07 A Secret Passage

Chapter 7. A Secret Passage Annie and Jack raced back up the winding stairs and down the long hallway. They hadn't gone far when they heard shouting behind them. Dogs barked in the distance. They're coming! Annie cried. In here! said Jack. He shoved open a door off the hallway and pulled Annie into a dark room. Jack pushed the door shut. Then Annie shined her flashlight around the room. There were rows of sacks and wooden barrels.

第七章 秘密通道 安妮和杰克沿着旋转楼梯飞奔回去，又冲过长长的走廊。 没跑多远，他们就听见身后传来叫喊声。 远处传来狗吠声。 “他们来了！”安妮大叫道。 “快进来！”杰克说。 他猛地推开走廊旁的一扇门，拽着安妮躲进了一间黑漆漆的屋子。 杰克把门关上。 接着安妮打开手电筒，照了照屋子四周。 屋里有成排的麻袋和木桶。

I'd better look in the book said Jack give it to me. Annie gave him the flashlight and his backpack. He pulled out the book and started tearing through it. Shhh said Annie someone's coming. Jack and Annie jumped behind the door as it creaked open. Jack held his breath. A light from a torch danced wildly over the sacks and barrels. The light disappeared. The door slammed shut. Oh man whispered Jack. We have to hurry they might come back. His hands were trembling as he flipped through the pages of the castle book. Here's a map of the castle he said. Look this must be the room we're in. It's a store room. Jack studied the room in the book.

“我最好看看那本书，”杰克说，“把它给我。” 安妮把手电筒和他的背包递给了他。 他掏出书，飞快地翻找起来。 “嘘，”安妮说，“有人过来了。” 门吱呀一声打开，杰克和安妮赶紧跳到门后躲起来。 杰克屏住了呼吸。 火把的光在麻袋和木桶上疯狂地晃来晃去。 光消失了。 门砰的一声关上了。 我的天呀，杰克小声说。 我们得快点，他们说不定还会回来。 他的手不停发抖，一边翻着那本介绍城堡的书。 “这儿有张城堡的地图。”他说。 你看，我们现在待的肯定就是这个房间。 这是个储藏室。 杰克仔细研究着书里这个房间的插图。

These are sacks of flour and barrels of wine. Who cares? We have to go," said Annie, before they come back. No, look," said Jack. He pointed at the map. Here's a trap door. He read aloud. This door leads from the storeroom through a secret passage to a precipice over the moat. What's a precipice? said Annie. I don't know. We'll find out," said Jack. But first we have to find the door. Jack looked at the picture carefully. Then he shined the flashlight around the room. The floor of the room was made up of stones. The trap door in the picture was five stones away from the door to the hall. Jack shined the light on the floor.

这些是装面粉的麻袋和装酒的木桶。 “谁管这个呀？我们得走了，”安妮说，“免得他们回来。” “别呀，你看，”杰克说，他指了指地图。 这儿有个活板门。他大声念了出来。 这扇门从储藏室引出一条秘密通道，通往护城河上方的悬崖。 悬崖是什么呀？安妮问。 “我不知道，我们去看看就知道了，”杰克说，“不过我们得先找到那扇门。” 杰克仔细看了看插图，接着打开手电筒照了照屋子四周。 屋子的地板是用石头铺成的。 插图里的活板门离通往走廊的门有五块石头远。 杰克把手电筒的光照向地板。

Counted the stones. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. He stamped on the fifth stone. It was loose. He put the flashlight on the floor. He worked his fingers under the thin sheet of stone and tried to lift it. Help, Jack said. Annie came over and helped him lift the stone square out of its place. Underneath was a small wooden door. Jack and Annie tugged on the rope handle of the door. The door fell open with a thunk. Jack picked up the flashlight and shined it on the hole. There's a little ladder, he said. Let's go. He clipped on the flashlight and felt his way down the small ladder. Annie followed.

他数着石头。 一。 二。 三。 四。 五。 他重重踩了踩第五块石头。 石头是松动的。 他把手电筒放在地板上。 他把手指伸到薄薄的石板下面，试着把它抬起来。 “快来帮忙。”杰克说。 安妮走过来，和他一起把方形石板从原位抬了出来。 石板下面是一扇小小的木门。 杰克和安妮拽住门上的绳拉手用力拉。 门咚的一声掉了下来，打开了。 杰克拿起手电筒，往洞里照去。 “有个小梯子。”他说。 我们走吧。 他夹好手电筒，摸着路顺着小梯子往下爬。 安妮跟在后面。

When they both reached the bottom of the ladder, Jack shined the light around them. There was a tunnel. He crouched down and began moving through the damp, creepy tunnel. The flashlight barely lit the stone walls. He shook the light. Were the batteries running down? I think our light's dying, he said to Annie. Hurry! she called from behind. Jack went faster. His back hurt from crouching. The light got dimmer and dimmer. He was desperate to get out of the castle before the batteries died completely. Soon he reached another small wooden door. The door at the end of the tunnel.

等两个人都爬到梯子底部，杰克打开手电筒照了照四周。 眼前是一条隧道。 他蹲下来，开始在潮湿阴森的隧道里往前挪。 手电筒的光只能勉强照亮石墙。 他晃了晃手电筒。 是不是电池快没电了？ “我觉得手电筒快没电了。”他对安妮说。 “快点！”她在后面喊。 杰克加快了脚步。 一直蹲着走，他的背都疼了。 光越来越暗了。 他拼命想赶在电池彻底没电前逃出城堡。 很快他就走到了另一扇小木门跟前。 这就是隧道尽头的那扇门。

Jack unlatched the door and pushed it open. He poked his head outside. He couldn't see anything in the misty darkness. The air felt good, cool and fresh. He took a deep breath. Where are we? whispered Annie behind him. What do you see? Nothing, but I think we've come to the outside of the castle, said Jack. I'll find out. Jack put the flashlight in his pack. He put the pack on his back. He stuck his hand out the door. He couldn't feel the ground, just air. I'm going to have to go feet first, he said. Jack turned around in the small tunnel. He lay down on his stomach. He stuck one hand out the door.

杰克拉开门闩推开门，探出头往外看。雾蒙蒙的黑夜里他什么都看不见。 空气清凉又新鲜，感觉好极了。他深吸了一口气。 “我们在哪儿呀？”安妮在他身后小声问，“你看见什么了？” “什么都没看见，但我觉得我们已经到城堡外面了。”杰克说，“我试试就知道了。” 杰克把手电筒放进背包，背上背包，伸手往门外探去。他摸不到地面，只摸到空空的空气。 “我得脚先伸出去。”他说。杰克在窄小的隧道里转过身，肚子贴地趴下，一只手伸到门外。