Chapter 2-7

CHAPTER SEVEN Samson wins his place Back at the royal palace no one took any notice of Samson when he came racing over the drawbridge. He howled and howled and whined, and people just called to him to be quiet. One of the royal guards checked that his water bowl was filled and then tried to catch him to shut him in the kennels.

第七章 萨姆森赢回了自己的位置 回到王宫的时候，萨姆森飞快地跑过吊桥，没人注意到他。 他嗷呜嗷呜地叫个不停，人们只是冲他喊，让他安静点。 一个王室护卫检查了他的水碗是满的，然后还想抓住他，把他关到狗舍里。

Samson ducked away and raced into the royal office where the queen was eating bread and honey. She really hated bread and honey, but it's in the Queen's Rules. Samson charged right up to her and barked. "Mmmdown! Mmood dog," the queen said through a sticky mouthful. Samson turned round and ran up to the king. He hurled himself into his lap and put his fat paddy paws on his shoulders and howled straight into his face. "It's Florizella!" said the king at once. "The dog's speaking to me. He's telling me something must have happened to Florizella! Undootedly!" Just at that moment a groom came running from the stable. "Princess Florizella's pony has come home without her!" he announced. "Again," he said, which was a bit unnecessary. "Mmmummon the guard!" the queen started up. "Undootedly! Summon the guard!" the king repeated more clearly. At once the royal guards came scrambling out of the guardroom and leaped on their horses.

萨姆森闪身躲开，飞快地冲进了王室办公室，女王正在那儿吃面包配蜂蜜呢。 她其实超讨厌面包配蜂蜜，但《女王守则》里规定要吃这个。 萨姆森径直冲到她面前，汪汪叫了起来。 “唔…下去！ 乖狗狗。”女王嘴里塞得黏糊糊的，含糊地说。 萨姆森转身，跑到了国王面前。 他一下子扑到国王腿上，把自己圆乎乎的肉爪子搭在国王肩膀上，对着国王的脸直嗷呜。 “是弗洛里泽拉！”国王立刻说道。 “这只狗在跟我说话呢。 他在告诉我，弗洛里泽拉肯定出事了！ 毫无疑问！” 就在这时，一个马夫从马房跑了过来。 “弗洛里泽拉公主的小马自己跑回家了，公主没回来！” 他喊道。 “又是这样。”他补了一句，其实有点多余。 “唔…传护卫！” 女王猛地站了起来。 “毫无疑问！ 传护卫！” 国王说得更清楚，重复了一遍命令。 王室护卫们立刻从警卫室急匆匆跑出来，飞身跃上了自己的马。

Samson dashed ahead of them along the twisty path through the woods, and they blew Tooroo! Tooroo! on their horns as they galloped. Florizella heard the sound of them coming and tightened her grip on the branch for a few moments more. The jaguar heard them too and leaped up towards Florizella's dangling feet. For one dreadful moment, Florizella thought she could not pull her feet out of reach of those big black paws. Then the jaguar growled angrily at her, turned away and slunk off into the darkness.

萨姆森冲在他们前面，沿着树林里弯弯曲曲的小路往前跑，护卫们一边策马飞奔，一边吹着号角。 嘟噜！ 嘟噜！ 弗洛里泽拉听见了他们过来的声音，有那么一小会儿，她抓树枝的手攥得更紧了。 美洲豹也听见了声音，纵身一跃，朝着弗洛里泽拉晃来晃去的脚扑了过去。 有那么可怕的一瞬间，弗洛里泽拉觉得自己根本没法把脚收回来，躲不开那双又大又黑的爪子。 紧接着美洲豹对着她愤怒地吼了一声，转身溜走，消失在了黑暗里。

The guards halted and jumped off. They gathered round the tree, calling up to ask Florizella if she was all right. She said, "Yes," but then found she had frozen with fright. She couldn't move. The topmost branches of the tree were too thin to hold anyone but a light girl like Florizella, so no one could climb up to her– and now she was too cold and scared to climb down. The captain of the guard swung her own scarlet cape off her shoulders and spread it out. The guards took the four corners and stretched it tight. "Jump, Florizella!" said the captain in her clear voice. No one ever disobeyed her. Florizella, colder and more scared than she'd ever been in her life before, shut her eyes tight and dropped out of the tree like a baby owl tumbling from a nest…… BOING! into the cape. Samson was the hero of the day, for fighting the

护卫们停下马，跳了下来。 他们围在树底下，抬头喊弗洛里泽拉，问她有没有事。 她说“没事”，但紧接着就发现自己吓得僵住了。 她动不了了。 这棵树最顶上的树枝太细了，只能撑住弗洛里泽拉这样轻飘飘的小姑娘，没人能爬上去接她——而且现在她又冷又怕，也没法自己爬下来。 护卫队长一把扯下自己肩上的猩红色披风，铺在了地上。 护卫们分别拉住披风的四个角，把它拉得紧紧的。 “跳下来，弗洛里泽拉！”队长沙哑的声音清晰地传来。 从来没人敢不听她的话。 弗洛里泽拉这辈子从来没这么冷、这么害怕过，她紧紧闭上眼睛，从树上掉了下去，就像一只从鸟巢里跌出来的小猫头鹰……嘭！ 正好落在了披风上。 萨姆森成了那天的大英雄，他

jaguar and for running to get help. But everyone had noticed that he had not barked once. He had howled… and his howl was a wolf's howl. Bennett and Florizella took Samson to see the king and queen and told the truth at last: that Samson the wonder-dog was really a wolf. Indeed, he was one of the wolf cubs who should have gone back to the forest. Bennett owned up that it was his plan to disguise Samson as a golden dog, and Florizella told them how much she loved Samson and wanted to keep him. The king and queen were too pleased with him and too grateful to think of sending him back to the forest. "I think he's earned his place here," the queen said. "He can stay," agreed the king. It was a sunny day and he wanted to be out in his garden. "But there are conditions," he added as he went to the door. "All visitors to the palace must be told that he is a dog. I won't have it said we keep a wolf in the palace– people would think it odd. And if his brothers or sisters turn up they must go back to

敢和美洲豹搏斗，还跑回来找人帮忙。 但大家都注意到，他一声都没汪汪叫过。 他是嗷呜叫的…那是狼的叫声。 本内特和弗洛里泽拉带着萨姆森去见国王和女王，终于说出了实话：神犬萨姆森其实是一只狼。 说真的，他本来就是该被送回森林的小狼崽之一。 本内特主动承认，把萨姆森伪装成金毛狗是他出的主意，弗洛里泽拉也告诉国王夫妇，自己非常爱萨姆森，想把他留下来。 国王和女王太满意萨姆森的表现，也太感激他了，根本没想过要把他送回森林。 “我觉得他已经赢得了留在这里的资格。”女王说。 “他可以留下。”国王也同意了。 那天天气晴朗，他正想去自己的花园里待着呢。 “但是有条件。”他走到门口的时候，又补了一句。 所有来王宫的访客都得被告知他是一只狗。 我可不想让人说我们王宫里养了只狼——大家会觉得这很奇怪的。 要是他的兄弟姐妹找上门来，它们必须回

the forest. I won't live with an actual pack of wolves. This is a palace. It's not suitable." Bennett and Florizella nodded hard. They looked like very obedient children. "And another thing," said the king grumpily. "He's to eat ordinary meat– not my venison." Bennett and Florizella nodded again and tried to look angelic. "And if he grows up and has wolf cubs of his own—" "Oh! Newborn wolf cubs!" Florizella interrupted in delight, forgetting to look obedient. Bennett kicked her gently on the ankle to warn her to be quiet. "They are not to be brought here," the king said firmly. Florizella looked as if she might argue. Bennett leaned against her shoulder in a silencing sort of way. "We'll think of something," he said very quietly. "I do keep wishing that this could be an ordinary sort of a palace," the king said to himself as he went out into his garden. "Just an ordinary

森林去。 我可不想和一整群狼住在一起。 这是王宫。 不合适。” 本内特和弗洛里泽拉使劲点头。 他们看起来特别乖，特别听话。 “还有一件事。”国王没好气地说。 “他只能吃普通的肉——不许吃我的鹿肉。” 本内特和弗洛里泽拉又点了点头，努力摆出一副乖巧的样子。 “要是他长大了，有了自己的小狼崽——”“哦！刚出生的小狼崽！” 弗洛里泽拉高兴得忍不住插嘴，都忘了要装听话了。 本内特轻轻踢了踢她的脚踝，提醒她安静点。 “不许把它们带到这儿来。”国王语气坚决地说。 弗洛里泽拉看起来好像还想争辩。 本内特靠到她肩膀上，示意她别说话。 “我们会有办法的。”他小声地说。 “我真的希望这就是个普普通通的王宫就好了。”国王走到花园里的时候，自言自语道。 “就一个普普通通的