and the Queen
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
I let the octopus creature inside, and now it’s sitting on the table in the little house in the desert, giving me the once-over.
我让章鱼生物进去, 现在它正坐在沙漠小屋的桌子上,
It doesn’t look impressed.
这看起来并不令人印象深刻。
“Who might you be?”
“你是谁? “
it asks.
它问。
“I’m Qynn, and that’s Odie,” I say.
「我是克恩,
Outside, Odie lifts his head and wags his tail at the sound of his name.
外出后,奥迪抬起头来,并用他的名字来叫出尾巴来.
“Who and what might you be?”
“你是谁? “
“You couldn’t pronounce my name with your inadequate, human tongue.
" 你无法用你不够的人类舌头来念我的名字。
Jasper refers to us as cephaloids for our resemblance to certain creatures from your world, though I’m not sure if we should take offense.
Jasper认为我们与你们世界的某些生物相似,
We’re the natural residents of this realm.
我们是这个领域的自然居民。
You can call me Seth, I suppose.”
你可以叫我赛斯,我想。 “
“Is Jasper also a human?”
“贾斯珀也是人吗? “
“Very much so, though I don’t begrudge him that.
虽然我并不怨恨他,
He’s a decent enough fellow, allowing me to secret myself away in his domicile on occasion,” Seth shakes slightly, and shimmering sand dusts the table.
赛斯微微地摇晃, 闪烁的沙子会粉碎桌子。
As he speaks, the sand swirls and forms itself into a small candle that lights itself.
当他说话的时候,沙子会旋绕并形成一个能点燃自己的小蜡烛.
“His influence seems to have fewer.
“他的影响力似乎较少。
negative consequences than the others of your species.”
比你们人类的其他人 都带来负面后果 “
I want to ask what just happened, but Seth raises a tentacle to shush me.
我想问一下刚才发生了什么 但赛斯举起触手来给我嘘口
“You humans have been interfering with our world for longer than any of us can recall,” the creature huffs.
“你们人类干涉我们世界的时间比我们任何人都记得的时间还要长。”
“It used to be endearing, even pleasurable, to watch you manipulate the sands to construct your deepest desires and then be on your way.
" 看着你操纵沙子来构筑你最深的欲望,然后踏上你的道路,这曾经是令人愉快的。
Now it’s starting to grow tiresome— and dangerous.”
现在它开始变得烦躁而危险。 “
“What?”
“什么情况? “
is all I can say.
我只能说
Seth sighs and shakes his bulbous head in an adorably human expression of exasperation.
塞斯叹息并摇动了 他的灯泡头 在令人愉快的人类表达。
“Bring that mongrel in, latch the door, and have a seat—you need some education.”
" 把那个混蛋带进来,锁上门,坐下来,你需要一些教育。 “
I do as he asks, sitting cross-legged on the bed with Odie curled up beside me.
我照他的要求去做,坐在床上 和奥迪卷起身来
“ A long time ago, the great sands spread in all directions, far beyond what your eyes could comprehend.
“很早以前,大沙子向各个方向扩散,远远超出了你所能理解的范围。
We cephaloids frolicked through the sands innocently and happily, only willing the sand to construct those things we needed for survival and comfort—food, shelter, perhaps a bit of embellishment here and there—simple things, never permanent.
我们的Cephaloids在沙地上狂欢而快乐地漫步,只愿意让沙地建造出我们生存和舒适所需要的东西——食物,住所,也许这里和那里有些装饰——简单的东西,从不永久的.
They existed while they were required, and then we returned them to the sands.”
它们存在的时候需要它们, 然后我们把它们送回了沙地。 “
“One day, humans began to appear.
“有一天,人类开始出现。
You were curiosities at first, wandering through doorways of light into the great sands.
起初你很奇特, 漫游在光的门道 进入了大沙地。
Your will, desire, and most importantly, imagination were much stronger than ours.
你的意志,欲望,最重要的是 想象力比我们强得多
Humans discovered that these things, which are so essential to your consciousness, could manipulate the sands, and they quickly constructed great palaces, bizarre creatures, alien landscapes, and incredible technology that we couldn’t even fathom.
人类发现,这些对于你的意识如此重要的东西, 能够操纵沙子, 他们迅速建造出巨大的宫殿,奇特的生物,外星地貌, 和不可思议的技术,我们甚至无法理解。
Humans fascinated us, and I recall spending countless days in deep discussion about what they were formulating and why.
人类迷上我们,我记得,我们花了无数天深入讨论他们正在拟订什么和为什么。
The humans would stay for a short time, and then leave the way they’ d come.
人类会停留很短一段时间,
The great sands returned to their natural state.”
大沙地还原了自然状态. “
Seth clears his throat and looks at the floor.
塞斯清出喉咙来,看着地上.
“Then, she arrived.
“随后,她抵达。
Sometimes she came with small humans in tow, and they constructed their things and left.
有时她带着小人类来拖走, 他们建造他们的东西,然后离开。
This time, however, she appeared alone and built a small home for herself.
然而,这次她独自出现,为自己建造了一座小房子.
Still, we thought little of it, as she seemed harmless enough.
但是,我们很少考虑, 因为她看起来很无害。
The longer she remained, the more her presence influenced the sands.
她停留的时间越长,她的出现对沙地的影响就越大.
They became solid ground around the house, and then trees and other foliage began to emerge—massive leafy things that blocked out our sun.”
它们成为了房子周围的坚固地,然后树木和其他叶片开始出现——大片的叶子挡住我们的太阳. “
“Each day, the solid ground spread farther and farther away from the house.
“每一天,坚固的地势都离房子越来越远。
Some of us, myself included, began to grow understandably concerned.
包括我在内,我们中有些人开始变得关心,这是可以理解的。
Others thought a small island of solidity in the vastness of the great sands didn’t pose a threat.
其他人认为大沙地广阔的小岛坚固,
Eventually, we agreed that one of us should at least attempt a conversation with the woman and ask if she would kindly stop expanding her solid land or return to your world.
最终,我们同意,我们中的一个人至少应该尝试与这位妇女交谈,并询问她是否愿意停止扩张她扎实的土地或返回你的世界。
Being the most eloquent and level-headed among us, I was elected to speak with her.”
作为我们中间最雄辩和最有头脑的人,我被选为与她交谈。 “
“Since none of us had ever attempted to converse with a human before, the occasion caused quite a commotion.
“由于我们以前从未试图与人交谈,这次事件引起了相当的骚动。
A large population of cephaloids gathered in the sands around the solid area to see and hear what could be seen and heard.
大量cephaloid人聚集在固体地段周围的沙地上来观察和听到可以看到和听到的东西.
I hauled myself onto the solid ground and maneuvered my way to the house.
我把自己拖入了坚固的地上 并用我的路去房子。
“Before I could make any sign of greeting, a small human flung the door open, lifted me quite rudely into the air, and hauled me through the domicile.
“在我能做任何问候的迹象之前,一个小人把门打开了,把我抬入空中,把我拖出住所。
More youngsters were littered about the place.
更多的年轻人被丢弃的地方。
She must have created them from the sands as well.
她一定是从沙子上创造出来的
The one carrying me placed me atop a large table and commenced impolitely giggling.
载我的人把我放在一桌大桌子上 开始无礼地笑
The woman shushed the youngsters.
女人打烂了年轻人。
She seemed genuinely surprised when I spoke, explaining to her the effects of her influence on the great sands—our home.”
我说话时,她似乎真的很惊讶,向她解释了她对大沙子——我们家的影响。 “
“ At first, she seemed empathetic to our plight, until I mentioned that she might consider returning to where she came from.
“...... 起初,她似乎对我们的困境感到同情,直到我提到她可能考虑回到她来自的地方。
Her expression became very grim, let me tell you, and she picked me up and flung me out of the house.”
她的表情变得非常严酷 让我告诉你 她接我出去把我赶出去 “
“‘This is our home now,’ she screamed, ‘and no one will take it from us!’
她喊道:‘这是我们的家了',没有人会夺走我们的! " ; "
She stomped her foot on the floor, and the reverberation was greater than anything I’ d heard before.
她把脚踩在地上,反响比我之前听到的更多。
The ground shuddered and rumbled, and the sands surrounding the house became solid for a great distance instantaneously.
地上被震动和隆起,房子周围的沙子瞬间就变得坚固了,以保持很长的距离.
I aided as many of my kind as I could, but many more were trapped within the solid ground.”
我尽我所能地帮助了很多人,但更多的人被困在坚固的地上。 “
“Since then, the solidity has been increasing with each passing hour.
“从那时起,坚固度逐一提高。
If cephaloids like myself don’t keep moving, we risk being swallowed up— and that doesn’t end well.
如果像我这样的cephaloids不继续移动, 我们冒着被吞没的风险,
Seth trails off, and while I’m not sure, given his anatomy, it looks like he’s blinking away tears.
虽然我不确定, 但鉴于他的解剖学, 他似乎在流泪。
“What do you mean?”
“你是什么意思?” “
I ask, fearing the answer.
我问,害怕答案。
“You said you had been attacked by some horrible tentacle creature—that’s what we become.
" 你说你被一个可怕的触角生物袭击了——这就是我们变成的。
There’s something malicious, something awful in this woman’s influence.
这名女性影响下,
When we are caught, it begins to flow into us—distorting and twisting us until we become those terrifying things.”
当我们被抓住,它开始流入我们——扭曲和扭曲我们,直到我们变成这些可怕的东西。 “
Suddenly, I feel a little sorry for the creature that had chased me through the woods.
突然间,我感到有点抱歉 那个追我穿过树林的生物
Seth looks miserable—telling that story has obviously taken a toll on him.
赛斯看起来很悲惨,
My instinct is to comfort him, but I’m not exactly sure how.
我的直觉是安慰他,
“I can think of no worse fate than to become a vicious beast at the beck and call of that woman.
“在那个女人的召唤下,我无法想象比成为一只邪恶的野兽更糟糕的命运。
I hear she’s even started calling herself a queen.
她甚至开始称自己为女王。
The gall!
胆子!
The impudence!”
无礼!”
“What does she do with the creatures?
“她对这些生物做了什么?
Doesn’t she see the damage she’s caused?
她没有看到自己所造成的损害吗?
Why doesn’t she just leave?
她为何不离开?
Why is she doing any of this?”
她为什么要这么做? “
The questions rattle off my tongue as quickly as I can think them up.
问题在我舌头上响起 越快越好
Each one hits Seth like a punch to the gut, and he flinches.
每个都击中 赛斯喜欢一拳打到肠道, 他颤抖了。
“I.
“一.
I spend my days fleeing through what’s left of the great sands, running from those creatures and hoping that when I rest, I won’t awaken trapped or captured,” he says.
也希望我休息时不会被困住或被俘虏。
“I can’t comprehend why any of this is happening.”
我无法理解为什么会发生这种事。 “
The front door latch clicks open and the door creaks inward.
前门门锁被点击开口,门被内塞.
A tall human figure stands in the shadows.
一个高高的人类人物站在阴影中.
I instinctively reach out to protect Odie, who begins to growl.
我本能地伸手保护开始咆哮的奥迪
“I think I might have an idea,” the figure says as he steps into the light of the small candle.
“我想我可能有一个想法,”当他步入小蜡烛之光时,
He rubs his hand through his red hair, shaking out shimmering specks of sand.
他用手擦穿了红发 摇出一闪一闪的沙子
His face is aged more than I remember, but I recognize him immediately.
他的脸比我记得的老, 但我马上认出来。
“Uncle Jasper!”
贾斯珀叔叔!
I scream as I leap off the bed and wrap my arms around him.
我从床上跳出 抱住他
Odie barks happily behind us.
奥迪在后面欢快地叫着
“Qynn, is that you?”
"克恩,是你吗? “
He kneels down and we hug again.
他跪下,我们再次拥抱。
“What are you doing here?”
“你在这里做什么? “
The story pours out of me, and I tell him about everything that happened to Sarah, Jake, and me in our world, and how I ended up here.
故事从我身上涌出,我告诉他 莎拉,杰克,和我在我们的世界中所发生的一切, 以及我是如何来到这里的.
He’s quiet for a long time before Seth grimaces and says, “Where did you abscond to?
他以前很安静 Seth Gramaces说:“你逃到哪里去了?
You’ve been missing for days—I was almost worried.”
你失踪了好几天... 我几乎担心。 “
“Your concern is almost overwhelming, Seth,” Uncle Jasper says.
“塞思,你的关切几乎是压倒一切的。”
“For your information, I was doing some reconnaissance on why the solidity has begun to spread again at such an alarming rate.
“为你们所知,我正在调查为什么这种固态以如此惊人的速度再次蔓延。
I managed to come relatively close to her palace without the creatures discovering me, thanks to a series of distractions by a girl, a young boy, and a cat.”
由于一个女孩、一个男孩和一只猫的分心,我设法接近了她的宫殿,没有生物发现我。 “
“What did they look like?”
“他们长什么样? “
I ask.
我问.
“She had dark hair and was wearing some sort of costume; the boy had blond hair and was dressed as a cowboy.
“她有深色的发型并穿着某种服装;男孩有金发并被打扮成牛仔。
The cat was, well, a cat—a white one.”
那只猫是一只白色的猫 “
“That sounds like Sarah and Jake!”
"这听起来像莎拉和杰克!"
I exclaim as ecstatic tears burn my eyes.
我赞叹为快活的眼泪烧了眼睛.
“I’m so happy they’re alive and safe.”
我很高兴他们还活着, “
Uncle Jasper’s face drops, and he begins to pace around the small room, repeatedly rubbing his hands through his hair.
贾斯珀叔叔的脸朝下走去,他开始在小房间走来走去,再三地用手摩擦他的头发.
“They were being held by the creatures, and I witnessed their escape through a tunnel the girl, Sarah, must have conjured.
“他们被这些生物所扣留,我亲眼目睹了他们通过一个隧道逃跑,这个女孩Sarah一定是被骗走的。
I assumed they had escaped danger, so I continued on my path to the palace and arrived just in time to see Sarah and Jake follow the cat right through the front doors.”
我以为他们逃出险境 所以我继续走进宫殿 及时赶到 “
Seth gasps dramatically and covers his mouth with his tentacles.
塞斯喘了口气 用触手遮住嘴
“So that’s why the solid ground is spreading.”
" 因此,坚固的地势正在蔓延。 “
“I don’t understand,” I say.
「我不明白」,
“The Queen is quite old, and over time, the effort of sustaining this solid world has taxed her will and imagination to the point where she can’t maintain her creations on her own anymore.
“王后已经很老了, 随着时间的推移, 维持这个稳固世界的努力,
She uses another, feeding on his or her will and imagination, twisting it to her own desires and capturing the other person into a world of illusion.
她使用另一个,以他或她的意志和想象力为食,将其曲折到自己的欲望中并把另一个人活捉到一个幻想的世界.
The Queen used me for some time, and when I managed to escape, she captured another, Anna, and has been using her ever since.
女王利用我一段时间了,当我成功逃脱后,她又抓住了另一个安娜并一直使用她.
His voice trails off, and the anguish is evident on his face.
他的声音渐渐消失,他脸上明显有痛苦.
“For a long time, the solidity was static.
“长期以来,这种固态是静止的。
When the solidity started spreading again, I had to find out why.
当坚固性又开始扩散时 我必须找出原因
I believe the Queen was reaching out to lure in someone whose imagination and will was more powerful than Anna’s—and who has more imagination and will than children?”
我相信女王正在伸手引诱一个其想象力和意志比安娜更强大的人——谁比孩子更有想象力和意志? “
“Sarah and Jake,” I whisper, and Uncle Jasper nods.
"萨拉和杰克,"我低声说,贾斯珀叔叔点头。
“We don’t have long now.
“我们现在没有时间了。
We have to rescue them before they succumb to the Queen’s illusions completely and are lost to us, like Anna.”
我们必须在他们完全屈服于女王的幻想并像Anna那样迷失于我们之前救出他们。
Anna.
安娜,你好吗?
That name flickers in my mind, tickling some memory I can’t quite grasp.
这个名字在我脑中闪烁,
Then, the realization slams into me: “ Anna is Sarah’s mom,” I say.
然后,人们意识到: " 安娜是莎拉的妈妈, " 我说。