2 The Sleepover

Chapter 2 The Sleepover The bedroom door swung open and a small girl with a big voice came rushing in. "PEEEEEEEAAAAANUUUUUUTTTT!" Little-Bit Jones jumped up on to the bed and immediately started rummaging through the Post-it notes in the box. "Which one's your favourite?" she said, spreading a selection out on the duvet. "I like Daffy Duck.

第二章 借宿派对 卧室门猛地打开，一个大嗓门的小女孩冲了进来。 “花————生————！” 小琼斯蹦上床，立刻翻起盒子里的便利贴。 “哪张是你最喜欢的？” 她一边说，一边把选好的便利贴摊在羽绒被上。 “我喜欢达菲鸭。

I've always thought him vastly underrated in the Looney Tunes canon. His insatiable ego and explosive temperament are perfect comedy fodder, and 1953's Duck Amuck is a classic of the genre." Peanut stared, wide-eyed, at her five-year-old sister. Her precocious intelligence never failed to surprise. It had also proved to be incredibly useful during their adventures together in Chroma. Anyway, can we go soon? I'm bored. If we waste any more time, another painting might turn to dust." Little-Bit was already feeling the drag of summer holiday listlessness, despite only starting school the previous year. "Also, I can't wait to see Doodle again! Marley's new puppy is cute and everything, but I think a magic dog like Doodle is even better!" "GIRLS! IT'S GONE FIVE O'CLOCK!" Tracey Jones, their mother, was standing at the bottom of the stairs with her hair wrapped up in a towel. She was halfway through painting her fingernails the same colour as the dark red jumpsuit she was wearing. "YOU NEED TO LEAVE NOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO THE SCIENCE MUSEUM IN TIME!" she called. Little-Bit tried to stifle a giggle. "She thinks we're actually going to go to the Science Museum, doesn't she?" she whispered through her fingers. As if!"

我一直觉得他在《乐一通》系列里被严重低估了。 他膨胀的自尊心和火爆的脾气就是绝佳的喜剧素材，1953年的《鸭乱》更是这个类型的经典之作。” 花生睁大眼睛，愣愣看着自己五岁的妹妹。 她远超年龄的聪慧总能让花生惊讶。 过去他们一起在克罗玛冒险时，这份聪慧也帮了大忙。 好了，我们快出发吧， 我好无聊。 再磨磨蹭蹭的，又一幅画要变成灰了。” 虽然小琼斯去年才刚上学，她已经开始体会到暑假的无聊了。 “还有还有，我都等不及再见杜德尔了！ 马利的新小狗是挺可爱，但我觉得魔法小狗杜德尔更棒！” “姑娘们！ 都过五点啦！” 她们的妈妈特雷西·琼斯头上裹着毛巾，站在楼梯底下。 她正涂着指甲油，颜色和她穿的暗红色连体裤一模一样。 “想准时赶到科学博物馆的话，你们现在就得走了！” 她喊道。 小琼斯拼命憋住笑。 “她真以为我们要去科学博物馆，对不对？” 她捂着嘴小声说。 “才不是呢！”

"I do feel bad about lying," said Peanut, "but we can't run the risk of her telling him where we're really headed." She picked up the bandolier, folded it twice and carefully put it into her sports bag. Ah. There you are!" said Mum, looking up from her nails as the sisters appeared on the landing. "Now, have you got everything you need? Oh, I'm so excited for you! They didn't have museum sleepovers when I was a girl. How I would have loved to spend the night among all that lovely scientific, er... stuff. Peanut, I'm so glad you're finally embracing the important things in life." Peanut sighed as she walked down the stairs. Her relationship with her mother had been strained since Dad had vanished. Mum had

“撒谎我确实心里不好受，”花生说，“但我们不能冒险让她知道我们真正要去哪。” 她拿起子弹带，对折两次，小心放进了自己的运动包。 啊。 可算出来了！”妈妈说，姐妹俩走到楼梯平台时，她从指甲油上抬起了头。 “好了，该带的东西都带齐了吗？ 哦，我真替你们开心！ 我小时候可没有博物馆过夜这种活动。 我多想去那些可爱的科学，呃……玩意儿里过夜啊。 花生，真高兴你终于开始看重人生里重要的事了。” 花生走下楼梯，轻轻叹了口气。 自从爸爸失踪后，她和妈妈的关系就一直很紧张。 妈妈本来

been worried at first, but after he'd sent a mysterious postcard from Mexico City telling them all to forget him, she'd become angry, thinking he had abandoned them because of his failings as an artist. But Peanut had never believed that story. In fact, it seemed to Peanut that these days Mum blamed everything that ever went wrong on art and creativity in general. Only last year she had insisted that Peanut leave her beloved Melody High and attend St Hubert's School for the Seriously Scientific and Terminally Mathematic. If Peanut's heart hadn't already been broken because of Dad's disappearance, that had certainly done the trick. Mum licked her finger and rubbed her eldest daughter's forehead vigorously until she was satisfied it was clean. "Right then, off you go. Have fun." She kissed them both on the cheek. "I'm sorry I can't give you a lift to the station, but Milton is going to be here soon and I've still got to tong my hair." Peanut and Little-Bit looked at each other. Mum put down the nail polish and turned to face the large mirror by the front door. "I hope I pass muster. I've not been to the ballet for years." She pulled her cheeks back towards her ears with her thumbs and index fingers. "Now, where on earth is Leo? He was meant to be back ages ago. He promised me he'd walk the dog. Honestly, that brother of yours... The mere mention of Milton Stone's name had sent a chill down Peanut's spine. He was a partner at Mum's accountancy

一开始很担心，可爸爸从墨西哥城寄来一张神秘明信片，让大家忘了他之后，妈妈就变生气了，她觉得爸爸因为当画家失败，抛弃了她们。 可花生从来不信这个说法。 事实上，在花生看来，这些日子 妈妈把所有出问题的事都怪到艺术和创造力头上。 就在去年，她硬逼着花生离开心爱的旋律高中，去了圣休伯特严肃科学与终极数学学校上学。 就算爸爸失踪已经伤透了花生的心，这件事还是给了她沉重一击。 妈妈舔了舔手指，用力蹭大女儿的额头，直到蹭干净了才停下。 “好了，快去吧。 玩得开心。” 她吻了吻两个女儿的脸颊。 “抱歉我不能送你们去车站，弥尔顿马上就到了，我还得熨头发呢。” 花生和小琼斯对视了一眼。 妈妈放下指甲油，转身面向前门旁的大镜子。 “希望我能拿得出手。 我好多年没去看芭蕾舞了。” 她用大拇指和食指把脸颊往耳朵那边拉了拉。 “对了，里奥到底在哪啊？ 他早就该回来了。 他答应过我要遛狗的。 说真的，你这个弟弟啊…… 一提到弥尔顿·斯通的名字，花生的后背就一阵发凉。 他是妈妈会计

firm and, now that Dad was missing, it seemed like he wanted to be her boyfriend too. Not only that, but Peanut was certain that there was more to him than met the eye. She glanced up at the white fedora hanging on the coat hook that Mr Stone had left behind the last time he'd visited. A white fedora that, unfortunately, looked all too familiar.

事务所的合伙人，现在爸爸失踪了，他好像还想当妈妈的男朋友。 不仅如此，花生非常确定，这个人远没有看上去那么简单。 她抬眼看向衣帽钩上挂着的白色费多拉帽，那是斯通先生上次来访落下的。 很可惜，这顶白帽子看着太眼熟了。