182 智慧与魔法的较量

旁白 neutral

" Wow!" Perda thought when she saw Zira's mansion

“哇！”佩尔达看到兹拉的宅邸时心想。

旁白 neutral

" Things have changed since I left!"

“自从我离开后，这里变化真大！”

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" Zira made her house even bigger," Zann said

“兹拉把她的房子变得更大了，”赞恩说。

旁白 neutral

" And look! There are fancy houses all around now."

“而且看！现在周围都是漂亮的房子。”

旁白 neutral

The humble shacks of Zira's closest neighbors had been replaced by large houses

兹拉最近的邻居们那些简陋的棚屋，已经被大房子取代了。

旁白 neutral

" I wonder if other people are figuring out how to use magic," Perda said hopefully

“我在想其他人是不是也在摸索怎么用魔法，”佩尔达满怀希望地说。

旁白 neutral

" That would be a good thing for Terrica."

“那对泰瑞卡会是件好事。”

旁白 neutral

Vilkor was nearby, heading toward Zira's front door

维尔科就在附近，正朝兹拉的前门走去。

旁白 neutral

When he heard Perda's comment, he laughed

他听见佩尔达的话，笑了起来。

旁白 neutral

" Don't be silly," Vilkor said

“别傻了，”维尔科说。

旁白 neutral

" Only a few trusted and worthy people know the secret of..."

“只有少数值得信赖和配得上的人知道……的秘密。”

旁白 neutral

He glanced around and lowered his voice." Friction."

他环顾四周，压低声音说：“摩擦。”

旁白 neutral

" I see." Perda frowned." So you and Zira are still hoarding all the magic power."

“我明白了。”佩尔达皱起眉头。“所以你和兹拉仍然在囤积所有的魔法力量。”

旁白 neutral

Vilkor shrugged." Why not? That's how the world works

维尔科尔耸耸肩。“为什么不呢？这个世界就是这样运转的。

旁白 neutral

Some people have power, and some don't." He went inside

有些人拥有力量，有些人没有。”他走了进去。

旁白 neutral

" Let's go in and see if Mellis and Zing are safe," Zann said

“我们进去看看梅利斯和青格是否安全吧，”赞恩说。

旁白 neutral

The front door opened into an enormous reception room

前门通往一个巨大的接待室。

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Zira was seated in a throne-like chair at the center

with several goons standing guard beside her.

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People in fancy clothes were sitting on sofas or chatting with one another

穿着华丽衣服的人们坐在沙发上，或者互相交谈。

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Perda didn't see Mellis or Zing though

但佩尔达没有看到梅利斯或青格。

旁白 neutral

Zira was talking with one of the goons, but she looked up

when Vilkor strutted toward her.

旁白 neutral

" Oh, you're back." She didn't sound particularly pleased

"哦，你回来了。" 她听起来并不特别高兴。

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" Yes, and we need to talk." Vilkor put his hands on his hips

"是的，我们得谈谈。" 维尔科尔双手叉腰。

旁白 neutral

" It has come to my attention that you might be trying

to take over this whole operation.

旁白 neutral

I've been suspicious ever since you shared our secret with that shifty Krub."

自从你把我们的秘密告诉那个滑头克鲁勃，我就一直起疑心。"

旁白 neutral

Zira smirked." So you're worried about losing a little power, are you?

兹拉得意地笑了笑。"所以你是在担心失去一点点权力，是吗？

旁白 neutral

You're afraid I'll kick you out of the inner circle? Oh, dear."

你怕我把你踢出核心圈子？哦，天哪。"

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She snapped her fingers to create a large fireball

which she flung lazily in Vilkor's direction.

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He dodged it." Hey! You could have burned me!"

他躲开了。"嘿！你可能会烧到我的！"

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" She created that fireball so easily," Zann whispered

"她这么轻松就变出了那个火球。" 赞低声说道。

旁白 neutral

" It reminds me of Morb. Nobody believed that

a Void could have that much power."

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Perda thought about what Zann had said

佩尔达思索着赞的话。

旁白 neutral

" Yes, Zira seems powerful and scary," she murmured

“是的，兹拉看起来强大又吓人，”她低声说。

旁白 neutral

" Still, most of the magic she uses is flashy but fairly easy to counteract

“不过，她用的魔法大多华而不实，很容易被克制。”

旁白 neutral

For instance, I had no trouble zapping out of that Compel spell."

比如，我轻松就从那个强制咒里挣脱出来了。”

旁白 neutral

Zann nodded thoughtfully." I see what you mean

赞若有所思地点点头。“我明白你的意思。

旁白 neutral

That fireball looked impressive, but it didn't even come close to hitting Vilkor."

那个火球看起来挺唬人，却连维尔科尔的边都没擦着。”

旁白 neutral

" Zira is quick and clever about learning magic

“兹拉学魔法是又快又机灵。

旁白 neutral

But maybe she's not quite as powerful as she's making

herself seem." Perda stepped forward.

旁白 neutral

" Hey, Zira!" she shouted." You have no right to hold Mellis prisoner

“嘿，兹拉！”她喊道。“你没权利把梅利斯关起来。”

旁白 neutral

We demand that you release her — along with the dragon — right away!"

我们命令你立刻释放她——还有那条龙！

旁白 neutral

Zira frowned when she saw Perda and Zann

兹拉看到佩尔达和赞，皱起了眉头。

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" How did you —? Oh, never mind. I have no time to deal

with bratty children right now."

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She clapped her hands to create several large fireballs

她一拍手，变出了几个大火球。

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Perda didn't flinch as they came toward her and Zann

火球朝佩尔达和赞飞来，佩尔达眼睛都没眨一下。

旁白 neutral

Instead, she snapped her fingers and created a glowing purple shield that

easily repelled the missiles, causing them to bounce back toward Zira.

旁白 neutral

" Hey!" Zira ducked, falling out of her throne

“嘿！”兹拉一躲，从王座上跌了下来。

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The goons also dodged the fireballs, shouting with dismay

打手们也慌张地喊叫着，躲避火球。

旁白 neutral

One of them didn't move quite fast enough and ended up

with a singed shoulder.

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" Get ready," Perda whispered to Zann

“准备好。”佩尔达小声对赞说。

旁白 neutral

" She'll try to scare us, but just remember that we know

more magic than she does."

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Zann nodded, rubbing his hands together vigorously

"Join friction," he whispered back.

旁白 neutral

Perda held out her shackled hands, and Zann started rubbing them

佩尔达伸出戴着镣铐的双手，赞开始摩擦它们。

旁白 neutral

Within seconds, magic energy was crackling around them

几秒钟内，魔法能量就在他们周围噼啪作响。

旁白 neutral

" That wasn't funny," Zira snarled." You'll be sorry you tried to humiliate me."

“一点都不好笑。”兹拉咆哮道，“你会为试图羞辱我而后悔的。”

旁白 neutral

She rubbed her hands together

她搓了搓双手。

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Angry red smoke appeared, billowing away from Zira

愤怒的红烟出现，从兹拉身上滚滚而出。

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People coughed and fainted as it reached them

人们一接触到烟就咳嗽并晕倒。

旁白 neutral

Perda thought quickly." Rain!" she said

佩尔达迅速思考。“下雨！”她说。

旁白 neutral

Sheets of water poured down from the ceiling, beating down

the smoke until it disappeared.

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The people who were still conscious ran around in confusion or crawled

under the furniture to protect themselves from the downpour.

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Zira snapped her fingers to create an umbrella. Then she strode forward

兹拉打了个响指，变出一把伞。然后她大步向前走去。

旁白 neutral

" Don't be cowards, kids," she said." Face me without your silly magical wall."

"别当胆小鬼，孩子们，"她说。"别用你们那愚蠢的魔法墙，正面面对我。"

旁白 neutral

" Sure, why not?" Perda snapped her fingers, and the shield disappeared

"好啊，有什么不行？"佩尔达打了个响指，护盾消失了。

旁白 neutral

So did the rain." We're not afraid of you."

雨也跟着停了。"我们不怕你。"

旁白 neutral

" You should be." Zira rubbed her hands

"你们应该害怕。"兹拉搓了搓双手。

旁白 neutral

An enormous fireball appeared, almost as big as Zira herself

一个巨大的火球出现了，几乎和兹拉本人一样大。

旁白 neutral

As it flew toward her and Zann, Perda sighed loudly

当它朝她和赞飞来时，佩尔达大声地叹了口气。

旁白 neutral

" Don't you know how to do anything else?" she commented

"你就不会点别的吗？"她评论道。

旁白 neutral

" I mean, really — this is getting boring."

"说真的——这越来越无聊了。"

旁白 neutral

She used a Deflect spell to send the fireball spinning upward

她用一个偏转咒语让火球旋转着向上飞去。

旁白 neutral

Then she used a Levitation spell to lift Zira off her feet

然后她用了一个漂浮咒语，让兹拉双脚离地。

旁白 neutral

The woman dangled in the air, her eyes wide with alarm

那个女人悬在空中摇晃，眼睛因惊恐而睁得老大。

旁白 neutral

" Put me down!" Zira shouted

"放我下来！"兹拉喊道。

旁白 neutral

Perda obeyed. As soon as the woman's feet touched

the floor, Zira clapped her hands.

旁白 neutral

Right away a gorzog appeared

一只戈佐格立刻出现了。

旁白 neutral

" Whoa!" Zann cried." I thought you couldn't create animals with magic!"

"哇！"赞大喊。"我还以为不能用魔法创造动物呢！"

旁白 neutral

" You can't." Perda could see that the gorzog looked surprised and confused

"确实不能。"佩尔达看得出来，那只戈佐格看起来既惊讶又困惑。

旁白 neutral

" Zira just transported it here from somewhere else."

"兹拉只是把它从别的地方传送过来了。"

旁白 neutral

The gorzog regained its senses enough to snarl and leap toward Perda

那只戈佐格恢复了神智，咆哮着扑向佩尔达。

旁白 neutral

But Perda was ready." Cage," she thought

但佩尔达早有准备。"笼子，"她想。

旁白 neutral

A sturdy cage formed around the creature in midair

and then crashed to the floor.

旁白 neutral

Zira looked surprised. But she recovered quickly

兹拉看起来很惊讶。但她很快就恢复了过来。

旁白 neutral

" Ah, well done," she said smoothly

"啊，做得不错，"她圆滑地说。

旁白 neutral

" You've proven yourselves and passed my test." She turned toward Vilkor

"你们已经证明了自己，并通过了我的考验。"她转向维尔科尔。

旁白 neutral

" It was wise of you to bring them here, my trusted friend."

"你把他们带到这里来，真是明智之举，我信赖的朋友。"

旁白 neutral

Vilkor tilted his head." Huh?"

维尔科尔歪了歪头。"啊？"

旁白 neutral

Zira ignored him. She turned back to Zann and Perda

"Welcome to the inner circle, you two."