017 秘密计划

旁白 neutral

The next day a strange thing happened in the attic

第二天，阁楼里发生了一件奇怪的事。

旁白 neutral

Sara was out doing errands as usual

萨拉像往常一样外出办事去了。

旁白 neutral

So Mel the rat was the only one who saw and heard what happened

所以只有老鼠梅尔看到和听到了发生的一切。

旁白 neutral

Mel had left his hole and was looking for food in Sara's room

梅尔离开了他的洞，正在萨拉的房间里找食物。

旁白 neutral

Suddenly he heard a noise on the roof

突然，他听到屋顶上有动静。

旁白 neutral

Two men opened the skylight and then peered through it

两个男人打开了天窗，然后探头往里看。

旁白 neutral

One man was Ram Dass, the Indian servant from next door

其中一个是隔壁的印度仆人拉姆·达斯。

旁白 neutral

The other was a young man — Mr. Carrisford's secretary

另一个是个年轻人——卡里斯福德先生的秘书。

旁白 neutral

Mel watched the two men enter the room through the skylight

梅尔看着这两个人从天窗进入了房间。

旁白 neutral

Neither one made a sound

两人都没有发出一点声音。

旁白 neutral

Mel was used to Sara by now, but the two strangers frightened him

梅尔现在已习惯了萨拉，但这两个陌生人吓到了他。

旁白 neutral

He ran into his hole, but he kept an eye on the two men

他跑进了自己的洞里，但一直盯着那两个人。

旁白 neutral

The secretary had caught a glimpse of Mel's tail

秘书瞥见了梅尔的尾巴。

旁白 neutral

" Was that a rat?" he whispered to Ram Dass

“那是只老鼠吗？”他轻声问拉姆·达斯。

旁白 neutral

" Yes," Ram Dass whispered back." There are many rats living in these walls."

“是的，”拉姆·达斯轻声回答，“这些墙壁里住着很多老鼠。”

旁白 neutral

" Ugh!" exclaimed the young man

“呃！”年轻人叫了一声。

旁白 neutral

" I'm surprised the girl is not terrified by them."

“真奇怪，那女孩竟不害怕它们。”

旁白 neutral

" She's not like other children," replied Ram Dass

“她不像其他孩子，”拉姆·达斯答道。

旁白 neutral

" She's a friend to all living creatures

“她是所有生灵的朋友。

旁白 neutral

I often watch her from my skylight and see her talking to the birds

我常从我那扇天窗看她，看她和鸟儿们说话。

旁白 neutral

She's kind to humans too," Ram Dass went on

她对人也很好。”拉姆·达斯继续说道。

旁白 neutral

" The servant girl in the next room comes to her for comfort

隔壁房间的女佣会来找她寻求安慰。

旁白 neutral

Then there is a blond girl who comes to hear her stories

还有一个金发女孩会来听她讲故事。

旁白 neutral

And a little girl who worships her

还有一个崇拜她的小女孩。

旁白 neutral

The mistress of the house treats her like an outcast

这房子的女主人待她像个外人。

旁白 neutral

But the girl acts like she comes from a family of kings

但那女孩的举止却像出身王室。

旁白 neutral

She's a true princess!"

她是一位真正的公主！”

旁白 neutral

" You seem to know a lot about her," the secretary said

“你似乎很了解她。”秘书说。

旁白 neutral

Ram Dass nodded." I watch her closely," he said

拉姆·达斯点点头。“我一直在仔细观察她。”他说。

旁白 neutral

" Are you sure she won't come up here now?" the secretary asked

“你确定她现在不会上来吗？”秘书问道。

旁白 neutral

" If she finds us, she'll be frightened

"如果她发现我们，她会吓坏的。

旁白 neutral

And it would spoil Mr. Carrisford's plans."

而且这会破坏卡里斯福德先生的计划。"

旁白 neutral

" She has gone out and probably won't return for hours," said Ram Dass

"她已经出去了，可能几个小时都不会回来，" 拉姆·达斯说。

旁白 neutral

" Besides, I can hear anyone on the stairs

"再说了，楼梯上有人我能听见。

旁白 neutral

We'll have time to escape if necessary."

必要的话，我们会有时间逃走的。"

旁白 neutral

The secretary took a pencil and paper from his pocket

秘书从口袋里拿出铅笔和纸。

旁白 neutral

" Keep your ears open."

"竖起你的耳朵听好了。"

旁白 neutral

He began to walk slowly around the miserable little room, making notes

他开始在那间破旧的小房间里慢慢走动，一边做着记录。

旁白 neutral

First he went to the narrow bed. He pressed his hand on the mattress

他先走到那张窄床边，用手按了按床垫。

旁白 neutral

" Hard as a rock!" he exclaimed

"硬得像石头一样！" 他叫道。

旁白 neutral

" The blanket is thin and the sheets are ragged."

毯子很薄，床单也破破烂烂。

旁白 neutral

Then he looked at the dark fireplace

然后他看向那个黑洞洞的壁炉。

旁白 neutral

" There hasn't been a fire there for days."

那里已经好几天没生过火了。

旁白 neutral

" I've never seen a fire there," said Ram Dass

“我从来没见过那里有火，”拉姆·达斯说。

旁白 neutral

" It's always freezing in here

这里总是冷得像冰窖。

旁白 neutral

I don't believe the mistress cares how cold the girl gets."

我不信女主人会在乎这孩子冻成什么样。”

旁白 neutral

" What a place for a child to sleep in!" said the secretary

“这地方让孩子怎么睡！”秘书说。

旁白 neutral

He noted the old table and bare floor." Whose idea was it to help her?"

他注意到旧桌子和光秃秃的地板。“谁出主意要帮她的？”

旁白 neutral

" It was mine," said Ram Dass

“是我的主意，”拉姆·达斯说。

旁白 neutral

" I like to hear the stories she tells her friends

我喜欢听她给朋友们讲的故事。

旁白 neutral

One night she pretended this room was warm, comfortable, and filled with beautiful things."

有一天晚上，她假装这个房间温暖、舒适，充满了美丽的东西。”

旁白 neutral

Ram Dass had repeated Sara's story to Mr. Carrisford

拉姆·达斯把萨拉的故事复述给了卡里斯福德先生。

旁白 neutral

The sick gentleman had not liked the way she was treated at the school

这位生病的先生不喜欢她在学校受到的对待。

旁白 neutral

He began to think about making her dreams come true

他开始考虑让她的梦想成真。

旁白 neutral

" Do you think we can transform this room while she sleeps?" the secretary asked

“你觉得我们能在她睡觉时改造这个房间吗？”秘书问道。

旁白 neutral

" Of course we'd have to replace her bed during the day."

“当然，我们得在白天把她的床换掉。”

旁白 neutral

" I can do it all with the help of another servant," Ram Dass replied

“有另一个仆人帮忙，我全都能搞定，”拉姆·达斯回答。

旁白 neutral

" We'll be so quiet that she won't wake up

“我们会非常安静，她不会醒的。

旁白 neutral

When she does awake, she will think that a magician has been here!"

等她醒来时，她会以为是魔术师来过！”

旁白 neutral

The secretary continued looking around

秘书继续环顾四周。

旁白 neutral

He made notes about the floor, the fireplace, the broken footstool, and the old table

他记下了地板、壁炉、破旧的脚凳和旧桌子的情况。

旁白 neutral

He also remarked that a number of old nails had been placed in the walls

他还注意到墙上钉了不少旧钉子。

旁白 neutral

Ram Dass smiled mysteriously

拉姆·达斯神秘地笑了。

旁白 neutral

" Yesterday when she was out, I entered the room, bringing with me some sharp nails

“昨天她外出的时候，我进了房间，带了些尖钉子。

旁白 neutral

I pressed them into the walls, where we will need them."

我把它们按进墙里，以后会用得着。”

旁白 neutral

The secretary nodded." You can hang things on them," he said

秘书点点头。“你可以把东西挂在上面，”他说。

旁白 neutral

Soon the men were finished

不一会儿，两人就完事了。

旁白 neutral

" I think I've made enough notes. We can go now," said the secretary

“我想记得够多了。我们现在走吧，”秘书说。

旁白 neutral

" It's a shame Mr. Carrisford has not found that lost child

“真可惜，卡里斯福德先生还没找到那个失踪的孩子。

旁白 neutral

He has such a warm heart."

他的心肠那么好。”

旁白 neutral

" If he finds her, his strength will return

“如果他找到她，他的力气就会恢复。

旁白 neutral

He will be well again," said Ram Dass." I'm sure of that."

他会重新好起来的，”拉姆·达斯说。“我确信这一点。”

旁白 neutral

Then the two men slipped silently through the skylight and across the roof

随后，两人悄悄溜出天窗，穿过屋顶。

旁白 neutral

After Mel was sure they had gone, he came out of his hole

梅尔确定他们走了之后，从洞里钻了出来。

旁白 neutral

He sniffed around the floor

他在地板上四处嗅了嗅。

旁白 neutral

He didn't understand what the men had talked about

他听不懂这些人聊了些什么。

旁白 neutral

But he hoped they had dropped some crumbs

但他希望他们掉了些面包屑。