血字的研究 46沙漠中的旅客(4)

In the blue vault¹ of the heaven there had appeared three little specks² which increased in size every moment, so rapidly did they approach.

原来在蓝色的天穹下，出现了三个黑点，黑点越来越大，来势极快。顷刻之间，就看出来是三只褐色的大鸟了，

They speedily resolved themselves into three large brown birds, which circled over the heads of the two wanderers, and then settled upon some rocks which overlooked them.

它们在这两个流浪人的头上盘旋着，接着就在他们上面的一块大石上落将下来。

They were buzzards, the vultures of the West, whose coming is the forerunner³ of death.

这是三只巨雕，也就是美国西部所谓的秃鹰；它们的出现，就是死亡的预兆。

"Cocks and hens," cried the little girl gleefully, pointing at their ill- omened forms, and clapping her hands to make them rise.

"公鸡和母鸡，"小女孩指着这三个凶物快活地叫道，并且连连拍着小手，打算惊动它们使它们飞起来。

"Say, did God make this country?" "Of course He did," said her companion, rather startled by this unexpected question.

"喂，这个地方也是上帝造的吗？""当然是他造的。"她的同伴回答说。她这样突然一问，倒使他吃了一惊。

"He made the country down in Illinois, and He made the Missouri," the little girl continued.

小女孩接着说："那边的伊里诺州是他造的，密苏里州也是他造的。

"I guess somebody else made the country in these parts. It's not nearly so well done. They forgot the water and the trees."

我想这里一定是别人造的。造得可不算好，连水和树木都给忘了。"

"What would ye think of offering up prayer?" the man asked diffidently.

大人把握不定地问道："做做祈祷，你说好吗？"

"It ain't night yet," she answered.

小女孩回答说："还没有到晚上呢。"

"It don't matter. It ain't quite regular, but He won't mind that, you bet.

"没关系，本来就不必有什么固定的时刻。你放心吧，上帝一定不会怪罪咱们的。

You say over them ones that you used to say every night in the wagon⁴ when we was on the plains."

你现在就祷告一下吧，就象咱们经过荒野时每天晚上在篷车里做的那样。"

"Why don't you say some yourself?" the child asked, with wondering eyes.

小女孩睁着眼睛奇怪地问道。"你自己怎么不祈祷呢？"

"I disremember them," he answered. "I hain't said none since I was half the height o' that gun.

他回答道："我不记得祈祷文了。从我有那枪一半高的时候起，我就没有作过祷告了。

I guess it's never too late. You say them out, and I'll stand by and come in on the choruses."

可是我看现在再祈祷也不算太晚。你把祈祷文念出来，我在旁边跟着你一起念。"

"Then you'll need to kneel down, and me too," she said, laying the shawl out for that purpose.

她把包袱平铺在地上说道："那么你要跪下来，我也跪下。

"You've got to put your hands up like this. It makes you feel kind of good."

你还得把手这样举起来，你就会觉得好些了。"

It was a strange sight, had there been anything but the buzzards to see it.

除了巨雕以外，没有一个人看到这个奇特的景象：

Side by side on the narrow shawl knelt the two wanderers, the little prattling⁵ child and the reckless, hardened adventurer.

在狭窄的披肩上，并排跪着两个流浪者，一个是天真无邪的小女孩，一个是粗鲁、坚强的冒险家。

Her chubby⁶ face and his haggard, angular visage were both turned up to the cloudless heaven in heartfelt entreaty⁷ to that dread⁸ Being with whom they were face to face,

她那胖胖的小圆脸和他的那张憔悴瘦削的黑脸，仰望着无云的天空，虔诚地向着面对面地和他们同在的可敬畏的神灵祈祷；

while the two voices–the one thin and clear, the other deep and harsh–united in the entreaty for mercy and forgiveness.

而且，这是两种语音，一个清脆而细弱，一个是低沉而沙哑，同声祈祷，祈求上帝怜悯、饶恕。

The prayer finished, they resumed their seat in the shadow of the boulder⁹ until the child fell asleep, nestling upon the broad breast of her protector.

祈祷完了以后，他们又重新坐在大石的阴影里，孩子倚在她保护人的宽阔的胸膛里，慢慢地睡着了。

1 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。

2 specks   

n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Minutes later Brown spotted two specks in the ocean. 几分钟后布朗发现海洋中有两个小点。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821
• Do you ever seem to see specks in front of your eyes? 你眼睛前面曾似乎看见过小点吗？ 来自辞典例句

3 forerunner   

n.前身，先驱（者），预兆，祖先

参考例句：

• She is a forerunner of the modern women's movement.她是现代妇女运动的先驱。
• Penicillin was the forerunner of modern antibiotics.青霉素是现代抗生素的先导。

4 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

5 prattling   

v.（小孩般）天真无邪地说话( prattle的现在分词 )；发出连续而无意义的声音；闲扯；东拉西扯

参考例句：

• The meanders of a prattling brook, were shaded with straggling willows and alder trees. 一条小河蜿蜒掩映在稀疏的柳树和桤树的树荫间，淙淙作响。 来自辞典例句
• The villagers are prattling on about the village gossip. 村民们正在闲扯些村里的事。 来自互联网

6 chubby   

adj.丰满的，圆胖的

参考例句：

• He is stocky though not chubby.他长得敦实，可并不发胖。
• The short and chubby gentleman over there is our new director.那个既矮又胖的绅士是我们的新主任。

7 entreaty   

n.恳求，哀求

参考例句：

• Mrs. Quilp durst only make a gesture of entreaty.奎尔普太太仅做出一种哀求的姿势。
• Her gaze clung to him in entreaty.她的眼光带着恳求的神色停留在他身上。

8 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

9 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。