書蟲三級《三個陌生人》：5、牧羊人所見之 第二夜

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2.Second night
2．第二夜

The next evening the old shepherd left the boy alone in the hut again, with repeated orders to keep a careful eye on the sheep. But young Bill was only interested in the view from the south window. He watched and waited, while the moonlight shone on the ancient stones, but neither Captain nor Duchess appeared.

第二天晚上，老牧羊人又把男孩獨自留在了小屋里，反復囑咐他好好照看羊群。但小比爾卻只對南面窗外的情景感興趣。月光照耀在古老的石頭上，他一邊觀望一邊等待，但上尉和公爵夫人都沒有出現(xiàn)。

When he heard the Shakeforest Towers clock strike eleven, he saw the third figure appear. As the man came towards the hut, the moonlight shone full on his face, and the boy realized in horror that it was the Duke. All the villagers lived in fear of the Duke. He owned every farm and every house for miles around, and anybody who made him angry could lose their home and their job in a moment. The boy closed the stove, and quickly hid himself in a corner of the hut.

等聽到舍克弗洛斯特城堡的鐘敲11點時，他看見第三個身影出現(xiàn)了。那人朝小木屋的方向走來時，月光正好照亮了他的臉龐。男孩驚恐地發(fā)現(xiàn)那人竟然是公爵。所有的村民都對公爵十分懼怕。他擁有方圓數(shù)英里的每一塊農田和每一座房屋，任何人若是惹惱了他，就會在頃刻間失去家園和工作。男孩封上火爐，迅速躲進了小屋里的一個角落。

The Duke came close to the place where his wife and the Captain had stood the night before. He looked around, perhaps for a hiding-place. When he discovered the hut among the trees, he entered, and stood at the south window, looking out at the Devil's Door.

公爵走近昨晚他妻子和上尉待過的地方，環(huán)顧四周，看樣子是在尋找一個藏身之所。他發(fā)現(xiàn)了樹林中的小木屋，隨即走了進去，站在南面的窗戶前朝“魔鬼之門”望去。

Only a minute or two later the Captain arrived, to wait for the Duchess. But a terrible surprise was waiting for him tonight, as well as for the frightened boy hidden in the hut. At the Captain's appearance, the Duke became very angry. He opened the door of the hut and stepped out.

只過了一兩分鐘，上尉就來等候公爵夫人了。然而，今晚有一個可怕的意外正等待著他，也等待著藏在小屋里的這個嚇壞了的孩子。上尉一出現(xiàn)，公爵立刻勃然大怒。他打開小屋的門走了出去。

You have dishonoured her, and for that you shall die!' he cried. In the hut, the boy left his hiding-place and ran to the window. He could not see the two men, but he heard something falling on the grass, and then silence.

“你敗壞了她的清譽，為此該受一死！”他大叫道。小木屋里的男孩從藏身之處跑到了窗邊。他看不見那兩個人，但卻聽見了有東西摔落到草地上的聲音，接下來是一片死寂。

Three minutes later he saw the Duke going up the hill towards the stones, pulling the Captain's body along the ground. The boy knew that behind the Devil's Door there was a deep hole, covered by long grass and other plants. The Duke made his way slowly to the shadows behind the stones, and when he came out, he was pulling nothing behind him.

3分鐘后，他看見公爵拖著上尉的尸體朝山上的石頭走去。男孩知道“魔鬼之門”背后有一個很深的洞，洞口覆蓋著茂密的草和其他植物。公爵慢慢走進巨石后面的陰影，當他出來時，身后什么都沒有了。

Now for the second!' the boy heard him say. This time the Duke waited outside the hut. It was clear that he expected his wife, the Duchess, to arrive next at the meeting-place.

“現(xiàn)在該輪到第二個了！”男孩聽見他在喃喃自語。這一次，公爵在木屋外等待著。他顯然是在等他的妻子公爵夫人來到這個幽會的地方。

Inside the hut young Bill shook with fear. 'What will he do if she comes?' he thought. 'Will he kill her too? He looks angry enough! And he can do what he likes — he's the Duke. Nobody can stop him!'

木屋里，小比爾嚇得渾身顫抖。“如果她來了，他會怎么做？”他想，“他會把她也殺掉嗎？他看樣子快氣炸了！而且他做事完全可以隨心所欲——他是公爵，沒有人能阻止他！”

The jealous watcher waited for some time, but she never came. Sometimes he looked at his watch in surprise. He seemed almost disappointed that she did not appear. At half-past eleven he turned away to find his horse, and rode slowly down the hill.

這位妒火中燒的守望者等了一會兒，她卻一直沒有來。他不時驚詫地看看手表。看來她不曾露面倒讓他幾乎有些失望了。11點半時，他轉過身找到自己的馬，慢慢朝山下騎去。

The young boy thought of what lay in the hole behind the stones, and was too frightened to stay alone in the hut. He preferred to be with someone who was alive, even the Duke, than with someone who was dead, so he ran after the horseman. He followed the Duke all the way down into the valley, feeling more comfortable when the lonely hills were left behind him. Soon he could see the high walls and roofs of the Duke's home, Shakeforest Towers.

小男孩想象著石頭后面的山洞中可能躺著的東西，嚇得不敢獨自留在小屋中。他寧愿和任何一個活人在一起，哪怕是公爵也好，總強過和死人待在一起。于是他跟在騎馬的公爵身后跑去。他一路跟著公爵下山，當孤寂的群山被遠遠甩在身后時，他感覺舒服多了。很快，他就看到了公爵的家——舍克弗洛斯特城堡那高高的圍墻和屋頂。

When the Duke got close to the great house, a small door in a side wall opened, and a woman came out. She ran into the moonlight to meet the Duke.

公爵走近這座大房子時，邊墻上的一扇小門打開了，有個女人走了出來。她跑到月光下迎接公爵。

Ah, my dear, is it you?' she said. 'I heard your horse's step on the road, and knew it must be you.'

“啊，親愛的，是你嗎？”她說，“我聽到你的馬蹄聲，就知道一定是你。”

Happy to see me, are you?'

“你很高興見到我，對吧？”

How can you ask that?'

“你怎么這么問？”

Well, it is a lovely night for meetings.'

“嗯，這真是個適合幽會的可愛夜晚。”

Yes, it is a lovely night.'

“是啊，是個可愛的夜晚。”

The Duke got down from his horse and stood by her side. 'Why were you listening for me at this time of night?' he asked.

公爵下馬站到了她的身邊。“你為什么這么晚了還在聽我的動靜？”他問。

There is a strange story, which I must tell you at once. But why did you come a night sooner than you said? I am sorry, I really am!' (shaking her head playfully), 'because I had ordered a special dinner for your arrival tomorrow, and now it won't be a surprise at all.'

“有件奇怪的事，我必須馬上告訴你?？赡銥槭裁幢仍日f的早回來了一天呢？我很抱歉，真的很抱歉！”（她頑皮地搖晃著腦袋），“因為我讓人準備了一頓特別的晚餐，明天好給你接風，可現(xiàn)在它一點都不會是驚喜了。”

The Duke did not look at his wife. 'What is this strange story that you wish to tell me?' he asked quietly.

公爵沒拿正眼看他的妻子。“你想跟我說的怪事是什么？”他平靜地問。

It is this. You know my cousin Fred Ogbourne? We used to play together when we were children, and he — well, he loved me, I think. I told you about it, you know.'

“是這樣的，你認識我的表兄弗雷德·奧格本吧？我們小時候經常在一起玩，而且他——他愛我，我想是這樣的。我曾經告訴過你，你知道的。”

You have never told me of it before.'

“你以前從沒跟我提過。”

Oh, then it was your sister — yes, I told her about it. Well, I haven't seen him for many years, and of course I'd forgotten all about his feeling for me. So I was surprised to receive a letter from him yesterday. I can remember what he wrote.

“噢，那就是你妹妹——沒錯，我曾經跟她講過。嗯，我已經好多年沒見過他了，當然也已經忘記了他對我的感情。所以昨天收到他的信時，我非常驚訝。我還記得他都寫了些什么。

My dear cousin Harriet, the letter said. If my life and future mean anything to you at all, I beg you to do what I ask. Meet me at eleven o'clock tonight by the ancient stones on Marlbury Downs. I cannot say more, except to beg you to come. I will explain everything when I see you. Come alone. You have all my happiness in your hands. Yours, Fred

“我親愛的表妹哈麗雅特，信上說，如果我的生活和未來對你有半分意義的話，懇請你照我的請求去做。請于今晚11點在馬爾博瑞丘陵那些古老的石頭處與我會面。我不能多言，唯懇請你來此。見面時我自會跟你解釋一切。請一個人來。我的快樂全掌握在你手中。你的弗雷德。

That was his letter. Now I realize that it was a mistake to go, but at the time I only thought he must be in trouble, and with not a friend in the world to help him. So I went to Marlbury Downs at eleven o'clock. Wasn't it brave of me?'

“這就是信的內容。現(xiàn)在我才意識到去那里是個錯誤，但我當時一心以為他遇到了麻煩，而且根本找不到朋友來幫忙。所以我就在11點去了馬爾博瑞丘陵。我那樣做是不是很勇敢？”

Very,' replied the Duke coldly.

“非常勇敢。”公爵冷冷地回答道。

When I got there, I saw he was no longer the boy that I remembered, but a full-grown man and an officer. I was sorry I had come. What he wanted, I don't know — perhaps just a meeting with me. He held me by the hand and waist, and refused to let me go until I promised to meet him again. And in the end I did, because he spoke very warmly to me and I was afraid of him in that lonely place. Then I escaped — I ran home — and that's all. Of course, I never meant to meet him there again. But this evening I thought, "Perhaps he'll come to the house when he realizes I'm not coming to meet him," and that's why I couldn't sleep. But you are so silent!'

“當我到那兒的時候，發(fā)現(xiàn)他已不再是我印象中的那個男孩了。他已長大成人，當上了軍官。我很后悔去見他。我不知道他想怎么樣——也許只是想和我見一面吧。他抓住我的手、攬住我的腰，不肯讓我離開，直到我答應了跟他再見一面。我最終答應了，因為他言辭非常激烈，而且那里荒郊野外的，我有點怕他。接著我就脫身了——我跑回了家——就是這樣。當然，我也沒打算真的再去那里見他。可是今天晚上，我想，'也許當他意識到我不會再去見他時，他會到家里來找我。’所以我睡不著。你怎么不說話呀！”

I have had a long journey.'

“我趕了很遠的路。”

They moved on towards the front entrance of the house. 'I have thought of something, but perhaps you won't like it,' she said. 'I think he will wait there again tomorrow night. Shall we go to the hill tomorrow together — just to see if he is there? And tell him he must not try to meet me like this?'

他們繼續(xù)朝房子的前門走去。“我想起一件事，但可能你會不高興，”她說，“我想他明天晚上還會去那里等。我們明天一起上山好嗎——只是去看看他在不在那兒，順便告訴他不要再試圖那樣和我見面了。”

Why should we see if he is there?' asked her unsmiling husband.

“我們?yōu)槭裁匆タ此遣皇窃谀莾海?rdquo;她的丈夫繃著臉問道。

Because I think we should try to help him. Poor Fred! He will listen to you, if you talk to him. It is wrong of him to think of me in that way, but he is clearly very miserable.'

“因為我想我們應該試著去幫助他?？蓱z的弗雷德！如果你跟他講，他會聽的。他那樣看我的確不對，但他真的很痛苦。”

By this time they had reached the front entrance and rung the bell. A man came to take the horse away, and the Duke and Duchess entered the house.

這時，他們已經走到前門，于是就按響了門鈴。有人走過來把馬牽走，公爵和公爵夫人走進了屋子。