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Chapter 3 Earth Commander
第3章 地球司令
The next day in Kisangani, Kiah and Rilla waited quietly in an office in Gog's house.
第二天在基桑加尼，凱和瑞拉在高格住處的一間辦公室里靜靜地等待著。
Suddenly, Commander Zadak came into the office and gave some letters to the man behind the table.
突然，扎達克司令走進辦公室，遞給辦公桌后面的那個人一些信件。
He saw the two young people and stopped in front of them.
他看見了兩個年輕人，在他們面前站住了。
"You again!" he said, "What are you doing here?"
“又是你們！”他說，“你們在這兒干嘛？”
Kiah stood up. "Good morning, Commander. We're here because we want to see Earth Commander."
凱站了起來：“早晨好，司令。我們來這兒是為了見地球司令。”
"I saw Earth Commander some minutes ago and talked to him about rain," Zadak said quietly.
“幾分鐘前我見到了地球司令，還跟他談了雨水的事。”扎達克平靜地說，
"But he didn't listen. Your captain, Seru, was here earlier this morning and began to tell him about the holes in the AOL.
“但是他不聽。你們塞魯船長今天早晨來過，并且告訴他人工臭氧層有了洞。
But Gog doesn't want to hear about our planet. He's always talking about Mars.
可是高格不想聽我們這顆星球的事。他總是談論火星。
In the end, he's going to destroy Earth."
最終他會毀了地球。”
"Please help us!" Rilla cried, "Come and see Gog with us!"
“請您幫幫我們！”瑞拉喊著，“和我們一起去見見高格吧！”
"No." Zadak looked at Kiah and then at Rilla with his blue eyes.
“不，”扎達克用他藍藍的眼睛看了看凱，又看了看瑞拉，
"I'm not talking to Gog again. And you—Gog isn't going to listen to you. Be careful—and good luck!"
“我再也不去跟高格談了。而你們——高格不會聽你們的。小心點——祝你們好運！”
Commander Zadak opened the door and left the office.
扎達克司令打開房門走出了辦公室。
Rilla looked at Kiah. "Earth Commander is a difficult man. I don't understand him."
瑞拉看了看凱：“地球司令是個不好相處的人。我真不知道他是怎么想的。”
"Everyone is afraid of him," Kiah said. "And Commander Zadak isn't going to help us."
“大家都怕他，”凱說，“扎達克司令也不準備幫助我們。”
Kiah and Rilla waited. They waited and waited.
凱和瑞拉等待著。他們等啊等。
At nearly twelve o'clock, a guard came into the office.
快12點時，一個衛兵走進辦公室。
"Come!" he said.
“來吧。”他說。
Kiah and Rilla went with the guard. The house was big and old, with big windows and many doors.
凱和瑞拉跟在衛兵后面。這是座寬敞的舊房子，有許多大窗戶，許多門。
The guard went downstairs and opened one of the doors. There was nobody in the room.
衛兵下了樓，打開了一扇門。房間里一個人也沒有。
"Wait here," the guard said, and left.
“在這兒等著。”衛兵說了一句就離開了。
Kiah and Rilla sat down on the expensive green and black chairs and looked at the expensive flowers on the tables.
凱和瑞拉在昂貴的綠黑相間的椅子上坐了下來，觀賞著桌子上那些名貴的鮮花。
There were no windows in this room.
這個房間沒有窗子。
Suddenly, the door opened and a tall, fat woman came in.
突然，門開了，一個身高體胖的女人走了進來。
Her name was Bel, and she was Gog's wife. She had a lot of long red hair and she wore an expensive blue dress.
她叫貝爾，是高格的妻子。她有一頭濃密的紅色長發，穿著一件昂貴的藍色裙子。
Bel liked expensive things. She carried a cat.
貝爾喜歡昂貴的東西。她抱著一只貓。
The cat was black and white: half its face was black and half was white; half its body was black and half was white.
那是只黑白相間的貓：貓臉一半黑一半白；貓身也是一半黑一半白。
"Why are you here? Why do you want to see Earth Commander?" she asked.
“你們來這兒干嘛？你們為什么要見地球司令？”她問，
Rilla stood up. "How do you do?" she said.
瑞拉站起身。“你好，”她說，
"We want to talk to Earth Commander about the AOL. We have new numbers from the satellite."
“我們要和地球司令談談人工臭氧層的事。我們從衛星上獲得了新數據。”
Bel's face was red. "The AOL! Earth Commander knows about the AOL, and he is the best man—"
貝爾的臉漲紅了：“人工臭氧層。地球司令知道人工臭氧層的事。他是最——”
"Excuse me," Kiah said quietly. "We want to help Earth Commander."
“對不起，”凱平靜地說，“我們想幫助地球司令。”
Bel began to laugh. "Help? You?" the cat jumped down and walked across the room.
貝爾笑了：“幫助？你們？”那只貓跳了下來走到房間的另一頭。
"How can you help? Why can't you understand? Listen. Earth Commander is working on the spaceship for Mars.
“你們怎么幫他？你們怎么不明白呢？聽著，地球司令正忙著制造去火星的飛船。
It's difficult and expensive work." the cat jumped on to Rilla's chair and looked at her with its yellow eyes.
這可是既費力又費錢的工作。”那只貓跳到瑞拉的椅子上，黃色的眼睛看著她。
"Two years ago, Adai wanted more money for the AOL—and Earth Commander sent him to the colony under the Moon.
“兩年前，阿岱想為人工臭氧層要更多的錢——地球司令把他送到了月亮下面的部族。
Now you're talking about the AoL. Do you want to go to the Moon, too?"
現在你們又在談人工臭氧層，你們也想到月亮那兒去嗎？”
The door opened again and a different guard came in. "Excuse me. Earth Commander is ready now."
門又開了，另一個衛兵走了進來：“對不起，地球司令可以接見了。”
Bel stood up. "You can see Earth Commander now," she said coldly. "But you're going to be sorry!"
貝爾站起身。“你們現在可以去見地球司令了，”她冷冰冰地說，“可你們會后悔的！”
The guard opened a different door, and Bel and the cat went into a beautiful room with expensive, very old tables and chairs.
衛兵打開另外一扇門，貝爾和那只貓走進一個擺滿非常古老、昂貴的家具的房間。
Rilla and Kiah went in behind them.
瑞拉和凱跟在他們后面。
There were no windows in the room, but a lot of pictures. There was Gog!
這間屋子也沒有窗戶，墻上掛滿了圖畫。高格就在里面！
The richest man on Earth; and the worst man on Earth. He was tall and fat, and without much hair.
這個世界上最富也最壞的人。他又高又胖，頭發稀疏。
He sat behind a big table with a television, three computers and five telephones.
他坐在一張大桌子后面，桌上放著一臺電視，三臺電腦，五部電話。
He watched the television and didn't look at Kiah or Rilla.
只見他注視著電視屏幕，根本不看凱和瑞拉。
Two guards with guns stood behind him and two more guards stood near the door.
兩個持槍的衛兵站在他身后，還有兩個站在門邊。
Here they are!" Bel said. "They aren't friends, oh no!
“他們來了，”貝爾說，“他們不是朋友，噢，不是。
They want to talk about the AOL, of course. No one under-stands about Mars—"
當然，他們要談談人工臭氧層的事。沒人懂得火星——”
"That's all right, that's all right," Gog said quickly.
“行了，行了，”高格不耐煩地打斷她。
And then he looked up, first at Rilla and then at Kiah. His eyes were cold and green.
之后他抬起頭看看瑞拉又看看凱。那是一雙冷漠的綠眼睛。
"I know about you two,"he said. "Your captain told me about you.
“我知道你們倆，”他說，“你們船長跟我說起過你們。
You're famous! Two children! You want to help planet Earth, is that right?" He waited.
你們名氣不小啊！兩個孩子！你們想拯救地球，是不是？”他等著回答。
The cat jumped on to his table and sat down in front of the television.
那只貓跳上他的桌子坐在電視機前。
"Yes, Commander," Kiah began. "The AOL is breaking up—"
“是的，司令，”凱開口了，“人工臭氧層正在破裂——”
"When? Tonight? Tomorrow?" Gog said angrily.
什么時候？今天晚上？明天？”高格生氣地說，
I heard this old story two years ago, from Adai.
“兩年前我就聽阿岱說過這個老掉牙的故事。
Everyone comes here and wants money—money for the AOL, money for rain, money for the Moon colony.
每個人都到這兒來要錢——為人工臭氧層，為下雨的事，為月亮部族。
But I am Earth Commander, and you are nobody! I know about the AOL and the AOL is good for a hundred years!"
“但是我是地球司令，你們什么也不是！我知道人工臭氧層，它能堅持一百年！”
"But the satellite—" Kiah began again.
“可是衛星——”凱又開口了。
"Be quiet!" Gog cried. "I am Earth Commander!
“少廢話！”高格叫了起來，“我是地球司令！
I'm not going to give money for the AOL! Or for rain! Or for the Moon!" Gog looked at the guards near the door.
我不會為人工臭氧層花錢！也不為下雨的事花錢！也不為月亮！”高格看了一眼門口的衛兵，
"Take them—take them away. I don't want to hear them."
“把他們——把他們帶走。我不想聽他們講話。”
The guards moved behind Kiah and Rilla, and Bel began to laugh.
衛兵們在凱和瑞拉身后行動起來，貝爾笑了：
"Goodbye!" she said. "You're not going to the Moon, you're going to prison!
“再見了！”她說，“你們去不了月球，你們要去的地方是監獄！
You can talk about the holes in the AOL there!"
你們可以在那兒談論人工臭氧層上的洞！”
