沼泽热症(下)

紫悦!

不粘锅!

Sorry! But I figured out who the Mystical Mask is. （抱歉！但我搞清楚神秘面具医者是谁了！）

[gasp] You did? （〔惊讶喘气〕真的？）

All I had to do was cross‑reference a book about masks with another book on ancient Equestrian healers, then use a third book to translate it all from Old Ponish and there it was! Zecora was right! The Mystical Mask wasn't just a legend. The Mystical Mask was MAGE MEADOWBROOK! （我把面具典籍、古小马利亚医者书籍交叉对照，再用第三本书翻译古小马文，真相就在这里！可拉说得没错！神秘面具医者不是传说，她就是麦吉·草甸布鲁！）

[gasp] The ancient sorceress from Hayseed Swamp? We studied her at Celestia's school. Are you sure? （干草沼泽的古代女医者？宇宙公主的学校我们学过她。你确定吗？）

Absolutely! Mage Meadowbrook wasn't just a sorceress, she was also a healer and back then, healers wore masks so they wouldn't get sick themselves! （千真万确！麦吉不只是法师，更是医者。那个年代医者佩戴面具，避免自己被病患传染！）

Fluttershy, I am so incredibly proud of you for using your research skills to figure this out! But… Meadowbrook lived ages ago and… Didn't she disappear? （柔柔，我太为你骄傲了，靠查阅资料找到了真相！但是……麦吉生活在千百年前，她不是已经失踪了吗？）

Mm‑hmm. But if we go to Hayseed Swamp, maybe we can find something she left behind. Something that could lead to a cure! （没错。但我们去干草沼泽，说不定能找到她遗留的东西，找到解药线索！）

It seems like a long trip, but I guess it's possible. （路途遥远，但也不是完全没希望。）

We have to try! I've got our route all planned out and on the way we can check up on Zecora and… （我们必须试一试！路线我全部规划好了，路上我们还能去看看可拉……）

Whoa, whoa, whoa. We're leaving now? （等等等等，我们现在就要出发？）

Of course! Every second we spend waiting, is a second Zecora is coughing bubbles! （当然！每多等一秒，可拉就多受一秒病痛折磨！）

But Fluttershy, you haven't slept. And that's a long journey. （可是柔柔，你一整夜没睡觉，旅途又很远。）

There's no use trying to talk me out of this, Twilight! Yes. We've got no time to waste! （紫悦，你劝不动我的！我们没时间浪费！）

Can we at least grab some breakfast? （至少吃点早饭再走？）

I packed cauliflower bites. （我装好了花椰菜小点心。）

Aww. No sweet potato muffins? （啊，没有红薯玛芬吗？）

I.. uh.. ate them all. They were actually really good. （我……呃……全部吃光了，味道确实很不错。）

And that's when I realized the Mystical Mask was actually Mage Meadowbrook! （就在那时候我意识到神秘面具医者就是麦吉·草甸布鲁！）

That's marvelous, Fluttershy! I am quite impressed. While you're gone on your journey I'll try not to be worried. （太棒了，柔柔！我由衷佩服。你们踏上旅途，我会尽量不让自己过度担忧。）

[gasp] Oh no! Zecora, you didn't rhyme! You must be getting worse! （〔大惊〕哦不！可拉，你说话不再押韵了！你的病情一定恶化了！）

No, no, no! Not at all… Something, something… ball? （不不不！才没有……什么什么……球？）

[achoo 打一个带电光的喷嚏]

That's it! We have to go now! Lead the way, Fluttershy! （不得了！我们现在立刻动身！）

So… where do you think Meadowbrook lived? （那么……你觉得麦吉住在哪里？）

I'm not sure. Maybe there's some pony we can ask. （我不确定，或许我们可以问问当地小马。）

I think we might be the only ponies here. （这里好像只有我们两匹小马。）

Wait. I recognize that tree! Yes, this has to be it! It's just like the illustrations of her home! （等等！我认出那棵大树了！就是这里！和书上插图描绘她的家一模一样！）

Any pony who lives in a tree is OK by me. （住在大树里面，挺酷的。）

Phew! Well, if the doorway is sealed up, we just have to dig our way in. Back up, Twilight; I don't want you to get hurt! （呼！如果门封死了，那我们就挖开进去。紫悦往后退，别被伤到！）

Or we could try the handle(或者我们试试门把手)

It really blends in with the bark

Wow, it looks like this place has been abandoned for years. （哇，这里看起来已经荒废很多年。）

Twilight! Look! It's the same kind of lily pad that gave Zecora Swamp Fever! （紫悦！你看！就是这种睡莲，就是它让可拉染上沼泽热症！）

Mmm. I wonder if Meadowbrook was looking for a cure for Swamp Fever too. Do you think she found it? （嗯。我猜麦吉当年也在寻找沼泽热症的解药。她找到没有？）

I hope so. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. （但愿找到了。我们先不要太早下结论。）

There’s something I wanna tell you. Could you stop making those weird noises?(有件事我想和你说一下，你能不要发出这种怪声音吗)

But I’m not making any sounds at all.(可是我并没有发出任何声音啊)

Y'all can stop screaming now. Didn't mean to scare ya. I do that a lot. （好了别叫啦。我不是故意吓你们，我总干这事。）

Scare ponies? Or rock creepily in the dark? （专门吓小马？还是喜欢躲在暗处吓人？）

Well.. both, I s'pose. Name's Cattail. Pleased to meet ya! （嗯……两样都占。我叫卡特，很高兴见到你们！）

Likewise, but um, may I ask, why are you in Mage Meadowbrook's home? （幸会。请问，你为什么待在麦吉·草甸布鲁的家？）

Oh, I take care of the place. I ain't much of a cleaner. But from what I hear, my kin wasn't either, so I doubt they'd mind a few cobwebs in our ancestral home. （我负责照看这里。我不太会打扫。不过听说我的祖先也不爱打扫，祖宅有点蜘蛛网应该没关系。）

You're related to Mage Meadowbrook?

Mm‑hmm.

Oh my goodness, Twilight, we did it! Not only did we find Mage Meadowbrook's old house, we actually found one of her descendants!

Honestly, I would not have guessed it.

So, you lookin' for some kind of cure, huh? Well, now, I know Meadowbrook was known to always be writing in her journals. If she had the cure you want, I reckon that's where it'd be. Come on! I'll show ya the library.

Library? Now we're talking!

Oh. Well, libraries come in all shapes and sizes.

This is good! It'll take us less time to go through everything. "Today my mom made me eat peas. Peas are yucky."

And… we can probably skip this one. Unless she found a cure when she was a foal… "I met a colt today. He pulled my mane so I put a frog on his head." Also not helpful. But I do kind of want to see where it goes.

Wait, listen to this! "Today, I tried again to brew an un‑sniffle elixir… and I finally got it right!"

Flash Bees! I realized the flower's poison didn't affect the Flash Bees and if they were immune to Swamp Fever, their honey could be the cure! But they were so aggressive defending their hive, I didn't know how I was going to get it! Today I cured Mother and the rest of the bayou. It was the greatest feeling I've ever experienced and I promise to dedicate my life to curing ponies all over Equestria.

And she did just that. Right up till she disappeared without a trace.

So all we have to do is find those aggressive Flash Bees and get them to give us their honey! Of course, it doesn't say how she did that.

What? Is my mane messy? I know I haven't slept in a while but… Oh no! I've caught Swamp Fever!

Are you sure these are necessary?

YES! I won't risk infecting you or Cattail. What you can't risk is getting any sicker. If you don't rest, your symptoms will only get worse.

You really should rest up before going up against those Flash Bees. They are nasty critters.

Um, you don't know this about me, but I'm pretty good with animals. And besides, Dogtail…

Cattail.

Zecora is counting on me. I have to help her just like Meadowbrook helped her mother and all those bayou ponies long ago.

But Fluttershy, as much as Meadowbrook took care of other ponies, I'm sure she also took care of herself!

You're not going to change my mind, Twilight!

For being sick, she sure is strong.

The Flash Bee hive is just up yonder. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?

No, it's too dangerous, Twilight. Besides, I've already gotten one friend hurt. I won't let it happen to another.

OK, Fluttershy. You can do this! Mind over matter! Hello, Flash Bees! I was hoping I could get some of your honey. Oh, I see. You don't let others have any. Well, I'm sorry, but I really need it. I didn't want it to have to come to this but I'll just have to use… The Stare.

You really are aggressive.

[intense coughing, faints 剧烈咳嗽，晕倒]

Oh dear. What happened? Where am I?

You're still in Meadowbrook's tree. You fainted but Twilight shot some magic up and caught ya. It was crazy.

Have you heard from Zecora? Is she OK?

Uh… We got word your zebra friend has started sprouting leaves.

She's already turning into a tree? I thought we'd have more time.

Actually, you've been asleep for three days.

Three days?

Mm‑hmm. You were asleep so long, we were afraid you wouldn't be able to move when you woke up, but thankfully you just wore yourself down.

Oh dear. We have to get back to the hive. I've wasted so much time.

Now hang on there, Fluttershy, those Flash Bee critters are tricky. Cattail's right. I can't even use magic to calm them down. We'll have to find another way to get the honey. We've tried everything from disguises to things I won't even speak of.

Wait… disguises… [gasp] That's it! I know how she did it! I know how Meadowbrook got the honey!

This is how Meadowbrook got the honey from the Flash Bees. She threw a mask at 'em?

I wouldn't recommend that. No. The male bees aren't aggressive around the queen bee and this mask has the same stripes that she does!

Fluttershy, that's brilliant!

Achoo! There's no time to waste! Hooves crossed!

Oh golly, I can't watch!

Mind over matter!

It's working!

Oh, I do feel fine, and this honey is divine.

You're rhyming again! Welcome back, my friend!

Thank you Fluttershy, for all you endured. If not for you, I would not be cured.

If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been sick in the first place!

Regret is not what you should feel, because on this journey, you've learned a great deal.

That's true. I certainly learned that if you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to take care of any pony else. In fact, if I had rested, like Twilight suggested all along, maybe I would have thought to use Meadowbrook's mask sooner.