名著采擷《警察與贊美詩》選段四

第一頁.精彩選段

第二頁.詞匯采集

第三頁.活學活用

Arrest seemed but a rosy dream. The Island seemed very① far away. A policeman who stood before a drug store two doors away laughed and walked down the street.
被捕仿佛只是一個玫瑰色的夢。那個島遠在天邊。兩個門面之外一家藥鋪前就站著個警察，他光是笑了笑，順著街走開去了。

Five blocks Soapy travelled before his courage permitted him to ②woo capture again. This time the opportunity presented what he ③fatuously termed to himself a "cinch." A young woman of a modest and pleasing guise was standing before a show window gazing with ④sprightly interest at its display of shaving mugs and inkstands, and two yards from the window a large policeman of severe demeanour ⑤leaned against a water plug.
蘇比一直過了五個街口，才再次鼓起勇氣去追求被捕。這一回機會好極了，他還滿以為十拿九穩(wěn)，萬無一失呢。一個衣著簡樸頗為討人喜歡的年輕女子站在櫥窗前，興味十足地盯著陳列的剃須缸與墨水臺。而離店兩碼遠，就有一位彪形大漢——警察，表情嚴峻地靠在救火龍頭上。

It was Soapy's ⑥design to assume the role of the despicable and execrated "masher." The refined and elegant appearance of his victim and the⑦ contiguity of the conscientious cop encouraged him to believe that he would soon feel the pleasant official clutch upon his arm that would⑧ insure his winter quarters on the right little, tight little isle.
蘇比的計劃是扮演一個下流的、討厭的小流氓。他的對象文雅嫻靜，又有一位忠于職守的巡警近在咫尺，使他很有理由相信，警察那雙可愛的手很快就會落到他身上，使他在島上冬蟄的小安樂窩里吃喝不愁。