The Rainbow Fairies 彩虹仙子（节选）

李明娟选译

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

“我们当然会找你的姐妹们。”科斯蒂很快说，“不是吗，瑞秋？”

Rachel nodded.

瑞秋点点头。

“Oh， thank you！” Ruby said happily.

“哦，谢谢你！”鲁比高兴地说。

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

“但我们只在这里呆一个星期。”瑞秋说，“够久吗？”

“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.”

“我们必须马上开始。”鲁比说，“首先，我必须带你去仙境见我们的国王和王后。他们知道你们会帮忙找到我的姐妹一定会很高兴。”

Rachel and Kirsty looked at Ruby.

瑞秋和科斯蒂盯着鲁比。

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

“你要带我们去仙境？”科斯蒂很惊讶，她简直不敢相信自己的耳朵。

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

“但是我们怎么去呢？“瑞秋想知道。

“Well fly，” Ruby answered.

“我们可以飞过去。”鲁比回答。

“But we cant fly！” Rachel said.

“但是我们不会飞！”瑞秋说。

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.

鲁比笑了，她在姑娘们头上飞舞起来。然后她在她们头顶挥了挥魔杖，神奇的红色仙尘飘落下来。

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

瑞秋和科斯蒂开始觉得有点奇怪。树是变大了还是变小了呢？

They were getting smaller！

她们越变越小了！

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

越來越小，越来越小，直到和鲁比一样大。

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

“我变小了！”瑞秋笑着说，她太小了，周围的花看起来像树一样大。

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

科斯蒂扭过头去看她的背，她有翅膀了——像蝴蝶一样闪亮而娇嫩！

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

鲁比对着她们微笑起来。“现在你们可以飞了。”她说，“我们走吧。”

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！

瑞秋动了动肩膀，她的翅膀拍打着，她升到了空中。一开始她飞得左摇右晃，飞行一点也不像走路！

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

“救命啊！”科斯蒂大叫着，她冲上了天空。“我不太擅长这个！”

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

“来吧。”鲁比拉着她们的手说，“我来帮你们。”她领着她们走出草地。

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

瑞秋从空中俯视着雷恩斯佩尔岛，她可以看到海边的小屋和港口。

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

“仙境在哪里，鲁比？”科斯蒂问。她们飞得越来越高，飞到了云朵里。

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

“太远了，没有人能找到它。”鲁比说。

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！”

她们在云层中飞行了很长很长时间。但最后鲁比转过身来对她们笑了起来。“我们到了。”她说，“幸运的是，当我们在仙境中时，你们世界的时间没有流逝，没人会知道你们不见了！”

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.

当她们从云层中飞下来时，科斯蒂和瑞秋看到了从池塘照片中没有看清楚的地方：宫殿、山坡和他们的毒菌房、河流。但是现在没有鲜艳的颜色了，因为杰克·弗罗斯特的魔法，导致一切都是灰暗的。

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

几个仙女痛苦地走过山坡，她们的翅膀无力地垂在背上，甚至没有人有精力飞翔。

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

突然，其中一个仙女向天空瞥了一眼。“看！”她喊道，“是鲁比。她回来了！”

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

仙女們立刻飞向鲁比、科斯蒂和瑞秋。她们围着鲁比转了转，看上去高兴多了，问了很多问题。

“Have you come from Rainspell， Ruby？”

“鲁比，你是从雷斯佩尔来的吗？”

“Where are the other Rainbow Fairies？”

“其他彩虹仙女呢？”

“Who are your friends？”

“你的这些朋友是谁呀？”

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

“首先，我们必须见到国王和王后，然后我会把一切都告诉你们！“鲁比说。

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.

奥伯伦国王和提坦尼亚王后坐在他们的宝座上。他们的宫殿和仙境里的一切一样灰暗。但是当鲁比和瑞秋、科斯蒂一起到达时，他们却热情地笑了。

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

“欢迎回来，鲁比。”女王说，“我们很想你。”

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

“陛下，我找到了两个相信魔法的人！“鲁比说，“这是我的新朋友，科斯蒂和瑞秋。”

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

鲁比很快说了其他彩虹仙女的遭遇，她告诉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.”

“谢谢你。”国王对他们说，“我们的彩虹仙女对我们来说很重要。”

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

“你们会帮我们寻找鲁比的彩虹姐妹吗？”王后问。

“Yes， we will，” Kirsty said.

“是的，我们会的。”科斯蒂说。

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

“但是我们怎么知道该去哪里找呢？“瑞秋问。

“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.”

“訣窍是，不要觉得太难。”泰坦尼克女王说，“别担心。当你享受剩下的假期时，寻找每一个彩虹仙女所需的魔法会出现在你们面前的。大家等着瞧吧。”

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.

奥伯伦国王正在思索。“你还有六天假期，有六个仙女要找。”他说，“每天都要找到一个仙女。这次寻找仙女的数量比较大，你们需要一些特别的帮助。”他朝一个仆人点点头，那是一个穿着夹克的胖乎乎的青蛙。

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边，递给她们每人一个银色的小袋子。

“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.

“袋子里装着魔法工具。”女王告诉她们，“先别往里面看。当你们真正需要时再打开，会发现里面的东西可以帮到你们。”她微笑着看着科斯蒂和瑞秋。

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

“看！”另一个青蛙仆人突然喊道，“鲁比开始褪色了！”

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.

瑞秋和科斯蒂惊恐地看着鲁比。仙女在她们眼前变得更苍白了，她可爱的裙子不再是红色，而是粉红色，金色的头发也变白了。

“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·弗罗斯特的魔法还在发挥作用。”国王说，看上去很担心，“我们无法解除他的咒语，除非彩虹仙女们再次聚集在一起。”

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

“快点，鲁比！”王后催促道，“你必须马上回到雷恩斯佩尔。”

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

鲁比、科斯蒂和瑞秋升到空中，翅膀不停扇动着。

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

“别担心！”科斯蒂一边喊，一边飞得更高，“我们很快就会带着彩虹仙女回来的！”

“Good luck！” called the king and queen.

“祝你们好运！”国王和王后喊道。

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.

飞走的同时瑞秋和科斯蒂焦急地看着鲁比。当她们离仙境越来越远时，鲁比的颜色开始恢复，很快她又变得光彩起来。

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.

三個女孩终于到达了雷斯佩尔。鲁比领着瑞秋和科斯蒂来到树林里的空地上，她们落在了那个又老又黑的罐子旁边，然后鲁比在瑞秋和科斯蒂身上撒下了仙尘。一阵红烟过去，两个女孩又恢复了正常的身高。瑞秋发现她的翅膀不见了。

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

“哦，我真的很喜欢当仙女。”科斯蒂说。

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

她们看着鲁比把魔粉撒在那只又旧又黑的罐子上。

“What are you doing？” Rachel asked.

“你在干什么？“瑞秋问。

“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·弗罗斯特的魔法让我无法帮你们寻找我的姐妹们。”鲁比悲伤地回答，“如果试着去做，我可能会完全消失。所以我会在彩虹尽头的罐子里等你们。”

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

“罐子会藏在那棵树下。”鲁比说，“它在那里很安全。”

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

“我们最好开始寻找其他彩虹仙女。”瑞秋对科斯蒂说，“我们该从哪里开始呢？”

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！”

鲁比摇摇头。“记住王后说的话。”她告诉她们，“魔法会出现在你们面前的。”她飞过去坐在罐子边沿，推开一根柳枝，向瑞秋和科斯蒂挥挥手，“再见，祝你们好运！”

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

“我们很快就会回来的，鲁比。”科斯蒂说。

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

“我们一定会找到你所有的彩虹姐妹的。”瑞秋坚定地说，“你就等着瞧吧！”

（英文原文选自：lxwc.com.cn）

【Notes】

1. enough adv. 足够地，充足地

2. believe vi. 信任;料想;笃信宗教;vt. 相信;认为;信任

3. whirl v. （使）旋转，回旋;（使）急转，飞跑

4. swirl v. 盘绕，打旋;使成漩涡

5. wand n. 魔杖;棒;权杖

6. flutter v. 飘动;（鸟或昆虫）鼓翼;飞来飞去

7. strange adj. 奇怪的;陌生的

8. twist v. 使弯曲;拧;扭去;挣扎;扭伤（关节）;歪曲;旋转;使缠绕

9. delicate adj. 精美的，雅致的;易碎的;纤弱的

10. harbor n. 港，海港

11. toadstool n. 毒菌;伞菌;羊肚菌

12. spell n. 符咒;着魔

13. limply adv. 柔软地;四肢无力地，软绵绵地

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;王权

17. magic n. 魔法，巫术;魔术

18. fade vi. 褪色;凋谢;逐渐消失

19. horror n. 惊骇;惨状;极端厌恶;令人恐怖的事物

20. firmly adv. 坚定地，坚决地