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“嗨,嗨,在那边!”一个声音哆哆嗦嗦地在后边嚷道,“品切尔!尼普顿!过来,过来!” The dogs, who, in common with their masters, seemed to have no particular relish for the sport in which they were engaged, readily answered to the command. Three men, who had by this time advanced some distance into the field, stopped to take counsel together. 这两只狗跟它们的主人一样,似乎对正在进行的这场比赛并没有什么特别的兴趣,爽爽快快地听从了命令。这功夫,三个已经在这片田野上跑了一段距离的男人停止了搜索,聚在一块儿商量起来。 'My advice, or, leastways, I should say, my ORDERS, is,' said the fattest man of the party, 'that we 'mediately go home again.' “我的意思,或者至少应该说,我的命令吧,”一行中最胖的一位说道,“我们还是赶紧回去。” 'I am agreeable to anything which is agreeable to Mr. Giles,' said a shorter man; who was by no means of a slim figure, and who was very pale in the face, and very polite: as frightened men frequently are. “凯尔司先生认可的事我没有不赞同的。”一个身材较矮但绝对不能算单薄的男人说,他脸色非常苍白,举止文雅,一般受到惊吓的人常常就是这副模样。 'I shouldn't wish to appear ill-mannered, gentlemen,' said the third, who had called the dogs back, 'Mr. Giles ought to know.' “绅士们,我可不愿意显得没有风度,”第三位已经把狗唤了回来,说道。“凯尔司先生拿主意就是了。” 
“当然,”矮个子回答,“无论凯尔司先生说什么,我们都不会反驳。不,不,我清楚自己的处境。谢天谢地,我很清楚自己的处境。”老实说,这小个子的确好像很明白自己的处境,也完全明白这实在不能算一种令人向往的处境,说话间,他的牙齿一直咔哒咔哒响个不停。 'You are afraid, Brittles,' said Mr. Giles. “你害怕了,布里特尔斯。”凯尔司先生说道。 'I an't,' said Brittles. “我不怕。”布里特尔斯说。 'You are,' said Giles. “你怕了,布里特尔斯。”凯尔司说。 'You're a falsehood, Mr. Giles,' said Brittles. “你这是瞎扯,凯尔司先生。”布里特尔斯说道。 
“你撒谎,布里特尔斯。”凯尔司先生说。 Now, these four retorts arose from Mr. Giles's taunt; and Mr. Giles's taunt had arisen from his indignation at having the responsibility of going home again, imposed upon himself under cover of a compliment. The third man brought the dispute to a close, most philosophically. 眼下这四句你来我往的顶撞起因于凯尔司先生的嘲弄,而凯尔司先生出口伤人是因为感到气愤,别人用一句恭维话作掩护,就把再次回去的责任推到自己头上了。第三个人以十足哲学家的风范结束了这场争论。 'I'll tell you what it is, gentlemen,' said he, 'we're all afraid.' “我来说说是怎么回事,绅士们,”他说道,“我们都害怕了。” 'Speak for yourself, sir,' said Mr. Giles, who was the palest of the party. “说你自个儿吧,先生。”凯尔司先生说,一行中脸色最苍白的要算他了。 'So I do,' replied the man. 'It's natural and proper to be afraid, under such circumstances. I am.' “是说我自己,”第三位答道,“在这种情形下,感觉害怕是很自然的,没有什么不对。我的确害怕了。” 
“我也一样,”布里特尔斯说,“只不过压根没有必要那样虚张声势,指责别人害怕了。” These frank admissions softened Mr. Giles, who at once owned that HE was afraid; upon which, they all three faced about, and ran back again with the completest unanimity, until Mr. Giles (who had the shortest wind of the party, as was encumbered with a pitchfork) most handsomely insisted on stopping, to make an apology for his hastiness of speech. 这一坦率的自白使凯尔司先生的心肠软了下来,他当即承认自己也很害怕,于是三个人一起转过身来,步调一致地往回跑去,跑着跑着,凯尔司先生(在同伴当中他最气短,又拖着一把干草叉),极其大度地主张停一停,让他为刚才出言不逊表示一下歉意。 'But it's wonderful,' said Mr. Giles, when he had explained, 'what a man will do, when his blood is up. I should have committed murder--I know I should--if we'd caught one of them rascals.' “不过这事也真奇怪,”凯尔司先生解释完毕之后说道,“一个人只要血气上来了,什么事都干得出来。我恐怕会犯谋杀罪--这我知道--如果我们逮住那帮恶棍当中的一个的话。” As the other two were impressed with a similar presentiment; and as their blood, like his, had all gone down again; some speculation ensued upon the cause of this sudden change in their temperament. 另外两位也有同感,他们的血气也和他一样都消退下去了,跟着便开始思考气质上的这种突变原因何在。 'I know what it was,' said Mr. Giles; 'it was the gate.' “我知道是怎么回事了,”凯尔司先生说,“准是那道篱笆门。” 
“真要是它,我并不觉得奇怪。”布里特尔斯大声疾呼,他立即采纳了这个主意。 'You may depend upon it,' said Giles, 'that that gate stopped the flow of the excitement. I felt all mine suddenly going away, as I was climbing over it.' “你尽管相信好了,”凯尔司说道,“有那扇门挡着,火气才没撞上来。我感觉到了,我正要从门上爬过去,火气突然烟消云散了。” By a remarkable coincidence, the other two had been visited with the same unpleasant sensation at that precise moment. It was quite obvious, therefore, that it was the gate; especially as there was no doubt regarding the time at which the change had taken place, because all three remembered that they had come in sight of the robbers at the instant of its occurance. 真是无独有偶,另外两位在同一时刻也经历了同一种令人不愉快的感受。显而易见,问题在于那道篱笆门,尤其是考虑到发生这一突变的时间是不容置疑的,因为三个人都回忆起了,他们正是在突变发生的一瞬间出现在强盗眼前的。 This dialogue was held between the two men who had surprised the burglars, and a travelling tinker who had been sleeping in an outhouse, and who had been roused, together with his two mongrel curs, to join in the pursuit. Mr. Giles acted in the double capacity of butler and steward to the old lady of the mansion; Brittles was a lad of all-work: who, having entered her service a mere child, was treated as a promising young boy still, though he was something past thirty. 谈话的是三个人,其中有那两个吓跑了夜贼的男子,还有一个是走街串巷的补锅匠。补锅匠本来正在外屋睡觉,给叫醒过来,带着他的两只杂牌狗参加了这场追击。凯尔司先生身兼二职,是这家老太太手下的领班和管家。布里特尔斯是一个小听用,自幼便替老太太当差,至今仍被当成一个没有出息的毛孩子,尽管他已经三十出头了。 Encouraging each other with such converse as this; but, keeping very close together, notwithstanding, and looking apprehensively round, whenever a fresh gust rattled through the boughs; the three men hurried back to a tree, behind which they had left their lantern, lest its light should inform the thieves in what direction to fire. Catching up the light, they made the best of their way home, at a good round trot; and long after their dusky forms had ceased to be discernible, the light might have been seen twinkling and dancing in the distance, like some exhalation of the damp and gloomy atmosphere through which it was swiftly borne. 三个人用诸如此类的叙谈相互壮胆,但却依然紧紧地挤在一块儿,每当一阵疾风刮过,树枝飒飒作响,他们仁都要心神不定地直往后看。他们事先便把提灯留在树后,以免灯光指示强盗往哪个方向开火。他们窜到那棵树的后边,抓起提灯,一溜小跑地奔回家去。他们那灰蒙蒙的身影早已无法辨认,还可以看见灯光在远处闪烁摇曳,仿佛潮湿沉闷的空气正一刻不停地喷吐出一团团磷火似的。 
白昼缓慢地来临,四周更加寒气袭人。雾好似一团法浊的烟云,在地面滚来滚去。草湿漉漉的,小路和低洼的地方积满了泥水。腥臭腐败的风夹着潮气,呜呜地呻吟着,无精打采地一路刮过。奥立弗倒在赛克斯甩下他的那个地点,依然一动不动,昏迷不醒。 Morning drew on apace. The air become more sharp and piercing, as its first dull hue--the death of night, rather than the birth of day--glimmered faintly in the sky. The objects which had looked dim and terrible in the darkness, grew more and more defined, and gradually resolved into their familiar shapes. The rain came down, thick and fast, and pattered noisily among the leafless bushes. But, Oliver felt it not, as it beat against him; for he still lay stretched, helpless and unconscious, on his bed of clay. 天将破晓,第一抹暗淡模糊的色彩--与其说这是白昼的诞生,不如说是黑夜的死亡--软弱无力地在空中闪射着微光,空气变得分外凛冽刺骨。黑暗中看上去模糊可怕的物体变得越来越清晰,逐渐恢复了为人熟知的形状。一阵骤雨僻哩啪啦地打在光秃秃的灌木丛中。尽管急雨打在身上,奥立弗却没有感觉到,他仍然直挺挺地躺在自己的泥土床上,无依无靠,不省人事。 At length, a low cry of pain broke the stillness that prevailed; and uttering it, the boy awoke. His left arm, rudely bandaged in a shawl, hung heavy and useless at his side; the bandage was saturated with blood. He was so weak, that he could scarcely raise himself into a sitting posture; when he had done so, he looked feebly round for help, and groaned with pain. Trembling in every joint, from cold and exhaustion, he made an effort to stand upright; but, shuddering from head to foot, fell prostrate on the ground. 终于,一阵痛苦而微弱的哭声打破了四周的沉寂,孩子发出一阵呻吟,醒过来了。他的左臂给用一张披巾草草包扎了一下,沉甸甸地垂在身边,动弹不得,披巾上浸透了鲜血。他浑身瘫软,几乎无法坐起来。等到果真坐起来的时候,他吃力地掉过头去,指望有人救助,却不禁疼得呻吟起来。由于寒冷和疲劳,他身上的每一处关节都在哆嗦。他挣扎着站起身来,然而,从头到脚抖个不停,又直挺挺地倒了下去。 After a short return of the stupor in which he had been so long plunged, Oliver: urged by a creeping sickness at his heart, which seemed to warn him that if he lay there, he must surely die: got upon his feet, and essayed to walk. His head was dizzy, and he staggered to and from like a drunken man. But he kept up, nevertheless, and, with his head drooping languidly on his breast, went stumbling onward, he knew not whither. 奥立弗从长时间昏迷中苏醒过来不久,心中突然生出一种有蠕虫爬过的恶心感,好像是在警告他,如果他躺在那儿,就必死无疑。他站起来,试探着迈开脚步。他脑子里一片晕眩,像醉汉一样踉踉跄跄走了几步。尽管如此,他还是坚持住了,脑袋软软地搭拉在胸前,磕磕绊绊朝前走去,究竟去哪儿,他自己也不知道。
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