Chapter 1: The Midnight Mission and the Infinite Boundary
第一章:凌晨的秘密行动与无尽的边际
The clock struck 1:00 AM. The night was like a sheet of deep blue velvet, wrapping the world in a gentle, silent embrace.
凌晨一点的夜,像一块深蓝色的天鹅绒,静谧而温柔地包裹着大地.
Only the occasional chirp of a cricket dared to break the stillness. Inside an ordinary apartment building, a bedroom door creaked open just a fraction, and a tall figure peeked out cautiously.
只有偶尔传来的几声夜虫低鸣,打破着这片宁静.在一栋普通的居民楼里,卧室的门悄无声息地打开了一条缝隙,一道高高的身影小心翼翼地探出了头.
That was me—a boy with a calm exterior but a heart brimming with curiosity and a small spark of rebellion against my mother's authority. Earlier that day, her firm words—"Humans can't possibly touch the Moon!"—had been like a pebble tossed into a still lake, sending ripples of defiance through my mind.
那是"我",一颗平静外表下藏着一颗对世界充满好奇的心,以及一丝对母亲权威的小小叛逆.白天母亲那句斩钉截铁的"人类怎么可能碰到月亮!"像一颗小小的石子,投入了我平静的湖面,激起了层层不甘心的涟漪.
"Hey, you ready? If you keep stalling, it'll be dawn!" A-Lei urged in a hushed, impatient whisper behind me. Just like his name, A-Lei was a force of nature—bold as the stars, acting before he thought. Yet, his instincts were eerily sharp, always catching whispers of danger at the critical moment.
我的身后,阿雷正压低着声音催促:"喂,你好了没?再磨蹭下去,天都要亮了!"阿雷,正如他的名字一般,带着一股雷厉风行的冲劲,胆子大得像天上的星辰,行动永远先于思考,但他的直觉却出奇的准确,总能在关键时刻捕捉到危险的信号.
The last one to creep out of the room was Mona. With his messy hair and sleepy eyes, he looked uneasy. Mona was a bona fide genius, his head a library of facts, always overthinking everything. He seemed timid, but deep down, he had a stubborn streak and a sudden maturity that demanded respect.
最后一个蹑手蹑脚地走出房间的是莫纳.他顶着一头略显蓬乱的头发,脸上还带着一丝睡意,显得有些不安.莫纳是个名副其实的学霸,脑袋里装满了各种各样的知识,遇事总喜欢先思考一番.他平时看起来有些胆小,但骨子里却有着一股不容忽视的韧劲和偶尔爆发的成熟.
We tiptoed out of the house and reached the bicycle rack downstairs. Our three bikes, reflecting the faint moonlight, were our steeds for tonight's secret mission: to chase an impossible dream—touching the Moon.
我们三人轻手轻脚地溜出了家门,来到了楼下停放自行车的地方.三辆颜色各异的自行车,在微弱的月光下显得格外安静,它们是我们今晚秘密行动的交通工具,载着我们去追逐一个看似不可能的梦想——触摸月亮.
"Do you really think we can reach it?" Mona asked, his voice wavering as he looked up at the silver orb hanging cold and distant in the sky.
"我说,我们真的能碰到月亮吗?"莫纳的声音带着一丝犹豫,他仰头望着悬挂在夜空中的皎洁圆盘,那光芒清冷而遥远.
"Only one way to find out!" A-Lei hopped onto his bike, his face glowing with excitement.
"能不能碰到,试了才知道!"阿雷跨上自己的自行车,脸上带着兴奋的光芒,跃跃欲试.
I didn't say a word. I just mounted my bike, that small spark of rebellion burning like a fire in my chest, driving me to prove my mother's "impossible" wrong.
我没有说话,只是默默地骑上了我的自行车.那股小小的叛逆像一团火焰,在我的胸腔里燃烧着,驱使着我想要去打破母亲的"不可能".
We pedaled fast through the silent streets. The night wind brushed against our cheeks, its chill washing away our lingering doubts. Streetlights blurred past us like beacons guiding our secret path.
我们沿着寂静的街道飞快地骑行着,夜风拂过脸颊,带着一丝凉意,也吹散了我们心中的一丝不安.路灯一盏盏地向后退去,仿佛在为我们的秘密行动指引着方向.
After winding through familiar alleys, we felt like we had entered a private world of adventure. We didn't know what lay ahead; we only knew the pull of the Moon and the hunger for the unknown.
穿过熟悉的街道,驶过安静的小巷,我们仿佛进行着一场只属于我们三个人的秘密探险.我们并不知道前方等待着我们的是什么,只是怀揣着对月亮的好奇和对未知的渴望,坚定地踩着脚下的踏板.
After what felt like hours, the world began to warp. We reached a bizarre boundary. To our right lay an endless sea of darkness—not a dead black, but a shimmering abyss that looked as if millions of tiny stars were sleeping beneath the waves, waiting to be awakened.
不知骑行了多久,周围的景象开始变得陌生起来.我们仿佛来到了一个奇特的边境——我们的右边,是无边无际的黑暗大海,那深邃的黑并非死寂一片,而是在我们眼中似乎透着一种幽微的,粼粼的光芒,仿佛无数细小的星辰沉睡在海底,等待着被唤醒.
To our left, however, was a wide, brightly lit road with cars roaring past.
而我们的左边,却出现了一条宽阔的马路,路灯明亮,甚至还有不少车辆呼啸而过.
"Where are we?" Mona stared at the surreal contrast in shock.
"这是什么地方?"莫纳惊讶地望着眼前这截然不同的景象.
"Who cares? A road is better than no road!" A-Lei shouted, veering onto the highway.
"不知道,但有路总比没路好!"阿雷兴奋地说道,率先骑上了马路.
Mona and I followed close behind. The road seemed to cling to a massive mountain range. As we climbed higher and higher, cars sped past us, making us feel like we were trapped in a hidden, fantasy dimension.
我和莫纳也紧随其后.这条马路似乎依附着一座巨大的山脉,我们沿着山路蜿蜒而上,身旁不时有汽车飞驰而过,仿佛我们置身于一个与世隔绝的奇幻世界.
Just as we wondered where this path ended, a pitch-black opening appeared ahead—like a giant maw waiting to swallow everything.
就在我们疑惑这条路会将我们带向何方时,前方出现了一个黑漆漆的洞口,像一张巨大的,吞噬一切的嘴巴.
"What's that?" Mona's voice trembled. "No idea," A-Lei narrowed his eyes. "Wanna check it out?"
"前面是什么?"莫纳的声音带着一丝紧张.阿雷眯着眼睛,试图看清洞里的情况:"不知道,进去看看?"
I nodded. Curiosity once again conquered hesitation. We squeezed our brakes in unison and stopped at the mouth of the tunnel.
我点了点头,心中的好奇再次战胜了犹豫.我们默契地同时捏紧刹车,在洞口前停了下来.
We dismounted and approached the entrance. It was a void of darkness, a gateway to a hidden realm. A-Lei flicked on his flashlight, revealing a damp, earthy tunnel. Bats fluttered overhead, their wings echoing against the stone.
我们下了自行车,小心翼翼地靠近洞口.洞里面一片漆黑,仿佛通往另一个未知的世界.阿雷率先上前,用手电筒照了照里面,只是一条普通的隧道.
Just as we reached the end of the tunnel, the world suddenly went black—as if an invisible force had swallowed us whole.
我们推着自行车,走进了隧道.隧道里阴暗潮湿,带着一股泥土的气息.头顶偶尔有蝙蝠飞过,发出细微的声响,更增添了一丝神秘感.就在我们快要走出隧道的时候,眼前突然一黑,仿佛被某种无形的力量吞噬.
Chapter 2: The Moon on the Balcony
第二章:阳台上的月亮
When the darkness ebbed away like a receding tide, we found ourselves standing on a familiar balcony! The familiar tiled floor, the corner with a few potted plants—everything was exactly like the balcony at home. However, the view beyond the railing was entirely different.
当眼前的黑暗如同潮水般退去,我们发现自己竟然站在熟悉的阳台上!那熟悉的瓷砖地面,那摆放着几盆绿植的角落,一切都和我们家里的阳台一模一样.然而,阳台的前方,却呈现出截然不同的景象.
Instead of the usual buildings and streets, there was a deep, profound night sky. Right in the center hung a colossal Moon, so close it seemed to vibrate with a soft, silvery glow. It was countless times larger than what we saw from the ground, appearing almost within arm's reach. Its craters and shadows were as clear as an exquisite painting hanging right before our eyes. A few twinkling stars clustered around it, like loyal guards protecting their queen.
没有了熟悉的楼房和街道,取而代之的是一片深邃的夜空,而夜空的正中央,一轮巨大的,近在咫尺的月亮正散发着柔和而皎洁的光芒.它比我们在地面上看到的要大上无数倍,仿佛触手可及,表面的环形山和阴影清晰可见,仿佛一幅精美的画卷悬挂在眼前.月亮的周围,还缀着几颗闪烁的小星星,像是围绕着女王的忠诚侍卫.
"What... what is happening?" Mona's eyes widened. Even his head, filled with endless facts and knowledge, couldn't explain the sight before him.
"这...这是怎么回事?"莫纳瞪大了眼睛,他那充满知识的脑袋此刻也完全无法解释眼前的景象.
A-Lei stood frozen in place. His eyes, usually sparking with excitement, were now filled with pure disbelief. He instinctively took a step forward, as if trying to touch the moon that seemed so near.
阿雷更是直接愣在了原地,他那双总是闪烁着兴奋光芒的眼睛,此刻充满了难以置信的色彩.他下意识地向前迈了一步,似乎想要触摸那近在咫尺的月亮.
"Wait!" I quickly stopped him. My mother's words from earlier flashed through my mind—there is no air on the moon; approaching it recklessly could be dangerous.
"等等!"我连忙制止了他,白天母亲的话再次浮现在我的脑海,月球上没有空气,贸然靠近可能会有危险.
A-Lei paused and looked at me, confused. I hesitated, too. My mother's words were firm, but the scene before us was so incredible. Was the moon really as unreachable as she said?
阿雷停下了脚步,有些疑惑地看向我.我也有些犹豫了,母亲的话虽然坚定,但眼前的景象又如此的不可思议,难道月球真的像她说的那样无法靠近吗?
The three of us looked at each other, stunned by this defiance of common sense. Ultimately, that small spark of rebellion won again. Since we had already made it this far, wouldn't it be a tragedy to turn back without trying?
我们三人面面相觑,都被眼前这违反常理的景象所震撼.最终,那股小小的叛逆再次占据了我的上风.既然已经来到了这里,如果不尝试一下,岂不是要带着遗憾回去?
"How about... we try holding our breath?" I suggested, my voice tinged with uncertainty.
"我们...憋着气试试看?"我提议道,声音里带着一丝试探.
A-Lei and Mona exchanged a glance, both seeing a hunger for discovery in each other's eyes. We nodded, held our breath, and cautiously approached the edge of the balcony. We reached out our hands toward the massive moon.
阿雷和莫纳对视了一眼,都从对方的眼中看到了跃跃欲试的好奇.我们点了点头,屏住了呼吸,小心翼翼地靠近阳台边缘,伸出手,朝着那巨大的月亮探去.
As our fingertips touched the lunar surface almost simultaneously, a strange sensation washed over us. It wasn't hard or cold like we imagined; instead, it felt soft and elastic, like touching a giant sponge. Our fingertips actually sank in slightly.
当我们三人的指尖几乎同时触碰到月亮表面时,一种奇特的触感传来.那并非想象中的坚硬冰冷,反而像是触碰到了一块柔软而富有弹性的物体,指尖竟然微微地凹陷了进去,仿佛按压在一块巨大的海绵上.
"We can actually touch it!" A-Lei thought to himself, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"真的能碰到!"阿雷在心里说了一声,眼中充满了兴奋.
However, at that moment, Mona's face turned bright red. He couldn't hold his breath any longer and let out a sudden gasp.
然而,就在这时,莫纳的脸憋得通红,他再也憋不住气了,猛地喘了一口气.
We stared at him in shock.
我们惊讶着看着莫纳.
After gasping, Mona instinctively took another breath. After a moment of silence, a look of pure shock appeared on his face. "Wait... the air here... I think we can breathe it!"
莫纳喘气之后,又下意识地吸了一口气.片刻的沉默后,他脸上露出了惊讶的表情:"咦?这里的空气...好像可以吸!"
A-Lei and I looked at him in confusion, then cautiously let go of our fears and took experimental breaths. A draft of air with a faint metallic tang filled my lungs. It was strange, but it was definitely breathable! The three of us exhaled in relief, greedily inhaling this newfound air, feeling both the luck of survivors and the thrill of a miracle.
我和阿雷疑惑地看向他,也小心翼翼地放下了心中的顾虑,试探性地吸了一口气.一股带着淡淡金属味道的空气涌入肺部,虽然有些异样,但确实可以呼吸!我们三个顿时放下心来,贪婪地呼吸着这来之不易的空气,心中充满了劫后余生的庆幸和难以置信的惊喜.
Then, A-Lei discovered a set of stairs. He pointed to the side wall of the balcony and shouted, "Look! There are steps over there!"
之后,阿雷发现了一道楼梯,他指着阳台一侧的墙壁喊道:"你们快看!那里有阶梯!"
We followed his gaze. Sure enough, a flight of stairs appeared on the balcony wall, extending upward. The steps were made of an unknown translucent material, emitting a faint, starlight-like glow, guiding us toward the unknown heights. After extending upward for a bit, the stairs took a ghostly turn to the left, vanishing at the end of the balcony.
我们顺着他手指的方向看去,果然,在阳台的墙壁上,出现了一道向上延伸的阶梯.阶梯的台阶由一种不知名的半透明材质构成,散发着微弱的,如同星光般的光芒,指引着我们通往更高的未知.楼梯向上延伸了一段距离后,竟然诡异地向左拐去,消失在阳台的尽头.
"Let's go up!" A-Lei couldn't wait to explore this new adventure.
"上去看看!"阿雷迫不及待地想要探索新的奇遇.
Mona hesitated, but curiosity eventually won. I nodded, and the three of us picked up our bicycles—which, for some reason, had followed us into this strange space—and dragged them carefully onto the shimmering steps.
莫纳虽然有些犹豫,但好奇心最终还是占据了上风.我点了点头,我们三人再次拿起靠在阳台边的自行车——不知为何,它们也跟着我们来到了这个奇特的空间——拖着它们,小心翼翼地踏上了那散发着微光的阶梯.
The stairs went up and then left, like a winding road of starlight. We followed each other closely, our steps light for fear of falling. At the end of the stairs was a seemingly ordinary wooden door. A faint light seeped through the cracks, as if inviting us into an entirely new world.
阶梯向上,又向左,仿佛一条蜿蜒的星光之路.我们紧紧地跟随着彼此,脚步轻缓,生怕一不小心就会跌落下去.阶梯的尽头,是一扇看似普通的木门,门缝中同样透着一丝微弱的光芒,像是在邀请我们进入一个全新的世界.
A-Lei took the lead once more. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the second floor...
阿雷再次走在了最前面,他深吸一口气,推开了通往第二层楼的门...
Chapter 3: Floating Stars and Burning Mars
第三章:漂浮的星辰与燃烧的火星
As A-Lei pushed open the door, the sight before us shattered our understanding of reality once more. It was as if we were standing inside a colossal sphere. Surrounded by deep darkness, countless points of light hung in the air like glittering jewels—it was a miniature solar system! A brilliant "Sun" blazed at the center, circled by planets of various sizes gliding along their orbits, each emitting its own unique glow.
阿雷推开门,映入眼帘的景象再次颠覆了我们的认知.我们仿佛置身于一个巨大的球体内部,四周是深邃的黑暗,无数的光点如同璀璨的宝石般悬浮在空中——那是一个缩小版的太阳系!一颗散发着耀眼光芒的"太阳"位于中央,周围环绕着几颗大小不一的"行星",它们按照各自的轨道缓缓运行,散发出不同的光芒.
A-Lei and Mona, natural adventurers and curious souls, charged forward without hesitation. Their bodies became as light as feathers freed from their chains, floating instantly into the air with faces full of wonder. As someone with a slight fear of heights, I watched them float so freely with a mix of envy and trepidation.
阿雷和莫纳,这两个天生的冒险家和好奇宝宝,几乎是迫不及待地冲了过去,他们的身体轻盈得如同脱离了束缚的羽毛,瞬间漂浮在了空中,脸上洋溢着兴奋和新奇的笑容.我这个有着轻微恐高症的人,看着他们自由自在地漂浮,心中既羡慕又忐忑.
Just as I summoned my courage to take that first step into weightlessness, the door behind us vanished without a sound, merging into the endless dark. We gasped, turning back to see only a profound void where the shimmering doorframe had once been.
就在我终于鼓足勇气,小心翼翼地迈出第一步,体验到那奇特的失重感,身体缓缓漂浮起来的同时,身后的门突然无声无息地消失了,仿佛融入了无尽的黑暗之中.我们三个同时一惊,下意识地回头望去,原本还亮着微光的门框此刻已经完全消失,取而代之的是一片深邃的虚空.
"The door... it's gone!" Mona's voice trembled with unease as he scanned the darkness.
"门...门不见了!"莫纳的声音带着一丝不安,他环顾四周,似乎在寻找着什么.
A-Lei was surprised too, but he quickly returned his focus to the marvels ahead. He spun a joyful circle in the air and shouted, "Who cares? We're already in such a cool place anyway!"
阿雷虽然也有些惊讶,但他很快就将注意力重新放回了眼前的奇景,他兴奋地在空中转了个圈,喊道:"管它呢!反正我们已经来到了这么酷的地方!"
Our bicycles, too, had escaped the shackles of gravity. They floated around us like three quiet fish swimming through a dream.
我们带来的三辆自行车也失去了重力的束缚,如同三条游弋的鱼儿,静静地漂浮在我们的周围.
After adapting to the zero-gravity environment, we began to study this medium-sized solar system. The glowing planets were magnetic to our eyes. A-Lei and Mona couldn't wait and drifted toward a crimson sphere—Mars.
适应了失重感后,我们开始好奇地打量着这个中型太阳系.那些行星散发着迷人的光芒,吸引着我们的目光.阿雷和莫纳已经迫不及待地朝着一颗红色的星球——火星——漂浮过去.
"Let's go see Mars!" A-Lei cheered.
"我们去看看火星吧!"阿雷兴奋地喊道.
Mona and I followed. As we neared Mars, a powerful suction suddenly gripped us, like an invisible vortex threatening to swallow us whole. Before we could react, we were pulled inside. In a flash, our world turned a vivid, dusty red.
我和莫纳对视一眼,也跟了上去.当我们靠近火星时,一股强大的吸力突然传来,仿佛一个无形的漩涡要将我们吞噬.我们还没来得及反应,就被那股力量吸了进去,眼前一花,周围瞬间变成了一片红色的世界.
We stared in shock, wondering where on earth—or off it—we were. Mona, however, identified it immediately. He had seen photos taken from the Martian surface. We were stunned into praise—this is the power of a true scholar! To our surprise, the air was breathable again, though it felt eerily wrong.
我们穿到核心后先是一脸震惊,不知道这是在哪.而莫纳确认出了,这就是在火星,因为他看到过从火星里拍出来的照片.我们两个震惊到夸赞,这就是知识分子啊.我们惊奇到氧气又可以吸,有点不对劲啊,我去.
As we explored, small dust storms swirled around us, but we managed to dodge them. We even stumbled upon a Chinese rover—one of those robots sent from Earth—but it looked as though it had been abandoned for a very long time.
然后我们在火星逛了一圈.期间有不断的沙尘暴,但不算太大,我们因此躲过了.我们发现了在火星里的中国发射的探测机器人,但似乎已经荒废很久了.
As we were talking, a much more powerful dust storm loomed behind us. We dashed into a nearby cave for cover. Inside the darkness, A-Lei spotted a faint, lingering glow. He led the way, while Mona and I followed cautiously behind him. At the end of the cave, we found an elevator.
我们说着的时候,后面突然出来了一个更强大的沙尘暴,我们赶紧跑到了一个洞穴里.逃过一劫后阿雷似乎发现了洞穴里面有余光.他告诉我们两个,我们两个也看到了里面,但我们两个不敢进去,最后还是阿雷进去,我们才在他后面慢慢的走过来.走到尽头才发现这是个电梯.
While we hesitated, Mona warned that the storm could last for a day or two. With no other choice, we stepped inside. To our horror, we realized the elevator had no floor buttons! But it was too late. The doors hissed shut, and we began to move at a terrifying speed. Suddenly, with a whoosh, we were launched back into the original room.
我们在犹豫要不要坐的时候,最终我们还是坐上了这个电梯,因为我们别无他法,这个沙尘暴应该会足足持续一两天这个信息由莫纳提出.我们坐上后却发现为什么没有楼层?但我们发现的时候已经晚了.电梯已经关闭,我们在不安的途中,电梯却快速运行中.我们更不安了,到最后,我们咻的一声穿到了刚刚的房间里.
A flight of stairs appeared before us—made of that same familiar, translucent material, glowing softly and leading upward. We stumbled slightly as we grabbed our floating bikes and pushed them toward the next door, ready to face yet another unknown realm.
然后在我们眼前出现了一道阶梯.阶梯依旧是那种熟悉的半透明材质,散发着柔和的光芒,指引着我们向上而去.我们略显踉跄地拿起漂浮在身旁的自行车,推着它们走进了楼梯,一直来到下一扇门的门口,然后毫不犹豫地将其打开,迎接又一个未知的场景.
Chapter 4: London Mist Under the Great Wheel of Time
第四章:时间巨轮下的伦敦迷雾
As we pushed open the door, the scene shifted like a sudden cut in a movie, pulling us from the floating cosmos into a completely different dimension. The entrance vanished behind us. We found ourselves suspended on a massive aerial platform, with a bottomless mist beneath our feet and heavy gray clouds pressing down from above.
我们推开门,眼前的景象如同骤然切换的电影画面,将我们从漂浮的宇宙空间拉入了一个截然不同的维度.身后的阶梯入口无声无息地消失,我们仿佛悬浮在一个巨大的空中平台之上,脚下是深不见底的迷雾,而头顶则是压得很低的灰色云层.
At the edge of the platform stood a staggering mechanical marvel—a world clock magnified countless times. Its intricate gears turned like colossal wheels, emitting a low, rhythmic thrum that sounded like the ancient heartbeat of time itself. The giant hour and minute hands pointed to cryptic scales, each appearing as a deep, mysterious code.
平台的边缘,一座令人震撼的巨大机械装置巍然耸立——那是一个放大了无数倍的世界时钟,其精密的齿轮如同巨大的车轮般缓缓转动,发出低沉而有节奏的轰鸣,仿佛亘古的心跳.巨大的时针和分针指向不同的刻度,每一个刻度都像是时间的密码,深不可测.
To our amazement, we recognized the landmark: Big Ben! The familiar Gothic tower peeked through the swirling mist below, looking as ethereal as a mirage. We were in a London floating above the clouds, where time had been magnified into something tangible.
我们惊讶地认出,这正是伦敦的标志性建筑——大本钟!熟悉的哥特式塔楼在下方的迷雾中若隐若现,仿佛海市蜃楼般虚幻缥缈.我们竟然置身于一个漂浮在云端之上的伦敦,时间仿佛在这里被无限放大,变得触手可及.
In that moment, a small pocket-watch-style alarm clock appeared in my hand. Its casing was ice-cold, covered in strange symbols we had never seen, and its slender needles were spinning at an eerie, frantic speed.
就在我们被眼前的奇观所震撼时,我的手中不知何时多了一个小巧的怀表式闹钟.它的外壳冰凉,表面刻满了我们从未见过的奇异符号,细长的指针正以一种诡异的速度飞快地旋转着.
I instinctively pressed a circular button on the side. Unbelievably, the giant hands of the world clock jumped in sync! Simultaneously, the gray London sky shifted. Daylight faded as night descended like soft silk, and starlight began to shimmer behind the clouds.
我下意识地按了一下闹钟侧面的一个圆形按钮,令人难以置信的事情发生了——在我们面前巨大的世界时钟的指针竟然也随之跳动了一下!与此同时,笼罩着伦敦的灰色天空也开始缓缓变化,白昼的光芒逐渐消退,夜幕如同柔软的丝绸般降临,点点星光开始在云层后闪烁.
"Is that... a tool to control time?" Mona stared, eyes wide, looking between the device in my hand and the gargantuan wheel of time.
"这是...控制时间的工具?"莫纳瞪大了眼睛,难以置信地看着我手中的闹钟和眼前那庞大的时间巨轮.
A-Lei crowded in, excitement glowing in his eyes. "Whoa! You can actually control time! That is so cool!"
阿雷也兴奋地凑了过来,好奇地打量着我手中的闹钟:"哇!你竟然能控制时间了!这简直太酷了!"
Yet, when A-Lei and Mona tried to touch the clock, their hands passed right through it as if it were a hollow phantom. Only I could feel its solid weight.
然而,当阿雷和莫纳试图触摸我手中的闹钟时,他们的手却直接穿了过去,仿佛那只是一个虚无的幻影,只有我才能触碰到它.
"Try it! Turn day into night and back again!" A-Lei urged, bouncing with anticipation.
阿雷说:"快试试看!把白天变黑夜,再变回来!"阿雷迫不及待地指挥着我,眼中充满了兴奋的光芒.
I carefully adjusted the dial. The world responded as if moved by an invisible hand. Day and night flickered past in a blur, and the London below transformed through a kaleidoscope of light and shadow.
我好奇地按照他的指示,小心翼翼地拨动着闹钟表面的旋钮.眼前的世界如同被一只无形的手拨动,白昼和黑夜在我们眼前飞速地交替,下方的伦敦也在光影的变幻中呈现出不同的景象.
After a while, Mona had a bold idea: "What if we reverse time? We could go back to the nineties—see all the old landmarks and history!"
玩闹了一阵后,莫纳突然提出了一个大胆的想法:"如果我们把时间倒转呢?这样我们不就能回到九十年代了吗?说不定还能看到很多老物件和老风景!"
A-Lei loved the idea, but a shard of logic pierced through my excitement. "Wait," I warned. "This platform might not have even been built in the nineties. If we reverse time, something unpredictable might happen."
阿雷听了也觉得这个主意很棒,催促我赶紧试试.然而,我的脑海中却闪过一丝理智的担忧,我提醒他们道:"等等!我们脚下的这座建筑,在九十年代恐怕还没有建成吧?如果我们倒转时间,说不定会发生什么意想不到的事情."
That cold splash of reality dampened their spirits. The temptation of the past was great, but the risk was undeniable.
我的话像一盆冷水,浇灭了他们兴奋的火焰.回到过去的诱惑固然很大,但潜在的风险也让他们感到一丝不安.
"Then... how about we speed it up?" A-Lei suggested with a hint of regret.
"那...那我们加快时间试试看?"阿雷有些不确定地提议道,语气中带着一丝遗憾.
I nodded and nudged the needle forward. The world hit 'fast-forward.' London blurred, and the clouds galloped past like wild horses.
我点了点头,小心翼翼地拨动着闹钟的指针,加快了时间的流逝.眼前的世界仿佛按按下快进键,下方的伦敦景象变得模糊起来,周围的云层也如同奔腾的骏马般快速流动着.
Under the accelerated flow of time, our platform began to warp. The Gothic spires were erased as if by an invisible hand, replaced by sleek, metallic futuristic towers. Hover-cars streaked through the air, and the ground turned into a smooth, unknown material.
随着时间的加速流逝,我们脚下的平台也开始发生奇异的变化.熟悉的哥特式建筑如同被橡皮擦抹去一般逐渐消失,取而代之的是一座座线条流畅,充满金属光泽的未来建筑,悬浮汽车在空中穿梭,地面也变成了一种我们从未见过的光滑材质.
Suddenly, a fleet of robots appeared in the sky, gleaming with cold light. They were humanoid but radiated a mechanical ruthlessness, marching toward us like cold enforcers of an unknown law.
就在我们惊叹于未来伦敦的科技感时,远处的天空中突然出现了一批闪烁着冰冷光泽的机器人.它们拥有着类人的外形,却散发着不容置疑的机械气息,迈着整齐的步伐,朝着我们快速靠近,仿佛冰冷的执法者要将我们带往某个未知的场所.
"Run! They're coming for us!" A-Lei shouted, his face pale.
"不好!它们要抓我们!"阿雷脸色一变,焦急地喊道.
As they closed in, the familiar shimmering staircase materialized in the void. We grabbed our bikes and dashed toward it. The robots ignited blue energy flames from their feet, hovering in pursuit. One expressionless machine transformed its arm into a launcher, firing a silent mini-missile directly at A-Lei.
就在那些机器人即将靠近我们的时候,我们眼前的虚空中再次浮现出一道熟悉的,散发着微光的楼梯.我们没有丝毫犹豫,立刻拿起一直跟随着我们的自行车,推着它们朝着楼梯的方向跑去.那些机器人脚下喷射出蓝色的能量火焰,悬浮着快速追了过来.其中一位面无表情的机器人的手瞬间化为一个微型导弹直冲阿雷而去.
A-Lei's sixth sense screamed. He ducked instinctively, the missile missing him by a hair's breadth. He thought he was safe, but the missile detonated right beside his shoulder.
导弹即将炸到阿雷时,他的第六感席卷而来,下意识躲了这导弹.但就当阿雷躲过后,导弹与阿雷只相差一个人的身位.阿雷以为躲过一劫时,导弹在阿雷的肩膀旁边爆炸.
The blast was instantaneous. A-Lei's arm shattered like torn paper. The shock was so swift that it took two seconds for the agonizing pain to register. He collapsed, his body failing him. Mona fell to his knees, paralyzed with fear at the bloody sight.
阿雷的手犹如碎纸般裂开来.爆炸迅速,以至于阿雷过了两秒后才反应过来这钻心的疼痛.身体不受控制倒了下去.我们惊恐的看着这血腥的场景,莫纳两腿发软瘫坐在地下.
A robot appeared behind me. Adrenaline surged through my veins. I took a direct punch to the back—I heard my spine crack, but I felt no pain. My only thought was survival. I scooped up A-Lei and pulled Mona to his feet, lunging toward the stairs with the last of my strength.
而就当我看着阿雷的情况时,后方突然出现了一个机器人.我看到他后我的肾上腺素瞬间爆发开来,我硬生生挨了一拳.但我似乎一点痛感都没有,即使后脊骨被打断了.我迅速抱起阿雷,我拉起莫纳用出最后的力气跑到了阶梯.
The moment we stepped onto the stairs, a thunderous BANG echoed behind us. An invisible barrier surged up, blocking the robots' pursuit. The impact made the stairs shudder like an earthquake, sealing away the light of future London.
就在我们踏上阶梯的那一刻,身后的平台边缘突然传来"砰"的一声巨响,一道无形的屏障升起,挡住了那些机器人的导弹追击.爆炸的威力还是让我们的阶梯抖了一抖,犹如地震,同时也隔绝了身后未来伦敦的光芒.
We were plunged into darkness, but then, rows of lights flickered on above us. As the green glow bathed us, a surge of energy returned. My spine popped and cracked, straightening itself out. Before our eyes, A-Lei's arm began to knit back together at an impossible speed.
我们眼前陷入一片黑暗,突然阶梯的上方出来了一盏盏灯.就当这灯的光芒照耀到我们时,我和莫纳的精力顿时充沛.我的后颈骨也同时咔哒咔哒的响,不一会儿就挺起来了.就在我们不知所措时,阿雷的手在以极速恢复.
A-Lei woke from his stupor, his arm already whole. Mona grabbed his hand in disbelief. "How... how did you heal?"
原本陷入昏迷的阿雷迷迷糊糊的醒过来.他醒过来之时他的手就已经完好如初.莫纳顿时震惊的拉起阿雷的好手左看看又看看."你这是咋恢复的?"
"I think it's these lights," I said. To test my theory, I bit my finger hard. Blood welled up, but within seconds, the wound sealed shut, leaving only a trace of red.
我说:"可能是这一盏盏灯的杰作."我说着本来怕痛的我用力的咬破我的手指.顿时就冒出了鲜血.神奇的就如我料想的一般,我的伤口也快速恢复.几秒后我的伤口只剩下血.
They understood. But just as Mona tried to test it, the green lights overhead flickered and died. The faint glow of the stairs ahead was our only guide as the path began to slope downward, leading us into a deeper unknown...
他们忽然了解了.但就当莫纳想试试时,那一盏盏在头顶挂着的灯迸发着绿色的灯光瞬间熄灭.前方楼梯散发出的微弱光芒,成为了我们唯一的指引.我们摸索着走上前,楼梯缓缓向下倾斜,似乎要将我们带往更深的未知...
Chapter 5: The Endless Green Carpet and the Hidden Path
第五章:无垠的绿毯与地底的通道
The darkness of the stairs gradually gave way to a soft, gentle radiance. When we reached the end and pushed open the familiar wooden door, a breeze carrying the fresh scent of earth brushed against our faces.
我们沿着黑暗的楼梯向下摸索了一段距离,走着走着眼前逐渐出现了一丝柔和的光亮.当我们终于走到阶梯的尽头,推开那扇熟悉的木门时,一股清新而带着泥土气息的风扑面而来.
The world opened up before us. We had stepped into an endless emerald savanna that stretched to the very edge of the horizon, meeting a crystalline blue sky. The lush grass swayed like a soft carpet, forming ripples of green under the wind. Groups of cattle grazed peacefully, their low moos adding a touch of life to the tranquil scene.
眼前的景象豁然开朗,我们仿佛瞬间来到了一个完全不同的世界——一片无垠的绿色草原,一直延伸到视线的尽头,与蔚蓝的天空相接.碧绿的草地如同柔软的地毯,微风吹过,掀起层层绿色的波浪.几头毛色各异的牛群悠闲地在草地上吃着草,发出"哞哞"的叫声,为这片宁静的画面增添了一丝生机.
As we stepped onto the plains, the door vanished silently behind us. Having survived so many wonders, we were used to it by now. We simply adjusted our focus to the vast landscape ahead.
当我们完全踏上这片草原时,身后的木门再次无声无息地消失了.经历了之前的种种奇遇,我们对此已经习以为常,只是略微环顾了一下四周,便将注意力重新放回了眼前的广阔景象.
"Whoa! This place feels so relaxing," A-Lei took a deep breath. "Way safer than that robot-infested future London."
"哇!这里看起来真舒服!"阿雷深吸了一口气,"总比刚才那个充满机器人的未来伦敦要安全多了."
Mona nodded in agreement, scanning the horizon thoughtfully. "It looks peaceful, but we must stay alert. The stairs won't be that easy to find."
莫纳也赞同地点了点头,若有所思地说道:"这里看起来很平静,但我们还是要小心,楼梯不可能这么容易找到."
We wandered through the savanna with our bikes. We noticed a pattern: the first floor (the Moon) hadn't disappeared, but starting from the Solar System, the doors vanished upon entry. This was now the official sign of a "level transition."
我们带着自行车走进了这片广阔的草原.我们发现,现在门消失似乎已经成为了楼层转换的标志.
Strolling through this quiet grassland would have been a pleasant trip if we weren't searching for the exit. A-Lei even joked about roasting a cow if we got too hungry, earning a round of playful scolding from Mona and me.
在这片宁静的草原上漫步,倒也算得上是一次惬意的旅行.阿雷甚至开玩笑说,如果实在饿得不行,说不定还能抓几头牛来烤着吃,引得我和莫纳一阵笑骂.
After walking for a long time, a cluster of hills rose from the horizon—a sudden disruption in the otherwise flat plains.
走了许久,远处的地平线上出现了一片隆起的山丘.那一片山峦显得有些突兀.
"Could the stairs be over there?" Mona pointed.
"那里会不会有楼梯?"莫纳指着远处的山丘说道.
We flipped over the first hill, only to find a series of rolling green waves extending into the distance, while the land behind us remained perfectly flat.
然而,当我们翻过第一座山丘时,眼前的景象再次让我们惊讶——在我们前方是连绵起伏的丘陵,而在我们身后,却依旧是平坦的草原.
We took a break from the search and played in the hills, sliding down slopes using tree bark as makeshift sleds. A-Lei even raced his bike up and down the inclines.
我们暂时放下了寻找楼梯的想法,开始在山峦间玩耍起来.我们从山坡上滚下去,撕下一些树皮当作临时的保护垫.
Eventually, Mona discovered a hidden hollow containing a cellar-like entrance—a closed wooden door with a circular button beside it.
玩闹了一阵后,莫纳在一个隐蔽的山坳里发现了一个地底的入口,那是一扇紧闭的木门,旁边还有一个看起来像是启动机关的圆形按钮.
A-Lei, the man of action, didn't wait for a discussion. He pressed the button. The ground began to vibrate, and a spiral staircase rose slowly from the earth to our feet!
还没等我们做出决定,阿雷已经毫不犹豫地按下了那个按钮.地面突然开始震动起来,一道螺旋形的楼梯缓缓地从地底升起!
"Whoa! A-Lei's intuition actually worked this time!" Mona laughed. We dragged our bikes into the subterranean passage, heading toward the next level.
"哇!这一次被阿雷蒙对了!"莫纳惊讶地看着眼前的楼梯.我们拖着自行车,走进了这个通往地底的楼梯...
Chapter 6: The Hanging Bridge Over the Infinite Sea
第六章:无尽之海上的悬空之桥
As we pushed open the door at the end of the underground stairs, we were stunned once again. The door vanished, leaving us suspended above a boundless blue ocean. The water was so clear it merged perfectly with the sky at the horizon.
当我们推开地底楼梯尽头的那扇门时,眼前的景象再次让我们惊呆了.身后的门无声地消失,我们仿佛置身于一片无垠的蓝色海洋之上.
Connecting our platform to the distance was a wide bridge—with absolutely no railings. It was a straight path of polished stone, shimmering faintly under the sun.
一座宽阔但却没有任何防护栏的桥梁,笔直地延伸向远方.桥面由一种光滑的石质构成,在阳光的照射下泛着淡淡的光泽.
"My god... where does this bridge even lead?" A-Lei stared at the magnificent yet terrifying sight.
"我的天...这是一座通往哪里的桥啊?"阿雷瞪大了眼睛.
Mona peeked over the edge nervously. In the crystalline water below, colorful marine life was visible; even starfish lay still on the seabed.
莫纳小心翼翼地探头向下望去,清澈的海水下,各种色彩斑斓的海洋生物清晰可见.
"No railings... we have to be extremely careful," I warned. My fear of heights made my heart race as I looked at the deep blue abyss below.
"这座桥...没有护栏,我们得小心点."我提醒道,本身就有些恐高的我感到一阵心悸.
A-Lei's adventurous spirit soon took over. He hopped on his bike to test the path. "This is exhilarating! You guys should try it!"
阿雷小心欲欲地跨上自行车,试探性地向前骑了一段."哇!这感觉太刺激了!"
Mona and I chose a safer route—walking our bikes slowly, every step calculated to avoid slipping into the vast sea. As we relaxed, we watched dolphins leap from the waves and shared stories of our narrow escape in London.
我和莫纳最终还是选择了更加稳妥的方式——我们拖着自行车,小心翼翼地走在桥面上.
Thirsty from the long trek, I had a strange impulse. I scooped up some water and took a sip before the others could stop me.
走了很久,我们都感到有些口渴.我突然冒出一个念头,想要尝尝这海水是什么味道.
"Stop! It'll be too salty!" A-Lei cried out.
"'我'!你干什么!海水很咸的!"
"Wait... it's not saltwater. It's fresh!" I exclaimed.
然而,我却惊讶地说道:"不对!这不是海水,是淡水!"
They didn't believe me until they tasted it themselves. We drank greedily, feeling a surge of relief.
他们半信半疑地也尝了一口.我们三个都忍不住大口畅饮起来,补充着流失的水分.
Eventually, we saw a figure at the end of the bridge. It was a hunched old woman. A-Lei felt a rare spark of unease—who would be out here in the middle of an infinite ocean?
就在这时,我们远远地看到桥的尽头似乎站着一个人影.那是一个佝偻的身影,看起来像一个老奶奶.
As we approached, she turned with a kind smile. "Children, would you like to go to another room?"
她转过身来,脸上带着慈祥的笑容:"孩子们,你们想不想去另一个房间?"
"Another room? How?" I asked.
"另一个房间?怎么去呀?"我疑惑地问道.
"The floors ahead may be dangerous," she said, pulling three ancient amulets (Buddha charms) from her robes. "Wear these; they might keep you safe."
老奶奶笑着说道:"后面的楼层可能会有些凶险,你们戴上我给你们的佛牌,或许能保佑你们平安."
We put them on cautiously. She smiled warmly. "You are the only ones who believed me."
我们小心翼翼地将佛牌戴在了身上.老奶奶露出欣慰的笑容:"你们是唯一相信我的人."
"The only ones? You mean others have been here?" Mona asked.
莫纳忍不住问道:"难道不止我们三个来到过这里吗?"
She didn't answer. Her form began to blur and warp, transforming into a set of stairs leading upward! Mona nearly slipped into the sea in shock, but I caught him just in time.
她的身影突然开始模糊起来,最终竟然变成了一道向上延伸的楼梯!莫纳脚下一滑,差点掉进海里.
"Let's go," A-Lei said. "She seemed kind. I don't think she'd trick us."
阿雷说道:"我们走吧,我相信那位老奶奶应该不会骗我们的."
We pushed our bikes onto the strange staircase, ascending toward the entrance of the sixth floor...
我们推着自行车,走上了那道奇特的楼梯,朝着第六层楼的入口而去...
Chapter 7: Crisis in the Foreign Imperial City and the Amulet's Protection
第七章:异国皇城的危机与佛牌的庇佑
As we pushed open the door, a magnificent, sprawling castle loomed before us. Finally, we saw living people! They spoke a language we couldn't understand, yet Mona somehow grasped their words and began to converse with them. (Though we had met the old woman earlier, none of us were entirely sure if she was human.)
我们推开门,映入眼帘的是一座宏伟壮丽的大型城堡,终于见到了活生生的人!他们说着我们听不懂的语言,只有莫纳似乎能够理解并与他们交流.（前面虽然有一个老奶奶但大家都不确定是不是人）
An armored soldier beckoned us forward, and the King himself descended from his throne to greet us. After hearing Mona's brief explanation, he warmly welcomed us into the heart of the castle.
一位身穿铠甲的士兵向我们示意,随后国王亲自从王座上走下来迎接我们.他听了莫纳简短的解释后,便热情地将我们一行三人迎进了城堡.
The interior was gilded and grand. We were led to a banquet hall overflowing with a feast. Famished from our long journey, we cast politeness aside and devoured the food and drink.
城堡内部装饰得金碧辉煌,我们被带到一间摆满了丰盛食物的宴会厅.长时间的奔波和未进食让我们饥肠辘辘,顾不上客气,便狼吞虎咽地吃喝起来.
"What is this place?" Mona asked the King in fluent English.
"这里是什么地方?"莫纳用流利的英语向国王问道.
"This is the region of Mosnalin," the King replied.
"这里是莫斯纳林地区."国王回答道.
Mona's face turned pale instantly. He whispered to us that according to ancient records he had studied, this seemingly prosperous castle was doomed. A coalition of five other nations would launch an invasion; Mosnalin would fall, and the King would be executed.
然而,莫纳听到这个名字后脸色骤变,显得异常慌张.他悄声告诉我们,根据他看到的古籍记载,这个看似繁荣的城堡即将灭亡,而原因竟是来自其他国家的联合进攻,莫斯纳林最终会战败,国王也会被杀害.
Panic seized us. No matter how brave we felt, we couldn't face death with indifference. We agreed to keep this dark prophecy from the King, fearing that he might think we were mocking his kingdom and execute us on the spot.
这个消息让我们也感到一阵恐慌,即使我们再胆大,面对死亡也无法无动于衷.我们商量着暂时不将这个噩耗告诉国王,以免他认为我们是在嘲讽他的国家,从而招致杀身之祸.
Over the next few days, we acted as if nothing was wrong, but secretly plotted our escape. We noticed a chilling, hidden murderous intent in the King's eyes whenever he looked at us.
接下来的几天,我们表面上装作若无其事,暗地里却一直在商量逃离这座即将覆灭的城堡的对策.我们注意到,国王看向我们的眼神中似乎带着一丝不易察觉的杀意.
Our suspicions were confirmed during breakfast. Mona woke us early and strictly warned us: "Do not touch those delicate cookies on the table. They're poisoned!" The thought made our skin crawl. During the meal, the King watched us intently. Mona realized the cunning King wanted us to die "accidentally" by poison to avoid the shame of murdering foreign children—an act considered utterly disgraceful in Mosnalin. We didn't touch a single crumb, and the King's expression grew darker by the second.
早餐时发生的一件事更是印证了我们的猜测.莫纳叮嘱我们千万不要吃桌上的一种精致饼干,那里面被下了毒!用餐时,国王一直有意无意地注视着我们.莫纳分析,这个狡猾的国王想借我们误食毒饼干而死亡,从而逃避杀死外来孩童的罪名,因为在莫斯纳林帝国,杀害孩童是非常可耻的行为.我们谨慎地一口都没碰那可疑的饼干,而国王的脸色则越来越阴沉.
Then, just as Mona had predicted, tragedy struck. At 4:00 AM, the frantic blare of trumpets jolted us awake. Five nations had united to crush Mosnalin.
几天后,不幸的事情果然发生了.凌晨四点,当我们还在睡梦中时,突然被一阵急促的喇叭声惊醒.五个国家联合起来进攻莫斯纳林帝国!
Mona hurried us along as we searched for an escape route or the stairs to the next level. But the battle was ferocious, spilling into the castle walls, and the stairs were nowhere to be found.
莫纳迅速叫醒我们,我们慌忙地寻找离开城堡的通道.然而,城外的战斗异常激烈,一直蔓延到城堡,我们却始终未能找到楼梯的踪迹.
We watched in horror as the King was cut down by the invaders. Just as the enemy's blades were about to fall on us, the amulets from the old woman erupted in a blinding radiance. They transformed into three powerful bombs and detonated within the castle!
我们眼睁睁地看着国王被敌军杀害.就在敌人的刀剑即将落在我们身上的时候,我们一直佩戴着的老奶奶赠予的佛牌突然发出了耀眼的光芒,瞬间变成了三枚威力巨大的炸弹,在城堡内爆炸开来!
The blast threw us through the air. When I opened my eyes, we were back where we started—lying in the grass outside the castle. Our three bicycles were right there. Behind them, the familiar shimmering staircase appeared.
伴随着剧烈的爆炸声,我们感觉自己被一股强大的力量抛了出去,再次睁开眼睛时,我们竟然又回到了最初进入这个楼层时的地方.我们那三辆自行车就扔在那里,而在自行车后面,一道熟悉的,散发着微光的楼梯显现出来!
We breathed a massive sigh of relief, thankful we had trusted the mysterious old woman. We scrambled to grab our bikes. These weren't just objects; they were gifts from our mothers. Losing them felt like losing a piece of our souls, a fear that even the fearless A-Lei shared.
我们长长地舒了一口气,庆幸自己相信了那位神秘的老奶奶.我们赶紧捡起自行车,因为这三辆自行车对我们来说意义非凡,它们是我们的母亲分别买给我们的.如果丢失了,我们仿佛也会失去某种重要的东西.
Dragging our bikes, we reached the stairs and pushed open the door, heading into the next unknown chapter.
我们拖着自行车,来到了楼梯的门口,毫不犹豫地推开了门,进入了下一个未知的场景.
(Mona's ability to communicate remained a mystery. He had unknowingly gained a linguistic gift, though he simply wondered: did these ancient foreigners speak English too?)
（莫纳之所以能和这些外国人交流,是因为他在不知不觉中获得了一种语言天赋,但他自己和大家都没有发现.他只是觉得奇怪:这些早期的外国人也说英语吗?）
Chapter 8: The Ancient Jungle Token and the Ritual Blueprint
第八章:古老丛林的信物与祭祀的蓝图
We passed through the shattered space and arrived in an entirely different world—an ancient jungle. The air quality was noticeably different from the modern worlds before; it was fresher, yet carried a thick, primal scent of earth. We all noticed it at once.
我们穿过爆炸后的空间,直接来到了一个截然不同的世界——一片古老的丛林.这里的空气质量与之前的现代世界有着明显的不同,更加清新,却也带着一丝原始的泥土气息,我们同时注意到了这一点.
We cycled quickly through the dense undergrowth. A-Lei's sharp eyes soon spotted a person, and he hurriedly beckoned us over. As we rode toward them, I was tripped by a stray vine and took a hard fall. My knee throbbed with pain. While on the ground, I noticed an object buried in the dirt—a token. It was covered in dust, so I wiped it clean on my trousers.
我们骑着自行车在这片茂密的丛林中迅速地逛了一圈.阿雷眼尖,很快发现了一个人,他连忙叫我们过去.我不小心被路上的藤蔓绊倒,摔了一下,膝盖有些疼.摔倒的同时,我注意到地下的泥土里似乎埋着一个信物.我擦了擦信物上的泥土,把它弄干净.
I walked over to A-Lei and Mona, who were in a standoff with an old man. He wore ancient, painted garments and held a stone spear pointed directly at me, as if ready to throw. In a desperate gamble, I held up the token I had just found.
我走到阿雷和莫纳那里,他们正与一位老爷爷对峙着.这位老爷爷穿着古老的图腾衣服,手里拿着一根土矛对着我,像是要投掷过来.情急之下,我突然向他展示了我刚才捡到的那个信物,这完全是一场冒险的赌博.
Seeing the token, the old man's clouded eyes instantly filled with tears. He rushed forward, trembling as he took it from my hand. He spoke in a language we couldn't understand, but his gratitude was unmistakable. He began leading us toward their village.
老爷爷看到信物后,浑浊的眼中瞬间涌出了泪水,他飞奔过来,颤抖地从我手中接过信物.他嘴里说着我们听不懂的语言,但我们能感觉到他的语气中充满了感激.他带着我们向他们的村庄走去.
"Don't you feel like the places we're traveling to are getting older?" I whispered to the others. "What if the next door leads to the Jurassic period?"
走在路上,我对阿雷和莫纳说:"你们有没有觉得,我们穿越的地方好像越来越古老了?下一个门口,该不会是侏罗纪时代了吧?"
A-Lei got goosebumps. "No way! Don't say that. My sixth sense tells me it won't be Jurassic."
阿雷听了,胳膊上起了鸡皮疙瘩,连忙说道:"不可能!你别乱说!我的第六感告诉我,不可能是侏罗纪."
The village was primal. The people only knew simple cooking and roasting. To our horror, their primary diet consisted of various grubs and insects rather than pork or poultry. When they offered us the wriggling insects, we waved our hands frantically in refusal. It took a while for the old man to understand.
老人把我们领到了他们的村庄.这是一个非常原始的村落.我们看到,他们的主要食物竟然是各种虫子.我们看到那些蠕动的虫子,连忙摆手表示不想吃.
We noticed a daily ritual. They didn't sacrifice humans, but rather various foods, alongside pig and chicken blood. Judging by the villagers' reverence, we assumed the old man was the chief. We felt relatively safe for the time being.
我们注意到,村落里有一个祭祀仪式.祭祀的对象是各种食物和牲畜血.通过村民们的崇拜,我们猜测这位老爷爷就是村长,看来我们在村落里应该不会有什么危险了.
We stayed for a couple of days. The mosquitoes were unbearable, and the air felt heavy with the threat of disease; we learned the chief's wife had passed away after a mosquito bite.
我们在村落里待了一两天,这里的蚊子实在太多了,而且空气中似乎弥漫着某种潜在的瘟疫.
I felt a new sensation—a faint inkling that the ritual was connected to the stairs, though I wasn't sure if it was a premonition or just my imagination.
这一次,我似乎获得了一种新的能力,我隐约感觉到这个祭祀仪式和我们离开这里的楼梯之间存在着某种关联.
While gathering fruit one day, we found a strange blueprint. The text and diagrams were incomprehensible, so we showed it to the chief. He spoke at length—none of which we understood—and then reverently placed the blueprint on the sacrificial altar.
某一天,我们发现了一张奇怪的蓝图.我们拿给村长看,他小心翼翼地将蓝图放在了祭台上,和祭品放在一起.
Suddenly, the blood and offerings began to transform, manifesting into a shimmering set of stairs! We were overjoyed; finally, a way out.
就在这时,令人难以置信的事情发生了!那些祭品和鲜血竟然开始缓缓地幻化,最终变成了一道散发着微光的楼梯!
But as we approached, we saw no normal light inside. Instead, a flickering, sinister glow greeted us, accompanied by a sickening stench of decay. This was not the staircase to the next level.
然而,当我们走近楼梯时,却发现里面映入眼帘的是一种诡异的,闪烁不定的光芒,还伴随着一股令人作呕的腐臭气味.
A-Lei stepped in! I lunged forward, grabbing his ankle and yanking him back just in time. The moment his foot cleared the threshold, a string of rapidly flashing numbers appeared on the ground. We tried to warn the chief with hand signals, but the villagers crowded in, curious about the anomaly.
就在这时,阿雷一脚踏进了楼梯!我猛地抓住阿雷的脚,用力将他往外拽.就在阿雷的脚离开楼梯的一瞬间,地面上突然出现了一串闪烁的数字!
The countdown ended. A massive explosion tore through the village, consuming half the people in flames. We were blasted back by the shockwave. When we stood up, aching and terrified, the bodies of the consumed villagers had vanished completely. The survivors turned their furious gazes upon us; we were now the villains of the village.
就在数字倒计时结束的时候,爆炸瞬间发生,将村庄一半的人都被火光吞噬.我们被余波震退.那些被火光吞噬的村民,遗体都消失不见了.我们被幸存的村民们用愤怒的目光注视着.
In our desperate flight, the chief hurled his stone spear at me! I thought it was the end, but incredibly, the spear froze in mid-air and transformed into a staircase emitting a warm, normal glow.
我们在逃亡中,村长愤怒地将手中的土矛再次投向了我!但令人难以置信的是,那根土矛竟然在半空中停了下来,然后迅速地幻化成了一道散发着正常光亮的楼梯!
"Quick! Get to the stairs!" I shouted to A-Lei and Mona.
我连忙大声叫住阿雷和莫纳:"快!赶紧上楼!"
They dashed inside. This time, the staircase didn't close immediately. The chief stood at the entrance with a complex expression, ultimately choosing to stay and lead the remaining villagers to safety, fearing another explosion.
他们跑进了楼梯.而这一次,楼梯却没有像往常一样关闭.村长站在楼梯口,神情复杂.
We escaped through the door at the top. Little did we know, back in the village, blue lights began to flicker where the explosion had occurred. The lights solidified into the forms of the "dead" villagers. They hadn't perished; they had been transported to a strange blue space. (They had worshipped a "False Staircase." Only one True Staircase exists per level, usable only by Travelers. Using a False Staircase triggers unpredictable consequences.)
我们进入了楼梯尽头的那扇门.就在我们走后不久,原先爆炸的位置泛起了蓝色光点,显现出了被火光吞噬的村民,他们并没有逝去.（原来村民供奉的是假阶梯.假阶梯会发生意想不到的后果.）
The returned villagers spoke of a "Blue Space" in confusing terms. Though the chief didn't fully understand, he was relieved they were back. The village was safe, though haunted by the guilt of the hunt.
回来的村民解释得云里雾里的.村长说回来就好.其他的村民表面很欣喜,不过更多的是对那场追捕的内疚.
Chapter 9: The Walkable Clouds and the Staircase of Names
第九章:踩踏的云端与名字的阶梯
We pushed open the door, only to find ourselves standing atop clouds that could actually support our weight. The clouds beneath our feet were soft and elastic, like a vast, white, plush carpet. Behind us, the door vanished without a sound.
我们推开门,却发现自己置身于一片能够踩踏的云朵之上.脚下的云朵柔软而富有弹性,如同巨大的白色地毯.身后的门也无声无息地消失了.
After the initial shock, a heavy wave of guilt washed over us for the tragedy at the ancient village. We stood in silence for a long time. Finally, I broke the oppressive atmosphere, telling A-Lei and Mona not to blame themselves too much. We couldn't even speak the villagers' language; we had done our best. Since the tragedy had already happened, we had to accept it. With my constant persuasion, they finally began to let go and explore this strange world of clouds. (Often, life is like this—fickle and perceived differently by everyone. One moment you're the villain, the next you're just a stranger in another world. But people often find it hard to admit fault, preferring to stay wrong until the end.)
短暂的震惊之后,一股强烈的内疚感涌上我们心头.沉默了许久,我率先打破了压抑的气氛,告诉阿雷和莫纳不必再过度内疚.既然悲剧已经发生,我们只能坦然接受.经过我不断地劝说,他们两个也终于逐渐释怀.（往往事情就是这样,反复无常.但往往他们觉得承认错误很可耻,宁愿错到底）
Walking through this vast, white sea of clouds, we soon lost our way; there were no markers to identify an exit. However, we accidentally discovered that we possessed the ability to soar through the clouds, though we didn't realize it at first.
在这洁白而茫茫的云海中行走,我们很快就迷失了方向.然而,我们却意外地发现,我们似乎拥有了某种在云端翱翔的能力.
Night fell, and we slept on the soft clouds. Around 6:00 AM the next morning, as the sun rose, I woke them up. I was stunned to see a colossal vine piercing through the clouds, stretching upward as if it were drilling through the entire Earth! A-Lei and Mona were equally shocked, but having survived so many wonders, we quickly accepted this fantasy as our new normal.
第二天清晨六点左右,我叫醒了他们两个.我惊讶地发现,一根巨大的树藤竟然穿透了云层,向上望去,仿佛要穿过整个地球!阿雷和莫纳也被眼前的景象惊呆了.
We tried to climb the massive vine, but its surface was too smooth to gain any traction. I slipped and fell several times, though the clouds were soft enough that it didn't hurt. However, during my final slip, I fell clean through the cloud layer!
我们尝试攀爬那粗壮的树藤,但光滑的表面让我们难以着力.然而,在我最后一次摔倒的时候,我竟然直接从云层中坠落下去!
"Me!" A-Lei and Mona screamed, reaching out to catch me, but it was too late. As I plummeted, a strange thought surfaced in my mind—I imagined I had a pair of wings and tried to flap them. When I closed and then opened my eyes, the impossible had happened: I was hovering in mid-air!
"我!"阿雷和莫纳惊呼着想要抓住我,但为时已晚.就在我急速下坠的过程中,我幻想着自己拥有一对翅膀.当我再次睁开眼,我竟然真的飘浮在了空中!
Thinking I had died, A-Lei and Mona stared down in terror, only to see me ascending from the clouds below. "Whoa! How are you flying? Is that your special power?" they gasped.
阿雷和莫纳以为我摔死了,正惊恐地向下望去,却看到我从下方的另一片云层中飞升上来."诶!你怎么能飞起来了?这是你独特的能力吗?"
"I think it's all of us," I said. "Try it yourselves." Their expressions shifted instantly—from deep sorrow to sheer amazement. I taught them how to visualize wings, and within five minutes, they were flying too, their faces lit with disbelief and joy.
我说:"好像不止我,你们也试试看."他们的表情变化得非常快.我教他们想象翅膀,很快,他们也成功地飞了起来.
With wings, the climb became effortless. We flew alongside the giant vine for an entire day; it seemed endless. Around 1:00 AM, we finally reached the midpoint and landed. Because the vine was curved, it was often difficult to stand steady.
有了翅膀,攀爬树藤变得异常简单.我们沿着巨大的树藤向上飞了足足一天.直到凌晨一点左右,我们才看到了这树藤的中点.
At the midpoint, we found a gigantic fruit. No one dared to touch it until A-Lei boldly took a bite. "Mmm! It's sweet!" he chirped. We joined in, and soon the massive fruit was gone. Even at 1:00 AM, the cloud world remained bright. All that was left was a large seed.
在中点的位置,我们看到了一颗巨大的果子.阿雷大胆地提议他先吃."嗯!真甜!"随后,我们就把那巨大的果子吃完了.果子吃完后,留下了一颗很大的种子.
I flew to the very top of the vine and found a pen tangled within its tendrils. We tried to pull it free with all our might, but it wouldn't budge. Then, Mona had an idea. He squeezed some leftover fruit juice onto the vine where it gripped the pen. To our surprise, the vine straightened out, releasing the pen into our hands.
我飞到了树藤的顶端,发现它缠绕着一支笔.我们三人合力也无法将笔拽出来.这时,莫纳灵机一动,他挤出一些果汁滴在末端.令人惊讶的是,树藤竟然慢慢地变直,将那支笔放了下来.
We had the pen, but no idea what to do with it. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit me. I took the pen and wrote my name, A-Lei's name, and Mona's name onto the giant seed. The names began to glow brilliantly. After a flash of blinding white light, the seed transformed into a staircase leading upward!
我们拿到了笔,却不知道该用它做什么.突然,我脑海中闪过一道灵光.我用这支笔,将我的名字,阿雷的名字和莫纳的名字写在了那颗巨大的种子上.几秒钟后,种子竟然变成了一道向上延伸的楼梯!
We were speechless. A-Lei couldn't help but complain, "Meow! Can't it just appear like a normal staircase for once? Does it always have to be so dramatic?"
我们顿时无语.阿雷忍不住吐槽道:"喵的!每次就不能像正常楼梯一样出现吗?非要变着花样啊!"
Exhausted and annoyed, we climbed the "seed stairs." Our bicycles were gone—lost somewhere along the way. We could only hope they'd reappear on the next level. We reached the door to the tenth floor.
我们无语地爬上了这颗种子变成的楼梯.这一次,我们的自行车似乎弄丢了.我们来到了第十层楼的门口.
Chapter 10: The Familiar Balcony
第十章:熟悉的阳台
We pushed open the door at the top of the seed stairs, and to our absolute shock, we were back on our familiar balcony! We stared at each other in disbelief. Was it finally over?
我们推开种子楼梯尽头的那扇门,眼前竟然是我们熟悉的阳台!我们惊讶地互相看着,难道一切都结束了吗?
Oddly enough, the balcony didn't vanish as it had before, and the door behind us remained solid. The moment A-Lei and Mona stepped onto the tiles, a wave of exhaustion hit them. They realized we had climbed nine full levels. In those fantasy worlds, we hadn't felt a hint of fatigue, so why were they so drained the moment they returned to reality?
走进阳台,奇怪的是,阳台并没有像之前那样消失,身后的门也依然存在.阿雷和莫纳一踏上阳台,就立刻显得疲惫不堪.我们竟然足足爬了九层楼,之前在那些奇幻世界里,我们似乎都没有感觉到疲惫,为什么一回到这里就累成这样?
"You two must have been overexerting yourselves. Now that we're 'home,' the exhaustion is finally catching up," I said.
"你们两个应该是之前过于劳累,现在才开始反弹吧."我说.
"Then why aren't you tired?" A-Lei asked, squinting at me suspiciously.
"那你为什么不累?"阿雷疑惑地看着我.
"I have no idea," I shrugged. I noticed an alarm clock on the balcony wall; it showed 5:00 AM.
"我也不知道啊."我耸了耸肩.这时,我注意到阳台墙壁上似乎有一个闹钟,显示的时间是凌晨五点.
"Should we look for the next set of stairs?" I suggested.
"要不要再找找楼梯?"我提议道.
"Let us rest first. I'm dying here," A-Lei groaned, and Mona nodded in exhaustion. They both slumped down to rest.
"先休息一下吧,我要累死了."阿雷有气无力地说.莫纳也点了点头,表示赞同.
"You two rest then. I'll have a look around," I said. I searched every nook and cranny of the balcony but found nothing. Finally, I climbed to the highest point and discovered a room. As I hesitated, the door swung open on its own. Driven by curiosity and a sliver of fear, I stepped inside.
"那你们两个先好好休息吧,我找找看楼梯."我爬上了阳台的最高处,发现那里有一个房间.我正犹豫着要不要打开门,那扇门却自动打开了.
The room was pitch black. Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind me with a heavy BANG. Darkness swallowed me whole, and panic began to rise. But as the clock struck 6:00 AM, a beam of sunlight pierced through the window. The dark walls vanished, replaced by clean, clear glass. I stood there, mesmerized by the rising sun.
眼前一片漆黑,身后的门却"砰"的一声关上了.但似乎过了六点,一缕阳光从窗外射进来.原本漆黑的四面墙壁竟然消失了,取而代之的是洁净的玻璃,我看着这冉冉升起的阳光,不由自主地出了神.
A-Lei and Mona stood up, their fatigue seemingly gone. They walked to the balcony railing. Our two missing bicycles had transformed into two gentle cats snuggled against their shoulders, gazing at the sun. Beside me, a brightly colored parrot appeared. None of us felt surprised; it felt as if these animals had always been there—perhaps they were just the embodiment of my subconscious.
这时,阿雷和莫纳也站了起来,他们似乎已经不再疲惫.我们之前丢失的两辆自行车竟然变成了两只温顺的猫,正依偎在他们的肩膀旁边.我的身边则多出了一只色彩鲜艳的鹦鹉.我们对此没有丝毫诧异,仿佛它们一直都在那里.
In that moment, I felt this was the true end. But then, a strange shimmering sound erupted from the space to my left. A familiar soft glow materialized into a set of stairs. I called out to A-Lei and Mona, ready for the next adventure. But the moment I stepped toward the stairs, everything went black.
那一刻,我感觉这或许真的是终点了.但就在这时,左边的空间突然传来一阵奇异的声响,一道光芒亮起,那里竟然多出了一道熟悉的楼梯.我叫了阿雷和莫纳一声,但就在我迈步走向楼梯的那一刻,眼前突然一片漆黑.
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in my own bed. My mother was gently waking me: "Son, time to get up. I made your favorite noodles for breakfast."
再次睁开眼睛,我发现自己躺在熟悉的床上,妈妈正温柔地叫醒我:"儿子,起床吃饭了,今天是你最喜欢的挂面哦."
"Coming," I replied. As she left the room, I sat up, replaying the dream in my head. It felt so real, yet like a shimmering bubble. Why hadn't I realized it was a dream from the start?
我应了一声.妈妈走出房间后,我坐起身来,回想着梦里的一切.那个梦如此真实,却又像一场虚幻的泡影.
Life returned to normal, and I never had that dream again. However, during a chat with A-Lei and Mona later on, I happened to mention it. To our absolute astonishment, they had both had the exact same dream. We talked about it for hours, but the mysterious staircase and its worlds never returned to our sleep.
之后,我又过起了正常的日常生活.但在和阿雷,莫纳聊天时,我无意中提起了这件事,令我们惊讶的是,他们竟然也都做过几乎一模一样的梦.我们新奇地聊了很久,但此后始终没有再次梦到那个充满奇幻冒险的楼梯.
Does the story end here? Or was it all just a dream that was far too real? Perhaps only we will ever know the answer.
故事到这里就结束了吗?还是说,那一切仅仅是一场过于真实的梦境?或许,只有我们自己知道答案.