Chapter 3-9

CHAPTER NiNE In which everyone aboard discovers that even an ark cannot fully protect you from danger in a worldwide flood "The reason I asked about you needing a rest on land is because there is no land at all," Bennett said. "Not until the waters drain away." "I need my cliff," the Sea Serpent pointed out. "Of course I need my home. My little bay, and the Queasy Quays. The Unscalable Cliffs with the princess stake on the top, where the train turns round. Where are you going to put the princesses

第九章 方舟上的所有人都发现，哪怕是方舟，也没法在席卷世界的大洪水里彻底护你周全“我刚才问你们需不需要上岸休息，是因为现在根本就没有陆地了。”班尼特说。 “得等水全部退下去才行。” “我要我的悬崖。”海蛇开口说道。 “我当然需要我的家啊。 我的小海湾，还有晕船码头。 还有那座高不可攀的悬崖，顶上立着公主标桩，火车就是在那儿掉头的。 你们打算把公主们放在哪儿啊

at lunchtime…? I mean, the picnics at lunchtime," it corrected itself with one eye on Courier, who nodded in agreement. "Everything is all underwater," Florizella said. "I'm sorry, Sea Serpent, but when the ice all melted it made this tremendous flood. We're just going to have to bob about until the water drains away." "Well, the pirates aren't going to like that," the Sea Serpent pointed out. "All their treasure is buried on islands marked with a cross, and now they're underwater. How are they going to get their money? What about the violent and nasty inns? What about the treasure ships sailing for port? No ports? You're going to ruin the economy." "And your father isn't going to want to eat picnics forever," Bennett said quietly to Florizella. "We'll have to think of a way to get the water into rivers and lakes, and the sea back to its proper size. Before dinnertime, if possible." "Oh, I can do that," the Sea Serpent offered helpfully. "On condition."

午餐时间吗……？ 我是说，午餐时间的野餐呀。”它赶忙改口，一只眼睛瞟着信使，信使也点头附和。 “所有东西都沉在水下啦。”弗洛里泽拉说。 “对不起呀海蛇，冰川全都融化了，才引发了这场特大洪水。 我们只能先在水面上漂着，等水退下去再说。” “唉，海盗们肯定不乐意这样。”海蛇指出。 “他们的宝藏全埋在画了十字的岛上，现在岛都沉到水里了。 他们要怎么取自己的财宝呀？ 那些凶巴巴的黑店怎么办？ 那些驶往港口的宝船怎么办？ 连港口都没了？ 你们要把整个经济都搞垮啦。” “还有你爸爸也不可能永远吃野餐呀。”班尼特轻声对弗洛里泽拉说。 “我们得想个办法，让水都流去河流和湖泊里，让大海变回原来的大小。 要是能赶在晚饭前搞定就更好了。” “哦，这个我能办到。”海蛇主动帮忙说道。 “但有个条件。”

"How would you do it?" Courier asked him suspiciously. "And what would be the condition?" "The condition is that I get to live in the palace moat and not be a Sea Serpent all the time," the Sea Serpent said. "I won't eat any of you, and the kitchen can serve my meals on the drawbridge." Florizella looked towards her father and mother. "Agreed," the queen said. "If you really can make the waters go down." "My dear," the king said unhappily, "are you sure about this? People already say that our kingdom is a rather peculiar place. There's Samson the palace guard dog…" Samson, who was a wolf dyed blond, left his bone for a moment and came to the king and offered his paw. The king shook it absentmindedly. "They say he's a wolf," he said in a whisper. "Surely not!" the queen whispered back. "And there's Florizella who won't obey the Princess Rules," he went on. "And now Courier

“你要怎么做到呀？” 信使满腹狐疑地问他。 “还有条件是什么？” “条件就是我要住在宫殿的护城河里，而且不用永远当海蛇。”海蛇说。 “我不会吃你们任何人，厨房可以把我的饭放在吊桥上就行。” 弗洛里泽拉看向自己的爸爸妈妈。 “我们同意。”王后说。 “只要你真的能让水退下去。” “亲爱的，”国王闷闷不乐地说，“你确定要这么做吗？ 大家本来就说我们王国是个挺古怪的地方。 还有王宫守卫犬参孙……”参孙是只被染成金色的狼，这会儿暂时放下嘴里的骨头，走到国王面前伸出爪子。 国王心不在焉地握了握它的爪子。 “他们说它是狼呢。”他压低声音说。 “怎么可能呀！” 王后也小声回道。 “还有弗洛里泽拉，从来不肯遵守公主守则。”他接着说。 “现在还有信使

has changed the Prince Permit. And Bennett swings into lunch completely naked…" "That was the fault of the Good Manner Eagle!" Bennett exclaimed. "Well, even so," the king huffed. "It all makes a very bad impression. Are we now going to have a Sea Serpent in the moat?" "I think we have to," the queen said, "if it can get rid of the water." She turned to the Sea Serpent. "How will you do it?" "I'll just pull out the plug," the Sea Serpent said simply, and smiled at their amazed faces. "The plug?" Florizella asked. "What plug?" "The plug at the bottom of the ocean." "Is there one?" Courier demanded. "Because I don't think that's quite how oceans work." "Pwobably, he thinks there's an ewephant," came a little voice from below deck. "There is a plug, or at any rate there will be if you get the enchanters to magic one," the Sea Serpent pointed out. "You know, for the first family of the kingdom you are all rather dim." It smiled at the queen. "No offence," it said.

改了王子许可令。 还有班尼特光着身子冲进午餐席……“那是礼仪鹰的错！” 班尼特大喊道。 “哼，就算是这样，”国王气鼓鼓地说。 “这些事已经够招人闲话的了。 现在我们还要在护城河里养一只海蛇吗？” “我觉得我们没得选，”王后说，“如果它能把水弄走的话。” 她转向海蛇。 “你打算怎么做呢？” “我只要把塞子拔掉就行啦。”海蛇说得很轻松，看着大家惊讶的表情笑了笑。 “塞子？” 弗洛里泽拉问。 “什么塞子？” “大洋底部的塞子呀。” “还有这种东西？” 信使追问道。 “我觉得大海不是这么个运作原理吧。” “说不定呀，他是觉得有大箱（象）子呢。”甲板下传来一个小小的声音。 “本来是有塞子的，反正你们让魔法师变一个出来就有了。”海蛇指出。 “真搞不懂，你们可是王国的第一家族，怎么都这么笨呀。” 它对着王后笑了笑。 “无意冒犯呀。”它说。

"None taken," she said icily. "I see what you mean," Bennett said. "So we get the enchanters to magic a plug in the ocean floor, and you go down and pull it out?" "Exactly." The Sea Serpent gleamed at him. "And when the sea has gone down to its usual depth you put the plug back in again?" "High-water mark," the Sea Serpent said cleverly. "Right," Courier said. "So we'll give you a shout when the sea is at the right level, you put the plug in and you can live in the moat for as long as you like– but eating nobody." "Agreed!" the Sea Serpent said. "Not a single person nor a single animal," Florizella added quickly. "Not a small one, not a middle-size one like Samson or Jellybean. You can't eat even big ones like the Mammoth." "Cowwect," came a little voice from the hold of the ship. "Agreed," the Sea Serpent said. "Then let's do it!" Courier said excitedly. "Enchanters! One plug in the bottom of the ocean.

“没关系。”她冷冷地说。 “我明白你的意思了。”班尼特说。 “所以我们让魔法师在海底变一个塞子出来，然后你下去把它拔掉？” “没错。” 海蛇亮晶晶的眼睛看着他。 “等海水退到平常的深度，你再把塞子塞回去？” “到高水位线就停。”海蛇机灵地说。 “好的。”信使说。 “等海水降到合适的水位，我们就喊你，你把塞子塞上，之后你想在护城河里住多久都行——但不能吃任何人。” “同意！” 海蛇说。 “一个人也不能吃，任何动物也不能吃。”弗洛里泽拉赶忙补充。 “小的不行，像参孙或者软糖豆那样中等大小的也不行。 哪怕是猛犸象那样的大个头你也不能吃。” “对（dei）！”船舱里传来一个小小的声音。 “同意。”海蛇说。 “那我们这就动手！” 信使兴奋地说。 “魔法师们！ 在大洋底部变一个塞子出来。

Do it now, please! There was a flash of lightning and a sudden GLUG, and the Sea Serpent flared its beautiful greeny-blue gills and dived under the ship. "Brilliant," said Bennett. "Just one thing," Florizella said. "I've just thought of something…" "What?" Courier asked as he leaned over the rail, looking for the first sign of mountain or trees. "There!" he said. "That's the top of the Blue Mountains. Look, Father. Can you see? The top of the mountains." "The thing is…" Florizella went on. "What?" Bennett asked. "What are you thinking?" Florizella yelled just as the ark started to sail round and round in a large circle, which became smaller and smaller as it chased itself round and

请现在就做！ 一道闪电划过，突然传来“咕嘟”一声响，海蛇展开它那漂亮的蓝绿色鳃，一下子潜到了船底。 “太棒啦。”贝内特说。 “有件事。”弗洛里泽拉开口说。 “我刚想到一件事……”“什么事？” 库里尔靠在栏杆上，边找山或者树木的第一抹影子边问。 “在那儿！” 他说。 “那是蓝山的山顶。 快看呀，爸爸。 你能看见吗？ 就是山的顶呀。” “是这么回事……”弗洛里泽拉接着说。 “怎么了？”贝内特问。 “你在想什么呢？” 弗洛里泽拉大喊起来，就在这时方舟开始绕着大圈打转，圈子越转越小，方舟跟着自己打转的轨迹不停绕啊