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雨季快到了,那时我们大部分时间都只好呆在家里,为此,我得先把我们的新船放置妥当。我把船移到从前卸木排的那条小河里,并趁涨潮时把它拖到岸上。我又叫星期五在那里挖了一个小小的船坞,宽度刚好能容得下小船,深度刚好在把水放进来后能把船浮起来。然后,趁退潮后,我们又在船坞口筑了一道坚固的堤坝挡住海水。这样,即使潮水上涨,也不会浸没小船。为了遮住雨水,我们又在船上面放了许多树枝,密密层层地堆了好几层,看上去像个茅草屋的屋顶。就这样,我们等候着十一月和十二月的到来:那是我准备冒险的日期。 When the settled Season began to come in, as the thought of my Design return'd with the fair Weather, I was pre paring daily for the Voyage; and the first Thing I did, was to lay by a certain Quantity of Provisions, being the Stores for our Voyage; and intended in a Week or a Fortnight's Time, to open the Dock, and launch out our Boat. I was busy one Morning upon some Thing of this kind, when I call'd to Friday, and bid him go to the Sea Shore, and see if he could find a Turtle, or Tortoise, a Thing which we generally got once a Week, for the Sake of the Eggs, as well as the Flesh: Friday had not been long gone, when he came running back, and flew over my outer Wall, or Fence, like one that felt not the Ground, or the Steps he set his Feet on; and before I had time to speak to him, he cries out to me, O Master! O Master! O Sorrow! O bad! What's the Matter, Friday? says I; O yonder, there, says he, one, two, three Canoe! one, two, three! By his way of speaking, I concluded there were six; but on enquiry, I found it was but three: Well, Friday, says I, do not be frighted; so I heartned him up as well as I could: However, I saw the poor Fellow was most terribly scar'd; for nothing ran in his Head but that they were come to look for him, and would cut him in Pieces, and eat him; and the poor Fellow trembled so, that I scarce knew what to do with him: I comforted him as well as I could, and told him I was in as much Danger as he, and that they would eat me as well as him; but, says I, Friday, we must resolve to fight them; Can you fight, Friday? Me shoot, says he, but there come many great Number. No matter for that, said I again, our Guns will fright them that we do not kill; so I ask'd him, Whether if I resolv'd to defend him, he would defend me, and stand by me, and do just as I bid him? He said, Me die, when you bid die, Master; so I went and fetch'd a good Dram of Rum, and gave him; for I had been so good a Husband of my Rum, that had a great deal left: When he had drank it, I made him take the two Fowling-Pieces, which we always carry'd, and load them with large Swan-Shot, as big as small Pistol Bullets; then I took four Muskets, and loaded them with two Slugs, and five small Bullets each; and my two Pistols I loaded with a Brace of Bullets each; I hung my great Sword as usual, naked by my Side, and gave Friday his Hatchet. 旱季快到了。随着天气日渐转好,我又忙着计划冒险的航行。我做的第一件事,就是储备起足够的粮食供航行之用,并打算在一两星期内掘开船坞,把船放到水里去。一天早晨,我正忙着这类事情,就叫星期五去海边抓个海鳖。我们每星期总要抓一两只回来,吃它的蛋和肉。星期五去了不久,就飞也似地跑回来,一纵身跳进外墙,他跑得飞快,仿佛脚不着地似的。我还来不及问他是怎么回事,他就大叫道:"主人,主人,不好了,不好了!"我说,"什么事,星期五?"他说, "那边有一只,两只,三只独木船,一只,两只,三只!"我听了他这种说法,还以为有六只独木船呢;后来又问了问,才知道只有三只。我说,"不要害怕,星期五。"我尽量给他壮胆。可是,我看到这可怜的家伙简直吓坏了,因为他首先想到的是,这些人是来找他的,并准会把他切成一块块吃掉。他一直浑身发抖,简直叫我对他毫无办法。我尽量安慰他,告诉他我也和他一样有危险,他们也会吃掉我。"不过,"我说,"星期五,我们得下定决心与他们打一仗。你能打吗,星期五? "他说:"我会放枪,可他们来的人太多。"我说:"那不要紧,我们的枪就是不打死他们,也会把他们吓跑。"于是我又问他,如果我决心保卫他,他是否会保卫我,站在我一边,听我的吩咐。他说:"你叫我死都行,主人。"于是我拿了一大杯甘蔗酒让他喝下去。我甘蔗酒一向喝得很省,因此至今还剩下不少。等他把酒喝下去之后,我叫他去把我们平时经常携带的那两支鸟枪拿来,并装上大号的沙弹;那些沙弹有手枪子弹那么大。接着,我自己也取了四支短枪,每支枪里都装上两颗弹丸和五颗小子弹,又把两支手枪各装了一对子弹。此外,我又在腰间挂了那把没有刀鞘的大刀,给了星期五那把斧头。 When I had thus prepar'd my self, I took my Perspective-Glass, and went up to the Side of the Hill, to see what I could discover; and I found quickly, by my Glass, that there were one and twenty Savages, three Prisoners, and three Canoes; and that their whole Business seem'd to be the triumphant Banquet upon these three humane Bodies, (a barbarous Feast indeed) but nothing more than as I had observ'd was usual with them. 作好战斗准备,我就拿了望远镜跑到山坡上去看动静。从望远镜里,我一下子就看出,一共来了二十来个野人,带了三个俘虏。他们一共有三只独木舟。看样子,他们来这儿的目的是要拿这三个活人开一次胜利的宴会。这真是一种野蛮的宴会。但我也知道,对他们而言,这是习以为常的事情。 I observ'd also, that they were landed not where they had done, when Friday made his Escape; but nearer to my Creek, where the Shore was low, and where a thick Wood came close almost down to the Sea: This, with the Abhorrence of the inhumane Errand these Wretches came about, fill'd me with such Indignation, that I came down again to Friday, and told him, I was resolv'd to go down to them, and kill them all; and ask'd him, If he would stand by me? He was now gotten over his Fright, and his Spirits being a little rais'd, with the Dram I had given him, he was Cry chearful, and told me, as before, he would die, when I bid die. 我还注意到,他们这次登陆的地点,不是上回星期五逃走的那地方,而是更靠近我那条小河的旁边。那一带海岸很低,并且有一片茂密的树林一直延伸到海边。看到他们登岸,想到这些畜生所要干的残忍的勾当,真令人打心底里感到憎恶。我怒气冲天,急忙跑下山来,告诉星期五,我决心把那些畜生斩尽杀绝,问他肯不肯站在我一边。这时星期五已消除了他恐惧的心情,又因为我给他喝了点甘蔗酒,精神也大大振奋。听了我的话,他大为高兴,并一再向我表示,就是我叫他死,他也情愿。 In this Fit of Fury, I took first and divided the Arms which I had charg'd, as before, between us; I gave Friday one Pistol to stick in his Girdle, and three Guns upon his Shoulder; and I took one Pistol, and the other three my self; and in this Posture we march'd out: I took a small Bottle of Rum in my Pocket, and gave Friday a large Bag, with more Powder and Bullet; and as to Orders, I charg'd him to keep close behind me, and not to stir, or shoot, or do any Thing, till I bid him; and in the mean Time, not to speak a Word: In this Posture I fetch'd a Compass to my Right-Hand, of near a Mile, as well to get over the Creek, as to get into the Wood; so that I might come within shoot of them, before I should be discover'd, which I had seen by my Glass, it was easy to do. 我当时真是义愤填膺。我先把早已装好弹药的武器分作两份。交给星期五一支手枪,叫他插在腰带上,又交给他三支长枪,让他背在肩上。我自己也拿了一支手枪和三支长枪。我们就这样全副武装出发了。我又取了一小瓶甘蔗酒放在衣袋里,并把一大袋火药和子弹交给星期五拿着。我告诉星期五要听我指挥,命令他紧跟在我身后,没有我的命令,不得乱动,不得随便开枪,不得任意行动,也不许说话。就这样,我向右绕了一个圈子,差不多有一英里,以便越过小河,钻到树林里去。我要在他们发现我之前,就进入射击他们的距离,因为根据我用望远镜观察,这一点是很容易做到的。 
在前进过程中,我过去的一些想法又回到了我的心头,我的决心动摇了。这倒不是我怕他们人多,因为他们都是赤身露体,没有武器,我对他们可以占绝对优势,这是毫无疑问的,哪怕我一个人也不成问题。可是,我想到的是,我究竟有什么使命,什么理由,什么必要去杀人流血,要去袭击这些人呢?他们既没有伤害过我,也无意要伤害我。对我而言,他们是无辜的。至于他们那种野蛮的风俗,也只是他们自己的不幸,只能证明上帝有意让他们和他们那一带民族停留于愚昧和野蛮的状态。上帝并没有召唤我,要我去判决他们的行为,更没有要我去执行上帝的律法。任何时候,只要上帝认为适当,他满可以亲自执法,对他们全民族所犯的罪行,进行全民性的惩罚。即使那样,也与我无关。当然,对星期五来说,他倒是名正言顺的,因为他和这群人是公开的敌人,和他们处于交战状态。他要去攻击他们,那倒是合法的。但对我来说,情况就不同了。我一边往前走,一边被这些想法纠缠着。最后,我决定先站在他们附近,观察一下他们野蛮的宴会,然后根据上帝的指示,见机行事。我决定,若非获得上帝感召,决不去干涉他们。 With this Resolution I enter'd the Wood, and with all possible Waryness and Silence, Friday following close at my Heels, I march'd till I came to the Skirt of the Wood, on the Side which was next to them; only that one Corner of the Wood lay between me and them; here I call'd softly to Friday, and shewing him a great Tree, which was just at the Corner of the Wood, I bad him go to the Tree, and bring me Word if he could see there plainly what they were doing; he did so, and came immediately back to me, and told me they might be plainly view'd there; that they were all about their Fire, eating the Flesh of one of their Prisoners; and that another lay bound upon the Sand, a little from them, which be said they would kill next, and which fir'd all the very Soul within me; he told me it was not one of their Nation; but one of the bearded Men, who he had told me of, that came to their Country in the Boat: I was fill'd with Horror at the very naming the white-bearded Man, and going to the Tree, I saw plainly by my Glass, a white Man who lay upon the Beach of the Sea, with his Hands and his Feet ty'd, with Flags, or Things like Rushes; and that he was an European, and had Cloaths on. 这样决定之后,我就进入了树林。星期五紧随我身后,小心翼翼、悄然无声地往前走。我们一直走到树林的边缘,那儿离他们最近,中间只隔着一些树木,是树林边沿的一角。到了那里后,我就悄悄招呼星期五,指着林角上最靠外的一棵大树,要他隐蔽在那树后去观察一下,如果能看清楚他们的行动,就回来告诉我。他去了不大工夫,就回来对我说,从那儿他看得很清楚,他们正围着火堆吃一个俘虏的肉,另外还有一个俘虏,正躺在离他们不远的沙地上,手脚都捆绑着。照他看来,他们接着就要杀他了。我听了他的话,不禁怒火中烧。他又告诉我,那躺着的俘虏不是他们部落的人,而是他曾经对我说过的坐小船到他们部落里去的那种有胡子的人。我听说是有胡子的白人,不禁大为惊讶。我走进那棵大树背后用望远镜一看,果然看见一个白人躺在海滩上,手脚被菖蒲草一类的东西捆绑着。同时,我还看出,他是个欧洲人,身上穿着衣服。 There was another Tree, and a little Thicket beyond it, about fifty Yards nearer to them than the Place where I was, which by going a little way about, I saw I might come at undiscover'd, and that then I should be within half Shot of them; so I with-held my Passion, though I was indeed enrag'd to the highest Degree, and going back about twenty Paces, I got behind some Bushes, which held all the way, till I came to the other Tree; and then I came to a little rising Ground, which gave me a full View of them, at the Distance of about eighty Yards. 这时,我看到在我前面还有一棵树,树前头有一小丛灌木,比我所在的地方离他们要近五十码。我只要绕一个小圈子,就可以走到那边,而且不会被他们发觉。只要一到那边,我和他们的距离就不到一半的射程了。这时,我已怒不可遏了,但还是强压心头的怒火,往回走了二十多步,来到一片矮树丛后面。靠着这片矮树丛的掩护,我一直走到那棵大树背后。那里有一片小小的高地,离那些野人大约有八十码远。我走上高地,把他们的一举一动看得清清楚楚。 I had now not a Moment to loose; for nineteen of the dreadful Wretches sat upon the Ground, all close huddled together, and had just sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian, and bring him perhaps Limb by Limb to their Fire, and they were stoop'd down to untie the Bands, at his Feet; I turn'd to Friday, now Friday, said I, do as I bid thee; Friday said he would; then Friday, says I, do exactly as you see me do, 'fail in nothing; so I set down one of the Muskets, and the Fowling-Piece, upon the Ground, and Friday did the like by his; and with the other Musket, I took my aim at the Savages, bidding him do the like; then asking him, If he was ready? He said, yes, then fire at them, said I; and the same Moment I fir'd also. 事情已发展到万分紧急的关头了,因为我看到有十九个野人挤在一起坐在地上,他们派出另外两个野人去宰杀那可怜的基督徒。看来,他们是要肢解他,一条胳膊一条腿地拿到火上去烤。我看到那两个野人这时已弯下腰,解着那白人脚上绑的东西。我转头对星期五说:"听我的命令行动。"星期五说他一定照办。我就说:"好吧,星期五,你看我怎么办就怎么办,不要误事。"于是,我把一支短枪和一支乌枪放在地下,星期五也跟着把他的一支鸟枪和一支短枪放在地下。我用剩下的一支短枪向那些野人瞄准,并叫星期五也用枪向他们瞄准。然后,我问星期五是否准备好了,他说:"好了。"我就说:"开火!"同时我自己也开了枪。
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