Chapter 5

Chapter FIVE Mola helped me onto Jade's back and we whooshed gently through the streets of Scallop City with Inkibelle wiggling along behind. We stopped at a café and bought two huge whirls of sea-foam floss, which we ate while gliding past the bright shop fronts. There were so many beautiful things

Mola把我扶到Jade的背上，我们在扇贝城的街道上轻轻疾驰，Inkibelle在后面扭动着。 我们在一家咖啡馆停了下来，买了两大卷海泡牙线，一边吃着，一边滑过明亮的店面。 有很多美丽的东西

to look at gorgeous, pearly shells, dazzling necklaces and tiaras, pieces of twirly mermaid furniture, and all kinds of glittering, floaty clothes. 'Ooh!' breathed Mola. 'Aquilla and Scallop City are very different. I suppose Aquilla is more glossy and... polished looking. We have lots of tall, shiny buildings made of sea glass.' I beamed as I finished my last mouthful of sea-foam floss. Everything looked a bit different now that I was seeing it through his eyes. Scallop City definitely wasn't perfect—Aquilla sounded much bigger and fancier—but it was mine. My home.

看看华丽的珍珠贝壳，耀眼的项链和头饰，一件件旋转的美人鱼家具，以及各种闪闪发光、飘逸的衣服。 “哦!莫拉喘着气说。“阿奎拉和扇贝城非常不同。 我想阿奎拉更有光泽，而且…… 抛光。我们有很多用海玻璃建造的高大、闪亮的建筑。”当我吃完最后一口泡沫牙线时，我笑了。 现在我通过他的眼睛看到的一切都有点不同了。 扇贝城当然不完美——阿奎拉听起来更大更漂亮——但它是我的。 我的家。

I know a place that I think you'll really like!' I said, pointing down a street to the left and forgetting, in my excitement, that I had told Mum and Dad we would be home soon. 'Follow me!' Mola directed Jade, and we floated along the street and round a corner until it opened up into a huge park with all kinds of ramps and hoops in it.

我知道一个地方，我想你一定会喜欢的！”我说着，指着左边的一条街，兴奋得忘记了我已经告诉爸爸妈妈我们很快就会回家。 “跟我来!”莫拉指挥杰德，我们沿着街道漂流，拐了一个弯，来到一个巨大的公园，公园里有各种各样的坡道和圆环。

'A manta ray park?' gasped Mola excitedly. 'Yes!' I cried. It was busy—full of merpeople whizzing around on pet mantas. They were spinning and skimming, sliding and looping the loop through the hoops. There was one particular merboy who I recognized.

“蝠鲼公园？”莫拉激动地喘着气说。 “是的!”我哭了。那里挤满了人鱼，他们骑着宠物蝠鲼嗖嗖地飞来飞去。 他们旋转着，掠过，滑行着，绕圈穿过铁环。 我认出了一个特别的人鱼。

'Finn!' I called, waving. My friend Finn turned round and grinned. He sped over on his manta ray. 'Emerald!' he said. 'I didn't expect to see you here this afternoon. I thought you were having guests.' 'We have got guests,' I replied. 'This is Mola!'

“芬恩!”我挥手叫道。我的朋友芬恩转过身来，咧嘴一笑。 他骑着他的蝠鲼疾驰而来。 “翡翠!他说。“我没想到今天下午会在这儿见到你。 我以为你有客人。“我们有客人，”我回答。 “这是Mola!”

'Hey,' said Mola, his eyes glittering with excitement. 'Do you want to race?' Finn's eyes lit up. 'All right then,' he said. 'Let's go!' I tore off my itchy, lacy collar and then held on tight as Jade sped up and began to spin through the water, heading for the ramps. She flicked and twisted and swooped through the water in a burst of bubbles until I felt quite out of breath.

“嘿，”莫拉说，他的眼睛里闪烁着兴奋的光芒。 “你想比赛吗？”芬恩的眼睛亮了。 “那好吧，”他说。 “我们走吧!”我扯下我那发痒的蕾丝项圈，然后紧紧地抓着，杰德加快了速度，开始在水中旋转，朝坡道走去。 她在水里晃来晃去，扭来扭去，嗖嗖地划过阵阵泡泡，直到我上气不接下气。