Lucia and Idris had walked out to the tide pools on the far side of the beach. They were chasing crabs and photographing anemones with Lucia's phone. They'd checked the tide schedule that morning. But somewhere between exploring one pool and then another, they'd lost track of time completely.
露西娅和伊德里斯走到了海滩另一头的潮池边。他们一边追螃蟹，一边用露西娅的手机给海葵拍照。那天早上他们查过潮汐时间表。可是在一个潮池和另一个潮池之间，他们完全忘了时间。
It was Idris who noticed first. "Hey, doesn't the water look closer than before?"
最先发现的是伊德里斯。“嘿，水是不是比刚才离我们更近了？”
Lucia looked up from her phone and realized he was right. The narrow strip of sand that had brought them out to the rocks was now noticeably thinner. Small waves were already lapping at its edges. Panic crept into her voice. "We need to go, now."
露西娅从手机上抬起头，发现他说得没错。带他们走到礁石上的那条窄窄的沙带，现在明显变细了。小小的浪花已经在它的边缘轻轻拍打。她的声音里透出了慌张。“我们得走了，马上。”
They started back the way they'd come, moving quickly across the wet rocks. But halfway along, a wave rushed in and covered the path completely. It left only deeper water between them and the beach.
他们沿着来时的路往回走，在湿滑的岩石上快步前行。可是走到一半，一个浪涌过来，把路完全淹没了。他们和海滩之间，只剩下更深的水。
"We can't swim through that, not with the current this strong," Idris said. He scanned the rocks around them for another option.
“水流这么急，我们游不过去，”伊德里斯说。他环顾四周的岩石，想找出别的办法。
Lucia spotted a higher line of boulders curving away from the water. It was further inland but still connected to dry land. "There, up on those rocks. It looks longer, but it should stay dry."
露西娅看到一排更高的巨石，弯弯地离开了水面。它离海更远，但仍然连着干燥的陆地。“那边，上那些岩石。看起来绕得远，但应该不会被水淹到。”
They scrambled up onto the boulders, gripping the rough stone with both hands. The tide continued rising below them. The path was slower and harder than the direct route. But it kept them safely above the water the whole way.
他们双手紧抓粗糙的石头，爬上了巨石。潮水还在他们脚下不断上涨。这条路比直接走慢，也更难走。但它一路上都让他们安全地待在水面之上。
By the time they reached solid sand again, both of them were breathing hard. Lucia's phone had slipped from her pocket somewhere along the rocks.
等他们回到结实的沙地上时，两个人都在大口喘气。露西娅的手机在岩石上的某个地方从口袋里滑掉了。
"Small price to pay," she said, laughing with relief now that they were safe.
“这点代价不算什么，”她说，既然安全了，她松了口气，笑了起来。
"Next time," Idris added, "we're setting an alarm for the tide."
“下次，”伊德里斯补充道，“我们要给潮汐定个闹钟。”
