尋找食人族

Outline

【故事主線】

分別來自中國香港、印度、英國和澳大利亞的六位主人公為了尋找傳說中的食人族踏上了開往南美的郵輪……

Profile

【人物簡介】

小強(qiáng)：男，香港富豪之子，喜好探險旅游，本次探險旅行的發(fā)起人。

蜜兒：女，香港某野外生存俱樂部教練，武功出色，中國的“勞拉”。

威廉：男，英國作家，以經(jīng)常發(fā)布一些驚世奇聞的旅行游記著稱。

桑杰：印度小男孩，印度洋海嘯后當(dāng)?shù)氐奈ㄒ恍掖嬲摺?/p>

艾德里安：男，澳大利亞生物學(xué)家，喜歡研究昆蟲。

白雪：蜜兒的寵物狗，忠心耿耿，總給人帶來意外驚喜。

編劇：Adrian Brookes（澳大利亞）

情節(jié)策劃：何彥平、王妮

插畫：姚薇

本欄目有償歡迎讀者參與劇情策劃

投稿信箱：contribution@bilingualtime.com

Plot Synopsis

【本期劇情】

小強(qiáng)和蜜兒與威廉就去亞馬遜叢林進(jìn)行了一次深談，尤其是威廉口中那個幾乎無所不能的女人，但威廉始終沒有全盤托出，這使得亞馬遜之旅又蒙上了一層神秘的面紗。而小狗白雪在無意中救了一個偷渡的印度小男孩，他居然知道蜜兒的名字。更不可思議的是，真的有人跟蹤他們來到了郵輪上……

Episode 2: White Snow's Discovery

第二集：白雪的意外發(fā)現(xiàn)

Situation

情景

傍晚，小強(qiáng)、蜜兒以及威廉在維多利亞郵輪的休息室中討論他們?nèi)ツ厦乐薜挠媱潯?/p>

William: It's going to be difficult.

Xiaoqiang: What， to contact her?

William: No， that should be easy enough. I mean it'll be difficult to get her to help. She has her own reasons for being there， you see， and she's very suspicious about anything， or anybody， that could hinder what she's doing.

Xiaoqiang: So， can she help us， or not?

William: She can， and she might - if you plan things carefully and approach her in the right way. But you'll have to work out what you're going to tell her. And you won't get anywhere if she finds out what you're really doing.

Candy: We haven't said much about what we're doing.

William: You've said enough. Contacting the native tribes is taboo with her - unless she's doing it herself， of course.

Xiaoqiang: If she's going to be so difficult， wouldn't it be better if we tried some other way?

William: Go ahead and try. But what other way do you know? The problem is， you haven't got a proper plan， have you? You're heading off to South America just hoping something will turn up. So you'll need her， and it would be foolish to underestimate her. She has a big influence there， and she can make or break anything you try to do.

Candy: You make her sound like the queen of the Amazon. Who is she， anyway?

William: (laughs) Queen of the Amazon! That could be closer to the truth than you think. Some say she's from one of the old royal houses of Europe that got swept away in a revolution， and she escaped to South America and set up her own kingdom there.

Xiaoqiang: In the jungle?

William: That's what they say.

Candy: She'd have to be very old， then. The European revolutions happened a long time ago.

William: I'm only telling you what's said about her， I'm not defending it.

Xiaoqiang: Where is she， exactly? And how can we meet her?

William: I don't think you'll actually get to meet her…

Xiaoqiang: But you said it would be easy!

William: We were talking about contacting her， not meeting her. If she decides to help you， she'll just give the orders.

Candy: OK， so she's an influential person. But you said she has her own reasons for being there. What reasons?

William: I can't say. You'll see when you get there.

Candy: (getting annoyed) You're making it all sound very mysterious. Why can't you tell us openly about her? And you haven't told us how you came to know her， or why you were in the Amazon， or why you're interested in the cannibals. I think you ought to explain before we go any further…

（白雪跑進(jìn)休息室沖向蜜兒。）

Candy: (alarmed) Snow White! How did you get out of the cabin? You can't come here!

（一位軍官跟在白雪后面，他懷里抱著一個印度小男孩。兩個水手緊隨其后。）

Ship's officer: Is this your dog， madam?

Candy: Er…

Ship's officer: I see. Having animals on board is against the regulations， as I'm sure you know. That's something we'll have to sort out in due course - but in the meantime， your little dog has become a hero.

Candy: Has she? What happened? Who's the boy?

Ship's Officer: I was hoping you could tell me. We caught him stowing away in a lifeboat. It seems he's been hiding there since we set sail two weeks ago. He tried to make a run for it， but the little chap's so weak from hunger that he slipped under the boat， and would have fallen through the railings into the sea if your dog hadn't been there. She grabbed his collar in her teeth and held him until we could crawl under the boat and pull him back on deck. So we had two surprises at once - the boy and the dog - and we need some explanations.

Candy: OK. The dog's mine， I admit it， but I've never seen the boy before.

Boy: Candy! (he reaches out an arm to her)

Candy : (shocked) How does he know my name?

William: Candi's an Indian name - a Hindu goddess.

Ship's officer: I know， sir. But I really think he means you， madam.

Boy: Yes， you're Candy.

Ship's officer: (puts the boy down on a couch) Maybe you can talk to him and sort out an explanation for it all. We'll want to hear it later. But the little chap's had a fright， and he's quite dizzy from hunger. I'll get the nurse to see him to make sure he's all right， but you might like to get him something to eat. And the dog deserves a treat， too， for rescuing him.

Candy: Yes， we'll get them.

Ship's officer: I'll have to leave him under guard， because he is a stowaway. The captain will have to decide what to do with him， and with the dog， too. (he departs， leaving the two seamen to watch over the Indian boy)

Candy: I don't know how Snow White got out of the cabin tonight - I must have left the door open - but I'm very glad she did. What's your name?

Boy: Sanjay.

（小強(qiáng)和威廉去給桑杰拿食物。）

Candy: How did you know my name?

Sanjay: Snow White told me.

Candy: But… I know she's a clever dog， but she can't talk.

Sanjay: I can understand her. We are good friends.

Candy: Good friends? You only met her tonight.

Sanjay: No…

Candy: No? What do you mean?

（蜜兒看向白雪，而白雪低下頭看向別處。）

Sanjay: Snow White has been coming to see me at night， and bringing me food and water when she could.

Candy: Snow White!

（白雪頭低得更低，看起來局促不安。）

Sanjay: She has been very good to me. A true friend.

Candy: (picks up Snow White and hugs her) You've been a bad dog to leave the cabin， but a very good dog to help Sanjay. How did you find him?

（白雪四處觀望、低聲咆哮著。蜜兒隨著她的視線看見一個男人從門口溜出去。）

Sanjay: That man - and a woman with him - they've been watching you and your friend since the start of the voyage. Snow White knew， and she followed them one night. That's when she found me.

Candy: So Xiaoqiang was right: we are being watched. But who are they? And why are they watching us?

Sanjay: I do not know. But Snow White found out where their cabin is. Maybe you can watch them now.

Candy: Maybe we can… (she notices an amulet， in the form of a coiled snake， hanging from Sanjay's neck) Oh - that's an interesting amulet.

Sanjay: (grasps the amulet in his hand as though to hide it) It was my fathe's.

Candy: I've seen it before…

Sanjay: No. My mother had it made for him when they got married. It is lucky.

Candy: (thoughtfully) I'm sure I've seen it somewhere. Where's your father now?

Sanjay: I have no father， no family now. I am an orphan.

Candy: I'm sorry. How did you lose your family?

Sanjay: The tsunami. We were on the seashore. Somebody said， \"There is a big wave coming!\" so I climbed a tree to see it. When it came it swept them away. I was in the tree. I saw it. Later I came down to look for them. I found my father under the water. I took the lucky snake from him.

Candy: Poor boy! That's terrible… Are you sure it's lucky?

Sanjay: It is lucky. But there comes a time when luck can no longer help us.

Candy: Wow， you're a pretty smart kid… pretty deep! How old are you?

Sanjay: I am twelve. How old are you?

Candy: Me! Oh… OK， I'm twenty-five…

（小強(qiáng)和威廉帶回一些吃的給桑杰。）

Xiaoqiang: I want to hear all about you. Why you're here， what you're doing…

Candy: Let him eat! I've found out some very useful information. Do you remember you said you thought someone was spying on us?

Xiaoqiang: To tell you the truth， I'd forgotten about it since we talked to William. I thought maybe I was just being paranoid， like you said. Why?

Candy: It's true. Someone else saw them， too.

Xiaoqiang: Who?

（白雪咆哮著。）

Candy: There's your answer.

Xiaoqiang: You mean Snow White? (he laughs) But she couldn't. She's only a dog.

（白雪沖小強(qiáng)怒吼。）

Candy: Careful what you say! She's done a lot more than see them. She's found out who they are and where their cabin is. So the tables are turned. It's time for us to do a bit of spying of our own now - on them.

情景

傍晚，小強(qiáng)、蜜兒以及威廉在維多利亞郵輪的休息室中討論他們?nèi)ツ厦乐薜挠媱潯?/p>

威廉：這會有點(diǎn)難。

小強(qiáng)：什么，聯(lián)系她嗎？

威廉：不，這很容易。我指的是得到她的幫助很難。她在那有自己的原因，而且她不相信任何可能阻擋她事業(yè)的事或者人。

小強(qiáng)：因此，她會幫助我們嗎？還是不會？

威廉：如果你行事謹(jǐn)慎并且用對了方法接近她，她有可能會幫助你。但你必須要計劃好你和她的談話內(nèi)容。如果她發(fā)現(xiàn)了你的真正行動你就什么也做不了了。

蜜兒：我們并沒有說太多我們到底在干嘛。

威廉：已經(jīng)很多了。聯(lián)絡(luò)當(dāng)?shù)夭柯渚褪撬慕伞?dāng)然，除非她自己這么做。

小強(qiáng)：如果她這么麻煩的話，我們是不是嘗試其它的方法比較好？

威廉：你盡可以去嘗試。但是你知道什么其它的方法？問題在于你沒有一個恰當(dāng)?shù)挠媱潱皇菃?？你只是前往南美希望會發(fā)生些不一樣的事。所以你需要她，要是低估她的能力那就太愚蠢了。她在那里有巨大的影響力，她可以幫助或者破壞你試圖完成的任何事。

蜜兒：你說得她好像是“亞馬遜之后”似的，那么，她到底是誰？

威廉：（大笑）“亞馬遜之后”！那可比你想象的更接近事實。有人說她來自在一場歐洲革命中被血洗的古老皇室貴族，她逃到南美，在那里建立了自己的王國。

小強(qiáng)：在叢林里？

威廉：他們是這么說的。

蜜兒：那她年紀(jì)肯定很大了。歐洲革命發(fā)生在很久以前。

威廉：我只是告訴你關(guān)于她的傳說，并不是在辯解。

小強(qiáng)：準(zhǔn)確地說，她到底在哪？我們怎樣才能找到她？

威廉：我不覺得你能真正見到她。

小強(qiáng)：但是你說那很容易。

威廉：我們是說聯(lián)系她，而不是見她。如果她決定幫你，她只會下命令。

蜜兒：好吧，那她是個有影響力的大人物。但你說她留在那有自己的原因，是什么原因呢？

威廉：我不能說，到那你就知道了。

蜜兒：（開始生氣）你把一切都弄得神秘兮兮的。你為什么不能開誠布公地告訴我們有關(guān)她的一切呢？而且你還沒告訴我們你是怎么知道她的，還有你為什么會在亞馬遜，為什么對食人族感興趣。我覺得在我們進(jìn)一步行動之前你有必要解釋一下……

（白雪跑進(jìn)休息室沖向蜜兒。）

蜜兒：（驚恐地）白雪！你怎么從船艙跑出來了？你不能來這。

（一位軍官跟在白雪后面，他懷里抱著一個印度小男孩。兩個水手緊隨其后。）

軍官：小姐，這是你的狗嗎？

蜜兒：呃……

軍官：我明白了。帶動物上船是違反規(guī)定的，我想你應(yīng)該知道。這件事我們過會再說——同時，你的小狗也是位英雄。

蜜兒：她？發(fā)生什么事了？那個男孩是誰?

軍官：我希望你能給我答案。我們發(fā)現(xiàn)他偷藏在一艘救生艇里。看起來他在兩個星期前我們啟航時就藏在那了。他試圖逃跑，但這個小家伙由于饑餓以至于體力不支滑到船下。要不是你的小狗他就穿過船欄掉到海里去了。這只小狗用牙齒咬住他的衣領(lǐng)一直堅持到我們爬到船底將他拉回甲板。所以我們一次得到兩個意外：男孩和狗——現(xiàn)在我們需要些解釋。

蜜兒：好吧，我承認(rèn)這只狗是我的，但這個男孩我以前沒見過。

男孩：蜜兒?。ㄋ蛎蹆荷斐鲆恢桓觳?。）

蜜兒：（震驚地）他怎么知道我的名字？

威廉：Candi是一個印度名字——一個印度女神。

軍官：我知道，先生。但我覺得他指的就是你，小姐。

男孩：是的，你是蜜兒。

軍官：（將男孩放在沙發(fā)上）也許你可以和他聊聊，為這一切找出個解釋。過會我們很樂意聆聽你的解釋。但現(xiàn)在這個小家伙受到了驚嚇，也餓得頭暈眼花。我會叫護(hù)士過來確定下他是否無恙，你最好給他弄點(diǎn)吃的，還有這只小狗值得嘉獎，因為她救了他。

蜜兒：是的，我們會照顧他們的。

軍官：因為他是個偷渡者，我會派人看著他。船長將決定怎么處置他，還有您的小狗。（他離開休息室，留下兩個水手看著印度小男孩。）

蜜兒：我不知道今晚白雪是怎么跑出船艙的——我肯定沒關(guān)門——但我很高興她這樣做了。你叫什么名字？

男孩：桑杰。

（小強(qiáng)和威廉去給桑杰拿食物。）

蜜兒：你怎么知道我的名字？

桑杰：白雪告訴我的。

蜜兒：但是……我知道她是只聰明的小狗，但她不會說話。

桑杰：我能理解她的話。我們是好朋友。

蜜兒：好朋友？你只是在今晚剛見到她。

桑杰：不是……

蜜兒：不是？你什么意思？

（蜜兒看向白雪，而白雪低下頭看向別處。）

桑杰：白雪晚上都會來看我，可以的時候還給我?guī)澄锖退?/p>

蜜兒：白雪！

（白雪頭低得更低，看起來局促不安。）

桑杰：她對我非常好，是真正的朋友。

蜜兒：（抓起白雪，將她抱在懷里）私自離開船艙就是只壞小狗，但是幫助桑杰又是只好小狗。你是怎么找到他的？

（白雪四處觀望、低聲咆哮著。蜜兒隨著她的視線看見一個男人從門口溜出去。）

桑杰：那個男人——和他一起的還有一個女人——在航行開始的時候他們就在監(jiān)視你和你的朋友。白雪發(fā)覺了，有一天晚上跟蹤他們。就是那個時候她發(fā)現(xiàn)了我。

蜜兒：所以小強(qiáng)是對的：有人在監(jiān)視我們。但會是誰呢？為什么要監(jiān)視我們？

桑杰：我不知道。但白雪找到了他們的船艙?；蛘吣憧梢匀タ纯?。

蜜兒：也許我們可以……（她看見桑杰的脖子上掛著一個盤旋的蛇形護(hù)身符。）噢！這個護(hù)身符真有意思。

桑杰：（緊緊抓住護(hù)身符好像要把它藏起來）這是我爸爸的。

蜜兒：我以前見過……

桑杰：不可能。在我父母結(jié)婚時，我媽媽送給我爸爸的。它代表幸運(yùn)吉祥。

蜜兒：（深思）我確信我在什么地方見過。你爸爸現(xiàn)在在哪？

桑杰：我現(xiàn)在沒有爸爸，沒有家。我是個孤兒。

蜜兒：抱歉。你家發(fā)生什么事了？

桑杰：是海嘯。我們在海灘上，有人說：“巨浪卷過來了！”所以我就爬到樹上去看。巨浪來臨把他們都卷走了。我在樹上，我目睹了一切。然后我爬下樹找他們。我發(fā)現(xiàn)我爸爸在水里，然后我就將幸運(yùn)蛇取了下來。

蜜兒：可憐的孩子！太可怕了……你確定它是吉祥幸運(yùn)的嗎？

桑杰：它是吉祥幸運(yùn)的。但總有些時候運(yùn)氣不會眷顧我們。

蜜兒：你真是個聰明的孩子……非常聰明！你多大了？

桑杰：12歲，你呢？

蜜兒：我？呃，好吧，我25。

（小強(qiáng)和威廉帶回一些吃的給桑杰。）

小強(qiáng)：我想知道你的一切。你為什么會在這，你在這干什么……

蜜兒：先讓他吃飯。我發(fā)現(xiàn)一些有用的信息。還記得你說過覺得有人在暗中監(jiān)視我們嗎？

小強(qiáng)：說實話，在和威廉談話時我就忘記了。我覺得也許像你說的那樣，我有點(diǎn)疑神疑鬼。怎么了？

蜜兒：是真的。有其他人看見了。

小強(qiáng)：誰？

（白雪咆哮著。）

蜜兒：這就是答案了。

小強(qiáng)：你是說白雪？（他大笑）但不可能。她只是條狗。

（白雪沖小強(qiáng)怒吼。）

蜜兒：小心你的言行。她做了很多事。她不僅發(fā)現(xiàn)了他們，還找到了他們的船艙。因此，風(fēng)水輪流轉(zhuǎn)。現(xiàn)在是我們自己來做點(diǎn)間諜工作的時候了——監(jiān)視他們。

Notes

1. work out

意為“解答出、制作出、制定出”。在文中威廉要小強(qiáng)考慮好談話的內(nèi)容，要理清思路。這個詞組還有很多其它的意思，比如：計算出、產(chǎn)生結(jié)果、筋疲力盡等等。

例句：It's not an easy thing for us to work out a plan acceptable to everyone.

對我們來說制訂出一個大家都能接受的計劃不是件容易的事。

2. get anywhere

意為“有點(diǎn)成就、有點(diǎn)進(jìn)展”。那么“沒有進(jìn)展”怎么說呢？ 可不是not/never go anywhere。not/never go anywhere的意思是“隱居”。Get nowhere的意思才是“毫無進(jìn)展”。

例句：You'll never get anywhere by spending all day studying in library.

你整天泡在圖書館里永遠(yuǎn)不會有任何進(jìn)展。

3. turn up

意為“出現(xiàn)、發(fā)生”。 它也有“（將音量）開大、調(diào)大”的意思，而turn off 就是“關(guān)掉、斷開”。

例句：He didn't turn up until half an hour later.

半小時后他才出現(xiàn)。

4. make or break

意為“要么成功要么失敗”。這里的make等同于help。好像有點(diǎn)不成功便成仁（to conquer or to die）的意思。

例句：This investment is too small to make or break anyone.

這是一筆很小的投資，不至于使任何人發(fā)財或破產(chǎn)。

5. sweep away

意為“掃除、刮走、清除”。

例句：The big wind swept the garbage away.

大風(fēng)刮走了垃圾。

6. sort out

意為“分類、整理、解決”。在文中指的是整理好思緒，找出答案。因為之前發(fā)生的事情都過于混亂，大家都有點(diǎn)摸不著頭腦。

例句：Let's leave the two of them to sort themselves out.

咱們讓他們倆自己把相互間的誤解好好澄清一下吧。

7. in due course

意為“到一定的時候、沒過多久、在適當(dāng)?shù)臅r候”。在文中小男孩身體虛弱，而大家都顯然對一切毫不知情，所以軍官覺得現(xiàn)在不是解決問題的時候，必須要到一個恰當(dāng)?shù)臅r機(jī)。

例句：I' ll take care of this problem in due course.

我會在適當(dāng)時機(jī)以適當(dāng)方式解決這個問題。

8. stow away

意為“偷乘、無票搭乘”。它還有“收藏、儲藏、喝完、吃光”的意思。

例句：He stowed away on a ship to America.

他偷乘輪船到美國。

9. have a fright

意為“大吃一驚”。也可說get a fright。

10. spy on

意為“偵查、暗中監(jiān)視”。

例句：Jack was paid by that rich woman to spy on her husband.

杰克受雇于那個有錢的女人暗中監(jiān)視她的丈夫。

11. So the tables are turned.

等同于the situation are changed，意思為“現(xiàn)在情況不一樣了，情勢完全相反”。有點(diǎn)風(fēng)水輪流轉(zhuǎn)的意思。

Continue…

下集預(yù)告

蜜兒以及小強(qiáng)在和船長協(xié)商后決定將桑杰送到悉尼然后交給當(dāng)?shù)氐木炀?，但桑杰卻因為和父親的承諾執(zhí)意要和他們一起前往南美洲。此時他們也找到了一直在監(jiān)視他們的人的房間，并偷聽到他們要除掉白雪和蜜兒的計劃，而船上的海員們卻對蜜兒以及小強(qiáng)他們產(chǎn)生了誤會，雙方爭執(zhí)不下，他們是否會被趕下郵輪呢？