07 The Sorcerer's Gift

Chapter 7. The Sorcerer's Gift. The sorcerer didn't speak. He stared through the eyeholes of the owl mask. Help us please, said Annie. The sorcerer threw a rope into the pit. Jack grabbed it. He wants to pull us up, said Annie. Jack looked up. The sorcerer was gone. Where did he go? Jack said. Tug on the rope, said Annie.

第七章 魔法师的礼物。魔法师没有说话，他透过 猫头鹰面具的眼洞望着他们。“求求你帮帮我们。”安妮说。魔法师扔了一根 绳子进坑里。杰克抓住了绳子。“他要拉我们上去。”安妮说。杰克 抬头一看，魔法师不见了。“他去哪儿了？”杰克问。“拽拽绳子呀。”安妮说。

Jack tugged. The rope tightened. It began rising. I'll go first! said Annie cheerfully. Annie, this isn't a game! warned Jack. Don't worry, I'll be careful! Jack gave her the rope. Okay, but hold on tight, he said. Annie held the rope with both hands. She pushed her feet against the side of the pit. She rose into the air with the rope. She kept pressing against the side of the pit. Until she reached the top. Jack saw the sorcerer reappear and help Annie up. Then they moved out of sight. Jack was puzzled. The sorcerer had used both hands to help Annie. So who held the other end of the rope?

杰克拽了拽绳子，绳子绷紧了，开始往上升。 “我先上！”安妮兴高采烈地说。 “安妮，这可不是闹着玩的！”杰克警告道。“别担心，我会小心的！” 杰克把绳子递给她。“好吧，但是你要抓牢哦。” 他说。安妮用双手紧紧攥住绳子。 她用脚蹬着坑壁，跟着绳子慢慢往上升。 她一直蹬着坑壁保持平衡。 直到她爬到坑顶。杰克看见魔法师重新出现，把安妮拉了上去。 接着他们就消失在了视线外。杰克满肚子问号。 刚才魔法师是用两只手拉安妮的呀。 那是谁抓着绳子的另一头呢？

Wow! came Annie's voice. What's going on? Jack wondered. The sorcerer came back and threw the rope down again. Jack grabbed it and the rope started to rise. Jack held on tight. He started up. His hands burned. His arms felt as if they were being pulled out of their sockets. But he kept his hold on the rope and his feet against the side of the pit. At the top, the sorcerer pulled Jack onto the snowy ground. Thanks, said Jack standing. The sorcerer was tall. He wore a long, full robe. Jack could see only his eyes through the owl mask. Hey! Annie called.

“哇！”安妮的声音传了过来。 发生什么事了？杰克心里直犯嘀咕。 魔法师回来了，又把绳子扔了下来。 杰克抓住绳子，绳子又开始往上升了。 杰克抓得紧紧的，跟着绳子往上爬。 他的手磨得火辣辣的疼，胳膊感觉都要从肩膀上扯下来了。 但他还是紧紧抓着绳子，脚一直蹬着坑壁。 到了坑顶，魔法师把杰克拉到了积雪的地面上。 “谢谢你。”杰克站起身说道。 魔法师个子很高，穿着一件宽大的长袍。 透过猫头鹰面具，杰克只能看到他的眼睛。 “嘿！”安妮喊道。

Jack turned. Annie was sitting on a wooly mammoth. Squeak! Peanut was sitting on the mammoth's head. The mammoth looked like a giant elephant with shaggy reddish hair and long curved tusks. The other end of the rope was around the mammoth's huge neck. Lulu pulled us up, said Annie. Lulu said Jack. Don't you think she looks like a Lulu, said Annie. Oh, brother, said Jack. He walked up to the mammoth. Hey, mammoth starts with M, said Annie. Maybe Lulu's the special thing. I don't think so, said Jack.

杰克转过身，看见安妮正坐在一头猛犸象身上。“吱呀！” 花生坐在猛犸象的头上。这头猛犸象就像一头巨型大象，长着蓬松的红棕色毛发和长长的弯象牙。 绳子的另一头就系在猛犸象粗壮的脖子上。 “是露露把我们拉上来的哦。”安妮说。“露露？”杰克疑惑地念道。 “你不觉得她看起来就叫露露吗？”安妮说。 “哎哟我的天。”杰克说着，走到了猛犸象旁边。 “嘿，猛犸（mammoth）的首字母是M哦。”安妮说，“说不定露露就是我们要找的特殊东西。” “我觉得不是。”杰克说。

The great creature knelt down just like a circus elephant. Whoa! said Annie. She clutched the mammoth's ears to keep from falling off. The sorcerer helped Jack climb onto the mammoth.

这个大家伙居然像马戏团的大象一样跪了下来。 “哇哦！”安妮叫道。 她紧紧抓住猛犸象的耳朵，免得自己掉下来。 魔法师扶着杰克爬到了猛犸象背上。

Thanks," said Jack. Then the sorcerer reached into a pouch. He pulled out a smooth, white bone and handed it to Jack. The bone was hollow. It had four holes along one side and two on the other.

“谢谢你。”杰克说。 接着魔法师伸手摸向一个小袋子。 他掏出一块光滑的白色骨头，递给了杰克。 这块骨头是空心的。 一侧有四个孔，另一侧有两个孔。