124 囚徒与诗

旁白 neutral

" We're not supposed to use magic unless absolutely necessary," Maff told Zann and his friends

“除非绝对必要，我们不应该使用魔法。”马夫对赞和他的朋友们说。

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" We'd better walk to the dungeon."

“我们最好走到地牢去。”

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" Who banned magic inside the palace?" Zann asked

“谁禁止在宫殿内使用魔法？”赞问道。

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" I'm not sure." Maff looked troubled

“我不确定。”马夫看起来有些困扰。

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The ban sounded strange to Zann. With the king and queen gone, who was in charge at the palace?

这个禁令在赞听来很奇怪。国王和王后都不在，谁在掌管宫殿呢？

旁白 neutral

Normally it would be the Red Council. But why would they ban magic? It didn't make sense

通常会是红色议会。但他们为什么要禁止魔法呢？这说不通。

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A huge guard stood outside the dungeon's entrance

一个高大的卫兵站在地牢入口外。

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He wasn't dressed like the other palace guards. His uniform was entirely black

他的穿着不像其他宫殿卫兵。他的制服全是黑色的。

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" Who are you?" Maff asked the guard." Why are you dressed like that?"

“你是谁？”马夫问卫兵。“你为什么穿成这样？”

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The guard ignored Maff's questions." What's your business here?" he demanded

卫兵没有理会马夫的问题。“你们来这里有什么事？”他问道。

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" I want to see my parents," Zann said." They're in the dungeon."

“我想见我的父母，”赞说，“他们在地牢里。”

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The guard looked him up and down

卫兵上下打量了他。

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" Go ahead," he said, stepping aside to let them pass." But don't use any magic."

“进去吧。”他说着，往旁边一站，让他们通过。“但不要使用任何魔法。”

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" That's odd," Maff said as the group walked down the steps

“这很奇怪。”大家走下台阶时，马夫说道。

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" That guard wasn't wearing a typical uniform. I wonder what's going on."

“那个卫兵穿的制服不常见，我想知道这是怎么回事。”

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Zann spotted more guards below. They were dressed just like the guard upstairs

赞在下面发现了更多的卫兵，他们穿着和楼上的卫兵一模一样。

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Zann pushed past them, eager to see his family

赞从他们旁边挤了过去，急切地要见他的家人。

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" Zann!" his father exclaimed." What are you doing here?"

“赞！”他的父亲惊叫道，“你在这里做什么？”

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" We wanted to see you." Zann hurried closer

“我们想见你们。”赞赶紧走近。

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His mother was in the cell next to Nax. Boz and Teplo were nearby

他的母亲在纳克斯旁边的牢房里，伯兹和特普洛在附近。

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" Uncle Gar!" Gliss cried suddenly." How did you end up in there?"

“加尔叔叔！”格利斯突然喊道，“你怎么也被关进来了？”

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Zann quickly scanned the cells. Gliss' uncle was right beside Teplo

赞快速扫视牢房。格利斯的叔叔就在特普洛旁边。

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Other members of the Red Council were locked up too

红色议会的其他成员也被关押着。

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" I don't see Venna," Perda whispered. She shot a careful glance at the nearest guard

“我没看到维娜，”佩达低声说。她小心地瞥了一眼最近的卫兵。

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" Or Saffa," Zann murmured back." That's good."

“也没看到萨法，”赞轻声回应。“那还好。”

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The scene reminded Zann of the time when Morb had imprisoned most of the Reds in Magica

这场景让赞想起莫布曾在魔法王国囚禁大多数红人的时候。

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But Morb wasn't doing this, or someone would have seen him

但这次不是莫布干的，否则会有人看见他。

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The thought made Zann feel a little better. But only a little

这个想法让赞感觉好了一点。但也只是一点点。

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How could he talk to his parents and the others with all these guards listening?

有这么多卫兵在听，他怎么跟父母和其他人说话呢？

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Maff seemed to be thinking the same thing

马夫似乎也在想同样的事。

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" May we have a moment of privacy?" he asked the guards

“我们可以单独待一会儿吗？”他问卫兵们。

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" The boy wishes to speak with his parents."

“这孩子想和他的父母说话。”

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" Sorry," a guard said, not sounding sorry at all." We have our orders. We must stay."

“抱歉，”一个卫兵说，语气里毫无歉意。“我们有命令，必须留在这里。”

旁白 neutral

Maff opened his mouth as if to argue. But Zann's mother leaned forward

马夫张了张嘴，似乎想争辩。但赞的母亲探身向前。

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" It's all right, kids," Asta said." It's good to see you, but you don't need to worry about us."

“没事的，孩子们，”阿斯塔说。“见到你们真好，但你们不必为我们担心。”

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" That's right," Uncle Gar added." This will all get sorted out after Venna is elected."

“没错，”加尔叔叔补充道。“等维娜当选后，这一切都会解决的。”

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" Just stay safe, all right?" Nax said

“你们千万要注意安全，好吗？”纳克斯说。

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Before Zann could answer, footsteps pounded down the stairs

赞还没来得及回答，楼梯上就传来了重重的脚步声。

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All the guards spun around and saluted as Laddno stepped into the room

当拉德诺走进房间时，所有的卫兵都转过身敬礼。

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" At ease, fellows," he told the guards. His hands clasped behind his back, he strolled toward the cells, ignoring Maff and the kids

“稍息，伙计们，”他对卫兵们说。他双手背在身后，朝着牢房走去，没有理会马夫和孩子们。

旁白 neutral

" Hello, citizens," he said." I'm sorry to see you in such dire straits."

“你们好，市民们，”他说。“看到你们处境如此艰难，我很抱歉。”

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" Hmph," Boz said. Nobody else made a sound

“哼，”博兹说。其他人一声不吭。

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Laddno wandered up and down the row of cells

拉德诺在一排牢房前踱来踱去。

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" I wish to inform you that your happiness is very important to me," he said

“我想告诉各位，你们的幸福对我非常重要，”他说。

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" If you are all innocent, as you claim, I'll make sure you're released once I've been elected king."

“如果你们真如自己所说都是无辜的，等我当选国王，一定确保你们获释。”

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" Why not release them now?" Perda said boldly

“为什么不现在就放了他们？”佩尔达大胆地问。

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" Nobody seems to be in charge now that the king and queen have disappeared

“既然国王和王后都失踪了，现在似乎没人管事。

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I bet you and Venna could join together to free the prisoners right away."

我敢说你跟维娜可以联手，立刻把囚犯们放了。”

旁白 neutral

Laddno peered at her." Who are you?" he asked

拉德诺盯着她看。“你是谁？”他问道。

旁白 neutral

" Never mind her," Boz said." We're okay, kids. We can wait until after the election."

“别理她，”博兹说。“我们没事，孩子们。我们可以等到选举之后。”

旁白 neutral

" Yes," Teplo added." But if you're worried, you should recite my favorite poem

“没错，”特普洛补充道。“不过你们要是担心，就该念念我最喜欢的那首诗。

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It's called ' Ode to a Turnip.'" He cleared his throat

它叫《萝卜颂》。”他清了清嗓子。

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" Such a fine fruit, ah! Happiness attends the chewing herewith."

“多好的果实啊！咀嚼之间，幸福相伴。”

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Laddno scowled at him." Enough with the poetry," he snapped

拉德诺对他皱起眉头。“别再念诗了，”他厉声说道。

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" I never could stand that nonsense. What's the point of it?"

“我一直受不了这些胡话。这有什么意义？”

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" What's the point, indeed?" Teplo beamed at him and then winked at Zann

“确实，有什么意义呢？”特普洛对他笑了笑，然后朝赞眨了眨眼。

旁白 neutral

" Now, be off with you. Children and turnips both require fresh air, hmm?"

“好了，你们走吧。孩子和萝卜都一样，都需要新鲜空气，嗯？”

旁白 neutral

Zann exchanged confused looks with his friends

赞和他的朋友们困惑地交换了一下眼神。

旁白 neutral

Teplo had always been a little strange. Had prison finally made his mind snap?

特普洛一直有点古怪。监狱生活最终让他精神崩溃了吗？

旁白 neutral

" You heard the man." Laddno gestured to the guards." Take them outside."

“你们听见他的话了。”拉德诺向卫兵们示意，“带他们出去。”

旁白 neutral

Zann was soon outside the palace walls with his friends

赞很快就和朋友们来到了宫殿墙外。

旁白 neutral

" Where's Maff?" Perda asked

“莫布去哪儿了？”佩尔达问。

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" I'm not sure." Zann looked around. The guards had zapped them outside, but Maff was nowhere in sight

“我不确定。”赞环顾四周。卫兵们把他们送了出来，但莫布不见了踪影。

旁白 neutral

" I guessed he stayed in the palace."

“我猜他留在了宫殿里。”

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" I've got it!" Darb blurted out

“我明白了！”达布脱口而出。

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The others stared at him." What?" Gliss asked

其他人盯着他。“什么？”格丽丝问道。

旁白 neutral

" The poem." Darb grinned." I know what Teplo was trying to tell us."

“那首诗。”达布咧嘴一笑，“我知道特普洛想告诉我们什么了。”

旁白 neutral

Zann had already almost forgotten about that silly turnip poem." What are you talking about?"

赞几乎已经忘了那首傻气的萝卜诗。“你在说什么？”

旁白 neutral

" It's an acronym," Darb explained." The first letters of each word of the poem are S-A-F-F-A-H-A-T-C-H."

“是首字母缩写。”达布解释道，“诗里每个单词的首字母拼起来是 S-A-F-F-A-H-A-T-C-H。”

旁白 neutral

Perda gasped." Saffa hatch!" she exclaimed." That must mean that Saffa is hiding out in the hatch at Teplo's house."

佩尔达倒吸一口气。“萨法藏身处！”她叫道，“这一定是说萨法藏在特普洛家的密室里。”

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" She must be afraid she'll be taken prisoner too," Zann said

“她肯定也怕自己会被抓起来。”赞说。

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" And Teplo wants us to hide with her!" Darb added

“而特普洛想让我们和她一起藏起来！”达布补充道。

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" Shh." Zann glanced around, hoping nobody had heard them. He didn't want to wind up in prison

“嘘。”赞瞥了一眼周围，希望没人听到他们的对话。他可不想到最后被关进监狱。

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" What are we waiting for?" Gliss said." Let's go!"

“我们还在等什么？”格丽丝说，“我们走！”

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All was quiet at Teplo's house. Zann checked to make sure nobody was nearby

特普洛的房子里一片寂静。赞确认了附近没有人。

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Then he knocked on the hatch outside the front door

然后他敲了敲前门外的密室门。

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It creaked open, but there was no other sound

门吱呀一声开了，但没有其他声响。

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" Should we go down?" Gliss asked, sounding nervous

“我们要下去吗？”格丽丝问道，听起来很紧张。

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" I'll go first." Zann tried to look brave. He sat down on the edge and lowered himself into the darkness below

“我先下。”赞努力做出勇敢的样子。他坐在边缘，把自己慢慢降入下方的黑暗中。

旁白 neutral

Abruptly he let out a scream — his entire body was engulfed in flames!

突然间，他发出一声尖叫——他的整个身体都被火焰吞没了！