Chapter 1-2

CHAPTER TWO In which they send for Bennett- and he comes surprisingly quickly Florizella and Courier were sprawled on the bank of the moat, dabbling their feet in the greeny water and talking to the Mammoth who was stretched out on the bank beside them. The Sea Serpent's long sinuous body was floating in the water with its head resting on the grassy bank, its beautiful sapphire eyes shining. Florizella was trying to explain to them that

第二章 这一章里他们派人去找班尼特——而他来得快得惊人弗洛里泽拉和科里尔摊开手脚趴在护城河岸边，把脚泡在发绿的水里，和趴在旁边岸上的猛犸象说话。 海蛇那修长蜷曲的身子浮在水里，脑袋搁在长满青草的岸上，漂亮的蓝宝石眼睛闪闪发亮。 弗洛里泽拉正试着跟他们解释说

their game was making the castle shake and nobody could get on with their work. "It's not as if you DO anything, is it?" the Sea Serpent asked with a sly little smile. "What is it that you do all day? What are we interrupting? I take it you're not declaring war on anyone, or opening anything?" "My mother, the queen, and my father, the king, are working royals," Florizella said primly. "And I'm a working Sea Serpent," the Sea Serpent pointed out. "You just mean that I am what I am. But it doesn't mean I actually DO anything. I used to eat princesses– now that was real work. Occasional– but regular. But you won't even let me do that now." "Those days are gone," Courier told it firmly. "So none of you royals need to learn how to fight a Sea Serpent," it pointed out reasonably. "So, if you're not going to war, or saving princesses, or opening something, I don't see what you actually do. Nobody ever attacks you. What do you need the drawbridge for? Or the moat? We're the only ones that make any use of them." "Don't you wike us any more?" the Mammoth asked piteously.

他们的游戏晃得城堡都在抖，没人能好好干活了。 “又不是你们真有什么事要做，对吧？” 海蛇带着一丝狡黠的微笑问道。 “你们整天都做些什么呀？ 我们打断什么事了？ 总不会你们正要向谁宣战，或者要给什么东西剪彩吧？” “我妈妈王后，还有我爸爸国王，都是要处理王室公务的。”弗洛里泽拉端端正正地说。 “那我还是个干活的海蛇呢。”海蛇指出。 “你只是在说我本来就是海蛇而已。 可这不代表我真的要做什么事呀。 我以前还吃公主呢——那才是正经工作。 不算频繁，但也很规律。 可现在你们连这个都不让我做了。” “那些日子早就过去了。”科里尔坚定地对它说。 “所以你们这些王室成员也都不用学怎么跟海蛇打架了。”它有理有据地指出。 “所以啊，要是你们不用打仗，不用救公主，也不用给什么东西剪彩，我真不懂你们还有什么事要做。 从来没人来攻打你们。 你们要吊桥干什么？ 要护城河又有什么用？ 也就我们还能用得上它们。” “你、你们不喜欢我们了吗？” 猛犸可怜巴巴地问。

"We do! We do!" said Florizella, putting her arm round his enormous neck and hugging him. "We love you. We always will." The Sea Serpent widened its beautiful blue eyes at her. "Do you love me too, Florizella?" "Why?" she asked cautiously. "I love you ssso much I could eat you," it hissed with a wicked little smile.

“我们喜欢呀！ 我们当然喜欢！”弗洛里泽拉说着，伸手环住它粗壮的脖子抱了抱。 “我们爱你。 永远都爱。” 海蛇睁着它漂亮的蓝眼睛看向她。 “那你也爱我吗，弗洛里泽拉？” “怎么啦？”她小心翼翼地问。 “我爱你爱得都想把你吃掉啦。”它嘶嘶地说，脸上带着点调皮的笑。

"Those days are gone," Courier repeated sternly. "And why do you hiss?" Florizella demanded. "You sound like Courier when he lost his teeth. Have you lost a tooth?" "I'm a Sea Serpent," it told her. "A serpent is a sort of snake. Courier told me. So I hiss like a snake." "A sea serpent is called a serpent but actually it's not a snake," Florizella corrected it. "What then?" the Sea Serpent said sulkily. "I don't know? Something like a newt?" "I am nothing like a newt!" the Sea Serpent exclaimed indignantly. "I'll look it up and tell you," Courier reassured it. Courier loved a fact, or a new word, or an invention. "You're much more like a snake than a newt." "Anyway, the point is that the drawbridge wasn't built for your sort of game," Florizella told them. "It's going to break. And the castle shakes when you do your celebration dance, Mammoth." "Can't you build a new castle?" the Mammoth asked. "Not really," Florizella said. "But maybe we could find somewhere that would be better for the two of

“那些日子早就过去了。”科里尔严厉地重复道。 “还有你干嘛要嘶嘶地说话呀？” 弗洛里泽拉问道。 “你听着就像科里尔掉牙的时候说话的样子。 你掉牙了吗？” “我是海蛇呀。”它告诉她。 “蛇就是 serpent 的一种， 科里尔告诉我的。 所以我要像蛇一样嘶嘶说话。” “海蛇虽然名字里有蛇，但其实它不是蛇呀。”弗洛里泽拉纠正它。 “那是什么？” 海蛇气鼓鼓地问。 “我也不知道？ 有点像蝾螈？” “我才不像蝾螈呢！” 海蛇气呼呼地叫道。 “我会去查清楚然后告诉你的。”科里尔安抚它说。 科里尔最喜欢研究事实、学新词，或者琢磨发明了。 “你比起蝾螈来，还是更像蛇的。” “不管怎么说，重点是吊桥本来就不是造来给你们玩这种游戏的。”弗洛里泽拉告诉他们。 “它会坏的。 还有猛犸，你跳庆祝舞的时候，整个城堡都在晃。” “你们不能造个新城堡吗？” 猛犸问。 “不行呀。”弗洛里泽拉说。 “不过说不定我们能找个更适合你们俩

you. Perhaps a lake with a big strong bridge across it so that you could play your game there?" "And picnics." The Sea Serpent licked its lips at her. "Remember that if I don't have picnics I'll go back to eating princesses. I'd ssssuccumb." "You can't," Courier told it firmly. "I have given up the Prince Permit, and Florizella has given up the Princess Rules, and you have given up the Sea Serpent Allowance. That was agreed." "Yessss," the Sea Serpent said reluctantly. "That was agreed then– when you invited us to live at the castle. But this is a quite different proposal." Courier started to look a little anxious. "Well, shall we at least ride out and see if there is somewhere you would like better than the drawbridge?" he said. "Somewhere with a bit of variety? And picnics too, of course." "I'll send for Bennett to come with us and help us," said Florizella. "He can bring a picnic– you'll enjoy that." The Sea Serpent widened its deep blue eyes at her. "I am sure you hope that I do," it said with silky menace. "Sssscertain."

玩的地方。 说不定是个湖，上面架着一座又大又结实的桥，你们就能在那儿玩游戏了？” 还要有野餐哦。” 海蛇对着她舔了舔嘴唇。 “记住哦，要是没野餐吃，我就要回去吃公主了。 我可忍、忍不了的。” “你不能那么做。”科里尔坚定地对它说。 “我已经放弃了王子特权，弗洛里泽拉也不用遵守公主守则，你也放弃了海蛇津贴。 这些都是说好的。” “对、对呀。”海蛇不情不愿地说。 “那时候是说好的——就是你们邀请我们住在城堡里的时候。 可现在这是完全另一回事了。” 科里尔看上去有点着急了。 “那不然，我们至少先骑上马出去找找，看看有没有比吊桥更合你们心意的地方？”他说。 “有点新鲜花样的地方？ 当然也会有野餐的。” “我要派人叫班尼特跟我们一起去，帮我们出主意。”弗洛里泽拉说。 “他可以带野餐来——你肯定会喜欢的。” 海蛇睁着深蓝色的大眼睛看着她。 “我相信你肯定希望我喜欢。”它带着丝滑的威胁感说道。 “确、确定极了。”