《曾达的囚徒》第12期:茶桌历险(2)（在线收听）

'Go across the drawbridge and you come to a heavy door …Listen！What's that？They're coming！They're too soon！Put out your lamp！'she cried，her eyes filled with fear．

“过了吊桥你能看见一座厚重的大门……听！什么声儿？他们来啦！他们太快了！把灯灭了！”她说，眼睛里满是惊恐。

'Quickly！You must go．There's a ladder at the end of the garden，against the wall！'

“快点儿！你得走。花园尽头有一个梯子靠在墙上！”

But it was too late．The three men were already outside．There was a small hole in the door，and I put my eye to it．My hand was on my revolver．

但是已经太晚了。那三个人已经来到屋外，门上有一个小洞，我从洞里向外看。我的手放在左轮手枪上。

It was no good！There were three of them．I could kill one perhaps，but then…

这不管用！他们有三个人，我也许能打中其中的一个，但是……

A voice came from outside．'Mr Rassendyll…'It was the Englishman．'We only want to talk to you．Open the door．'

外面响起一个声音：“拉森狄尔先生……”是那个英国人。“我们只是想跟你谈谈，开门。”

'We can talk through the door，'I replied．I looked through the hole again and saw that they were on the top step．When I opened the door，they would run at me．

“我们可以隔着门谈。”我回答。我又从小洞往外看，见他们已经上到了最高一层的台阶。假如我开门，他们就会朝我扑过来。

'We'll let you go if you leave the country and we'll give you fifty thousand English pounds，'continued Detchard，the Englishman．

“假如你离开这个国家，我们会让你走，而且会给你五万英镑。”戴查德，那个英国人说。

'Give me a minute to think，'I answered．

“让我想一想。”我回答。

Wildly，I looked around the summer-house and saw a metal garden table and some chairs．I picked up the table and held it in front of me，by the legs．Then I went to the back of the room and waited．

慌乱中我朝房子四周扫了一眼，看见了一个金属的花园用的桌子和一些椅子。我抓着桌腿把它挡在身体前，然后退到房子的尽头等着。

'All right，I agree，'I called．'Open the door！'

“好吧，我同意了。”我高声说：“开门吧！”

I heard them arguing with each other，and then Detchard said to the Belgian，'Why，Bersonin，are you afraid of one man？'

我听见他们互相吵嚷，然后戴查德对那个比利时人说：“伯索宁，难道你还怕一个人吗？”

A second later the door opened．

片刻之后，门就开了。

De Gautet，the Frenchman，was with the other two，and the three men were standing there with their revolvers ready．With a shout，I ran at them as hard as I could．

德·高蒂特，那个法国人和另外两个人在一起。他们三个端着上了镗的左轮手枪站在那儿。我大叫一声，用尽全力向他们冲去。

They tried to shoot me，but the bullets hit the table．The next second the table knocked them to the ground and we all fell on top of each other．

他们向我开枪，但是子弹打在了桌子上。紧接着桌子打倒了他们。我们都倒下了，你压着我，我压着你。

Quickly，I picked myself up and ran for my life through the trees．I could hear them coming after me．Was Antoinette right？

很快我爬了起来，穿过树林飞快逃走。我听见他们追了上来。安冬纳特没说错吧？

Was there really a ladder by the wall？I reached the end of the garden．The ladder was there！In a minute I was up it and over the wall．

墙上真有一个梯子吗？我跑到了花园的尽头，梯子真的在那里！一刹那间我就登上了梯子越过了围墙。

Sapt was waiting with the horses and seconds later we were on our way home．And，as we rode，we laughed because I had fought Duke Michael's dangerous men-with a tea-table！

萨普特牵着马在等我。几秒钟后我们就已经在回去的路上了。我们一边骑着马，一边大笑。因为我已经和迈克尔公爵的杀手斗了一场，而且只用了一张茶桌！