目 录 上一节 下一节 
谈话至此,便停住了。夜间,火车穿越高止山脉,过了纳西克,第二天是10月21号,火车驶过堪得土地区一片比较平坦的土地。在那精耕过的田野上,零星地点缀着一些小镇。在这些小镇的上空,见不到欧式礼拜堂的钟楼,却看到一些寺院的尖塔。无数溪流--大部分是戈达瓦里河的支流或河汊--灌溉着这片肥沃的土地。 Passepartout, on waking and looking out, could not realise that he was actually crossing India in a railway train. The locomotive, guided by an English engineer and fed with English coal, threw out its smoke upon cotton, coffee, nutmeg, clove, and pepper plantations, while the steam curled in spirals around groups of palm-trees, in the midst of which were seen picturesque bungalows, viharis (sort of abandoned monasteries), and marvellous temples enriched by the exhaustless ornamentation of Indian architecture. Then they came upon vast tracts extending to the horizon, with jungles inhabited by snakes and tigers, which fled at the noise of the train; succeeded by forests penetrated by the railway, and still haunted by elephants which, with pensive eyes, gazed at the train as it passed. 路路通一觉醒来,睁开眼睛看了看,简直没法相信自己正乘着半岛铁路的火车驶过印度的原野。这情景尽管叫他难以置信,却半点也不假。这火车是由英国司机驾驶的,烧的是英国煤。火车喷出的烟雾掠过一片片种植园的上空。那儿种的有棉花、也有咖啡;有豆葱、也有丁香和红胡椒。在一丛棕榈树的树梢上,缭绕着冉冉上升的烟雾。树丛中,露出了一片风雅秀丽的平房、几处荒凉的修道院的废墟和几座奇异惊人的庙宇。印度建筑中那些千变万化的装潢艺术更丰富了这些庙宇的内容。再过去,是一片广阔的田野,一望无边。在那些灌木林中,既有毒蛇,又有猛虎,火车汽笛的嘶叫声使它们胆战心惊。再往前去,铁轨从树林中开辟了一条通路。那儿还经常看到大象出没,它们待在一边莫明其妙地注视着飞驰的列车。 The travellers crossed, beyond Milligaum, the fatal country so often stained with blood by the sectaries of the goddess Kali. Not far off rose Ellora, with its graceful pagodas, and the famous Aurungabad, capital of the ferocious Aureng-Zeb, now the chief town of one of the detached provinces of the kingdom of the Nizam. It was thereabouts that Feringhea, the Thuggee chief, king of the stranglers, held his sway. These ruffians, united by a secret bond, strangled victims of every age in honour of the goddess Death, without ever shedding blood; there was a period when this part of the country could scarcely be travelled over without corpses being found in every direction. The English Government has succeeded in greatly diminishing these murders, though the Thuggees still exist, and pursue the exercise of their horrible rites. 这天上午,旅客们过了马利甘姆,便进入了一个凶险的地区,也就是那些拜死亡女神卡丽的信徒常常在那里杀人的地方。不远就是艾洛拉寺,那儿的上空屹立着许多庄严美丽的宝塔。再过去就是名城峨仑加巴,它是强悍不屈的奥仑扎布王的京城。如今这儿只不过是尼赞王属下一个省份的首府。这块土地是由速格会的领袖,绞人党徒的大王斐林及阿来统治的。那些杀人者组成无法破获的秘密团体,以祭死亡女神为名,把人不分年龄大小通通绞死,而且从不让死人流出一滴血。有一个时期,在这里任何一个地方都能找到死尸。英国政府虽已尽其所能将这种杀人行为禁止了一大部分,但这种恐怖的帮会依然还有,而且还继续干着杀人的勾当。 At half-past twelve the train stopped at Burhampoor where Passepartout was able to purchase some Indian slippers, ornamented with false pearls, in which, with evident vanity, he proceeded to encase his feet. The travellers made a hasty breakfast and started off for Assurghur, after skirting for a little the banks of the small river Tapty, which empties into the Gulf of Cambray, near Surat. 十二点半,火车停在布尔汉普尔。路路通在那儿花了很大价钱,才买到一双缀有假珍珠的拖鞋。他穿起这双拖鞋大有自命不凡非常体面之感。在苏拉特附近,有一条流入康木拜湾的塔普河,旅客们匆忙地吃完饭,沿着塔普河漫步片刻,然后,又重新登车去阿苏古尔。 Passepartout was now plunged into absorbing reverie. Up to his arrival at Bombay, he had entertained hopes that their journey would end there; but, now that they were plainly whirling across India at full speed, a sudden change had come over the spirit of his dreams. His old vagabond nature returned to him; the fantastic ideas of his youth once more took possession of him. He came to regard his master's project as intended in good earnest, believed in the reality of the bet, and therefore in the tour of the world and the necessity of making it without fail within the designated period. Already he began to worry about possible delays, and accidents which might happen on the way. He recognised himself as being personally interested in the wager, and trembled at the thought that he might have been the means of losing it by his unpardonable folly of the night before. Being much less cool-headed than Mr. Fogg, he was much more restless, counting and recounting the days passed over, uttering maledictions when the train stopped, and accusing it of sluggishness, and mentally blaming Mr. Fogg for not having bribed the engineer. The worthy fellow was ignorant that, while it was possible by such means to hasten the rate of a steamer, it could not be done on the railway. 趁此时机来介绍一下路路通心中的打算,那却非常适宜。在到孟买之前,他一直认为,并且相信到了孟买也就该歇歇了。但是,现在呢?自从火车开始飞快地在印度大陆上飞驰,他过去的想法立即改变了。他的老脾气马上又复活了。他青年时代的幻想又出现了。他对待主人的旅行计划,也严肃认真起来了。他相信这次打赌确实是真的。这样一来,他也相信是要去环游地球一周;而且相信要用极有限的时间完成这次旅行,甚至他居然对可能发生的迟误也担起心来:他担心旅途中会发生事故。他感到仿佛自己也和这笔赌注有关。他一想起头天晚上,他干的那桩不可饶恕的蠢事,很可能会断送这笔赌注的时候,他不禁害怕起来。正因为他不如福克那样沉着冷静,所以他的心情也就要沉重百倍。他把过了的日子数了又数,算了又算,咒骂火车不该遇站便停;责怪火车走得太慢,还暗自埋怨福克先生没有许给司机一笔奖金。这个小伙子不晓得,在轮船上可以这样办,而在火车上就不行,因为火车的速度是有规定的。 
傍晚,在堪地士邦和本德尔汗德之间,火车驶进了苏特甫山丛的狭道里。第二天,10月22号,法兰西斯·柯罗马蒂问是什么时候了。路路通一面看着大银表,一面回答说是早上三点钟。实际上,他这块宝贝表的时间还是按格林威治子午线计算的,格林威治距此往西约七十七经度之远,当然他的表就愈错愈慢,实际已经慢了四小时。 Sir Francis corrected Passepartout's time, whereupon the latter made the same remark that he had done to Fix; and up on the general insisting that the watch should be regulated in each new meridian, since he was constantly going eastward, that is in the face of the sun, and therefore the days were shorter by four minutes for each degree gone over, Passepartout obstinately refused to alter his watch, which he kept at London time. It was an innocent delusion which could harm no one. 法兰西斯指出路路通所报的时间的差误。实际上,这点费克斯早就向他提出过了。法兰西斯想让路路通明自,每到一地就必须按当地子午线拨一下表。因为既然老是朝东一直迎着太阳走,那么白天也就愈来愈短,每过经线一度,要短四分钟。可惜说了半天等于白说。也不知道这个固执的小伙子有没有把旅长的话搞清楚。可是他坚决不拨自己的表,还是一成不变地保持着伦敦时间。话又说回来了,无论如何这种天真的脾气,究竟是于人无损的。 The train stopped, at eight o'clock, in the midst of a glade some fifteen miles beyond Rothal, where there were several bungalows, and workmen's cabins. The conductor, passing along the carriages, shouted, "Passengers will get out here!" 早晨八点钟,火车离洛莎尔还有十五英里,就在树林中的一块宽阔的空地上停下来了。那儿有几所带回廊的平房和工人住的小屋。这时,列车长沿着各个车厢叫道:“旅客们,在这儿下车了!” Phileas Fogg looked at Sir Francis Cromarty for an explanation; but the general could not tell what meant a halt in the midst of this forest of dates and acacias. 福克先生看着柯罗马蒂,柯罗马蒂显然也不明白为什么要在这片乌梅树林里停车。 Passepartout, not less surprised, rushed out and speedily returned, crying: "Monsieur, no more railway!" 路路通也很惊讶,他跳下车,过了一会儿就回来了,喊道:“先生,铁路到头了。” 
“你说什么?”柯罗马蒂问。 "I mean to say that the train isn't going on." “我说火车不能往前走了。” The general at once stepped out, while Phileas Fogg calmly followed him, and they proceeded together to the conductor. 旅长立刻跳下车来。福克也不慌不忙地跟着下了车。他们一起去问列车长。 "Where are we?" asked Sir Francis. “我们到哪儿了?”柯罗马蒂说。 "At the hamlet of Kholby." “到了克尔比了。”列车长回答说。 
“我们就停在这儿了?” "Certainly. The railway isn't finished." “当然停在这儿,因为铁路还没修完……” "What! not finished?" “什么!还没修完?” "No. There's still a matter of fifty miles to be laid from here to Allahabad, where the line begins again." “没有。从这儿到阿拉哈巴德之间,还要修一段约五十多英里长的路才能接上那边的火车。” "But the papers announced the opening of the railway throughout." “可是,报纸上已经说全线都通车了。” 
“那又有什么办法呢,长官先生,那是报纸搞错了。” "Yet you sell tickets from Bombay to Calcutta," retorted Sir Francis, who was growing warm. “可是你们卖的票是从孟买到加尔各答呀!”柯罗马蒂说着便有些激动起来。 "No doubt," replied the conductor; "but the passengers know that they must provide means of transportation for themselves from Kholby to Allahabad." “您说的不错,可是旅客们都知道从克尔比到阿拉哈巴德这段路得自己想办法。” Sir Francis was furious. Passepartout would willingly have knocked the conductor down, and did not dare to look at his master. 这时,柯罗马蒂怒气直往上冲,路路通恨不得把这个无能为力的列车长痛揍一顿。路路通这时简直不敢看他的主人。 "Sir Francis," said Mr. Fogg quietly, "we will, if you please, look about for some means of conveyance to Allahabad." “法兰西斯先生,”福克很平淡地说,“假如您同意的话,我们一起去另想办法到阿拉哈巴德去。” 
“福克先生,这个意外的耽搁对您的损害是太大了?” "No, Sir Francis; it was foreseen." “不,法兰西斯先生,这事早在意料之中。”
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