6 Midnight Strikes

Chapter Six Midnight Strikes Celeste and Verity flew around the room looking everywhere for a clock. "This is disastrous!" exclaimed Celeste. Verity frowned. "I don't have time to try and work out what your long word means - is that good or bad?" "Bad!" Celeste groaned. Just then, loud chimes started to ring

第六章 午夜钟声敲响 塞莱斯特和维瑞蒂在房间里飞来飞去，到处找钟。 “这可太糟了！”塞莱斯特惊叫起来。 维瑞蒂皱起了眉头。 “我可没工夫琢磨你说的这个长词是什么意思——到底是好事还是坏事呀？” “坏事！” 塞莱斯特忍不住呻吟了一声。 就在这时，响亮的钟声响了起来

from the large clock in the reception hall. As Verity counted the chimes, it reminded her of standing with her candle at the longest-day ceremony. Suddenly she realized something. "Celeste, is midnight the same time as twelve o'clock?" "Yes!" Celeste flew over to one of the seven dwarfs, who was fast asleep on a chair. She checked the time on his watch. "Verity," she cried, "it's about to turn midnight! You need to get Cinderella home before the last chime!"

是从接待大厅的大钟传来的。 维瑞蒂数着钟声，想起了在最长日仪式上举着蜡烛站着的场景。 她忽然想到了什么。 “塞莱斯特，午夜是不是就是十二点呀？” “对呀！” 塞莱斯特飞到七个小矮人其中一个的身边，他正坐在椅子上睡得香呢。 她看了看他手表上的时间。 “维瑞蒂，”她大喊，“马上就要到午夜了！ 你得在最后一下钟声敲响前把灰姑娘送回家！”

Quick as a flash, Verity pulled Cinderella out of the castle. As they ran down the steps, the coach turned into a pumpkin, Cinderella's dress turned into rags and her hair became messy.

维瑞蒂动作快得像一道闪电，拉着灰姑娘就跑出了城堡。 她们跑下台阶的时候，马车变成了南瓜，灰姑娘的礼服变成了破布，她的头发也乱蓬蓬的。

"Stop!" shouted Cinderella as she took both glass shoes off her feet. "I can't run in these." Verity quickly took her by the arm, eager to get her away from the palace before the prince saw them, but one of the shoes fell out of Cinderella's hand. "Oh no!" exclaimed Verity. "Don't worry," replied Cinderella. "I won't wear them again." They arrived back at Cinderella's house just before her stepsisters. Verity quickly hid behind the curtains. Cinderella was sweeping the floor as the two sisters fell through the front door. They were both completely soaked. "Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Cinderella. "What happened?"

“等一下！”灰姑娘喊道，同时把两只玻璃鞋从脚上脱了下来。 “穿这鞋我跑不动。” 维瑞蒂赶紧挽住她的胳膊，急着要在王子看见她们之前带她离开王宫，可其中一只鞋从灰姑娘的手里掉了出去。 “哦，糟了！”维瑞蒂叫出了声。 “别担心，”灰姑娘回答， “我不会再穿它们了。” 她们赶在两个继姐之前回到了灰姑娘的家。 维瑞蒂飞快地藏到了窗帘后面。 灰姑娘正在扫地，两个姐姐刚好摔进了前门。 她们俩浑身都湿透了。 “哎呀，天呐！”灰姑娘惊呼， “发生什么事了？”

"A funny little fairy told us that two princes were waiting by the pond in the garden for two sisters to dance with them," said one of the sisters. She dried her dripping hair with a towel. "But we waited ages and then suddenly a frog jumped up onto my shoulder. I was so startled that I fell backwards into the pond."

“一个好笑的小仙子告诉我们，有两位王子在花园的池塘边等着，想请两位姐妹和他们跳舞。”其中一个姐姐说。 她用毛巾擦着湿哒哒的头发。 “可我们等了好半天，突然一只青蛙跳到了我肩膀上。 我吓了一大跳，往后一仰就摔进池塘里了。”

"Taking me with you!" shouted the second sister, angrily. Verity giggled quietly as the mean sisters stomped upstairs to bed. The next morning there was a loud knock at the door which startled Verity. She tried to wake Cinderella but she was fast asleep, smiling happily and dreaming of her night at the ball. One of the stepsisters opened the door. "Oh my, it's the prince!" she shrieked and fluttered her eyelashes. "Have you come to see me?" The prince stepped inside. "I'm here to find the owner of this beautiful glass slipper. I will marry the person whose foot fits this shoe!"

“还把我也拽下去了！”第二个姐姐气呼呼地喊道。 这两个坏脾气的姐姐跺着脚上楼睡觉去了，维瑞蒂在旁边偷偷地笑。 第二天早上，门外传来好大的敲门声，吓了维瑞蒂一跳。 她想叫醒灰姑娘，可灰姑娘睡得正香，脸上挂着开心的笑，正梦着昨晚舞会的事呢。 一个继姐打开了门。 “天呐，是王子！” 她尖声叫着，还忽闪着睫毛。 “你是来找我的吗？” 王子走了进来。 “我是来找到这只漂亮玻璃鞋的主人的。 谁的脚能穿上这只鞋，我就娶谁！”