THEY was fetching a very nice-looking old gentleman along, and a nice-looking younger one, with his right arm in a sling. —
他们带着一个看起来非常漂亮的老绅士走来，还有一个年轻人，他的右臂挂着绷带。 —

And, my souls, how the people yelled and laughed, and kept it up. —
噢，我的灵魂啊，人们尖叫着大笑，一直持续不断。 —

But I didn’t see no joke about it, and I judged it would strain the duke and the king some to see any. —
但我看不出其中有什么好笑的，我觉得对公爵和国王来说，他们要费些力气才能看出笑点。 —

I reckoned they’d turn pale. But no, nary a pale did THEY turn. —
我估计他们会变得苍白。但不，他们并没有变得苍白。 —

The duke he never let on he suspicioned what was up, but just went a goo-gooing around, happy and satisfied, like a jug that’s googling out buttermilk; —
公爵没有表现出他怀疑其中有什么问题，只是继续愉快地转来转去，像一个放出酸奶的罐子一样满足； —

and as for the king, he just gazed and gazed down sorrowful on them new-comers like it give him the stomach-ache in his very heart to think there could be such frauds and rascals in the world. —
至于国王，他只是伤心地盯着那些新来的人，好像他的心中因为世界上会有这样的骗子和恶棍而感到恶心。 —

Oh, he done it admirable. Lots of the principal people gethered around the king, to let him see they was on his side. —
哦，他干得太好了。很多主要人物聚集在国王周围，让他知道他们站在他这一边。 —

That old gentleman that had just come looked all puzzled to death. —
那位刚来的老绅士看起来很困惑。 —

Pretty soon he begun to speak, and I see straight off he pronounced LIKE an Englishman – not the king’s way, though the king’s WAS pretty good for an imitation. —
很快他开始说话，我立刻就看出他的口音像是英国人——不过不像国王，尽管国王的模仿也相当不错。 —

I can’t give the old gent’s words, nor I can’t imitate him; —
我无法表达那位老绅士的话，也无法模仿他； —

but he turned around to the crowd, and says, about like this:
但是他转向人群，大概这样说：

“This is a surprise to me which I wasn’t looking for; —
”这对我来说真是个惊喜，我没料到会有这个情况； —

and I’ll acknowledge, candid and frank, I ain’t very well fixed to meet it and answer it; —
我承认，坦率地说，我没有准备好应对和回答这个问题； —

for my brother and me has had misfortunes; —
因为我和我的兄弟遭遇了不幸； —

he’s broke his arm, and our baggage got put off at a town above here last night in the night by a mistake. —
他的手臂断了，我们的行李昨晚在上面一个镇上被错放了。” —

I am Peter Wilks’ brother Harvey, and this is his brother William, which can’t hear nor speak – and can’t even make signs to amount to much, now’t he’s only got one hand to work them with. —
我是彼得·威尔克斯的兄弟哈维，而这位是他的兄弟威廉，他听不见也说不出话，甚至不能用手做出多少手势，因为他只有一只手可以使用。 —

We are who we say we are; and in a day or two, when I get the baggage, I can prove it. —
我们说的都是真话；再过一两天，等我取到行李，我就能证明。 —

But up till then I won’t say nothing more, but go to the hotel and wait.”
但在那之前，我什么都不会说，只会去旅馆等待。

So him and the new dummy started off; and the king he laughs, and blethers out:
于是他们俩出发了；国王笑了，并嘴里喋喋不休地说：

“Broke his arm – VERY likely, AIN’T it? – and very convenient, too, for a fraud that’s got to make signs, and ain’t learnt how. —
“断了胳膊——很有可能，不是吗？对于一个需要做手势的骗子来说非常方便，而且他也没学过如何做手势。” —

Lost their baggage! That’s MIGHTY good! – and mighty ingenious – under the CIRCUMSTANCES!
“行李丢了！太好了！在这种情况下真是机智！”

So he laughed again; and so did everybody else, except three or four, or maybe half a dozen. —
于是他又笑了起来；其他人也都笑了，除了三四个人，或者可能是半打的人。 —

One of these was that doctor; another one was a sharplooking gentleman, with a carpet-bag of the oldfashioned kind made out of carpet-stuff, that had just come off of the steamboat and was talking to him in a low voice, and glancing towards the king now and then and nodding their heads – it was Levi Bell, the lawyer that was gone up to Louisville; —
其中一个就是那个医生；另一个是一个相貌犀利的绅士，手里拎着一只由地毯料制成的旧式行李袋，刚下了轮船，正低声跟他交谈，时不时朝着国王看过去并点点头——那个就是去路易斯维尔的律师利维·贝尔； —

and another one was a big rough husky that come along and listened to all the old gentleman said, and was listening to the king now. —
另外还有一个高大粗野的人，走过来听了老绅士说的话，现在也在听国王说话。 —

And when the king got done this husky up and says:
当国王说完之后，这个高大粗野的人站出来说：

“Say, looky here; if you are Harvey Wilks, when’d you come to this town?”
“嘿，听着，如果你是哈维·威尔克斯，你什么时候来到这个镇上的？”

“The day before the funeral, friend,” says the king.
“葬礼前一天，朋友，”国王说。

“But what time o’ day?”
“但是是什么时候？”

“In the evenin’ – ‘bout an hour er two before sundown.”
“傍晚时分，大约日落之前一两个小时。”

“HOW’D you come?”
“你是怎么来的？”

“I come down on the Susan Powell from Cincinnati.”
“我是从辛辛那提乘坐苏珊·鲍威尔号来的。”

“Well, then, how’d you come to be up at the Pint in the MORNIN’ – in a canoe?”
“那么，那你怎么会在早上在品特湖上呢 - 还坐在一艘独木舟里？”

“I warn’t up at the Pint in the mornin’.”
“我早上没去过品特湖。”

“It’s a lie.”
“这是个谎言。”

Several of them jumped for him and begged him not to talk that way to an old man and a preacher.
几个人跳上前去，恳求他不要这样对待一个年迈的人和一位牧师。

“Preacher be hanged, he’s a fraud and a liar. He was up at the Pint that mornin’. —
“见鬼的牧师，他是个骗子和撒谎者。他早上确实在品特湖那。” —

I live up there, don’t I? Well, I was up there, and he was up there. —
我住在那边，不是吗？嗯，我在那儿，他也在那儿。 —

I see him there. He come in a canoe, along with Tim Collins and a boy.”
我在那儿看见他。他和蒂姆·科林斯以及一个男孩一起坐在一个独木舟里。”

The doctor he up and says:
医生开口了：

“Would you know the boy again if you was to see him, Hines?”
“如果你再见到那个男孩，你能认出他来吗，海因斯？”

“I reckon I would, but I don’t know. Why, yonder he is, now. I know him perfectly easy.”
“我想我能，但也不确定。噢，他就在那儿。我能很容易地认出他来。”

It was me he pointed at. The doctor says:
他指着的就是我。医生说：

“Neighbors, I don’t know whether the new couple is frauds or not; —
“邻居们，我不知道这对新婚夫妇是否是骗子； —

but if THESE two ain’t frauds, I am an idiot, that’s all. —
但是如果这两个不是骗子，那我就是个白痴，就这样。 —

I think it’s our duty to see that they don’t get away from here till we’ve looked into this thing. —
我认为我们有责任确保他们在我们调查清楚之前不能离开这里。” —

Come along, Hines; come along, the rest of you. —
快点，海因斯；快点，其他的人。 —

We’ll take these fellows to the tavern and affront them with t’other couple, and I reckon we’ll find out SOMETHING before we get through.”
我们会把这些人带到酒馆里面，与另外两个人对质，我估计在我们结束之前我们会找出一些东西来。

It was nuts for the crowd, though maybe not for the king’s friends; so we all started. —
对于人群来说，这是有趣的，虽然对国王的朋友们来说可能不是；所以我们都开始动手了。 —

It was about sundown. The doctor he led me along by the hand, and was plenty kind enough, but he never let go my hand.
时间已经到了黄昏。医生牵着我的手，他对我还算友好，但他一直没有松开我的手。

We all got in a big room in the hotel, and lit up some candles, and fetched in the new couple. —
我们来到了旅店的一个大房间里，点亮了一些蜡烛，叫进了那对新人。 —

First, the doctor says:
首先，医生说：

“I don’t wish to be too hard on these two men, but I think they’re frauds, and they may have complices that we don’t know nothing about. —
“我不想对这两个人太过苛刻，但我认为他们是骗子，而且他们可能有我们不知道的同伙。 —

If they have, won’t the complices get away with that bag of gold Peter Wilks left? —
如果他们有同伙，那么同伙们会获得彼得·威尔克斯留下的那袋金子吗？ —

It ain’t unlikely. If these men ain’t frauds, they won’t object to sending for that money and letting us keep it till they prove they’re all right – ain’t that so?”
这并不是没有可能。如果这些人不是骗子，他们不会反对送来那些钱，让我们保管，直到他们证明他们是无辜的–是这样吗？”

Everybody agreed to that. So I judged they had our gang in a pretty tight place right at the outstart. —
大家都同意了这个建议。所以我判断他们在一开始就让我们处于一种相当被动的局面。 —

But the king he only looked sorrowful, and says:
但国王只是面带悲伤的看着，说道：

“Gentlemen, I wish the money was there, for I ain’t got no disposition to throw anything in the way of a fair, open, out-and-out investigation o’ this misable business; —
“先生们，我希望钱确实在那儿，因为我没有任何想要阻碍对这件不幸事件进行公正、彻底的调查的意图； —

but, alas, the money ain’t there; you k’n send and see, if you want to.”
但，唉，钱不在那儿；如果你们愿意，你们可以派人去看看。”

“Where is it, then?”
“那它在哪儿？”

“Well, when my niece give it to me to keep for her I took and hid it inside o’ the straw tick o’ my bed, not wishin’ to bank it for the few days we’d be here, and considerin’ the bed a safe place, we not bein’ used to niggers, and suppos’n’ ‘em honest, like servants in England. —
“嗯，当我侄女把金子给我保管的时候，我把它藏在了我床上的稻草褥子里，不打算把它存进银行，因为我们在这里只待几天而已，并且考虑到对待黑人的态度，我们原本认为他们是诚实的，就像英格兰的仆人一样。 —

The niggers stole it the very next mornin’ after I had went down stairs; —
第二天早上，黑人们就把它偷走了，我还没下楼。 —

and when I sold ‘em I hadn’t missed the money yit, so they got clean away with it. —
当我把它们卖掉时，我还没有发现钱丢了，所以他们就干净地逃跑了。 —

My servant here k’n tell you ‘bout it, gentlemen.”
我这里的仆人可以告诉你们这件事，先生们。

The doctor and several said “Shucks!” and I see nobody didn’t altogether believe him. —
医生和几个人说：“胡扯！”我看到没有人完全相信他。 —

One man asked me if I see the niggers steal it. —
有人问我是否看到黑人们偷走了它。 —

I said no, but I see them sneaking out of the room and hustling away, and I never thought nothing, only I reckoned they was afraid they had waked up my master and was trying to get away before he made trouble with them. —
我说没有，但我看到他们从房间里偷偷溜出去，并匆匆离开，我一直没想什么，只是觉得他们害怕吵醒了我的主人，想在他给他们惹麻烦之前走掉。 —

That was all they asked me. Then the doctor whirls on me and says:
这就是他们问我的全部内容。然后医生转过身来对我说：

“Are YOU English, too?”
“你也是英国人吗？”

I says yes; and him and some others laughed, and said, “Stuff!”
我说是，他和其他一些人笑了，说：“废话！”

Well, then they sailed in on the general investigation, and there we had it, up and down, hour in, hour out, and nobody never said a word about supper, nor ever seemed to think about it – and so they kept it up, and kept it up; —
嗯，然后他们就进行了一次全面的调查，我们就这样进行了，来来回回，不论白天黑夜，没有人提到晚饭，也没有人似乎想到它，所以他们继续调查，继续调查； —

and it WAS the worst mixed-up thing you ever see. —
结果变得越来越错综复杂，你见过的最混乱的情况。 —

They made the king tell his yarn, and they made the old gentleman tell his’n; —
他们让国王讲述他的故事，他们让老绅士讲他的故事； —

and anybody but a lot of prejudiced chuckleheads would a SEEN that the old gentleman was spinning truth and t’other one lies. —
除了一群顽固的笑料，任何人都会看出，老绅士在说真话，而那个国王在说谎。 —

And by and by they had me up to tell what I knowed. —
过了一会儿，他们让我上来说我所了解的事情。 —

The king he give me a left-handed look out of the corner of his eye, and so I knowed enough to talk on the right side. —
国王用眼角瞥了我一下，所以我知道足够在正确的方面说话。 —

I begun to tell about Sheffield, and how we lived there, and all about the English Wilkses, and so on; —
我开始讲述有关谢菲尔德的事情，我们在那里的生活，还有关于英国威尔克斯一家的一切； —

but I didn’t get pretty fur till the doctor begun to laugh; —
但直到医生开始笑起来，我才觉得开心起来； —

and Levi Bell, the lawyer, says:
而里维·贝尔，那位律师，说道：

“Set down, my boy; I wouldn’t strain myself if I was you. —
“坐下，孩子；如果我是你的话，我不会过度使劲； —

I reckon you ain’t used to lying, it don’t seem to come handy; —
我猜你对说谎不太习惯，看起来不得心应手； —

what you want is practice. You do it pretty awkward.”
你需要的是实践。你做得还挺别扭的。”

I didn’t care nothing for the compliment, but I was glad to be let off, anyway.
我并不在乎那句恭维话，但无论如何，能被放过我很高兴。

The doctor he started to say something, and turns and says:
医生要说点什么，他转过身来说：

“If you’d been in town at first, Levi Bell – ” The king broke in and reached out his hand, and says:
“如果你一开始就在镇上，里维·贝尔……”国王插话并伸出手来，说道：

“Why, is this my poor dead brother’s old friend that he’s wrote so often about?”
“哎呀，难道这位是我那可怜的死去的兄弟一直写信提到的老朋友？”

The lawyer and him shook hands, and the lawyer smiled and looked pleased, and they talked right along awhile, and then got to one side and talked low; —
律师和他握手，律师微笑并看起来很高兴，他们一直交谈着一段时间，然后站到一边低声交谈； —

and at last the lawyer speaks up and says:
最后律师开口说道：

“That ’ll fix it. I’ll take the order and send it, along with your brother’s, and then they’ll know it’s all right.”
“那样就没问题了。我会接下这个订单并发送，和你兄弟的一起，这样他们就会知道没问题了。”

So they got some paper and a pen, and the king he set down and twisted his head to one side, and chawed his tongue, and scrawled off something; —
于是他们拿出一些纸和一支笔，国王坐下来，歪着头，咀嚼着他的舌头，一笔一画地写了些东西； —

and then they give the pen to the duke – and then for the first time the duke looked sick. —
然后他们把笔递给公爵——这时公爵第一次显得有点不舒服。 —

But he took the pen and wrote. So then the lawyer turns to the new old gentleman and says:
但他拿起钢笔写了下来。于是律师转向那位新老爷，说道：

“You and your brother please write a line or two and sign your names.”
“你和你的兄弟请写上几行并签上名字。”

The old gentleman wrote, but nobody couldn’t read it. —
那位老爷写了，但没有人能够读懂它。 —

The lawyer looked powerful astonished, and says:
律师看起来非常惊讶，说道：

“Well, it beats ME – and snaked a lot of old letters out of his pocket, and examined them, and then examined the old man’s writing, and then THEM again; —
“嗯，这让我大吃一惊。”他从兜里掏出一堆旧信件，仔细检查了一下，然后又仔细检查了那位老人的笔迹，再次对比了一下； —

and then says: “These old letters is from Harvey Wilks; —
接着说：“这些旧信件是哈维·威尔克斯写的； —

and here’s THESE two handwritings, and anybody can see they didn’t write them” (the king and the duke looked sold and foolish, I tell you, to see how the lawyer had took them in), “and here’s THIS old gentleman’s hand writing, and anybody can tell, easy enough, HE didn’t write them – fact is, the scratches he makes ain’t properly WRITING at all. —
这两个笔迹是这样的，谁都能看得出来他们没有写下这些话”（国王和公爵看起来又后悔又愚蠢，看到律师是如何瞒过他们的），“这位老爷的笔迹是这样的，任何人都可以很容易地看出来，这不是他写的——事实上，他留下的只是一些潦草的划痕，根本算不上写字。 —

Now, here’s some letters from –”
现在，还有一些来自——”

The new old gentleman says:
那位新老爷说：

“If you please, let me explain. Nobody can read my hand but my brother there – so he copies for me. —
“如果你愿意，请让我解释一下。除了我兄弟之外，没有人能读懂我的字——所以他帮我抄写。 —

It’s HIS hand you’ve got there, not mine.”
那是他的字，不是我的。”

“WELL!” says the lawyer, “this IS a state of things. —
“哎呀！”律师说，“这情况可真糟糕。 —

I’ve got some of William’s letters, too; —
我也有威廉的信件。 —

so if you’ll get him to write a line or so we can com –”
所以如果你能让他写上几行，我们可以——”

“He CAN’T write with his left hand,” says the old gentleman. —
“他左手不能写字，”那位老爷说。 —

“If he could use his right hand, you would see that he wrote his own letters and mine too. —
“如果他能使用他的右手，你会看到他自己写信，也写了我的信。” —

Look at both, please – they’re by the same hand.”
“请看看两个，它们是同一只手写的。”

The lawyer done it, and says:
律师这样说道:

“I believe it’s so – and if it ain’t so, there’s a heap stronger resemblance than I’d noticed before, anyway. —
“我相信是这样的 - 如果不是这样的话，那么至少他们之间有一个更强的相似之处，这是我之前没有注意到的。” —

Well, well, well! I thought we was right on the track of a slution, but it’s gone to grass, partly. —
“嗯，嗯，嗯！我以为我们找到了一个解决方法，但现在有些草木连天了。” —

But anyway, one thing is proved – THESE two ain’t either of ‘em Wilkses” – and he wagged his head towards the king and the duke.
“但无论如何，有一件事已经证明了 - 这两个人都不是威尔克斯” - 他朝着国王和公爵摇了摇头。

Well, what do you think? That muleheaded old fool wouldn’t give in THEN! Indeed he wouldn’t. —
“好吧，你认为怎么样？那个固执的老傻瓜那时候还是不肯让步！的确他是这样。” —

Said it warn’t no fair test. Said his brother William was the cussedest joker in the world, and hadn’t tried to write – HE see William was going to play one of his jokes the minute he put the pen to paper. —
他说这根本就不是一个公平的考验。他说他的兄弟威廉是世界上最讨厌的玩笑师，而且他在拿起笔写字的那一刻，他就知道威廉会耍他一个玩笑。 —

And so he warmed up and went warbling right along till he was actuly beginning to believe what he was saying HIM- SELF; —
他渐渐兴奋起来，并开始带着欢乐的声调唱了起来，直到他自己竟然开始相信他所说的话。 —

but pretty soon the new gentleman broke in, and says:
但很快，那位新来的绅士插嘴说：

“I’ve thought of something. Is there anybody here that helped to lay out my br – helped to lay out the late Peter Wilks for burying?”
“我想到了一件事。这里有谁帮忙安排我弟弟彼得·威尔克斯的葬礼？”

“Yes,” says somebody, “me and Ab Turner done it. We’re both here.”
“有，”有人说，“我和阿布·特纳一起做了。我们都在这里。”

Then the old man turns towards the king, and says:
然后老人转向国王说：

“Peraps this gentleman can tell me what was tattooed on his breast?”
“也许这位绅士可以告诉我他胸前刺的是什么？”

Blamed if the king didn’t have to brace up mighty quick, or he’d a squshed down like a bluff bank that the river has cut under, it took him so sudden; —
搞得国王当时不得不紧张起来，要不然他就会像河口被冲刷得一样受到巨大压力，一下子压垮。事情发展得太快了； —

and, mind you, it was a thing that was calculated to make most ANYBODY sqush to get fetched such a solid one as that without any notice, because how was HE going to know what was tattooed on the man? —
你得知道，这可使几乎任何人都不寒而栗，要突然接受一个毫无准备的打击，因为他怎么会知道这个人胸前到底刺了什么？ —

He whitened a little; he couldn’t help it; —
他脸色变白了一点，他没办法控制。 —

and it was mighty still in there, and everybody bending a little forwards and gazing at him. —
房间里一片寂静，每个人都稍微向前倾身凝视着他。 —

Says I to myself, NOW he’ll throw up the sponge – there ain’t no more use. Well, did he? —
我自己在心里对自己说，现在他该丢下拳击手套了——没有任何用处了。那么，他做了吗？ —

A body can’t hardly believe it, but he didn’t. —
人们几乎无法相信，但他没有放弃。 —

I reckon he thought he’d keep the thing up till he tired them people out, so they’d thin out, and him and the duke could break loose and get away. —
我想他可能想坚持下去，直到他让这些人疲惫不堪，这样他和公爵就可以逃脱了。 —

Anyway, he set there, and pretty soon he begun to smile, and says:
总之，他坐在那里，很快开始微笑，并说道：

“Mf! It’s a VERY tough question, AIN’T it! YES, sir, I k’n tell you what’s tattooed on his breast. —
“嘿！这是一个非常困难的问题，是吧！是的，先生，我可以告诉你他胸部上刺的是什么。” —

It’s jest a small, thin, blue arrow – that’s what it is; —
它只是一个小小的蓝色箭头 - 就是这样； —

and if you don’t look clost, you can’t see it. —
如果你不仔细看，你是看不到的。 —

NOW what do you say – hey?”
那么你现在说什么呢 - 嘿？”

Well, I never see anything like that old blister for clean out-and-out cheek.
好吧，我从来没有见过像那个老大嘴那样无耻的人。

The new old gentleman turns brisk towards Ab Turner and his pard, and his eye lights up like he judged he’d got the king THIS time, and says:
新来的老头迅速转向阿布·特纳和他的同伴，眼睛亮起来，像是他觉得这次他抓住了国王，然后说道：

“There – you’ve heard what he said! Was there any such mark on Peter Wilks’ breast?”
“你们听到他说的了！彼得·威尔克斯的胸部有没有这样的标记？”

Both of them spoke up and says:
他们俩都站起来说道：

“We didn’t see no such mark.”
“我们没有看到任何这样的标记。”

“Good!” says the old gentleman. “Now, what you DID see on his breast was a small dim P, and a B (which is an initial he dropped when he was young), and a W, with dashes between them, so: —
“很好！”老头说。“现在，你们在他胸部看到的是一个小小的模糊的P，一个B（他年轻时放弃的一个字母），还有一个W，它们之间有短线，就像这样： —

P – B – W” – and he marked them that way on a piece of paper. —
P - B - W” - 然后他在一张纸上标出了这些。 —

“Come, ain’t that what you saw?”
“来吧，难道你们看到的不是这样的吗？”

Both of them spoke up again, and says:
他们俩又说道：

“No, we DIDN’T. We never seen any marks at all.”
“不，我们没看到任何标记。”

Well, everybody WAS in a state of mind now, and they sings out:
好了，现在每个人都心烦意乱，他们大声喊道：

“The whole BILIN’ of ’m ’s frauds! Le’s duck ‘em! le’s drown ‘em! le’s ride ‘em on a rail!” —
“全都是一群骗子！我们抓住他们！我们淹死他们！我们用轨道把他们带走！” —

and everybody was whooping at once, and there was a rattling powwow. —
每个人同时欢呼，一片喧闹声。 —

But the lawyer he jumps on the table and yells, and says:
但是律师跳上桌子大喊道：

“Gentlemen – gentleMEN! Hear me just a word – just a SINGLE word – if you PLEASE! —
“先生们——先生们！请听我说一句话——仅仅一句话——如果你们愿意的话！” —

There’s one way yet – let’s go and dig up the corpse and look.”
还有一个办法——我们去挖出尸体看看。”

That took them.
这招得到了他们的欢呼。

“Hooray!” they all shouted, and was starting right off; but the lawyer and the doctor sung out:
“万岁！”他们都喊道，准备出发；但是律师和医生大声喊道：

“Hold on, hold on! Collar all these four men and the boy, and fetch THEM along, too!”
“等等，等等！抓住这四个男人和那个男孩，也带上他们！”

“We’ll do it!” they all shouted; “and if we don’t find them marks we’ll lynch the whole gang!”
“好！”他们都喊道，“如果我们找不到那些记号，我们就把整个团伙吊死！”

I WAS scared, now, I tell you. But there warn’t no getting away, you know. —
我害怕了，我告诉你。但是我们没有逃脱的办法，你知道的。 —

They gripped us all, and marched us right along, straight for the graveyard, which was a mile and a half down the river, and the whole town at our heels, for we made noise enough, and it was only nine in the evening.
他们抓住我们，把我们带着，直奔墓地去了，墓地在河边一英里半的地方，整个镇子紧随其后，因为我们制造了足够的噪音，此时刚好是晚上九点。

As we went by our house I wished I hadn’t sent Mary Jane out of town; —
当我们经过自己的房子时，我希望我没有让玛丽简离开镇子； —

because now if I could tip her the wink she’d light out and save me, and blow on our dead-beats.
因为现在如果我能向她眨眼，她会立刻逃走救我的，并且把我们这些无赖出卖。

Well, we swarmed along down the river road, just carrying on like wildcats; —
好吧，我们沿着河岸道路一路奔行，像野猫一样疯狂起来； —

and to make it more scary the sky was darking up, and the lightning beginning to wink and flitter, and the wind to shiver amongst the leaves. —
—

This was the most awful trouble and most dangersome I ever was in; and I was kinder stunned; —
这是我曾经遇到的最可怕的麻烦，也是最危险的一次，我有点被吓呆了； —

everything was going so different from what I had allowed for; —
一切都和我预想的完全不同； —

stead of being fixed so I could take my own time if I wanted to, and see all the fun, and have Mary Jane at my back to save me and set me free when the close-fit come, here was nothing in the world betwixt me and sudden death but just them tattoo-marks. —
本来我可以慢慢来，享受乐趣，还有玛丽珍在我身后可以拯救我，自由我，可现在我和突然死亡之间只剩下这些纹身标记； —

If they didn’t find them –
如果他们没发现它们的话——

I couldn’t bear to think about it; and yet, somehow, I couldn’t think about nothing else. —
我无法忍受去想那个，但是，不知怎么的，我就是无法停止想； —

It got darker and darker, and it was a beautiful time to give the crowd the slip; —
天越来越黑，这是躲开人群的好机会； —

but that big husky had me by the wrist – Hines – and a body might as well try to give Goliar the slip. —
可那个大个子死死抓住我的手腕，海恩斯，就像试图摆脱球员鬼牙一样无望； —

He dragged me right along, he was so excited, and I had to run to keep up.
他兴奋地拖着我，我不得不跑着跟上；

When they got there they swarmed into the graveyard and washed over it like an overflow. —
当他们到达那里时，他们像洪水一样涌入墓地； —

And when they got to the grave they found they had about a hundred times as many shovels as they wanted, but nobody hadn’t thought to fetch a lantern. —
当他们到达墓穴时，发现他们带了比需要的铁锹多一百倍，但是没有人想到带一个灯笼； —

But they sailed into digging anyway by the flicker of the lightning, and sent a man to the nearest house, a half a mile off, to borrow one.
但是他们还是开始挖掘，只靠闪电的闪烁，派一个人去最近的房子，离这里半英里远，去借一盏灯；

So they dug and dug like everything; and it got awful dark, and the rain started, and the wind swished and swushed along, and the lightning come brisker and brisker, and the thunder boomed; —
因此，他们费劲地挖着，天越来越黑，开始下起雨，风呼呼地吹着，闪电越来越频繁，雷声轰隆； —

but them people never took no notice of it, they was so full of this business; —
但是这些人都没注意到，他们都被这个事情激动得满脑子都是； —

and one minute you could see everything and every face in that big crowd, and the shovelfuls of dirt sailing up out of the grave, and the next second the dark wiped it all out, and you couldn’t see nothing at all.
一会儿你可以看到人群中的每一个面孔，挖出来的土一锹一锹地从墓穴中飞起，下一秒黑暗把一切都掩盖住，你什么都看不见了；

At last they got out the coffin and begun to unscrew the lid, and then such another crowding and shouldering and shoving as there was, to scrouge in and get a sight, you never see; —
最后，他们把棺材拿出来，开始拆解盖子，然后又是挤挤搡搡，推推挤挤，想要塞进去看个究竟，你从未见过这样的拥挤场面； —

and in the dark, that way, it was awful. —
并且在黑暗中，那样子真是可怕的。 —

Hines he hurt my wrist dreadful pulling and tugging so, and I reckon he clean forgot I was in the world, he was so excited and panting.
海恩斯使我手腕非常疼痛，他使劲拉拽着我，甚至忘记了我在这个世界上存在，他如此兴奋和喘息。

All of a sudden the lightning let go a perfect sluice of white glare, and somebody sings out:
突然，闪电放出一道完美的强烈白光，有人大声喊道：

“By the living jingo, here’s the bag of gold on his breast!”
“天哪，他胸前有一个金袋！”

Hines let out a whoop, like everybody else, and dropped my wrist and give a big surge to bust his way in and get a look, and the way I lit out and shinned for the road in the dark there ain’t nobody can tell.
海恩斯像其他人一样欢呼起来，放开了我的手腕，并努力挤进去看个究竟，我飞快地逃离并在黑暗中跑向路边，没有人能说得清楚。

I had the road all to myself, and I fairly flew – leastways, I had it all to myself except the solid dark, and the now-and-then glares, and the buzzing of the rain, and the thrashing of the wind, and the splitting of the thunder; —
我独占整个路面，我飞快地跑——至少可以说，除了黑暗、时而出现的闪光、雨水的嗡嗡声、风的呼啸声和雷声的响亮，我独占了整个路面。 —

and sure as you are born I did clip it along!
而且如同你们所见，我确实飞快地跑着！

When I struck the town I see there warn’t nobody out in the storm, so I never hunted for no back streets, but humped it straight through the main one; —
当我接近城镇时，我看到没人在这场暴风雨中外出，所以我没有去找背街小巷，而是径直穿过了主街。 —

and when I begun to get towards our house I aimed my eye and set it. No light there; —
当我开始接近我们家的时候，我集中精力并锁定了目标。那里没有灯光； —

the house all dark – which made me feel sorry and disappointed, I didn’t know why. —
整个房子都是黑暗的，这让我感到难过和失望，我不知道为什么。 —

But at last, just as I was sailing by, FLASH comes the light in Mary Jane’s window! —
但最后，就在我路过的时候，Mary Jane的窗户亮起来了！ —

and my heart swelled up sudden, like to bust; —
我的心膨胀得一瞬间就要爆裂； —

and the same second the house and all was behind me in the dark, and wasn’t ever going to be before me no more in this world. —
然后，房子和一切在我的身后消失在黑暗中，再也不会在这个世界上出现。 —

She WAS the best girl I ever see, and had the most sand.
她是我见过的最好的女孩，也是最有勇气的。

The minute I was far enough above the town to see I could make the towhead, I begun to look sharp for a boat to borrow, and the first time the lightning showed me one that wasn’t chained I snatched it and shoved. —
当我离开城镇足够远，能看到沙洲时，我开始密切观察是否有可以借来的船，第一次闪电给我看到一个没有锁链的船，我立刻抓住机会并迅速划走。 —

It was a canoe, and warn’t fastened with nothing but a rope. —
那是一艘独木舟，只用一根绳子拴住。 —

The towhead was a rattling big distance off, away out there in the middle of the river, but I didn’t lose no time; —
离我那里有一条巨大的距离，就在河的中间，但是我没有浪费时间； —

and when I struck the raft at last I was so fagged I would a just laid down to blow and gasp if I could afforded it. —
当我最终靠近木排时，我太疲惫了，如果有能力的话，我只想躺下来呼吸和喘气。 —

But I didn’t. As I sprung aboard I sung out:
但是我没有。当我踏上木排时，我大声喊道：

“Out with you, Jim, and set her loose! Glory be to goodness, we’re shut of them!”
“吉姆，快出来，把她解开！真是个好消息，我们摆脱他们了！”

Jim lit out, and was a-coming for me with both arms spread, he was so full of joy; —
吉姆冲了出来，双臂张开向我走来，他充满了喜悦； —

but when I glimpsed him in the lightning my heart shot up in my mouth and I went overboard backwards; —
但是当我在闪电中瞥见他时，我的心就跳到了嗓子眼，我朝后倒下水里； —

for I forgot he was old King Lear and a drownded A-rab all in one, and it most scared the livers and lights out of me. —
因为我忘记了他是个老国王利尔和一个阿拉伯人，而且他是个淹死的阿拉伯人，在我身上吓得我肝肠寸断。 —

But Jim fished me out, and was going to hug me and bless me, and so on, he was so glad I was back and we was shut of the king and the duke, but I says:
但是吉姆把我拉了出来，他要拥抱我和祝福我，等等，他很高兴我回来了，我们摆脱了国王和公爵，但是我说：

“Not now; have it for breakfast, have it for breakfast! Cut loose and let her slide!”
“现在不要这样，留着早餐吃吧，留着早餐吃吧！解开木排，让她自己滑下去！”

So in two seconds away we went a-sliding down the river, and it DID seem so good to be free again and all by ourselves on the big river, and nobody to bother us. —
所以两秒钟后，我们就一起滑下了河去，再次自由起来，只有我们两个人在这条大河上，没有人来打扰我们，真是太好了。 —

I had to skip around a bit, and jump up and crack my heels a few times – I couldn’t help it; —
我不得不跳跃一下，蹦起来几次–我控制不住； —

but about the third crack I noticed a sound that I knowed mighty well, and held my breath and listened and waited; —
但是在第三次跳跃时，我注意到了一种我非常熟悉的声音，我屏住呼吸倾听和等待； —

and sure enough, when the next flash busted out over the water, here they come! —
果然，在下一次闪光爆发在水面上的时候，他们来了！ —

– and just alaying to their oars and making their skiff hum! —
–他们只是摆动划桨，让小船嗡嗡作响！ —

It was the king and the duke.
那是国王和公爵。

So I wilted right down on to the planks then, and give up; —
所以我就一下子倒在了木板上，放弃了； —

and it was all I could do to keep from crying.
我全力忍住了不哭出来。