绿野仙踪 第64期:来到奥芝国(6)

 "It has been many years since anyone asked me to see Oz," he said, shaking his head in perplexity.  “许多年前，曾有人要见奥芝，”他疑惑不解地摇着头说。

"He is powerful and terrible, and if you come on an idle or foolish errand to bother the wise reflections of the Great Wizard, he might be angry and destroy you all in an instant." “他是有力量的，并且可怕的，假如你们因为一个空想，或者以一些可笑的事情，去打扰这个大魔术师，会使他愤怒，立刻把你们一起杀掉。”

"But it is not a foolish errand, nor an idle one," replied the Scarecrow; "it is important. And we have been told that Oz is a good Wizard." “我们可不是为愚笨的事情，也不是一个空想，”稻草人解释说；“事情是非常重要的。而且我们听说，奥芝是一个好心肠的魔术家。”

"So he is," said the green man, "and he rules the Emerald City wisely and well.  “他是善良的，”这个绿衣人说；“他把这翡翠城统治的有条不紊。

But to those who are not honest, or who approach him from curiosity, he is most terrible,  但是对于那些不诚实的，或者因了好奇心去见他的人，样子是非常骇人的，

and few have ever dared ask to see his face.  几乎没有人敢去请求看他的脸。

I am the Guardian¹ of the Gates, and since you demand to see the Great Oz I must take you to his Palace.  我是守城门的人，因为你们要求看伟大的奥芝，我可以带你们到他的宫殿里去。

But first you must put on the spectacles." "Why?" asked Dorothy. 然而你们首先得戴上眼镜。”多萝茜问：“必须要戴吗？”

"Because if you did not wear spectacles the brightness and glory of the Emerald City would blind you.  “假如你们不戴眼镜，那翡翠城灿烂的亮光，将会射瞎你们的眼睛。

Even those who live in the City must wear spectacles night and day.  既使是住在这城里的人们，也得日夜戴着眼镜。

They are all locked on, for Oz so ordered it when the City was first built,  眼镜都是用钥匙锁紧的，当这城市刚刚造成的时候，奥芝这样命令我的，

and I have the only key that will unlock them." 唯一的一把钥匙在我手里，只有我能开卸眼镜。”

1 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。