4 The Castle

Chapter 4 The Castle The castle was still and silent. No candles burned in its windows. No guards stood at its gatehouse. No archers patrolled the tops of its walls. Hello! Teddy shouted. No one answered. Not very well protected, eh? said Teddy. Our mission should be easy. Yeah, said Annie. Jack didn't say anything. He would have felt happier if guards had been protecting the castle. That would have seemed more normal.

第四章 城堡 城堡里安安静静的，一丝声响都没有。窗户里没有半点烛光亮着，门口也没有守卫站在 门楼旁。没有弓箭手在城墙顶端巡逻。 “有人吗？”泰迪大喊。没人应声。 “守卫也太不严了吧？”泰迪说，“咱们的任务应该很容易完成。” “是啊。”安妮说。杰克什么都没说，要是有守卫守着这座城堡，他反倒会更开心点。 有守卫护着城堡才显得更正常嘛。

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Come along, said Teddy. Jack and Annie followed Teddy over a wooden bridge to the gatehouse.

“快走吧。”泰迪说。 杰克和安妮跟着泰迪走过一座木桥，来到了门楼前。

Teddy held up his lantern before the arched double doors. Cobwebs sparkled in the misty light. Hello, may we enter? He called. Silence. They all stared at the heavy wooden doors. Never fear, I shall get us in, said Teddy. The boy sorcerer put down his lantern. He took a deep breath. He rubbed his hands together. Then he stretched out his arms and shouted, Open ye two oaken doors! He looked at Jack and Annie. Quick, what rhymes with doors? Uh, floors, said Jack. Good, said Teddy. He opened his arms again and yelled, Open ye two oaken doors! Or we will not mop up your floors! Nothing happened. Teddy looked at Jack and Annie. Bad rhyme, he said.

泰迪举着灯笼，凑到拱形的双开门前。 蛛网在朦胧的灯光下闪着微光。 “您好，我们能进去吗？” 他喊道。 一片寂静。 三个人都盯着那扇厚重的木门。 “别怕，我来想办法进去。”泰迪说。 这个小魔法师放下手里的灯笼。 他深吸了一口气。 他搓了搓双手。 接着他张开胳膊大喊： “你们两扇橡木门快快打开！” 他看向杰克和安妮。 “快，什么词和‘门’押韵呀？” “呃，地板。”杰克说。 “不错。”泰迪说。 他再次张开胳膊大喊： “你们两扇橡木门快快打开！” “不然我们就不给你们擦地板！” 什么动静都没有。 泰迪看看杰克又看看安妮。 “韵押得太烂了。”他说。

Annie frowned and nodded. Are you sure they're even locked? Said Jack. Let's see, said Annie. She pushed on one door, Jack pushed on the other. Slowly the doors creaked open. Ah, brilliant, said Teddy with a laugh. Shall we? He held out his hand and waved Jack and Annie through the open doorway. The castle gatehouse was cold and empty. Jack could see his breath in the sharp air. He heard a creak. They all turned to look. The heavy doors moved by themselves and closed with a thump. They all stared at the doors for a moment. Then Teddy broke the silence. Interesting, he said cheerfully. Jack tried to smile. Indeed, interesting, he said. He shivered. He couldn't tell if it was from cold or from fright. Now, he wondered, now are we entering the tunnel of fear?

安妮皱了皱眉，点了点头。 “你确定这门真的锁上了吗？” 杰克说。 “咱们试试呗。”安妮说。 她推其中一扇门，杰克推另一扇。 门慢慢吱呀一声开了。 “呀，太棒了。”泰迪笑着说。 “咱们可以进去了吧？” 他伸出手，招呼杰克和安妮穿过敞开的门洞。 城堡的门楼里又冷又空。 冰冷的空气里，杰克都能看到自己呼出来的白气。 他听到一声吱呀的响动。 三个人都转过头去看。 厚重的门自己动了起来，“砰”的一声关上了。 他们都盯着门看了好一会儿。 接着泰迪打破了沉默。 “有意思。”他乐呵呵地说。 杰克努力挤出一个笑容。 “确实，挺有意思的。”他说。 他打了个哆嗦。 他说不清自己是冷的还是吓的。 他忍不住想，我们现在是走进恐惧隧道了吗？

Onward, said Teddy. He led them through the empty gatehouse onto the shadowy castle grounds. There were no signs of life anywhere. Jack thought of the old woman's rhyme. Where's the girl who spins wool into thread? Where are the boys who play chess before bed? Where is the hound who waits to be fed? Jack wondered what the rhyme could mean. What girl, what boys, what hound? Teddy crossed the courtyard to the entrance of a large building. Jack and Annie quickly followed him. Teddy held up his lantern so they could see inside. There were rows of clean, empty stalls. Saddles and bridles hung from pegs on the walls. Hay was piled in the corners. Must be the stables, said Jack. But no horses, said Annie.

“往前走。”泰迪说。 他领着他们穿过空荡荡的门楼，来到了阴森森的城堡庭院里。 到处都看不到活人的踪迹。 杰克想起了老妇人的那首童谣。 把羊毛纺成线的女孩在哪里？ 睡前下象棋的男孩们在哪里？ 等着吃东西的猎犬在哪里？ 杰克想知道这首童谣是什么意思。 什么女孩？什么男孩？什么猎犬？ 泰迪穿过庭院，走到一栋大房子的入口前。 杰克和安妮赶紧跟上他。 泰迪举高灯笼，好让大家能看清里面的样子。 里面是一排排干净的空畜栏。 马鞍和缰绳都挂在墙上的木钉上。 干草堆在角落里。 “肯定是马厩。”杰克说。 “可是没有马呀。”安妮说。