牛津書蟲系列 曾達的囚徒 12 The prisoner and the King

12 The prisoner and the King

12 囚徒與國王

We needed bad weather，but it was a fine，clear night.

我們需要壞天氣，但那天卻是個晴朗的夜晚。

At midnight Sapt，F(xiàn)ritz，and their men left and rode quietly through the woods towards the castle.If everything went well，they would get there at a quarter to two and wait for Johann to open the front door.If Johann did not open the door，F(xiàn)ritz would come round to the other side of the castle to find me.If I was not there，then I was dead-and the King，too!Sapt and his men would go back to Tarlenheim House and return with the Marshal and more men to get into the castle.

午夜時分，薩普特、弗里茨和他們的人騎馬出發(fā)了。他們悄悄穿過樹林奔向城堡。如果一切順利的話，他們一點三刻會到達那兒，等待約翰打開大門。如果約翰沒開門，弗里茨就繞到城堡的另一面來找我。要是我不在那兒，那我就是死了——國王也一樣。薩普特和他的人就回塔倫漢姆莊園，然后隨同元帥一起帶著更多的人去攻打城堡。

So，half an hour later，I，too，left Tarlenheim.I took a shorter way than Sapt and when I reached the moat，I hid my horse in the trees，tied my rope round a strong tree and let myself down into the water.Slowly，I began to swim along under the castle walls.Just after a quarter to one，I came to the pipe and waited quietly in its shadow.Light was coming from Duke Michael's window opposite me across the moat，and I could see into the room.The next window along，which Johann had said was An-toinette's room，was dark.

于是，半小時以后我也離開了塔倫漢姆莊園。比起薩普特來我抄了一條近路。到了護城河，我在樹林里藏好馬，把繩子系在一棵粗壯的樹上，然后下到水里。慢慢地，我開始沿著城墻游著，差一刻一點的時候，我到了排水管邊，在陰影里靜靜等待。河對岸正對著我的是邁克爾公爵的房間，燈光從窗戶里照射出來。我可以看見屋子里面旁邊的那扇窗子，照約翰所說，就是安冬納特的房間了。那間屋子是黑的。

Then the Duke's window opened，and Antoinette de Mauban looked out.Behind her there was a man.Rupert of Hentzau!What was he doing in the Duke's room? I wondered.

這時公爵的窗子打開了，安·德·莫班向外看著，她的身邊有個男人，亨佐的魯帕特!他在公爵的房間里做什么?我真想知道。

Rupert tried to put his arm round Antoinette，but she moved quickly away.At that moment，I heard the door of the room open and then the angry voice of Duke Michael.

魯帕特試圖用胳膊去摟安冬納特，可她很快挪開了。就在此時，我聽見房門打開了，然后聽見邁克爾公爵氣沖沖的聲音：

'What are you doing here?' he cried.

“你在這兒干嘛?”他叫道。

'Waiting for you，sir，'Rupert replied quickly.'I couldn't leave the lady alone.'

“等著你呢，先生。”魯帕特很快回答。“我不能讓這位女士一個人呆著。”

'Well，now you can go to bed.Are Detchard and Bersonin watching the prisoner?'

“那好吧，現(xiàn)在你可以去睡覺了。戴查德和伯索寧在看著囚犯嗎?”

'Yes，sir.'

“是的，先生。”

A few minutes later，Rupert crossed the drawbridge and it was pulled up.The light in Duke Michael's room went out，but a light came on，and stayed on，in Antoinette's room.In the silent darkness，I waited.

幾分鐘以后，魯帕特走過吊橋，然后吊橋拉了起來。邁克爾房間的燈滅了，但是安冬納特屋子的燈亮了，而且一直亮著。在寂靜的黑暗里，我等待著。

For about ten minutes everything was quiet，but suddenly I heard a noise on my side of the moat.A dark shape appeared in the gateway to the bridge，then turned and began to climb down some hidden steps in the wall.It was Rupert of Hentzau again-with a sword!Silently，he went down into the water and swam across the moat.Then he climbed out，and I heard him unlock the door.It was clear that Rupert of Hentzau had his own secret plans for that night.

大約過了十分鐘什么聲音也沒有，可是突然我聽到了在護城河我在的這一邊有一點兒響動，一個黑影出現(xiàn)在通向吊橋的城門邊，然后轉過身開始順著藏在墻里的臺階往下爬，是亨佐的魯帕特，而且他手里還拿著劍!他悄悄地下到水里，游過護城河，然后爬了上去。我聽見他打開了門鎖。很顯然，魯帕特當夜也有他自己的秘密計劃。

It was not yet time for Johann to open the front door for my friends，and I still had to wait.I climbed up to the gateway of the bridge and hid in a dark corner.Now no one could enter or leave the old castle without fighting me.I wondered what Rupert was doing now，and a few seconds later I found out.

現(xiàn)在還沒有到約翰為我的朋友打開大門的時候，我還得等待。我從水里爬上對著吊橋的那座城門，在一個黑暗的角落里藏著。無論誰想進入老城堡或離開它，都得經(jīng)過我這一關。我很想知道魯帕特正在做什么。幾秒鐘后我就明白了。

There was a sudden crash，and then a woman's screams rang through the night. 'Help me，Michael!Rupert of Hentzau!'

突然響起了碰撞聲，然后一個女人的尖叫在夜色中震響：“救救我，邁克爾!魯帕特!”

Those were the words that I had written for Antoinette!But these were screams of real fear and soon I heard shouts and the sound of fighting from Antoinette's room.Then Rupert appeared at the window.His back was towards me，but he was fighting.'That's for you，Johann，' I heard him cry.Then，'Come on，Michael!'

這正是我要安冬納特說的話。但那尖叫卻帶著真正的恐懼，而且立刻聽見從女人房間傳出叫喊和打斗聲。然后魯帕特出現(xiàn)在窗口，他的背沖著我，可他正和人格斗。“這一劍是給你的，約翰。”我聽見他說。然后又說，“來吧，邁克爾!”

So Johann was in there too，fighting at the Duke's side!How could he open the door for Sapt now?

原來約翰也在那兒，站在公爵那邊為公爵而戰(zhàn)!現(xiàn)在他怎么可能去為薩普特開門?

More of the Duke's men had run to the room and the noise of the fighting grew louder.Suddenly，Rupert gave a wild laugh，and with his sword in his hand，jumped from the window into the moat below.

更多公爵的人沖進房間，廝殺聲更響了。突然，魯帕特狂笑一聲，手里握著劍，從窗子里跳出來，跳進了下面的護城河。

At that moment the door of the old castle opened and De Gautet appeared beside me.I jumped at him with my sword，and a second later he fell dead in the doorway without a word or a sound.

正在這時，老城堡的門開了，德·高蒂特出現(xiàn)在我身旁，我手握利劍向他跳過去，片刻之后他倒在門前死了，沒能說出一個字或發(fā)出一點聲響。

Wildly，I searched his body for the keys.I found them，and in a minute I was in the first room，where Bersonin and Detchard were.But there was only Bersonin in the room.Before he had time to realize that I was there，I had killed him.Detchard had run into the King's room and locked the door behind him.I ran at it to break it down.But would I be in time?Was the King already dead?

我瘋了一樣在他身上搜尋鑰匙，我找到了。一瞬間我已經(jīng)沖進了第一間屋子，伯索寧和戴查德呆著的那間屋子，但房間里只有伯索寧。還沒等他明白過來我已經(jīng)殺死了他。戴查德已經(jīng)沖進了國王的房間，并從里面鎖上了門。我沖上去砸開門。我還來得及嗎?國王是不是已經(jīng)死了?

The King was standing helplessly by the wall.But the doctor was also in the room and the brave little man had thrown himself at Detchard.He gave his life for the King，because，as I entered，Detchard pulled himself free and drove his sword into the doctor's side.Then，with an angry shout，Detchard turned to me.

國王正無助地站在墻邊，那位醫(yī)生也在里面，這個勇敢的小個子撲向戴查德，他為國王獻出了自己的生命。等我沖進去時，戴查德已經(jīng)掙脫出來，并將劍刺進醫(yī)生的肋部，然后他怒喊一聲轉向我。

We fought long and hard.Detchard was an excellent swords-man，and I was growing tired.He drove me back against the wall，gave me a deep cut in the arm，and began to smile.In a second he would kill me.

我們打了很久，非常激烈。戴查德是位優(yōu)秀的劍客，而我卻越來越疲憊，他逼得我退到了墻邊，在我的胳膊上深深地刺了一劍，然后開始微笑。很快他就能殺死我了。

Suddenly，the King realized who I was.

突然，國王認出了我是誰。

'Cousin Rudolf!'he cried.Then he picked up a chair and threw it at Detchard's legs.The Englishman，jumping to one side，turned his sword against the King，and with a cry the King fell to the ground.Detchard moved towards me again，stepped in the doctor's blood on the floor-and fell to the ground himself.I had him!A second later his body lay across the dead doctor.

“魯?shù)婪虮淼?”他叫道。隨即抄起一張椅子扔向戴查德的腿。那個英國人跳到了一邊，將手里的劍刺向國王。國王叫了一聲倒在地上。戴查德又轉身向我?？蛇@時他踩上了地板上醫(yī)生的鮮血，自己倒在了地上。我贏了!片刻之間他的尸體就倒在死去的醫(yī)生身上了。

But was the King dead?I had no time to find out，because just then I heard the noise of the drawbridge coming down.And that wild-cat Rupert of Hentzau was still alive.The King must wait for help while I fought his enemies.I ran out of the room and up the steps towards the drawbridge.And then I heard the sound of laughter-Rupert of Hentzau was laughing!

國王死了嗎?我沒時間去理會，因為就在此時我聽到了吊橋放下的聲音，而且那個如豹子般兇猛的魯帕特還活著，國王只好等人來幫他的忙，我得去打敗他的敵人。我沖出房間，跑上通往吊橋的臺階。然后我聽見了笑聲——魯帕特在笑!

He was standing alone in the middle of the bridge.In the gateway on the far side stood a group of the Duke's men.They seemed too frightened to move.

他一個人站在吊橋中間，遠處橋頭城門那兒站著一群公爵的人，他們看上去太害怕了，動彈不得。

'Come out，Michael，you dog!' Rupert shouted.

“出來，邁克爾，你這條狗!”魯帕特叫道。

But a woman's wild cry answered him.'He's dead!He's dead!'

可是一個女人的狂叫回答了他：“他死了!他死了!”

The men in the gateway moved to one side and a woman came forward.Her face was as white as her long dress，and her dark hair lay over her shoulders.In her hand she held a gun. The shot rang out，but she missed.Rupert laughed.Again An-toinette de Mauban faced him，her gun ready.But，before she could shoot，Rupert jumped over the side of the bridge， and down into the moat below.

城門旁的人挪向一旁，一個女人朝前走來，她的臉像她的長裙子一樣白，她的黑頭發(fā)披散在肩頭，她手里端著一支槍，槍響了，但她沒打中。魯帕特笑了，安冬納特又一次面向他，子彈上了鏜，但在她開槍之前，魯帕特越過橋邊，跳進了下面的護城河。

At that moment I heard the sound of running feet inside the new castle- and the welcome voice of my old friend，Captain Sapt!Then I knew that the King was safe and needed me no more.I ran out on to the bridge and jumped down into the moat.I had business to finish with Rupert of Hentzau.

就在此時我聽見了新城堡中有人奔跑的聲響——還有我的老朋友薩普特上尉高興的聲音。我知道國王還活著，而且再也不需要我了。我沖過吊橋，也跳進了護城河。我跟魯帕特還有賬沒算完。

I swam hard and caught up with him round the corner of the old castle.He had found my rope，climbed out of the moat， and was already running towards the trees where I had left my horse.

我拼命游著，在老城堡邊上追上了他。他發(fā)現(xiàn)了我的繩子，爬出了護城河，正要跑向那片樹林。樹林里還有我的馬。

I ran after him as fast as I could.He turned and saw me，and called out，laughing，'Why，it's the play-actor!'But then，with a cry of surprise，he found my horse，and in a minute he was on its back.

我盡全力追趕。他回身看見了我，笑著喊道：“嘿，是那位演員!”可就在此時，他驚喜地叫了一聲，他看見了我的馬，剎那間他已騎在馬背上了。

'Get down!'I shouted.'Stand and fight，like a man!'

“下來!”我叫道：“站著跟我打，像條漢子!”

He turned，waiting for me，and I ran at him with my sword.For a few minutes we fought wildly.Blood ran from his face where I had cut it，but I had fought too many fights that night.He would surely kill me now.

他轉過身來，等著我。我握著劍沖過去，一轉眼我們就瘋了似地打在一起了。他的臉上被我刺傷的地方血流了出來。但我那天晚上已經(jīng)廝殺了好多次，現(xiàn)在他肯定會殺了我。

I was saved by Fritz，who came galloping round the castle to find me.When Rupert saw him coming，he knew he had no chance.

是弗里茨救了我。他騎馬繞著城堡找我。當魯帕特見他過來時，就明白沒有機會了。

'Goodbye，Rudolf Rassendyll!'he called.'We'll meet again!'

“再見，魯?shù)婪?middot;拉森狄爾!”他說：“我們會再見面的!”

And he rode away into the forest，laughing and singing…and still alive.

然后他騎馬跑進了樹林，一邊笑一邊唱……他還活著。

I fell to the ground.Blood was running again from the cut in my arm，and I could not stand.Fritz jumped down from his horse and lifted me in his arms.

我倒在地上，血又從我胳膊上的傷口流出來，我站不住了。弗里茨跳下馬抱起我。

'Dear friend!'he said.'Thank God I've found you! When Johann did not come，we had to break down the castle door.We were afraid we would be too late.'

“親愛的朋友!”他說：“感謝上帝我找到了你!約翰沒來開門，我們只好砸開城堡的門。我們真擔心太遲了。”

'And the King…?'I said.

“國王呢?”我問。

'Thanks to a very brave Englishman，'Fritz said gently，'the King is alive.'

“多虧了一位勇敢的英國人，”弗里茨輕柔地說，“國王還活著。”