名著·八十天环绕地球 - 第49节


目 录 上一节 下一节

  这时,旅客都离开了车厢。只见车轮上血迹斑斑,车辐和车毂上沾着一块块烂肉。在那盖满白雪的平原上,一道鲜红的血印一直伸延到看不见的远方。跑在最后面的那些印第安人的背影,现在已经在南方共和河岸边消失了。

   Mr. Fogg, with folded arms, remained motionless. He had a serious decision to make. Aouda, standing near him, looked at him without speaking, and he understood her look. If his servant was a prisoner, ought he not to risk everything to rescue him from the Indians? "I will find him, living or dead," said he quietly to Aouda.

  福克先生双手交叉着站在那里一动也不动。他正在考虑一件非常重要的事。艾娥达夫人在他旁边一声不响,望着他……福克先生懂得她的意思。如果他的仆人是被印第安人捉去了,难道不应该牺牲一切去把他救出来吗?……“不管他是死是活,我都要把他找回来。”他简单地对艾娥达夫人说。

   "Ah, Mr.--Mr. Fogg!" cried she, clasping his hands and covering them with tears.

  “啊,先生,福克先生!”年轻的夫人叫着说,她抓住福克先生的双手,这双手上流满了她的眼泪。

   "Living," added Mr. Fogg, "if we do not lose a moment."

  “他不会死!”福克先生说,“只要我们一分钟也不耽搁!”

   Phileas Fogg, by this resolution, inevitably sacrificed himself; he pronounced his own doom. The delay of a single day would make him lose the steamer at New York, and his bet would be certainly lost. But as he thought, "It is my duty," he did not hesitate.

  既然这样决定,斐利亚·福克便准备牺牲一切了。他等于已经宣告了自己的破产,因为只要耽搁一天,他就赶不上去纽约的邮船。他的赌注是输定了。但是他考虑到:这是我的义务!因此他毫不犹豫。

  在克尔尼堡驻防的连长就在旁边,他的士兵--约有一百多人--已经作好防御准备,如果西乌人直接来进攻车站,就及时予以回击。

   "Sir," said Mr. Fogg to the captain, "three passengers have disappeared."

  “先生,”福克先生对连长说,“有三个旅客失踪了。”

   "Dead?" asked the captain.

  “死了吗?”连长问。

   "Dead or prisoners; that is the uncertainty which must be solved. Do you propose to pursue the Sioux?"

  “死了还是被俘了,”福克先生回答说,“现在还说不定,需要马上弄清楚。您是不是预备追击那些西乌人?”

   "That's a serious thing to do, sir," returned the captain. "These Indians may retreat beyond the Arkansas, and I cannot leave the fort unprotected."

  “这可不是件小事,先生,”连长说,“这些印第安人能跑到阿肯色河那边去!我总不能丢下上级交给我的军堡啊。”

  “先生,”斐利亚·福克说,“这件事关系着三个人的生命。”

   "Doubtless; but can I risk the lives of fifty men to save three?"

  “这我知道……但是叫五十个人冒生命的危险去救三个人,我能这样作吗?”

   "I don't know whether you can, sir; but you ought to do so."

  “我不知道您是不是能这样作,但是您应该这样作。”

   "Nobody here," returned the other, "has a right to teach me my duty."

  “先生,”连长回答说,“在这里没有任何人有权指示我应该怎么作。”

   "Very well," said Mr. Fogg, coldly. "I will go alone."

  “好吧!”斐利亚·福克冷冰冰他说,“那我自己去!”

  “您自己,先生?”费克斯走过来叫着说,“您一个人去追那些印第安人?”

   "Would you have me leave this poor fellow to perish-- him to whom every one present owes his life? I shall go."

  “这里所有活着的人,都是这个不幸的小伙子救下来的,难道您叫我看着他死在印第安人手里吗?我可一定要去。”

   "No, sir, you shall not go alone," cried the captain, touched in spite of himself. "No! you are a brave man. Thirty volunteers!" he added, turning to the soldiers.

  “好吧!您别一个人去!”连长叫着说,他已经被福克的行为感动了,“不错,您是条好汉!……”他回头对自己的士兵说,“来三十个人,自愿报名!”

   The whole company started forward at once. The captain had only to pick his men. Thirty were chosen, and an old sergeant placed at their head.

  全连士兵都拥上来了。连长只需在这些正直的小伙子中间挑选就行了。他挑好三十个人,另派一个老军士长带队。

   "Thanks, captain," said Mr. Fogg.

  “谢谢您,连长!”福克先生说。

  “我跟您一起去好吗?”费克斯问福克先生。

   "Do as you please, sir. But if you wish to do me a favour, you will remain with Aouda. In case anything should happen to me--"

  “您高兴去就去吧,先生,”斐利亚·福克回答说,“不过,假如您愿意帮我的忙,我希望您在这里陪着艾娥达夫人,如果我遇到不幸……”

   A sudden pallor overspread the detective's face. Separate himself from the man whom he had so persistently followed step by step! Leave him to wander about in this desert! Fix gazed attentively at Mr. Fogg, and, despite his suspicions and of the struggle which was going on within him, he lowered his eyes before that calm and frank look.

  听了这话,警察厅密探的脸上突然变得苍白。他寸步不离地紧盯着的这个人现在要离开他了!让他这样到那荒无人烟的地方去冒险!费克斯注视着这位绅士,虽然他对福克怀有偏见,虽然他正在跟对方进行着斗争,但是在这个态度坦然而又镇静的绅士面前,他终于还是低下了头。

   "I will stay," said he.

  “好吧,我留在这儿。”他说。

   A few moments after, Mr. Fogg pressed the young woman's hand, and, having confided to her his precious carpet-bag, went off with the sergeant and his little squad. But, before going, he had said to the soldiers, "My friends, I will divide five thousand dollars among you, if we save the prisoners." It was then a little past noon.

  过不一会,福克先生跟年轻的艾娥达夫人握手告别,并且把他那个宝贝旅行袋也交给她了,然后他就跟着军士长领着的一小队人一起出发了。临走之前,他对士兵们说:“朋友们!如果能把人救回来,就给你们一千英镑的奖金。”这时已经是十二点过几分了。

  艾娥达夫人回到车站上的一间房子里去了,她独自在那里等着,这时,她想着福克,想着他仗义救人的气概,想着他沉着勇敢的精神。福克先生已经牺牲了他的财产,现在他又不顾自己的生命,为了尽义务,他毫不犹豫,甚至连一句话也不多说。在艾娥达夫人看来斐利亚·福克真是一个英雄。

   Fix did not have the same thoughts, and could scarcely conceal his agitation. He walked feverishly up and down the platform, but soon resumed his outward composure. He now saw the folly of which he had been guilty in letting Fogg go alone. What! This man, whom he had just followed around the world, was permitted now to separate himself from him! He began to accuse and abuse himself, and, as if he were director of police, administered to himself a sound lecture for his greenness.

  但是密探费克斯却不这么想。现在他心里烦躁不堪,就象热锅上的蚂蚁。他在月台上走来走去。刚才他一时糊涂,现在清醒了。让福克走掉了,这事做得太糊涂,我是怎么搞的?寸步不离地跟他跑遍了整个地球,现在居然会同意他走开!现在他密探的本性又恢复过来了,他不住地责怪自己,他对自己的指责就好象是伦敦警察厅长在训斥一个由于无知而放走了一个现行犯的警员似的。

   "I have been an idiot!" he thought, "and this man will see it. He has gone, and won't come back! But how is it that I, Fix, who have in my pocket a warrant for his arrest, have been so fascinated by him? Decidedly, I am nothing but an ass!"

  “我真是混蛋!”他心里说,“别人会把我的身份告诉他的。他这一走准不回来了!现在再到哪儿去抓他呢?唉!我怎么会给他骗住了呢?我费克斯口袋里有抓他的拘票!嘿,我真是个笨蛋!”

   So reasoned the detective, while the hours crept by all too slowly. He did not know what to do. Sometimes he was tempted to tell Aouda all; but he could not doubt how the young woman would receive his confidences. What course should he take? He thought of pursuing Fogg across the vast white plains; it did not seem impossible that he might overtake him. Footsteps were easily printed on the snow! But soon, under a new sheet, every imprint would be effaced.

  警察厅密探就这样在那儿胡思乱想,他觉得时间过得又长又慢,真不知道该如何是好。一会儿,他想把这一切都告诉艾娥达夫人,但是,他知道这个年轻的女人将会怎么对付他。怎么办呢?他想穿过那漫长的雪野去追赶福克!他认为也许还能找到他,雪地上还留着那一队人走过的足迹!……但是过不一会儿,那些足迹就被一层新下的白雪盖上了。

   Fix became discouraged. He felt a sort of insurmountable longing to abandon the game altogether. He could now leave Fort Kearney station, and pursue his journey homeward in peace.

  这时费克斯泄气了。他现在心里真想放弃对福克的追踪。正在这个时候,眼前出现了一个机会,他可以丢下福克马上离开克尔尼堡继续他这次多灾多难的旅行。

  事情是这样的:在下午快两点的时候,天上正飘着鹅毛大雪,忽然从东面传来几声汽笛的长鸣,接着一个黑呼呼的庞然大物,头上射出强烈的光芒,慢吞吞地向这边走过来了,它在浓雾里越发显得庞大,并且还带有一种神怪的气氛。这时人们根本就没想到会从东面开来列车。通过电报要求增派的机车也不可能这么快就到。从奥马哈开往旧金山的火车,也要等到第二天才能经过此地。但是,不一会儿,大家都明白了。

目 录 上一节 下一节

分享本课给同学:

   

扫扫二维码

手机学英语


名著·八十天环绕地球 - 第49节