The old man held the lanthorn higher; and instantly bats flying against it would have beaten out the light but for the thin protection of its horn sides.

老头儿把灯提高了些，蝙蝠立即飞了起来，倘不是其硬边的薄弱保护，它们会把灯光扑灭的。

Thus they grew irritated with this old man who did not seem able to do anything but just hold his lanthorn up.

于是，对于这位除了提着灯笼其他似乎什么都做不了的老人，他们生出了不快。

The old man has said that he cannot help what his lanthorn sees.

老头儿说过他无法控制自己的灯笼能看见什么。

「Is there no one with a lanthorn in this street?」 asked the Prince.

「这条街上没人带灯吗？」王子问道。

Somewhere at hand a citizen was being beaten, for vague, quick-moving forms emerged into the radiance of his lanthorn out of the deep violet of the night air.

身边某处有个市民正在被人殴打，因为几个模糊的、行动迅疾的身影从深紫色的夜里浮现在他的灯光照射中。

Cethru shook his head: 「My lanthorn seed the rat, maybe!」 he muttered.

赛瑟罗摇着脑袋：「俺灯笼瞧见老鼠了，可能！」他嘟囔着。

What is this we hear, old man, about your lanthorn and the rat?

老头儿，我们听到的是怎么回事，就是你那个灯笼和老鼠的事？

Remembering how the Captain of the Watch had admonished him, he stopped and peered about, but owing to his proximity to the light of his own lanthorn he saw nothing.

他想起了城管领队告诫他的话，就停下来窥视，但是因为挨着自己的灯笼，所以什么也看不见。

「Let it be your duty henceforth to walk with your lanthorn up and down this street all night and every night, 」--and he looked at Cethru: 「Do you understand, old man, what it is you have to do?」

「从今往后，你的职责就是每天晚上整夜提着灯笼在这条大街上来回走，」——他看着赛瑟罗：「懂吗，老头儿，知道你必须要干什么吗？」

But, for answer, the old man only held his lanthorn up, so that in the ring of its pale light they saw some sight or other in the street.

不过，作为答复，老人只是把灯笼高高提了起来，好让他们在那黯淡的光圈中能见到些街上的景象。