美國語文第五冊 第197期：癲狂的火車司機（07）
This was spoken to the poor fireman, who at that moment attempted to rise, and the frightened man sank back again.
此刻，那可憐的鍋爐工正想立身站起，聽見克羅爾的瘋狂吼叫，嚇得連忙匍匐在地，不敢動彈。
“Here's Little Oscue just before us,” CRIed out one of the guard.
“我們前方就是小奧斯卡。”一名警衛(wèi)情急中喊道，
But even as he spoke, the buildings were at hand.
說時遲，那時快，那些建筑群已撲面而來。
A sickening sensation settled upon my heart, for I supposed that we were now gone.
我心里泛起一陣惡心，我清楚或許我們已踏上了不歸路，
The houses flew by like lightning.
房舍箭一般飛快掠過。
I knew if the officers here had turned the switch as usual, we should be hurled into eternity in one fearful crash.
我知道，此處站臺的執(zhí)勤官如果像往常那樣轉(zhuǎn)動手柄，火車勢必引起可怕碰撞，我們一車人就將徹底完蛋。
I saw a flash, it was another engine, I closed my eyes; but still we thundered on!
我看見一道閃光，那是另一列火車，我不由得閉上了雙眼，可火車仍在閃電般奔馳。
The officers had seen our speed, and knowing that we would not be able to stop, in that distance,
站臺執(zhí)勤官覺察到我們這列火車速度不同尋常，知道我們無法停止，
they had changed the switch, so that we went forward.
隔著老遠，他們便變換了岔道，整節(jié)列車才得以繼續(xù)沖向前方。
But there was sure death ahead, if we did not stop.
如果列車不停止的話，前方仍然遭遇死亡。
Only fifteen miles from us was the town of Schwetz, on the Vistula;
此時，我們距離位于維斯的希維切鎮(zhèn)只有15英里了。
and at the rate we were going we should be there in a few minutes, for each minute carried us over a mile.
以目前速度計算，幾分鐘內(nèi)我們即可到達，因為此刻列車速度已達到每分鐘一英里以上。
The shrieks of the passengers now rose above the crash of the rails,
鐵軌劇烈的碰撞聲激起旅客們的尖叫，
and more terrific than all else arose the demoniac yells of the mad engineer.
遠遠比那位著魔般瘋狂、不停嘶喊的司機更為恐怖。
"Merciful heavens!" gasped the guardsman, there's not a moment to lose; Schwetz is close.
“仁慈的上帝！”警衛(wèi)氣喘吁吁地說，“幾乎沒有時間了，希維切快到了，
But hold, he added; “let's shoot him.”
抓牢點。”他接著說，“我來槍擊他！”
