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"No, I don't believe this wood is a world at all. I think it's just a sort of in-between place." Polly looked puzzled.[qh]
“不，我认为这片树林并不是一个世界。我想，它只是一个过渡的中间地带。”波莉迷惑不解。[qh]
"Don't you see?" said Digory. "No, do listen. Think of our tunnel under the slates at home. It isn't a room in any of the houses. In a way, it isn't really part of any of the houses.[qh]
“你难道不明白？”迪格雷说，“那么听我讲。想想家里那些石板下的隧道吧。它不是任何房子的一个房间，也就是说，它不是真正属于哪幢房子的某个部分。[qh]
But once you're in the tunnel you can go along it and come into any of the houses in the row. Mightn't this wood be the same? -a place that isn't in any of the worlds, but once you've found that place you can get into them all."[qh]
但只要你进去了，就可以沿着隧道，走进那一排房子中的任何一幢。这片林子不也一样吗？一个不属于任何世界的地方，但只要找对了，你就可以到达所有的世界。”[qh]
"Well, even if you can-" began Polly, but Digory went on as if he hadn't heard her.[qh]
“那，即使你能……”波莉刚开了头，迪格雷就像没听见似的继续往下说。[qh]
"And of course that explains everything," he said. "That's why it is so quiet and sleepy here. Nothing ever happens here.[qh]
“当然，这样一切就都可以解释清楚。”他说，“为什么这里安静得让人昏昏欲睡，原因就在于此。这里从来没有发生过什么事。[qh]
Like at home. It's in the houses that people talk, and do things, and have meals. Nothing goes on in the in—between places, behind the walls and above the ceilings and under the floor, or in our own tunnel.[qh]
就像在家里，人们在房子里谈话、做事、吃饭，但在中间地带、墙后面、天花板上、地板底下，或者在我们的隧道里，什么事也没有。[qh]
But when you come out of our tunnel you may find yourself in any house. I think we can get out of this place into jolly well Anywhere! We don't need to jump back into the same pool we came up by. Or not just yet."[qh]
但如果你走出隧道，就会发现自己到了一幢房子里。我想，我们可以从这里出去，随便到哪里去！我们不需要跳回我们来的那个水潭。至少现在不。”[qh]
"The Wood between the Worlds," said Polly dreamily. "It sounds rather nice." "Come on," said Digory. "Which pool shall we try?"[qh]
“各个世界之间的树林，”波莉像说梦话似的喃喃自语，“太美妙了。”“来，”迪格雷说，“我们该跳哪个水潭？”[qh]
"Look here," said Polly, "I'm not going to try any new pool till we've made sure that we can get back by the old one. We're not even sure if it'll work yet."[qh]
“喂，”波莉说，“要搞清楚我们是不是可以从原来的水潭回去，否则我不会再去跳别的水潭。我们还不敢肯定是不是能够回去呢。”[qh]
"Yes," said Digory. "And get caught by Uncle Andrew and have our rings taken away before we've had any fun. No thanks."[qh]
“好吧，”迪格雷说，“玩也没玩就让安德鲁舅舅逮住，再把戒指拿走，多没劲儿。”[qh]
"Couldn't we just go part of the way down into our own pool," said Polly. "Just to see if it works. Then if it does, we'll change rings and come up again before we're really back in Mr. Ketterley's study."[qh]
“我们可不可以跳回原来的水潭，但只走一半，”波莉说，“看看绿戒指能否带我们回去。如果可以，我们在到达凯特利先生的书房以前就换戒指，再回这里。”[qh]
"Can we go part of the way down?" "Well, it took time coming up. I suppose it'll take a little time going back."[qh]
“这样行吗？”“嗯，来时只花了一会儿时间，我想回去也是很快的。”[qh]
Digory made rather a fuss about agreeing to this, but he had to in the end because Polly absolutely refused to do any exploring in new worlds until she had made sure about getting back to the old one.[qh]
迪格雷对此很有意见，但他只好同意了，因为不弄清楚是否可以回去，波莉便拒绝到任何新世界里去探险。[qh]
She was quite as brave as he about some dangers (wasps, for instance) but she was not so interested in finding out things nobody had ever heard of before;[qh]
在危险面前（比如，面对坏人），波莉和他一样勇敢，但她对探索闻所未闻的新事物并不很感兴趣。[qh]
for Digory was the sort of person who wants to know everything, and when he grew up he became the famous Professor Kirke who comes into other books.[qh]
由于迪格雷是那种想了解一切的人，长大以后，他成了这个系列故事另外几本书里有名的柯克教授。[qh]
After a good deal of arguing they agreed to put on their green rings ("Green for safety," said Digory, "so you can't help remembering which is which") and hold hands and jump.[qh]
经过一番争执，他们都同意戴上绿戒指（“绿色是安全色，”迪格雷说，“这样，你怎么都能记住哪枚戒指派什么用场。”），手拉手地跳下去。[qh]
But as soon as they seemed to be getting back to Uncle Andrew's study, or even to their own world, Polly was to shout "Change" and they would slip off their greens and put on their yellows. Digory wanted to be the one who shouted "Change" but Polly wouldn't agree.[qh]
但是，在快到安德鲁舅舅的书房、即将回到自己的世界时，波莉喊一声“换”，他们就脱掉绿戒指，戴上黄的。迪格雷想要喊这一声“换”，但波莉不同意。[qh]
They put on the green rings, took hands, and once more shouted "One-Two-Three-Go". This time it worked. It is very hard to tell you what it felt like, for everything happened so quickly.[qh]
他们戴上绿戒指，拉起手，再一次喊“一、二、三，跳”。这次成功了。很难告诉你到底是什么感觉，因为一切都变幻得太快。[qh]
At first there were bright lights moving about in a black sky; Digory always thinks these were stars and even swears that he saw Jupiter quite close-close enough to see its moon.[qh]
起初，夜空中游移着明亮的灯光；迪格雷总认为是星星，甚至发誓，他在离得很近的地方看见了木星，连它的卫星也看得一清二楚。[qh]
But almost at once there were rows and rows of roofs and chimney pots about them, and they could see St. Paul's and knew they were looking at London. But you could see through the walls of all the houses.[qh]
接着，周围很快出现了一排一排的屋顶和烟囱的管帽，他们看见圣保罗大教堂，知道已经到了伦敦，而且，能够穿透墙壁，看见房子里面。[qh]
Then they could see Uncle Andrew, very vague and shadowy, but getting clearer and more solid-looking all the time, just as if he were coming into focus.[qh]
他们看见安德鲁舅舅模糊的身影越变越清晰、越变越固定，似乎逐渐聚为视线的中心。[qh]
But before he became quite real Polly shouted "Change", and they did change, and our world faded away like a dream, and the green light above grew stronger and stronger, till their heads came out of the pool and they scrambled ashore.[qh]
就在安德鲁舅舅的身影即将变得完全清晰的时候，波莉喊了一声“换”；他们一换戒指，我们这个世界便像梦一样淡去了，他们头上的绿光越来越强，最后，他们又钻出水潭，趴在岸边。[qh]
And there was the wood all about them, as green and bright and still as ever. The whole thing had taken less than a minute.[qh]
那片树林仍一如既往青翠、明亮和安静。事情的全部过程发生在不到一分钟的时间里。[qh]
