12 Fire with Fire

Chapter 12. Fire with Fire The four real keepers of the cauldron crawled closer to Jack and Annie, hissing and snorting blue fire. What do we do now? whispered Annie. I don't know, said Jack. We're trapped. I have an idea, whispered Annie. Let's drink the water. What? said Jack. It's the water of memory and imagination, right? said Annie. So maybe if we drink it, we can imagine a way to escape.

第十二章 以火攻火 看守大锅的四位真守护者朝杰克和安妮爬了过来，嘶嘶低吼，呼呼喷着气 蓝色的火焰。 “我们现在怎么办？”安妮小声问。 “我不知道，”杰克说，“我们被困住了。” “我有个主意，”安妮低声说，“我们喝那水吧。” “什么？”杰克说。“那是记忆与想象之水，对不对？”安妮说，“说不定” 我们喝了它，就能想象出逃跑的办法。

That's crazy," said Jack. The keepers crawled closer, snorting more blue flame and filling the air with their rotten stench. Okay, okay, let's try it, said Jack. Annie took a sip from the silver cup, then handed it to Jack. His hands trembled as he held the cup to his lips and took a sip. The water tasted sweet, bitter, and spicy all at the same time. Jack gave the cup back to Annie. Now imagine we're saved! she said. Jack closed his eyes. He tried to imagine being saved. He pictured the four keepers crawling back through their doorways. Okay, ready to fight? said Annie. Jack opened his eyes. What? Fight? Annie set the silver cup on the floor. Now! she said. Suddenly Jack felt like he'd been hit by a bolt of lightning. His fears slipped away. He was filled with strength and fury.

“这太疯狂了。”杰克说。 守护者们爬得更近了，喷出更多蓝色火焰，空气中满是它们 腐坏的恶臭。 “好吧好吧，我们试试。”杰克说。 安妮抿了一口银杯里的水，然后把杯子递给杰克。 他的手微微发抖，把杯子凑到嘴边，也抿了一小口。 这水尝起来同时带着甜味、苦味还有辣味，三种味道混在一起。 杰克把杯子还给了安妮。 “现在想象我们得救了！”她说。 杰克闭上了眼睛。 他努力想象自己得救的场景。 他在脑子里想象四个守护者顺着来时的门洞爬了回去。 “好了，准备好战斗了吗？”安妮说。 杰克睁开了眼睛。 什么？ 战斗？ 安妮把银杯子放到了地上。 “动手！”她说。 突然杰克感觉自己像是被一道闪电击中了。 他的恐惧一下子全都消失了。 他浑身充满了力量和怒火。

Without thinking he lunged with Annie toward the wood fire under the cauldron. They each grabbed two long straight branches from the edge of the fire. They raised them high in the air, the branches blazed with purple fire like flaming swords.

他想都没想，就和安妮一起朝着大锅底下的柴火堆冲了过去。 他俩各自从火堆边抓了两根又长又直的树枝。 他们把树枝高高举在空中，树枝上燃着紫色的火焰，就像燃烧的宝剑。

Ah! Jack and Annie shouted. The four keepers hissed louder than before. Great balls of blue fire exploded from their mouths and nostrils. Jack and Annie slashed the air with their fiery weapons jabbing at the keepers. They fought fire with fire, blue flame with purple flame. Back, back! they shouted. With each jab and shout Jack felt stronger and braver. Waving their burning branches, he and Annie drove the keepers toward the walls. The keepers' blue flames grew weaker and weaker as if they were running out of fuel. Finally, one by one, each keeper slunk back into the doorway from which it had come. When all the keepers had disappeared, Jack and Annie placed a burning branch in front of each of the four doorways to keep the monsters from coming back out.

“啊！”杰克和安妮大喊。四个守护者的嘶嘶声比之前更响了，大团大团的 蓝色火焰从它们的嘴巴和鼻孔里喷出来。杰克和安妮挥舞着手里的 燃烧武器，朝着守护者刺去。他们以火攻火，用紫色火焰对抗蓝色 火焰。“退回去！退回去！”他们大喊。 每刺一下、每喊一声，杰克都觉得自己更有力、更勇敢了。他和安妮挥舞着燃烧的树枝， 把守护者们逼到了墙边。守护者们的蓝色火焰越来越弱 越来越弱，就好像燃料快要用光了。最后，守护者们一个接一个地偷偷溜 回了它们进来的那个门洞。等所有守护者都消失后，杰克 和安妮在四个门洞前各放了一根燃烧的树枝，防止这些怪物 再跑出来。

Then they brushed off their hands. Let's go! Annie said coolly. Jack nodded. Annie carefully picked up the silver cup of water from the cauldron. Then she and Jack squeezed through the narrow crack and strode through the bright crystal cave. They stepped out into the daylight. The glass key was still in the keyhole. Jack calmly locked the door behind them. He handed the key to Annie. Then Jack's knees gave way and he sank to the ground.

然后他俩拍了拍手上的灰。 我们走吧！ 安妮淡定地说。 杰克点了点头。 安妮小心地拿起了放在大锅边装着水的银杯子。 然后她和杰克挤过狭窄的缝隙，大步穿过亮闪闪的水晶 洞穴。 他们走了出去，来到了日光下。 玻璃钥匙还插在锁孔里。 杰克冷静地把身后的门锁上了。 他把钥匙递给了安妮。 紧接着杰克腿一软，瘫倒在了地上。