牛津书虫系列 金银岛 13 A prisoner of the enemy

13 A prisoner of the enemy

13 敌人的俘虏

Somebody brought a light and I saw the inside of the house.Five pirates were on their feet，and another man was lying down with a head wound.But my heart became filled with fear when I saw no prisoners.Were my friends all dead?

有人拿来了火;我看清了房子里的情形。有五个海盗站在那里，还有一个头受了伤躺在地上。我看到没有俘虏，心里就害怕起来。我的朋友们都死了?

‘Here's Jim Hawkins!’said Silver.‘How friendly of you to visit us，Jim!’

“原来是吉姆·霍金斯!”西尔弗说。“欢迎你来我们这儿，吉姆!”

‘Where are my friends?’I asked.

“我的朋友们在哪儿?”我问。

Silver answered in a smooth voice.‘Yesterday.morning，Doctor Livesey came down with a white flag.“Cap’n Silver，”he said，“you've lost.The ship's gone.”We looked out and，by thunder，the ship had gone!“Let's bargain，”said the doctor.So we bargained，and here we are，in the house.And your friends?They walked off and I don't know where they are.And now，are you going to join us，Jim?’

西尔弗用流畅的语调开始讲。“昨天早上，李甫西大夫打着白旗来找我们。‘西尔弗船长，’他说，‘你们失败了，船已经开走了!’我们跑出去一看，船果然不见了。‘我们来讲条件吧，’大夫说。我们跟他讲妥了条件，我们就到这里来了。你的朋友?他们走了，我也不知道他们去哪里了。现在你愿意和我们一起干吗?”

‘You're in trouble，’I said.‘Ship lost，treasure lost，men lost.And if you want to know who did it----it was me!I was in the apple barrel the night we saw the island，and I heard every word you said.And the ship?It was me who cut her ropes and killed the men aboard her，and it's me who has sailed her to a place where you'll never find her.Kill me if you like，but if you let me live，I'll do what I can to save you when you're arrested and brought to trial for piracy.

“你们的处境很不妙，”我说。“船丢了，财宝丢了，人也丢了。如果你们想知道是谁干的，告诉你们，是我干的。我们看见陆地的那天晚上，我躲在苹果桶里听到你们讲的所有的话。至于那条船，也是我割断了绳索，杀死了船上的人，然后把船驶到你们谁也找不到的地方。要杀要放随你们便，但如果你们放了我，将来你们因为当海盗受审判时，我将尽力救你们的命。”

One man swore and jumped forward with his knife.

一个人骂着拔出刀站起来。

‘Get back there!’cried Silver.‘Did you think you were cap’n here，Tom Morgan?Well，there's never been a man to stand against me.and see another day!’

“住手!”西尔弗喊道。“你以为在这儿你是船长吗，汤姆·摩根?跟我作对的人从来都活不到第二天!”

Angry whispers came from the other men.

其他的人发出了不满的声音。

‘Did any of you gentlemen want to argue with me?’shouted Silver.‘Well，I'm ready.Let him take a knife，and I'll see the colour of his inside!’

“你们有谁想跟我争吗?”西尔弗嚷道。“我准备好了。让他拿把刀，我定要看看他的五脏六腑是什么颜色!”

Not a man answered.I listened to my heart beating.Silver waited calmly，his pipe in his mouth，as he watched his followers.Slowly，they got together at the far end of the house and whispered to each other.

没什么人答话。我的心扑扑地跳。西尔弗静静地等着，嘴里叼着烟斗，不停地看着他的同伙。慢慢地，那帮海盗退到木屋的一边，交头接耳低语起来。

‘You seem to have a lot to say，’said Silver.‘Let me hear it，or stop talking.’

“你们像是有许多话要讲，”西尔弗说。“讲出来让我听听，要不就闭嘴。”

‘We'll go outside and talk，’replied one man.And he stepped calmly towards the door and disappeared out of the house.One after another，the rest of the men did the same.

“我们到外面去说，”一个人说。他静静地走出木屋。其他人也一个一个走出木屋。

‘They're going to kill you，Jim，’said Silver when the two of us were alone，‘and they're going to stop me being their captain.When I looked into that bay and saw the ship was gone，I knew it was all over.Now，I'll save your life，if I can，but it must be a bargain----you must save Long John from dying under the law.’

“他们要杀掉你，吉姆，”屋里就剩我们两个人时西尔弗说。“他们不想让我当船长了。当我向海湾望去，看见船失踪了，我就知道全完了。现在我要救你，但我们必须讲条件——你也得帮高个儿约翰免上绞架。”

‘I'll do what I can，’I told him.

“我能做的一定去做，”我说。

‘There's trouble coming，Jim，’he said.‘And talking of trouble，why did the doctor give me the map?’

“就要有麻烦了，吉姆，”他说。“说到麻烦，大夫为什么把那张图给我?”

I stared at him in great surprise.Why indeed?

我盯着他，脸上露出惊讶的表情。为什么呢?

‘Well，he did，’Silver went on.‘And that's strange.’

“真的，他把图交给我了，”西尔弗继续说。“这里面一定有文章。”

The door opened and the five pirates came in.They pushed one man forward and he gave something to Silver.

门开了，五个海盗走进来。他们把其中一个人往前推，那个人交给西尔弗一样东西。

The sea cook looked at what the man had given him.‘The black spot!’he said.He turned the paper over.‘What's this?No longer captain.You're becoming quite a leading man in this crew，George Merry.You'll be cap’n next，I suppose.But tell me what's wrong.’

这位海上厨子看了看同伙给他的东西。“黑券!”他说道，然后看纸的背面。“写的什么?下台!你在这伙人中确实是个人物，乔治，我猜接下来一定是你当船长。告诉我为什么。”

‘I'll tell you what's wrong!’said George.‘First，you made too many mistakes on this trip.Second，you let the enemy out of this trap for nothing.And then there's this boy.’

“我来告诉你为什么!”乔治说。“第一，在这次航行中你犯了不少错误。第二，你白白从这地方把敌人放走了。还有就是这个孩子的事。”

‘Is that all?’asked Silver quietly.

“还有吗?”西尔弗沉着地问。

‘It's enough，’replied George.

“这些就足够了，”乔治说。

‘Well，I'll answer you，’said Silver.‘You all know what I wanted but you wouldn't listen，would you?In my plan，we'd be on the Hispaniola now，every dead man alive and the treasure on ship，by thunder!Next，this boy.Well，we'll use him to bargain with.He might be our last chance.And the doctor?You've been glad enough to have a doctor coming to see you every day----you，John，with your head broken…or you，George，sick and shaking with fever only a few hours ago.I made a bargain，that's why I let’em go!’He threw a piece of paper on to the floor.It was the map with the three crosses.

“好吧，现在我回答你，”西尔弗说。“你们都知道我想如何行事，但你们都没听，对吗?如果照我说的去做，我们早已回到伊斯帕尼奥拉号上，不会死一个人，船上装满了财宝!还有，这个孩子。现在我们得用他来讲条件。这是我们最后的机会。至于那大夫，约翰，你的头受伤了，你不是曾经很高兴大夫每天来照看你吗?还有你，乔治，几小时前还发烧发抖，病得不行。所以我做了交易，让他们走了!”他把一张纸扔到地上，正是那张画着三个叉叉的地图。

The pirates jumped on it like cats upon a mouse.

那帮海盗像猫见了老鼠一样扑过去。

‘Very pretty，’said George，‘but how are we going to get away with the treasure，when we have no ship?’

“这太好了，”乔治说，“可是咱们没有船，怎么把财宝运走?”

‘You tell me，George!’shouted Silver.‘You and the others lost the ship;I found the treasure.But I'll not be your captain any longer!’

“该你告诉我，乔治!”西尔弗嚷道。“你和他们丢掉了船;我找到了宝藏。但我将不再当你们船长了。”

‘Silver for cap’n!’shouted the pirates.

“西尔弗当船长!”那帮海盗喊道。

After a moment，the sea cook smiled.‘George，’he said.‘I think you'll have to wait a while before you get another chance to be captain.’

过了一会儿，船上的厨子笑了。“乔治，”他说，“你想当船长还得等上一段时间。”

Early in the morning Dr Livesey came to the stockade.

第二天一早李甫西大夫就来到寨子。

‘We've a surprise for you，doctor，’Silver called out.‘We've a little stranger here.’

“我们有件意想不到的事告诉你，大夫，”西尔弗说。“我这儿有位小客人。”

The doctor was now inside the stockade.‘Not Jim?’

大夫已经进了寨子。“难道是吉姆吗?”

‘The very same Jim，’said Silver.

“正是吉姆，”西尔弗说。

The doctor stopped.‘Well，well，’he said.Then he went on，Let's see these sick men of yours，Silver.’

大夫停住脚步。“好吧，”他说。“先去看你的病人吧，西尔弗。”

A moment afterwards，he entered the house.With one look at me，he went to his work among the sick.

他随即走进木屋，看了我一眼，然后去看那些病人。

‘Well，that's done，’he said，after visiting each man.‘And now I'd like to talk to that boy，please.’

“好了，都看完了，”大夫说。“现在我想和那个孩子谈谈。”

‘No!’cried George Merry.

“不行!”乔治·墨利大叫起来。

‘Silence!’shouted Silver.‘Hawkins，’he went on in his usual voice，‘will you promise not to escape?’I gave the promise.‘Then，doctor，’said Silver，‘you just step outside that stockade，and when you're there，I'll bring the boy down on the inside.You can talk through the fence.’

“住嘴!”西尔弗喊道。“霍金斯，”他仍然用那种平和的语调说，“你能保证不逃跑吗?”我答应了他。“那么，大夫，”西尔弗说，“你先走到围栏外边去，你到了那里，我就把孩子带出来，你们可以隔着围栏交谈。”

The men's anger exploded after the doctor left the house，and they accused Silver of trying to make a separate peace for himself.Silver waved the map in front of them and told them they were stupid.

大夫刚走出木屋，海盗们的不满情绪就爆发了，他们都指责西尔弗单独媾和。西尔弗向他们扬了扬地图，说他们都太蠢。

‘By thunder!’he cried.‘We'll break the peace when the right time comes----and that's not now!’And then he walked out on his crutch，his hand on my shoulder.‘Slowly，boy，’he whispered to me.‘We don't want to worry them.’

“妈的!”他叫道。“时机一到，咱们当然要撕毁协议——但不是现在!”他拄着拐杖走出屋子，一只手放在我肩上。“慢点走，孩子，”他对我说。“我们不能让他们起疑心。”

Dr Livesey was waiting outside the stockade.‘The boy will tell you how I saved his life，’Silver said through the fence.‘Will you say a good word for me?’

李甫西大夫正在寨子外边等着。“这孩子会告诉你我如何救了他的命，”西尔弗隔着围栏说，“你不能给我说句好话吗?”

‘You're not afraid，John，are you?’asked Dr Livesey.

“你是不是害怕了，约翰?”李甫西大夫问道。

‘I don't like the idea of dying by the law，’said Silver.‘And now I'll leave you and Jim alone.’

“我不想上绞架，”西尔弗说。“现在你和吉姆单独谈吧。”

‘So，Jim，’said the doctor，‘here you are.I'm disappointed in you.You went away when Captain Smollett was wounded，which wasn't a brave thing to do.’

“唉，吉姆，”大夫说，“你又回来了。我对你很失望。斯摩列特船长受伤的时候，你倒跑了。真是懦夫行为!”

‘Doctor，’I cried，‘I've blamed myself enough.’

“大夫!”我哭了，“我已经自责过了。”

‘Jim，’said the doctor，his voice changed.‘Jim，I can't have this.Jump over and we'll run!’

“吉姆，”大夫换了一种语气对我说，“吉姆，咱们不能这样。跳过围栏来咱们跑吧。”

‘No，’I said.‘I promised Silver I wouldn't escape，and I must go back.But listen，I took the ship and she's in North Inlet，on the beach.’

“不，”我说，“我向西尔弗保证过不跑，我必须回去。听着，我把船夺过来了，现在停在北面的海滩。”

‘The ship!’cried the doctor.

“船!”大夫叫起来。

I told him my story and he listened in silence Then he said，‘It's you that saves our lives，Jim，and now we'll save yours.Silver!’he called，then as the cook came nearer，said，‘Some Advice----don't hurry to find that treasure.If you do，watch out for storms.’

我把自己的经历给他讲了，他静静地听着。然后他说：“是你救了我们的命，我们也要救你出来。西尔弗!”他叫道。等那厨子走近了，他又说：“我要劝你一句，别太着急去寻宝。如果你那样做了，请小心风暴。”

‘What's the game，doctor?’said Silver.‘Why did you give me the map?’

“大夫，你这玩的是什么把戏?”西尔弗说。“你为什么给我那张图?”

‘I can't say more，’said the doctor.‘It's not my secret to tell.But if we both get out of this alive，Silver，I'll do my best to save you.Now，keep the boy close beside you，and when you need help，shout for it.’

“我不能再多说了，”大夫说。“这不是我个人的秘密。如果我们都能活着离开这儿，西尔弗，我会尽力救你的命。让这孩子呆在你身边，如果你需要帮助，就喊我。”

Then Dr Livesey hurried off into the wood.

然后李甫西大夫匆匆向树林里走去。