名著·鲁宾逊飘流记 - 第47节


目 录 上一节 下一节

  当晚在小船上安歇了一夜。第二天早晨,我决定把运回来的东西都放到新发现的地穴里去,而不是放到城堡里去。我先吃了点东西,把所有的东西都搬到岸上,并仔仔细细地查看了一番。我搬回来的那桶酒是一种甘蔗酒,但与我们巴西的甘蔗酒不一样。一句话,这种酒非常难喝。可是,我打开那两只大箱子后,找到了几样东西对我非常有用。例如,在一只箱子里,有一只精致的小酒箱,里面的酒瓶也十分别致,装的是上等的提神烈性甜酒,每瓶约三品脱,瓶口上还包着银子;还有两罐上好的蜜饯,因为封口很好,咸水没有进去。另外还有两罐却已被海水泡坏了。我又找到一些很好的衬衫,这正是我求之不得的东西。还有一打半白麻纱手帕和有色的领巾。麻纱手帕我也十分需要,大热天拿来擦脸真是再爽快也没有了。此外,在箱子的钱箱里,有三大袋西班牙银币,约一千一百多枚,其中一袋里有六块西班牙金币和一些小块的金条,都包在纸里,估计约有一磅重。

   The other Chest I found had some Cloaths in it, but of little Value; but by the Circumstances it must have belong'd to the Gunner's Mate; though there was no Powder in it; but about two Pound of fine glaz'd Powder, in three small Flasks, kept, I suppose, for charging their Fowling-Pieces on occasion: Upon the whole, I got very little by this Voyage, that was of any use to me; for as to the Money, I had no manner of occasion for it: 'Twas to me as the Dirt under my Feet; and I would have given it all for three or four pair of English Shoes and Stockings, which were Things I greatly wanted, but had not had on my Feet now for many Years: I had indeed gotten two pair of Shoes now, which I took off of the Feet of the two drown'd Men, who I saw in the Wreck; and I found two pair more in one of the Chests, which were very welcome to me; but they were not like our English Shoes, either for Ease, or Service; being rather what we call Pumps, than Shoes: I found in this Seaman's Chest, about fifty Pieces of Eight in Ryals, but no Gold; I suppose this belong'd to a poorer Man than the other, which seem'd to belong to some Officer.

  在另一只大箱子里找到了一些衣服,但对我来说都没有多大用处。看样子,这只箱子是属于船上的副炮手的。箱子里没有很多火药,只有两磅压成细粒的火药,装在三只小瓶里;我想大概是装鸟枪用的。总的来说,我这趟出海弄到的东西有用的不太多。至于钱币,对我当然毫无用处,真是不如粪土!我宁愿用全部金币银币来换三四双英国袜子和鞋子,因为这些都是我迫切需要的东西,我已经好几年没有鞋袜穿了。不过,我还是弄到了两双鞋子,那是我从遇难船上两个淹死的水手的脚上脱下来的。另外,在这只大箱子里还找到两双鞋,这当然也是求之不得的。但这两双鞋子都没有英国鞋子舒适耐穿,因为不是一般走路穿的鞋子,只是一种便鞋而已。在这只船员的箱子里,我另外又找到了五十多枚西班牙银币,但没有金币。我想这只箱子的主人一定比较贫寒,而另一只箱子的主人一定是位高级船员。

   Well, however, I lugg'd this Money home to my Cave, and laid it up, as I had done that before, which I brought from our own Ship; but it was great Pity as I said, that the over Part of this Ship had not come to my Share; for I am satisfy'd I might have loaded my Canoe several Times over with Money, which if I had ever escap'd to England, would have lain here safe enough, till I might have come again and fetch'd it.

  不管怎么说,我还是把所有的钱搬回了山洞,像以前一样妥善收藏好。可惜的是,我无法进入破船的其他部分;否则的话,我准可以用我的独木舟一船一船地把钱币运到岸上。如果有一天我能逃回英国,就是把这些钱都放在这里也非常安全,等以后有机会再回来取也不迟。

   Having now brought all my Things on Shore, and secur'd them, I went back to my Boat, and row'd, or paddled her along the Shore, to her old Harbour, where I laid her up, and made the best of my way to my old Habitation, where I found every thing safe and quiet; so I began to repose my self, live after my old fashion, and take care of my Family Affairs; and for a while, I liv'd easy enough; only that I was more vigilant than I us'd to be, look'd out oftner, and did not go abroad so much; and if at any time I did stir with any Freedom, it was always to the East Part of the Island, where I was pretty well satisfy'd the Savages never came, and where I could go without so many Precautions, and such a Load of Arms and Ammunition, as I always carry'd with me, if I went the other way.

  我们所有的东西运到岸上安置妥当后,就回到小船上。我沿着海岸,划到原来停泊的港口,把船缆系好。然后,我拖着波惫的身子回到了我的老住所。到了那里,只见一切平安无事。于是我开始休息,并又像过去一样照常度日,料理家务。有这么一段短短的时期,我日子过得非常怡闲自在,只是比以前较谨慎罢了。我时时注意外面的动静,也很少外出。即使有时大胆到外面活动,也只是到小岛的东部走走,因为我确信野人从未到过那儿,因此用不着处处提防,也用不着带上许多武器弹药。要是到其他地方去,只带少许武器弹药就不行了。

   I liv'd in this Condition near two Years more; but my unlucky Head, that was always to let me know it was born to make my Body miserable, was all this two Years fill'd with Projects and Designs, how, if it were possible, I might get away from this Island; for sometimes I was for making another Voyage to the Wreck, though my Reason told me that there was nothing left there, worth the Hazard of my Voyage: Sometimes for a Ramble one way, sometimes another; and I believe verily, if I had had the Boat that I went from Sallee in, I should have ventur'd to Sea, bound any where, I knew not whither.

  我在这种情况下又过了将近两年。在这两年里,我头脑里充塞着各种各样的计划,一心设法逃离孤岛,尽管我自己也知道,我那倒霉的头脑似乎生来就是为了折磨我的肉体。有时候,我还想上那条破船去察看一番,尽管我也知道,船上已没有什么东西值得我再次冒险出海了。有时候,我又想乘小舟东逛逛西走走。我毫不怀疑,如果我现在有我从萨累逃出来时坐的那条小船,早就冒险出海了;至于去什么地方,那我也顾不上了。

  一般人往往有一种通病,那就是不知足,老是不满于上帝和大自然对他们的安排。现在我认识到,他们的种种苦难,至少有一半是由于不知足这种毛病造成的。患有这种病的人大可以从我的一生经历中得到教训。就拿我自己来说吧,正是由于我不满自己原来的境况,又不听父亲的忠告--我认为,我有悖教训,实为我的"原罪",再加上我后来又犯了同样的错误,才使自己落到今天这样悲惨的地步。当时,造物主已安排我在巴西做了种植园主。如果我自己不痴心妄想发财,而是满足于逐渐致富,这时候我也许已成了巴西数一数二的种植园主了,而现在我却白白地在这荒岛上流落了这么多年,过着悲惨孤寂的生活。而且,我在巴西经营时间不长;就是在这段短短的时间里,我也获利不少。因此我确信,要是我继续经营下去的话,到现在一定拥有十几万葡萄牙金币的家财了。当时,我的种植园已走上了轨道,并且日益兴旺。可是,我偏偏把这一切丢弃,甘愿去当一名船上的管货员,只是为了到几内亚去贩卖黑奴。现在想来,我为什么要这样做呢?要是我守住家业,只要有耐心,经过一段时间之后,同样可以积聚大笔财富,我不是也可以在自己的家门口,从那些黑奴贩子手里买到黑奴吗?虽说价钱贵一点,但这点差价绝不值得自己去冒这样大的风险!

   But as this is ordinarily the Fate of young Heads, so Reflection upon the Folly of it, is as ordinarily the Exercise of more years, or of the dear bought Experience of Time; and so it was with me now; and yet so deep had the Mistake taken root in my Temper, that I could not satisfy my self in my Station, but was continually poring upon the Means, and Possibility of my Escape from this Place; and that I may with the greater Pleasure to the Reader, bring on the remaining Part of my Story, it may not be improper, to give some Account of my first Conceptions on the Subject of this foolish Scheme, for my Escape; and how, and upon what Foundation I acted.

  然而,这正是一般不懂世事的青年人共同的命运。他们不经过多年的磨炼,不用高昂的代价获得人生的阅历,是不会明白自己的愚蠢行为的。我现在的情况就是这样。我生性不知自足,一直到现在还不能安于现状。所以,我头脑里老是盘算着逃离荒岛的种种办法和可能性。为了使读者对我后面要叙述的故事更感兴趣,在这儿我不妨先谈一下我这种荒唐的逃跑计划最初是怎样形成的,后来又是怎样实施的,以及我实施这一计划的根据。

   I am now to be suppos'd retir'd into my Castle, after my late Voyage to the Wreck, my Frigate laid up, and secur'd under Water, as usual, and my Condition restor'd to what it was before: I had more Wealth indeed than I had before, but was not at all the richer; for I had no more use for it, than the Indians of Peru had, before the Spaniards came there.

  这次去破船上的航行回来之后,我又回到城堡里过起隐居生活来。我把独木舟按原来的办法沉入水底隐藏好,过着以前那样平静的日常生活。现在,我比以前更有钱了,但并不因此而更富有,因为金钱对我毫无用处,就像秘鲁的印第安人,在西班牙人来到之前,金钱对他们也是毫无用处的。

   It was one of the Nights in the rainy Season in March, the four and twentieth Year of my first setting Foot in this Island of Solitariness; I was lying in my Bed, or Hammock, awake, very well in Health, had no Pain, no Distemper, no Uneasiness of Body; no, nor any Uneasiness of Mind, more than ordinary; but could by no means close my Eyes; that is, so as to sleep; no, not a Wink all Night long, otherwise than as follows:

  我来到这孤岛上已二十四年了。现在正值雨季三月。一天夜里,我躺在吊床上,辗转反侧,难以入睡。我很健康,没有病痛,没有什么不舒服,心情也很平静,可是怎么也合不上眼,就是睡不着。可以这么说,整个晚上都没打过盹。

   It is as impossible, as needless, to set down the innumerable Crowd of Thoughts that whirl'd through that great thorow-fare of the Brain, the Memory, in this Night's Time: I run over the whole History of my Life in Miniature, or by Abridgment, as I may call it, to my coming to this Island; and also of the Part of my Life, since I came to this Island. In my Reflections upon the State of my Case, since I came on Shore on this Island, I was comparing the happy Posture of my Affairs, in the first Years of my Habitation here, compar'd to the Life of Anxiety, Fear and Care, which I had liv'd ever since I had seen the Print of a Foot in the Sand; not that I did not believe the Savages had frequented the Island even all the while, and might have been several Hundreds of them at Times on Shore there; but I had never known it, and was incapable of any Apprehensions about it; my Satisfaction was perfect, though my Danger was the same; and I was as happy in not knowing my Danger, as if I had never really been expos'd to it: This furnish'd my Thoughts with many very profitable Reflections, and particularly this one, How infinitely Good that Providence is, which has provided in its Government of Mankind, such narrow bounds to his Sight and Knowledge of Things, and though he walks in the midst of so many thousand Dangers, the Sight of which, if discover'd to him, would distract his Mind, and sink his Spirits; he is kept serene, and calm, by having the Events of Things hid from his Eyes, and knowing nothing of the Dangers which surround him.

  那天晚上,我心潮起伏,思绪万千,思前想后,实在一言难荆我粗略地回顾了自己一生的历程。我回想起自己怎样流落到这荒岛上,又怎样在这儿过了二十四年的孤寂生活。我想到,来到岛上的最初几年,我怎样过着无忧无虑的快乐生活;后来,在沙滩上发现了人的脚印后,又怎样焦虑恐惧,过着忧心忡忡的生活。我也知道,多少年来,那些食人生番经常到岛上来,有时甚至成千上百登上岸来。但在此之前,我不知道这件事,当然也不会担惊受怕。那时,我尽管有危险,但自己不知道,所以也活得快活自在。我想,如果不知道有危险,就等于没有危险,生活就照样无忧无虑,十分幸福。由此,我悟出不少有益的道理。造物主统治人类,把人类的认识和知识局限在狭隘的范围内,这正是造物主的英明之处。实际上,人类往往生活在种种危险之中,如果让人类发现这些危险,那一定会使人人心烦意乱,精神不振。但造物主不让人类看清事实真相,使他们全然不知道四周的危险,这样,人们就过着泰然宁静的生活。

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·鲁宾逊飘流记 - 第47节