036 茱莉亚的差事

旁白 neutral

Julia was feeling cranky. Ever since the boys had left for the banquet, Markos' mother and sister had kept Julia busy

茱莉亚觉得很烦躁。自从男孩们去参加宴会后，马科斯的妈妈和姐姐就一直让她忙个不停。

旁白 neutral

They'd all cooked and eaten a quick dinner, then gone to work cleaning and tidying the entire house

她们一起匆匆做了晚饭吃，然后就开始打扫和整理整座房子。

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" I wonder what Brody is doing right now," Julia thought as she scrubbed another cooking pot

"不知道布罗迪现在在做什么。"茱莉亚一边使劲刷着另一口锅，一边想。

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" Whatever it is, I bet it's more fun than this."

"不管他在做什么，我敢肯定都比这个有趣。"

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" Oh dear," Markos' mother said, interrupting Julia's grumpy thoughts

"哎呀，"马科斯的妈妈说道，打断了茱莉亚闷闷不乐的思绪。

旁白 neutral

" We are nearly out of water. One of us had better fetch more from the fountain in the agora."

"我们快没水了。我们最好有一个人去广场的喷泉那里多打点水回来。"

旁白 neutral

" I'll do it," Julia said before the other girl could respond." I'm finished cleaning this thing anyway."

"我去吧。"没等另一个女孩回应，茱莉亚就说道。"反正我已经把这东西洗完了。"

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She set the pot aside, and then she grabbed one of the large decorated jars used for collecting water from the public fountain

她把锅放到一边，然后抓起一个用来从公共喷泉打水的大装饰罐。

旁白 neutral

She hurried out of the house, glad for any kind of distraction from boring housework

她急忙走出房子，为能从无聊的家务中分心而感到高兴，不管是什么事儿。

旁白 neutral

It was a clear evening with a pleasant breeze, and it felt good to be outside

晚上天气晴朗，微风习习，待在户外感觉真好。

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Julia took her time walking toward the agora

茱莉亚不慌不忙地朝广场走去。

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She was in no hurry to get back to her chores

她一点也不急着回去做家务。

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Hearing the faint sound of music, she paused and peered down a side street

听到隐约的音乐声，她停下脚步，朝一条小巷里张望。

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At the far end stood the Temple of Hera

小巷尽头矗立着赫拉神庙。

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" I bet that music is coming from the banquet," Julia murmured

“我敢说这音乐是从宴会上传来的。”茱莉亚喃喃自语。

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She couldn't resist turning onto the street and walking past the first few houses

她忍不住拐进那条街，走过了最开始的几栋房子。

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The music got louder, and soon Julia could also hear the sounds of laughing, talking, and singing

音乐声变得更响了，很快茱莉亚就能听到笑声、谈话声和歌声。

旁白 neutral

The noise was coming from a building close to the temple

喧闹声是从神庙附近的一栋建筑里传出的。

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She stopped in front of the building, the largest home on the street

她在这栋建筑前停了下来，这是街上最大的一户人家。

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Several guards stood near the front door

几名守卫站在前门附近。

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The youngest guard eyed Julia suspiciously, but Julia ignored him

最年轻的守卫怀疑地打量着茱莉亚，但茱莉亚没理他。

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" I'd love to slip inside the building," she thought," and get a look at the celebration."

“我真想溜进那栋楼里，”她想，“去看看庆祝活动。”

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Plus, she couldn't help feeling a little worried about Brody, and also about Heracles

此外，她不禁有点担心布罗迪，还有赫拉克勒斯。

旁白 neutral

Would the other gods try to play their usual dangerous pranks at the banquet?

其他神祇会在宴会上像往常一样搞危险的恶作剧吗？

旁白 neutral

" You!" the young guard snapped." What do you want here? This is a private party."

“你！”年轻守卫厉声说。“你想在这儿干什么？这是私人聚会。”

旁白 neutral

Julia opened her mouth to answer. Before she could get out any words, the door burst open and a slim, pale goddess came out

茱莉亚张口正要回答。话还没说出口，门突然被推开，一位苗条、苍白肤色的女神走了出来。

旁白 neutral

Julia didn't recognize her. The guards immediately bowed deeply

茱莉亚没认出她。卫兵们立刻深深地鞠躬。

旁白 neutral

" We trust you are enjoying the evening, Lethe," the oldest guard said politely

“相信您今晚玩得愉快，勒忒。”最年长的守卫礼貌地说。

旁白 neutral

" Lethe," Julia thought." I thought that was the name of a river

“勒忒，”茱莉亚想。“我以为那是条河的名字。

旁白 neutral

Actually, I'm pretty sure it's a river in Hades

实际上，我敢肯定那是冥界的一条河。

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I guess it's the name of a goddess too."

我猜这也是女神的名字。

旁白 neutral

Lethe ignored the guards. She had a dreamy expression on her face as she drifted toward the street

勒忒没有理会守卫。她脸上一副如梦似幻的表情，飘然朝街道走去。

旁白 neutral

" You, young dancer," Lethe said when she spotted Julia." Did you see me inside?"

“你，年轻的舞者，”勒忒看到茱莉亚时说道。“你在里面看见我了吗？”

旁白 neutral

" What?" Julia said, startled." Inside? Uh, no."

“什么？”茱莉亚吓了一跳。“里面？呃，没有。”

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" Good." Lethe turned her dreamy smile in the direction of the building

“很好。”勒忒将那梦幻般的微笑转向建筑的方向。

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" I wish I could stay at the banquet longer

“我真希望能多在宴会上待一会儿。

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But Hera feared that the other gods might guess our plans."

但赫拉担心其他神祇会猜到我们的计划。”

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" Your... your plans?" Julia swallowed nervously." What plans?"

“你们……你们的计划？”茱莉亚紧张地咽了口唾沫。“什么计划？”

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" I cannot reveal them to you, young dancer," Lethe replied, her smile widening

“我不能告诉你，年轻的舞者，”勒忒回答，笑容更深了。

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" It's really Hera's plan anyway. All I had to do was deliver a very special drink to the banquet

“这终归是赫拉的计划。我只需给宴会送去一种非常特别的饮品。

旁白 neutral

It's Hera's job to ensure that some of her champion's competitors take a nice, long sip..." Her laugh made Julia shiver

确保她支持的冠军的对手喝下一大口……这是赫拉的任务。”她的笑声让茱莉亚打了个寒颤。

旁白 neutral

" Wait," Julia said." What kind of drink? Which competitors?"

“等等，”茱莉亚说，“是什么饮料？哪些对手？”

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" I'm afraid I cannot answer your questions," Lethe replied dreamily

“恐怕我不能回答你的问题，”勒忒迷迷糊糊地回答。

旁白 neutral

" Good night, young dancer." She looked past Julia and started for the street again

“晚安，年轻的小舞者。”她目光越过茱莉亚，又朝街上走去。

旁白 neutral

Julia was alarmed by what she'd heard

茱莉亚被听到的话惊到了。

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" Wait!" she exclaimed, and she reached out to stop the goddess

“等等！”她喊道，伸手想拦住女神。

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As soon as she touched Lethe's arm, Julia's body went limp and her mind went blank

一碰到勒忒的手臂，茱莉亚就浑身发软，脑子里一片空白。

旁白 neutral

Suddenly she couldn't remember who or where she was, or anything else

突然间，她不记得自己是谁、在哪儿，什么都忘了。

旁白 neutral

Then Lethe pulled away, and Julia's memories returned in a rush

接着勒忒抽回手，茱莉亚的记忆一下子涌了回来。

旁白 neutral

She staggered backward, clutching her water jar tightly and gulping for air

她踉踉跄跄地往后退，紧紧攥着水罐，大口喘着气。

旁白 neutral

What had just happened? Julia stared at the goddess

刚才发生了什么？朱莉娅盯着女神。

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" Now I remember the river Lethe," she thought

“现在我想起来了，是勒忒河。”她想。

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" It's the river of forgetfulness and oblivion

“那是遗忘之河。

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Only the dead are meant to drink its waters."

只有死者才会喝那里的水。”

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She turned to look at the house

她转身看向那座房子。

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Were Hera and Lethe working together to poison Heracles?

赫拉和勒忒是不是在联手毒害赫拉克勒斯？

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" No," Julia murmured aloud

“不，”朱莉娅喃喃自语。

旁白 neutral

Hera wanted Heracles alive and well until the Games began so that she could force Zeus to send his champion to Tartarus

赫拉想让赫拉克勒斯在运动会开始前活得好好的，这样她才能迫使宙斯把他的冠军送去塔尔塔罗斯。

旁白 neutral

Julia was certain of that

朱莉娅对此很确定。

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That meant Lethe's poison drink was meant for someone else

这意味着勒忒的毒药是给别人准备的。

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" Maybe Hera wants to kill, or harm, all the other athletes so her champion will be the one to defeat Heracles," Julia thought

“也许赫拉想杀死或伤害所有其他运动员，这样她的冠军就能打败赫拉克勒斯，”朱莉娅想。

旁白 neutral

She shuddered. That definitely sounded like something Hera would do

她打了个寒颤。这听起来绝对是赫拉会干的事。

旁白 neutral

" Brody!" Julia whispered. She had to warn him!

“布罗迪！”朱莉娅低声说。她得提醒他！

旁白 neutral

She rushed up to the entrance." Halt," one of the guards said." Invited guests only."

她冲到入口处。“站住，”一名守卫说，“只有受邀宾客才能进去。”

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" But my friend is in there," Julia said." I have to talk to him. Please? I just need to go in for a second."

“可是我的朋友在里面，”朱莉娅说，“我得跟他说话。求你了？我只进去一小会儿。”

旁白 neutral

The youngest guard laughed." I'd love to hear what Hera would say if we let a mortal girl into the banquet," he said

最年轻的守卫笑了。“我倒想听听，要是我们让一个凡人女孩进了宴会厅，赫拉会怎么说。”他说。

旁白 neutral

The other guards chuckled

其他守卫也轻声笑起来。

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" Go away, little girl," one of them said

“走开，小姑娘，”其中一个说。

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" It doesn't look right for you to be hanging around in the street."

“你一个女孩在街上闲逛，看着不像样。”

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But another guard, a slender, shifty-eyed man, was staring at Julia's water jar

但另一个守卫，一个瘦削、眼神狡黠的男人，正盯着朱莉娅的水罐看。

旁白 neutral

" That's quite a fancy hydria," he said

“这水罐可真漂亮，”他说。

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" Is it yours? I'd trade my finest goat for a jar like that."

“是你的吗？我愿意用我最好的山羊换这样一个罐子。”

旁白 neutral

Julia gritted her teeth. She was in no mood to talk about water jars and goats

朱莉娅咬紧牙关。她可没心情讨论水罐和山羊。

旁白 neutral

If she didn't figure out a way to get into the banquet right now, Brody could be in big trouble!

如果她现在想不出办法进入宴会厅，布罗迪可能会有大麻烦！

旁白 neutral

" I have to do something!" she thought, feeling desperate." But what?"

“我必须做点什么！”她绝望地想，“可是做什么呢？”