英國語文第五冊(雙語):弗吉尼亞州(3)

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The emigrants had landed in early spring. Summer came with its burning heat. Supplies of food ran low. "Had we been as free from all sins as from gluttony and drunkenness," Smith wrote, "we might have been canonized as saints." The colonists sickened and died. From those poor blistered fingers dropped for ever the unaccustomed axe. Before autumn every second man had died. But the hot Virginian sun, which proved so deadly to the settlers, ripened the wheat they had sowed in the spring, and freed the survivors from the pressure of want. Winter brought them a healthier temperature and abundant supplies of wild-fowl and game.

早春的時候移民們登陸。隨著夏天的到來，烈日與酷熱一并而來。食物供應出現(xiàn)不足。史密斯寫到：“如果我們擺脫了暴飲暴食，飲酒狂歡，或許就擺脫了所有的罪惡，或許可以把自己封為圣徒。”殖民者一批批的病死，斧頭從可憐的起了泡的手上永遠滑落。到了秋天的時候，一半的人死去。弗吉尼亞熾熱的太陽炙烤著移民，烈日催熟了春天種下的小麥，剩下的幸存者擺脫了食物匱乏的壓力，終于得以吃飽。冬天的時候，溫度適中，他們能狩獵到充足的野禽和獵物。

When the welfare of the colony was in some measure secured, Smith set forth with a few companions to explore the interior of the country. He and his followers were captured by the Indians. The followers were summarily butchered. Smith's composure did not fail him in the worst extremity. He produced his pocket-compass, and interested the savages by explaining its properties. He wrote a letter in their sight—to their infinite wonder. They spared him, and made a show of him in all the settlements round about. He was to them an unfathomable mystery. He was plainly superhuman. Whether his power would bring to them good or evil, they were not able to determine.

當殖民者的衣食多少得到保障之后，史密斯派出一些人去打探這個地區(qū)內(nèi)陸的情況。但他和隨從被印第安人抓到。隨從被立刻處死，史密斯的鎮(zhèn)定使得他免遭厄運。他口袋里的指南針引起了原住民的興趣，于是他向他們解釋了它的功能。在他們的注視下，他寫了一封信，這個舉動讓他們極為吃驚。他們饒恕了他，只是在殖民地附近把他展示了一番。對于他們來說，史密斯是一個深不可測的謎，他顯然是超人。他們難以判定史密斯的力量究竟帶給他們的是好運還是災難。

After much hesitation they chose the course which prudence seemed to counsel. They resolved to extinguish powers so formidable, regarding whose use they could obtain no guarantee. Smith was bound and stretched upon the earth, his head resting upon a great stone. The mighty club was uplifted to dash out his brains. But Smith was a man who won golden opinions from all. The Indian chief had a daughter, Pocahontas, a child of ten or twelve years. She could not bear to see the pleasing Englishman destroyed. As Smith lay waiting the fatal stroke, she seized him in her arms and interposed herself between him and the club. Her intercession prevailed, and Smith was set free.

猶豫之下，眾人一起商量決定采取審慎的方式。他們決心壓制這股可怕的力量，因為誰也無法保證這能給他們帶來什么。史密斯被捆住，四肢綁在地上，頭靠著一塊大石頭。他們就要舉起棍棒打出他的腦漿來，但眾人交口稱贊他這個人。印第安人的首領有一個女兒，叫寶嘉康蒂，大概十二歲。她不忍心看到這個討人喜歡的英國人被打死。當史密斯躺在地上等著致命一擊的時候，她用胳膊護住史密斯，擋在他和棍子之間。她的調(diào)解奏效了，然后史密斯就被釋放了。