四签名 105琼诺赞·斯茂的奇异故事（15）

'I am with you heart and soul,' said I.

我道：'我的心和灵魂都和你们在一起。'

'It is well,' he answered, handing me back my firelock.

他把枪还给了我，并说：'这好极了，

'You see that we trust you, for your word, like ours, is not to be broken.

我们相信您的誓言和我们的一样，永远会被遵守。

We have now only to wait for my brother and the merchant.'

现在只有等待着我的盟弟和那个商人了。'

'Does your brother know, then, of what you will do?' I asked.

我问道：'那么，你盟弟知道咱们的计划吗？'

'The plan is his. He has devised it. We will go to the gate and share the watch with Mahomet Singh.'

'他是主谋，一切全是他策划的。咱们现在到门外去，陪着莫郝米特·辛格一同站岗去吧。'

The rain was still falling steadily¹, for it was just the beginning of the wet season.

那时正是雨季的开始，雨还没有停。

Brown, heavy clouds were drifting across the sky, and it was hard to see more than a stonecast.

棕色的浓云在天上飘来飘去，夜色迷蒙，隔着一箭之地的距离就看不清楚了。

A deep moat lay in front of our door, but the water was in places nearly dried up, and it could easily be crossed.

我们的门前是一个城壕，壕里的积水有些地方差不多已经干涸了，很容易走过来。

It was strange to me to be standing² there with those two wild Punjabees waiting for the man who was coming to his death.

我就这样和两个旁遮普人站在那里，静待着那个前来送死的人。

Suddenly my eye caught the glint of a shaded lantern at the other side of the moat.

忽然间，壕的对岸有一个被遮着的灯光在堤前消失了，

It vanished among the mound-heaps, and then appeared again coming slowly in our direction.

不久又重新出现，并向着我们的方向慢慢走来。

'Here they are!' I exclaimed.

我叫道：'他们来了！'

'You will challenge him, sahib, as usual,' whispered Abdullah.

爱勃德勒轻轻说道：'请您照例向他盘问，

'Give him no cause for fear. Send us in with him, and we shall do the rest while you stay here on guard.

可是不要吓唬他，把他交给我们带进门里，您在外边守卫，我们自有办法。

Have the lantern ready to uncover, that we may be sure that it is indeed the man.'

把灯预备好了，以免认错人。'

The light had flickered³ onward⁴, now stopping and now advancing,

那灯光闪闪地向前移动着，时停时进，

until I could see two dark figures upon the other side of the moat.

一直等到看见两个黑影到了壕的对岸。

1 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 flickered   

（通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The lights flickered and went out. 灯光闪了闪就熄了。
• These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. 这些灯象发狂的交通灯一样不停地闪动着。

4 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。