羊皮卷的故事（22）

Hafid flinched¹.

海菲欲言又止，

'This night I shall never forget either, master."

终于还是说道：“我也永远不会忘记今夜，老爷。”

"Oh, ho, then something did indeed happen this evening.

“喔，那一定是发生过什么事了。

How is it that you returned at such a late hour?"

你怎么这么晚赶回来呢？”

Hafid was silent as the old man turned and prodded² at the pack on Hafids mule³.

海菲一言不发地看着主人检查着他的行李。

"It is empty! Success at last.

“空了。终于成功了！

Come into my tent and tell me of your experiences.

来，好好把这次的经历跟我说说。

Since the gods have turned night into day I cannot sleep

看来今晚睡不成是天意了。

and perhaps your words will furnish some clue

你就好好地讲给我听，说不定我可以听出些眉目来，

as to why a star should follow a camel boy."

看看这颗星星为什么跟着一个喂骆驼的男孩。”

Pathros reclined on his cot

柏萨罗斜靠在帆布床上，

and listened with closed eyes to Hafid's long tale of endless refusals,

闭着眼睛倾听海菲描述

rebuffs, and insults which had been encountered in Bethlehem.

在伯利恒遇到的无数次拒绝、挫折和侮辱。

Occasionally he would nod

他点了点头

as when Hafid described the pottery⁴ merchant who had thrown him bodily from his shop

当听到有个陶器店老板连推带搡地把海菲撵出店门时，

and he smiled when told of the Roman soldier

老人微微一笑当

who had flung the robe back in Hafid's face

听到由于海菲不肯降价，

when the young seller had refused to reduce his price.

那些罗马士兵把袍子扔到他脸上时，

Finally Hafid, his voice hoarse⁵ and muffled⁶,

最后，海菲的声音都说哑了，

was describing all the doubts that had beset⁷ him in the inn this very evening.

终于说到傍晚在客栈里的种种疑虑。

Pathros interrupted him,

柏萨罗打断他的话，

"Hafid, as well as you can recall,

“海菲，尽量说详细些，

relate to me every doubt that passed through your mind as you sat feeling sorry for yourself."

你坐在客栈里，心灰意冷的时候，心里有哪些疑虑来着？”

When Hafid had named them all to the best of his recollection,

海菲尽量把想得起来的都说了一遍。

the old man asked,

老人又道：

"Now, what thought finally entered your mind

“好，现在告诉我，

which drove away the doubts

最后是什么念头使你打消这些疑虑，

and gave you new courage to decide to try again to sell the robe on the morrow?"

重新鼓起勇气，打算第二天拿着袍子再去试销？”

Hafid considered his reply for a moment and then said,

海菲想了一会儿，然后答道：

"I thought only of the daughter of Calneh.

“我只是想到卡奈家的女儿，

Even in that foul⁸ inn

我知道，

I knew that I could never face her again if I failed."

要是失败了，就永远没脸见她了。”

Then Hafid's voice broke,

说着，他突然失声道：

"But I failed her, anyway."

“可我还是失败了！”

"You failed? I do not understand.

“你失败了？我不明白，

The robe did not return with thee."

你并没有带着袍子回来呀？”

In a voice so low that Pathros found it necessary to lean forward in order to hear,

由于声音太低，柏萨罗只好向前倾着身子。

Hafid related the incident of the cave, the infant, and the robe.

海菲将洞穴、婴儿、以及长袍的故事说了一遍。

As the youth spoke,

他一边听，

1 flinched   

v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He flinched at the sight of the blood. 他一见到血就往后退。
• This tough Corsican never flinched or failed. 这个刚毅的科西嘉人从来没有任何畏缩或沮丧。 来自辞典例句

2 prodded   

v.刺，戳( prod的过去式和过去分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳

参考例句：

• She prodded him in the ribs to wake him up. 她用手指杵他的肋部把他叫醒。
• He prodded at the plate of fish with his fork. 他拿叉子戳弄着那盘鱼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 mule   

n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人

参考例句：

• A mule is a cross between a mare and a donkey.骡子是母马和公驴的杂交后代。
• He is an old mule.他是个老顽固。

4 pottery   

n.陶器，陶器场

参考例句：

• My sister likes to learn art pottery in her spare time.我妹妹喜欢在空余时间学习陶艺。
• The pottery was left to bake in the hot sun.陶器放在外面让炎热的太阳烘晒焙干。

5 hoarse   

adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的

参考例句：

• He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
• He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

6 muffled   

adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己）

参考例句：

• muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
• There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 beset   

v.镶嵌；困扰，包围

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• The plan was beset with difficulties from the beginning.这项计划自开始就困难重重。

8 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！