名著·八十天环绕地球 - 第20节


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  路路通在买东西的时候,很快就把全城看了一遍,这里过去是工商业城市,可是现在既无商业,也无工业,从前保卫着城市的那座雄伟的碉堡,今天已经改成了监狱。路路通费尽力气也没有找到一家百货公司。他本想找到象在英国莱琴街菲门洋行附近那样一家百货公司,但最后他只是在一家犹太倔老头子开的估衣铺里才找到他所要买的东西:一件苏格兰料子的女长衫、一件宽大的斗篷、一件漂亮的獭皮短大衣。他立即付了七十五英镑(合一千八百七十五法郎),就得意洋洋地回车站去了。

   The influence to which the priests of Pillaji had subjected Aouda began gradually to yield, and she became more herself, so that her fine eyes resumed all their soft Indian expression.

  艾娥达夫人现已逐渐清醒,那些庇拉吉庙的祭司给她造成的恐怖影响在她心里也已经逐渐消失。她那美丽的眼睛又恢复了诱人的印度丰采。

   When the poet-king, Ucaf Uddaul, celebrates the charms of the queen of Ahmehnagara, he speaks thus:

  诗王乌萨弗·乌多尔在颂赞阿美娜加拉王后的美色时,曾经写过这样的诗句:

   "Her shining tresses, divided in two parts, encircle the harmonious contour of her white and delicate cheeks, brilliant in their glow and freshness. Her ebony brows have the form and charm of the bow of Kama, the god of love, and beneath her long silken lashes the purest reflections and a celestial light swim, as in the sacred lakes of Himalaya, in the black pupils of her great clear eyes. Her teeth, fine, equal, and white, glitter between her smiling lips like dewdrops in a passion-flower's half-enveloped breast. Her delicately formed ears, her vermilion hands, her little feet, curved and tender as the lotus-bud, glitter with the brilliancy of the loveliest pearls of Ceylon, the most dazzling diamonds of Golconda. Her narrow and supple waist, which a hand may clasp around, sets forth the outline of her rounded figure and the beauty of her bosom, where youth in its flower displays the wealth of its treasures; and beneath the silken folds of her tunic she seems to have been modelled in pure silver by the godlike hand of Vicvarcarma, the immortal sculptor."

  “她那乌黑闪光整齐地分作两半的美发,均称地围绕着雪白、娇嫩而又红润的双颊;她那乌黑的蛾眉,象爱神卡马有力的弯弓两把。一双亮晶晶的大眼,深藏在修长的睫毛下,在那黑色的瞳人里,闪灼着圣洁的光华,犹如喜马拉雅山圣湖的水光,辉映着天空的朝霞。她那细小而又整齐的牙齿,雪白无瑕,在微笑的樱唇中发光,就象一颗颗露珠覆盖着半开的石榴花。在她那曲线对称、小巧玲珑的双耳上,在她那红润的双手上,在她那一双象两朵青莲一样丰满而又柔软的小脚上,那是锡兰最美丽的珍珠在闪亮,那是各尔贡最珍贵的钻石在发光。她那纤细的柳腰一握不足,这就更使她那丰满的胸部高高耸出,愈显得她丰采绝殊!这样美丽的胸部展示着青春年华最宝贵的财富。再看她那绩丝的短衣下露出的腰部,真象是雕塑巨匠维克瓦卡尔马的神工鬼斧,用纯银铸成的美人腰腹。”

   It is enough to say, without applying this poetical rhapsody to Aouda, that she was a charming woman, in all the European acceptation of the phrase. She spoke English with great purity, and the guide had not exaggerated in saying that the young Parsee had been transformed by her bringing up.

  但是,我们可以完全不需要用这么多夸张的诗句,我们只要说一句话就行了:这位本德汗尔德老土王的寡妇艾娥达夫人即使按照欧洲的标准,也是一位很漂亮的夫人。她英文讲得很纯熟,向导说这位年轻的帕西女人已经被教育成另一种人了,这话真是半点也没有夸大。

  火车马上就要从阿拉哈巴德开出,向导等着福克先生给他工资。福克先生按照他应得的钱如数支付,连一分钱也没多给。这使路路通感到有点奇怪,因为他估计他的主人对向导的忠诚帮助总该表示一点谢意的。的确,向导在庇拉吉庙事件中是自愿冒生命危险的,如果以后印度人知道了这件事,他就很难逃出毒手。还有奇乌尼大象怎么办?这也是一个问题。花这么大价钱买了这个家伙,现在把它摆在哪儿?但是福克先生好象早已“胸有成竹”了。

   "Parsee," said he to the guide, "you have been serviceable and devoted. I have paid for your service, but not for your devotion. Would you like to have this elephant? He is yours."

  “帕西人,”他对向导说,“你做事能干,为人忠诚。我给了你应得的工资,可是我还没有报答你的忠诚呢。你要这头象吗?它归你了。”

   The guide's eyes glistened.

  向导的眼里闪动着喜悦的光芒。

   "Your honour is giving me a fortune!" cried he.

  “先生,您这简直使我发财了。”他喊着说。

   "Take him, guide," returned Mr. Fogg, "and I shall still be your debtor."

  “牵走吧,”福克先生说,“虽然这样,我还是欠你的情。”

  “这太好了,”路路通叫着说,“牵走吧,老兄!奇乌尼真是一头又壮又听话的牲口。”他一面走到大象跟前拿出几块糖喂它,一面不停地说:“吃吧,奇乌尼,吃吧,吃吧!”

   The elephant grunted out his satisfaction, and, clasping Passepartout around the waist with his trunk, lifted him as high as his head. Passepartout, not in the least alarmed, caressed the animal, which replaced him gently on the ground.

  大象满意地哼了几声,然后用它的长鼻子卷着路路通的腰,把他举得和头一样高。路路通一点也不害怕,用手亲切地抚摸大象,大象又把他轻轻地放到地上,路路通用手紧紧地握了一下诚实的大象的鼻尖作为还礼。

   Soon after, Phileas Fogg, Sir Francis Cromarty, and Passepartout, installed in a carriage with Aouda, who had the best seat, were whirling at full speed towards Benares. It was a run of eighty miles, and was accomplished in two hours.

  过了一会儿,福克先生、柯罗马蒂旅长和路路通已经坐在一节舒适的车厢里,艾娥达夫人占着一个最好的位子。火车飞快地开往贝拿勒斯去了。经过两小时的行程,他们离开阿拉哈巴德已经快有八十英里了。

   During the journey, the young woman fully recovered her senses. What was her astonishment to find herself in this carriage, on the railway, dressed in European habiliments, and with travellers who were quite strangers to her! Her companions first set about fully reviving her with a little liquor, and then Sir Francis narrated to her what had passed, dwelling upon the courage with which Phileas Fogg had not hesitated to risk his life to save her, and recounting the happy sequel of the venture, the result of Passepartout's rash idea. Mr. Fogg said nothing; while Passepartout, abashed, kept repeating that "it wasn't worth telling."

  在这一段时间里,那位年轻的夫人已经完全清醒过来,“昂格”酒的麻醉作用已经消失了。当她发现自己坐在火车上,穿着欧式服装和这些素不相识的旅客坐在一起的时候,她简直觉得莫名其妙!开始,她的同伴们都无微不至地照护她,给她喝了一些酒,使她长长精神;然后旅长就把她的遭遇对她重述了一遍,旅长一再指出斐利亚·福克先生仗义救人的热诚,为了救她,简直是赴汤蹈火毫不犹豫。接着又告诉她由于路路通想出了一条惊人的妙计,才使这场冒险圆满结束。福克先生在旁边一言不发,听凭旅长去说。路路通呢,他感到很不好意思,一再重复说:“我--这不值得一提。”

   Aouda pathetically thanked her deliverers, rather with tears than words; her fine eyes interpreted her gratitude better than her lips. Then, as her thoughts strayed back to the scene of the sacrifice, and recalled the dangers which still menaced her, she shuddered with terror.

  艾娥达夫人向她的救命恩人表示衷心的感谢,这种感谢与其说是用语言,不如说是用眼泪表示的,她那美丽的眼睛比她那会讲话的双唇更能充分地表达她内心的感激。这时她一想到火葬场上的情景,一想到在这块印度的土地上还有很多灾难在等着她,便骇怕得颤抖起来。

  斐利亚·福克先生很了解艾娥达夫人这种心情。为了使她安心,他说可以送她到香港去,她可以在那里等到这事平息之后再回印度。福克先生说这些话的时候,态度是冷冰冰的。艾娥达夫人感激地接受了这个建议。正好她有一个亲戚住在香港,这个亲戚也是帕西人,他是香港的一个大商人,香港虽然是在中国海岸上,但却是一座道地的英国化的城市。

   At half-past twelve the train stopped at Benares. The Brahmin legends assert that this city is built on the site of the ancient Casi, which, like Mahomet's tomb, was once suspended between heaven and earth; though the Benares of to-day, which the Orientalists call the Athens of India, stands quite unpoetically on the solid earth, Passepartout caught glimpses of its brick houses and clay huts, giving an aspect of desolation to the place, as the train entered it.

  火车十二点半到达贝拿勒斯,据婆罗门教的传说,现在的贝拿勒斯是古代卡西城的旧址,卡西城从前就象穆罕默德的陵墓一样是空悬在天顶和天底之间的。但是在今天看来,这座被东方人文研究者称为印度雅典的贝拿勒斯却也是普普通通地建筑在土地上的,并没有什么特殊。路路通有时可以瞥见一些瓦房子和草屋,这些建筑呈现出一种异常荒凉的景象,没有一点地方色彩。

   Benares was Sir Francis Cromarty's destination, the troops he was rejoining being encamped some miles northward of the city. He bade adieu to Phileas Fogg, wishing him all success, and expressing the hope that he would come that way again in a less original but more profitable fashion. Mr. Fogg lightly pressed him by the hand. The parting of Aouda, who did not forget what she owed to Sir Francis, betrayed more warmth; and, as for Passepartout, he received a hearty shake of the hand from the gallant general.

  法兰西斯·柯罗马蒂先生要在这里下车,他的部队就驻扎在城北几英里以外的一个地方。于是旅长就向福克先生告别,并祝他这次旅行从此平安无事,更加顺利。福克先生轻轻拉了拉旅长的手。艾娥达夫人热情地为旅长祝福,她永远不会忘记法兰西斯·柯罗马蒂先生的大恩。至于路路通,因为和旅长热情的握手而感到很荣幸,他非常兴奋,他心里想,不知道何时何地才能再为他效劳。大家就这样分手了。

   The railway, on leaving Benares, passed for a while along the valley of the Ganges. Through the windows of their carriage the travellers had glimpses of the diversified landscape of Behar, with its mountains clothed in verdure, its fields of barley, wheat, and corn, its jungles peopled with green alligators, its neat villages, and its still thickly-leaved forests. Elephants were bathing in the waters of the sacred river, and groups of Indians, despite the advanced season and chilly air, were performing solemnly their pious ablutions. These were fervent Brahmins, the bitterest foes of Buddhism, their deities being Vishnu, the solar god, Shiva, the divine impersonation of natural forces, and Brahma, the supreme ruler of priests and legislators. What would these divinities think of India, anglicised as it is to-day, with steamers whistling and scudding along the Ganges, frightening the gulls which float upon its surface, the turtles swarming along its banks, and the faithful dwelling upon its borders?

  从贝拿勒斯出发,铁路穿过一段恒河山谷,天气相当晴朗,窗外显示出比哈尔千变万化的美丽景色:青翠的高山,生长着大麦、小麦和玉米的田野,栖居着浅绿色鳄鱼的河川和池沼,整整齐齐的村庄和四季常青的森林,几只大象和一些单峰的骆驼正在圣河里洗澡。虽然只是初秋,天气已相当寒冷,却还有成群的男女在恒河里虔诚地领受圣洗。这些善男信女是佛教的死对头,他们狂热地崇信婆罗门教。婆罗门教里有三个转世活佛:第一个是回斯奴,他是太阳神的化身,第二个是希瓦,他是生灵万物主宰的化身,第三个是卜拉马,他是一切婆罗门教教长和立法者的主宰。然而当汽船驶过,搅混了恒河圣水的时候,我们不知道卜拉马、希瓦和回斯奴又怎样看待今天这个英国化了的印度呢。

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名著·八十天环绕地球 - 第20节