"This here is Bessie," Doc said as he showed Lightning the massive piece of heavy machinery¹. She was steaming and dripping, and she was covered by a thick layer of tar². "Finest road-pavin' machine ever built," Doc announced. "I'm hereby sentencing you to community service. You're gonna fix the road under my supervision³."

 

"What?" Lightning demanded, completely repulsed⁴. "This place is crazy."

 

"Hey," Mater whispered, leaning in close to Lightning. "I know this might be a bad time right now, but you owe me thirty-two thousand dollars in legal fees."

 

"What?" Lightning cried.

 

"So we're gonna hitch⁵ you up to sweet Bessie," Doc went on, "and you're gonna pull her nice."

 

"You gotta be kidding me!" Lightning complained. He couldn't believe it. Did this old lemon seriously expect a flashy race car like Lightning McQueen to haul around a tub of junk like Bessie? As far as punishment went, this was cruel and unusual. "How long is this gonna take?"

 

"Well," Doc said thoughtfully, "if a fella does it right, should take him about five days."

 

"Five days?" Lightning cried. An image of Chick chatting up the folks at Dinoco flashed through his mind. "But I should be in California schmoozing Dinoco right now!"

 

"Then if I were you," Doc shot back, "I'd quit yappin' and start workin'. Hook him up, Mater."

 

"Okey-dokey." The tow truck rolled forward to attach Lightning to Bessie. But the minute he removed Lightning's parking boot—zoom!

 

"Freedom!" Lightning shouted loudly as he zipped away. "Woo-hoo! California, here I come!" He pressed the accelerator, shooting toward the WELCOME TO RADIATOR⁶ SPRINGS billboard⁷. But suddenly, he coughed. Then he sputtered⁸. "No. No, no, no," Lightning cried as he slowed to a stop. "Out of gas? How can I be out of gas?"

 

"Boy," Sheriff said as he and Sally rolled out from behind the billboard, "we ain't as dumb as you think we are."

 

"We siphoned your gas while you were passed out," Sally added. She could hardly hide her grin. "Ka-chow!"

 

Sheriff joined Sarge and Fillmore, who were having a quart of oil at Flo's and watching Lightning haul Bessie over the road. Red was tending to some flowers near the tire shop while Luigi fiddled⁹ with his tire tower.

 

"Red, can you move over?" old Lizzie croaked¹⁰ from the porch of her souvenir shop. "I want to get a look at that sexy hot rod!"

 

"You know, I used to be a pretty good whistler," Mater said to Lightning as the rookie race car struggled to haul Bessie. Lightning inched along, gagging on fumes¹¹ from the tar. "I can't do it now, of course," Mater went on, "on account of sometimes I get fluid built up in my engine block, but Doc said he's gonna fix it, though. He can fix about anything. That's why we made him the judge. Boy, you shoulda heard me on the song ‘Giddy Up Oom Papa Mow-Mow.' Now, I'm not one to brag¹², but people come pretty far to see me get low on the ‘mow-mow.'"

 

Bessie let out a squirt of tar. It landed all over Lightning's lightning bolt sticker.

 

"Aw, man, that's just great. My lucky sticker's all dirty," Lightning griped. "Hey!" he called to the fire truck.

 

Red looked up from his flowers.

 

"Yeah, you in the red!" Lightning went on. "I could use a little hose down. Help me wash this off."

 

Red darted¹³ into the firehouse garage.

 

"Where's he going?" Lightning asked.

 

"Oh, he's just a little bit shy," Mater explained.

 

"And he hates you for killing¹⁴ his flowers."

 

"I shouldn't have to put up with this," Lightning grumbled¹⁵ angrily. "I am a precision instrument of speed and aerodynamics."

 

Mater looked blank. "You hurt your what?"

 

"I'm a very famous race car!" Lightning shouted.

 

"You are a famous race car?" Luigi cried, brightening. "I must scream to the world my excitement from the top of someplace very high! Do you know many Ferraris?"

 

"No," Lightning admitted. "They race on the European circuit. I'm in the Piston¹⁶ Cup—"

 

The little Italian import was unimpressed. "Luigi follow only the Ferraris," he interrupted. Then he drove off, leaving Lightning still strapped¹⁷ to Bessie.

 

Just then, two minivans appeared on the horizon, heading into town.

 

"Customers, everyone!" Sally cried. "It's been a long time; just remember what we rehearsed. You all know what to do."

 

The town sprang into action, taking their places in front of their shops and flipping¹⁸ over their OPEN signs.

 

"I just don't see any on-ramp anywhere," Mrs. Mini Van pointed¹⁹ out. She and her husband bumped awkwardly over the broken road. They were looking for the Interstate.

 

"I know exactly where we are," Mr. Mini Van insisted, even though he didn't.

 

"Hello!" Sally chirped²⁰ as she raced to welcome the motorists. "Welcome to Radiator Springs, gateway²¹ to Ornament²² Valley, legendary²³ for its quality service and friendly hospitality. How can we help you?"

 

"We don't need anything," Mr. Mini Van said, "thank you very much."

 

"Oh, honey, ask for directions to the Interstate," Mrs. Mini Van begged. Her husband ignored her.

 

"What you really need is the sweet taste of my homemade organic fuel," Fillmore suggested.

 

"We're just trying to find the Interstate," Mrs. Mini Van explained.

 

"Good to see you, soldier," barked the old jeep. "Come on by Sarge's Surplus Hut."

 

"I do have a map over at the Cozy²⁴ Cone²⁵ Motel," Sally told the couple helpfully. "And if you do stay, we offer a free Lincoln Continental²⁶ breakfast."

 

"I don't need a map," Mr. Mini Van said stubbornly. "I have the GPS."

 

Flo offered them fuel. Luigi suggested that they get some new tires. Ramone even tried to sell the lost couple a flashy new paint job.

 

But the travelers weren't interested. In fact, all the attention made them drive a little faster to get out of Radiator Springs.

 

"Come back soon, okay?" Sally called as the couple sped off. "I mean, you know where we are. Tell your friends."

 

"Pssst. Pssst." Lightning gestured to the couple as they neared the edge of town. "Hey—I know how to get to the Interstate."

 

"Oh, do you?" Mrs. Mini Van asked as she came to a stop.

 

"No," Lightning admitted, "not really, but listen. I'm Lightning McQueen, the famous race car. I'm being held here against my will and I need you to call my team so they can come rescue me and get me to California in time for me to win the Piston Cup!"

 

The Mini Vans exchanged nervous glances. This car sounded crazy.

 

"Gotta be goin' now," Mr. Mini Van said quickly. "Okay, bye-bye!"

 

Now Lightning was desperate.

 

"No, no, no!" Lightning begged. Now he really sounded insane. But what else could he do? He didn't care if he sounded out of his mind. The thought of staying in Radiator Springs was making him crazy!

 

He yelled after the Mini Vans, "It's the truth! I'm telling you, you gotta help me!"

 

But the Mini Vans took off without checking their rearview mirrors.

 

“这就是贝西，镇上最好的铺路机。我现在判你为社区服务，你得在我的监督下修完这条马路。”博士说着就带麦坤看了这台庞大的重型机器。贝西冒着烟，身上湿淋淋的，还粘着一层厚厚的 沥青。

 

“什么？这地方的人都疯了。”麦坤表示强烈抗议。

 

“嘿，我知道现在提这个不太好。不过，你欠我三万两千美元律师费。”板牙凑到麦坤身旁低声说。

 

“什么？”麦坤哭笑不得。

 

“我们要把温柔的贝西栓到你后面，你最好对她好点。”博士接着说。

 

“你不是跟我开玩笑吧！”麦坤抱怨道。他不愿相信现实。这个老家伙真的希望闪电麦坤这样炫酷的赛车拉着贝西这样盛满肮脏东西的笨家伙修路？然而残酷而不合常理的判决已经生效。“需要多久？”麦坤问。

 

“呃，”博士想了想说，“对你这种小伙子来说，方法得当的话，需要五天。”

 

“五天？”麦坤大叫道。他的脑海里闪现出路霸和岱诺可相关人员聊得火热的场景，“可是，我现在本该在加州讨论岱诺可比赛！”

 

“我要是你，就不会浪费口舌，而是马上开始工作。把他接起来，板牙。”博士回击道。

 

“好的，好的。”拖车往前开了一点儿准备把贝西连到麦坤后面。但是麦坤在轮胎锁被松开的瞬间突然发动引擎—— 一溜烟跑了！

 

“自由啦！”麦坤大喊了一声，拔腿就跑。“哇哦，加州，我来了！”他猛然加速，眨眼工夫就到了写有“欢迎来到水箱温泉镇”的广告牌那里。突然，他的发动机噗噗地响了几声后便彻底熄火。麦坤喊道：“不不不！没油了？我怎么会没油？”

 

“小子，我们可没你想象的那么傻！”警长一边和莎莉从标识牌后面驶出来一边说。

 

“趁你昏迷的时候，我们抽走了你的油。”莎莉接着说。她忍不住笑了一下说：“咔嚓！”

 

警长来到士官长和辉哥身旁，他们在芙蓉的店里边喝汽油边监督麦坤拉着贝西铺路。小红在轮胎店旁边浇花，卡布则在整理自己的轮胎塔。

 

“小红，你能往那边挪一下吗？”荔枝婆站在她的纪念品商店的门廊前，用沙哑的声音说，“我想看看那辆性感的赛车。”

 

赛车新手麦坤奋力拉着贝西艰难地铺沥青。板牙跟他说：“你知道吗？我过去也很风光，不过我现在不行啦！”板牙继续说，“因为有时我的引擎积水，但是博士说他会帮我修好。他能修好任何东西，这也是大家选他当法官的原因。小子，你该听我唱一曲“晕乎乎的爸爸在割草”。不是我吹牛，很多人大老远地来，就是想听我哼几句呢!”

 

贝西漏了一滴沥青，正好落到麦坤的闪电标志上。

 

“哦，天啊！我的幸运标志被弄脏了！”麦坤抱怨着。“喂！”他对消防车喊。

 

小红抬起头从自己的花丛上面望过去。

 

“是的，就是你，红色的车！”麦坤继续说，“我用一下你下面的橡胶管，帮我把这个洗干净。”

 

小红躲进了消防车车库。

 

“他要去哪儿？”麦坤问。

 

“哦，他只是有点害羞。”板牙解释道。

 

“你搞砸了他的花儿，他很生你的气。”

 

“我不该受这种气，”麦坤气愤地抱怨道，“我是速度和空气动力的完美结合体。”

 

“你哪里受伤了？”板牙一脸茫然地问。

 

“我可是大名鼎鼎的赛车！”麦坤喊道。

 

“你是大名鼎鼎的赛车？”卡布乐了，“我要站在顶端向全世界表达我的激动之情！你认识几款法拉利？”

 

“一款也不认识。他们在欧洲赛道比赛，我在活塞杯比赛……”麦坤承认。

 

矮个子意大利进口车不高兴地说：“卡布只做法拉利的车迷。”他打断麦坤的话然后走开了，把拴着贝西的麦坤丢在原处。

 

就在那时，两辆小货车朝小镇走来。

 

“各位，来客人了！我们期待已久的顾客来了！想想我们之前的排练，大家都知道该怎么做吧？”莎莉兴奋地高呼。

 

整个小镇迅速行动起来。大家来到各自的店铺前面站好，把挂牌翻到“营业中”的一面。

 

“我没有看到高速公路入口啊。”小货车太太说。她正和自己的老公跌跌撞撞地行走在破旧的路上。他们在找州际公路。

 

小货车先生虽然不知道，却故意坚称：“我知道我们在哪儿。”

 

“你们好，”莎莉开心地出来迎接客人，“欢迎光临水箱温泉镇——饰谷的入口镇。我们以高质量的服务和热情的服务态度而闻名。请问你们需要点什么？”

 

“谢谢你，我们什么都不需要。”小货车先生说。

 

“喂，亲爱的，问问她怎么去州际公路。”小货车太太恳求道。然而，她的老公对此置之不理。

 

“你们一定得尝尝我这里自产的香甜有机汽油。”辉哥推荐。

 

“我们只想找到州际公路。”小货车太太解释说。

 

“士兵，很高兴见到你，欢迎光临我的军用古董小店。”士官长吆喝道。

 

“我的路障汽车旅馆有一张地图，你们要是愿意来住店，我们提供免费的林肯早餐。”莎莉热情地对这对夫妻说。

 

“我不需要地图，我自己有卫星定位系统。”小货车先生固执地说。

 

芙蓉向他们推销汽油，卡布建议他们更换新轮胎，雷蒙甚至想给这对迷路的夫妻喷上闪亮的油漆。

 

但是这对旅行者并不感兴趣。事实上，他们听了这些推销之后，反而更加希望早点离开温泉镇。

 

“要再来哦，”夫妻俩离开后莎莉望着他们的背影说，“我是说，你们知道我们在哪儿，别忘了介绍给你的朋友们。”

 

夫妇俩来到小镇边缘的时候，麦坤对他们招手：“喂，喂！我知道怎么去州际公路。”

 

“是吗？”小货车太太停下来问。

 

“说实话，我也不知道。”麦坤承认，“但是请听我说，我是闪电麦坤，一辆著名的赛车。我被困在这里了，急需你们的帮助！求你们通知我的团队让他们来救我，我要及时赶去加州参加比赛去赢活塞杯。”

 

夫妇俩惊愕地对视着，心想这家伙一定是疯了。

 

“我们得走了。好啦，再见！”小货车先生不耐烦地说。

 

现在麦坤陷入了彻底的绝望之中。

 

“别别，别走啊！”麦坤乞求道。现在，他听起来真的疯了。但是他还能怎么办？他不在乎自己的声音听起来是否像是失去理智，只要想到还要待在水箱温泉镇，他就抓狂！

 

他朝着小货车声嘶力竭地喊：“我说的是真的！我说，你们一定要帮帮我啊！”

 

但是，小货车夫妇头也不回，径直离开了。

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