13 Jim, The Captive

Chapter 13. JIM, THE CAPTIVE From the rowboat, Matilda could hear feet shuffling across the deck above, heading toward where the grappling hook and rope hung from the Black Rat's rail. Her heart beat hard against her ribs. Could she row fast enough to escape? She'd never rowed a boat before—the ghostly pirates would definitely catch her. She thought about swimming for it instead. She'd recently got her fifty-yard

第13章。从划艇上，玛蒂尔达可以听到甲板上有脚步声，他们正朝着“黑鼠”号的栏杆上挂着的抓钩和绳子走去。 她的心跳得很厉害。 她能划得足够快逃脱吗？ 她以前从未划过船——幽灵般的海盗肯定会抓住她。 她想用游泳来代替。 她最近得到了她的五十码

badge at swim club, but it was probably more than fifty yards back to the Blackhole. Then she thought of Jim. She couldn't leave him. Looking above her head, she spotted a row of closed gun ports, secured by lengths of twine. She grabbed a rusty cutlass, cut through the twine of the nearest port, and pushed it open above

游泳俱乐部的徽章，但离黑洞大概有五十多码远。 然后她想到了吉姆。她不能离开他。 她抬头一看，发现一排用绳子固定的关闭的炮口。 她抓起一把锈迹斑斑的弯刀，割断了最近的那扇门的绳子，从上面推开门

her head. She jumped up and pulled her head and shoulders through the hole, grabbing the nearest cannon with one hand. It was cold and damp and inky black inside. The Black Rat's gun deck was the last place Matilda wanted to be, but she had to help Jim, so she dragged the rest of her body through the gun port. She was just in time. "There's a rowboat down 'ere, Cap'n! Loaded high with our booty!" a scurvy pirate shouted from up on deck.

她的头。她跳了起来，把头和肩膀从洞里伸出来，一只手抓住最近的大炮。 里面又冷又湿，漆黑一片。 “黑鼠”号的炮甲板是玛蒂尔达最不愿意去的地方，但她必须帮助吉姆，所以她拖着身体的其余部分穿过炮口。 她来得正是时候。“这儿有只划艇，船长！”装满了我们的战利品！”甲板上一个坏血病的海盗喊道。

"Shall we bring it back aboard?" "JUST FIND ME THAT DOG! I WANT MY KEY!" ordered Captain Twirlybeard. "The treasure can wait." Matilda heard scratching but it was so dark that she couldn't see what it was. She hoped it wasn't rats. Pirate ships were always full of rats. Then she heard something scuttling toward her. She froze. It licked her face. "Woof!" said Bones as he dropped something at Matilda's feet.

“我们把它带回船上好吗？”“给我找到那条狗！”我要我的钥匙！”扭胡子船长命令道。 “宝藏可以等一等。”玛蒂尔达听到了抓人的声音，但天太黑了，她看不见那是什么。 她希望那不是老鼠。海盗船上总是满是老鼠。 然后她听到有什么东西朝她跑来。 她愣住了。它舔着她的脸。 “汪！”骨头把什么东西扔到玛蒂尔达的脚边。

Back on deck, Jim was relieved that Matilda hadn't been found in the rowboat. But where was she? He doubted she would try to swim. The water was cold, and it was a long way back to the Blackhole. She must have gotten on board somehow. Jim's thoughts were interrupted by Captain Twirlybeard, twirling his beard menacingly in his fingers. "As for ye, boy, we've got all the time in the world. We need that key, but if yer still on board at sunrise, ye'll be joinin' us for a long, long month of darkness. That'll give us plenty of time to find yer mutt and the key. And maybe... if luck deserts ye... ye'll be joining us for a lot longer than that! ARRRRR!"

回到甲板上，吉姆松了一口气，因为没有在划艇上找到玛蒂尔达。 可是她在哪儿呢？他怀疑她是否会尝试游泳。 水很冷，回到黑洞还有很长的路要走。 她一定是上了船。 吉姆的思绪被扭胡子船长打断了，他正用手指威胁地捻着胡子。 “至于你，孩子，我们有的是时间。 我们需要那把钥匙，但如果太阳升起时你还在船上，你就要和我们一起度过一个漫长的黑暗月了。 这样我们就有足够的时间找到你的狗和钥匙了。 也许……如果你运气不好…… 你会在这里待更长的时间！呃!”

The surrounding crew guffawed. Jim wondered what Captain Twirlybeard meant. Would he be stuck aboard the Black Rat, with its deadly crew, until the next full moon? "ARRR, lads! Let's go on a DOG HUNT!" shouted Captain Twirlybeard, cutlass held high.

周围的船员哄堂大笑。 吉姆不知道扭胡子船长是什么意思。 他会不会被困在黑鼠号上，和船上那些致命的船员一起，直到下一个满月？ “ARRR,小伙子!我们去猎狗吧！”旋须船长高举着弯刀喊道。