Proposal

美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习

“We have to do something!”

“我们必须做点什么!”

I exclaim.

我赞叹.

Uncle Jasper has just finished summarizing how the Queen, the same Queen who holds Sarah’s mom, once held him captive.

贾斯珀叔叔刚刚总结了女王,

Now, she has also lured Sarah and Jake into her palace.

现在,她还引诱了莎拉和杰克进入她的宫殿.

“What are we going to do?”

“我们该怎么办? “

My voice sounds frantic as I pace the room.

我的声音听起来很疯狂,我的速度。

Uncle Jasper appears similarly concerned—he massages his temples, deep in contemplation.

贾斯珀叔叔看起来也一样担心 他把神庙按摩 深思熟虑

Seth seems underwhelmed with the situation, allowing Odie to casually sniff one of his dangling tentacles.

赛斯似乎对情况很不满,让奥迪随意地嗅出他一触手来.

“The sun should be rising soon, so we should rest while we can and approach the problem refreshed in the morning,” Uncle Jasper says.

贾斯珀叔叔说,“太阳应该很快升起,所以我们应该休息,趁着我们明天早上能够面对这个问题。

While the logical part of my brain knows he’s right, my heart almost shatters in that instant.

虽然我的大脑的逻辑部分知道他是对的,但那一刻我的心几乎崩溃了。

“We have to help them,” I plead.

" 我们必须帮助他们, " 我恳求。

“We will,” Uncle Jasper sighs, “but we can’t accomplish this alone—we’re going to need assistance.”

“我们会的,”贾斯珀叔叔叹道,“但我们不能单独完成这个任务——我们需要援助。 “

He glances knowingly at Seth, who jolts to attention as if Uncle Jasper had just snapped him with a rubber band.

他明知故犯地看着赛斯, 赛斯唤起人们的注意, 仿佛贾斯珀叔叔刚刚用橡皮筋打倒了他。

“I discern what you’re suggesting,” Seth grumbles, “and you can cease this instant.

“我明白你的意思,”塞斯抱怨道,“你可以马上停止。

The remnants of my once-great civilization will not place one tentative tentacle on that woman’s solid land.

我曾经伟大的文明的后遗症不会在那个女人的坚固地上放上一副暂时的触角。

We’re a noble race that values our existence.”

我们是一个高贵的种族, “

“Imagine how far the solidity will spread if she has the power of a child’s imagination and will behind her.”

" 想象一下,如果她有孩子的想象力和意志在她身后,那么巩固会传播多远。 “

“The desert is vast,” Seth retorts, staring at Uncle Jasper with intense determination that must stem from unbridled fear.

“沙漠是广阔的,”塞斯退缩了,以强烈的决心盯着贾斯珀叔叔,这种决心必须来自肆无忌惮的恐惧。

“What about all the cephaloids the Queen has already influenced and transformed into those horrific creatures?”

“王后已经影响并转化成这些可怕的生物的所有花序又怎么样? “

Uncle Jasper asks.

贾斯珀叔叔问。

“You have no guarantees that their transmogrification can be reversed,” Seth warns.

Seth警告说,

“No, but doing something is better than doing nothing—at least if you help us there’s hope, the possibility that you can return them to their natural state.”

“不,但做一些事情比什么都不做要好——至少如果你帮助我们, “

Seth ponders this, absentmindedly swaying his tentacles back and forth under the table, an action Odie finds too tempting to resist.

塞思思考这一点, 心不在焉地摇动他的触角 前后在桌子下, 一种行动 奥迪发现太诱人 抵抗。

He gives one a curious, gentle nip, and Seth screeches like a frightened child.

他给一个好奇又温柔的乳头 塞斯像被吓坏的孩子一样尖叫

The incredible tension filling the room breaks, and Uncle Jasper and I can’t help but laugh.

令人难以置信的紧张气氛打破了房间,

It starts as a snicker, grows to a giggle, and ends with us holding our sides, wiping tears from our eyes.

它开始像一只短裤, 长成一笑一笑, 结束于我们握住我们的侧面, 擦去眼泪。

“That repulsive mongrel bit me!”

“那个讨厌的怪物咬了我! “

Seth screeches, holding his tentacle.

塞斯出手抓起触手

We laugh harder.

我们笑得更厉害

“Why do you consider this so hilarious?”

“你为什么认为这很有趣? “

“Don’t be like that,” Uncle Jasper says.

贾斯珀叔叔说,

“Odie wants you to help us, too.”

“Odie希望你也帮助我们。 “

Less than amused, Seth retreats sullenly, crossing his tentacles in front of him.

一点也不好玩 赛斯沉闷地退去,在他面前越过了触手.

“Your cruelty knows no bounds,” he mumbles.

“你的残忍是无所不知的,”

“I’m sorry, but I’m exhausted,” Uncle Jasper continues.

贾斯珀叔叔继续说,

“Let’s rest for a few hours, and then we’ll venture out to locate the rest of Seth’s clan.”

「让我们休息几个小时, “

He stretches out on the bed and is soon snoring loudly.

他伸出床来,并很快地大叫地打呼噜.

Despite his anger, Seth is soon slumbering, too.

尽管他很愤怒,赛斯也快睡了

Anxiety makes closing my eyes impossible; too much has happened, and I can hardly contain my desire to find Jake, Sarah, and Sarah’s mom, Anna.

焦虑使我无法闭上眼睛;发生了太多的事情,我几乎无法控制自己寻找杰克、莎拉和莎拉的妈妈安娜的愿望。

I can visualize them clearly: Jake, ever optimistic and excited for life; Sarah, her timidity hiding great strength; and Anna, whom I have never met, but whose face is emblazoned in my memory.

我可以清楚地想象他们: 杰克,永远乐观和兴奋的生活;莎拉,她胆怯地隐藏了巨大的力量;安娜,我从未见过她,但她的脸被我的记忆所印出.

I wish they were here right now—all of them, safe and happy.

我希望他们现在都在这里 安全而快乐

As my imagination meanders, the soft, sparkling sand begins to shift in my peripheral vision.

作为我的想象力,柔软而闪烁的沙子 开始在我的周边视野中转变。

I turn my head and freeze—there stand Jake, Sarah, and Anna, just as I imagined them.

我转过头来就冻住... 杰克,莎拉,安娜,就像我想象的那样

Jake smiles and waves, and it looks as if he’s trying to speak.

Jake笑出一阵浪来,

Sarah appears frightened.

莎拉看起来很害怕。

She hides behind her mother, who has the expression of pure love I remember from the picture of her in the hidden room.

她躲在她母亲的后方,她有着我从隐藏房间里她的照片所记得的纯洁的爱的表达.

I walk toward them, too overwhelmed to speak.

我向着他们走去, 无法说话。

My walk quickly becomes a dash toward Jake.

我的行走很快会变成对杰克的突破口

Wrapping him in a big bear hug, I lift him off the ground and swing his small body around, ecstatically laughing.

抱住他 我把他从地上抬起 摇晃起他的小身体

He’s smiling, and his mouth is open as if he’s laughing, but no sound emerges.

他笑了, 嘴张得好像在笑,

I place him back on the sand and turn to Sarah, who creeps from behind her mother and opens her arms for a hug.

我把他放回沙地上,转而去找莎拉,莎拉从她母亲后方爬来爬去并打开她的怀抱.

All three are still silent, and something about the entire situation feels wrong.

这三个人仍然保持沉默,对整个情况有些感觉不对.

I tentatively step toward Sarah, and a broad smile spreads across her face, her teeth gleaming almost menacingly as she moves forward, enclosing me in her arms.

我暂时向莎拉走去, 一张宽阔的笑容在她脸上散开, 她的牙齿在她向前走去时几乎令人发指地闪烁着, 把我抱入她的怀中。

At first the hug is gentle, but it quickly becomes tighter as she embraces me with a strength Sarah couldn’t possess.

起初拥抱很温柔,

I attempt to pull away, but she’s pinning my arms to my sides.

我试图拉走,但她却把我的手放在我身边。

I struggle violently, twisting back and forth, trying uselessly to escape.

我拼命地挣扎 不停地扭来扭去 试图无益地逃跑

The Sarah that isn’t Sarah leans forward and says in my ear, “You needn’t be frightened, child.

不是莎拉的莎拉向前倒,在我耳边说道:“你不必害怕,孩子。

I simply want to bring you to your little brother and friend.”

我只想把你带给你的弟弟和朋友 “

Her voice isn’t Sarah’s, but that of an older woman.

她的声音不是莎拉的声音,

“They’re here with me, safe and happy.

他们在这里,

I can make all your dreams come true, give you everything you ever wanted, take away all your pain, if you come to me and help me.”

我可以让你的梦想成真,给你你想要的一切, 带走你所有的痛苦, 如果你来找我,帮助我。 “

She pulls back, and her face is no longer Sarah’s.

而她的脸就不再是莎拉了。

It has morphed into a beautiful woman’s, with brown hair pulled into a bun atop her head.

棕发被拉入她头部的包子中。

She smiles the kindest smile I’ve ever seen, an expression that reminds me of my mother.

她的微笑是我见过的最亲切的微笑,

As I look into her eyes, I feel safe and loved, as if everything she’s saying could be true—I want it to be true.

当我看着她的眼睛,我感到安全和被爱, 好像她所说的一切都是真的—— 我希望这是真的。

“Qynn, no!”

" 琴,不!"

Uncle Jasper yells from the entrance to the house.

贾斯珀叔叔从屋口大叫

He races over and begins frenetically tearing at the woman’s arms, but she’s too powerful.

并开始疯狂地撕裂女子的手臂,

“Imagine them gone right now—all three of them, imagine them turning to sand again.

" 想象一下他们现在走了——他们三个人,想象他们再次变成沙子。

Hurry!”

快点!

I picture the three of them dissolving, becoming three mounds of sand at our feet.

我想象他们三个会解体 成为我们脚下的三个沙丘

My eyes closed, I focus on nothing except that image.

我闭上了眼睛,我只专注于那个形象。

Slowly, the woman’s grasp slackens, and I open my eyes to see her face melting away as if made of wax.

我睁开眼睛看到她的脸像蜡做的一样融化了。

The final thing she whispers before disappearing completely into the glittering sand is, “Come to me.”

最后,在完全消失在闪闪发光的沙子上之前,她悄悄地说:“过来。 “

Uncle Jasper examines me to make sure I’m all right.

Jasper叔叔检查我,

“She’s growing so strong,” he whispers.

" 她越来越强壮了, " 他低声说:

Seth and Odie come traipsing out of the house now, still half asleep.

赛斯和奥迪现在出来 还在半睡

“What the dickens is happening out here?”

“这里发生什么了? “

Seth asks.

塞斯问.

“Qynn conjured up some simulacra of Jake, Sarah, and Anna from the sands, and the Queen hijacked her creations,” Uncle Jasper explains.

“Qyn从沙地上结识了Jake、Sarah和Anna的一些偶像,

“She was here?”

“她在这里? “

Seth gasps.

赛斯喘气。

“We must evacuate immediately!”

“我们必须立即撤离!”

“It wasn’t really the Queen,” I say, thinking of the woman’s kind expression and voice, and of how genuine—and tempting—her proposal seemed.

" 这其实不是女王, " 我说,考虑一下妇女友善的表达和声音,以及她的建议看起来多么真实和诱人。

I have a hard time remembering why I was trying to escape her grasp.

我很难记得为什么我试图逃避她的束缚

Uncle Jasper dashes back into the house and begins gathering supplies.

贾斯珀叔叔冲回屋里 开始收集补给

“It doesn’t matter,” Seth continues.

赛斯继续说,

“She was here, or part of her consciousness or will was here, which means she knows where here is, and her minions can’t be far behind.”

她当时在场, 或者是她部分意识或意志, “

Just as Uncle Jasper bursts from the house, I hear a rumbling, like rocks grinding against each other, and the ground shifts beneath my feet.

就像贾斯珀叔叔从屋里冲出一样, 我听到一个隆起的声音, 就像岩石互相磨磨相撞, 地面移动在我的脚下。

Odie barks as Uncle Jasper seizes Seth and throws him on his shoulder.

欧迪吠叫,因为贾斯珀叔叔抓住了赛斯并把他扔到肩膀上.

“Run!”

"跑来跑去!"

Uncle Jasper screams, and I scoop up Odie, who was about to chomp down on a tentacle snaking from the sand.

贾斯珀叔叔尖叫着,我抓住了奥迪,他正要从沙地上取出触手来。

My legs sting from exertion as we sprint toward solid ground.

我的腿在冲向坚固的地盘时被锻炼出刺痛

I glance behind in time to see the entire house crumbling and sinking into the soft sand as the creatures slither their way out in pursuit.

我及时看了一眼,看到整个房子倒塌并沉入了柔软的沙子中, 生物们为了追逐而溜出去。

Soon we’re on firm earth again, but the creatures follow close behind—eight or nine of them, tumbling over each other in a mass of terrifying clawed appendages.

很快,我们又在坚固的地上,但生物紧跟在后面——其中8到9个,在一大批可怕的爪子中相撞。

“Seth, a little assistance,” Uncle Jasper says, running ahead of me.

贾斯珀叔叔说,“赛斯,一点点帮助,”在我前面跑来跑去。

“What would you like me to do, irritate their eyes with the dust I can manipulate on this solid ground?

“你想让我做什么,用我能操纵的尘埃刺激他们的眼睛?

Why don’t you do something?”

为什么不做点什么? “

“I’ve been trying, but nothing is responding!

“我一直在努力,

It’s like the sand doesn’t hear me.”

就像沙子听不见一样。 “

Uncle Jasper sounds truly terrified as he gasps for breath.

贾斯珀叔叔听起来很恐怖 他喘了口气

“Qynn, I need you to imagine a wall, taller and longer than any you’ve ever seen, right behind us.

“昆恩,我需要你想象一堵墙, 比你见过的更高更长,

Concentrate on it as hard as you can, but don’t stop running.”

但不要停止跑步。 “

I try to visualize a massive wall, and my mind is instantaneously drawn to the Great Wall of China.

我试图想象出一堵巨大的墙,我的思想瞬间被引向了中国的长城.

We learned about it in school weeks ago, but that seems like another lifetime.

我们几星期前在学校里得知了, 但是这似乎是另一个人生。

I remember being in awe of how far it spread, the thick stone walls snaking across the countryside, and how many different parts there were.

我记得我对它传播的多远 厚厚的石墙横穿了整个乡村 以及那里有多少不同的地方感到敬畏

I imagine we’re running away from the wall, but it’s following, growing taller and thicker the farther we go.

我想象我们正从墙上跑出, 但墙面紧随其后,

A grinding rumble similar to what I heard before fills my ears, but this time it’s followed by an explosion.

与我耳边所听到的类似,

Dust, dirt clods, and stone shower down, and we try to shield our heads as we sprint.

尘土、泥土和石块倒下 我们试图在冲刺时遮住头部

Then, Uncle Jasper freezes, his chest heaving.

然后,贾斯珀叔叔冻结了,他的胸口出血。

I slow down as I pass him, and turn around to see an immense wall, just as I imagined it, blocking out the early morning sky.

当我经过他时,我慢下来,然后转过身来看到一堵巨大的墙,就像我想象的一样,挡住了清晨的天空。

It stretches far off into the distance on either side.

它伸入两边的远处

The creatures are nowhere to be seen.

众生无所见.

“Did I do that?”

“我这样做了吗? “

I ask between breaths.

我问呼吸之间。

Uncle Jasper simply nods, his hands on his hips.

贾斯珀叔叔只是点头, 他的手在他的臀部。

“My dear child,” Seth says, the admiration clear in his voice, “in this world, you can do anything.”

“我亲爱的孩子,”赛斯说,他的歌声中十分钦佩,“在这个世界上,你可以做任何事情。 “