Chapter 14

ChAPTER FOURTEEN The dining car was all set up, and it looked perfect. Rupert had even folded the napkins into flowers. "Gorgeous," said Tiger. "Now we've only got one more thing to sort." He looked pointedly at Kate's dough-matted hair and chocolate-smeared cheeks. "You're hardly squeaky clean yourself!" said Kate. His whiskers were all frizzed

第十四章 餐车全都布置妥当，看着别提多完美了。 鲁珀特甚至把餐巾都折成了小花的模样。 “太赞了。”老虎说。 “现在咱们只剩一件事要搞定。” 他意味深长地盯着凯特沾满面糊的头发和抹得到处都是巧克力的脸颊。 “你自己也没干净到哪儿去啊！”凯特说。 他的胡须都炸毛了

from the steam, and there were patches of flour smudging his stripes. "We've only got a couple of minutes," said Rupert nervously. "Fear not, worry-whiskers, I'll be back in less than one. Use the sink!" Tiger whipped through the back door. Kate ran some soapy water and was just lowering Roo into a little saucerful when she heard something creak behind her. "Tiger? Is that you?" "It's not," breathed Rupert, his face even whiter than usual. "We're toast.

全是蒸汽熏的，身上的条纹上还沾着一块块的面粉印。 “咱们只有几分钟时间了。”鲁珀特紧张地说。 “别慌，小胡子担心鬼，我不到一分钟就回来。 用洗手池！” 老虎嗖地一下窜出了后门。 凯特放了些肥皂水，正打算把小鲁放进一小碟水里，忽然听见身后传来什么东西吱呀作响的声音。 “老虎？ 是你吗？” “不是他。”鲁珀特屏住呼吸说，他的脸比平时还要白。 “我们完蛋了。

FLAMING TOAST."

烧得通红的完蛋。”

Kate turned round. It was Madame Maude. Madame Maude wearing pinstriped violet and lime pyjamas. Madame Maude with the handle of a giant net clasped in her hands. "You!" she hissed. "I knew it would be you! Sneaking around like I didn't know what you were up to."

凯特转过身。 是莫德夫人。 莫德夫人穿着细条纹的紫绿拼色睡衣。 莫德夫人手里紧紧攥着一张大网的手柄。 “是你！” 她咬牙切齿地说。 “我就知道肯定是你！ 偷偷摸摸的，真当我不知道你在打什么鬼主意呢。”

Kate gulped- she couldn't let Madame Maude know about Tiger yet! This wasn't how it was supposed to go at all! No grand entrance, no charmed Madame Maude, eager to present Tiger with a stellar career and a Golden Whisk for his mantelpiece. "No, no, that's not what's going on at all!" "Er, yes, just think about the headlines, Madame," chirped Rupert. "A... a woman of a... er... certain age, with experience in the most disciplined of culinary environments, collides with a headstrong child-" "How do you know about that?" Madame Maude snapped. "About my work."

凯特咽了咽口水——她还不能让莫德夫人知道老虎的存在！ 事情本来根本不该是这样发展的啊！ 没有华丽的登场，也没有被打动的莫德夫人，兴致勃勃地要给老虎送上星光熠熠的职业生涯，还有一座可以摆在壁炉架上的金 whisk 奖杯。 “不，不，根本不是你想的那样！” “呃，对呀，您想想报纸头条会怎么写，夫人。”鲁珀特尖声说道。 “一位……一位呃……有一定年纪的女士，在要求最严格的烹饪环境里历练过，结果撞见一个任性的孩子——”“你怎么知道这些事的？” 莫德夫人厉声质问。 “知道我的工作经历。”

"The Golden Whisk?" Kate ventured. "We... we recognised you from the papers!" "Nonsense!" Madame Maude spoke in a voice so low Kate could barely hear it, but which made it all the more terrifying. "You weren't even born then, you lying little sneak. You know what I think? I think you've been creeping around in everyone's compartments, rifling through their private things with your jammy little fingers and taking whatever you fancy! Whipping up a frenzy about some non- existent tiger to help you out! I mean... What. A. Ridiculous. LIE! A tiger? On a train?!" "That's what we thought about you,"

“是金 whisk 奖吗？” 凯特试探着开口。 “我们……我们在报纸上见过您！” “胡说八道！” 莫德夫人的声音压得极低，凯特几乎都听不清，可这声音反而更吓人了。 那时候你还没出生呢，你个撒谎的小鬼鬼。 你知道我怎么想吗？ 我觉得你一直在各个车厢里晃悠，用你那黏糊糊的小脏手翻别人的私人物品，看上什么就拿什么！ 还编出个根本不存在的老虎瞎闹腾，好帮你打掩护！ 我就说嘛…… 这是多么 荒唐的 谎话！ 老虎？ 在火车上？！” “我们之前也以为您是编出来的呢，”