目 录 上一节 下一节 
这时，许许多多纷乱迷惘的印象涌上了他的心头。他仿佛依然走在赛克斯与格拉基特之间，他俩还在气冲冲地斗嘴--他们讲的那些话又在他耳边响起。他狠命挣扎了一下，才没有倒在地上，这下好像醒悟过来了，发现自己正在跟他们说话。接着就是单独和赛克斯在一块儿，深一脚浅一脚地走路，跟前一天的情况一模一样。幻影一般的人从他们身边走过，他感觉到那强盗紧紧抓住他的手腕。突然，开枪了，他连连后退，喧闹的喊声叫声在空中回荡，灯光在他的眼前闪动，四周闹闹嚷嚷，骚动不已，就在这时，一只看不见的手领着他匆匆走开。一种说不清楚的，令人不安的疼痛感穿透所有这些浮光掠影，一刻不停地侵扰、折磨着他。 Thus he staggered on, creeping, almost mechanically, between the bars of gates, or through hedge-gaps as they came in his way, until he reached a road. Here the rain began to fall so heavily, that it roused him. 就这样，他跌跌撞撞地走着，几乎是无意识地从挡住去路的大门横木的空档或者篱笆缝隙之间爬过去，来到一条路上。到了这里，雨下大了，他才醒悟过来。 He looked about, and saw that at no great distance there was a house, which perhaps he could reach. Pitying his condition, they might have compassion on him; and if they did not, it would be better, he thought, to die near human beings, than in the lonely open fields. He summoned up all his strength for one last trial, and bent his faltering steps towards it. 他向四周看了看，发现不远的地方有一幢房子，或许他还有力气走到那儿。里边的人看他这份处境，说不定会可怜他的。就算他们不怜悯吧，他想，死的时候旁边有人总比死在寂寞的旷野里好一些。这是最后的考验，他使出全身力气，颤颤悠悠地朝那所房子走去。 As he drew nearer to this house, a feeling come over him that he had seen it before. He remembered nothing of its details; but the shape and aspect of the building seemed familiar to him. 他一步步走近那所房子，一种似曾相识的感觉油然而生，有关的细节他一点也回忆不起了，但这座建筑物的式样和外观好像在哪儿见过。 That garden wall! On the grass inside, he had fallen on his knees last night, and prayed the two men's mercy. It was the very house they had attempted to rob. 那一道花园围墙。昨天晚上他就是跪在墙内的草地上，恳求那两个家伙发发慈悲的。这就是他们试图抢劫的那户人家。 
奥立弗认出了这个地方，一阵恐惧不由得袭上心头，在那一瞬间，他甚至忘记了伤口的疼痛，只有逃走这个念头。逃走！他连站都站不稳，就算他那稚嫩瘦小的身体处于精力充沛的状况，又能逃到哪儿去？他推了推花园门，门没有上锁，一下打开了。他蹒跚着穿过草地，登上台阶，怯生生地敲了敲门，这时他已经浑身无力，靠在这个小门廊里的一根柱子上，晕了过去。 It happened that about this time, Mr. Giles, Brittles, and the tinker, were recruiting themselves, after the fatigues and terrors of the night, with tea and sundries, in the kitchen. Not that it was Mr. Giles's habit to admit to too great familiarity the humbler servants: towards whom it was rather his wont to deport himself with a lofty affability, which, while it gratified, could not fail to remind them of his superior position in society. But, death, fires, and burglary, make all men equals; so Mr. Giles sat with his legs stretched out before the kitchen fender, leaning his left arm on the table, while, with his right, he illustrated a circumstantial and minute account of the robbery, to which his bearers (but especially the cook and housemaid, who were of the party) listened with breathless interest. 碰巧在这个时候，凯尔司先生、布里特尔斯、还有那个补锅匠，因为辛劳一夜，又担惊受怕了一夜，正在厨房里享用茶点以及各种食物，以便提神补气。依照凯尔司先生的脾气，他历来不赞成与低一级的用人过于亲近，比较习惯于以一种高尚的和蔼气派与下边的人相处，使他们既不见怪，又不至于忘记他在外界的地位比他们高。然而丧事、火警和劫案能把所有的人拉平，所以凯尔司先生坐在厨房炉档前边，伸直双腿，左胳膊支在桌子上，右手比比划划，正在讲述这次劫案的详细情节，他的几位听众（尤其是厨娘和女仆）听得津津有味，连大气也不敢出。 'It was about half-past tow,' said Mr. Giles, 'or I wouldn't swear that it mightn't have been a little nearer three, when I woke up, and, turning round in my bed, as it might be so, (here Mr. Giles turned round in his chair, and pulled the corner of the table-cloth over him to imitate bed-clothes,) I fancied I heerd a noise.' “大概是在两点半钟左右，”凯尔司先生说道，“没准是在靠近三点的时候，我也不敢肯定，我当时醒了，在床上翻了个身，就像现在这样（说到这里，凯尔司先生在椅子里转了个方向，又把桌布一角拉过来搭在身上，当作被子），我好像听到了一点响动。” At this point of the narrative the cook turned pale, and asked the housemaid to shut the door: who asked Brittles, who asked the tinker, who pretended not to hear. 故事正讲到这个节骨眼上，厨娘的脸色唰地变白了，请女仆去把门关上，女仆转请布里特尔斯代劳，布里特尔斯要补锅匠去关门，这位却假装没有听见。 '--Heerd a noise,' continued Mr. Giles. 'I says, at first, "This is illusion"; and was composing myself off to sleep, when I heerd the noise again, distinct.' “--听到了一点响动，”凯尔司先生继续说道，“开头我还说，这是幻觉，我正想安安心心再睡一觉，又听到了那个声音，听得清清楚楚。” 
“是一种什么响声？”厨子问。 'A kind of a busting noise,' replied Mr. Giles, looking round him. “是一种什么东西破了的声音。”凯尔司先生回答时前后看了看。 'More like the noise of powdering a iron bar on a nutmeg-grater,' suggested Brittles. “更像是铁棍在肉豆蔻粉碎机上磨擦的声音。”布里特尔斯提出了自己的见解。 'It was, when you HEERD it, sir,' rejoined Mr. Giles; 'but, at this time, it had a busting sound. I turned down the clothes'; continued Giles, rolling back the table-cloth, 'sat up in bed; and listened.' “那是你听到的时候了，老兄，”凯尔司先生答道，“不过，在这个时候，还是一种什么东西破了的声音。我掀开被子，”凯尔司推开桌布，接着说道，“从床上坐起来，支起耳朵听着。” The cook and housemaid simultaneously ejaculated 'Lor!' and drew their chairs closer together. 厨娘和女仆同对哟的一声叫了起来，把椅子拉得更近了。 
“这一次我可听得再明白不过了，”凯尔司先生继续说，“‘一定有人，’我说，‘在砸门，或者窗户，怎么办呢？我得把那苦命的小家伙，就是说把布里特尔斯叫醒，免得他给人杀死在床上。不然的话，’我说，‘他没准气管叫人家从右耳到左耳这么割下来还不知道呢。’” Here, all eyes were turned upon Brittles, who fixed his upon the speaker, and stared at him, with his mouth wide open, and his face expressive of the most unmitigated horror. 这时，所有的目光齐刷刷地转向了布里特尔斯，他目瞪口呆地望着那位说书人，满脸都是绝对纯正的恐怖神色。 'I tossed off the clothes,' said Giles, throwing away the table-cloth, and looking very hard at the cook and housemaid, 'got softly out of bed; drew on a pair of--' “我把被子掀到一边，”凯尔司摔开桌布，神色异常严峻地看着回娘和女仆。“轻手轻脚下了床，穿上--” 'Ladies present, Mr. Giles,' murmured the tinker. “有女士在座呢，凯尔司先生。”补锅匠小声地说。 '--Of SHOES, sir,' said Giles, turning upon him, and laying great emphasis on the word; 'seized the loaded pistol that always goes upstairs with the plate-basket; and walked on tiptoes to his room. "Brittles," I says, when I had woke him, "don't be frightened!"' “一双鞋，老兄，”凯尔司朝他掉过脸来，特意在“鞋”这个词上加重了语气。“操起一把装足了药的手枪，我每天都要把这家伙连同餐具篮子一道拿上楼去，我踮起脚尖走进他的房间。‘布里特尔斯，’我把他叫醒过来，‘别怕。’” 
“你是这么说的。”布里特尔斯低声说了一句。 '"We're dead men, I think, Brittles," I says,' continued Giles; '"but don't be frightened."' “‘我们恐怕是没命了，布里特尔斯，’我说，”凯尔司继续说道，“‘但是别害怕。’” 'WAS he frightened?' asked the cook. “他是不是害怕了？”厨娘问。 'Not a bit of it,' replied Mr. Giles. 'He was as firm--ah! pretty near as firm as I was.' “一点没怕，”凯尔司先生回答，“他很坚决--啊！差不多跟我一样坚决。” 'I should have died at once, I'm sure, if it had been me,' observed the housemaid. “要是换上我，我保准会当场吓死。”女仆说道。 
“你是妇道人家嘛。”布里特尔斯略略振作了一些，应声说道。 'Brittles is right,' said Mr. Giles, nodding his head, approvingly; 'from a woman, nothing else was to be expected. We, being men, took a dark lantern that was standing on Brittle's hob, and groped our way downstairs in the pitch dark,--as it might be so.' “布里特尔斯说对了，”凯尔司先生赞许地点了点头，“对于妇道人家，没什么可指望的。我们是男人，提上一盏遮光灯，灯就放在布里特尔斯屋里的壁炉保温架上边，黑咕隆咚地摸着走下楼--就像这个样子。” Mr. Giles had risen from his seat, and taken two steps with his eyes shut, to accompany his description with appropriate action, when he started violently, in common with the rest of the company, and hurried back to his chair. The cook and housemaid screamed. 凯尔司先生从椅子上站起来，闭着眼睛走了两步，以便给自己的描述配上相应的动作，就在这时，他跟别的同伴一样吓了一大跳，慌慌张张地奔回椅子上。厨娘和女仆尖叫起来。
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