plus he always he licked butter straight off the plate under the noses of Mamma and

但是没有动静。幸运的是，他们似乎先到了那里，所以他们想出了一个计划。 “自从我和水獭卢特拉一起上课后，我可以长时间屏住呼吸了。 我是那个下潜的人，行吗，老板？”托托问拉里。 “好计划，托托，但是你需要有人和你一起去帮你打开那个盒子。 我也去。“等一下。”银一饮而尽。 “如果小偷真的破解了那个谜，出现了，我们需要有人把他们击退。 我们三个——”他指了指猫脸和袜子——“也许可以试一试，但我不完全确定我们是否适合做这项工作。 拉里，我觉得你得留在这里。 我真不敢相信我会这么说，但是——咳——我要去。”托托抱着弟弟，摸着他的鼻子。 是的，他很厚脸皮，是的，他假装成一个忍者，这确实让她有点恼火，而且他总是在妈妈的鼻子底下直接舔盘子里的黄油

Papa when they weren't looking, BUT he was a great big brother, the bravest there was. 'OK, bro, take a deep breath and hang on to me. If we get separated, head straight for the surface and don't panic. Toto could tell her brother was nervous, but there was no backing out now. TOTO AND SILVER EACH TOOK A LUNGFUL OF COOL EVENING AIR, AND DIVED IN. The little ninja kicked powerfully, and it was clear that the training she'd had from her otter friend had paid off. She ploughed down through the water and, before long, they reached the pond bed. Silver was hanging on for dear life, but he was surprised how quickly he adjusted to the cold and the weightlessness of being underwater. Silver started to look around to spot where the collar could be, but each time he moved his feet he

当他们不注意的时候，爸爸，但他是一个伟大的哥哥，最勇敢的。 “好了，兄弟，深呼吸，抱紧我。 如果我们走散了，直奔水面，不要惊慌。 托托看得出她哥哥很紧张，但是现在没有退路了。 托托和西尔弗各吸了一口凉爽的晚风，跳进水里。 小忍者有力地踢了一脚，很明显，她从水獭朋友那里接受的训练得到了回报。 她吃力地涉水而下，没过多久，他们就到了池塘底。 西尔弗死里逃生，但他惊讶地发现自己很快就适应了水下的寒冷和失重。 西尔弗开始四处张望，想找出项圈可能在哪里，但他每挪动一下脚，他就

stirred up rotten leaves and mud that made the water murky and clouded his view. He was beginning to get desperate, and short of breath. Just as he was about to make Toto kick for the surface, a chink of light from the moon above reflected off the bottom of the pond. SOMETHING WAS THERE! Directing his sister, they swam over to the source of the reflection and there it was: faded and rusty, but it was unmistakeably the corner of a SILVER BOX, buried in the mud and untouched for hundreds of years. Silver grabbed it triumphantly and Toto started to swim them upwards. Suddenly, she felt something snag below her. Looking down, she couldn't make out much, but she could tell SOMEONE HAD A HOLD ON SILVER and was trying to wrestle the box away from him, pulling them all down towards the bottom. Toto tried to drag her brother towards the surface, but she was almost out of breath and her strength was depleted. She

搅起了腐烂的树叶和泥土，水变得浑浊，挡住了他的视线。 他开始感到绝望，呼吸急促。 正当他要让托托向水面踢去的时候，水面上的月光从池塘底反射出来。 那里有东西！他们指引着他的妹妹，游向倒影的源头，它就在那里：褪色了，生锈了，但毫无疑问，它是一个银盒子的一角，埋在泥里，几百年来没有人动过。 西尔弗得意地抓住它，托托开始把他们游上来。 突然，她感到下面有什么东西绊了一下。 她低头看了看，看不清什么，但她知道有人抓住了西尔弗，正试图把箱子从他手里夺过来，把他们都往底部拉。 托托试图把她的兄弟拖到水面上，但是她几乎喘不过气来，她的力量也耗尽了。 她