06 The Writing on the Wall

Chapter 6. The Writing on the Wall. Jack and Annie squinted at the pyramid wall. A series of tiny pictures were carved into the stone. There are four pictures here, Jack told the Ghost Queen. Describe them to me, Jack. One at a time, please, she said.

第六章 墙上的字 杰克和安妮眯着眼看向金字塔的墙壁 石头上刻着一连串小小的图案 “这里有四幅图案哦。”杰克对幽灵王后说 “杰克，给我描述一下这些图案吧” “麻烦你一个一个说哦。”她说道

Jack studied the first picture. Okay, he said. The first one is like this. He made a zigzag in the air with his finger. Like stairs? Asked the Ghost Queen. Yes, stairs, said Jack, just like stairs. She nodded. Easy enough. Jack studied the second picture. The second one has a long box on the bottom, he said. He drew it in the air. The Ghost Queen looked puzzled. With three things on top, like this, said Annie. She drew squiggly lines in the air. The Ghost Queen still seemed puzzled.

杰克仔细端详第一幅图案 “好的。”他说 第一幅是这样子的 他用手指在空中比了个之字形 “是楼梯吗？” 幽灵王后问道 “对，是楼梯，”杰克说，“和楼梯一模一样” 她点了点头 这太简单啦 杰克又仔细端详第二幅图案 “第二幅的底部有个长长的盒子。”他说 他在空中画出了那个形状 幽灵王后看起来一脸困惑 “上面还有三个东西，像这样。”安妮说 她在空中画了几条弯弯曲曲的线 幽灵王后看起来还是很困惑

Like a hat said Jack. Hat? Said the Ghost Queen. No, more like a boat said Annie. Boat? Said the Ghost Queen. She got excited. Boat? Jack took another look at the wall. Yes, it could be a boat, he said. The Ghost Queen looked very happy. She smiled. Yes, of course. She said. Jack and Annie studied the next picture. The third one is like a thing that holds flowers, said Annie. Or a thing that holds water, said Jack. Like a jug? Asked the Ghost Queen. Exactly, said Jack. Yes, a jug, said Annie.

“像一顶帽子。”杰克说 “帽子？” 幽灵王后问道 “不对，更像一艘小船。”安妮说 “小船？” 幽灵王后说道，她一下子激动起来：“小船？” 杰克又看了一眼墙壁 “对呀，有可能是小船。”他说。幽灵王后看起来开心极了，她笑了 “对，当然是小船” 她说道 杰克和安妮看向接下来的那幅图案 “第三幅看起来像个插鲜花的东西。”安妮说 “或者是装水的东西。”杰克说 “像水罐吗？” 幽灵王后问道 “完全正确。”杰克说 “对呀，就是水罐。”安妮说

Jack and Annie studied the last picture. And the last one looks like a pole that droops, said Annie. Like a curved stick, said Jack, but one side is shorter than the other. The Ghost Queen looked puzzled. Wait, said Jack. I'll draw it in my notebook. Big, so you can see it. Jack put down the scepter and got out his pencil. He drew the hieroglyph. A folded cloth, said the Ghost Queen. Well, not really, said Jack. He studied his drawing. But that is the hieroglyph for a folded cloth, said the Ghost Queen. Well, okay, said Jack. He looked at the fourth hieroglyph again.

杰克和安妮仔细端详最后一幅图案 “最后一幅看起来像一根弯下来的杆子。”安妮说 “像一根弯棍子，”杰克说，“不过一边比另一边短” 幽灵王后看起来一脸困惑 “等一下。”杰克说 “我画在我的笔记本上吧，画大一点，你就能看见了” 杰克放下权杖，拿出了他的铅笔 他画下了那个象形文字 “是折叠的布。”幽灵王后说 “唔，不太像呀。”杰克说，他仔细看着自己画的图 “但这个象形文字就是代表折叠的布哦。”幽灵王后说 “唔，好吧。”杰克说 他又看了一眼第四个象形文字

He still couldn't see the folded cloth, unless it was like a towel hanging over a bathroom rod. So that's all of them, said Annie. She pointed at each picture. Stairs, boat, jug, folded cloth. Jack wrote the words in his notebook. Stairs, boat, jug, cloth. So what does the message mean? He asked the Ghost Queen. Come, she said. She held out her hand. Come to my burial chambers. And she floated away.

他还是看不出那是折叠的布，除非它是挂在浴室杆上的毛巾 “好啦，全部都讲完啦。”安妮说 她指着每一幅图案 楼梯，小船，水罐，折叠的布 杰克把这些词写在了他的笔记本上 楼梯，小船，水罐，布 “那这条讯息是什么意思呀？”他问幽灵王后 “跟我来。”她说 她伸出了手 “来我的墓室吧” 说完她就飘走了