Dory and Marlin went on an incredible journey across the ocean to find his son, Nemo. A year passed, and after their grand adventure, Dory decided to stay with Marlin and Nemo — and join the community of the beautiful Great Barrier Reef. Dory had a cozy coral cave where she slept each night, and Marlin and Nemo lived in a comfy anemone only a few strokes away. Dory was able to remember more when they were together — in fact, everything seemed better now that they had each other. She, Marlin, and Nemo were very close, and they always tried to keep each other happy and safe.
One night, Dory swam out of her cave. Through the gentle swaying fronds of the sea anemone she could see Marlin and Nemo sleeping.
“Hey, Marlin,” she whispered. She swam toward them and accidentally hit the anemone. It jolted her with an shock! “Ow-ow-ow-ow!” she cried.
Marlin awoke groggily and gently pushed her back into her cave. “Oh, Dory, it’s not time to get up yet. You have to go back to bed.”
“And remember, the anemone stings,” Nemo said, still half asleep.
“Oh, right. Yeah. Sorry. Back to bed, back to bed,” Dory said, settling back down. But she quickly headed out again, hitting the anemone’s stinging cells again. “Ow!”
Now Marlin jumped up. “Go back to bed — that’s it. Very simple. Bed. Back to it,” he said curtly, pointing a fin toward her home.
“Ah. Um ... hmm. Got it,” said Dory, once again swimming back to her cave. But then she turned around. “Hey, Marlin —”
“And we’re up,” said Marlin, realizing that he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. “That’s it. Ready to start the day.”
Dory, Marlin, and Nemo followed the winding path that led to Nemo’s school. As they often did, they reminisced about their great adventure across the ocean to find Nemo.
“Okay,” said Marlin. “So, there we were, stuck inside a whale, hanging from his tongue —”
“And we were looking for something,” said Dory.
“Nemo,” said Marlin.
“Hmm. Found him!” said Dory happily.
Nemo giggled.
“I remember it like it was yesterday. Although I don’t really remember yesterday all that well,” Dory admitted.
“That must have been the scariest part of the whole trip. Right, Dad?” Nemo asked.
“No, the scariest part of the whole trip were the four sharks.”
Nemo looked at his father. “Wait, I thought there were three sharks.”
“No,” said Marlin. “No, there were definitely four.”
“But last time you told it, there were three.”
“Son, which one of us traveled across the entire ocean?”
“Nemo did,” Dory said quickly. “Obviously, we had to cross the ocean to find him, so, you know ... he went first.”
Marlin stared at Dory, realizing she was right. Nemo grinned proudly at his father. “I guess that’s true, isn’t it?” said Marlin, smiling.
When they got to Sandy Patch School, the teacher, Mr. Ray, was pacing nervously. As Marlin, Dory, and Nemo rounded the corner, Mr. Ray swam toward them. “Weeeeell, you made it! You almost missed the field trip,” the stingray said.
“A field trip? Ooh, I love field trips. Where are we going?” Dory asked excitedly. Mr. Ray gave Marlin a look. “I thought you told her,” he whispered to Marlin.
“I did tell her,” said Marlin. Then he turned to Dory. It was clear that he was going to have to explain the situation ... again. “Uh, Dory ...” he said, trying to get her attention. Dory listened with a smile on her face. “Mr. Ray has too many fish to keep an eye on today.” Mr. Ray swam off toward the class as Marlin continued. “So it would be best if — today — you weren’t, exactly ...” Marlin’s voice trailed off as he tried to figure out how to say what he needed to say without hurting Dory’s feelings. “... with the class.”
“Oh. Why not?” asked Dory.
“Well ... you know how you have problems remembering things sometimes?” Marlin asked.
“That’s the one thing I can remember, yes,” Dory said with a chuckle.
“Okay, and sometimes — and it’s not your fault — but it can cause you to wander,” said Marlin.
“Mmm-hmm.”
“So he doesn’t have enough help. To keep an eye on ... on ... on those who are not —”
“Sure.”
“— part of the group.”
“Okay.”
“He’s ... he’s a teacher, not a scout!” Marlin said, laughing nervously.
“Poor guy. You know, he is so overworked,” said Dory.
Marlin wasn’t sure that Dory was getting the full picture. “You understand?” Marlin asked.
“I totally understand now,” she replied.
“Okay?”
“Um-hmm,” said Dory.
“Good,” Marlin said, satisfied.
“He wants me to be the teacher’s assistant,” Dory said proudly.
Marlin couldn’t believe it! How could Dory get it so wrong? “Uh ... no, not exactly —”
“Well, I am so honored. I have never been a teaching assistant before,” said Dory happily.
Marlin sighed, giving up. “Mr. Ray!” he called. “You’ve got help. Good luck!” Exasperated, Marlin swam back toward home.
“Ooohhkey-dokey,” said Mr. Ray.
Once the class settled, Mr. Ray began his lesson. Dory tried to help in her own way ... by repeating everything he said.
“All right, kids!” said Mr. Ray.
“All right, kids!” said Dory.
“Today’s the day!” said Mr. Ray.
“Today’s the day!” repeated Dory.
“Our field trip to the stingray migration!”
“Stingray migration!”
“Now, does anyone know why we migrate?” asked Mr. Ray.
No one responded. Mr. Ray was met with blank stares and a deafening silence.
“Come on,” said Dory, smacking her fins together. “You gotta know this stuff.”
“Migration is about going back to ...,” Mr. Ray offered, trying to give the class a hint.
“Bed!” said Chickenfish.
“Yes!” said Dory.
“No,” said Mr. Ray.
“No!” echoed Dory.
“The sand!” answered Pearl, raising a fin.
“No,” repeated Mr. Ray. “Migration is about going home.”
“Home,” Dory repeated slowly. The word seemed to tug on something deep inside her.
“Which is where you’re from,” said Mr. Ray.
“Where you’re from ...,” said Dory thoughtfully.
“Can someone tell me where you’re from?” asked Mr. Ray.
“I live by a giant rock!” yelled one student.
“My house is covered in algae!” yelled Chickenfish.
“Where’d you grow up, Dory?” asked a young crab.
“Me?” Dory asked, pointing her fin at her chest. “Um, I don’t know ...,” she said, her big eyes shifting downward. The kids immediately quieted; they were surprised by Dory’s answer. “My family?” she continued. “Uh, where are they?” Dory turned and stared out at the open water, lost in thought. Something in that conversation had jogged her foggy memory. But she could never hold on to those thoughts for very long. When the water ceased to hold her attention, she turned to see Nemo’s entire class staring at her.
“Can I help you?” she asked. They giggled. “I’m sorry.” Dory was embarrassed. “Did I forget again? You see, I suffer from —”
The class chimed in together, “Short-term memory loss.”
“What’s it like having short-term memory loss?” asked Chickenfish.
“Good question,” Dory answered. She thought for a moment, then tried to explain. “Well, like, for instance, if I’m thinking about ... say, kelp, and then all of a sudden — What? And even though I just had the kelp in my head ... I ... See, I ... I don’t even know what I said just now, to tell you the example. Let’s just say it’s kelp.”
The class stared at Dory, bewildered, as she continued. She was forgetting right before their very eyes. “You say something about kelp and I’m like, what about kelp? But you’re saying, ‘You brought it up.’ I’m like ... okay, that’s gone now, too. I don’t even know what we were just saying. See, that’s my problem ... in a nutshell.”
“Aw, that’s so sad,” said one young fish.
Dory smiled. “I try not to dwell on it,” she said genuinely.
Mr. Ray jumped in, eager to move on. “Okay, kids, enough discussion. Climb aboard, explorers! I feel a migration song coming on!” He held a note as he sang, “Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh —”
He continued to sing a migration song as he carried the class on his back. Dory sang along, swimming next to Mr. Ray. When they reached the edge of the reef, the students jumped off and he reminded them to stay away from the edge.
The class settled down and waited expectantly. “Now I need everyone to listen to me,” started Mr. Ray.
“All right, listen up!” said Dory, continuing to repeat Mr. Ray’s words.
“When the rays pass through here — what do we have to be careful of?” asked Mr. Ray.
“Everybody has to be careful of what? Hmm?” echoed Dory.
“The undertow!” the students answered.
“That’s right!” said Mr. Ray.
“That’s right, the under —” Dory said, stopping suddenly. “The undertow?” she said to herself. “I’ve heard that before.” Dory was so focused on the word that even as Mr. Ray continued, his voice began to fade. Soon she didn’t hear him at all.
“Mr. Ray!” squealed Nemo, raising his fin. “So how do the stingrays all know where to go?” he asked.
“That’s what instinct is, Nemo,” answered Mr. Ray. “Something deep inside you that feels so familiar that you have to listen to it — like a song you’ve always known.” Mr. Ray perked up and held a fin to his ear. “And I can hear mine now!”
In the distance, they heard the sound of a many voices, singing as one. It was like a choir singing a beautiful song. As the stingrays swam closer, the choir became louder and louder. Everyone watched, amazed. The massive school of rays gracefully swam and sang in perfect harmony. It was an awesome sight!
The sea grass bent, pulled by the strength of the massive current created by the flapping of the rays’ fins. But Dory just stared at the swaying grass. The way it moved reminded her of something. She slowly approached it, as if in a trance. Then inside her mind, she heard a pair of faraway, frightened voices saying “Watch out, kelpcake!” and “You have to stay away from the undertow!”
“The undertow,” Dory said again, repeating that strangely familiar word. She drifted closer and closer to the rays and, all of a sudden, she was pulled into the undertow! She screamed as her body twirled and twisted — the whirling water was completely overtaking her!
“DORY!” shouted Nemo. She continued to scream as she moved farther and farther away from Nemo and the rest of the class.
FLASH! Suddenly a lightning fast clip of a memory played through her mind. She remembered being pulled away from her parents as they called her name. She heard their voices clearly shouting again and again. Then everything went black.
經(jīng)過一番不可思議的旅程,多莉和馬林穿越大洋,終于找到了他的兒子——尼莫。一年過去了,在經(jīng)歷了那次大冒險(xiǎn)之后,多莉決定跟馬林和尼莫一起生活——加入到大堡礁這個(gè)美麗的大家庭里。多莉有了間舒適的珊瑚洞穴,她每晚都睡在那里;馬林和尼莫?jiǎng)t住在一只環(huán)境舒適的??砩希x她僅有幾步之遙。他們待在一起的時(shí)候,多莉也能記得更多了——實(shí)際上,由于他們擁有彼此,一切似乎都變得更加美好。她、馬林和尼莫親密無間,他們總是想方設(shè)法地讓彼此開心并確保彼此的安全。
一天晚上,多莉游出了自己的洞穴。透過??砩夏禽p柔搖擺的觸手,她看到馬林和尼莫正在睡覺。
“嗨,馬林,”她輕聲喊道。她游向他們,不覺之間撞上了海葵。它朝她猛地一記狠擊!“哎喲——哎喲——哎喲——哎喲!”她大叫道。
馬林昏昏沉沉地醒來,輕輕地將她推回到洞穴。“唉,多莉,還沒到起床的時(shí)候。你回去睡吧。”
“要記住,海葵可是會蜇刺的,”尼莫半睡半醒中說道。
“哦,對的。是的。對不起。回去睡,回去睡,”多莉一邊說一邊退了回去。可她很快又游了出來,再次撞上了海葵的蜇刺細(xì)胞。“哎喲!”
這時(shí)馬林跳了出來。“回到床上去——就這樣。非常簡單,床上?;匚堇锶?。”他敷衍道,用魚鰭指著她的屋子。
“啊。呃……嗯。好的。”多莉說著,再次游回了她的洞穴。可是緊接著她又轉(zhuǎn)過身來,說道:“嗨,馬林——”
“我們起床了,”馬林說著,意識到?jīng)]法再繼續(xù)睡覺,“好啦。開啟今天的生活吧。”
多莉、馬林和尼莫順著蜿蜒的道路來到了尼莫的學(xué)校。像往常一樣,他們一路追憶了跨越大洋尋找尼莫的冒險(xiǎn)壯舉。
“好的,”馬林說道,“于是,我們就這樣,困在了鯨魚嘴里,懸掛在了他的舌頭上——”
“我們當(dāng)時(shí)正在找某個(gè)東西。”多莉說。
“是尼莫。”馬林說。
“嗯。找到他了!”多莉愉快地說道。
尼莫咯咯直笑。
“我記得很清楚,仿佛是昨天發(fā)生的事。雖然昨天的事我倒真沒能記得那么清楚。”多莉坦白道。
“那肯定是整個(gè)旅程中最可怕的部分。對嗎,爸爸?”尼莫問。
“不對,最可怕的部分是那四條鯊魚。”
尼莫望著他的父親,說道:“等等,我記得是三條鯊魚。”
“不對,”馬林說,“不對,肯定是四條。”
“可是你上次講的還是三條。”
“兒子,咱們當(dāng)中是誰穿越了整個(gè)大洋?”
“是尼莫,”多莉快語道,“顯而易見,我們得越過整個(gè)大洋去找他,所以,你瞧……是他先穿越的。”
馬林瞪著多莉,發(fā)現(xiàn)她說得沒錯(cuò)。尼莫驕傲地沖著父親咧嘴一笑。“我覺得這話沒錯(cuò),不是嗎?”馬林微笑道。
他們抵達(dá)沙地小區(qū)學(xué)校的時(shí)候,學(xué)校的雷老師正在緊張地踱著步子。一看到馬林、多莉和尼莫出現(xiàn)在拐角,雷老師就朝著他們游了過去。“好啦,你們終于到了!差點(diǎn)兒就要錯(cuò)過實(shí)地考察了。”這條魔鬼魚說道。
“實(shí)地考察?哦,我喜歡實(shí)地考察。我們要去哪里?”多莉興奮地問道。雷老師朝馬林望了一眼。“我還以為你告訴她了。”他對馬林悄聲說道。
“我的確告訴她了。”馬林說。然后他轉(zhuǎn)向多莉。顯然,他必須得……再次……解釋一下當(dāng)前狀況。“呃,多莉……”他說道,想引起她的注意。多莉面帶微笑地聽著。“今天雷老師要照看的魚兒很多。”雷老師朝著班里的學(xué)生游了過去,馬林接著說道。“所以呢——今天——你最好不要,就是……”馬林拖長聲音,努力思索著該怎樣說才能言辭達(dá)意又不傷害多莉的感情,“……跟著班上學(xué)生。”
“哦,為什么不呢?”多莉問。
“嗯……你知道自己有時(shí)記事不太牢吧?”馬林問。
“我記得自己健忘,是的。”多莉咯咯笑道。
“好的,有時(shí)候——這也不是你的錯(cuò)——不過這會弄得你四處亂逛。”馬林說。
“唔——嗯。”
“所以他沒有太多精力。去照看……照看……那些不是——”
“確實(shí)。”
“——班里的成員。”
“是的。”
“他是……他是老師,不是守衛(wèi)!”馬林緊張地笑道。
“可憐的人。要知道,他太操勞過度了,”多莉說。
馬林不清楚多莉有沒有聽懂他的意思。“你明白了嗎?”馬林問。
“現(xiàn)在我完全明白了。”她回答。
“真的?”
“嗯——嗯。”多莉說。
“很好。”馬林滿意地說道。
“他想讓我做助教。”多莉驕傲地說。
馬林簡直不敢相信!多莉怎么會誤解成這樣?“呃……不,不完全是——”
“好的,我十分榮幸。我以前從沒當(dāng)過助教。”多莉愉快地說。
馬林嘆了口氣,只好放棄。“雷老師!”他喊道。“你有幫手了。祝您好運(yùn)!”馬林悻悻地朝家游去。
“好的。”雷老師說。
等到班里安靜下來,雷老師便開始上課。多莉以自己的方式,盡力協(xié)助……重復(fù)著他說的每一句話。
“好的,孩子們!”雷老師說。
“好的,孩子們!”多莉說。
“我們今天!”雷老師說
“我們今天!”多莉重復(fù)道。
“要去實(shí)地考察魔鬼魚遷徙!”
“魔鬼魚遷徙!”
“那么,有誰知道我們?yōu)槭裁匆w徙嗎?”雷老師問道。
無人應(yīng)答。雷老師看見大家茫然地瞪著眼睛,一片沉寂。
“都來說說吧,”多莉拍著雙鰭,說道,“你們肯定知道的。”
“遷徙就是關(guān)于回到……”雷老師提點(diǎn)著,想給同學(xué)們一點(diǎn)提示。
“床上!”雞魚說。
“對的!”多莉說。
“不對。”雷老師說。
“不對!”多莉應(yīng)和道。
“沙地!”章魚珍珠舉著鰭答道。
“不對,”雷老師再次說道,“遷徙是回家。”
“家。” 多莉緩緩重復(fù)道。 這個(gè)字似乎勾起了她內(nèi)心深處的某樣?xùn)|西。
“也就是你們來自哪里。”雷老師說。
“你們來自哪里……”多莉若有所思地說道。
“有誰能告訴我你們都來自哪里嗎?”雷老師問。
“我住在大巖石旁!”一位學(xué)生嚷道。
“我家房子布滿了海藻!”雞魚嚷道。
“你是在哪里長大的呢,多莉?”一只小螃蟹問道。
“我嗎?”多莉一邊問,一邊用鰭指向自己胸口。“呃,我不知道……”她一雙大眼轉(zhuǎn)向了下方說道。孩子們立刻安靜了下來;聽到多莉的回答,他們都很驚訝。“我的家人?”她繼續(xù)說道。“呃,他們在哪里呢?”多莉轉(zhuǎn)身,出神地望著那片公共水域。剛才的對話里有某樣?xùn)|西喚醒了她模糊的記憶。然而,她的思索從來都不會持續(xù)太久。她從海水那里回過神來,轉(zhuǎn)身看到尼莫班上的同學(xué)全都在盯著她看。
“需要我?guī)兔幔?rdquo;她問。大家哄堂大笑。“對不起。”多莉感到尷尬。“我是不是又忘了什么?你們知道,我有——”
全班集體唱和道:“短時(shí)記憶喪失癥。”
“短時(shí)記憶喪失癥到底是怎么回事兒?”雞魚問。
“問得好。”多莉答道。她想了一會兒,然后費(fèi)力地解釋道:“嗯,像是,舉個(gè)例子,我正在想著……比如說,海帶,然后突然之間——什么?盡管我腦子里剛剛還在想著海帶……我……瞧,我……我現(xiàn)在都不知道自己剛才說什么了,跟你們舉個(gè)例子吧。就拿海帶舉例。”
全班同學(xué)盯著多莉,滿臉困惑地看著她自說自話。而她就在他們的眼皮子底下失憶了。“你們說海帶什么的,而我就像,海帶怎么了?但是你們說,‘是你提出來的啊,’我就像……好吧,把那個(gè)也忘了。我甚至都不知道我們剛才說了什么。明白了吧,這就是我的病癥……簡而言之。”
“哦,那可真糟。”一條小魚說道。
多莉微微一笑。“我盡量不去深究這事。”她坦誠地說。
想要快點(diǎn)出發(fā)的雷老師打斷了對話:“好了,孩子們,討論結(jié)束。都上船吧,探險(xiǎn)家們!我覺得遷徙之歌得唱響起來了!”他起了個(gè)調(diào),唱了起來,“啊啊啊——”
他背上馱著全班學(xué)生,繼續(xù)唱著遷徙之歌。多莉在雷老師身旁邊游著,也跟著唱了起來。他們一抵達(dá)大堡礁邊緣,學(xué)生們就跳了下來,雷老師則提醒他們不要靠近大堡礁邊緣。
學(xué)生們?nèi)及察o下來,滿懷期望地等待上課。“好,大家都聽我說。”雷老師開口說道。
“好的,都注意聽!”多莉說,繼續(xù)重復(fù)著雷老師的話。
“魔鬼魚從這里經(jīng)過的時(shí)候——我們應(yīng)該小心什么?”雷老師問。
“大家要小心什么呢?嗯?”多莉應(yīng)和道。
“暗流!”學(xué)生們回答道。
“說得沒錯(cuò)!”雷老師說。
“說得沒錯(cuò),暗——”多莉說著,突然停了下來。“暗流?”她自言自語道。“這個(gè)我以前聽到過。”雖然雷老師還在繼續(xù)說,可多莉卻一門心思琢磨起了那個(gè)詞,他的聲音漸漸黯淡了下去。很快她就完全聽不見他在說什么了。
“雷老師!”尼莫舉起魚鰭高聲喊道。“那魔鬼魚怎樣知道該往哪里去呢?”他問。
“那就是本能了,尼莫,”雷老師回答,“是內(nèi)心深處某種熟悉的召喚,你必須得去聽從——就像是你早就熟知的一首歌。”雷老師直起身子,將鰭放在耳旁,繼續(xù)說道:“現(xiàn)在我就聽到了我的歌。”
他們聽到遠(yuǎn)處傳來了眾多聲音的齊聲合唱。那就像合唱團(tuán)在唱著優(yōu)美的歌謠。魔鬼魚們越游越近,合唱團(tuán)的聲音也越來越響。大家都注視著,驚嘆不已。這一大群魔鬼魚吟唱游弋著,姿態(tài)優(yōu)雅,和音完美。這景象真壯觀!
魔鬼魚搖擺著雙鰭,游過之處卷起巨大水流,海草也隨之低頭彎腰??墒嵌嗬騾s只盯著搖擺的海草。它那舞動(dòng)的樣子令她想起了什么。她緩緩地朝它游去,一副神思恍惚的樣子。就在這時(shí),在她腦海深處,她聽到了兩個(gè)久遠(yuǎn)而又驚恐的聲音,一個(gè)聲音說,“當(dāng)心,小寶貝!”另一個(gè)聲音說,“你得離暗流遠(yuǎn)點(diǎn)兒!”
“暗流,”多莉又重復(fù)說著這個(gè)陌生而熟悉的字眼。她隨流飄動(dòng),離魔鬼魚群越來越近;突然,她被卷入了暗流之中!她驚聲尖叫,感覺身體正在高速旋轉(zhuǎn)扭曲——急速回旋的水流將她完全卷了進(jìn)去!
“多莉!”尼莫喊道。她不斷尖叫著,離尼莫和班上的同學(xué)越來越遠(yuǎn)。
剎那間!一個(gè)記憶片段突然閃入她的腦海之中。她想起當(dāng)時(shí)被卷離父母身邊之時(shí),他們也在呼喚著她的名字。她清楚地聽到他們一聲又一聲的呼喚。然后,眼前一片漆黑。