12 Bait

12. BAIT "I want the Pirate Piper to think you've escaped," explained Matilda, holding Jim by his shoulders. "You walk past the cave entrance and wait until he spots you. Don't go too close. The tide's quite far out, so that should give you some space and a good head start. When you see the piper come after you, head for the dunes and wait for Bones!"

12. “我要让海盗吹笛手以为你逃走了，”玛蒂尔达解释道，抓住吉姆的肩膀。 “你走过洞口，等着他发现你。 不要靠得太近。潮水已经退得很远了，所以这应该给你一些空间和一个良好的开端。 当你看到风笛手跟在你后面时，赶快跑到沙丘上，等着骨头！”

"OK," said Jim. "Got it, Cap'n!" Jim Lad staggered across the sand, weaving left and right, like one of those zombies he'd seen on TV. He made groaning noises and was putting on his best blank facial expression. Jim believed he was a master at improvising, and if he hadn't been born a pirate, scourge of the seven seas, he would have quite liked to be a famous actor. Matilda was briefing Nugget, who had already removed her fiddle from its case. Her bow was poised, and she was eager to start playing.

“好吧，”吉姆说。“明白了，船长！”吉姆·拉德摇摇晃晃地走在沙滩上，左右摇摆，就像他在电视上看到的那些僵尸一样。 他发出呻吟声，脸上装出最好的茫然表情。 吉姆相信他是即兴创作的大师，如果他不是天生的海盗，七大洋的祸害，他会很想成为一个著名的演员。 玛蒂尔达正在向纳格特汇报情况，纳格特已经把小提琴从箱子里拿了出来。 她的弓摆好了，她迫不及待地要开始演奏了。

"You have to wait," said Matilda sternly. "You have to wait until I tell you to play! Jim has to draw the Pirate Piper from the cave first. When Jim's taken the piper far enough away, you can start." "Oh, right. I'm glad that Jim and that piper fella won't be listenin'," said Nugget, suddenly content to wait a while. "I don't think Jim's that fond of my fiddle playin,' and that piper looks to be one of those miserable sorts who don't appreciate the musical talents of children." Matilda pointed Jim's telescope at the cave, desperate for the piper to leave. Bones was still sitting behind the boulder, guarding the entrance. Matilda

“你得等一等。”玛蒂尔达严厉地说。 “你得等我叫你玩！”吉姆得先把海盗吹笛手从洞里引出来。 等吉姆把风笛吹到足够远的地方，你就可以开始了。” “哦,对。我很高兴吉姆和那个吹笛的小伙子不会听。”纳格特说，他突然满足于等一会儿。 “我觉得吉姆不怎么喜欢我拉小提琴，那个吹笛的人看起来就是那种不欣赏孩子音乐天赋的可怜人。” 玛蒂尔达把吉姆的望远镜对准洞穴，急切地希望吹笛人离开。 骨头仍然坐在巨石后面，守卫着入口。 玛蒂尔达

saw him suddenly crouch down, tail wagging, tummy on the ground and his jaw flat to the sand. A tattered figure ran from the cave, looking toward Jim, who was Zig-zagging across the beach in the distance. The Pirate Piper played his pipe, but Jim didn't turn. Jim was listening to heavy metal music on a volume setting that his parents definitely wouldn't approve of, but at least he knew it would drown out the piper's pipe and Nugget's fiddle. The Pirate Piper ran after him, still frantically blowing into his instrument. "Ready?" Matilda asked Nugget. "Let's go!"

只见它突然蹲下来，摇着尾巴，肚子趴在地上，下巴贴着沙子。 一个衣衫褴褛的人从洞里跑出来，看着吉姆，他正在远处的海滩上曲折地走着。 海盗吹笛手吹起了他的笛子，但吉姆没有转身。 吉姆正在听重金属音乐，音量调得很大，他的父母肯定不赞成，但至少他知道这会盖过风笛和努格特小提琴的声音。 海盗吹笛手跟在他后面，仍然疯狂地吹着他的乐器。 “准备好了吗?”玛蒂尔达问纽格特。 “我们走吧!”

Matilda and Nugget ran to the cave entrance, staying crouched over and low to the ground, just in case the Pirate Piper returned. But he didn't, and soon Matilda and Nugget were peering into the darkness at hundreds of dazed children, still under the Pirate Piper's spell. "Raise that fiddle, Nugget!" said Matilda. "It's concert time!" Nugget climbed onto the boulder at the entrance to the cave, propped the fiddle beneath her chin, and dragged the bow across the strings. SCREEEEEECH! All the children turned to Nugget. They started ambling toward her, like

玛蒂尔达和努格特跑到洞口，蹲下身子，紧贴着地面，以防海盗吹笛手回来。 但他没有这样做。很快，玛蒂尔达和纳格特就在黑暗中凝视着几百个仍然被海盗吹笛手的咒语迷惑的孩子。 “把小提琴举起来，纽金特！”玛蒂尔达说。 “音乐会时间到了！”纳格特爬到洞口的巨石上，把小提琴托在下巴下面，拉着琴弦。 SCREEEEEECH !所有的孩子都转向纳格特。 他们开始慢慢向她走来，就像