四签名 106琼诺赞·斯茂的奇异故事（16）

I let them scramble¹ down the sloping bank, splash through the mire², and climb halfway³ up to the gate before I challenged them.

我等他们下了壕沟，涉过积水，爬上岸来，

'Who goes there?' said I in a subdued⁴ voice.

我才放低了声音问道：'来人是谁？'

'Friends,' came the answer.

来人应声答道：'是朋友。'

I uncovered my lantern and threw a flood of light upon them.

我把灯向他们照了照，

The first was an enormous Sikh with a black beard which swept nearly down to his cummerbund.

前面的印度人个子极高，满脸黑胡须长过了腰带，

Outside of a show I have never seen so tall a man.

除了在舞台上，我从来也没有看过这样高大的人。

The other was a little fat, round fellow with a great yellow turban and a bundle in his hand, done up in a shawl.

另外的那个人是个矮小的，胖得滚圆的家伙，缠着大黄包头，手里拿着一个围巾裹着的包。

He seemed to be all in a quiver with fear, for his hands twitched⁵ as if he had the ague,

他似乎骇怕得全身发抖，他的手抽动得好象发疟疾一样。

and his head kept turning to left and right with two bright little twinkling eyes,

他不住地左顾右盼，两只小眼睛闪闪发亮。

like a mouse when he ventures out from his hole.

像一只钻出洞外的老鼠的一样。

It gave me the chills to think of killing⁶ him,

我想，杀死这个人未免有些不忍，

but I thought of the treasure, and my heart set as hard as a flint within me.

可是一想到宝物，我的心立刻变成铁石。

When he saw my white face he gave a little chirrup of joy and came running up towards me.

他看见我是白种人，不禁欢喜地向我跑来。

'Your protection, sahib,' he panted, 'your protection for the unhappy merchant Achmet.

他喘息着说道：'先生，请保护我，请你保护这个逃难的商人阿奇麦特吧。

I have travelled across Rajpootana, that I might seek the shelter of the fort at Agra.

我从拉吉起塔诺来到阿格拉碉堡避难。

I have been robbed and beaten and abused because I have been the friend of the Company.

我曾被抢劫、鞭打和侮辱，因为过去我是你们军队的朋友。

It is a blessed night this when I am once more in safety–I and my poor possessions.'

现在我和我的东西得到了安全，真是感谢。'

'What have you in the bundle?' I asked.

我问道：'包里边是什么？'

'An iron box,' he answered, 'which contains one or two little family matters

他答道，'一个铁箱子，里边有一两件祖传的东西，

which are of no value to others but which I should be sorry to lose.

别人拿去不值钱，可是我舍不得丢掉。

Yet I am not a beggar; and I shall reward you, young sahib, and your governor also if he will give me the shelter I ask.'

我不是讨饭的穷人，如果您的长官能允许我住在这里的话，我一定对您--年轻的先生和您的长官多少有些报酬。'

1 scramble   

v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料

参考例句：

• He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
• It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。

2 mire   

n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境

参考例句：

• I don't want my son's good name dragged through the mire.我不想使我儿子的名誉扫地。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

3 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

4 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

5 twitched   

vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Her lips twitched with amusement. 她忍俊不禁地颤动着嘴唇。
• The child's mouth twitched as if she were about to cry. 这小孩的嘴抽动着，像是要哭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。