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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
We followed the noise of the fighting and came to a hill.There stood a strong wooden house,big enough for forty people,and with holes for guns on every side.All around the house was a wide open piece of land;and around that was a fence,two metres high,with no doors or openings,and too strong to pull down easily.
As soon as Ben Gunn saw the English flag flying over thehouse,he said,‘There are your friends.’
‘More likely to be the pirates3,’I answered.
‘Silver would put up the pirate2's flag,the Jolly4 Roger,’said Ben.‘No,there's been a fight,and your friends have won.They're inside the stockade that Flint made years ago.’
‘Then I must hurry and join them,’I said.
He wouldn't come with me.‘I won't come until you've seen your gentleman and got his promise.You know where to find me,Jim.And if the pirates sleep on shore tonight,one of them might have an unpleasant surprise!’
The ship's gun BOOMED5!and the shot fell only a hundredmetres away.Ben Gunn and I each ran our different ways.Thefiring continued for another hour,and I moved quietly through the trees to the shore.There I saw the Hispaniola in the bay—but the Jolly Roger was flying over her!
On the beach,the pirates were breaking up the captain's little boat with axes6.When the ship's gun stopped firing,I went back to the stockade.
‘Doctor!’I shouted.‘Squire7!Captain!Hello,Hunter,is that you?’
Dr Livesey came out of the house in time to see me climbing into the stockade,and my friends welcomed me happily They gave me supper----although they were worried because there was little food left.As I ate,Dr Livesey told me their story.
We heard you had gone ashore8 on one of the boats,Jim,’he said.‘We never doubted your honesty,but we were afraid you wouldn't be safe.Hunter and I came ashore to see what was happening,and found the stockade.It seemed a good place to defend ourselves against Silver and his men,because we were sure they would kill us when they returned to the ship Here,all we needed was enough food,and people to watch for enemies.You see,we know that if the Hispaniola does not return to Bristol by the end of August,a rescue ship will be sent to look for us.
‘So we made a plan to get ourselves off the ship,’Dr Livesey went on.‘Hunter,Redruth,and Joyce helped us.Hunter brought the captain's little boat round under the cabin9 window,and Joyce and I put guns and food and my medicine chest in it.Redruth took four guns and went on deck10 with Trelawney and the captain They were able to surprise Israel Hands and the other men,and they managed to persuade one man,Abraham Gray,to join us again.’
‘So you left five pirates on the ship?’I said.
‘Yes,’said Dr Livesey.‘And we dropped the rest of the weapons over the side into the sea before leaving the ship.But we forgot the ship's gun.We were half-way to the island when the pirates fired it at us.’
‘ I heard it,’I told him.
‘Trelawney tried to shoot Hands but killed another man instead,’said Dr Livesey.‘The pirates on the island heard the gun and ran out of the trees towards their boats.Then our small boat began to go down and we found ourselves in the water.Most of the food was lost and we had only two dry guns out of five.Somehow we got ashore and into the stockade,but we knew there was going to be a fight.’
‘But you won,’I said.
‘Yes,’agreed Dr Livesey.‘We killed another of their men.badly wounded another,but lost one of our own poor Tom Redruth.’
After the doctor had finished,I told them my story,andabout Ben Gunn.Then we began to talk about what to donext.Our best plan was to kill the pirates one by one until the rest ran off or sailed away in the ship.
I was very tired,and fell asleep as the three men talked.It was the sound of voices shouting that woke me the next morning.
‘A white flag!’I heard someone say.‘It's Silver!’
I ran to a hole in the wall and looked through.Two men were outside the stockade,one waving a white cloth The other man was Silver.It was a very cold morning,the sky bright and without a cloud,but Silver and his man were standing11 in a low mist12.
‘What do you want?’shouted Captain Smollett.
The man beside Silver replied,‘Cap’n Silver,sir,to talk about peace.’
‘Cap’n Silver?’said the captain.‘Who is he?’
Long John answered Me,sir.The men chose me to be captain after you deserted13 the ship We're willing to make peace if we can all agree.All I ask is your promise to allow me safely out of the stockade.’
‘I don't want to talk to you,’said Captain Smollett,‘but if you want to talk to me,you may come.’
Silver came towards the stockade,threw his crutch14 over the fence,then climbed after it.With great difficulty,he walked up the hill of soft sand.
‘Aren't you going to let me inside?’said Long John.‘It's a cold morning to be outside.’
‘If you were an honest man,Silver,’said the captain,‘you could be in your kitchen.You're either my ship's cook,or Cap’n Silver,a dirty pirate!Now,if you've anything to say,say it!’
‘Well now,Cap’n Smollett,’said Silver,sitting down in the sand,‘you were very clever,last night.One of you is very quick with a knife,isn't he?Some of my men were frightened,and perhaps I was too.Perhaps that's why I'm here now.But you won't do it again,by thunder!We'll drink less rum and watch more carefully.I was asleep,but I almost caught you.The man you knifed wasn't dead when I reached him.’
‘Well?’said Captain Smollett,pretending to understand.But I guessed what Silver was talking about.I remembered Ben Gunn's last words to me.Perhaps he had visited the pirates during the night,when they were lying around their fire,full of rum.
‘We want that treasure,and we'll have it!’said Silver.‘Now,you have a map.Give it to us,and stop killing15 poor sea-men when they're asleep,and we'll let you choose what to do.Either come aboard ship with us when we have the treasure,and we'll take you to a safe place;or stay here on the island.’
‘Is that all?’asked Captain Smollett.
‘It's my last word,by thunder!’said Silver.‘Refuse,and you'll all die.’
‘Now you'll hear me,’said the captain.‘If you come up one by one,without weapons,I'll take you home to a fair trial in England.You can't find the treasure without the map.None of you knows how to sail the ship home.And you can't fight us—Gray got away from five of you.If you say no,the next time I see you I'll put a bullet16 in your back.Now,get out of here quickly.’
Silver's eyes were filled with anger.‘Somebody help me up!’he shouted,but none of us moved.Swearing angrily,he pulled himself across the sand to the fence.There,he was able to lift himself on to his crutch again and then climb out of the stockade.
‘Before the hour is over,’shouted Silver,‘I'll break your old house like a rum bottle!And those that die will be the lucky ones!’
As soon as Silver disappeared,we got ready for a battle,placing ourselves around the sides of the stockade.The captain went round to check our places and our guns,and to see that everything was ready.
A minute later,Joyce fired his pistol17 and the battle had be-gun.Shots came from every side of the stockade,hitting the wooden house,but the bullets18 did not get through the thick walls.Then there was silence and the smoke slowly cleared away.
Suddenly,guns were fired again,and a group of pirates ran from the woods and on to the stockade.They climbed over the fence like monkeys while the squire and Gray fired at them.In a few seconds,two fell dead,one was running back into the trees,and four were inside the stockade.
‘Fight them in the open!’cried the captain.
I took a sword and ran out into the sun.More pirates were starting to climb into the stockade.One man,wearing a red cap and with a knife in his mouth,was already on top of the fence.
But in that moment,the fight was over and we had won.Gray cut down one man with his sword.Another was shot as he fired into the house,and now lay wounded with his smoking pistol in his hand.The doctor had cut down a third.The men on the fence had disappeared back into the trees.And of the four who had climbed into the stockade,only one was not wounded,and he was climbing out again with the fear of death in him.
10 在寨子里
我们循着枪声来到一座小山前。那儿有一座坚固的木头房子,可以容得下40人,每一面墙都有射击孔。房子四周是一片开阔地,还有一圈围栏,两米高,没有出入口,很坚固而且不易拉倒。
本·葛恩一看见木屋上飘着的英国旗就对我说:“你的朋友在那里。”
“更有可能是那帮海盗,”我说。
“西尔弗一定会挂他们海盗的骷髅旗,”本·葛恩说。“刚才他们打了一仗,你的朋友获胜了。他们正在弗林特几年前建的寨子里。”
“那我得赶快去和我的朋友们会合,”我说。
他不愿和我一起去。“除非你见到了你们那位绅士,得到了他的保证,否则我不会去见他们。吉姆,你知道在哪儿能找到我。要是那帮海盗在岸上过夜,他们中就会有人遭厄运!”
从船上又传来一声炮响,炮弹就落在一百多米以外的地方。我们俩朝着不同方向拔腿就跑。枪炮声持续了一个小时,我悄悄来到岸边的树丛中。我看见伊斯帕尼奥拉号停在海湾里——船上挂着骷髅旗!
在岸上,那帮海盗正用斧子劈船长的小船。炮声停止后,我回到寨子里。
“大夫!”我喊道,“乡绅!船长!你好,亨特!是你吗?”
李甫西大夫立刻从木屋出来,我正翻越围栏,朋友们都高兴地迎接我回来,他们让我吃了晚饭——尽管饭菜剩下的不多了。我吃饭的时候,李甫西大夫给我讲了他们的历险。
“吉姆,我们听说你跟着一条船上了岸,”他说。“我们从未怀疑你的忠实,但我们为你的安全担心。我和亨特上岸想看看发生了什么,却发现了这个寨子。这似乎是我们抵御西尔弗和他那帮人的好地方,我们确信回到船上他们会杀了我们。在这儿,我们需要的是足够的食物和足够的人手对付敌人。你知道,如果伊斯帕尼奥拉号8月底前不能返回布里斯托尔,一只救援船就会来接我们。”
“所以我们就设计弃船而走,”李甫西大夫继续讲下去。“亨特、雷德拉斯和乔伊斯帮助了我们。亨特把船长的小船转移到船舱附近,我和乔伊斯装上了枪、食物和药品。雷德拉斯拿了四枝枪和屈利劳尼及船长一起上了甲板。伊斯莱尔·汉兹一伙显然吓了一跳。雷德拉斯和船长等人想法说服了一个叫亚伯拉罕·格雷的人加入了我们。”
“你们留下五个海盗在船上?”我说。
“是的,”李甫西大夫说。“我们弃船之前把剩下的武器都扔到了海里,但忘记了船上的炮。我们刚走到一半的时候,那帮海盗就用它向我们开火了。”
“我听见枪声了,”我告诉他。
“屈利劳尼想打汉兹却结果了另一个人,”李甫西大夫说。“岛上的海盗听见枪声后从树林中窜出来奔向他们的小船。我们的小船沉没了,我们落了水,大部分食品都丢掉了,而且我们的五枝枪只有两枝没有湿。尽管如此我们还是上了岸,占领了寨子,我们知道一场恶仗不可避免了。”
“但你们胜了,”我说。
“是的,”李甫西说。“我们打死了他们一个人,重伤了另一个,但我们也失去了一位——可怜的汤姆·雷德拉斯。”
大夫讲完以后,我给他们讲了我的历险,以及遇见本·葛恩的事。然后我们开始商量下一步如何行事。我们最好的方案是一个个杀掉海盗,直到剩下的都逃跑或驾船离开。
我感觉特别累,他们三人谈论时我就睡着了。第二天早晨一阵吵闹声把我惊醒了。
“他们举着白旗呢!”有人说。“是西尔弗!”
我跑到一个射击孔前向外张望。有两个人在寨子外边,其中一个挥着白旗,另一个是西尔弗。那是个寒冷、明亮的早晨,天上没有一丝云,西尔弗和他的同伙在低低的雾霭中站着。
“你们要干什么?”船长斯摩列特喊道。
西尔弗旁边那个人说:“西尔弗船长来讲和,先生。”
“西尔弗船长?”船长问。“他是谁?”
高个约翰回答:“是我,先生。您弃船而走以后他们选我当船长。如果大家都同意的话,我们希望讲和。我希望你能保证让我安全地走出寨子。”
“我不想和你谈判,”斯摩列特船长说,“但如果你想谈判的话,你可以过来。”
西尔弗向寨子走来,把他的拐杖扔过围栏,跟着爬上围栏,然后艰难地翻过一座小沙丘。
“你不打算让我进去吗?”高个约翰说。“这种天在外边很冷的。”
“如果你是个诚实的人,西尔弗,”船长说,“你应该在你的厨房里。你要么是我船上的厨子,要么就是西尔弗船长,一个可恶的海盗!现在,你还有什么要说的,就快说吧!”
“那么,斯摩列特船长,”西尔弗说着,坐在沙地上,“昨天晚上你们很聪明。你们中的一个人用刀出手很快。我们有些人都吓坏了,大概我也一样。所以我才来谈判。但我发誓,这样的事不会再发生了。我们要小心布置岗哨,并且叫大家少喝点朗姆酒。我当时睡着了,可我差点儿抓住了你们。我跑到被杀的那个人跟前的时候,他还没死呢。”
“是吗?”斯摩列特船长装作明白地说。我猜到了西尔弗说的事。我想起本·葛恩和我分手前的最后一句话。他大概在海盗们喝醉了倒在篝火边的时候到他们的营地去过。
“我们要岛上的宝藏,而且我们一定会得到!”西尔弗说。“你们有一张寻宝图。只要把它交给我们,并且不要在我们可怜的水手睡着的时候杀他们,我们就会让你们选择如何行事。或者等宝藏装上船后你们跟我们一起坐船走,我们担保让你们安全上岸;或者,你们可以留在此地。”
“你说完了?”斯摩列特船长问。
“我发誓这是我说的最后一句话!”西尔弗说。“你们要是拒绝的话,就都得死!”
“现在你听我说,”船长说。“如果你们一个一个放下武器到这里来,我就把你们送回英国依法审判。没有图你们谁也找不到宝藏,你们谁也无法驾船回家。你们也打不过我们;昨天你们五个人也没斗过葛雷一个。你要是敢说个不字,下次我再碰到你,就要用子弹打穿你的脊背。现在,请快离开这儿!”
西尔弗的眼里充满了愤怒。“拉我一把,让我站起来!”他大声说,但我们一个都没动。他一边骂着,一边爬过沙地来到围栏边,依靠他的拐杖站起来,然后翻过围栏。
“不出一个小时,”他吼着,“我就把你们的小木屋像朗姆酒瓶一样砸烂。你们会觉得生不如死。”
西尔弗一消失,我们就作好战斗准备,大家在寨子四周都布置好。船长巡视一圈,检查了我们的枪,确实一切都已准备好。
只过了一分钟,乔伊斯打响了第一枪,战斗开始了。枪从四面打向木屋,打在墙上,但都没有穿过厚墙。然后枪声停顿了一会儿,硝烟渐渐散开了。
忽然,枪声又响起来,一群海盗从树林里窜出来向围栏跑来,然后像猴子一样敏捷地爬上围栏。乡绅和葛雷向他们射击,当场打死两个,一个人逃回树林里去了,有四个进了寨子。
“出去迎击他们!”船长喊道。
我拿起一把剑跑到太阳底下。越来越多的海盗开始爬进寨子。其中一个戴着红帽子,嘴里衔着刀的人正在围栏上。
就在这时,战斗以我们的获胜而告终。葛雷用剑结果了一个海盗。另一个被击中受伤倒地,他手里的枪还冒着烟。大夫也砍倒了一个海盗。在围栏上的那个海盗逃回树林里去了。那四个闯进寨子的海盗中,只有一个没有受伤,他赶快爬过围栏逃命去了。
1 stockade | |
n.栅栏,围栏;v.用栅栏防护 | |
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2 pirate | |
n.海盗,每盗船 | |
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3 pirates | |
n.海盗( pirate的名词复数 );剽窃者;侵犯版权者;非法播音的人(或组织) | |
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4 jolly | |
adj.快乐的,高兴的;adv.很;vt.劝服,哄 | |
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5 boomed | |
v.激增( boom的过去式和过去分词 );猛涨;发出隆隆声;以低沉有力的声音说话 | |
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6 axes | |
n.轴;斧头( ax的名词复数 );斧子( axe的名词复数 );(遭)解雇;倒闭;被停业;轴( axis的名词复数 );轴线;核心;对称中心线(将物体平分为二)v.(用斧)砍( axe的第三人称单数 );精简(机构等);大量削减(经费等) | |
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7 squire | |
n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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8 ashore | |
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸 | |
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9 cabin | |
n.(结构简单的)小木屋;船舱,机舱 | |
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10 deck | |
n.甲板;公共汽车一层的车厢;纸牌;vt.装饰 | |
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11 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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12 mist | |
n.雾,迷蒙,朦胧不清;vt.使...模糊,蒙上雾;vi.使...模糊,下雾 | |
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13 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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14 crutch | |
n.T字形拐杖;支持,依靠,精神支柱 | |
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15 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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16 bullet | |
n.枪弹,子弹 | |
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17 pistol | |
n.手枪 | |
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18 bullets | |
n.弹药;军火 | |
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