名著·鲁宾逊飘流记 - 第72节


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  星期五救了向导的性命。当我们走上去的时候,他正在帮助向导下马,因为向导受了伤,又受了惊吓,而且,看来惊恐甚于伤势。这时,那只熊突然从树林里出来了。这只熊身躯异常庞大,是我生气所看到的最大的熊。我们大家一见,都有点恐慌,可是星期五见到它,反而喜形于色,显出精神百倍的神气。"啊!啊!啊!"他一连叫了三声,又指着熊对我说,"主人,你允许我吧!我要和它握握手,我要叫你们乐一乐!"我看到这家伙如此兴高采烈,不免出乎意料。"你这傻瓜, "我说,"它要吃掉你的!""吃掉我!吃掉我!"星期五一连说了两遍,"我还要吃掉它哩!我要让你们乐一乐。你们都站开。我要让你们乐一乐!"于是他坐在地上,脱下靴子,换上一双便鞋。这是一种皮底鞋,他衣袋里正好有一双。他把马交给听差,然后带着他的枪,一阵风似地飞快跑了过去。

   The Bear was walking softly on, and offer'd to meddle with no Body, till Friday coming pretty near, calls to him, as if the Bear could understand him; Hark ye, hark ye, says Friday, me speakee wit your: We follow'd at a Distance; for now being come down on the Gascoign side of the Mountains, we were entred a vast great Forest, where the Country was plain, and pretty open, though many Trees in it scatter'd here and there.

  那只熊正慢条斯理地向前走,看起来不想惹任何人。可是星期五走到它跟前,向它打招呼,好像熊能听懂他的话似的。"你听着,你听着,"他说,"我在跟你说话哩!"我们远远跟在后面。这时我们已走下了山,进入了山这边的加斯科尼剩这儿地势平坦开阔,到处是树木。我们进入了一片大森林。

   Friday, who had as we say, the Heels of the Bear, came up with him quickly, and takes up a great Stone, and throws at him, and hit him just on the Head; but did him no more harm, than if he had thrown it against a Wall; but it answer'd Friday's End; for the Rogue was so void of Fear, that he did it purely to make the Bear follow him, and show us some Laugh as he call'd it.

  星期五追上了那只熊,捡起一块大石头向它丢去,正好打在熊的头上。当然,这一点也没伤着它,就像打在一座墙上。可是这样一来,星期五的目的达到了,星期五这家伙简直毫无畏惧,他这样做纯粹是挑,好惹那只熊来追他,照他的说法是逗我们"乐一乐"!

   As soon as the Bear felt the Stone, and saw him, he turns about, and comes after him, taking Devilish long Strides, and shuffling along at a strange Rate, so as would have put a Horse to a midling Gallop; away runs Friday, and takes his Course, as if he run towards us for Help; so we all resolv'd to fire at once upon the Bear, and deliver my Man; though I was angry at him heartily, for bringing the Bear back upon us, when he was going about his own Business another Way; and especially I was angry that he had turn'd the Bear upon us, and then run away; and I call'd out, You Dog, said I, is this your making us laugh? Come away, and take your Horse, that me may shoot the Creature; he hears me, and crys Out, No shoot, no shoot, stand still, you get much Laugh. And as the nimble Creature run two Foot for the Beast's one, he turn'd on a sudden, on one side of us, and seeing a great Oak-Tree, fit for his Purpose, he beckon'd to us to follow, and doubling his Pace, he gets nimbly up the Tree laying his Gun down upon the Ground, at about five or six Yards from the Bottom of the Tree.

  那只熊感觉到有石头打它,并看见了星期五,登时转身向星期五追来。那熊迈开大步,摇摇摆摆,跑得飞快,差不多和马小跑一样快。星期五撒腿就跑,仿佛向我们这边跑来求援似的。于是大家决定向熊开枪,救我的人。但我心里非常生气。因为那熊本来好端端地在走它的路,并没有要惹我们,尤其使我生气的是,他把熊引向我们这儿来,自己却跑掉了。于是我高声叫道:"你这狗东西,你就这样让我们乐一乐吗?快走开,牵上你的马,我们可以开枪打死这畜牲。"他听到了我的话,就叫起来:"别打,别打!站着不要动,好戏在后面哪!"星期五生就一双飞毛腿,他跑两步,熊才跑一步。突然,他一转身,从我们旁边跑开,看到那边有一棵大橡树正合他的需要,就向我们招手,叫我们跟上去。同时,他跑得更快,把枪放在离树根大约五六码的地上,自己敏捷地爬上了树。

   The Bear soon came to the Tree, and we follow'd at a Distance; the first Thing he did, he stopp'd at the Gun, smelt to it, but let it lye, and up he scrambles into the Tree, climbing like a Cat, though so monstrously heavy: I was amazed at the Folly, as I thought it, of my Man, and could not for my Life see any Thing to laugh at yet, till seeing the Bear get up the Tree, we all rod nearer to him.

  熊也很快跑到树下,我们一行则远远地跟在后面。那熊先在枪边停了下来闻了闻那支枪,没有去动它,就往树上爬。虽然那家伙身子笨重,但爬起树来像猫一样灵活。我对星期五的这种愚蠢行为深为惊愕,一点也看不出有什么好笑的地方。我们看到熊已经上了树,也一起策马向前。

  当我们来到大树跟前时,星期五已爬到一根树枝的枝梢上,那根树枝长长地向外伸展。这时,那熊也上了那树枝。它沿着树枝向外爬,越向外爬,树枝就越细越软。"哈,"星期五对我们说,"现在你们看我教熊跳舞。"于是他在那支树枝上大跳大摇,弄得那熊摇摇欲坠,只好站住不动,并开始往后回顾,看看怎样能爬回去。我们看到这样子,果然都开怀大笑起来。但星期五玩熊才刚刚开个头呢。他看到那熊站着不动了,就又去招呼它,仿佛相信熊也能讲英语似的。"嗨,怎么啦!你不过来了?请你再朝前走吧!"于是,他不再摇摆树枝了。那只熊也似乎明白他的话似的,又向前爬了几步。于是,星期五又开始大跳大摇,那熊又站住了。 我们认为,这时正好可以向熊头上开一枪,把它打死。于是就叫星期五站着别动,我们要打熊了。可是星期五大声叫着求我们:"喔,请不要开枪,等会儿我会开枪的。"好吧,现在长话短说,星期五又在树枝上大跳大摇了一阵子,那只熊爬在上面,东倒西摇,引得我们大家都笑了个够。可是,我们都不知道星期五玩的是什么鬼把戏。起初,我们以为星期五要把熊从树枝上摇下来,可是,我们看得出,那熊也相当狡猾,不肯上当,它再也不肯往前多走一步,怕自己被摇下来,只是一个劲地用它那又宽又大的脚掌紧紧地抓住树枝。所以,我们不知道这件事将会有什么结局,也想象不出这场玩笑最后会如何结束。

   But Friday put us out of doubt quickly; for seeing the Bear cling fast to the Bough, and that he would not be persuaded to come any farther; Well, well, says Friday, you no come farther, me go, me go; you no come to me, me go come to you; and upon this, he goes out to the smallest End of the Bough, where it would bend with his Weight, and gently lets himself down by it, sliding down the Bough, till he came near enough to jump down on his Feet, and away he run to his Gun, takes it up, and stands still. Well, said I to him Friday, What will you do now? Why don't you shoot him? No shoot, says Friday, no yet, me shoot nom, me no kill; me stay, give you one more laugh; and indeed so he did, as you will see presently; for when the Bear see his Enemy gone, he comes back from the Bough where he stood; but did it mighty leisurely, looking behind him every Step, and coming backward till he got into the Body of the Tree; then with the same hinder End foremost, he came down the Tree, grasping it with his Claws, and moving one Foot at a Time, very leisurely; at this Juncture, and just before he could set his hind Feet upon the Ground, Friday stept up close to him, clapt the Muzzle of his Piece into his Ear, and shot him dead as a Stone.

  但星期五很快就解开了我们的疑团。他见那熊紧抓树枝,不肯往前挪动一步,就说:"好吧,好吧,你不走,我走,我走。你不到我这儿来,我到你那儿去。"说完,他爬到树枝的末梢,那地方只要用他的体重一压,就会垂下来。他轻轻从树枝上滑下来,等到他离地不远时,一下子就跳到地上,飞也似地向他的枪跑过去,把枪拿在手里,站在那里一动也不动。  "唔,"我对他说,"星期五,你现在想干什么?为什么你不开枪打死它?""不打,"星期五说:"还不打。现在不开枪,我不打它。我呆在这儿,再让你们乐一下。"不久,我们就看到,他真的这样干了。因为那熊见他的敌人走了,也就从它站着的树枝上往后退。但它往回走的时候极其从容不迫,每走一步,都要回头看一下。退着退着,它终于退到树干上来。然后,它还是倒着身子,从树干上往下爬;它脚掌紧抓树干,一步一步地往下退,依旧是那样从容。就在那熊的后腿刚要落地,星期五一步赶上去,把枪口塞进它的耳朵,一枪就把它打死了。

   Then the Rogue turn'd about, to see if we did not laugh, and when he saw we were pleas'd by our Looks, he falls a laughing himself very loud; so me kill Bear in my Country, says Friday; so you kill them, says I, Why you have no Guns: No, says he, no Gun, but shoot, great much long Arrow. This was indeed a good Diversion to us; but we were still in a wild Place, and our Guide very much hurt, and what to do we hardly knew; the Howling of Wolves run much in my Head; and indeed, except the Noise I once heard on the Shore of Africa, of which I have said something already, I never heard any thing that filled me with so much Horrour.

  这时候,星期五这家伙转过身来,看看我们有没有笑。他看到我们都喜形于色,他自己也哈哈大笑起来。"我们那里就是这样杀熊的。"星期五说。"你们真的是这样杀的吗?"我问,"你们没有枪怎么杀啊?""没有,"他说,"没有枪,我们用箭射,很长很长的箭。"星期五的游戏对我们来说确实是一场很好的消遣。可是,我们现在还在荒山野地里,向导又受了重伤,真不知怎么办才好。刚才狼群的嚎叫声还一直在我的耳际回响。说实话,除了我有一次在非洲海岸听到过的那些野兽的吼叫声之外,还从来没有听到过任何声音使我这样毛骨悚然。关于非洲海岸的那次经历,我前面曾叙述过了。

   These things, and the Approach of Night, called us off, or else, as Friday would have had us, we should certainly have taken the Skin of this monstrous Creature off, which was which saving; but we had three Leagues to go, and our Guide hasten'd us, so we left him, and went forward on our Journey.

  由于上述这些情况,再加上天快黑了,我们便不得不匆匆离开。不然的话,依星期五的意思,我们一定会把那巨熊的皮剥下来,那是很值钱的。可是,我们还要赶九英里的路,向导也一直催我们快走,我们只好丢开那只熊,继续往前赶路。

   The Ground was still cover'd with Snow, tho' not so deep and dangerous as on the Mountains, and the ravenous Creatures, as we heard afterwards, were come down into the Forest and plain Country, press'd by Hunger to seek for Food; and had done a great deal of Mischief in the Villages, where they surpriz'd the Country People, kill'd a great many of their Sheep and Horses, and some People too.

  地上仍有积雪,不过没有山里那么深,因而走起来也不那么危险了。后来,我们听说,那些凶猛的野兽由于饿急了,都从山上下来跑到树林和平原上来寻找食物。它们袭击村庄和居民,咬死许多羊和马,甚至还伤了一些人。

  向导对我们说,我们还要经过一个危险的地方。如果这一带还有狼的话,我们一定会在那里碰到。那地方是一片小小的平川地,四周都是树林。要想穿过树林,就必须走一条又长又窄的林间小道,然后才能到达我们将要宿夜的村庄。

   It was within half an Hour of Sun-set when we entred the first Wood; and a little after Sun-set, when we came into the Plain. We met with nothing in the first Wood, except, that in a little Plain within the Wood, which was not above two Furlongs over, we saw five great Wolves cross the Road, full Speed one after another, as if they had been in Chase of some Prey, and had it in View; they took no Notice of us, and were gone, and out of our Sight in a few Moments.

  当我们进入第一座树林时,离太阳落山仅半小时了,到我们进入那片平川,太阳已经下去了。在第一座树林里,我们什么也没有碰见,只在一块二百来码长宽的林间空地上,看见有五条大狼,一条跟着一条,飞快地在路上越过,大概是在追赶一个什么小动物吧,因为那小动物就在他们前面。那些狼没有注意到我们,不到一会儿,就跑得无影无踪了。

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名著·鲁宾逊飘流记 - 第72节