牛津书虫系列 哈克贝利·费恩历险记：4 The Duke and the King

　　4 The Duke and the King

　　4 公爵和国王

　　Two or three days and nights went by and nothing much happened.We travelled at night when it was dark and everybody was asleep. We didn't want anyone to see Jim and ask questions about him.

　　二三个昼夜过去了，没发生什么事。我们在夜里旅行，那时天黑，别人都在睡觉。我们不想让任何人看见吉姆，问起有关他的问题。

　　Then， one morning，just after it was light，I found a little canoe，so I got into it and went over to the side of the river.I was looking round，when，suddenly，two men ran through the trees.

　　一天早晨，天刚刚亮，我发现了一只小独木舟，于是，我上了独木舟来到了河边。我正在环视着，突然，两个男人跑着穿过树林。

　　'Help!' they cried.'There are men and dogs trying to catch us. But we've done nothing wrong!'

　　“救命!”他们喊道，“有人想要抓我们，还带着狗。可我们没做错事!”

　　One of the men was about seventy years old;the other was about thirty，and they both had very old， dirty clothes. I said they could come with me， and we ran quickly back to the canoe.

　　其中一个人大约70岁，另外一个人大约30岁，他们俩都穿着很旧很脏的衣服。我说道，他们可以跟我来，我们很快跑回到了独木舟那儿。

　　Back on the raft we talked for a time and then the young man said，'My friends，I think I can tell you my secret now.I'm really a duke.My grandfather was the son of the Duke of Bridgewater，but he left England and came to America.When the old Duke died，my grandfather's younger brother stole everything and made himself the Duke of Bridgewater.'

　　回到木筏上，我们说了一会话。然后，年轻人说道，“我的朋友们，我想，现在我能告诉你们我的秘密了。其实我是个公爵。我祖父是布里奇沃特公爵的儿子，可他离开了英国，来到了美国。老公爵死时，我祖父年轻的兄弟偷走了一切，变成了布里奇沃特公爵。”

　　Well，of course，we were all very unhappy for our friend the Duke，but he said，'I'll be happier if you do things for me.Bring me my dinner!'

　　当然了，我们为我们的公爵朋友感到很难过，但他说，“如果你们为我做事，我会更高兴，把我的饭拿来!”

　　So we did things for him，and he liked it. But the old man spoke very little and he looked unhappy，too.After a time he said，'You know，Bridgewater，I， too， have a secret.'And he began to cry.

　　所以，我们为他做事，他喜欢这样。可那个老人话说得很少，看上去也不高兴。过了一会，他说，“你要知道，布里奇沃特，我也有秘密。”他开始哭起来。

　　'What do you mean?'the Duke asked.'What's your secret?'

　　“你是什么意思?”公爵问道，“你有什么秘密?”

　　And then the old man told us that he was really the first son of the King of France.He asked us all to go down on one knee when we spoke to him. we could call him'Your Majesty'，too.So that was what we did， and they were both happy.Of course，I knew that they weren't really a duke and a king， but I didn't tell Jim.It's best if everybody is happy when you're living together on a raft.

　　然后，那老人告诉我们，他的确是法国国王的长子。他要求我们跟他讲话时要单腿跪下。我们也可以称他为“陛下”。所以，这就是我们所做的一切，他们俩都很高兴。当然，我知道他们根本不是什么公爵和国王，可我没告诉吉姆。当你们共同生活在一只木筏上时，如果每一个人都快乐，那是最好不过了。

　　The King and the Duke were very interested in Jim.'Is he a slave?'they wanted to know.'Is he running away?'

　　国王和公爵对吉姆很感兴趣。“他是一个奴隶吗?”他们想知道，“他正在逃跑吗?”

　　I had to tell them something， so I said that Jim belonged to my uncle and was taking me to my family in New Orleans.

　　我得对他们说些什么，于是，我说，吉姆归我叔叔所有，他正把我送到新奥尔良的家去。

　　'Well，we'll travel down river with you，then，'said the King.'We'll have a fine time together.'

　　“噢，那么，我们和你们一起旅行，”国王说道，“我们在一起会度过愉快的时光。”

　　So the four of us went on down the river， but Jim and I didn't like those two men.They were always getting drunk and making plans to get money out of people in every town.It's all right to take a chicken or something if you're hungry，but these men were really bad! Jim and I decided to get away from them as soon as we could.It wasn't easy because they wanted to be with us all the time.

　　于是，我们四人顺流而下，可我和吉姆不喜欢那两个人。他们总是喝得醉醺醺的，并计划在每一个镇上从人们那里搞到钱。如果你饿了，拿只鸡或什么的还可以，可这俩人坏透了。我和吉姆决定尽快地摆脱他们。这不容易，因为他们总要跟着我们。

　　Then one morning the King went off into a town and told us to wait for him. We waited all morning and he didn't come back，so the Duke and I went into town to look for him. We looked all afternoon and in the end we found him in a bar， drunk，and then he and the Duke began to fight about some money.

　　有一天，国王到一个镇上去了，让我们等他。我们等了他一上午，他没回来。于是，我和公爵到镇上去找他。我们找了一下午，最后，在一个酒吧里找到了他，他醉醺醺的。然后，他和公爵为钱开始打起来。

　　Now we can get away from them，I thought.I turned and ran back to the river.'Quick，Jim!' I shouted.'It's time to go!'But there was no answer. Jim wasn't there!

　　“现在，我们能摆脱他们了，”我想着。我转身跑回河边。“快点，吉姆!”我大声喊着，“是走的时候了!”可没人答应。吉姆不在那儿!

　　I ran into the woods，crying and shouting Jim's name. But there was still no answer.

　　我跑进树林，喊着叫着吉姆的名字。可是，仍然没有回答。

　　Just then a boy came along.'Have you seen a slave?'I asked him，and I described Jim.

　　正在那儿时，一个男孩过来了。“你看见一个奴隶了吗?”我问他，并描述了一下吉姆。

　　'Why，yes，'the boy replied.'He's a runaway slave.I heard all about it in town.A family called the Phelpses have got him now.An old man in a bar told Mr Phelps that there was a runaway slave on a raft down by the river. He said he hadn't got time to take the slave back himself.So Mr Phelps gave him forty dollars and they went down and caught the slave this afternoon.The Phelpses are going to take him back to his owner， and they'll get three hundred dollars for him!'

　　“看见了，”那男孩回答道，“他是一个逃跑的奴隶。我是在镇上听到这些的。斐尔普斯一家人抓到了他。酒吧里的一个老头告诉斐尔普斯先生，在河下游方向河边的木筏上有一个逃跑的奴隶。他说，他自己没有时间亲自把那奴隶抓来。于是，斐尔普斯先生给了他40美元，今天下午到那去抓住了那个奴隶。斐尔普斯打算把他送回到他的主人那儿去。为了这个奴隶，他们会得到300美元。”

　　I knew those two men were bad! I asked the boy where the Phelpses lived and he said it was a big white house a little way down the river.

　　我知道那俩人坏透了!我问那男孩儿斐尔普斯家住哪儿?他说是河下游不太远的一座大白房子。

　　I began to make plans to get Jim back.First，I took the raft and went down to a little island.I hid the raft under the treesand lay down to sleep.Before it was light，I went off down the river in the canoe.When I thought I was near the Phelpses place，I stopped，got out of the canoe and went up to the house.Suddenly，a lot of dogs ran out.They came from everywhere and they made a terrible noise.

　　我开始制定救吉姆的计划。首先，我乘木筏顺流而下来到一个小岛。我把木筏藏在树下，躺下睡着了。天亮之前，我乘着独木舟顺流而下。当我觉得我已靠近斐尔普斯住处时，我停了下来，从独木舟上下来，朝那座房子走去。突然，有许多狗跑出来。他们朝我围过来，发出可怕的叫声。

　　A woman about fifty years old ran out of the house，with some little children behind her.She was smiling all over her face and she took me by the hands and cried，'It's you，at last，isn't it?'

　　一位大约50岁的女人跑出屋来，身后跟着几个小孩子。她满脸笑容，拉住我的手叫道，“你终于来了，是吧!”

　　I didn't stop to think.'Yes，ma'am，'I said.

　　我连想都没想，就说，“是的，夫人。”

　　'Well， what took you so long? We thought you were coming two days ago. Your Uncle Silas goes to town every day to meet you.He's there now，but he'll be back soon.'She didn't stop talking and I couldn't tell her that she was making a mistake.' Tell us all about them，'she cried.'Tell me everything.'

　　“是什么使你耽搁了这么久?我们以为你两天前就到哪。你的姨夫赛拉斯每天都到镇上去接你。他现在就在那儿，不过，他很快就会回来。”她不停地说着，我无法告诉她，是她弄错了。“把他们的事都告诉我，”她大声说道，“把一切都告诉我。”

　　I knew then that I had to tell her… but just then she cried，'Here he is!Quick，hide!'and she pushed me inside the house and behind the front door.Then her husband came in and she asked him，'Has he come?'

　　那时我明白了，我不得不告诉她……可就在那时，她喊道，“他来了!快点，藏起来!”她把我推到屋里，藏在前门后。然后，她丈夫走了进来，她问他，“他来了吗?”

　　'No，'her husband replied.

　　“没有，”她丈夫回答道。

　　'Look!'she shouted，and then she pulled me out from be-hind the door.

　　“看看!”她大声说道，然后，她把我从门后拉出来。

　　'Why，who's that?'Mr Phelps cried，surprised.

　　“咦，这是谁?”斐尔普斯先生惊奇地大声说道。

　　'It's Tom Sawyer!'she laughed.

　　“这是汤姆·索亚!”她笑道。