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大家好。
Hello, friends.
我们非常兴奋再次向大家分享帕蒂·拉森的《鼠王》，这是《猫城》系列的精彩续篇，最初登场于《晚安故事》。
We're so excited to share with you again the Rat King by Patti Larson, a thrilling continuation of the Cat City series, first introduced on Sleep Tight Stories.
在《鼠王》中，苏珊的噩梦成为现实，她被强大的敌人绑架，而她忠诚的朋友塔克必须违抗议会，冒一切风险去救她。
In The Rat King, Susan's nightmares become reality when she's kidnapped by powerful enemies, and her loyal friend Tucker must defy the council and risk everything to save her.
危险潜伏在每一个阴影中，猫城的命运悬于一线，这场冒险充满了神秘、勇气与友谊。
With danger lurking in every shadow and the fate of Cat City hanging in the balance, this adventure is filled with mystery, courage, and friendship.
《鼠王》专为10岁及以上的孩子设计，这是一个充满转折与暖心时刻的难忘故事。
Designed for kids aged 10 and up, The Rat King is an unforgettable story full of twists, turns, and heartwarming moments.
现在请在Apple播客、Spotify或您收听播客的任何平台收听《鼠王》。
Follow The Rat King now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
不要错过这场史诗般的冒险。
Don't miss this epic adventure.
立即关注。
Follow today.
晚安，朋友们。
Sleep Tight Friends.
你好，朋友们，欢迎来到《晚安故事》。
Hello, friends, and welcome to Sleep Tight Stories.
蓝和红正在帮助他们的妈妈验证她最新的理论。
Blue and Red are trying to help their mother with her latest theory.
他们正在院子里整理花坛。
They are in the yard working on the garden bed.
蓝和红讨论火星，以及地球上的颜色为何如此。
Red and Blue discuss Mars and why colors on Earth are the way they are.
《蓝的编年史》——最绿的星球。
The Chronicles of Blue, the greenest planet.
他们的妈妈提出了一个关于在地球上融入群体的新理论。
Their mother had a new theory about fitting in on Earth.
这个理论就是：一个整洁的庭院。
The theory was a tidy yard.
显然，邻居们注意到了这些事情，而且这些似乎很重要。
Apparently, neighbors noticed these things, and apparently that mattered.
而且，解决办法是红和蓝需要在周日早上沿着前路的花坛拔杂草。
And apparently, the solution was that Red and Blue needed to spend their Sunday morning pulling weeds from a garden bed along the front path.
红曾试图解释，在火星上，没人会在意你外表的样子，因为你们住在地下，根本没有什么外表可言。
Red had tried to explain that on Mars, nobody cared what your exterior looked like because you lived underground, and there was no exterior to speak of.
她的妈妈递给她一副园艺手套，并说这种话绝对不该对邻居说。
Her mother had handed her a pair of garden gloves and said that was exactly the kind of comment she should not make to the neighbors.
于是，他们就在这里了。
So here they were.
蓝蹲在花坛旁边，手里拿着一根杂草，像在实验室观察标本一样仔细研究。
Blue was crouching next to the garden bed, holding a single weed and studying it like it was a specimen in a lab.
他已经研究这根杂草大约四分钟了。
He had been studying it for approximately four minutes.
红在做大部分实际的拔草工作。
Red was doing most of the actual pulling.
这也太绿了，Blue说。
This is so green, Blue said.
这里的一切都是绿色的，Red说。
Everything here is green, Red said.
不。
No.
但这种绿，特别刺眼地绿。
But this specifically, like aggressively green.
他把那根杂草在手指间翻转过来。
He turned the weed over in his fingers.
谁决定植物应该是这种颜色的？
Who decided that plants should be this color?
叶绿素。
Chlorophyll.
你明明知道的。
You know this.
我知道原因。
I know why.
我的意思是，谁觉得这是个好主意？
I'm saying, who thought it was a good idea?
他把那株杂草扔进堆里，立刻又拿起另一株仔细端详。
He tossed the weed in the pile and immediately picked up another one to study.
火星的想法才对。
Mars had the right idea.
灰色，平静，没有任何东西试图吸引你的注意。
Gray, calm, nothing trying to get your attention.
红坐回了脚后跟上。
Red sat back on her heels.
我们刚到这里时，我其实挺想念灰色的。
I actually missed gray when we first got here.
真的，身体上都感觉缺了点什么。
Like, physically missed it.
这里的一切都太多了。
Everything here is just so much.
还是这样。
Still is.
是的，她又拔了一株杂草。
Yeah, she pulled another weed.
还是这样。
Still is.
蓝色沉默了一会儿，这很不寻常，以至于红色转头看了他一眼。
Blue was quiet for a second, which was unusual enough that Red looked over at him.
他现在真的在拔杂草，有点心不在焉。
He was actually pulling weeds now, a little absentmindedly.
你觉得栖息地看起来还和以前一样吗？
Do you think the habitats still look the same?
他问道。
He asked.
大概吧，红耸了耸肩。
Probably, Red shrugged.
它们又不会跑掉。
They weren't going anywhere.
你知道我怀念什么吗？
You know what I miss?
地下的光线是怎么运作的。
The way the light worked underground.
就像它总是保持不变那样。
Like how it was always the same.
在这里，你永远猜不到。
Here, you never know.
刚才还阳光明媚，转眼就没了。
It's sunny, and then it's not.
然后毫无理由地下起雨来。
And then it rains for no reason.
然后他朝天空做了个大幅度的手势，那天空是一种令人极度反感的深蓝色。
And then He gestured broadly at the sky, which was a deeply offensive shade of blue.
母亲喜欢下雨。
Mother likes the rain.
母亲对下雨的看法是错的。
Mother is wrong about the rain.
红几乎笑了。
Red almost smiled.
别让她听见你这么说。
Don't let her hear you say that.
我没有。
I'm not.
蓝把他的大麻扔到了一堆上。
Blue dropped his weed on a pile.
她会让我们去耙地之类的。
She'd make us rake or something.
我们已经在扫了。
We're already raking.
那就再多扫点。
More raking then.
他拿起了真正的耙子，之前她只是靠着它，他大概耙了三下就停了。
He picked up the actual rake, which she had so far only been using to lean on, and did approximately three strokes before stopping.
我不明白，为什么颜色这件事让你这么烦。
What I don't understand is why it bothers you so much, the color thing.
你表现得好像绿色冒犯了你一样。
You act like green personally offended you.
Red盯着一大片绿色看。
Red looked at a particularly large patch of green.
不是特别针对绿色。
It's not the green specifically.
那到底是什么？
What is it then?
问题是，这里的一切都太多了。
It's that there's just so much of everything.
比如，这里没什么东西是稀有的。
Like, nothing is rare here.
在家的时候，如果有什么东西有颜色，那就意味着某种意义，比如仪式、庆祝活动，或者有重要人物穿过外圈。
At home, if something had color, it meant something, like a ceremony or a celebration or someone really important coming through the outer rings.
颜色是为了某种目的而存在的。
Color was for something.
而在这里，颜色无处不在，却没有任何意义。
Here it's just everywhere and it doesn't mean anything.
蓝思考了这一点。
Blue thought about that.
这实际上对地球来说有点悲哀。
That's actually kind of sad for Earth.
是啊，对吧？
I know, right?
这么多颜色，却没有任何意义。
All this color and none of it means anything.
他摇了摇头。
He shook his head.
太糟糕了。
Terrible.
完全浪费了。
Completely wasted.
他们沉默地工作了一分钟。
They worked in silence for a minute.
嗯，红在干活。
Well, Red worked.
蓝正在做那种看起来很忙但实际上什么都没做的事。
Blue was doing the thing where he looked busy without actually pulling anything.
我们本可以待在城市里，蓝说。
We could have been in a city, Blue said.
我们上次经过这里的时候，这里主要是灰色的，全是建筑和混凝土，妈妈不喜欢那样。
When we passed through here on the way, it was mostly gray, buildings and concrete, and mother didn't want that.
或者是我们不被允许进入。
Or we weren't allowed.
大概是AID的规定。
AID thing, probably.
大概是这样，Red用牛仔裤擦了擦手。
Probably, Red wiped her hands on her jeans.
白天的时候，这座城市更好一些。
The city was better during the day.
到了晚上，那些灯把一切都毁了。
At night, they ruin it with all those lights.
那些灯光真是灾难，Blue深有同感地附和道。
Those lights are a disaster, Blue agreed with real feeling.
你好不容易得到了一片灰暗宁静，他们却到处挂满彩色的灯。
You finally get something gray and calm, and then they put colored lights all over it.
父亲知道他们为什么把我们安置在这里，而不是在城里。
Father would know why they put us here and not in the city.
如果父亲能活得够久，让我们问他，他本该知道很多事情。
Father would know a lot of things if he long enough to ask him anything.
蓝轻描淡写地说着，就像他平时说话那样，但红听出了话里的言外之意。
Blue said it lightly, the way he said most things, but Red could hear what was under it.
等他回来，她说。
When he comes back, she said.
是啊，等他回来。
Yeah, when.
蓝终于拿出了真正的大麻。
Blue finally pulled the real weed.
我要拿些我最近在研究的问题考考他。
I'm going to stump him with some problems I've been working on.
我从图书馆借了这本理论物理的书。
I took this theoretical physics books out of the library.
红看了看。
Red looked over.
你告诉他们这是给你姐姐的。
You told them it was for your big sister.
对吧？
Correct?
他们相信了你。
They believed you.
很明显，我很有说服力。
Obviously, I'm very convincing.
他把那株大麻扔了。
He tossed the weed.
别介意，但你不会懂这些问题。
No offense, but you would not understand the problems.
我比你高两个年级。
I was two years ahead of you.
在火星上？
On Mars?
在这里，你被降职了。
Here, you got demoted.
他咧嘴笑了。
He grinned.
这并不是批评。
It's not a criticism.
这仅仅是事实。
It's just the truth.
那不是降职。
It wasn't a demotion.
那是为了让我们能在同一所学校。
It was so we could be in the same school.
他们就是这么告诉你的。
That's what they told you.
蓝摇了摇头。
Blue shook his head.
我不是说你不聪明。
I'm not saying you're not smart.
我是说我很聪明。
I'm saying I'm smarter.
这有区别。
There's a difference.
红朝他扔了一团土。
Red threw a clump of dirt at him.
他轻松地躲开了。
He dodged it easily.
他说道：“真成熟啊。”
Very mature, he said.
真有地球人的风格。
Very Earth of you.
你每天听起来都越来越像地球人了。
You sound more like an earthling every day.
这么说太糟糕了。
That's a terrible thing to say.
他又捡起了耙子，这次真的在用它了。
He picked up the rake again, actually using it this time.
你待会儿有什么安排？
What are you doing later?
跟那群怪胎混在一起？
Hanging out with those weirdos in the gang?
不。
No.
妈妈给了我一些音频文件，让我让英语听起来更自然。
Mother gave me some audio files to make my English sound more natural.
Blue嗤笑了一声。
Blue snorted.
你的英语很好。
Your English is fine.
她给了我同样的东西。
She gave me the same things.
我二十分钟就完成了。
I finished them in twenty minutes.
因为你说话太快了。
Because you talk too fast.
因为我效率高。
Because I'm efficient.
红又拔了一棵杂草。
Red pulled another weed.
堆起来的杂草已经相当可观了。
The pile was getting respectable.
从科学角度来说，蓝对这堆杂草的贡献是大约四棵杂草和大量的评论。
Blue's contribution to the pile was, scientifically speaking, about four weeds and a lot of commentary.
你觉得他会感到惊讶吗？
Do you think he'd be surprised?
红问。
Red asked.
爸爸，关于物理题？
Father, with the physics problems?
蓝认真地想了想，这意味着这确实是个问题。
Blue considered this seriously, which meant it was a real question.
有一点。
A little.
也许不会惊讶到摔倒，但我觉得他会……他停顿了一下。
Maybe not surprised, like, he's not going to fall over, but I think he'd be he paused.
我觉得他会喜欢的。
I think he'd like it.
是的，红说。
Yeah, Red said.
我也这么认为。
I think so too.
他们又多干了一会儿。
They work a little while longer.
蓝在最后阶段实际上拔了不少有用的杂草，红注意到了，但没有说出来，因为说出来就会毁掉一切。
Blue actually pulled a useful number of weeds in the final stretch, which Red noticed but didn't mention because mentioning it would have ruined everything.
当他们的母亲叫他们进去吃午饭时，蓝放下耙子，跨过那堆杂草，朝门口走去。
When their mother called them in for lunch, Blue dropped the rake, stepped over the pile, and walked toward the door.
然后他停下了。
Then he stopped.
不管怎么说，他没有回头，说道：我觉得你说得对，关于颜色这件事。
For what it's worth, he said without turning around, I think you're right about the color thing.
它应该意味着些什么。
It should mean something.
红看着那片花园，绿叠着绿，一直延伸到小路尽头。
Red looked at the garden bed, green on green on green, going all the way down the path.
是的，她说应该是这样。
Yeah, she said it should.
蓝走进了屋里。
Blue went inside.
红又待了一分钟，拔掉了最后一棵她漏掉的杂草。
Red stayed another minute, pulling one last weed she'd missed.
天空仍然是错误的颜色。
The sky was still the wrong color.
草地仍然太吵了。
The grass was still too loud.
但蓝在最后说对了一句话，这几乎弥补了她拔了比他多四十棵杂草的事实。
But Blue had said the right thing at the end, which almost made up for the fact that she'd pulled about 40 more weeds than him.
这就是我们故事的结尾。
And that is the end of our story.
晚安。
Good night.
睡个好觉。
Sleep tight.
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