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“是啊，”福克先生说，“不过虽然慢，还是在过啊！” "You were in the habit of playing whist," resumed Fix, "on the steamers." “在船上的时候，”费克斯接着说，“我看您常打‘惠司脱’？” "Yes; but it would be difficult to do so here. I have neither cards nor partners." “是啊，”斐利亚·福克回答说，“不过在这儿就难了，我现在既没有牌，又没有对手。” "Oh, but we can easily buy some cards, for they are sold on all the American trains. And as for partners, if madam plays--" “哦！牌吗，我们在车上准能买到，美国火车上什么都卖。至于对手……夫人，也许碰巧您也会……” "Certainly, sir," Aouda quickly replied; "I understand whist. It is part of an English education." “对了，先生，我会，”艾娥达夫人很高兴地说，“我会打‘惠司脱’。这也是我在英国学校学的一门功课哩。” 
“至于我呢，”费克斯接着说，“我很希望能有机会提高自己玩‘惠司脱’的技巧。这就行了，咱们三个来，剩下一边空着……” "As you please, sir," replied Phileas Fogg, heartily glad to resume his favourite pastime even on the railway. “您既然愿意来，咱们就来吧。”福克先生说，他即使在火车上也很喜欢玩自己特别喜欢的“惠司脱”。 Passepartout was dispatched in search of the steward, and soon returned with two packs of cards, some pins, counters, and a shelf covered with cloth. The game commenced. Aouda understood whist sufficiently well, and even received some compliments on her playing from Mr. Fogg. As for the detective, he was simply an adept, and worthy of being matched against his present opponent. 路路通急忙去找乘务员，很快地弄来了两副牌和一些计分用的筹码，另外还有一张铺着台布的小桌子。一切齐备，他们就开始玩牌。艾娥达夫人打得相当好，连一本正经的福克先生有时也称赞她的技巧高明。至于费克斯简直是玩“惠司脱”的头等好手，他跟这位绅士可称为棋逢对手。这时，路路通在旁边看了，心里说： "Now," thought Passepartout, "we've got him. He won't budge." “现在我们算是把他给拖住了，他再也不会离开牌桌子了。” At eleven in the morning the train had reached the dividing ridge of the waters at Bridger Pass, seven thousand five hundred and twenty-four feet above the level of the sea, one of the highest points attained by the track in crossing the Rocky Mountains. After going about two hundred miles, the travellers at last found themselves on one of those vast plains which extend to the Atlantic, and which nature has made so propitious for laying the iron road. 上午十一点钟，火车到了距离太平洋和大西洋一样远近的地点，也就是到了布里基尔关，这里的地势海拔七千五百二十四英尺。在穿越洛矶山脉的这段铁路线上，这里是地势最高的几个山岗之一。大约再走两百英里，客车才会到达那一片一直延展到大西洋海岸的辽阔平原，在这样的平原上修筑铁路实在大方便了。 
在大西洋盆地的山坡地区，分布着许多由北普拉特河分出来的支流小河。整个北方和东方的地平线都被那由洛矶山脉北部群山构成的一个半侧形大帷幕遮盖着。群山中最高的山峰是拉拉米峰。在这座半圆形大山和铁路之间是一片河川纵横的大平原。铁路右边，是接近群山的斜坡。群山的余脉一直向南延伸到密苏里河的重要支流之一阿肯色河的发源地。 At half-past twelve the travellers caught sight for an instant of Fort Halleck, which commands that section; and in a few more hours the Rocky Mountains were crossed. There was reason to hope, then, that no accident would mark the journey through this difficult country. The snow had ceased falling, and the air became crisp and cold. Large birds, frightened by the locomotive, rose and flew off in the distance. No wild beast appeared on the plain. It was a desert in its vast nakedness. 十二点半，车上旅客瞥见了一座城堡，那就是俯瞰着整个这一地区的哈莱克堡。再过几个钟头，穿越洛矶山脉的旅行就要胜利结束了。人们于是可以指望通过这个困难的山区而不发生任何意外了。雪停了。天气变得更冷。巨大的鹰鹫被奔驰的机车吓得急忙往远处飞逃。平原上没有任何野兽，既没有熊，又没有狼，只是一片荒凉的旷野。 After a comfortable breakfast, served in the car, Mr. Fogg and his partners had just resumed whist, when a violent whistling was heard, and the train stopped. Passepartout put his head out of the door, but saw nothing to cause the delay; no station was in view. 福克先生和他的同伴们就在自己的车厢里吃了一顿相当舒服的中饭，然后又立即接着打起了那永无休止的“惠司脱”。这时，突然响起一阵哨子声。火车停下来了。路路通将头伸出窗外看了一下，没有看到任何阻止火车前进的东西，也没看到车站。 Aouda and Fix feared that Mr. Fogg might take it into his head to get out; but that gentleman contented himself with saying to his servant, "See what is the matter." 艾娥达夫人和费克斯很担心福克先生要下车去看看，但是这位绅士只对自己的仆人说了一声：“去看看，是怎么回事？” Passepartout rushed out of the car. Thirty or forty passengers had already descended, amongst them Colonel Stamp Proctor. 路路通立即跑出车厢。这时已经有四十多个旅客出来了，其中就有斯汤姆·普洛克托上校。 
火车停在一个禁止通行的红灯前面。火车司机和列车员已经下来了。他们正在和一个守路员激烈地争论着，这个守路员是前面梅迪西弯车站的站长特地派来等这一趟火车的。旅客们也都走过来参加这一场争论，其中自然少不了刚才说的那位普洛克托上校。他扯开嗓门儿大嚷，指手划脚，神气活现。 Passepartout, joining the group, heard the signal-man say, "No! you can't pass. The bridge at Medicine Bow is shaky, and would not bear the weight of the train." 路路通走近了这一群人，他听见守路员说：“不行，没办法通过！梅迪西弯的大桥已经在摇晃，经受不起火车的重压了。” This was a suspension-bridge thrown over some rapids, about a mile from the place where they now were. According to the signal-man, it was in a ruinous condition, several of the iron wires being broken; and it was impossible to risk the passage. He did not in any way exaggerate the condition of the bridge. It may be taken for granted that, rash as the Americans usually are, when they are prudent there is good reason for it. 他们所说的这座大桥，是一座空悬在一条激流上的吊桥。离这里还有一英里。据守路员说，这座桥就要垮了，上面很多铁索已经断了。冒险通过是不可能的。守路员肯定说不能通过，他确实一点也没有夸大。再说，美国人一向是冒冒失失，满不在乎的；要是连他们也在乎了，那只有疯子才敢去冒险。 Passepartout, not daring to apprise his master of what he heard, listened with set teeth, immovable as a statue. 路路通不敢把这事告诉他的主人，他象一座塑像，一动也不动，咬着牙听人家争论。 "Hum!" cried Colonel Proctor; "but we are not going to stay here, I imagine, and take root in the snow?" “啊，是这么回事！”普洛克托上校叫着说，“我们走不成了，我看咱们只好在这雪地上扎根儿了！” 
“上校先生，”列车员说，“已经给奥马哈车站打电报了。要他们派一列车来。但是，六点钟以前能不能到梅迪西弯，这还不敢说。” "Six hours!" cried Passepartout. “要等到六点钟！”路路通嚷着说。 "Certainly," returned the conductor, "besides, it will take us as long as that to reach Medicine Bow on foot." “那可不是吗，”列车员说，“再说，我们从这儿步行到前面车站，也得要这么长的时间。” "But it is only a mile from here," said one of the passengers. “可是，这儿离车站不是只有一英里路吗？”一位旅客问。 "Yes, but it's on the other side of the river." “事实上是一英里，但是得绕道过河啊。” 
“这条河，我们不能坐船过去吗？”上校问。 "That's impossible. The creek is swelled by the rains. It is a rapid, and we shall have to make a circuit of ten miles to the north to find a ford." “那可办不到，因为下雨河水涨了。水流很急，我们必须兜圈子绕十英里路，从北面一个浅滩上过去。” The colonel launched a volley of oaths, denouncing the railway company and the conductor; and Passepartout, who was furious, was not disinclined to make common cause with him. Here was an obstacle, indeed, which all his master's banknotes could not remove. 上校于是破口大骂，一会儿埋怨公司不好，一会儿又责备列车员不对。路路通也是怒气冲天，差一点就要帮着上校一齐骂了。眼前发生的阻碍是一种物质的力量，路路通的主人钞票再多，即便都拿出来，这一回也解决不了问题。 There was a general disappointment among the passengers, who, without reckoning the delay, saw themselves compelled to trudge fifteen miles over a plain covered with snow. They grumbled and protested, and would certainly have thus attracted Phileas Fogg's attention if he had not been completely absorbed in his game. 此外，所有的旅客也都感到很丧气，耽搁时间暂且不说，旅客还得在这冰天雪地里步行十五六英里。所以，叫喊声和咒骂声乱成了一片，斐利亚·福克要不是一心在玩“惠司脱”的话，这些叫声准会引起他的注意。 Passepartout found that he could not avoid telling his master what had occurred, and, with hanging head, he was turning towards the car, when the engineer a true Yankee, named Forster called out, "Gentlemen, perhaps there is a way, after all, to get over." 路路通现在觉得必须把情况告诉自己的主人，于是他就低着头走向车厢。正在这个时候，那位火车司机--他名叫孚尔斯特，是一个标准的“洋乞”--大声叫着说：“先生们，咱们也许有办法过去。” 
“从桥上过去吗？”一个旅客问。
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