名著·八十天环绕地球 - 第13节


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  路路通买好了几件衬衣、几双袜子之后,看看时候还早,就在盂买大街上溜达起来。大街上熙熙攘攘尽是人。其中有不同国籍的欧洲人,戴尖帽子的波斯人、用布带缠头的本雅斯人、戴方帽子的信德人、穿长袍子的亚美尼亚人、戴黑色高帽子的帕西人。原来这天正是帕西人(或叫盖伯人)的节日,他们这一族是信奉拜火教民族的后裔,在印度人当中,数他们技艺最巧、文化最高、头脑最聪明、作风最严肃。如今孟买当地的富商都是这一族人。这一天,他们正在庆祝祭神节,有游行,还有文娱活动,跳舞的姑娘披着用金丝银线绣花的玫瑰色的纱丽,合着三弦琴和铜锣的拍子舞得婀娜多姿,而且端庄合仪。路路通一看到这种新奇的宗教仪式,不用说会睁大眼睛,竖起耳朵,把舞蹈看个饱,把音乐听个够;他的表情和他那副尊容也不用说会象人们可能想象出的那种最没见过世面的傻瓜。

   Unhappily for his master, as well as himself, his curiosity drew him unconsciously farther off than he intended to go. At last, having seen the Parsee carnival wind away in the distance, he was turning his steps towards the station, when he happened to espy the splendid pagoda on Malabar Hill, and was seized with an irresistible desire to see its interior. He was quite ignorant that it is forbidden to Christians to enter certain Indian temples, and that even the faithful must not go in without first leaving their shoes outside the door. It may be said here that the wise policy of the British Government severely punishes a disregard of the practices of the native religions.

  不幸的是路路通这种好奇心竟然失去了分寸,险些儿破坏了他主人这次旅行的计划。事实是这样的:路路通一路上看完了这场帕西人的节日仪式,就向车站走去。可是当他路过玛勒巴山,看见那座美丽的寺院的时候,他忽然心血来潮,想到里面去看看稀罕。但是有两件事他全不知道:第一,某些印度神庙有明文规定禁止基督徒入内;其次,即便是信徒进庙,也必须先把鞋子脱在门外。这儿应该说明:英国政府为了政策上的需要,很尊重并保护印度的宗教,不论何人即便是对本地宗教稍微有一点亵渎,也会受到严厉的处分。

   Passepartout, however, thinking no harm, went in like a simple tourist, and was soon lost in admiration of the splendid Brahmin ornamentation which everywhere met his eyes, when of a sudden he found himself sprawling on the sacred flagging. He looked up to behold three enraged priests, who forthwith fell upon him; tore off his shoes, and began to beat him with loud, savage exclamations. The agile Frenchman was soon upon his feet again, and lost no time in knocking down two of his long-gowned adversaries with his fists and a vigorous application of his toes; then, rushing out of the pagoda as fast as his legs could carry him, he soon escaped the third priest by mingling with the crowd in the streets.

  路路通一点也没想到会闯下大祸,就象平平常常的游客一样走进了玛勒巴山的寺院里,他正在欣赏那金碧辉煌光彩夺目的印度教的装饰,突然被人推倒在神殿里的石板地上了。原来是三个僧侣怒气冲冲,扑了过来,扒下了他的鞋袜,给他一顿老拳还夹杂着一阵臭骂。这个又结实又灵活的法国小伙子豁地翻过身来,左一拳,右一脚,三个敌手就被他打翻了两个,趁这两个僧侣被长道袍绊住不能动弹的时候,他拔腿就跑,三脚两步冲出了庙门,转眼之间,已经把那个跟踪追来的第三个僧侣和他带的一大帮人撇在老远老远的后边了。

   At five minutes before eight, Passepartout, hatless, shoeless, and having in the squabble lost his package of shirts and shoes, rushed breathlessly into the station.

  现在离八点钟只有五分钟了,火车眼看就要开走,路路通光着头,赤着脚逃到车站,连方才买的一包东西,也在打架的时候丢了。

   Fix, who had followed Mr. Fogg to the station, and saw that he was really going to leave Bombay, was there, upon the platform. He had resolved to follow the supposed robber to Calcutta, and farther, if necessary. Passepartout did not observe the detective, who stood in an obscure corner; but Fix heard him relate his adventures in a few words to Mr. Fogg.

  费克斯也在那个月台上。他暗中跟着福克来到车站,现在他知道了这个坏蛋福克就要离开孟买。他马上决定跟着走,去加尔各答,即使再远些,他也得盯着他。路路通没有看见费克斯,因为他藏在阴暗的地方。而费克斯却听见了路路通对他主人简单地叙述着自己的遭遇。

  “我希望你别再碰到这种事了。”福克简单地说了这么一句,就走进了车厢。这倒霉的小伙子,光着脚,狼狈不堪地跟主人上了车,连一句话也没说。费克斯正要上另一节车厢的当儿,忽然灵机一动,便马上改变了主意,决定不走了!

   "No, I'll stay," muttered he. "An offence has been committed on Indian soil. I've got my man."

  “不,我得留下,”他自言自语地说,“既然他在印度境内犯了罪……我就能抓人。”

   Just then the locomotive gave a sharp screech, and the train passed out into the darkness of the night.

  火车随着一声惊人的汽笛声,在深沉的夜色里消失了。

   The train had started punctually. Among the passengers were a number of officers, Government officials, and opium and indigo merchants, whose business called them to the eastern coast. Passepartout rode in the same carriage with his master, and a third passenger occupied a seat opposite to them. This was Sir Francis Cromarty, one of Mr. Fogg's whist partners on the Mongolia, now on his way to join his corps at Benares.

  火车按规定时间开出了站。它运走了一批旅客,其中有军官,有文职人员,还有贩卖鸦片和蓝靛的商人。路路通跟福克先生坐在一个车厢里。对面角落里坐着另外一位客人--旅长法兰西斯·柯罗马蒂先生。他是从苏伊士到孟买途中跟福克一道打牌的配手。如今他要回到驻扎在贝拿勒斯附近的部队里去。

   Sir Francis was a tall, fair man of fifty, who had greatly distinguished himself in the last Sepoy revolt. He made India his home, only paying brief visits to England at rare intervals; and was almost as familiar as a native with the customs, history, and character of India and its people. But Phileas Fogg, who was not travelling, but only describing a circumference, took no pains to inquire into these subjects; he was a solid body, traversing an orbit around the terrestrial globe, according to the laws of rational mechanics. He was at this moment calculating in his mind the number of hours spent since his departure from London, and, had it been in his nature to make a useless demonstration, would have rubbed his hands for satisfaction.

  法兰西斯·柯罗马蒂先生高高的个子,金黄色头发,有五十来岁。他在印度士兵大起义的事变中以凶狠出了名。他确实称得上是个“印度通”。自打年轻时起,他就住在印度,很少回故乡去。他是个有学识的人。假如福克先生向他请教的话,柯罗马蒂会乐意把有关印度的历史、风俗人情和社会组织的情况告诉他的;可惜福克先生什么都不打听,因为他不是来旅行的,他只是要在地球上兜一个圈儿。他是一位庄重严肃的人物,他要象机械运动的规律那样死板地围着地球绕上一个圈。现在他心里正在盘算从伦敦动身后花掉的时间。如果他是一个喜欢随便做一些动作的人,那么他现在准会搓着双手表示满意。

  虽然法兰西斯·柯罗马蒂先生只是在玩牌的时候,或是在计算牌分的时候,才观察一下福克的为人,但是,他并不是没有看出来这位旅伴的脾气很古怪。他当然会发生疑问:象福克先生这样一位外表冷冰冰的人,里面是否也有一颗跳动着的心呢?他对自然之美是否也会有动于衷呢?他是否也象常人一样有自己的希望和抱负呢?对柯罗马蒂说来,这些都是问题。他一生也看到不少性情古怪的人,但都没法跟福克这个象数学一样死板的家伙相比。

   Phileas Fogg had not concealed from Sir Francis his design of going round the world, nor the circumstances under which he set out; and the general only saw in the wager a useless eccentricity and a lack of sound common sense. In the way this strange gentleman was going on, he would leave the world without having done any good to himself or anybody else.

  福克先生对柯罗马蒂并没有隐瞒他环绕地球的计划;他甚至把在什么样条件下完成这个计划,也告诉了这位旅伴。但旅长却认为这次打赌只不过是一种毫无意义的怪癖而已。凡有这种怪癖的人,一定是缺少一种指导一切有理智的人所必需的因素--益智。这位古怪的绅士,这样下去,一定会虚度年华一事无成。这对自己既没有好处,对别人也无裨益。

   An hour after leaving Bombay the train had passed the viaducts and the Island of Salcette, and had got into the open country. At Callyan they reached the junction of the branch line which descends towards south-eastern India by Kandallah and Pounah; and, passing Pauwell, they entered the defiles of the mountains, with their basalt bases, and their summits crowned with thick and verdant forests. Phileas Fogg and Sir Francis Cromarty exchanged a few words from time to time, and now Sir Francis, reviving the conversation, observed, "Some years ago, Mr. Fogg, you would have met with a delay at this point which would probably have lost you your wager."

  离开孟买一小时后,火车从萨尔赛特岛穿过那些高架铁桥很快地就在印度大陆上奔驰。在卡连,火车撇开了右面通往坎达拉哈和浦那向东南延伸的铁路支线,向波威尔驶去。从这里开始,火车便穿行在纵横绵直的高止山脉里。这个山脉主要的地质构成部分是迸发岩和雪花岩。在这些山最高的顶峰上长满着茂密的丛林。旅途中,柯罗马蒂和福克偶尔聊几句。每次谈话总是旅长先开头,但,结果还是说不下去。“福克先生,”旅长说,“要是头几年的话,您在这地方准会误事,您的计划也八成儿就吹了。”

   "How so, Sir Francis?"

  “为什么呢,法兰西斯先生?”

   "Because the railway stopped at the base of these mountains, which the passengers were obliged to cross in palanquins or on ponies to Kandallah, on the other side."

  “因为火车一到山底下,就得停下来。那您就只好坐轿子或骑小马到对面山坡上的坎达拉哈再换车。”

  “就是有那样的耽搁也不可能打乱我旅行的计划,”福克回答说,“至于产生某些阻碍的偶然性,我也并不是不能预见的。”

   "But, Mr. Fogg," pursued Sir Francis, "you run the risk of having some difficulty about this worthy fellow's adventure at the pagoda." Passepartout, his feet comfortably wrapped in his travelling-blanket, was sound asleep and did not dream that anybody was talking about him. "The Government is very severe upon that kind of offence. It takes particular care that the religious customs of the Indians should be respected, and if your servant were caught--"

  “可是,福克先生,”旅长又说,“就象您的亲随闯下的这桩乱子,就差一点坏了您的事。”路路通这时候把一双光脚裹在旅行毯里,睡得正香。他做梦也没想到有人在议论他。“英国政府对待这类违法事件十分严厉,这是有道理的,”旅长接着说。“英国政府认为尊重印度人的宗教习惯,应该高于一切。假若您的亲随已经被逮捕的话……”

   "Very well, Sir Francis," replied Mr. Fogg; "if he had been caught he would have been condemned and punished, and then would have quietly returned to Europe. I don't see how this affair could have delayed his master."

  “得了吧,法兰西斯先生。他要是被逮捕,”福克先生说,“就会判他的刑,那是他自作自受。但临了还会平安无事地回到欧洲。我看不出有什么理由为这事而留难他的主人。”

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名著·八十天环绕地球 - 第13节