Thunder roared as the rain had poured down on our heads. We dashed to our destination. The patter of rain hit the concrete. Dripping wet, we entered one of the theatre world’s most spectacular gems, the Nanjing Poly Theatre. We had come to watch Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
雨倾盆而下，雷声轰鸣。 我们冲向目的地。 雨声拍打在混凝土上。 淋湿了，我们进入了剧院世界最壮观的宝石之一，南京保利剧院。 我们是来看莎士比亚的《暴风雨》。
What I saw next made me wish I had never seen the advertisement for my favourite play, and beg my parents to take me to the opening night.
接下来我看到的事情让我真希望自己从未看到我最喜欢的戏剧的广告，并求我的父母帶我去看開幕之夜。
After the play, there would be no time to interview the actors, so making my way backstage, I had hoped to find someone free to answer my questions. Goosebumps covered my arms as my feet began to feel heavy. I shouldn’t be there, I knew we weren’t allowed. If anyone caught me, I would be in huge trouble.
戏剧结束后，没有时间采访演员，所以走到后台，我希望能找到有空的人来回答我的问题。 当我的脚开始感到沉重时，我的手臂起了鸡皮疙瘩。 我不应该在那里，我知道我们不允许。 如果有人抓住我，我会有麻烦的。
What I saw next made me wish I had never seen the advertisement for my favorite play, and beg my parents to take me to the opening night. On the ground before me was a young man with a knife through his heart. In the shadows, looking at the body with his head held up high, was a shadowy figure. Holding my breath, I closed my eyes and told myself, “This can’t be real. This sort of thing simply doesn’t happen to normal people like me.” But he was still there when I peeped through my eyelashes. I blinked. I could have sworn the shadowy form walked through the wall and disappeared.
接下来我看到的东西让我希望自己从未看过我最喜欢的戏剧的广告，并求我的父母带我去看开幕之夜。 在我面前的地上，有一个年轻人，他的心脏被一把刀刺穿了。 在阴影中，高高举着头看着尸体，是一个阴暗的身影。 我屏住呼吸，闭上眼睛，告诉自己：“这不可能是真的。 这种事情根本不会发生在像我这样的正常人身上。” 但是当我透过睫毛偷看时，他还在那里。 我眨了眨眼。 我可以发誓，阴影的形态穿过墙壁消失了。
Ignoring any sense of logic, I walked through the wall after him. Instead of a sharp pain in my skull, I was in a village, or at least I thought so. Glancing around me I saw huge houses, each with two stone lions outside the gate. My view of the house was blocked by a wooden screen, decorated with images of dragons and temples. Paying little attention to the scenery, I approached the nearest house. Hitting the copper door knocker, I waited. An old man opened the door and looked at me strangely. Pointing towards the red lanterns decorating his gate and house I said, “What are the decorations for?”
我无视任何逻辑感，跟着他穿过墙。 我没有头骨的剧烈疼痛，而是在一个村庄里，或者至少我是这么想的。 瞥了一眼周围，我看到了巨大的房子，每栋房子外都有两只石狮子。 我对房子的视野被一个木制屏风挡住了，上面装饰着龙和寺庙的形象。 我很少注意风景，走近最近的房子。 我敲了敲铜门铃，等待着。 一位老人打开门，奇怪地看着我。 我指着装饰他大门和房子的红灯笼说：“这些装饰是为了什么？”
“We celebrate the start of a new emperor’s reign. Hongzhi Emperor’s son, Zhengde, was made Emperor yesterday,” said the old man, eyeing my Nike’s suspiciously. Meeting my eyes, he reached towards
his sword.
“我们庆祝新皇帝统治的开始。 洪志皇帝的儿子正德昨天被封为皇帝，”老人怀疑地看着我的耐克说。 与我的眼睛对视，他伸向了 他的剑。
“Many strangers do not come at this time, what is your business here?”
“很多陌生人这个时候不来，你在这里有什么事？”
Sweat covered my brow as I tried to think of an excuse. Stuttering somewhat, I added, “I was told the beauty of China is there every day, so I chose to come now”.
当我试图想一个借口时，汗水覆盖了我的额头。 有些结巴，我补充道：“有人告诉我，中国的美每天都在那里，所以我选择现在就来。”
Although his hand hadn’t left the hilt of his sword, I could see as it loosened its hold. Letting out a sigh, I thanked him for his help and left.
雖然他的手還沒有離開他的劍柄，但我可以看到它松開了握持。 我叹了口气，感谢他的帮助，然后离开了。
His words echoed in my head. Emperor Zhengde had been a famous emperor in Chinese history. In history. How had I come here? Glancing around I had tried to find a clue, but the wall had disappeared. After what felt like hours, my eyes fell on the same figure that had melted through the brick wall in Nanjing, where I should be settling down to watch Shakespeare’s most thrilling tale. Picking up my pace, I shouted, “Stop! Who are you? Where are we? I demand that you send me back.”
他的话在我脑海中回荡。 正德皇帝是中國歷史上著名的皇帝。 在历史上。 我是怎么来这里的？ 環顧四周，我試圖找到線索，但牆已經消失了。 几个小时后，我的眼睛落在了南京的砖墙上融化的同一个身影上，我应该在那里安顿下来观看莎士比亚最惊心动魄的故事。 加快步伐，我喊道：“停下！ 你是谁？ 我们在哪里？ 我要求你把我送回去。”
Turning to face me, I watched as he looked at my hoody, my jeans, my dangling earphones, and realisation dawned on him. Slowly his mouth turned into a smirk and the words he spoke paralyzed me.
转过身来面对我，我看着他看着我的连帽衫、牛仔裤、挂着的耳机，他意识到了这一点。 慢慢地，他的嘴变成了一个傻笑，他说的话让我麻痹了。
“I am Prospero, the greatest sorcerer ever, boy! If you wish to return home, I demand payment. Kill the Zhengde Emperor and I will send you home unharmed. You have until tonight. Meet me here when you have finished the task.”
“我是Prospero，有史以来最伟大的巫师，孩子！ 如果你想回家，我要求付款。 杀死正德皇帝，我会把你安然无恙地送回家。 你有到今晚为止。 你完成任务后在这里见我。”
Just like that he disappeared once more. Prospero, the sorcerer from the Tempest. What was going on?
就这样，他再次消失了。 普罗斯佩罗，来自风暴的巫师。 发生了什么事？
I couldn’t kill someone, but I also needed to go home. I sat down on the dusty roadside and put my head in my hands. Finally, an idea struck me. I spent the next few hours searching the field and gardens until I found a small plant covered in small pink flowers. I also found another plant; it was a purple flower with strings of dark blue coming out of the center and surrounding it. Both these plants used together could make a sleeping drug. This way, Emperor Zhengde would seem dead when he was actually alive.
我不能杀人，但我也需要回家。 我坐在尘土飞扬的路边，把頭放在手上。 最后，一个想法打动了我。 在接下来的几个小时里，我搜索了田野和花园，直到我发现一棵被粉红色的小花覆盖的小植物。 我还发现了另一种植物；它是一朵紫色的花，一串深蓝色的花从中心出来，环绕着它。 这两种植物一起使用可以制造一种安眠药。 这样一來，正德皇帝在活着的时候会显得已经死了。
With only 2 hours to go, I stood at the servants’ entrance of the palace. I had exchanged my clothes for a Changshan I had borrowed from a washing line. I would have preferred to wear my clothes but it would have drawn too much attention; attention I couldn’t afford. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. I almost laughed out loud with relief. I had entered the kitchen, one that was clean even though it was so big. There were red lanterns hanging on the walls and Chinese symbols on the doors.
只剩下2个小时了，我站在宫殿的仆人入口处。 我把衣服换成了从晾衣绳上借来的长沙山。 我更愿意穿我的衣服，但这会引起太多的注意；我无法承受的关注。 我深吸了一口气，推开门，走了进去。 我几乎松了一口气，笑出声来。 我走进了厨房，尽管它很大，但它很干净。 墙上挂着红灯笼，门上挂着中国符号。
It must have been nearly dinner time as everyone was bustling around with not a second to spare, or to notice me. As I wove my way through the rows of thick oak tables, I spotted a cart filled with trays of food. All the food was the same except one plate. It contained white rice with fried noodles. Chunks of seafood sat on the side of the dish, covered in sauce.
一定是快到晚餐时间了，因为每个人都忙得不可及，没有一秒钟的时间，也没有注意到我。 当我穿过一排排厚厚的橡木桌子时，我发现了一辆装满食物托盘的手推车。 除了一个盘子，所有的食物都是一样的。 里面有白米饭和炒面。 大块的海鲜放在盘子的边上，上面覆盖着酱汁。
Curiosity getting the better of me, I turned to my right and asked the young serving girl, “Whose food is this?”
好奇心从我身上得到了好处，我转向右边，问那个年轻的服务女孩：“这是谁的食物？”
Sighing with disbelief, she had looked at me as if I had lost my mind.
她叹了口气，看着我，好像我疯了一样。
“Emperor Zhengde’s of course; he always has this…”
“郑德皇帝当然是；他总是有这个……”
Before I could question her further, she rushed off, her cheongsam flapping behind her. I approached the cart. Slowly slipping my hands in my pocket, I took out the folded paper. The satiny blue powder inside was my only hope of getting back home. Putting it behind my back I unfolded two of the four folds, and waited.
我还没来得更加询问她，她就冲了出去，她的旗袍在她身后拍打着。 我走近手推车。 慢慢地把手伸进口袋，我拿出了折叠的纸。 里面的缎面蓝色粉末是我回家的唯一希望。 把它放在背后，我展开了四个折中的两个，然后等待。
I thought of my mum and dad waiting for me, worrying now, crying even. Doubt left me. I poured the powdered drug into his food, just enough, not too much. I didn’t want to hurt him; all this would do was put him to sleep.
我想到了我的爸爸妈妈在等我，现在很担心，甚至哭了。 怀疑离开了我。 我把粉末状的药物倒进他的食物里，刚好够，不要太多。 我不想伤害他；这一切只会让他入睡。
The moment I was out of the palace walls, I broke off into a sprint, not slowing down until I was far away, and the hill where it all began became a dark smudge on the horizon. I saw Prospero, with his back to me. As I neared, he turned to face me.
当我走出宫殿的墙壁时，我冲出了冲刺，直到我走得很远，才减速，一切开始的山丘变成了地平线上的黑暗污迹。 我看到了普罗斯佩罗，他背对着我。 当我走近时，他转过身来面对我。
“Well done! It seems like you carried out your half of the bargain, I might as well fulfill mine.”
“干得好！ 看来你完成了一半的交易，我还不如履行我的。”
He raised his hands in the air and began to chant, so quietly I could barely make it out. Gradually a portal had begun to form, my way home. His voice faded and he gestured me to walk through. Cautiously, I walked to the portal. One foot in front of the other, I walked forwards, hoping against hope that he would not notice my trembling. In the far-off night, alarm bells broke out. I turned and blew the rest of the powder into his face. “Sleep!” I yelled, and then I sprinted away with the last of my energy. He would not wake from that indigo cloud for a lifetime of Sundays.
他举起双手，开始高呼，太安静了，我几乎听不懂。 渐渐地，一个门户开始形成，我在回家的路上。 他的声音变淡了，他示意我走过去。 我谨慎地走向门户。 我一脚在另一只脚前面，向前走，希望他不会注意到我的颤抖。 在遥远的夜晚，警钟敲响了。 我转过身来，把剩下的粉末吹到他脸上。 “睡觉！” 我大喊，然后用我最后的精力跑开了。 他一辈子都不会从那朵靛蓝的云彩中醒来。
All of this, just for a school paper.
所有这些，只是为了一份学校的论文。
