Chapter 4

Chapter FOUR I darted upwards, high above the palace gardens, looking out towards Scallop City. The water in the distance was deep blue and hazy, which made it hard to see. But was that a manta ray with someone riding on its back bobbing into the distance? 'Oh no!' I said to Spinner who had swum up beside me. 'It looks like Mola's

第四章我向上飞，飞到宫殿花园的高处，眺望着扇贝城。 远处的水是深蓝色的，朦胧的，很难看清。 但那是一条蝠鲼，有人骑在它的背上，向远处游去吗？ “哦,不!”我对游到我身边的斯宾纳说。 “看起来像是Mola的

taken a manta ray and he's heading for the cliffs! There are dangerous currents there!'

捉到一条蝠鲼，它朝悬崖游去了！那里有危险的水流！”

Spinner made worried clicking sounds. 'We have to stop him!' I cried, jumping onto her back, with Inkibelle on my shoulder. 'There's no time to tell Mum and Auster where we're going!' Spinner bobbed her head up and down and swam swiftly away from the palace. I clutched onto her smooth body for dear life, feeling my hair streaming out behind me. Dolphins can swim much faster than merpeople. Inkibelle had to wrap her little tentacles around my arm to stop herself from falling off!

斯宾纳发出担心的咔哒声。 “我们必须阻止他！”我哭着跳上她的背，英基贝利坐在我的肩膀上。 “没时间告诉妈妈和奥斯特我们要去哪儿了！”斯宾纳上下摆动着她的头，迅速地游出了宫殿。 我紧紧抓住她光滑的身体，感觉我的头发在我身后流淌。 海豚比人鱼游得快得多。 英基贝利不得不把她的小触角缠在我的手臂上，以免自己掉下来！

We swam over the palace gates and out into Scallop City, keeping high in the water to avoid the lunchtime crowds around the cafés and restaurants.

我们游过宫殿的大门，来到扇贝城，为了避开咖啡馆和餐馆周围的午餐人群，我们一直浮在水面上。

I kept my eyes trained on the manta ray in the distance. It was getting closer and closer to the cliffs with every minute that passed. My heart was racing hard as we sped along. A trail of sparkly jewels fell behind—torn off my princess dress in the chase. I hoped against hope that we would reach Mola before he got sucked away into the spooky trench below the cliffs.

我目不转睛地盯着远处的蝠鲼。 时间一分一秒地过去，它离悬崖越来越近。 我们一路疾驰，我的心狂跳。 一串闪闪发光的珠宝落在后面——我的公主裙在追逐中被撕掉了。 我抱着一线希望，希望我们能在Mola被吸进悬崖下可怕的壕沟之前找到它。

'Faster if you can, Spinner!' I yelled through the whooshing, fizzing water. We were getting closer to the cliffs now, leaving the bright, pearly shell buildings of Scallop City far behind and heading towards the darkness. Now I could see that it definitely was Mola up ahead, riding on the back of the manta ray. He was so close to the edge!

“快点儿，斯宾纳！”我在嗖嗖作响的水声中喊道。 我们现在离悬崖越来越近了，把扇贝城那些明亮的、珍珠贝壳的建筑远远地抛在后面，向着黑暗走去。 现在我可以看到它肯定是翻车鱼在前面，骑在蝠鲼的背上。 他离悬崖太近了！