名著·八十天环绕地球 - 第18节


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  “我也是这么想。”向导回答说。

   The worthy Indian then gave some account of the victim, who, he said, was a celebrated beauty of the Parsee race, and the daughter of a wealthy Bombay merchant. She had received a thoroughly English education in that city, and, from her manners and intelligence, would be thought an European. Her name was Aouda. Left an orphan, she was married against her will to the old rajah of Bundelcund; and, knowing the fate that awaited her, she escaped, was retaken, and devoted by the rajah's relatives, who had an interest in her death, to the sacrifice from which it seemed she could not escape.

  这个勇敢的印度人于是就把这个女人的情况详细地介绍了一番:她是个顶有名的印度美女,是帕西人,出身于孟买富商的家庭。她在孟买受过道地英国式的教育。从她的风度和文化修养来看,简直是个欧洲人。她的名字叫艾娥达。她原是个孤女,跟这老土王结婚,并非自愿,婚后才三月,就成了寡妇。她知道自己要被烧死,所以就逃跑了。不幸立刻又被捉了回来。土王的亲属认为她的死是一件有关风俗的大事,于是决定要她殉葬,看情况这一回她是难逃一死了。

   The Parsee's narrative only confirmed Mr. Fogg and his companions in their generous design. It was decided that the guide should direct the elephant towards the pagoda of Pillaji, which he accordingly approached as quickly as possible.

  毫无疑问,向导的这番话更坚定了福克和他同伴们仗义救人的决心。于是向导决定把象牵引到庇拉吉庙附近,尽可能离庙近一点。

   They halted, half an hour afterwards, in a copse, some five hundred feet from the pagoda, where they were well concealed; but they could hear the groans and cries of the fakirs distinctly.

  一个半小时之后,他们在一个灌木林里停下来了。这儿离庙只有五百步远。他们不仅可以看到庙宇,甚至就连庙里那帮狂热信徒的喊叫,都听得清清楚楚。

   They then discussed the means of getting at the victim. The guide was familiar with the pagoda of Pillaji, in which, as he declared, the young woman was imprisoned. Could they enter any of its doors while the whole party of Indians was plunged in a drunken sleep, or was it safer to attempt to make a hole in the walls? This could only be determined at the moment and the place themselves; but it was certain that the abduction must be made that night, and not when, at break of day, the victim was led to her funeral pyre. Then no human intervention could save her.

  这时,他们就开始商量用什么办法去接近艾娥达,向导很熟悉庇拉吉庙里的情况,他肯定那年轻的女人被关在里面。能不能等那帮人喝醉了呼呼大睡的时候,找个门溜进去呢?要不,是不是能在墙上挖一个洞呢?这只有在动手的当时和当场来决定了。可是,救人的工作毫无疑问必须在今夜进行,决不能等到天亮。因为天一亮这个不幸的女人就要被带去受刑了。一到那个时候,任何人也没有办法救她了。

  福克先生和他的同伴眼巴巴地等待着黑夜来临。在六点钟左右,天刚擦黑的时候,他们就决定先把庙四周的情况摸摸清楚。这时,苦行僧们的喊叫声已经停止了。按习惯,这些僧侣该已经喝得烂醉如泥了--他们喝的是一种鸦片汁和苎麻汤掺合制成的“昂格”酒--现在要是从他们中间溜进庙去也许是可能的。

   The Parsee, leading the others, noiselessly crept through the wood, and in ten minutes they found themselves on the banks of a small stream, whence, by the light of the rosin torches, they perceived a pyre of wood, on the top of which lay the embalmed body of the rajah, which was to be burned with his wife. The pagoda, whose minarets loomed above the trees in the deepening dusk, stood a hundred steps away.

  帕西人领着福克、柯罗马蒂和路路通静悄悄地在森林中前进。他们在灌木枝丫底下爬行了十分钟,就到了一条小河边上。借着铁制火把尖上燃着的树脂发出的亮光,他们瞅见那边架着一堆木柴,那就是用浸过香油的贵重的檀香木筑成的火葬坛,坛顶上层,放着土王的熏香尸体,它将和那寡妇一起被火葬。庇拉吉庙离火葬坛约一百步,庙的塔尖透过树梢,耸立在阴暗的上空。

   "Come!" whispered the guide.

  “到这儿来!”向导低声唤道。

   He slipped more cautiously than ever through the brush, followed by his companions; the silence around was only broken by the low murmuring of the wind among the branches.

  他领着这一伙人,加倍小心地从荒草丛里悄悄溜过。这时只有风吹树枝的嗖嗖声划破黑夜的寂静。

   Soon the Parsee stopped on the borders of the glade, which was lit up by the torches. The ground was covered by groups of the Indians, motionless in their drunken sleep; it seemed a battlefield strewn with the dead. Men, women, and children lay together.

  过了一会儿,向导到了一块空地的边缘上停了下来。那边的广场被几把树脂火炬照得通明。地上躺满了酒醉昏睡的人,简直象一个死尸狼藉的战场。男人、女人、孩子都混杂一起。东一处西一处的醉鬼还在呼呼地喘气。

  在对面的丛林深处,模模糊糊地现出庇拉吉庙的轮廓。但是事实却使向导大失所望,原来土王的卫兵,正举着冒烟的火把,拿着脱鞘的军刀,警卫着庙门,并在附近来回巡逻。当然可以猜想到在庙里边也有僧侣防守着。

   The Parsee, now convinced that it was impossible to force an entrance to the temple, advanced no farther, but led his companions back again. Phileas Fogg and Sir Francis Cromarty also saw that nothing could be attempted in that direction. They stopped, and engaged in a whispered colloquy.

  帕西人不再向前走了。他知道硬闯进去是不可能的,于是他就领着大家退了回来。福克、柯罗马蒂跟向导一样地明白,要想打这边进去,那是办不到的了。他们停下来,小声地交换了一下意见。

   "It is only eight now," said the brigadier, "and these guards may also go to sleep."

  “咱们等着吧,”旅长说,“现在才八点钟,这些卫兵很可能会睡觉的。”

   "It is not impossible," returned the Parsee.

  “当然,这也是可能的。”帕西人回答说。

   They lay down at the foot of a tree, and waited.

  于是福克先生和他的同伴就躺在一棵大树脚下,等待时机。

  对他们说来,时间似乎是过得太慢了!向导不时地离开他们到森林边上侦察动静。土王卫兵一直在火炬的照耀下来回巡视。庙里好些窗户也透出模糊的灯光。

   They waited till midnight; but no change took place among the guards, and it became apparent that their yielding to sleep could not be counted on. The other plan must be carried out; an opening in the walls of the pagoda must be made. It remained to ascertain whether the priests were watching by the side of their victim as assiduously as were the soldiers at the door.

  就这样一直等到午夜,情况还是毫无改变,庙外警卫也依然如故。显然,要等卫兵睡觉是没指望了。大概他们没喝“昂格”酒所以也不会醉。那末就只有另想办法,把庙墙挖一个窟窿钻进去。现在的问题是要弄清楚看守寡妇的那些僧侣是否也和守庙门的这些士兵一样小心谨慎。

   After a last consultation, the guide announced that he was ready for the attempt, and advanced, followed by the others. They took a roundabout way, so as to get at the pagoda on the rear. They reached the walls about half-past twelve, without having met anyone; here there was no guard, nor were there either windows or doors.

  商量好之后,向导说马上就出发。福克、路路通和柯罗马蒂便跟在后面,他们要从侧面接近庇拉吉庙,因此绕了一个相当大的圈子。十二点半,他们到了庙墙脚下,路上一个人也没碰上。这里一个警卫也没有。说实话,这里也没有什么好警戒的,因为这里根本就没有门窗。

   The night was dark. The moon, on the wane, scarcely left the horizon, and was covered with heavy clouds; the height of the trees deepened the darkness.

  夜是漆黑的。这时,半圆的月亮刚刚离开乌云滚滚的地平线。那些高耸入云的大树越发增加了这种黑暗的气氛。

   It was not enough to reach the walls; an opening in them must be accomplished, and to attain this purpose the party only had their pocket-knives. Happily the temple walls were built of brick and wood, which could be penetrated with little difficulty; after one brick had been taken out, the rest would yield easily.

  可是,只是到达墙脚下,那还是没有用,还必须在墙上挖出一个窟窿来。干这种活,他们仅有的工具就是自己衣服口袋里的小刀。总算万幸,这座庙的墙是用砖头和木块砌成的,凿起洞来并不困难,只要能弄掉头一块砖头,其余的就容易对付了。

  大家就这样干起来了。他们尽可能不搞出声音来。左边是帕西人,右边是路路通,他们把砖头一块块地往外掏,准备挖出一个两英尺见方的窟窿。正在挖洞的时候,忽然听见庙里有人叫喊,接着,庙外也有人跟着呼应。

   Passepartout and the guide stopped. Had they been heard? Was the alarm being given? Common prudence urged them to retire, and they did so, followed by Phileas Fogg and Sir Francis. They again hid themselves in the wood, and waited till the disturbance, whatever it might be, ceased, holding themselves ready to resume their attempt without delay. But, awkwardly enough, the guards now appeared at the rear of the temple, and there installed themselves, in readiness to prevent a surprise.

  路路通和向导停下了工作。是不是人家已经发觉了他们呢?是不是已经发出警报了呢?不管怎样,还是“三十六着走为上着”。同时福克和柯罗马蒂就跟着躲开了。他们又跑到树林里蹲下来,如果真是里边发出了警报的话,他们就等着,一直等到警报解除了,再继续去干。

   It would be difficult to describe the disappointment of the party, thus interrupted in their work. They could not now reach the victim; how, then, could they save her? Sir Francis shook his fists, Passepartout was beside himself, and the guide gnashed his teeth with rage. The tranquil Fogg waited, without betraying any emotion.

  就在这倒霉的时候,有几个卫兵走到庇拉吉庙的侧面布上了岗,这样一来任何人再也不能走近庙了。这四个人只好停止挖墙,他们失望的心情是难以形容的。如今既然没法接近艾娥达,那么又怎能去救她呢?柯罗马蒂紧紧握着拳头,路路通怒发冲冠,向导也忍耐不住了。而心平气和的福克先生,还是丝毫不动声色地等待着。

   "We have nothing to do but to go away," whispered Sir Francis.

  “我们只好走了?”旅长小声问道。

   "Nothing but to go away," echoed the guide.

  “只好走吧。”向导回答。

  “等一等!”福克说,“只要在明天中午以前,我能赶到阿拉哈巴德就行了。”

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名著·八十天环绕地球 - 第18节