名著·八十天环绕地球 - 第57节


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  斐利亚·福克自由了!他走近了这个侦探,死盯着侦探的脸,他用很快的动作,这动作是他从来没有过的,也许在他一生中也是第一次,说时迟,那时快,他先把两臂向后一晃,非常准确地对着这个倒霉的密探狠狠地打了两拳。

   "Well hit!" cried Passepartout, "Parbleu! that's what you might call a good application of English fists!"

  “揍得好!”路路通叫着说,接着他又说了一句尖刻的俏皮话,他不愧是个法国人,他说:“喏,看见吗?这才真是那种有名的英国拳术表演呢!”

   Fix, who found himself on the floor, did not utter a word. He had only received his deserts. Mr. Fogg, Aouda, and Passepartout left the Custom House without delay, got into a cab, and in a few moments descended at the station.

  费克斯被打翻了,他一句话也没说,这是他自作自受自遭殃。福克先生、艾娥达夫人和路路通马上离开了海关,跳上了一辆马车,几分钟之后,就到了利物浦的车站。

   Phileas Fogg asked if there was an express train about to leave for London. It was forty minutes past two. The express train had left thirty-five minutes before. Phileas Fogg then ordered a special train.

  斐利亚·福克打听有没有马上开往伦敦去的快车……这时已是两点四十分了……快车在三十五分钟之前已经开出去了。斐利亚·福克这时就要租专车。

   There were several rapid locomotives on hand; but the railway arrangements did not permit the special train to leave until three o'clock. At that hour Phileas Fogg, having stimulated the engineer by the offer of a generous reward, at last set out towards London with Aouda and his faithful servant. It was necessary to make the journey in five hours and a half; and this would have been easy on a clear road throughout. But there were forced delays, and when Mr. Fogg stepped from the train at the terminus, all the clocks in London were striking ten minutes before nine."

  本来站上有几辆速度很高的机车,但是按照铁路规章,在三点钟以前不能开专车。三点钟,斐利亚,福克跟司机说了几句话,许了他一笔奖金,福克先生带着艾娥达夫人和他的忠实仆人,坐着火车飞快地开往伦敦去了。火车必须在五个半小时之内跑完这一段从利物浦到伦敦的铁路,如果沿途不错车,能一直不停地开,赶到伦敦还是很可能的,但是路上偏偏又有些耽搁,当这位绅上到达终点车站时,伦敦市所有的大钟都指着九点差十分。

  斐利亚·福克完成了他的环绕地球的旅行,但是迟到了五分钟!……他输了。

   The dwellers in Saville Row would have been surprised the next day, if they had been told that Phileas Fogg had returned home. His doors and windows were still closed, no appearance of change was visible. After leaving the station, Mr. Fogg gave Passepartout instructions to purchase some provisions, and quietly went to his domicile.

  第二天,如果有人告诉赛微乐街的居民说福克先生已经回家了,那他们一定会感到非常奇怪。因为门和窗户都照样关着,外面看来没有一点变化。实际上,斐利亚·福克离开车站之后就叫路路通去买些吃的东西,自己就跟艾娥达夫人直接回家了。

   He bore his misfortune with his habitual tranquillity. Ruined! And by the blundering of the detective! After having steadily traversed that long journey, overcome a hundred obstacles, braved many dangers, and still found time to do some good on his way, to fail near the goal by a sudden event which he could not have foreseen, and against which he was unarmed; it was terrible! But a few pounds were left of the large sum he had carried with him. There only remained of his fortune the twenty thousand pounds deposited at Barings, and this amount he owed to his friends of the Reform Club. So great had been the expense of his tour that, even had he won, it would not have enriched him; and it is probable that he had not sought to enrich himself, being a man who rather laid wagers for honour's sake than for the stake proposed. But this wager totally ruined him. Mr. Fogg's course, however, was fully decided upon; he knew what remained for him to do.

  这位绅士受了这次打击仍然和往常一样不动声色。他垮台了!都是那笨蛋侦探的罪过!他在这次漫长的旅途中稳步前进,他扫除了无数障碍,经历了无数危险,路上还抽出时间做了些好事,然而,就在大功告成的时候,却碰上了这一场突如其来的祸事,使他一败涂地,不可收拾,这样的结局太可怕了!他离开伦敦时带了那么多钱,如今只剩下一点点儿了。他的全部财产就只是存在巴林兄弟那儿的两万英镑了。而这两万英镑还要付给改良俱乐部的那些会友。按照旅途中他花的这么多钱来说,即使是赌赢了,他也赚不到钱。显然福克先生决不是为赢钱才打赌的,他打赌是为了荣誉;但是这一回要是输了,他就会彻底破产,再说,这位绅士的命运现在已经决定了。他很清楚自己该如何处理善后问题。

   A room in the house in Saville Row was set apart for Aouda, who was overwhelmed with grief at her protector's misfortune. From the words which Mr. Fogg dropped, she saw that he was meditating some serious project.

  艾娥达夫人住在赛微乐街福克先生特为她准备的一间房子里。她很难过,因为从福克先生说的一些话中,她已经了解到他正在考虑着一个伤心的计划。

   Knowing that Englishmen governed by a fixed idea sometimes resort to the desperate expedient of suicide, Passepartout kept a narrow watch upon his master, though he carefully concealed the appearance of so doing. First of all, the worthy fellow had gone up to his room, and had extinguished the gas burner, which had been burning for eighty days. He had found in the letter-box a bill from the gas company, and he thought it more than time to put a stop to this expense, which he had been doomed to bear.

  实际上,我们知道,象他这样一个性情孤僻的英国人,有时思想钻进了牛角尖,就会选择一条极端悲惨的出路。因此路路通表面上装得若无其事,暗地却时刻注意着他的主人。不过,这个忠实的小伙子还是先回到自己的房里,把那个开了八十天的煤气龙头关上,他在信箱里拿到一份煤气公司缴费通知单。他觉得这一笔应该归他付账的煤气费该到此为止了。

  这一夜过去了。福克先生也照常睡了。不过,他是否睡着了,这还是一个疑问。而艾娥达夫人是一刻也不能合眼,至于路路通,他象一条狗似的守在主人的房门口,怕发生什么意外。

   Mr. Fogg called him in the morning, and told him to get Aouda's breakfast, and a cup of tea and a chop for himself. He desired Aouda to excuse him from breakfast and dinner, as his time would be absorbed all day in putting his affairs to rights. In the evening he would ask permission to have a few moment's conversation with the young lady.

  第二天早晨,福克先生把路路通叫来,很简单地吩咐他去给艾娥达夫人预备午饭,他自己只要一杯茶和一片烤面包。艾娥达夫人一点也不怨他不能陪自己吃午饭和晚饭,因为他要用全部时间处理一些事务。他今天一天都不下楼,但是他希望晚上艾娥达夫人能跟他谈一会儿。

   Passepartout, having received his orders, had nothing to do but obey them. He looked at his imperturbable master, and could scarcely bring his mind to leave him. His heart was full, and his conscience tortured by remorse; for he accused himself more bitterly than ever of being the cause of the irretrievable disaster. Yes! if he had warned Mr. Fogg, and had betrayed Fix's projects to him, his master would certainly not have given the detective passage to Liverpool, and then--

  路路通接受了主人吩咐,这一天的工作日程已经算是排定了,只要照办就行了。他望着这位永远没有表情的主人,他还不想离开主人的房间。这次无可挽回的祸事使他的心情很沉重;他的良心深感不安,他不住地在怨恨自己。可不是!如果他把侦探费克斯的阴谋早告诉福克先生,如果他把这事预先向自己主人揭露,福克先生就决不会把侦探带到利物浦,那么也就不会……

   Passepartout could hold in no longer.

  路路通难过得简直受不了了。

   "My master! Mr. Fogg!" he cried, "why do you not curse me? It was my fault that--"

  “我的主人!福克先生!”他叫着说,“您骂我吧!这都是我的错……”

  “我谁也不怨,”斐利亚·福克用非常镇静的语气说,“你去吧。”

   Passepartout left the room, and went to find Aouda, to whom he delivered his master's message.

  路路通离开了主人的房间,见了艾娥达夫人,向她传达了福克先生的话,然后他又接着说:

   "Madam," he added, "I can do nothing myself--nothing! I have no influence over my master; but you, perhaps--"

  “夫人,我自己是一点儿办法也没有了!我对他的情绪不能发生一点影响,也许您能……”

   "What influence could I have?" replied Aouda. "Mr. Fogg is influenced by no one. Has he ever understood that my gratitude to him is overflowing? Has he ever read my heart? My friend, he must not be left alone an instant! You say he is going to speak with me this evening?"

  “我对他又能发生什么影响呢?”艾娥达夫人说,“福克先生是一点也不会受我的影响的!我对他这种万分感激的心情,他知道吗?他了解我的心吗?……我的朋友,您快回去吧!一刻也别离开他。您说他今天晚上想跟我谈谈吗?”

   "Yes, madam; probably to arrange for your protection and comfort in England."

  “是的,夫人,我想一定是跟您商量今后您在英国待下去的问题。”

  “好吧,”艾娥达夫人说,她显然是在沉思着。

   Throughout this day (Sunday) the house in Saville Row was as if uninhabited, and Phileas Fogg, for the first time since he had lived in that house, did not set out for his club when Westminster clock struck half-past eleven.

  今天这个星期日,赛微乐街的这所房子一整天都是这样沉寂,就好象里面没有住人似的。当国会大厦钟楼上的大钟打十一点半的时候,斐利亚·福克并没到俱乐部去,自从他住进这所房子以来这还是头一次。

   Why should he present himself at the Reform? His friends no longer expected him there. As Phileas Fogg had not appeared in the saloon on the evening before (Saturday, the 21st of December, at a quarter before nine), he had lost his wager. It was not even necessary that he should go to his bankers for the twenty thousand pounds; for his antagonists already had his cheque in their hands, and they had only to fill it out and send it to the Barings to have the amount transferred to their credit.

  这位绅士再到改良俱乐部去干什么呢?他的同僚们已经不在那里等他了。因为昨天晚上是星期六,在这个决定命运的12月21日八点四十五分斐利亚·福克没有回到改良俱乐部大厅,他的赌注已经输了。他也不必再到巴林兄弟银行去取他那两万英镑了。那些跟他打赌的对手手里有一张他签的支票,只要很简单地在巴林兄弟银行办一下过户手续,那两万英镑就转到他们的账上了。

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名著·八十天环绕地球 - 第57节