书虫三级下《劫机！》：第十一章
Chapter 11
第十一章
Helen Sandberg decided she liked Colonel Carter. He spoke clearly, he explained his ideas carefully, and he listened to what she said. He did not try to be difficult because she was a woman. Best of all, they had made a plan together. A good plan, she thought; it could really work. Perhaps.
海伦·桑德伯格认为她是喜欢卡特上校的。他口齿清晰，仔细地讲解他的想法，但同时又很注意倾听她的意见。因为她是位女性，卡特尽量讲解得深入浅出。最关键的是，他们共同制订了一个计划。在她看来，这是一个不错的计划；它会奏效的。很有可能。
She looked at her watch: 2.23. 'Right, Colonel, get your men ready. I'll send the first prisoner down to you when they arrive. But where are they? Michael, have they arrived yet?'
她抬手看看手表：2:23了。“好吧，上校，让你的人就位。等那两个囚犯一到，我马上给你送过去一个。不过他们在哪儿呢？迈克尔，他们到了吗？”
No, Prime Minister. Not yet.'
“没有，首相，还没有。”
Then where the hell are they? Can you get Inspector Holm on the car radio?'
“他们到底在哪儿呢？你能通过汽车上的无线电和霍尔姆巡查官取得联系吗？”
They're trying, Prime Minister.' Michael spoke into the telephone. Colonel Carter left the room and Helen walked up and down slowly, watching the clock. 2.24. 2.25. 2.26.
“他们正在试着联系呢，首相。”迈克尔在电话里讲。卡特上校离开了房间，海伦在房间里慢慢地踱来踱去，看着挂钟。2:24，2:25，2:26。
They've got him, Prime Minister! He says... he says one of the cars has had an accident in the rain. He thinks he can be here in ten minutes.' Michael looked up. There was no smile on his face at all now.
“联系上了，首相！他说……他说因为下雨，有一辆车出事了。他想十分钟之后可以赶过来。”迈克尔抬起头。此时他的脸上没有一丝笑容。
Ten minutes! What's he driving—a police car, or a bicycle?' Helen banged her fist on the table. 'We've got four minutes left. OK. I want to talk to the hijackers. Get them on the radio.'
“十分钟！他开的是什么车——警车还是自行车？”海伦用拳头把桌子捶得咚咚响。“我们只剩下四分钟了。好吧。我想跟劫机者谈一谈。接通他们的无线电。”
She sat down at the table while Michael called the plane. Colonel Carter came in and stood behind her. A voice came on the radio.
她在桌边坐下，与此同时迈克尔正在跟飞机取得联系，卡特上校走进来，站在她的身后。无线电里传过来一个声音。
Well, Mrs Sandberg. Where are our brothers?'
“嗨，桑德伯格夫人。我们的弟兄在哪儿？”
They're coming,' said Helen. 'They'll be here in ten minutes.'
“他们马上就到，”海伦说，“他们十分钟后到达。”
That is too late. I gave you half an hour. Your husband will die in four minutes.'
“太晚了。我给了你半个小时的时间。四分钟后你的丈夫将被杀死。”
Helen pressed her hands flat on the table, so hard that the ends of her fingers went white. 'Please don't do that,' she said.
海伦伸开双手平压在桌子上，她非常用力，指尖都变白了。“请不要这样做。”她说。
I am sorry, Mrs Sandberg. But if my brothers are not here in four minutes, your husband will die.'
“对不起，桑德伯格夫人。但是，如果四分钟之后我们的弟兄还没来，你的丈夫就会死。”
Don't you want to see your brothers?' she asked quickly. 'I promise you, if you kill my husband, you'll never see them again.'
“难道你们不想见你们的弟兄了吗？”她不假思索地问道，“我可以负责任地告诉你，如果你们杀死了我丈夫，你们将永远也见不到他们了。”
There was a pause while no one spoke. Then the radio answered. 'Four minutes, Mrs Sandberg.'
没人说话，出现了一片沉默。随后，无线电里传来了回答。“只剩四分钟了，桑德伯格夫人。”
Helen spoke clearly, slowly, and loudly. She filled her voice with all the anger she had in her body. 'Listen, you murderer. I need just ten minutes to get your brothers to this airport. Then I will send them to the plane. But if you kill my husband, or anyone else, then I promise you that your brothers will die, on the tarmac in front of that plane. Is that what you want? Or will you wait ten minutes?'
海伦讲话的声音清晰、缓慢而且洪亮。她把压抑在心里的所有愤怒都凝聚到了她的声音里。“听着，你们这些杀人犯。我只需要十分钟的时间把你们的弟兄带到机场来，然后我就把他们送到飞机上。但是如果你们杀了我丈夫，或者其他任何一名乘客的话，那么我发誓你们的弟兄将被处死，就死在飞机前面的跑道上。这是你们想要的结局吗？还是你们愿意再等十分钟？”
There was another, longer pause. Helen stared out into the night. She did not see anything.
又是一阵更长的沉默。海伦盯着外面的夜空。她什么也看不见。
All right. Ten more minutes.'
“好吧。再给你们十分钟。”
Thank you. Now, there is one more thing. The passengers.'
“谢谢。现在，还有一件事情，就是那些乘客。”
What about them?'
“他们怎么了？”
You must set them free before I send your brothers to the plane.'
“在我把你们的两个弟兄送上飞机之前，你们必须先释放他们。”
The voice on the radio laughed. 'Because you are a woman, do you think all men are stupid, like your husband? Send me our brothers, then refuel the plane, and then I will send you the passengers.'
无线电里的声音大笑起来：“因为你是一个女的，所以你就认为所有的男人都很愚蠢，就跟你丈夫一样吗？把我们的弟兄送过来，给飞机加满油，然后我再释放那些乘客。”
No,' answered Helen. She looked at Colonel Carter. 'This is how we will do it. I will send you one of your brothers and then you must send me the passengers. When we have all the passengers, then we will refuel the plane and send you your other brother.'
“不行，”海伦回答。她看着卡特上校，“我们打算这么办。我先把你的一个弟兄送过去，然后你释放所有的乘客。等所有的乘客获释之后，我们再给飞机加油，并把你们的另一个弟兄放回去。”
The voice laughed again. 'Do you think you are buying cheap fish from a child in the market? Send us one brother, then, and we will send you one hundred passengers. Refuel the plane and send us the other brother, and we will send you the other passengers. But the pilot and your husband must come with us to another country. We will set them free later.'
那声音又大笑起来：“你以为你是在市场上从一个孩子手里买便宜的鱼呀？先把我们的一个弟兄送回来，然后，我们就释放100名乘客。你们给飞机加满油，再把另一个弟兄送过来，我们就把剩下的乘客放回去。不过飞行员和你丈夫必须跟我们一起飞到另一个国家去。之后我们再释放他们。”
Helen looked at Colonel Carter. There was the beginning of a smile on her face. She could see that he agreed with her. She waited for a moment longer, to worry the hijacker.
海伦注视着卡特上校。她的脸上第一次露出了笑容。她能看得出来，他同意她的建议。她等了好一会儿，好让这个劫机犯着急。
Is it agreed, woman? Or do I kill your husband now?'
“女士，你是同意呢？还是我现在就把你的丈夫杀了？”
I agree. I will send your first brother to you in ten minutes.'
“我同意。十分钟后我把你们的第一个弟兄给你们送过去。”
