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It was now drawing near to that time of the day on which their hopes of escape depended, and all became nervous. They hung about in passages and waited for things to become quiet.
现在离准备外逃的时间越来越近，所以三个人都很紧张。他们在走廊里晃来晃去，等城堡安静下来。
The giants in the hall sat on a dreadfully long time after the meal was over. The bald one was telling a story. When that was over, the three travellers dawdled down to the kitchen.
午饭过后，那些巨人又在大厅里坐了好一会儿才散场。一个秃头巨人在讲故事，等故事结束，三个旅行者又逛到厨房。
But there were still plenty of giants there, or at least in the scullery, washing up and putting things away.
但那里的巨人还很多，至少洗碗工还在洗盘子，收拾东西。
It was agonizing, waiting till these finished their jobs and, one by one, wiped their hands and went away. At last only one old giantess was left in the room.
等待真是件痛苦的事，他们三人要看着这些人完成工作，一个个洗完手后离开。最后只有一个巨人留在房间里。
She pottered about, and pottered about, and at last the three travellers realized with horror that she did not intend to go away at all.
她负责看门，待了一会不走，又待了一会还不走，最后他们才绝望地意识到这个女巨人根本没打算离开。
"Well, dearies," she said to them. "That job's about through. Let's put the kettle there. That'll make a nice cup of tea presently. Now I can have a little bit of a rest. Just look into the scullery, like good poppets, and tell me if the back door is open."
“喂，亲爱的。”女巨人对他们说，“我的工作做完了。把水壶放上，这样一会就能沏一杯好茶。我现在要休息一会儿了。乖宝宝，帮我看看洗碗间那扇后门开着吗？”
"Yes, it is," said Scrubb. "That's right. I always leave it open so as Puss can get in and out, the poor thing." Then she sat down on one chair and put her feet up on another.
“开着的。”斯库波说。“这样很好。我总把后门开着，这样你这个小可爱就能随意出入了。可怜的小家伙。”然后她在一把椅子上坐下，把脚翘起来搁在另一把椅子上。
"I don't know as I mightn't have forty winks," said the giantess. "If only that blarney hunting party doesn't come back too soon."
“我不知道是不是能打个盹。”女巨人说，“如果那些参加打猎的光会拍马屁的家伙晚回来会儿就好了。”
All their spirits leaped up when she mentioned forty winks, and flopped down again when she mentioned the return of the hunting party. "When do they usually comeback?" asked Jill.
听到她说打盹，他们三人立刻精神振奋，但一说到国王打猎回家，他们又变得失落起来。“他们一般什么时候回来？”吉尔问。
"You never can tell," said the giantess. "But there; go and be quiet for a bit, my dearies."
“这可说不好。”女巨人说，“你们先去安静地待会儿吧，亲爱的。”
They retreated to the far end of the kitchen, and would have slipped out into the scullery there and then if the giantess had not sat up, opened her eyes, and brushed away a fly.
他们退到了厨房远端，如果不是女巨人又坐起来，睁开眼睛，还轰走一只苍蝇的话，他们早溜出厨房进入储物间了。
"Don't try it till we're sure she's really asleep," whispered Scrubb. "Or it'll spoil everything." So they all huddled at the kitchen end, waiting and watching.
“等确认她完全睡着了再行动。”斯库波轻声说，“否则就前功尽弃了。”他们三人在厨房尽头挤成一团，边观望边等待。
The thought that the hunters might come back at any moment was terrible. And the giantess was fidgety. Whenever they thought she had really gone to sleep, she moved.
一想到国王狩猎队随时可能回来就让他们心惊胆战。眼前这位女巨人真是一刻也不老实。每当认为她睡着了，她都会动一动。
"I can't bear this," thought Jill. To distract her mind, she began looking about her. Just in front of her was a clean wide table with two clean pie-dishes on it, and an open book.
“我受不了了。”吉尔说。为了分散注意力，她开始东瞧瞧西看看。正前方是一张又宽又干净的桌子，上面放着两个盛馅饼用的盘子，刷得很干净，旁边还有本打开的书。
They were giant pie-dishes of course. Jill thought that she could lie down just comfortably in one of them. Then she climbed up on the bench beside the table to look at the book.
当然，那是巨人用的盘子。吉尔想躺进盘子里，这样会舒服点。于是，她沿着凳子爬到桌子旁边，瞥见了放在那里的一本书。
She read: MALLARD. This delicious bird can be cooked in a variety of ways. "It's a cookery book," thought Jill without much interest, and glanced over her shoulder.
书中写道：“绿头鸭。这种鸟很鲜美，烹饪方法也多种多样。”“原来是一本烹饪书。”吉尔想，她对此没什么兴趣。她回头瞥了女巨人一眼。
The giantess's eyes were shut but she didn't look as if she were properly asleep. Jill glanced back at the book.
那家伙闭着眼睛，但不像完全睡着了的样子。吉尔又看了眼书。
It was arranged alphabetically: and at the very next entry her heart seemed to stop beating; It ran—MAN.
里面的内容是按字母顺序编排的。当她看到下一个条目时，心脏好像都停止了跳动。只见上面写着：人类。
This elegant little biped has long been valued as a delicacy. It forms a traditional part of the Autumn Feast, and is served between the fish and the joint.
这种优雅的两足类动物一直以来都备受推崇，是秋宴上的传统菜品，一般都在鱼肉和牛羊肉中间送上桌。
Each Man—but she could not bear to read any more. She turned round. The giantess had wakened up and was having a fit of coughing.
每个人……吉尔再也看不下去了，她转过身。女巨人醒了，咳嗽了几声。
Jill nudged the other two and pointed to the book. They also mounted the bench and bent over the huge pages.
吉尔用胳膊肘轻轻推了两个同伴一下，并指了指书。于是他们俩也爬上凳子，弯腰看了看书。
Scrubb was still reading about how to cook Men when Puddleglum pointed to the next entry below it. It was like this: MARSH-WIGGLE.
斯库波还在读怎么烹制人类时，帕德格莱姆指了指下面的一个词条。内容如下：沼泽人。
Some authorities reject this animal altogether as unfit for giants' consumption because of its stringy consistency and muddy flavour.
一些权威人士认为这种动物不适合巨人吃，因为它筋多，而且满是泥土味。
The flavour can, however, be greatly reduced if—Jill touched his feet, and Scrubb's, gently. All three looked back at the giantess.
然而，这种土味是能去掉的，如果用……吉尔轻轻地碰了碰帕德格莱姆和斯库波的脚，大家一起回头看了女巨人一眼。
Her mouth was slightly open and from her nose there came a sound which at that moment was more welcome to them than any music; she snored.
她的嘴微张，鼻子里发出呼噜声。此时此刻，这可是他们最爱听的声音，简直比任何音乐都悦耳。
And now it was a question of tip-toe work, not daring to go too fast, hardly daring to breathe, out through the scullery (giant sculleries smell horrid), out at last into the pale sunlight of a winter afternoon.
他们踮起脚，不敢走太快，甚至不敢大口喘气，一路从储藏室（巨人的储藏室真难闻）溜到城堡外。午后的阳光呈现出苍白色。
They were at the top of a rough little path which ran steeply down. And, thank heavens, on the right side of the castle; the City Ruinous was in sight.
现在，他们走在一条颠簸不平的小路顶端，这条路一直通往陡峭的山下。谢天谢地，废城就在城堡右侧，站在这里就能看到。
