四签名 120琼诺赞·斯茂的奇异故事（30）（打印版）

Well, I have set my mind on many things in this life, and never one which I did not carry out.

我一生曾立下过不少的志愿，件件都能办到。

But it was weary years before my time came.

可是在等待这时机的几年里，我却受尽了千辛万苦。

I have told you that I had picked up something of medicine.

我告诉过你们，我学得了一些医药上的知识。

One day when Dr. Somerton was down with a fever a little Andaman Islander was picked up by a convict-gang in the woods.

有一天，萨莫吞医生因发高烧卧病在床，有一个安达曼群岛的小生番被到树林中工作的囚犯带了回来。

He was sick to death and had gone to a lonely place to die.

他因为病重，想找到一个幽静的地方等死，

I took him in hand, though he was as venomous as a young snake,

虽然知道生番生性狠毒似蛇，可是我还是护理了他两个月，

and after a couple of months I got him all right and able to walk.

他终于渐渐恢复了健康又能走路了。

He took a kind of fancy to me then, and would hardly go back to his woods, but was always hanging about my hut.

他对我产生了感情，很难得回树林里去一次，终日守在我的茅屋里边。

I learned a little of his lingo from him, and this made him all the fonder of me.

我又向他学会了一些他的土话，于是他对我就更加敬爱了。

Tonga--for that was his name--was a fine boatman and owned a big, roomy canoe of his own.

他的名字叫做童格，是一个精练的船夫，并且有一只很大的独木船。

When I found that he was devoted to me and would do anything to serve me,

自从我发现他对于我的忠诚并且愿意为我作任何事情以后，

I saw my chance of escape. I talked it over with him.

我终于找到了逃走的机会，我把这个计划和他说了，

He was to bring his boat round on a certain night to an old wharf which was never guarded, and there he was to pick me up.

我叫他在一天夜晚把船划到一个无人守卫的码头去接我上船，

I gave him directions to have several gourds of water and a lot of yams, cocoanuts, and sweet potatoes.

还叫他准备几平淡水，许多的薯蓣、椰子和甜薯。

He was staunch and true, was little Tonga. No man ever had a more faithful mate.

这个小童格真是忠诚可靠，再没有比他更忠实的同伴了，

At the night named he had his boat at the wharf.

那天晚上他果然把船划到了码头下面。