The Rainbow Fairies 彩虹仙子（節(jié)選）

李明娟選譯

“Of course well look for your sisters，” Kirsty said quickly. “Wont we， Rachel？”

“我們當(dāng)然會找你的姐妹們?！笨扑沟俸芸煺f，“不是嗎，瑞秋？”

Rachel nodded.

瑞秋點點頭。

“Oh， thank you！” Ruby said happily.

“哦，謝謝你！”魯比高興地說。

“But were only here for a week，” Rachel said. “Will that be long enough1？”

“但我們只在這里呆一個星期?！比鹎镎f，“夠久嗎？”

“We have to get started right away，” said Ruby. “First， I must take you to Fairyland to meet our king and queen. They will be very happy to know that you are going to help me find my sisters.”

“我們必須馬上開始?！濒敱日f，“首先，我必須帶你去仙境見我們的國王和王后。他們知道你們會幫忙找到我的姐妹一定會很高興?！?/p>

Rachel and Kirsty looked at Ruby.

瑞秋和科斯蒂盯著魯比。

“Youre taking us to Fairyland？” Kirsty said in surprise. She could hardly believe2 her ears.

“你要帶我們?nèi)ハ删常俊笨扑沟俸荏@訝，她簡直不敢相信自己的耳朵。

“But how will we get there？” Rachel wanted to know.

“但是我們怎么去呢？“瑞秋想知道。

“Well fly，” Ruby answered.

“我們可以飛過去?！濒敱然卮?。

“But we cant fly！” Rachel said.

“但是我們不會飛！”瑞秋說。

Ruby smiled. She whirled3 up into the air over the girls heads. Then she swirled4 her wand5 above them. Magic red fairy dust fluttered6 down.

魯比笑了，她在姑娘們頭上飛舞起來。然后她在她們頭頂揮了揮魔杖，神奇的紅色仙塵飄落下來。

Rachel and Kirsty began to feel a bit strange7. Were the trees getting bigger or were they getting smaller？

瑞秋和科斯蒂開始覺得有點奇怪。樹是變大了還是變小了呢？

They were getting smaller！

她們越變越小了！

Smaller and smaller and smaller， until they were the same size as Ruby.

越來越小，越來越小，直到和魯比一樣大。

“Im small！” Rachel laughed. She was so small， the flowers around her looked as big as trees.

“我變小了！”瑞秋笑著說，她太小了，周圍的花看起來像樹一樣大。

Kirsty twisted8 around to look at her back. She had wings—shiny and delicate9 as a butterflys.

科斯蒂扭過頭去看她的背，她有翅膀了——像蝴蝶一樣閃亮而嬌嫩！

Ruby smiled at them. “Now you can fly，” she said. “Lets go.”

魯比對著她們微笑起來?！艾F(xiàn)在你們可以飛了?！彼f，“我們走吧?！?/p>

Rachel moved her shoulders. Her wings fluttered， and she rose up into the air. She flew from side to side at first. Flying was not at all like walking！

瑞秋動了動肩膀，她的翅膀拍打著，她升到了空中。一開始她飛得左搖右晃，飛行一點也不像走路！

“Help！” Kirsty shouted， as she flew up into the air. “Im not very good at this！”

“救命啊！”科斯蒂大叫著，她沖上了天空。“我不太擅長這個！”

“Come on，” said Ruby， taking their hands. “Ill help you.” She led them up out of the grass.

“來吧?！濒敱壤齻兊氖终f，“我來幫你們?！彼I(lǐng)著她們走出草地。

From the air， Rachel looked down on Rainspell Island. She could see small houses next to the beach， and the harbor10.

瑞秋從空中俯視著雷恩斯佩爾島，她可以看到海邊的小屋和港口。

“Where is Fairyland， Ruby？” Kirsty asked. They were flying higher and higher， up into the clouds.

“仙境在哪里，魯比？”科斯蒂問。她們飛得越來越高，飛到了云朵里。

“Its so far away that no one could ever find it，” Ruby said.

“太遠(yuǎn)了，沒有人能找到它。”魯比說。

They flew on through the clouds for a long， long time. But at last Ruby turned to them and smiled. “Were here，” she said. “Luckily， while were in Fairyland， no time passes in your world. No one will even know you were gone！”

她們在云層中飛行了很長很長時間。但最后魯比轉(zhuǎn)過身來對她們笑了起來?！拔覀兊搅恕！彼f，“幸運的是，當(dāng)我們在仙境中時，你們世界的時間沒有流逝，沒人會知道你們不見了！”

As they flew down from the clouds， Kirsty and Rachel saw places they couldnt see clearly from the lake picture： the palace， the hillsides with their toadstool11 houses， the river. But there were no bright colors now. Because of Jack Frosts spell12， everything was in the color of gray.

當(dāng)她們從云層中飛下來時，科斯蒂和瑞秋看到了從池塘照片中沒有看清楚的地方：宮殿、山坡和他們的毒菌房、河流。但是現(xiàn)在沒有鮮艷的顏色了，因為杰克·弗羅斯特的魔法，導(dǎo)致一切都是灰暗的。

A few fairies walked hard across the hillsides. Their wings hung limply13 down their backs. No one even had the energy14 to fly.

幾個仙女痛苦地走過山坡，她們的翅膀無力地垂在背上，甚至沒有人有精力飛翔。

Suddenly15， one of the fairies looked up into the sky. “Look！” she shouted. “Its Ruby. Shes come back！”

突然，其中一個仙女向天空瞥了一眼。“看！”她喊道，“是魯比。她回來了！”

At once， the fairies flew up toward Ruby， Kirsty， and Rachel. They circled around Ruby， looking much happier， and asking lots of questions.

仙女們立刻飛向魯比、科斯蒂和瑞秋。她們圍著魯比轉(zhuǎn)了轉(zhuǎn)，看上去高興多了，問了很多問題。

“Have you come from Rainspell， Ruby？”

“魯比，你是從雷斯佩爾來的嗎？”

“Where are the other Rainbow Fairies？”

“其他彩虹仙女呢？”

“Who are your friends？”

“你的這些朋友是誰呀？”

“First， we must see the king and queen. Then I will tell you everything！” Ruby said.

“首先，我們必須見到國王和王后，然后我會把一切都告訴你們！“魯比說。

King Oberon and Queen Titania were seated on their thrones16. Their palace was as gray and dark as everything else in Fairyland. But they smiled warmly when Ruby arrived with Rachel and Kirsty.

奧伯倫國王和提坦尼亞王后坐在他們的寶座上。他們的宮殿和仙境里的一切一樣灰暗。但是當(dāng)魯比和瑞秋、科斯蒂一起到達(dá)時，他們卻熱情地笑了。

“Welcome back， Ruby，” the queen said. “We have missed you.”

“歡迎回來，魯比?！迸跽f，“我們很想你。”

“Your Majesties， I have found two humans who believe in magic17！” Ruby said. “These are my new friends， Kirsty and Rachel.”

“陛下，我找到了兩個相信魔法的人！“魯比說，“這是我的新朋友，科斯蒂和瑞秋?！?/p>

Quickly， Ruby talked about what had happened to the other Rainbow Fairies. She told everyone how Rachel and Kirsty had saved her.

魯比很快說了其他彩虹仙女的遭遇，她告訴大家瑞秋和科斯蒂是怎么救她的。

“You have our thanks，” the king told them. “Our Rainbow Fairies are very special to us.”

“謝謝你?！眹鯇λ麄冋f，“我們的彩虹仙女對我們來說很重要。”

“And will you help us to find Rubys Rainbow sisters？” the queen asked.

“你們會幫我們尋找魯比的彩虹姐妹嗎？”王后問。

“Yes， we will，” Kirsty said.

“是的，我們會的?！笨扑沟僬f。

“But how will we know where to look？” Rachel asked.

“但是我們怎么知道該去哪里找呢？“瑞秋問。

“The trick is not to look too hard，” said Queen Titania. “Dont worry. As you enjoy the rest of your vacation， the magic you need to find each Rainbow Fairy will find you. Just wait and see.”

“訣竅是，不要覺得太難?！碧┨鼓峥伺跽f，“別擔(dān)心。當(dāng)你享受剩下的假期時，尋找每一個彩虹仙女所需的魔法會出現(xiàn)在你們面前的。大家等著瞧吧?！?/p>

King Oberon was thinking about it. “You have six days of your vacation left， and six fairies to find，” he said. “A fairy each day. Thats a lot of fairy-finding. You will need some special help.” He nodded at one of his footmen， a fat frog in a jacket.

奧伯倫國王正在思索?！澳氵€有六天假期，有六個仙女要找?！彼f，“每天都要找到一個仙女。這次尋找仙女的數(shù)量比較大，你們需要一些特別的幫助?！彼粋€仆人點點頭，那是一個穿著夾克的胖乎乎的青蛙。

The frog jumped over to Rachel and Kirsty and handed them each a small， silver bag.

青蛙跳到瑞秋和科斯蒂身邊，遞給她們每人一個銀色的小袋子。

“The bags contain magic tools，” the queen told them. “Dont look inside them yet. Open them only when you really need to， and you will find something to help you.” She smiled at Kirsty and Rachel.

“袋子里裝著魔法工具。”女王告訴她們，“先別往里面看。當(dāng)你們真正需要時再打開，會發(fā)現(xiàn)里面的東西可以幫到你們。”她微笑著看著科斯蒂和瑞秋。

“Look！” shouted another frog footman suddenly. “Ruby is beginning to fade18！”

“看！”另一個青蛙仆人突然喊道，“魯比開始褪色了！”

Rachel and Kirsty looked at Ruby in horror19. The fairy was growing paler before their eyes. Her lovely dress was no longer red， but pink， and her golden hair was turning white.

瑞秋和科斯蒂驚恐地看著魯比。仙女在她們眼前變得更蒼白了，她可愛的裙子不再是紅色，而是粉紅色，金色的頭發(fā)也變白了。

“Jack Frosts magic is still at work，” said the king， looking worried. “We cannot undo his spell until the Rainbow Fairies are all together again.”

“杰克·弗羅斯特的魔法還在發(fā)揮作用?！眹跽f，看上去很擔(dān)心，“我們無法解除他的咒語，除非彩虹仙女們再次聚集在一起。”

“Quickly， Ruby！” said the queen worriedly. “You must go back to Rainspell at once.”

“快點，魯比！”王后催促道，“你必須馬上回到雷恩斯佩爾?！?/p>

Ruby， Kirsty， and Rachel rose into the air， their wings fluttering.

魯比、科斯蒂和瑞秋升到空中，翅膀不停扇動著。

“Dont worry！” Kirsty called， as they flew higher. “Well come back with all the Rainbow Fairies very soon！”

“別擔(dān)心！”科斯蒂一邊喊，一邊飛得更高，“我們很快就會帶著彩虹仙女回來的！”

“Good luck！” called the king and queen.

“祝你們好運！”國王和王后喊道。

Rachel and Kirsty watched Ruby worriedly as they all flew off. As they got farther away from Fairyland， Rubys color began to get back. Soon she was bright and sparkling again.

飛走的同時瑞秋和科斯蒂焦急地看著魯比。當(dāng)她們離仙境越來越遠(yuǎn)時，魯比的顏色開始恢復(fù)，很快她又變得光彩起來。

The three girls got to Rainspell at last. Ruby led Rachel and Kirsty to the clearing in the woods， and they landed next to the old， black pot. Then Ruby scattered fairy dust over Rachel and Kirsty. There was a puff of red smoke， and the two girls shot up to their normal size again. Rachel found her wings were gone.

三個女孩終于到達(dá)了雷斯佩爾。魯比領(lǐng)著瑞秋和科斯蒂來到樹林里的空地上，她們落在了那個又老又黑的罐子旁邊，然后魯比在瑞秋和科斯蒂身上撒下了仙塵。一陣紅煙過去，兩個女孩又恢復(fù)了正常的身高。瑞秋發(fā)現(xiàn)她的翅膀不見了。

“Oh， I really loved being a fairy，” Kirsty said.

“哦，我真的很喜歡當(dāng)仙女?！笨扑沟僬f。

They watched as Rubythrew her magic dust over the old， black pot.

她們看著魯比把魔粉撒在那只又舊又黑的罐子上。

“What are you doing？” Rachel asked.

“你在干什么？“瑞秋問。

“Jack Frosts magic means that I cant help you look for my sisters，” Ruby answered sadly. “If I try， I might fade away completely. So I will wait for you here， in the pot at the end of the rainbow.”

“杰克·弗羅斯特的魔法讓我無法幫你們尋找我的姐妹們。”魯比悲傷地回答，“如果試著去做，我可能會完全消失。所以我會在彩虹盡頭的罐子里等你們?！?/p>

“The pot will be hidden under that tree，” Ruby said. “Ill be safe there.”

“罐子會藏在那棵樹下?！濒敱日f，“它在那里很安全?！?/p>

“Wed better start looking for the other Rainbow Fairies，” Rachel said to Kirsty. “Where shall we start？”

“我們最好開始尋找其他彩虹仙女?！比鹎飳扑沟僬f，“我們該從哪里開始呢？”

Ruby shook her head. “Remember what the queen said，” she told them. “The magic will come to you.” She flew over and sat on the edge of the pot. Then she pushed aside one of the willow branches and waved at Rachel and Kirsty. “Goodbye， and good luck！”

魯比搖搖頭?！坝涀⊥鹾笳f的話?！彼嬖V她們，“魔法會出現(xiàn)在你們面前的?！彼w過去坐在罐子邊沿，推開一根柳枝，向瑞秋和科斯蒂揮揮手，“再見，祝你們好運！”

“Well be back soon， Ruby，” Kirsty said.

“我們很快就會回來的，魯比?！笨扑沟僬f。

“Were going to find all of your Rainbow sisters，” Rachel said firmly20. “Just you wait and see！”

“我們一定會找到你所有的彩虹姐妹的?！比鹎飯远ǖ卣f，“你就等著瞧吧！”

（英文原文選自：lxwc.com.cn）

【Notes】

1. enough adv. 足夠地，充足地

2. believe vi. 信任;料想;篤信宗教;vt. 相信;認(rèn)為;信任

3. whirl v. （使）旋轉(zhuǎn)，回旋;（使）急轉(zhuǎn)，飛跑

4. swirl v. 盤繞，打旋;使成漩渦

5. wand n. 魔杖;棒;權(quán)杖

6. flutter v. 飄動;（鳥或昆蟲）鼓翼;飛來飛去

7. strange adj. 奇怪的;陌生的

8. twist v. 使彎曲;擰;扭去;掙扎;扭傷（關(guān)節(jié)）;歪曲;旋轉(zhuǎn);使纏繞

9. delicate adj. 精美的，雅致的;易碎的;纖弱的

10. harbor n. 港，海港

11. toadstool n. 毒菌;傘菌;羊肚菌

12. spell n. 符咒;著魔

13. limply adv. 柔軟地;四肢無力地，軟綿綿地

14. energy n. [物] 能量;精力;活力;精神

15. suddenly adv. 突然地;忽然

16. throne n. 王座;君主;王權(quán)

17. magic n. 魔法，巫術(shù);魔術(shù)

18. fade vi. 褪色;凋謝;逐漸消失

19. horror n. 驚駭;慘狀;極端厭惡;令人恐怖的事物

20. firmly adv. 堅定地，堅決地