🔊 I was so pleased at having given the slip to Long John that I began to enjoy myself and look around me with some interest on the strange land that I was in. I had crossed a marshy tract full of willows, bulrushes, and odd, outlandish, swampy trees; and I had now come out upon the skirts of an open piece of undulating, sandy country, about a mile long, dotted with a few pines and a great number of contorted trees, not unlike the oak in growth, but pale in the foliage, like willows. On the far side of the open stood one of the hills, with two quaint, craggy peaks shining vividly in the sun. I now felt for the first time the joy of exploration. The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls. I turned hither and thither among the trees. Here and there were flowering plants, unknown to me; here and there I saw snakes, and one raised his head from a ledge of rock and hissed at me with a noise not unlike the spinning of a top. Little did I suppose that he was a deadly enemy and that the noise was the famous rattle. Then I came to a long thicket of these oaklike trees-live, or evergreen, oaks, I heard afterwards they should be called-which grew low along the sand like brambles, the boughs curiously twisted, the foliage compact, like thatch. The thicket stretched down from the top of one of the sandy knolls, spreading and growing taller as it went, until it reached the margin of the broad, reedy fen, through which the nearest of the little rivers soaked its way into the anchorage. The marsh was steaming in the strong sun, and the outline of the Spy-glass trembled through the haze. All at once there began to go a sort of bustle among the bulrushes; a wild duck flew up with a quack, another followed, and soon over the whole surface of the marsh a great cloud of birds hung screaming and circling in the air. I judged at once that some of my shipmates must be drawing near along the borders of the fen. Nor was I deceived, for soon I heard the very distant and low tones of a human voice, which, as I continued to give ear, grew steadily louder and nearer. This put me in a great fear, and I crawled under cover of the nearest live-oak and squatted there, hearkening, as silent as a mouse. Another voice answered, and then the first voice, which I now recognized to be Silver’s, once more took up the story and ran on for a long while in a stream, only now and again interrupted by the other. By the sound they must have been talking earnestly, and almost fiercely; but no distinct word came to my hearing. At last the speakers seemed to have paused and perhaps to have sat down, for not only did they cease to draw any nearer, but the birds themselves began to grow more quiet and to settle again to their places in the swamp. And now I began to feel that I was neglecting my business, that since I had been so foolhardy as to come ashore with these desperadoes, the least I could do was to overhear them at their councils, and that my plain and obvious duty was to draw as close as I could manage, under the favourable ambush of the crouching trees. I could tell the direction of the speakers pretty exactly, not only by the sound of their voices but by the behaviour of the few birds that still hung in alarm above the heads of the intruders. Crawling on all fours, I made steadily but slowly towards them, till at last, raising my head to an aperture among the leaves, I could see clear down into a little green dell beside the marsh, and closely set about with trees, where Long John Silver and another of the crew stood face to face in conversation. The sun beat full upon them. Silver had thrown his hat beside him on the ground, and his great, smooth, blond face, all shining with heat, was lifted to the other man’s in a kind of appeal.

我因为甩掉了高个子约翰而满心欢喜,开始自得其乐,饶有兴致地打量起周围这片陌生的土地来。我穿过一片长满柳树、香蒲和种种奇形怪状、异域风情的沼泽树木的湿地；此刻来到了一片开阔起伏的沙地边缘,这沙地约有一英里长,零星点缀着几棵松树和许多枝干扭曲的树木,这些树生长得不像橡树,但叶子苍白,如同柳叶。在开阔地的远处矗立着一座小山,有两个古怪嶙峋的峰顶在阳光下熠熠生辉。此时我第一次感受到了探索的乐趣。岛上荒无人烟；我的船员同伴们都被我抛在身后,面前除了哑巴畜生和飞禽,别无活物。我在树林间转来转去。四处开着我不认识的花草；不时看到蛇,有一条从岩架上抬起头,对我发出嘶嘶声,那声音活像陀螺旋转。我万万没想到它是致命的敌人,那声音便是著名的响尾声。接着我来到一片长满这类橡树状树木的茂密灌木丛--后来我听说它们应该叫活橡树或常绿橡树--它们沿着沙地低矮生长,像荆棘丛一般,枝条奇特地扭曲,叶子密集,如同茅草屋顶。灌木丛从一座沙丘顶部向下延伸,越往下扩展得越宽、长得越高,直到抵达广阔芦苇沼泽的边缘,最近的一条小河便是从那里渗入锚地。沼泽在烈日的蒸腾下冒着热气,望远镜山的轮廓在薄雾中颤动。突然,香蒲丛中传来一阵骚动；一只野鸭嘎嘎叫着飞起,另一只紧随其后,很快整个沼泽上空聚集了一大群鸟,尖叫着在空中盘旋。我立即断定,肯定有些船员同伴正沿着沼泽边缘靠近。我没猜错,因为不久我便听到远处传来极低的人声,我继续侧耳倾听,那声音变得越来越响、越来越近。这让我大为恐惧,我爬到最近一棵活橡树的掩护下,蹲在那里,像老鼠一样悄无声息地倾听着。另一个声音回应了,然后第一个声音--此刻我认出是西尔弗的--又接上话头,滔滔不绝地讲了许久,只是偶尔被对方打断。从声音判断,他们一定是在热切地、甚至激烈地交谈；但我听不清任何清晰的词句。最后,说话者似乎停了下来,或许坐下了,因为他们不仅不再靠近,连鸟儿也开始安静下来,重新落回沼泽中的栖息地。此时我开始意识到自己在玩忽职守,既然我如此鲁莽地跟这些亡命之徒上了岸,至少也该偷听到他们的密谈,而我显而易见的职责就是尽可能靠近,利用低矮树木的有利掩护。我能相当准确地判断说话者的方向,不仅凭他们的声音,还凭少数仍惊慌盘旋在入侵者头顶的鸟儿的动向。我四肢着地,稳步但缓慢地向他们爬去,直到最后,从树叶间的缝隙抬起头,我能清楚地看到沼泽旁一个树木环绕的小小绿色洼地,高个子约翰·西尔弗和另一个船员正面对面站着交谈。阳光直射在他们身上。西尔弗把帽子扔在身旁的地上,他那张宽阔、光滑、金发的脸热得闪闪发光,正抬起来恳求般地望着对方。

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exploration /ˌekspləˈreɪʃn/

n. 探索；勘探➕

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uninhabited /ˌʌnɪnˈhæbɪtɪd/

adj. 无人居住的➕

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ambush /ˈæmbʊʃ/

n. 埋伏；伏击➕

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earnestly /ˈɜːrnɪstli/

adv. 认真地；诚挚地➕

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fiercely /ˈfɪərsli/

adv. 猛烈地；激烈地➕

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distinct /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

adj. 清晰的；明显的➕

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foolhardy /ˈfuːlhɑːrdi/

adj. 鲁莽的；有勇无谋的➕

🔊 "Mate," he was saying, "it’s because I thinks gold dust of you-gold dust, and you may lay to that! If I hadn’t took to you like pitch, do you think I’d have been here a-warning of you? All’s up-you can’t make nor mend; it’s to save your neck that I’m a-speaking, and if one of the wild uns knew it, where’d I be, Tom-now, tell me, where’d I be?"

“伙计,”他说道,“因为我把你看得跟金沙一样贵重--金沙,你记住这话！要不是我像沥青一样粘上你,你以为我会在这儿警告你吗？全完了--你没法挽回也没法补救；我这么说可是为了救你的命,要是让哪个野人知道了,我汤姆--现在告诉我,我会落得什么下场？”

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gold dust /ˈɡoʊld ˌdʌst/

n. 金粉,金砂；比喻极其珍贵或受人极度珍视的事物➕

🔊 "Silver," said the other man-and I observed he was not only red in the face, but spoke as hoarse as a crow, and his voice shook too, like a taut rope-"Silver," says he, "you’re old, and you’re honest, or has the name for it; and you’ve money too, which lots of poor sailors hasn’t; and you’re brave, or I’m mistook. And will you tell me you’ll let yourself be led away with that kind of a mess of swabs? Not you! As sure as God sees me, I’d sooner lose my hand. If I turn agin my dooty-"

“西尔弗,”另一个说道--我注意到他不仅脸红,而且声音嘶哑得像乌鸦叫,还像绷紧的绳子一样颤抖--“西尔弗,”他说,“你年纪大了,人也老实,或者说有这名声；你还有钱,许多穷水手可没有；你也很勇敢,除非我弄错了。你难道要告诉我,你会让那帮乌合之众牵着鼻子走？你不会的！上帝作证,我宁可断手。如果我违背职责--”

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hoarse /hɔːrs/

adj. 嘶哑的➕

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taut /tɔːt/

adj. 拉紧的；紧张的➕

🔊 And then all of a sudden he was interrupted by a noise. I had found one of the honest hands-well, here, at that same moment, came news of another. Far away out in the marsh there arose, all of a sudden, a sound like the cry of anger, then another on the back of it; and then one horrid, long-drawn scream. The rocks of the Spy-glass re-echoed it a score of times; the whole troop of marsh-birds rose again, darkening heaven, with a simultaneous whirr; and long after that death yell was still ringing in my brain, silence had re-established its empire, and only the rustle of the redescending birds and the boom of the distant surges disturbed the languor of the afternoon.

就在这时,他突然被一个声音打断了。我找到了一个忠诚的船员--好吧,就在此时,另一个的消息传来了。远处的沼泽里突然响起一声愤怒的呐喊,紧接着又是一声；然后是一声恐怖而悠长的尖叫。望远镜山的岩石回声了二十次；整群沼泽鸟再次飞起,遮蔽天空,发出齐刷刷的扑翅声；那死亡的哀嚎在我脑中久久回荡,之后寂静重新主宰了一切,只有鸟儿重新落下的沙沙声和远处浪涛的轰鸣,扰乱了午后的慵懒。

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simultaneous /ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəs/

adj. 同时的；同步的➕

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languor /ˈlæŋɡər/

n. 倦怠；慵懒➕

🔊 Tom had leaped at the sound, like a horse at the spur, but Silver had not winked an eye. He stood where he was, resting lightly on his crutch, watching his companion like a snake about to spring. "John!" said the sailor, stretching out his hand. "Hands off!" cried Silver, leaping back a yard, as it seemed to me, with the speed and security of a trained gymnast. "Hands off, if you like, John Silver," said the other. "It’s a black conscience that can make you feared of me. But in heaven’s name, tell me, what was that?" "That?" returned Silver, smiling away, but warier than ever, his eye a mere pin-point in his big face, but gleaming like a crumb of glass. "That? Oh, I reckon that’ll be Alan."

汤姆听到声音像马被踢刺一样跳了起来,但西尔弗连眼都没眨一下。他站在原地,轻轻拄着拐杖,像一条即将出击的蛇一样盯着同伴。“约翰！”水手伸出手喊道。“别碰我！”西尔弗叫道,向后跳了一码,在我看来,速度快得像训练有素的体操运动员一样稳当。“约翰西尔弗,你要是不碰我,就算了,”另一个说。“只有黑良心才会让你怕我。但看在老天份上,告诉我,那是什么？” “那？”西尔弗回道,脸上堆着笑,但比以往更警惕,眼睛在他大脸上只是一个小点,却像玻璃屑一样闪烁。“那？哦,我猜那是艾伦。”

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crutch /krʌtʃ/

n. 拐杖；支撑➕

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gymnast /ˈdʒɪmnæst/

n. 体操运动员➕

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warier /ˈweəriər/

adj. 更警惕的（wary的比较级）➕

🔊 And at this point Tom flashed out like a hero. "Alan!" he cried. "Then rest his soul for a true seaman! And as for you, John Silver, long you’ve been a mate of mine, but you’re mate of mine no more. If I die like a dog, I’ll die in my dooty. You’ve killed Alan, have you? Kill me too, if you can. But I defies you."

听到这里,汤姆像英雄一样爆发了。“艾伦！”他喊道。“那么愿他真正的海员灵魂安息！至于你,约翰西尔弗,你曾长期是我的伙伴,但从此不再是了。就算像狗一样死去,我也要死在职责上。你杀了艾伦,是吗？有本事连我也杀了。但我蔑视你。”

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flashed out /ˈflæʃt ˈaʊt/

v. （情绪、话语等）突然爆发,迸发➕

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defies /dɪˈfaɪz/

v. （第三人称单数）公然反抗,违抗；使变得几乎不可能➕

🔊 And with that, this brave fellow turned his back directly on the cook and set off walking for the beach. But he was not destined to go far. With a cry John seized the branch of a tree, whipped the crutch out of his armpit, and sent that uncouth missile hurtling through the air. It struck poor Tom, point foremost, and with stunning violence, right between the shoulders in the middle of his back. His hands flew up, he gave a sort of gasp, and fell. Whether he were injured much or little, none could ever tell. Like enough, to judge from the sound, his back was broken on the spot. But he had no time given him to recover. Silver, agile as a monkey even without leg or crutch, was on the top of him next moment and had twice buried his knife up to the hilt in that defenceless body. From my place of ambush, I could hear him pant aloud as he struck the blows. I do not know what it rightly is to faint, but I do know that for the next little while the whole world swam away from before me in a whirling mist; Silver and the birds, and the tall Spy-glass hilltop, going round and round and topsy-turvy before my eyes, and all manner of bells ringing and distant voices shouting in my ear.

说完,这位勇敢的家伙直接转身背对厨师,朝海滩走去。但他注定走不远。约翰一声喊,抓住一根树枝,从腋下抽出拐杖,将那笨拙的武器猛掷出去。拐杖尖头朝前,以惊人的力道正中可怜的汤姆背部中央两肩之间。他双手扬起,发出一声喘息,倒下了。他伤得重不重,谁也说不上。从声音判断,很可能他的背当场就断了。但他没时间恢复。西尔弗,即便没有腿或拐杖也敏捷如猴,下一刻就扑到他身上,将刀子两次深深刺入那毫无防备的身体。从我藏身之处,能听到他刺击时大声喘息。我不知道真正的晕厥是什么感觉,但我知道接下来一小会儿,整个世界在我眼前旋转成一片迷雾；西尔弗、鸟儿和高高的望远镜山山顶,在我眼前旋转颠倒,各式各样的钟声在我耳边鸣响,远处的声音在呼喊。

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destined /ˈdestɪnd/

adj. 注定的；命定的➕

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agile /ˈædʒaɪl/

adj. 敏捷的；灵活的➕

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violence /ˈvaɪələns/

n. 暴力；猛烈➕

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faint /feɪnt/

v. 昏厥；晕倒➕

🔊 When I came again to myself the monster had pulled himself together, his crutch under his arm, his hat upon his head. Just before him Tom lay motionless upon the sward; but the murderer minded him not a whit, cleansing his blood-stained knife the while upon a wisp of grass. Everything else was unchanged, the sun still shining mercilessly on the steaming marsh and the tall pinnacle of the mountain, and I could scarce persuade myself that murder had been actually done and a human life cruelly cut short a moment since before my eyes.

当我再次恢复意识时,那怪物已经镇定下来,腋下夹着拐杖,头上戴着帽子。就在他面前,汤姆一动不动地躺在草地上；但凶手毫不在意他,正用一撮草擦拭血迹斑斑的刀子。其他一切如故,太阳依然无情地照耀着蒸腾的沼泽和高耸的山峰,我几乎无法相信,就在刚才我眼前发生了一起谋杀,一条生命被残酷地终结。

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motionless /ˈmoʊʃnləs/

adj. 不动的；静止的➕

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pinnacle /ˈpɪnəkl/

n. 顶峰；顶点➕

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persuade /pərˈsweɪd/

v. 说服；劝说➕

🔊 But now John put his hand into his pocket, brought out a whistle, and blew upon it several modulated blasts that rang far across the heated air. I could not tell, of course, the meaning of the signal, but it instantly awoke my fears. More men would be coming. I might be discovered. They had already slain two of the honest people; after Tom and Alan, might not I come next? Instantly I began to extricate myself and crawl back again, with what speed and silence I could manage, to the more open portion of the wood. As I did so, I could hear hails coming and going between the old buccaneer and his comrades, and this sound of danger lent me wings. As soon as I was clear of the thicket, I ran as I never ran before, scarce minding the direction of my flight, so long as it led me from the murderers; and as I ran, fear grew and grew upon me until it turned into a kind of frenzy. Indeed, could anyone be more entirely lost than I? When the gun fired, how should I dare to go down to the boats among those fiends, still smoking from their crime? Would not the first of them who saw me wring my neck like a snipe’s? Would not my absence itself be an evidence to them of my alarm, and therefore of my fatal knowledge? It was all over, I thought. Good-bye to the Hispaniola; good-bye to the squire, the doctor, and the captain! There was nothing left for me but death by starvation or death by the hands of the mutineers. All this while, as I say, I was still running, and without taking any notice, I had drawn near to the foot of the little hill with the two peaks and had got into a part of the island where the live-oaks grew more widely apart and seemed more like forest trees in their bearing and dimensions. Mingled with these were a few scattered pines, some fifty, some nearer seventy, feet high. The air too smelt more freshly than down beside the marsh. And here a fresh alarm brought me to a standstill with a thumping heart.

但现在约翰把手伸进口袋,掏出一只哨子,吹了几声抑扬顿挫的哨音,在炽热的空气中远远传开。我当然不明白这信号的意思,但它立刻唤醒了我的恐惧。会有更多人到来。我可能会被发现。他们已经杀死了两个忠诚的人；在汤姆和艾伦之后,下一个会不会轮到我？我立刻开始脱身,尽可能又快又静地爬回树林更开阔的地方。这么做时,我能听到老海盗和他的同伙之间来来往往的呼喊声,这危险的声音给了我翅膀。一离开灌木丛,我便拼命奔跑,从未跑得这么快,几乎顾不上逃跑的方向,只要远离那些凶手就行；我跑着跑着,恐惧不断增长,直到变成一种疯狂。的确,还有谁能比我更彻底地迷失呢？枪声响起时,我怎么敢下到那些恶魔中间的小船上去,他们身上还冒着犯罪的烟？他们中第一个看到我的人,不会像拧断鹬鸟脖子一样拧断我的脖子吗？我的缺席本身不就是我惊慌的证据,因此也是我知晓致命秘密的证据吗？一切都完了,我想。再见了,伊斯帕尼奥拉号；再见了,乡绅、医生和船长！留给我的只有饿死或叛变者之手杀死的命运。这一切发生的同时,如我所说,我仍在奔跑,不知不觉中已靠近那座双峰小山的山脚,来到了岛上活橡树生长得更稀疏、姿态和尺寸更像森林树木的地方。其间零星散布着一些松树,有些高约五十英尺,有些近七十英尺。空气也比沼泽边更清新。这时,一阵新的警报让我心跳如鼓地停了下来。

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extricate /ˈekstrɪkeɪt/

v. 解脱；摆脱➕

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frenzy /ˈfrenzi/

n. 疯狂；狂热➕

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evidence /ˈevɪdəns/

n. 证据；证明➕

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fatal /ˈfeɪtl/

adj. 致命的；灾难性的➕

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starvation /stɑːrˈveɪʃn/

n. 饥饿；饿死➕

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mutineers /ˌmjuːtəˈnɪərz/

n. 叛变者；造反者➕

Chapter fourteen: The First Blow (第十四章:第一次打击)

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