Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR, Ruby dorm gathered warm coats, gloves and everything else they needed and added it to the explorer's bag that Lyra always took with her when they went out. She kept all kinds of useful things in it like a compass, a penknife, a notebook, pens, torches and spare clothes. She also added a very large ball of string. "This might be useful when we're in the maze," she said. "If we tie the loose end to the entrance and then carry the ball with us, we'll be able to follow the string when we want to get out." "We should also take some sky berries for the unicorns," said Ivy. "To revive their energy In case they have to do magic. And here are some biscuits for us!" She handed a bag over. "I asked the cook for some earlier." "Great thinking," said Lyra. "Now remember, Dr Briar's unicorn, Solomon, has magic that lets him hear things that are happening elsewhere but only if they're happening outside. So, no mentioning the diamond when we set off just in case he's spying on us." "Absolutely," said Evie, nodding seriously. Ivy zipped her lips. An uncomfortable thought wormed into Sienna's brain. She really hoped Solomon hadn't been listening in when she'd been talking to Sparkle earlier that morning about the maze! Soon they were cantering away from school, the unicorns' hooves

第四章，露比收拾好保暖的外套、手套和其他需要的东西，放进莱拉出门时总是随身携带的探险包里。 她在箱子里放了各种有用的东西，比如指南针、铅笔刀、笔记本、钢笔、手电筒和备用衣服。 她还加了一个很大的线球。 “当我们在迷宫里的时候，这可能很有用，”她说。 “如果我们把松散的一端系在入口上，然后随身带着球，当我们想出去的时候，我们就能跟着绳子走了。” 艾薇说：“我们还应该给独角兽带一些天空莓。” “为了恢复他们的能量，以防他们不得不施魔法。 这是给我们的饼干！”她递过来一个包。 “我刚才跟厨师要了一些。” “好主意。”莱拉说。 “记住，布瑞尔博士的独角兽所罗门有一种魔力，能让他听到发生在别处的事情，但只能是发生在外面的事情。 所以，我们出发的时候不要提钻石，以防他监视我们。” “当然，”伊维说，严肃地点点头。 艾薇闭上了嘴。一个不舒服的想法钻进了西耶娜的脑子。 她真希望那天早上她和斯巴克谈论迷宫的时候，所罗门没有偷听！很快他们就跑出了学校，那是独角兽的蹄子

crunching on the frosty grass. They rode out of the grounds and cantered along tracks that led through a wood of pine trees, then trekked across a flat valley before heading up a hill. Looking down from its summit they could see a patchwork of woods and fields laced with sparkling multicoloured rivers and streams. Sienna felt a rush of happiness. Unicorn Island was so beautiful! She couldn't wait to graduate and become a guardian, protecting it and caring for it with Sparkle as her partner. I will be a good guardian, whatever Ms Nettles and Ms Rosemary say, she thought. They rode on until they reached the maze, which was a sprawling

嘎吱嘎吱地踩在结霜的草地上。 他们骑马出了场地，沿着通向一片松树林的小径慢跑，然后穿过一个平坦的山谷，向一座小山走去。 从山顶往下看，他们可以看到一片树林和田野，其间点缀着闪闪发光的五颜六色的河流和小溪。 西耶娜感到一阵幸福。 独角兽岛太美了！她迫不及待地想要毕业，成为一名监护人，保护它，照顾它，而Sparkle是她的伴侣。 不管荨麻女士和罗斯玛丽女士说什么，我都要做个好监护人，她想。 他们骑着马一直走到迷宫，那是一个巨大的迷宫

mass of overgrown hedges, all far too high to see over. "We're here!" Sienna said, riding Sparkle up to the entrance. "I guess we go in, find our way to the centre and hopefully that's where we'll find the—" She broke off, remembering Lyra's warning about Solomon's listening magic. "The you-know-what," she corrected herself. Lyra frowned. "I'm pretty sure it won't be that easy. The pieces of the map were very hard to find. But let's get started." She took the ball of string out of her bag, carefully parted the branches of a big bush by the entrance and tied the loose end to its trunk. Then she handed the ball of string to Evie. "Can you ride at the back and carry this? Just let it unravel as we go through the maze." "OK," said Evie eagerly. "Right, everyone, let's go!" Lyra jumped on to Misty's back, but before she could ride into the maze, Sienna clapped her heels to Sparkle's sides, making him leap forward. "I'll take the lead this time," she said. Lyra looked slightly taken aback but nodded. "Sure. If you and Sparkle lead, it might help him find his magic." "That would be brilliant!" said Ivy. Guilt stabbed through Sienna as she thought about the real reason she wanted to be in the lead– to touch the diamond first and make a wish! Only because I want to help Sparkle, she told herself firmly. I'm doing it for him. But are you really? a little voice in her head said. She pushed it away and punched her hand into the air. "Follow me!" They set off with Evie at the back, holding the ball of string and letting it gradually unravel. The maze had clearly not been looked after for years. The evergreen bushes arched overhead, forming a dark green tunnel. Bindweed and ivy trailed across the ground and thorny brambles caught at them as they passed. Birds fluttered in the branches and they saw the occasional flash of an animal moving through the undergrowth. Sparkle halted at a fork in the path. "Which way now?" he asked. The two paths twisted away In opposite directions. Sienna studied them carefully. "Let's go right." She wasn't sure but it seemed as good a guess as any!

一大堆杂草丛生的树篱，都太高了，看不见。 “我们在这里!”西耶娜说着，骑着火花来到门口。 “我想我们应该进去，找到通往中心的路，希望在那里我们能找到——”她停住了，想起莱拉警告过所罗门有窃听魔法。 “那个你知道的东西。”她纠正自己。 莱拉皱起了眉头。“我很确定这不会那么容易。 地图的碎片很难找到。 但让我们开始吧。”她从包里拿出线团，小心翼翼地把入口处一棵大灌木的树枝分开，把松散的一端系在树干上。 然后她把线球递给了伊薇。 “你能骑在后面拿这个吗？” 让它在我们穿过迷宫的过程中解开吧。” “好吧，”伊薇急切地说。“好了，大家走吧！”莱拉跳到米斯蒂的背上，但还没等她骑进迷宫，西耶娜就用脚跟踩在闪闪的身体两侧，让他向前一跳。 “这次我来带队，”她说。 莱拉有点吃惊，但点点头。 “当然。如果你和斯巴克带队，也许能帮助他找到自己的魔法。” “那太棒了！”艾薇说。 当西耶娜想到她想成为领跑者的真正原因——首先触摸钻石并许下愿望时，内疚刺透了她的心！只是因为我想帮助斯巴克，她坚定地告诉自己。 我这么做是为了他。但你是真的吗？ 她脑子里有个小声音说。 她把它推开，举起手来。 “跟我来!”他们出发了，伊薇在后面，拿着线球，让它慢慢解开。 很明显，这个迷宫已经很多年没有人照管了。 常绿灌木在头顶呈拱形，形成了一条深绿色的隧道。 在他们经过的时候，多刺的荆棘紧紧抓住了他们。 鸟儿在树枝上拍打着翅膀，他们偶尔看到一只动物在灌木丛中移动。 斯巴克在一个岔路口停了下来。 “现在走哪条路？”他问。 两条路向相反的方向扭曲。 西耶娜仔细地研究着它们。 “我们往右走吧。”她不确定，但这似乎是一个很好的猜测！

The branches grew thicker on the right-hand path, forcing the unicorns to slow down as they waded through them. "Is anyone else feeling spooked?" Ivy called out from behind.

右边小路上的树枝越来越粗，独角兽们不得不放慢脚步跋涉。 “还有人感到害怕吗？”艾薇从后面喊道。

"Me!" Evie's voice wobbled. "I think we're being followed. I'm sure I heard hooves just now." "Lots of animals have hooves. It might be a three-antlered deer," said Sienna. "This place is like an animal hotel!" As if to prove her point, a storm racoon with a blue-and-grey ringed tail crossed the path, sprinting between Sparkle's hooves, before disappearing into another bush. Everyone burst out laughing and they continued on, with Sienna making the choices at every fork and junction. She was just beginning to think they would never get to the centre when they turned a corner and rode into a large square space with a moss- covered statue of Daybreak in the middle. "We're here!" cried Sienna. She jumped off Sparkle and ran to the crumbling statue. Breathless with excitement, she looked around. I have to find the diamond first, she thought. She hunted round the statue, but to her disappointment there was no

“我!”伊薇的声音颤抖着。 “我觉得我们被跟踪了。 我刚才肯定听到了马蹄声。” “很多动物都有蹄子。 它可能是一只三角鹿，”西耶娜说。 “这地方就像个动物旅馆！”似乎是为了证明她的观点，一只长着蓝灰相间的环形尾巴的风暴浣熊穿过小路，在斯巴克的蹄间疾跑，然后消失在另一片灌木丛中。 大家哈哈大笑，继续赶路，西耶娜在每一个岔路口和十字路口做选择。 她刚开始以为他们永远也到不了中心了，这时他们拐了个弯，骑进了一个很大的方形空间，中间有一尊长满青苔的黎明雕像。 “我们到了！”西耶娜叫道。 她从斯巴克身上跳下来，跑向摇摇欲坠的雕像。 她兴奋得上气不接下气地环顾四周。 我得先找到那颗钻石，她想。 她在雕像周围寻找，但令她失望的是没有