09 Follow the Leader

Chapter 9 Follow the Leader It was pitch dark. What happened? asked Annie. I don't know, something weird, said Jack. We have to get out of here fast. Push against the door. Good idea, said Annie in a small voice. They felt their way through the darkness, to the top of the stairs. Don't worry, everything's going to be okay, said Jack. He was trying to stay calm.

第九章 跟着领头的走 周围一片漆黑。“发生什么事了？”安妮问。“我不知道，有点不对劲。”杰克说，我们得 赶紧离开这儿。去推推门。“好主意。”安妮小声说。他们摸索着 穿过黑暗，走到楼梯顶端。“别担心，一切都会好起来的。” 杰克说道。他努力让自己保持冷静。

Of course," said Annie. They leaned against the wooden door and pushed. It wouldn't budge. They pushed harder. No use. Jack took a deep breath. It was getting harder to breathe and harder to stay calm. What can we do? asked Annie. Just, just rest a moment, said Jack, panting. His heart was pounding as he tried to see through the darkness. Maybe we should start down the hall, he said. Maybe we'll eventually come to, to an exit. He wasn't sure about that, but they had no choice. Come on, he said. Feel the wall. Jack felt the stone wall as he climbed slowly down the stairs. Annie followed.

“当然啦。”安妮说。他们靠在木门上用力推，门却纹丝不动。 他们又用了更大的力气推，还是没用。杰克深吸了一口气，现在呼吸越来越困难， 也越来越难保持冷静了。 “我们该怎么办呀？”安妮问。 “先、先休息一下。”杰克喘着气说。他的心脏砰砰直跳，努力想在黑暗里看清东西。 看穿这片黑暗。 “也许我们应该沿着走廊往前走，”他说，“说不定最后能找到、找到出口。” 他自己也没把握，但他们已经没有别的选择了。 “来吧，”他说，“摸着墙走。” 杰克摸着石墙，慢慢走下楼梯。安妮跟在他后面。

Jack started down the dark hallway. It was impossible to see anything. But he kept going, taking one step at a time, moving his hands along the wall. He went around a corner. He went around another corner. He came to some stairs. He went up. There was a door. He pushed against it. And he pushed, too. This door wouldn't budge, either. Was this the same door they had started at? It was no use. They were trapped. Annie took his hand in the dark. She squeezed it. They stood together at the top of the stairs, listening to the silence. Meow. Oh, man, Jack whispered. He's back, said Annie. Meow.

杰克沿着漆黑的走廊往前走，根本什么都看不见。 但他还是继续往前走，一步一步慢慢来，手一直贴着墙摸索。 他转过一个拐角，又转过另一个拐角。 他走到一段楼梯前，往上爬去。 前面有扇门，他伸手去推，使劲地推。 这扇门也纹丝不动。 这会不会就是他们最开始推的那扇门？ 根本没用，他们被困住了。 黑暗中安妮握住了他的手，轻轻捏了捏。 他们一起站在楼梯顶端，四周安静得能听见心跳。 喵。 “哦，天呐。”杰克小声说。 “他回来了。”安妮说。 喵。

Follow him cried Jack. He's going away from us.

“跟着他！”杰克大喊，“他要走远了！”

They started down the dark hallway, following the cat's meow. Hands against the wall, Jack and Annie stumbled through the darkness. Meow!

他们沿着漆黑的走廊往前走，跟着猫咪的叫声走。 杰克和安妮手贴着墙，在黑暗里跌跌撞撞地往前走。 喵！

They followed the sound all the way through the winding hallway, down, down, down, around one corner, then another, and another. Finally, they saw a light at the end of the tunnel. They rushed forward, out into the bright sunlight. Yay! Annie shouted, but Jack was thinking. Annie, he said, how did we get out of the false passage? The cat, said Annie. But how could the cat do it? asked Jack. Magic, said Annie. Jack frowned, but look, said Annie. She pointed. The cat was bounding away over the sand. Thank you, called Annie. Thanks, Jack shouted at the cat. His black tail waved, then he disappeared in the shimmering waves of heat.

他们跟着声音一直走，穿过弯弯曲曲的走廊，往下、往下、再往下，转过 一个拐角，又一个，再一个。 终于，他们看到隧道尽头有光亮。 他们冲上前去，跑到了外面明亮的阳光下。 耶！ 安妮开心地大喊，可杰克却在思考。 “安妮，”他说，“我们是怎么从那条假通道里出来的？” “是那只猫呀。”安妮说。 “可那只猫怎么能做到呢？”杰克问。 “魔法呀。”安妮说。 杰克皱起了眉，“不过你看呀。”安妮说。 她伸手指着前方。 那只猫正蹦蹦跳跳地跑过沙地。 “谢谢你！”安妮大声喊。 “谢谢啦！”杰克也对着猫咪大喊。 他的黑尾巴晃了晃，接着就消失在晃动的热浪里。