Chapter 9
Marlin had the address from the mask: 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney. But where was Wallaby Way? Where was Sydney?
He had to ask for directions.
A school of silvery moonfish swirled past. Maybe they knew.
“Excuse me,” Marlin said as they rushed by. “Uh—hello?”
The moonfish darted this way and that, constantly moving.
“Hey! Hold it!” Marlin shouted. “Wait a minute! I’m trying to talk to you.”
Again, they hurried by.
“One quick question!” Marlin pleaded. “Please? And they’re gone again!”
Just then, Dory swam closer by. “P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way,” she recited. She’d been repeating the address ever since she’d remembered it. “42 Wallaby Way.”
It was driving Marlin crazy.
“Okay. All right, here’s the thing,” he told her. “I think it’s best if I just carry on from here… by myself.”
Dory paused, not understanding. “Huh?” This was so hard to say. Marlin tried again. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings.” “You want me to leave?” Dory asked in disbelief.
“Well, I mean not… Yes. It’s just, you know...I can’t afford any more delays, and you’re one of those fish that cause delays.”
Dory’s eyes opened wide. “You mean… you don’t like me?”
“No! Of course I like you,” Marlin explained. “Oh! Don’t cry. I like you—”
All of a sudden, a group of moonfish stopped in front of them. “Hey, you!” one said to Marlin.
They all hovered there, staring at Marlin.
“Lady,” said the fish. “Is this guy bothering you?”
“Um, I don’t remember.” Dory sniffled. Then she turned to Marlin. “Were you?”
“Hey!” Marlin said suddenly. He finally had their attention! “Do you guys know how I can get to P. Sherman—”
“Look, pal, we’re talking to the lady, not you.” The fish smiled at Dory, trying to cheer her up. “You like impressions? Okay,” the fish said to the others. “Just like in rehearsal, gentlemen…”
The moonfish swam into different positions, forming the shape of a swordfish.
“So what are we? Take a guess?” they asked.
Dory perked up. “Oh, I’ve seen one of those,” she said.
“I’m a fish with a nose like a sword,” one of the moonfish said, giving her a hint.
“Wait… wait… um…” Dory said. “It’s a swordfish!” Marlin put in.
“Hey, Clown Boy. Let the lady guess,” another fish scolded Marlin.
The moonfish did more impressions. They changed into a lobster, an octopus, a ship… But Dory didn’t get a single one right.
“Would somebody please give me directions?” Marlin shouted angrily.
The moonfish switched places again. This time they looked like a clownfish. An angry clownfish—just like Marlin.
Finally, Dory laughed.
This is useless, Marlin thought. He swam off.
“Hey! Come back!” Dory followed him. “What’s the matter?”
Marlin turned to her. “What’s the matter? While they’re doing their silly little impressions, I am miles from home, with a fish that can’t even remember her own name.” He sighed. “Meanwhile, my son is out there... But it doesn’t matter, ’cause no fish in this entire ocean is gonna help me.”
“Well, I’m helping you,” Dory told him. “Wait right here.”
She hurried back to the school of fish. “Guys, any of you heard of P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney?” she asked politely.
“Sydney? Oh, sure,” said one of the fish. “You wouldn’t know how to get there, would you?” asked Dory.
“What you wanna do is follow the EAC. That’s, uh, East Australian Current,” the fish explained.
The moonfish shifted places so that they looked like wavy lines in the water: the East Australian Current. “Big current—can’t miss it.”
Then they turned into an arrow. “It’s in that direction. And then you’re gonna follow that for about, uh, three leagues, and that little baby’s gonna float you right past Sydney.”
“Great!” Marlin swam over. “That’s great! Dory, you did it!”
“Oh, please. I’m just your little helper—helpin’ along,” Dory said cheerfully.
“Well, listen, fellahs, thank you,” Marlin called to the moonfish.
“Don’t mention it. Just loosen up. Okay, buddy?” they replied.
“Bye,” Dory said as she and Marlin swam off.
“Oh, hey, ma’am?” said the fish. “One more thing.”
Dory turned and swam back to the moonfish. “Yes?”
“When you come to this trench,” the fish formed a picture of a long, narrow ditch with very steep sides. “Swim through it. Not over it!”
“Trench,” Dory repeated. “Through it. Not over it. I’ll remember!”
Then she turned to catch up with Marlin, who was already on his way.
第 9 章
馬林得到了面罩上的地址:悉尼沃拉比路42號。但是沃拉比路在哪兒?悉尼在哪兒?
他必須問路。
一群銀色的翻車魚轉(zhuǎn)著圈游了過去。也許他們知道。
“打擾一下,”他們快速游過的時候,馬林說,“呃——你們好?”
翻車魚時而沖到這邊,時而沖到那邊,一刻不停。
“喂!停下!”馬林大喊,“等一下!我有話跟你們說。”
他們還是匆忙地走了。
“就一個小問題!”馬林懇求道,“求求你們了?他們又走了!”
就在這時,多莉游到跟前。“沃拉比路42號,P.謝爾曼,”她背誦著。她自從記住了這個地址,就一直在不斷地重復(fù)。“沃拉比路42號。”
這讓馬林崩潰了。
“好了。好吧,有件事,”他告訴她,“我想,從現(xiàn)在開始……最好還是我一個人走。”
多莉停了下來,不明白。“啊?”這太難以開口了。馬林又試了一次:“我不想讓你傷心。”“你要我走?”多莉難以置信地問。
“呃,我不想……是的。只是因為,你知道的……我再也耽誤不起了,可是你是那種拖慢我進度的魚。”
多莉的眼睛睜得大大的,問道:“你的意思是……你不喜歡我?”
“不!我當然喜歡你,”馬林解釋,“哦!別哭。我喜歡你——”
突然,一群翻車魚停在他們面前。“喂,你!”一條魚對馬林說。
他們都徘徊在原地,盯著馬林。
“女士,”這條魚說,“這家伙找你麻煩是吧?”
“呃,我不記得了。”多莉抽噎著。然后她轉(zhuǎn)向馬林。“有嗎?”
“嘿!”馬林突然說。他終于引起他們的注意了!“你們知道怎么找到P.謝爾曼——”
“聽好了,小子,我們在跟這位女士說話,不是你。”這條魚對著多莉微笑,想讓她高興起來,“你喜歡模仿秀嗎?好吧,”這條魚對其他同伴說,“和排練的時候一樣,先生們……”
翻車魚游到不同的位置,擺出一條劍魚的造型。
“那么我們是什么?猜一猜?”他們問。
多莉興奮起來。“哦,我見過一個。”她說。
“我是條鼻子長得像利劍的魚。”一條翻車魚說,給了她一點兒暗示。
“等等……等等……呃……”多莉說。“是劍魚!”馬林插嘴。
“喂,小丑男,讓這位女士猜。”另一條魚責備馬林。
翻車魚又表演了很多模仿秀。他們變身龍蝦、章魚、輪船……但是多莉一個都沒猜對。
“有誰能為我指引方向嗎?”馬林生氣地大喊。
翻車魚又交換了位置。這次它們變得像一條小丑魚。一條生氣的小丑魚——就像馬林。
終于,多莉開懷大笑。
這一點兒用都沒有,馬林想。他游走了。
“嘿!回來!”多莉跟著他,“怎么了?”
馬林轉(zhuǎn)向她,反問道:“怎么了?他們在表演無聊的模仿秀,我大老遠地離開家,跟一條連自己名字都記不住的魚待在一起。”他嘆了口氣,繼續(xù)說道:“與此同時,我的兒子還下落不明……但是沒關(guān)系,因為這整個大海的魚,他們都不會幫我。”
“呃,我會幫你的,”多莉告訴他,“在這兒等著。”
她趕緊去找那群魚。“各位,你們有人聽說過悉尼沃拉比路42號,P.謝爾曼嗎?”她很有禮貌地問。
“悉尼?哦,當然,”一條魚說,“你大概不知道去悉尼怎么走,是吧?”多莉問。
“你們要做的就是跟著東澳洋流走。就是,呃,東澳大利亞洋流。”這條魚解釋說。
翻車魚變換了位置,這樣它們看上去就像水里的波浪形:東澳大利亞洋流。“很大的洋流——不會找不到的。”
接著,他們又變成一個箭頭。“它是朝那個方向流的。然后,要跟著它游大概,呃,三里格,那個小寶貝兒正好能把你們帶到悉尼。”
“太好了!”馬林游過去,“這真是太好了!多莉,你幫了大忙!”
“哦,別這么說。我只是你的小助手——一路幫忙。”多莉高興地說。
“好了,聽著,伙計們,謝謝。”馬林對翻車魚喊道。
“別客氣。放輕松。好嗎,老兄?”他們回答道。
“再見。”多莉和馬林一邊游走一邊說。
“哦,嘿,女士?”翻車魚說,“還有一件事。”
多莉轉(zhuǎn)身,游回翻車魚身邊,問道:“怎么了?”
“當你遇到這條海溝時,”翻車魚擺出兩壁較陡的狹長壕溝的畫面,說道,“直接穿過去。別從上面過!”
“海溝,”多莉重復(fù)著,“穿過去。別從上面過。我會記住的!”
然后她轉(zhuǎn)過身去追馬林,他已經(jīng)在趕路了。