評論
打印
"How can I cross the desert?" she inquired.
她問：“我怎么能夠穿越這沙漠？”
"Well, I'll tell you what I think," said the little man.
“哦，我有一個絕妙的主意，”矮小的老人說。
"You see, when I came to this country it was in a balloon.
“我告訴過你的，我來到這個國土上，是坐在一個輕氣球里面的。
You also came through the air, being carried by a cyclone.
你也是被一陣旋風卷著，從空中飄來的。
So I believe the best way to get across the desert will be through the air.
所以我相信從空中走，一定能越過沙漠。
Now, it is quite beyond my powers to make a cyclone;
現在要制造一陣旋風，這我們都做不到；
and I've been thinking the matter over, and I believe I can make a balloon."
但是我認真地想過這件事情了，我相信我能夠做一個輕氣球。”
"How?" asked Dorothy.
多蘿茜問：“做輕氣球？”
"A balloon," said Oz, "is made of silk, which is coated with glue to keep the gas in it.
“不錯，”奧芝說，“是用綢來做的，涂上了膠，使它里面儲藏著煤氣。
I have plenty of silk in the Palace, so it will be no trouble to make the balloon.
在我的宮殿里，有許多的綢，所以做一個輕氣球，不費什么事兒的。
But in all this country there is no gas to fill the balloon with, to make it float."
但是在我這整個國家里，沒有煤氣，來裝進輕氣球里去，使它飛起來?！?/div>
"If it won't float," remarked Dorothy, "it will be of no use to us."
“如果沒有煤氣，”多蘿茜注意地說，“那輕氣球對我就沒有用處了?！?/div>
"True," answered Oz. "But there is another way to make it float, which is to fill it with hot air.
“確實是這樣，”奧芝回答。“但是還有一個辦法讓它升起來，可以用熱氣灌滿在里面。
Hot air isn't as good as gas, for if the air should get cold the balloon would come down in the desert, and we should be lost."
但是熱氣不如煤氣那般安全，因為假如碰到了寒冷，那輕氣球便會墜落在沙漠里，我們將迷失在沙漠里了。”
"We!" exclaimed the girl. "Are you going with me?"
“我們！”女孩子高聲喊出來；“你要跟我一起走！”
"Yes, of course," replied Oz. "I am tired of being such a humbug.
“是的，當然，”奧芝回答說。“我不愿意再做一個騙子了。
If I should go out of this Palace my people would soon discover I am not a Wizard,
如果我走出這個宮殿，我的老百姓立刻會發現事實的真相，
and then they would be vexed with me for having deceived them.
于是他們讓我不得安寧，因為我欺騙了他們。
So I have to stay shut up in these rooms all day, and it gets tiresome.
因此我不得不整天地關在這些房間里，我已經厭倦。
I'd much rather go back to Kansas with you and be in a circus again."
我決定和你一起回去，寧愿再回到馬戲班里?！?/p>
