目 录 上一节 下一节 
跑了两小时之后,向导让大象停下来休息一小时。大象在附近的小水塘里喝了些水,又吞嚼了一些嫩树芽和小灌木枝叶。这样小憩,柯罗马蒂先生并不反对,因为他自己也已经给颠垮了。但福克先生却仍然轻松自如,他就仿佛是刚刚从床上下来似的。旅长用惊奇的目光瞧着福克,一面说道:“真是铁打的硬汉子。” "Of forged iron," replied Passepartout, as he set about preparing a hasty breakfast. “不是铁打的,是钢铸的!”路路通接着说,一边正在准备一顿简单的早餐。 At noon the Parsee gave the signal of departure. The country soon presented a very savage aspect. Copses of dates and dwarf-palms succeeded the dense forests; then vast, dry plains, dotted with scanty shrubs, and sown with great blocks of syenite. All this portion of Bundelcund, which is little frequented by travellers, is inhabited by a fanatical population, hardened in the most horrible practices of the Hindoo faith. The English have not been able to secure complete dominion over this territory, which is subjected to the influence of rajahs, whom it is almost impossible to reach in their inaccessible mountain fastnesses. 中午,向导发出了动身的信号。走不多时,眼前已呈现出一片蛮荒的景象。紧接着一大片森林的后面,就是一丛丛乌梅树和棕树。再往前去就是一大片荒凉贫瘠的平原。平原上蔓生着荆棘杂树,其中还夹杂着一大堆一大堆的花岗石。上本德尔汗德这一整块地区,以前都是人迹罕至的地方,现在这里住着一些具有狂热宗教信仰的教族,他们在当地还保留着那些最可怕的教规。英国的统治法规在土王的势力范围内就不能正常执行,至于在文迪亚群山中那些无法接近的地方,那就更加无法管辖了。 The travellers several times saw bands of ferocious Indians, who, when they perceived the elephant striding across-country, made angry arid threatening motions. The Parsee avoided them as much as possible. Few animals were observed on the route; even the monkeys hurried from their path with contortions and grimaces which convulsed Passepartout with laughter. 一路上,他们好几次碰到一群一群杀气腾腾的印度人,瞧着这头奔驰的大象摆出怒气冲冲的姿态。帕西人总是尽量避开这些人。他认为碰到这些人总是一件倒霉的事。在这一天当中,沿途很少看到野兽,偶尔有几只猢狲一边溜着,一边挤眉弄眼作出各种怪相。这使路路通非常开心。 In the midst of his gaiety, however, one thought troubled the worthy servant. What would Mr. Fogg do with the elephant when he got to Allahabad? Would he carry him on with him? Impossible! The cost of transporting him would make him ruinously expensive. Would he sell him, or set him free? The estimable beast certainly deserved some consideration. Should Mr. Fogg choose to make him, Passepartout, a present of Kiouni, he would be very much embarrassed; and these thoughts did not cease worrying him for a long time. 但是有一桩事,叫路路通感到非常发愁,那就是将来到了阿拉哈巴德,福克先生怎么处置这头大象呢?难道还带着走吗?这绝不可能。买象的钱再加上运费,这简直是一个叫人倾家荡产的家伙!那么,能不能把它卖掉?或是把它放了呢?说真话这头刮刮叫的大象也实在叫人留恋。万一出乎意料,福克先生把它当作礼物送给我路路通,那岂不要难为死我了吗?这叫我路路通怎能不伤脑筋呢? 
晚上八点钟,他们已越过了文迪亚群山的主要山脉。于是他们就歇在这北山坡上一所破烂的小屋里。这一天大约走了二十五英里,离阿拉哈巴德还有二十五英里。 The night was cold. The Parsee lit a fire in the bungalow with a few dry branches, and the warmth was very grateful, provisions purchased at Kholby sufficed for supper, and the travellers ate ravenously. The conversation, beginning with a few disconnected phrases, soon gave place to loud and steady snores. The guide watched Kiouni, who slept standing, bolstering himself against the trunk of a large tree. 夜晚天气很冷。象童在小屋里燃起一堆枯枝,它发出的热气很受大家的欢迎。晚餐的内容就是在克尔比买来的那些干粮。旅客们也实在是给累垮了,他们草草地吃了这顿晚饭。饭后,他们断断续续地扯了几句,不一会,就鼾声大作进入梦乡了。向导守在大象旁边。这时大象也紧靠着一棵大树站着睡着了。 Nothing occurred during the night to disturb the slumberers, although occasional growls front panthers and chatterings of monkeys broke the silence; the more formidable beasts made no cries or hostile demonstration against the occupants of the bungalow. Sir Francis slept heavily, like an honest soldier overcome with fatigue. Passepartout was wrapped in uneasy dreams of the bouncing of the day before. As for Mr. Fogg, he slumbered as peacefully as if he had been in his serene mansion in Saville Row. 一夜平安无事,只是偶尔有几声山豹的呼啸和野猿的哀啼冲破这黑夜的寂静。其实这些野兽只是自己叫叫而已,对破屋里的旅客,并不表示什么敌意。柯罗马蒂就象一个疲劳万分的战士一样酣睡如泥,路路通睡得并不踏实,他正在梦见自己在象背上翻跟斗。至于福克先生他是照旧睡得平平静静和他睡在赛微乐街安静的寓所里一样。 The journey was resumed at six in the morning; the guide hoped to reach Allahabad by evening. In that case, Mr. Fogg would only lose a part of the forty-eight hours saved since the beginning of the tour. 第二天上午六点钟,他们又出发了。向导希望在当天晚上就赶到阿拉哈巴德。照这样看,福克先生从伦敦出发以来省下的四十八个小时只被占用了一部分。 Kiouni, resuming his rapid gait, soon descended the lower spurs of the Vindhias, and towards noon they passed by the village of Kallenger, on the Cani, one of the branches of the Ganges. The guide avoided inhabited places, thinking it safer to keep the open country, which lies along the first depressions of the basin of the great river. Allahabad was now only twelve miles to the north-east. They stopped under a clump of bananas, the fruit of which, as healthy as bread and as succulent as cream, was amply partaken of and appreciated. 他们走下了文迪亚群山最后的几段斜坡路,大象又快步奔跑起来。晌午时分,向导绕过了位于恒河支流卡尼河畔的卡兰吉尔。向导总是避开有人聚居的地方,他觉得在这块恒河盆地的原野上走,会更安全些。此去东北不到十二英里就是阿拉哈巴德了。他们在一丛香蕉树荫下小憩片刻。香蕉跟面包一样对人有好处,旅客们非常欣赏,他们还说香蕉跟奶酪一样有营养呢。 
下午两点,向导赶着大象钻进了茂密的森林,穿过这片森林,必须走好几英里的路程。他很乐意这样在森林的掩蔽下前进。不管怎样,到目前为止总算没遇见任何倒霉的事。看起来这次旅行也应该会平安无事地完成任务了。可是,大象突然现出不安的样子,而且站住不走了。 It was then four o'clock. 这时正是下午四点钟。 "What's the matter?" asked Sir Francis, putting out his head. “怎么啦?”柯罗马蒂从鞍椅里探出头来问道。 "I don't know, officer," replied the Parsee, listening attentively to a confused murmur which came through the thick branches. “军官先生,我也搞不清楚,”帕白西人一面回答,一面倾听着从茂密的树林中传来的一阵混乱嘈杂的声音。 The murmur soon became more distinct; it now seemed like a distant concert of human voices accompanied by brass instruments. Passepartout was all eyes and ears. Mr. Fogg patiently waited without a word. The Parsee jumped to the ground, fastened the elephant to a tree, and plunged into the thicket. He soon returned, saying: 又过了一会儿,这种嘈杂声就听得更真了,听起来好象是人群的呼喊和铜乐器敲打交织成的喧嚣,不过离此尚远而已。路路通睁大眼睛,全神贯注地听着。福克先生耐心静坐,一语不发。帕西人跳下象来,把象拴在树干上,钻入那茂密的灌木丛里。几分钟后,他跑回来说: 
“婆罗门僧侣的游行队伍向咱们这儿来了。咱们尽可能别叫他们瞧见。” The guide unloosed the elephant and led him into a thicket, at the same time asking the travellers not to stir. He held himself ready to bestride the animal at a moment's notice, should flight become necessary; but he evidently thought that the procession of the faithful would pass without perceiving them amid the thick foliage, in which they were wholly concealed. 向导解开了象,把它引到密林深处,同时叮嘱旅客千万别下地来。象童本人做好准备,假使必要的话,他就立刻跳上大象逃走。不过他觉得这一群人走过时是不会发现他们的,因为树林中密密的枝叶已把他们完全遮住了。 The discordant tones of the voices and instruments drew nearer, and now droning songs mingled with the sound of the tambourines and cymbals. The head of the procession soon appeared beneath the trees, a hundred paces away; and the strange figures who performed the religious ceremony were easily distinguished through the branches. 由喧嚣的人声和锣鼓声交织成的一片噪音愈来愈近。在那鼓声冬冬、铙钹锵锵的鸣奏中还夹杂着单调的歌声。不一会,距福克和他同伴们藏身的地方只有五十来步远的树下面出现了游行队伍的先头行列。他们透过树枝,很清楚地看见参加这个宗教仪式的奇里古怪的人物。 First came the priests, with mitres on their heads, and clothed in long lace robes. They were surrounded by men, women, and children, who sang a kind of lugubrious psalm, interrupted at regular intervals by the tambourines and cymbals; while behind them was drawn a car with large wheels, the spokes of which represented serpents entwined with each other. Upon the car, which was drawn by four richly caparisoned zebus, stood a hideous statue with four arms, the body coloured a dull red, with haggard eyes, dishevelled hair, protruding tongue, and lips tinted with betel. It stood upright upon the figure of a prostrate and headless giant. 走在队伍前头的是一些头戴尖高帽,身穿花袈裟的僧侣,前后簇拥着许多男人、妇女和孩子。他们在高唱着挽歌。歌声和锣钹的敲击声此起彼落,交替不断。人群后面,有一辆大轱辘车子,车辐和车辋都雕刻成一条条并列交叉的毒蛇,车上有一尊面目狰狞的女神像。车子的前面套了四匹蒙着华丽彩披的驼牛。这尊神像有四条胳臂,全身赭红,披头散发,眼露凶光,伸着吊死鬼样的长舌头,两片嘴唇染成了指甲花和茭酱的红色。她脖子上戴的是骷髅头穿成的项圈,腰上系的是断手接成的腰带。巍然屹立在一个趴着的无头怪物身上。 Sir Francis, recognising the statue, whispered, "The goddess Kali; the goddess of love and death." 柯罗马蒂认炽这尊神像。他低声说:“这是卡丽女神,她是爱情和死亡之神。” 
“说她是死亡之神,我还同意,可是说她是爱情之神我决不同意!”路路通说。“她简直是个丑八怪!” The Parsee made a motion to keep silence. 帕西人示意叫路路通别唠叨。 A group of old fakirs were capering and making a wild ado round the statue; these were striped with ochre, and covered with cuts whence their blood issued drop by drop--stupid fanatics, who, in the great Indian ceremonies, still throw themselves under the wheels of Juggernaut. 在这尊神像的四周,围着有一群疯疯癫癫的老托钵僧。他们身上象斑马似的画着赭黄色的条纹,并且割开一些十字形伤口,鲜血一滴滴地流出来。举行盛大的宗教仪式时,这些癫狂得象着了魔似的托钵僧甚至还争先恐后地趴到“太阳神”的大车轱辘底下去送死呢。 Some Brahmins, clad in all the sumptuousness of Oriental apparel, and leading a woman who faltered at every step, followed. 托钵僧的后面,有几位婆罗门僧侣。他们都穿着豪华的东方式的僧袍,正拉着一个踉踉跄跄站立不稳的女人往前走。
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