027 致命追逐

旁白 neutral

" This way!" Brody shouted. He grabbed Julia, who seemed to be frozen with terror, and yanked her into motion

“这边！”布罗迪喊道。他一把抓住似乎吓呆了的朱莉娅，拉着她跑了起来。

旁白 neutral

Markos was already sprinting ahead of them, away from the charging metal bull

马科斯已经跑在他们前面，远离那头冲撞的金属公牛。

旁白 neutral

" What is that thing?" Julia cried as she ran alongside Brody

“那是什么东西？”朱莉娅边跑边喊，和布罗迪并肩。

旁白 neutral

" The bull is made of metal, but it acts like it's alive! That's so weird!"

“那头牛是金属做的，但行动却像活的一样！太奇怪了！”

旁白 neutral

Brody shot her a surprised look." Now you think things are weird?" he said

布罗迪惊讶地看了她一眼。“现在你倒觉得事情奇怪了？”他说。

旁白 neutral

" You didn't seem to think it was weird to ride in a flying chariot. Or to travel back in time either."

“你之前坐飞车的时候，或者穿越时空的时候，也没觉得奇怪啊。”

旁白 neutral

" Please," Markos called over his shoulder." There is no time for talking right now!"

“拜托，”马科斯头也不回地喊道，“现在没时间说话！”

旁白 neutral

Brody saw that the sheer rock wall continued to their right for as far as he could see

布罗迪看到，右边陡峭的岩壁一直延伸到他目力能及的地方。

旁白 neutral

So did the thorny thicket on their left. Just ahead he spotted a forest

左边多刺的灌木丛也同样望不到头。就在前方，他看见了一片森林。

旁白 neutral

" Keep going," Brody said." Maybe the bull can't fit between the tree trunks."

“继续跑，”布罗迪说，“也许那头牛挤不进树干之间。”

旁白 neutral

Brody was right — sort of. The metal bull was still charging after them

布罗迪算是说对了——不过公牛还在他们身后猛追。

旁白 neutral

But when the kids darted into the forest, the bull halted, roaring with fury

可是当孩子们冲进森林时，公牛却停住了，愤怒地咆哮起来。

旁白 neutral

" Clever strategy, Brody!" Markos cried breathlessly." We stopped him."

“聪明的策略，布罗迪！”马科斯上气不接下气地喊道，“我们把它拦住了。”

旁白 neutral

Julia gasped." No, we didn't — keep running!"

朱莉娅倒抽一口气。“不，没有——快跑！”

旁白 neutral

The bull was already ramming its way forward

那头公牛已经正拼命向前冲撞。

旁白 neutral

Tree trunks cracked and fell in every direction

树干东倒西歪，到处断裂倒下。

旁白 neutral

Soon the kids found themselves running out of the far end of the forest

不一会儿，孩子们就跑出了森林的另一头。

旁白 neutral

Once again they were trapped in an open area between the high rock wall and the thorny thicket

他们又一次被困在那片开阔地上，一边是高高的石壁，另一边是荆棘丛。

旁白 neutral

" What are we going to do?" Julia glanced over her shoulder at the bull

“我们该怎么办？”朱莉娅回头瞥了一眼那头公牛。

旁白 neutral

" Run faster!" Brody yelled back

“跑快点！”布罗迪回头喊道。

旁白 neutral

" Easy for you to say, champion," Markos grumbled breathlessly

“你说得倒轻松，冠军。”马科斯上气不接下气地嘟囔着。

旁白 neutral

Brody didn't answer. He'd just spotted something ahead." Uh-oh."

布罗迪没有回答。他刚发现前方有什么东西。“哎呀，糟了。”

旁白 neutral

The others looked ahead too." Oh no!" Julia cried

其他人也向前望去。“哦，不！”朱莉娅大叫道。

旁白 neutral

A short distance from them, the rock wall curved out, blocking their way completely!

就在离他们不远处，石壁向外弯曲延伸，完全挡住了他们的去路！

旁白 neutral

" What are we going to do?" Julia cried again

“我们该怎么办？”朱莉娅又喊道。

旁白 neutral

" We'll have to try going back through the thicket," Markos said." Perhaps that will slow the bull."

“我们得试试穿过灌木丛回去，”马科斯说。“也许那能让公牛慢下来。”

旁白 neutral

" That won't work," Brody pointed out." That metal bull won't feel any scratches

“那没用的，”布罗迪指出。“那头金属牛根本不怕划伤。

旁白 neutral

It will charge through faster than we can go."

它会比我们跑得还快地冲过去。”

旁白 neutral

They reached the rock wall and skidded to a stop

他们跑到石壁前，滑行着停了下来。

旁白 neutral

Julia stared up at the sheer cliff." What other choice do we have?" she said

朱莉娅抬头盯着陡峭的悬崖。“我们还有什么别的选择？”她说。

旁白 neutral

Brody glanced at the bull, which was still coming at them." I don't know," he said, feeling frantic

布罗迪瞥了一眼还在冲过来的公牛，焦急地说：“我不知道。”

旁白 neutral

The cliff didn't have a single handhold that he could see — they couldn't climb to safety that way

峭壁上他看不见一个能抓的地方——他们没法从那儿爬上去逃生。

旁白 neutral

He looked around for a sturdy branch or anything else he could use as a weapon

他四下寻找结实的树枝，或者任何能当武器的东西。

旁白 neutral

Maybe he could fight off the bull long enough for Julia and Markos to crawl through the thicket to safety

也许他能拖住公牛一会儿，让朱莉娅和马科斯爬过灌木丛脱险。

旁白 neutral

" Hello down there!" a voice called from overhead." Look up! I'm throwing you a rope!"

“下面的人！”头顶传来喊声。“往上瞧！我扔绳子给你们！”

旁白 neutral

Brody gasped and looked up. A face was peering down at them. It was Heracles!

布罗迪倒吸一口气，抬头望去。一张脸正往下看。是赫拉克勒斯！

旁白 neutral

" Hurry!" Another face appeared beside Heracles — his brother, Iphicles

“快！”赫拉克勒斯身旁又出现一张脸——他的弟弟伊菲克勒斯。

旁白 neutral

" The bull automaton will reach you in a moment!"

“机械公牛马上就到你们跟前了！”

旁白 neutral

A thick rope dropped down near them. Heracles was holding the other end

一根粗绳落在他们旁边。赫拉克勒斯抓着另一头。

旁白 neutral

" Grab hold of it," Heracles called." Now!"

“抓住绳子，”赫拉克勒斯喊道，“快！”

旁白 neutral

" All of us?" Markos looked worried." But how can you... you can't possibly — "

“我们三个一起？”马科斯一脸担忧，“可你们怎么能……你们不可能——”

旁白 neutral

" Hurry!" Iphicles yelled." It's coming!"

“快！”伊菲克勒斯喊道，“它冲过来了！”

旁白 neutral

He was right. The bull was charging toward them

他说得对。公牛正朝他们猛冲过来。

旁白 neutral

" Oh well," Brody said." Here goes nothing."

“唉，豁出去了，”布罗迪说，“拼一把。”

旁白 neutral

He grabbed the rope with both hands. So did Julia and Markos

他双手抓住绳子。朱莉娅和马科斯也抓住了。

旁白 neutral

" We're ready!" Markos called

“我们准备好了！”马科斯喊道。

旁白 neutral

" They can't do this, can they?" Julia's voice was shaking

“他们做不到的，对吗？”朱莉娅的声音在发抖。

旁白 neutral

" They can't possibly lift all three of us at once. Not all the way up that cliff!"

“他们不可能一下子把咱们三个都拉上去。不可能拉上那么高的悬崖！”

旁白 neutral

" Heracles lifted that wagon by himself," Brody reminded her. He tried to sound confident

“赫拉克勒斯一个人就举起了那辆马车，”布罗迪提醒她。他尽量让声音听起来有信心。

旁白 neutral

But inside he was just as scared as Julia looked

但他心里其实和朱莉娅看起来一样害怕。

旁白 neutral

What if Heracles dropped them when they were halfway up that cliff? They could all be killed!

要是赫拉克勒斯爬到一半松了手怎么办？他们全都会摔死的！

旁白 neutral

Then Brody would never get to be in the Olympic Games. He'd never return home

那样布罗迪就永远参加不了奥运会，也回不了家了。

旁白 neutral

He'd never play football again, or see his parents, or..

他再也踢不了足球，再也见不到父母，还有……

旁白 neutral

Brody was so busy worrying, he almost didn't notice when his feet left the ground

布罗迪光顾着担心，连双脚离了地都没察觉。

旁白 neutral

He snapped back to reality when Markos shouted in his ear

马科斯在他耳边一声大喊，他才回过神来。

旁白 neutral

" Hurry!" Markos yelled, sounding terrified." It's almost here!"

“快！”马科斯害怕地喊道，“它快到了！”

旁白 neutral

" Brody," Julia said." Lift your feet! Quick!"

“布罗迪，”朱莉娅说，“把脚抬起来！快！”

旁白 neutral

Brody did as she said. He felt something swish past under one sandal

布罗迪照做了。他觉得有什么东西嗖地从一只凉鞋底下擦过。

旁白 neutral

When he looked down, he gulped as he realized it was one of the bull's sharp metal horns

他低头一看，倒吸一口凉气——那是公牛锋利的金属尖角。

旁白 neutral

Up above he could hear Heracles grunting with effort as he slowly, slowly pulled them up

上头传来赫拉克勒斯用力的闷哼声，他正一点一点把他们往上拉。

旁白 neutral

Finally Brody and the others were safe at the top of the cliff

终于，布罗迪和其他人都安全到达了悬崖顶上。

旁白 neutral

" Thanks, dude!" Brody said to Heracles." Hera and Hephaestus tried to kill us with that bull statue!"

“谢啦，老兄！”布罗迪对赫拉克勒斯说，“赫拉和赫菲斯托斯想用那座公牛雕像来杀我们！”

旁白 neutral

" It's an automaton — that's an animated statue

“那是自动偶——就是活雕像。

旁白 neutral

Hephaestus frequently creates them." Iphicles peered down at the bull

赫菲斯托斯经常造这些东西。”伊菲克勒斯眯眼朝公牛看去。

旁白 neutral

" We should get away from here," he added

“我们得离开这儿，”他补了一句。

旁白 neutral

" If the automaton returns to Hera and Hephaestus, they could come looking for us."

“要是自动偶回到赫拉和赫菲斯托斯那儿，他们可能会来找我们。”

旁白 neutral

" Good thinking, brother." Heracles smiled at the others

“想得好，兄弟。”赫拉克勒斯对其他人笑了笑。

旁白 neutral

" Are you strong enough to walk, or should I carry you?"

“你们还有力气走路吗，要不要我背你们？”

旁白 neutral

Brody blinked. Heracles might be even stronger than Brody had realized, but that didn't mean Brody was a wimp!

布罗迪眨了眨眼。赫拉克勒斯可能比他想的还要强壮，可这不代表布罗迪就是个胆小鬼！

旁白 neutral

" No, we're fine," he said quickly, and his friends nodded

“不用，我们没事，”他赶紧说，朋友们也点了点头。

旁白 neutral

Iphicles was already hurrying off. Brody and the others followed, not talking much until they'd walked for at least twenty minutes

伊菲克勒斯已经快步走了。布罗迪他们跟在后面，走了至少二十分钟都没怎么说话。

旁白 neutral

Finally Heracles stopped his brother with a hand on the shoulder." Let's rest here."

最后，赫拉克勒斯伸手按住弟弟的肩膀，说：“我们在这儿歇歇吧。”

旁白 neutral

Brody looked around. They were in a pleasant clearing with a babbling brook running through it

布罗迪环顾四周。他们到了一片舒服的空地上，一条潺潺的小溪从中间穿过。

旁白 neutral

He walked over and splashed cool water on his face

他走过去，捧起凉水泼了泼脸。

旁白 neutral

The kids all sat down together. For a few moments, nobody seemed to know what to say. Brody felt awkward

孩子们一起坐了下来。好一会儿，大家都好像不知该说什么。布罗迪觉得有点不自在。

旁白 neutral

Heracles was supposed to be his enemy, but he'd just saved Brody's life

赫拉克勒斯本来该是他的对手，可刚才却救了布罗迪的命。

旁白 neutral

Now what was Brody supposed to think of him?

现在，布罗迪又该怎么看他呢？