“格洛里亚斯科特”号三桅帆船13

“‘My dear, dear son, now that approaching disgrace begins to darken the closing years of my life, I can write with all truth and honesty that it is not the terror of the law, it is not the loss of my position in the county, nor is it my fall in the eyes of all who have known me, which cuts me to the heart; but it is the thought that you should come to blush for me—you who love me and who have seldom, I hope, had reason to do other than respect me. But if the blow falls which is forever hanging over me, then I should wish you to read this, that you may know straight from me how far I have been to blame. On the other hand, if all should go well (which may kind God Almighty¹ grant!), then if by any chance this paper should be still undestroyed and should fall into your hands, I conjure² you, by all you hold sacred, by the memory of your dear mother, and by the love which had been between us, to hurl³ it into the fire and to never give one thought to it again.

“‘If then your eye goes onto read this line, I know that I shall already have been exposed and dragged from my home, or as is more likely, for you know that my heart is weak, by lying with my tongue sealed forever in death. In either case the time for suppression is past, and every word which I tell you is the naked truth, and this I swear as I hope for mercy.

“‘My name, dear lad, is not Trevor. I was James Armitage in my younger days, and you can understand now the shock that it was to me a few weeks ago when your college friend addressed me in words which seemed to imply that he had surprised my secret. As Armitage it was that I entered a London banking-house, and as Armitage I was convicted of breaking my country's laws, and was sentenced to transportation. Do not think very harshly of me, laddie. It was a debt of honor, so called, which I had to pay, and I used money which was not my own to do it, in the certainty that I could replace it before there could be any possibility of its being missed. But the most dreadful ill-luck pursued me. The money which I had reckoned upon never came to hand, and a premature⁴ examination of accounts exposed my deficit⁵. The case might have been dealt leniently⁶ with, but the laws were more harshly administered thirty years ago than now, and on my twenty-third birthday I found myself chained as a felon⁷ with thirty-seven other convicts in 'tween-decks of the bark Gloria Scott, bound for Australia.

“‘我最亲一爱一的儿子，既然那日益迫近的耻辱使我的暮年暗淡无光，我可以老实而诚恳地说，我并不畏惧法律，也不怕丧失我在本郡的官职，更不担心相识的人小看我而使我痛心疾首。可是一想到你很一爱一我，而且极为尊敬我，却要因为我而蒙受耻辱，这才使我心如刀绞。但是如果一直悬在我头上的横祸果真降临了，那么我希望你读一读本篇记事，那时你就可以直接从中了解我该受何种责罚。另一方面，如果平安无事（愿万能的慈悲上帝赐准！），万一这张纸还没有毁掉而落入你手中，我恳求你，看在上帝份上，看在你亲一爱一的母亲份上，看在我们父子间的恩情份上，把它一烧了之，永世遗忘吧。

“‘但如若那时你果真读到此信，则我知道事已败露，置身囹圄了，或十之八九我已噤舌长眠了（因为你知道我的心脏衰弱）。但无论属于以上哪种情况，即已无需继续隐瞒。以下事事千真万确，愿誓肺腑，以求宽恕。

“‘亲一爱一的孩子，我本来不叫特雷佛，年轻时叫詹姆斯-阿米塔奇［詹姆斯-阿米塔奇两个词缩写字母为Ｊ．Ａ．——译者注。］由此你就明白我那次受惊昏厥的原因了。我是指几个星期以前，你大学的朋友对我讲的那番话，在我听来好象一语道破了我化名的秘密。作为阿米塔奇，我在伦敦银行工作，而作为阿米塔奇，我被定了违犯国法之罪，判处流刑。孩子，不要过分苛责我吧。这是一笔所谓赌债，我只好偿还，我便用了不属于我自己的钱去偿还了。当然我确有把握能在察觉之前把它补上。可是最可怕的厄运临头了，我所指望的款项竟然没能到手，又加上提前查帐，使我的亏空暴露出来。这件案子本来可以处理得宽大一些，可是三十年前的法律比现在严酷得多。于是在我二十三岁生日那天，便定了重罪和其他三十七名罪犯一起被锁在“格洛里亚斯科特”号帆船的甲板上，流放到澳大利亚去。

1 almighty   

adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的

参考例句：

• Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
• It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

2 conjure   

v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法

参考例句：

• I conjure you not to betray me.我恳求你不要背弃我。
• I can't simply conjure up the money out of thin air.我是不能像变魔术似的把钱变来。

3 hurl   

vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂

参考例句：

• The best cure for unhappiness is to hurl yourself into your work.医治愁苦的最好办法就是全身心地投入工作。
• To hurl abuse is no way to fight.谩骂决不是战斗。

4 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

5 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

6 leniently   

温和地，仁慈地

参考例句：

• He marked the paper leniently. 他改考卷打分数很松。
• Considering the signs he showed of genuine repentance,we shall deal leniently with him. 鉴于他有真诚悔改的表现，我们将对他宽大处理。

7 felon   

n.重罪犯；adj.残忍的

参考例句：

• He's a convicted felon.他是个已定罪的重犯。
• Hitler's early "successes" were only the startling depredations of a resolute felon.希特勒的早期“胜利 ”，只不过是一个死心塌地的恶棍出人意料地抢掠得手而已。