44 Loose!

44 "Loose!" The Big X finished its deafeningly loud ignition cycle and, piloted by the newly revived RAZERs, started to move slowly, but ominously, towards the Resistance. Peanut stood up and reached for Little Tail, but was immediately told to sit back down by Tony and Dora. "Our orders are to make sure you're safe at all times," said the woman.

44 “放箭！” 巨型X号结束了震耳欲聋的启动程序，在刚复苏的剃刀机器人操控下，缓缓却来势汹汹地向着反抗军开了过来。 花生站起身想去拉小尾巴，却立刻被托尼和朵拉叫回座位坐下。 “我们接到的命令就是随时保证你的安全。” 女人说道。

"But Mr White and Alan must have arrived back in Chroma!" shouted Peanut. "I'm sorry, but you can't be directly involved in combat. It's too big a risk. Reluctantly, Peanut sat down, but made sure to check that the canvas flap at the rear of the truck wasn't tied shut. Meanwhile, a panicky Rockwell picked up his dropped earbuds from the floor of the truck and put them back in just in time to hear Mrs M shout, ARCHERS, IN POSITION!" Dozens of Resistance operatives emerged from canvas- covered transporters and arranged themselves, with military precision, into a large crescent shape just ahead of the convoy. Each one was carrying a large graphite longbow and wearing a narrow quiver fully stocked with neatly drawn arrows. Then a second wave of artillery operatives appeared, carrying tins of pink and blue paint which they placed in front of each archer. A third and final wave followed, this time carrying crossbows. They knelt just behind the first wave that was now making up the front line. "NOCK!" bellowed Mrs M. In perfect unison, the standing archers took an arrow from their quivers, loaded it on to their bowstrings, and drew them back. "DIP!" They leaned forward at a forty-five-degree angle and

“可是怀特先生和艾伦肯定已经回到克罗玛了！”花生大喊。 “对不起，你不能直接参与战斗。 这风险太大了。 花生不情愿地坐下，还是特意检查了卡车尾部的帆布活门没有被系死。 与此同时，慌慌张张的洛克威尔捡起掉在卡车地板上的耳机塞回耳朵，刚好听到M夫人大喊：“弓箭手，就位！” 几十名反抗军战士从帆布覆盖的运输车中走出，以军人般精准的站位，在车队前方排成一个巨大的月牙阵形。 每个人都扛着一把大大的石墨长弓，腰上系着窄箭筒，箭筒里插满了整齐的箭。 接着第二波炮兵队员出场，他们提着一桶桶粉蓝颜料，把颜料桶放在每个弓箭手面前。 第三波也就是最后一波队员跟上，这一次他们携带的是弩。 他们跪在已经组成前线的第一波队员身后。 “搭箭！”M夫人吼道。 站在前排的弓箭手们动作整齐划一，从箭筒里取出箭，搭在弓弦上，向后拉满。 “沾颜料！” 他们向前俯成四十五度角，

dipped the tips of the arrows into the paint tins. "AIM!" They leaned back. "LOOSE!" The archers let fly. The volley of colourful arrows flew high through the air, leaving a perfect arc of speckly pink and blue paint droplets in its wake. They soared past the siege tower and over the slow-moving Big X, clearing the Rainbow Lake and the crayon fence before exploding in a riot of colour against the White wall of the Spire. Peanut's heart leaped. The sight of the previously pristine building getting splattered was extremely powerful, and it restored some of the hope that had disappeared when she'd seen the Big X and RAZERs come back to life. A few seconds later, the kneeling second wave of archers stood up and, as one, moved

把箭尖伸进颜料桶里沾了沾。 “瞄准！” 他们向后仰身。 “放箭！” 弓箭手们松开了弓弦。 一排彩色箭矢高高飞向空中，身后留下一道布满粉蓝颜料点的完美弧线。 它们飞过攻城塔，越过缓缓前进的巨型X号，穿过彩虹湖和蜡笔围栏，最终在尖塔的白色墙面上炸开一片绚烂的色彩。 花生的心猛地一跳。 原本干净整洁的建筑被颜料溅花的场面太振奋人心，帮她找回了刚才看到巨型X号和剃刀机器人复活时破灭的不少希望。 几秒后，跪着的第二波弓箭手们一齐起身，

smoothly past the first, taking the tins of paint with them. "NOCK!" They knelt back down and loaded their crossbows. "DIP!" They dipped their bolts in the paint. "AIM!" This time they kept their bows low. "LOOSE!" The paint-covered bolts flew horizontally across the open concrete plain and hit their targets hard, smashing into the Big X and the RAZER platoons, turning them a fetching shade of pinky blue and knocking several of the robots clean over. "Nice shooting!" shouted Little-Bit. "It didn't work though," said Rockwell. Look!" Sure enough, the gigantic Big X was still advancing menacingly towards them, flanked by the remaining RAZERs on either side. "INFANTRY, TARGET TO YOUR FRONT. ENGAGE! AIR DIVISION, ENGAGE BIG X! TAKE HIM OUT!" ordered Mr M, a more urgent tone to his voice. Another deployment of brave soldiers raced forward and started to paint several enormous spiky anti-tank obstacles

带着颜料桶，整齐地从第一排弓箭手身旁走过。 “搭箭！” 他们重新跪下，给弩上好箭。 “沾颜料！” 把弩箭的箭尖沾进颜料里。 “瞄准！” 这一次他们把弩放得很低。 “放箭！” 沾满颜料的弩箭水平飞过开阔的水泥平原，狠狠击中目标——撞在巨型X号和剃刀机器人编队上，把它们染成了好看的粉蓝色，还把好几个机器人直接撞翻在地。 “射得好！”小片喊道。 “不过根本没管用，”洛克威尔说， 你看！” 果然，巨型X号还是来势汹汹地朝他们推进，两侧跟着剩下的剃刀机器人。 “步兵，目标就在你们前方。 进攻！ 空军分队，攻击巨型X号！干掉它！” M先生下令，声音里带着更急切的语气。 另一队勇敢的士兵冲上前，开始画出好几个带尖刺的巨型反坦克障碍物

known as Czech hedgehogs. They were working a few metres in front of the archers, who were preparing to fire another high volley at the Spire. Suddenly the children felt a strong downdraught as three Resistance helicopters from the rear of the convoy flew over them. They hovered directly over the advancing Big X and started to drop a barrage of ink bombs. Several RAZERs were disabled by the inky explosions, but the huge vehicle was unaffected. It just kept rolling forwards on its gigantic tracks. "They'll never stop it," howled Rockwell. "We're done for!" "Nonsense!" shouted Peanut, who was itching to get involved in the action. "We just need to strike harder ourselves. Surely attack is the best form of defence!" "Don't forget the trebuchet and the siege towers, said Little-Bit, surveying the battleground. "We've still got those and they're ready to go!"

这种障碍物叫做捷克刺猬拒马。 他们在弓箭手前方几米处作业，弓箭手们正准备朝尖塔再射出一轮高箭。 突然，孩子们感受到一阵强烈的下冲气流，三架反抗军直升机从车队后方从他们头顶飞过。 它们悬停在前进的巨型X号正上方，开始投下一连串墨水炸弹。 好几台剃刀机器人被墨水爆炸炸得失去行动能力，可这台巨型机器丝毫不受影响。 它依旧靠着巨大的履带不断向前碾压。 “他们根本拦不住它！”洛克威尔哀嚎道。 “我们死定了！” “胡说！”早就忍不住想参战的花生大喊。 “我们只要更用力反击就好了。 进攻本来就是最好的防守啊！” “别忘了投石机和攻城塔，”小片一边观察战场一边说。 “我们还有这些装备，它们都已经准备就绪了！”