巴斯克维尔的猎犬 华生医生的第二份报告（22）

 

　　"What shall we do now?" whispered Sir Henry.

　　“咱们现在怎么办呢？ ” 亨利爵士悄悄地说道。

　　"Wait here. He must be near his light. Let us see if we can get a glimpse of him."“就在这里等着， 他一定在烛光的附近。 看一看， 咱们是否能够看得到他。”

　　The words were hardly out of my mouth when we both saw him. Over the rocks, in thecrevice of which the candle burned, there was thrust out an evil yellow face, a terrible animal face,all seamed and scored with vile passions. Foul with mire, with a bristling beard, and hung withmatted hair, it might well have belonged to one of those old savages who dwelt in the burrows onthe hillsides. The light beneath him was reflected in his small, cunning eyes which peered fiercelyto right and left through the darkness like a crafty and savage animal who has heard the steps ofthe hunters.

　　我的话刚说出口， 我们两人就看到了他， 在蜡烛附近的岩石后面探出来一张可怕的黄面孔——一张吓人的野兽般的面孔， 满脸横肉， 肮脏不堪， 长着粗硬的长须， 乱蓬蓬的头发，倒很象是古代住在山边洞穴之中的野人。 在他下面的烛光照着他的小而狡猾的眼睛， 可怕地向左右黑暗之中窥探， 好象是一只听到了猎人脚步声的狡黠的猛兽。

　　Something had evidently aroused his suspicions. It may have been that Barrymore had someprivate signal which we had neglected to give, or the fellow may have had some other reason forthinking that all was not well, but I could read his fears upon his wicked face. Any instant hemight dash out the light and vanish in the darkness. I sprang forward therefore, and Sir Henry didthe same. At the same moment the convict screamed out a curse at us and hurled a rock whichsplintered up against the boulder which had sheltered us. I caught one glimpse of his short, squat,strongly built figure as he sprang to his feet and turned to run. At the same moment by a luckychance the moon broke through the clouds. We rushed over the brow of the hill, and there was ourman running with great speed down the other side, springing over the stones in his way with theactivity of a mountain goat. A lucky long shot of my revolver might have crippled him, but I hadbrought it only to defend myself if attacked and not to shoot an unarmed man who was runningaway.

　　显然已有什么东西引起了他的怀疑。说不定是因为他还有什么和白瑞摩私订的暗号我们不知道， 也许是那家伙根据其他理由感觉到了事情的不妙， 因为我从他那凶恶的脸上看出了恐惧的神色。 因为考虑到每一秒钟他都可能从亮处窜开、 消失在黑暗之中， 所以我就跳向前去， 亨利爵士也跟了上来。 正在这时， 那罪犯尖声痛骂了我们一句， 便打过来一块石头， 那石头在遮住我们的大石上碰得粉碎。 当他跳起来转身逃跑的时候， 碰巧月光刚从云缝里照了下来， 我一眼看到了他那矮胖而强壮的身形。 我们冲过了小山头， 那人从山坡那面疾驰而下，他一路上用山羊似的动作在乱石上跳来跳去。 如果用我那左轮手枪远射， 碰巧了 就可能把他打瘸， 可是我带它来只是为了在受人攻击的时候用以自 卫， 而不是用来打一个在逃的没有武器的人的。