血字的研究 70复仇天使（1）

Chapter 5 THE AVENGING¹ ANGELS

第五章 复仇天使

ALL night their course lay through intricate defiles² and over irregular and rock-strewn paths.

一夜之中，他们走过的尽是一些错综复杂的小路和崎岖难行、乱石纵横的山道。

More than once they lost their way, but Hope's intimate knowledge of the mountains enabled them to regain³ the track once more.

他们不止一次地迷失了路径，幸亏侯波熟悉山中情况，才使他们重新走上了正道。

When morning broke, a scene of marvellous though savage⁴ beauty lay before them.

天明以后，他们眼前出现了一幅奇景，景色虽然显得十分荒凉，但却是壮丽无比。

In every direction the great snow-capped peaks hemmed⁵ them in, peeping over each other's shoulders to the far horizon.

现在，他们置身在一片白雪披顶的群山当中；山恋重叠，一直绵延到遥远的地平线上。

So steep were the rocky banks on either side of them that the larch⁶ and the pine seemed to be suspended over their heads,

山路两旁尽是悬崖绝壁，上面生长着的落叶松，好象是悬挂在他们头上一样，

and to need only a gust⁷ of wind to come hurtling down upon them.

似乎是一阵风过就会被吹落下来压在他们头上。

Nor was the fear entirely⁸ an illusion, for the barren valley was thickly strewn with trees and boulders⁹ which had fallen in a similar manner.

但这也并不完全是空想之中的恐惧，因为在这个荒凉的山谷里，草木丛生，乱石杂陈，树石都曾这样滚下来过。

Even as they passed, a great rock came thundering down with a hoarse¹⁰ rattle¹¹ which woke the echoes in the silent gorges¹², and startled the weary horses into a gallop¹³.

在他们前进的时候，就有过一块巨石雷鸣般滚落下来，隆隆之声在这静静的峡谷里回荡着，吓得疲乏的马匹都惊奔起来。

As the sun rose slowly above the eastern horizon,

当太阳从东方地平线缓慢上升的时候，

the caps of the great mountains lit up one after the other, like lamps at a festival, until they were all ruddy and glowing.

群峰便象开宴张灯时的情景一样，一个接着一个点亮了，直到所有山头都被抹上了一缕微红，耀眼明亮起来。

The magnificent spectacle cheered the hearts of the three fugitives¹⁴ and gave them fresh energy.

这种奇景使得三个逃亡者精神为之一振，前进的劲头也就大了起来。

At a wild torrent¹⁵ which swept out of a ravine they called a halt and watered their horses, while they partook of a hasty breakfast.

他们在一个涌出激流的谷口停了下来，饮了马；在这当儿，他们也匆匆早餐一顿。

Lucy and her father would fain have rested longer, but Jefferson Hope was inexorable.

露茜和她的父亲倒愿意多休息一会儿，可是杰弗逊·侯波却坚持快走。

"They will be upon our track by this time," he said.

他说："这个时候，他们多半正沿着咱们的踪迹追了上来，

"Everything depends upon our speed. Once safe in Carson, we may rest for the remainder of our lives."

成败完全在于咱们前进的速度了。只要咱们平安地到达了卡森城，就是休息一辈子也不要紧了。"

During the whole of that day they struggled on through the defiles, and by evening they calculated that they were more than thirty miles from their enemies.

这一整天，他们在山道中奔波前进。临近黄昏的时候，计算了一下行程，他们离开敌人已经有三十多英里了。

At night-time they chose the base of a beetling¹⁶ crag, where the rocks offered some protection from the chill wind,

夜间，他们选择了悬岩下面可以躲避寒风的地方安顿下来。为了暖和一些，

and there, huddled¹⁷ together for warmth, they enjoyed a few hours' sleep.

三个人紧紧地挤在一处，睡了几个钟头。

Before daybreak, however, they were up and on their way once more.

但是，天还没亮，便又动身上路了。

They had seen no signs of any pursuers,

他们一直没有发现有人追赶的迹象，

and Jefferson Hope began to think that they were fairly out of the reach of the terrible organization whose enmity they had incurred¹⁸.

因此，杰弗逊·侯波便认为他们可能已经逃出了虎口，那个迫害他们的可怕组织，现在已是鞭长莫及了。

He little knew how far that iron grasp could reach, or how soon it was to close upon them and crush them.

但是，他一点也不知道这个鹰掌究竟能够伸展多远；同时，他更没有想到，这个鹰掌立刻就要接近他们，把他们打得粉碎了。

1 avenging   

adj.报仇的，复仇的v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 )；为…报复

参考例句：

• He has devoted the past five years to avenging his daughter's death. 他过去5年一心报丧女之仇。 来自辞典例句
• His disfigured face was like some avenging nemesis of gargoyle design. 他那张破了相的脸，活象面目狰狞的复仇之神。 来自辞典例句

2 defiles   

v.玷污( defile的第三人称单数 )；污染；弄脏；纵列行进

参考例句：

• That kind of love defiles its purity simply. 那恋爱本身就是亵渎了爱情的纯洁。 来自辞典例句
• Marriage but defiles, outrages, and corrupts her fulfillment. 婚姻只是诋毁、侮辱、败坏这种实现。 来自互联网

3 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

4 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

5 hemmed   

缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围

参考例句：

• He hemmed and hawed but wouldn't say anything definite. 他总是哼儿哈儿的，就是不说句痛快话。
• The soldiers were hemmed in on all sides. 士兵们被四面包围了。

6 larch   

n.落叶松

参考例句：

• This pine is called the larch.这棵松树是落叶松。
• I shall be under those larch trees.我将在那些落叶松下面。

7 gust   

n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发

参考例句：

• A gust of wind blew the front door shut.一阵大风吹来，把前门关上了。
• A gust of happiness swept through her.一股幸福的暖流流遍她的全身。

8 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

9 boulders   

n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾

参考例句：

• Seals basked on boulders in a flat calm. 海面风平浪静，海豹在巨石上晒太阳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The river takes a headlong plunge into a maelstrom of rocks and boulders. 河水急流而下，入一个漂砾的漩涡中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 hoarse   

adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的

参考例句：

• He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
• He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

11 rattle   

v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓

参考例句：

• The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。
• She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

12 gorges   

n.山峡，峡谷( gorge的名词复数 )；咽喉v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的第三人称单数 )；作呕

参考例句：

• The explorers were confronted with gorges(that were)almost impassable and rivers(that were)often unfordable. 探险人员面临着几乎是无路可通的峡谷和常常是无法渡过的河流。 来自辞典例句
• We visited the Yangtse Gorges last summer. 去年夏天我们游历了长江三峡。 来自辞典例句

13 gallop   

v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展

参考例句：

• They are coming at a gallop towards us.他们正朝着我们飞跑过来。
• The horse slowed to a walk after its long gallop.那匹马跑了一大阵后慢下来缓步而行。

14 fugitives   

n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Three fugitives from the prison are still at large. 三名逃犯仍然未被抓获。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Members of the provisional government were prisoners or fugitives. 临时政府的成员或被捕或逃亡。 来自演讲部分

15 torrent   

n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发

参考例句：

• The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
• Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。

16 beetling   

adj.突出的，悬垂的v.快速移动( beetle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I last saw him beetling off down the road. 我上次见到他时，他正快步沿路而去。
• I saw you beetling off early at the party. 我见到你早早从宴会中离开。 来自辞典例句

17 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

18 incurred   

[医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式

参考例句：

• She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚，使父亲震怒。
• We will reimburse any expenses incurred. 我们将付还所有相关费用。