168 挺身而出

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By the next afternoon, Perda knew she'd been right to insist on staying in Terrica

到了第二天下午，佩尔达知道她坚持留在特里卡是对的。

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" This is wild," she whispered to Zann and Mellis

“这太疯狂了，”她对赞和梅利斯耳语道。

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The three of them were at the edge of the village green

他们三个站在村庄草地的边缘。

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Vilkor was in the center of the green, standing on a golden dais he'd created

维尔科站在草地中央，站在他创造的金色台座上。

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Zira was seated behind him. Dozens of villagers were gathered

around the dais, chanting Vilkor's name.

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" Next, please!" Vilkor shouted. He pointed at a woman in the crowd

“下一位，请！”维尔科喊道。他指向人群中的一位妇女。

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" You there. Come forward and tell me what you wish me to provide for you."

“你，上前来，告诉我你希望我给你什么。”

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The woman shuffled forward." Thank you, Vilkor," she said

那妇女拖着脚走上前。“谢谢你，维尔科。”她说。

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" My cloak is old and worn." She fingered the tattered garment she was wearing

“我的斗篷又旧又破。”她摸着身上那件破烂的衣服。

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" May I please have a new one?"

“能给我一件新的吗？”

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" Yes, I will do this for you."

“好的，我会为你做这件事。”

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Vilkor closed his eyes, waved his arms dramatically and chanted

a few nonsense words, and then clapped his hands.

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A beautiful cloak appeared. The crowd gasped

一件美丽的斗篷出现了。人群倒吸了一口气。

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The woman dropped to her knees as Vilkor stepped forward

to drape the cloak around her thin shoulders.

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" Thank you, Vilkor!" the woman cried." Thank you so much!"

“谢谢你，维尔科！”女人喊道，“太谢谢你了！”

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" This is ridiculous," Perda muttered, feeling annoyed

“这太可笑了，”佩尔达咕哝着，感到很恼火。

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" He's trying to fool everyone with all that muttering

and arm waving. It's the clap that creates friction."

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" I know that, and you know that," Zann said." But we can't tell

anyone or Zira might punish Mellis."

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Perda glanced toward Zira. The woman had stayed close to Vilkor

all day, but she was letting him get all the attention.

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" Hmm," Perda thought." I wonder why."

“嗯，”佩尔达心想，“我想知道为什么。”

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Another villager stepped forward

另一位村民走上前来。

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" That's my friend Anso's father," Mellis said

“那是我朋友安索的父亲，”梅利斯说。

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" My family has run out of bread," the man said

“我家面包吃完了，”男人说。

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" We have no grain to make more. Please help me."

“我们没有谷物来做面包了。请帮帮我。”

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" Oh no," Mellis said

“哦不，”梅利斯说。

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" Of course, of course." Vilkor went through his routine again, ending

with a clap and the appearance of a small loaf of bread.

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" Thank you," the man said as he accepted it

“谢谢你，”男人接过面包说。

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" But you see, I have a growing son, and my wife is ill

“但是你看，我有个正在长身体的孩子，而且我妻子生病了。

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Could I have more bread so we all might have enough to eat?"

能再给我些面包吗？这样我们全家才能都吃饱。”

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Vilkor frowned." How do I know you will share it with your family

rather than bartering it away to your own benefit?

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If your wife and son wish to have more to eat, they

can come and beg me for bread themselves."

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" But my wife is ill, as I said," the man protested." My son

is staying with her in case her condition grows worse."

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" Begone!" Vilkor insisted." Do not question my decisions

or next time you might receive nothing at all!"

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Mellis gasped

梅利斯倒吸一口气。

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Zann winced." Wow! All this power is really going to Vilkor's head."

赞皱了皱眉。“哇！这权力真是让维尔科冲昏了头。”

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" I have to help Anso and his family," Mellis said

“我得帮帮安索一家。”梅利斯说。

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Perda nodded as she watched Anso's father make his way through the crowd

佩尔达点点头，目送安索的父亲穿过人群。

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The man looked sad." Come with me," Perda said

那人神情悲伤。“跟我来。”佩尔达说。

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She hurried to intercept the man as he reached the edge

of the green. Zann and Mellis followed.

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The man saw them coming and smiled, but his eyes remained worried

那人见他们走来，露出了笑容，但眼中依然透着忧愁。

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" Hello, Mellis," he said." I hope you'll come to visit Anso soon

“你好，梅利斯，”他说。“我希望你很快能来看望安索。”

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He's been busy helping his mother, but I know he'd love to see you."

他一直在忙着帮他妈妈，但我知道他会很高兴见到你。”

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" We saw what just happened," Perda said before Mellis

could respond. "Come with us and we'll help you."

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The man looked surprised. But he followed Perda to a deserted alley

男人看起来很惊讶。但他还是跟着佩尔达来到一条无人的小巷。

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She created several loaves of bread, along with cheese

and fruit and a bag to carry it in.

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" Thank you!" The man looked overwhelmed

“谢谢你！”男人看起来感激不尽。

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" But how are you doing that? I thought only Vilkor had

gained the power of magic."

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" That's what he wants you to think," Zann said

“他就是想让你们这么想，”赞说。

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Perda nodded." Anyone can do magic. All you have

to do is create friction, and then—"

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" Perda! No!" Mellis looked frightened." What if Zira finds out?"

“佩尔达！别！”梅利斯看起来很害怕。“要是齐拉发现了怎么办？”

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" Heads up!" Zann hissed." Isn't that Zira's friend, what's his name?"

“小心！”赞低声说。“那不是齐拉的朋友吗，叫什么来着？”

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" Krub," Perda said, recognizing the man

“克鲁布，”佩尔达认出那个人，说道。

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He walked past the end of the alley without noticing them

他从巷口走过，没有注意到他们。

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" Whew," Mellis said." That was a close call

“呼，”梅莉丝说。“好险啊。

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Krub always does everything Zira says. He probably would

have told her about seeing us here."

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Anso's father looked nervous too." Thank you, young friends,"

he said, clutching the bag of food to his chest.

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" I'd better go home and check on my wife."

“我还是赶紧回家看看我妻子吧。”

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He scurried away. Perda was disappointed that she hadn't

had the chance to teach him basic magic.

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But she could tell that Mellis was relieved

但她看得出来，梅莉丝松了口气。

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" I know you're scared," she told the Terrican girl

“我知道你很害怕，”她对这位泰利坎女孩说。

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" But surely by now you see that we have to stop this

“可是到现在，你肯定也明白，我们必须阻止这一切。

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What your uncle and Zira are doing is wrong."

你叔叔和齐拉的所作所为是不对的。”

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" I know." Mellis looked miserable

“我知道。”梅莉丝看起来很痛苦。

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" I hate seeing my uncle force everyone to grovel

before him. But what can we do?"

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" We can stand up to them," Zann said." We have to."

“我们可以站出来反抗他们，”赞说。“我们必须这样做。”

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Perda smiled at him, glad that he was backing her up

佩尔达对他笑了笑，很高兴他支持自己。

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She'd thought he might not, since he was so eager

to return to Magica the day before.

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She wanted to go home too

她也想回家。

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She missed her family and friends, and she hated that

they were surely worried sick about her and Zann.

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But they would understand when they heard the whole story

不过，等他们听完整件事的经过，会理解的。

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" What do you say?" Perda asked Mellis." Will you help us put a stop to this?"

“你说呢？”佩尔达问梅莉丝。“你愿意帮我们制止这一切吗？”

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Mellis hesitated." I'll try. But I still don't believe my uncle

will be able to keep up this charade for long.

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In the meantime, will you teach me more magic?

在此期间，你们能教我更多魔法吗？

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Then I can start teaching Anso and some of the other kids in secret

然后我就可以开始偷偷教安索和其他一些孩子了。

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That way we'll be ready once the truth finally comes out."

这样，等真相最终大白的那一天，我们就做好了准备。”

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It wasn't quite the plan Perda would have chosen

这并非佩尔达会首选的计划。

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But she had to admit it sounded a lot safer for Mellis

at least while Vilkor and Zira were in charge.

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" Okay," she said." Let's do it."

“好吧，”她说。“就这么办。”