四签名 121琼诺赞·斯茂的奇异故事（31）

As it chanced, however, there was one of the convict-guard down there–a vile¹ Pathan who had never missed a chance of insulting and injuring me.

事也凑巧，一个向来喜欢侮辱我，而我蓄意要向他报复的阿富汗族禁卒正在码头上值岗。

I had always vowed² vengeance³, and now I had my chance.

我无时不想报仇，现在机会可到了，

It was as if fate had placed him in my way that I might pay my debt before I left the island.

好似老天故意把他送到那里，在我临走的时候给我一个回报的机会。

He stood on the bank with his back to me, and his carbine on his shoulder.

他站在海岸上，肩荷着枪，背向着我。

I looked about for a stone to beat out his brains with, but none could I see.

我想找一块石头砸碎他的脑袋，可是一块也找不到。

Then a queer thought came into my head and showed me where I could lay my hand on a weapon.

最后我心生一计，想出了一件武器。

I sat down in the darkness and unstrapped my wooden leg. With three long hops⁴ I was on him.

我在黑暗里坐下，解下木腿拿在手里，猛跳了三跳，跳到他的眼前。

He put his carbine to his shoulder, but I struck him full, and knocked the whole front of his skull⁵ in.

他的枪背在肩上，我用木腿全力向他打了下去，他的前脑骨被打得粉碎。

You can see the split in the wood now where I hit him.

你们请看我木腿上的那条裂纹，就是打他时留下的痕迹。

We both went down together, for I could not keep my balance; but when I got up I found him still lying quiet enough.

因为一只脚失去了重心，我们两人同时摔倒了，我爬了起来，可是他已一动不动地躺在那里了。

I made for the boat, and in an hour we were well out at sea.

我上了船，一个钟头以后就远离了海岸。

Tonga had brought all his earthly possessions with him, his arms and his gods.

童格把他全部财产连同他的兵器和他的神像全都带到船上来了。

Among other things, he had a long bamboo spear,

他还有一支竹制的长矛

and some Andaman cocoanut matting, with which I made a sort of a sail.

和几条用安达曼椰子树叶编的席子。我把这支矛作成船桅，席子作成船帆。

For ten days we were beating about, trusting to luck,

我们在海上听天由命地漂浮了十天，

and on the eleventh we were picked up by a trader which was going from Singapore to Jiddah with a cargo⁶ of Malay pilgrims.

到第十一天，有一只从新加坡开往吉达、满载着马来亚朝圣香客的商轮，把我们救了上去。

They were a rum crowd, and Tonga and I soon managed to settle down among them.

船上的人都很奇特，可是我们不久就跟大家混熟了。

They had one very good quality: they let you alone and asked no questions.

他们有一种非常好的特点：他们能让我们安静地呆着，不追问我们的来历。

1 vile   

adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的

参考例句：

• Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？
• Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。

2 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

3 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

4 hops   

跳上[下]( hop的第三人称单数 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• The sparrow crossed the lawn in a series of hops. 那麻雀一蹦一跳地穿过草坪。
• It is brewed from malt and hops. 它用麦精和蛇麻草酿成。

5 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

6 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。