Chapter 1-9

CHAPTER NiNE In which a great deal happens, but Courier, once again, identifies the main thing In the underground cavern beneath the trapdoor, Countess N'Asty was untying Courier from the stake. His hat had been bitten in half, and his golden curls were damp. He was white with shock. "You did very well," she said. "Most people faint." "Thank you," Courier said. He did not say "over" at the end of every sentence. He had been cured of the

第九章 这一章里发生了好多事，但信使再一次抓住了重点 在活板门下方的地下洞穴里，娜斯蒂女伯爵正把信使从木桩上解下来。 他的帽子被咬成了两半，金色的卷发湿漉漉的。 他吓得脸色惨白。 “你表现得非常好。”她说道。 “大多数人都会直接晕过去。” “谢谢您。”信使说。 他每句话的末尾都没再加“完毕”。 刚才那阵巨大的恐惧已经治好了他的

"overs" by the tremendous fright– just like someone can be cured of hiccups. "You can have a free ticket to come to the show again," she said. "Bring a friend." "Thank you," he said feebly. "You can come in for free if you wear the princess gown," she offered. "You can be eaten again." Courier shook his head. He was quite sure he did not ever want to be that close to being eaten again. "What I would really like would be to stay behind when everything shuts up for the night," he said. "If I might." "Why?" "I admire you so much," Courier said, lying madly. "I'd like to go around with you and close up the show, help you put the animals to bed. I'd like to hang out with you in the evening. Perhaps I could stay for a sleepover?" "This is unusual," the countess said suspiciously, she had never had a sleepover in her life, because everyone hated her. "Don't you have to ask your mother?" "I'm allowed," Courier said, "because it is Fairytale Land. May I stay?"

“完毕”口头禅——就像有人被吓一跳就能治好打嗝一样。 “我可以给你一张免费票，下次再来看演出。”她说道。 “带个朋友一起来。” “谢谢您。”他虚弱地说。 “你要是穿公主裙来，还能免费入场。”她主动提议。 “还能再体验一次被吃的感觉。” 信使摇了摇头。 他万分确定自己再也不想离“被吃掉”这么近了。 “我真正想做的是，等晚上所有项目都关门之后，留下来多待一会儿。”他说。 “如果您允许的话。” “为什么？” “我特别崇拜您。”信使说着，脸不红心不跳地撒着谎。 “我想跟着您四处转转，把演出场地收拾好，帮您安顿动物们睡觉。 我想晚上陪着您待一会儿。 说不定我还能留下来过夜呢？” “这可不多见。”女伯爵怀疑地说，她这辈子从来没留过人过夜，因为所有人都讨厌她。 “你不用问问你妈妈吗？” “我可以自己做主的。”信使说，“因为这里是童话王国呀。 我可以留下来吗？”

"You want a sleepover?" the countess confirmed. "With me?" "Yes," he said bravely. But, with the countess glaring at him with her mean little eyes, he was not so sure that he did. "You know my bedroom is small and dark and smelly, right?" she asked. "Charming," Courier said. "Simple. Just like mine." "You know it's a dirty old tent?" "Not a problem." "And the carriage cats sleep in my bed?" "I love cats," he lied. "All right," she said begrudgingly. "Didn't you come with some people? A funny-looking green elf, and a walking scarecrow and an enormous dog in a hat?" "Yes," Courier said, pleased that their disguises had worked so well. "I'll go and tell them to set off home without me. Then I'll come to your tent." The closing bell started to ring. "Go on then," Countess N'Asty said. "And make sure everyone leaves. I don't want anyone else cluttering up my Nasty Show. No extra nasties. And no nice people at all. You can only stay for one night, remember. And don't be pleasant at breakfast."

“你想留下来过夜？” 女伯爵确认道。 “和我一起？” “是的。”他鼓起勇气回答。 但看着女伯爵那双刻薄的小眼睛瞪着自己，他又有点不确定自己是不是真的想留下了。 “你知道我的卧室又小又黑，还有股怪味，对吧？” 她问道。 “很有吸引力呀。”信使说。 “简简单单的。 和我的房间一模一样。” “你知道那就是个脏兮兮的旧帐篷吧？” “没问题的。” “而且拉车的猫都睡在我床上哦？” “我超喜欢猫的。”他撒谎道。 “好吧。”她不情愿地答应了。 “你不是和几个人一起来的吗？ 一个长得怪兮兮的绿精灵，一个会走路的稻草人，还有一只戴帽子的巨型大狗？” “对呀。”信使说，心里很高兴他们的伪装效果这么好。 “我这就去告诉他们不用等我，先回家。 然后我就来你的帐篷找你。” 关门铃响了起来。 “那快去吧。”娜斯蒂女伯爵说。 “务必让所有人都离开。 我可不想有其他人留在我的“恶人秀”里添乱。 多余的坏人不要。 好人更是一个都不许留。 记住，你只能住一晚。 还有吃早餐的时候别摆出和和气气的样子。”

"Right away," Courier said, and ran to find the others. They were waiting by the exit gate. "I've got in!" Courier said excitedly. "Make it look as if you are leaving, but hide behind the cages, in that little wood over there. I'll come for you as soon as I've got the keys and then we can get the Sea Serpent out of the tank and into the river." "And I've got a sleeping spell for Countess N'Asty," Florizella said. "That was quick." "I called an enchanter," she confessed. "He dropped it from a balloon. Bennett caught it. Here it is." Bennett handed the pouch of sparkly dust to Florizella and she passed it to Courier. "Be careful," she said. "The bag split as he dropped it." Sure enough, as she handed it over, the purse of sleeping dust broke open and a cloud rose into the air. All the children breathed it in. Only the

“马上就办。”信使说完，就跑着去找其他人了。 他们正在出口大门旁等着。 “我成功混进去了！” 信使兴奋地说。 “你们假装要离开，然后躲到笼子后面，就是那边那片小树林里。 等我拿到钥匙就马上来找你们，到时候我们就能把海蛇从水箱里救出来，送回河里了。” “我还弄到了对付娜斯蒂女伯爵的睡眠咒语。”弗洛里泽拉说。 “好快啊。” “我找了一位魔法师帮忙。”她坦白道。 “他从热气球上把咒语扔下来的。 贝内特接住了。 就是这个。” 贝内特把装着闪光粉末的小袋子递给弗洛里泽拉，她又转交给了信使。 “小心点。”她说道。 “他往下扔的时候袋子摔裂了。” 果然，她递过来的时候，装着睡眠粉的小袋子一下子裂开，一团粉末升到了空中。 所有孩子都吸进去了一点。 只有猛犸象把鼻子卷得紧紧的，

Mammoth, whose trunk was coiled away, did not get so much as a sniff of it. "Does this work?" Bennett asked. "Because I can smell it, but I'm not at all sleepy." "You need a lot," Florizella said. "Blow the whole purse over her, Courier, or sprinkle it on her pillow." "We'll wait for you here," Bennett promised. "Come and find us as soon as she's asleep. Good luck." "Shouldn't I wait for you at the pawace?" the Mammoth offered. "Wather than here?" "You remember what the Good Manner Eagle said," Bennett told him. "You have to find your great heart. This is your chance. Stay here with us and you can help rescue our friend." "But I'm too wittle" the Mammoth objected. "And vewy easily fwightened." But Courier was already gone, with the purse of sleeping dust held tightly in his hand. "Let's go into hiding," Bennett said to Florizella. She led the way to the wood behind the animal cages and sat down beneath a spreading oak tree. Bennett settled down next to her, the Mammoth beside him, and they leaned against the tree trunk, looking up at the sky through the leaves.

一点都没吸到。 “这东西有用吗？” 贝内特问道。 “我都闻到味了，可是一点都不困啊。” “需要很大剂量才行。”弗洛里泽拉说。 “信使，你把整袋粉都吹到她身上，或者撒在她枕头上。” “我们就在这儿等你。”贝内特保证道。 “等她睡着了你就过来找我们。 祝你好运。” “要不我在王工等你们？” 猛犸象主动提议。 “别待在这儿？” “你忘了礼貌鹰说的话啦？”贝内特告诉他。 “你得找到自己强大的内心。 这就是你的机会。 留下来和我们一起，你就能帮忙救我们的朋友啦。” “可是我太小了。”猛犸象反对道。 “而且特别容易害怕。” 但信使早就走了，手里紧紧攥着那袋睡眠粉。 “我们躲起来吧。”贝内特对弗洛里泽拉说。 她带路走到动物笼子后面的树林里，在一棵枝叶舒展的橡树下坐了下来。 贝内特挨着她坐下，猛犸象坐在他旁边，他们靠在树干上，透过树叶望着天空。

"We keep watch," Bennett said. "We stay alert." "The stars are coming out," Florizella remarked. "Isn't it lovely?" "It's cosy here," Bennett said. "Mmm. Doesn't it make you feel sss… llll… eee… ppp… y?" "Not at all," Bennett said. And, in a moment, both children were fast asleep. The Countess N'Asty's was ready for sleep as well in her damp and ragged tent. She had made a little bed for Courier out of old curtains and pillows, and she was already tucked up in her bed with both of the enormous black cats. Courier tipped the whole purse of sleeping dust into his hand and blew it towards the three of them. It rose in a cloud and settled gently over the whole tent, the countess, the cats and… Courier. Within moments, they were all sleeping as soundly in the tent as Bennett and Florizella in the little wood.

“我们负责放哨。”班纳特说。 “我们得保持警觉。” “星星出来啦。”弗洛里泽拉小声说。 “是不是特别好看呀？” “这里暖乎乎的。”班纳特说。 “嗯—— 你难道不觉得困……困……想……睡……觉吗？” “一点也不。”班纳特说。 结果没一会儿，两个小朋友就都睡得死死的了。 纳斯蒂伯爵夫人待在她那又潮又破的帐篷里，也准备睡觉了。 她用旧窗帘和枕头给科里尔铺了张小床，自己已经钻进被窝，抱着两只肥乎乎的大黑猫躺好了。 科里尔把满满一整袋催眠粉倒在手里，对着他们三个吹了过去。 粉末像云一样飘起来，轻轻落在整个帐篷里，落在伯爵夫人身上、猫咪们身上，还有……科里尔自己身上。 没一会儿，帐篷里的所有人都睡得沉极了，就和小树林里的班纳特、弗洛里泽拉一样香。