Nine o’clock at last, and the drudging toil of the day was ended. —
终于到了九点钟，这一天劳累的工作结束了。 —

Lena climbed to her room in the third half-story of the Quarrymen’s Hotel. Since daylight she had slaved, doing the work of a full-grown woman, scrubbing the floors, washing the heavy ironstone plates and cups, making the beds, and supplying the insatiate demands for wood and water in that turbulent and depressing hostelry.
莉娜爬到了采石工人旅馆的第三层楼房间。从天亮开始，她一直干活，像一个成年女人一样辛苦地擦洗地板，洗重重的铁石盘子和杯子，整理床铺，满足这个混乱而沉闷的旅馆对柴火和水源的无穷需求。

The din of the day’s quarrying was over–the blasting and drilling, the creaking of the great cranes, the shouts of the foremen, the backing and shifting of the flat-cars hauling the heavy blocks of limestone. —
一天的采石喧嚣结束了——爆炸和钻孔声，巨大起重机的吱吱声，领班们的喊叫声，拉着沉重的石灰石块的平车的移动和转向声。 —

Down in the hotel office three or four of the labourers were growling and swearing over a belated game of checkers. —
在旅馆的办公室里，有三四个劳工在为一盘因耽搁而叫人发牢骚和咒骂的跳棋游戏而争吵。 —

Heavy odours of stewed meat, hot grease, and cheap coffee hung like a depressing fog about the house.
油炸肉、热油和廉价咖啡的浓烈气味像一片令人沮丧的雾气笼罩着整个房子。

Lena lit the stump of a candle and sat limply upon her wooden chair. —
莉娜点亮了一根蜡烛残躯，无力地坐在木椅上。 —

She was eleven years old, thin and ill-nourished. Her back and limbs were sore and aching. —
她只有11岁，身体瘦弱，营养不良。她的背和肢体都酸痛不堪。 —

But the ache in her heart made the biggest trouble. —
但她心中的痛苦是最大的困扰。 —

The last straw had been added to the burden upon her small shoulders. —
最后的稻草已经压在她纤小的肩上。 —

They had taken away Grimm. Always at night, however tired she might be, she had turned to Grimm for comfort and hope. —
他们把格林姆带走了。然而无论她多么疲惫，夜晚她总是寻求格林姆的安慰和希望。 —

Each time had Grimm whispered to her that the prince or the fairy would come and deliver her out of the wicked enchantment. —
每次格林姆都会对她耳语，王子或仙女会来拯救她脱离邪恶的魔法。 —

Every night she had taken fresh courage and strength from Grimm.
每天晚上她都从格林姆那里汲取新的勇气和力量。

To whatever tale she read she found an analogy in her own condition. —
无论她读的是什么故事，都能在自己的处境中找到类似之处。 —

The woodcutter’s lost child, the unhappy goose girl, the persecuted stepdaughter, the little maiden imprisoned in the witch’s hut–all these were but transparent disguises for Lena, the overworked kitchenmaid in the Quarrymen’s Hotel. And always when the extremity was direst came the good fairy or the gallant prince to the rescue.
木匠失散的孩子，不幸的鹅女，被迫害的继女，被困在女巫小屋中的小姑娘-这一切都只是莉娜这个石匠旅馆被过度工作的厨房女佣的伪装。而当情况最为危急时，总会有善良的仙女或勇敢的王子来拯救她。

So, here in the ogre’s castle, enslaved by a wicked spell, Lena had leaned upon Grimm and waited, longing for the powers of goodness to prevail. —
所以，在食人魔的城堡里，被邪恶的咒语奴役着，莉娜靠着格林姆倚赖和等待，并渴望着善良的力量会战胜邪恶。 —

But on the day before Mrs. Maloney had found the book in her room and had carried it away, declaring sharply that it would not do for servants to read at night; —
但在那天之前，马龙尼夫人在自己的房间里找到了那本书，并带走了它，尖声宣称仆人们晚上读书是不合适的； —

they lost sleep and did not work briskly the next day. —
他们丧失了睡眠，第二天工作不积极。 —

Can one only eleven years old, living away from one’s mamma, and never having any time to play, live entirely deprived of Grimm? —
一个只有十一岁、远离妈妈，并且从来没有时间玩耍的人，能够完全没有葛林童话吗？ —

Just try it once and you will see what a difficult thing it is.
试试看，你就会知道这是多么困难的事情。

Lena’s home was in Texas, away up among the little mountains on the Pedernales River, in a little town called Fredericksburg. —
莱娜的家在得克萨斯州，远离小山脉，在佩德纳利斯河上的一个叫做弗雷德里克斯堡的小镇。 —

They are all German people who live in Fredericksburg. —
住在弗雷德里克斯堡的人都是德国人。 —

Of evenings they sit at little tables along the sidewalk and drink beer and play pinochle and scat. —
晚上他们坐在人行道边的小桌子旁喝啤酒，打纸牌游戏。 —

They are very thrifty people.
他们非常节俭。

Thriftiest among them was Peter Hildesmuller, Lena’s father. —
他们中最节俭的是彼得·希尔德斯米勒，莱娜的父亲。 —

And that is why Lena was sent to work in the hotel at the quarries, thirty miles away. —
这就是为什么莱娜被派到离家三十英里的石头场的旅馆工作。 —

She earned three dollars every week there, and Peter added her wages to his well-guarded store. —
她在那里每周赚三美元，而彼得把她的工资加到他严密守护的储蓄上。 —

Peter had an ambition to become as rich as his neighbour, Hugo Heffelbauer, who smoked a meerschaum pipe three feet long and had wiener schnitzel and hassenpfeffer for dinner every day in the week. —
彼得有一个追求，那就是要变得和他的邻居雨果·赫菲尔鲍尔一样富有。雨果抽一支长达三英尺的矛油烟斗，并且一周七天的晚餐都是维也纳炸牛排和野兔肉。 —

And now Lena was quite old enough to work and assist in the accumulation of riches. —
现在莉娜已经足够大了，可以工作并协助积累财富了。 —

But conjecture, if you can, what it means to be sentenced at eleven years of age from a home in the pleasant little Rhine village to hard labour in the ogre’s castle, where you must fly to serve the ogres, while they devour cattle and sheep, growling fiercely as they stamp white limestone dust from their great shoes for you to sweep and scour with your weak, aching fingers. —
但是，如果你能推测一下，11岁时从在令人愉快的莱茵小村庄家中被判处在食人魔城堡里进行劳动，而你必须为食人魔飞行服务，而他们在吃牛羊肉时，咆哮着用他们那双巨大的鞋子压碎白色石灰尘，让你用虚弱而痛苦的手指去打扫和擦洗。 —

And then–to have Grimm taken away from you!
然后 - - 被带走曾经属于你的格林姆！

Lena raised the lid of an old empty case that had once contained canned corn and got out a sheet of paper and a piece of pencil. —
莉娜打开了一个曾经装着罐装玉米的旧空盒，拿出一张纸和一支铅笔。 —

She was going to write a letter to her mamma. —
她打算给妈妈写一封信。 —

Tommy Ryan was going to post it for her at Ballinger’s. —
汤米·瑞恩打算帮她把信寄给巴林格。 —

Tommy was seventeen, worked in the quarries, went home to Ballinger’s every night, and was now waiting in the shadows under Lena’s window for her to throw the letter out to him. —
汤米十七岁，在采石场工作，每晚回家去巴林格斯，现在在Lena的窗户下的阴影中等着她向他扔信。 —

That was the only way she could send a letter to Fredericksburg. —
这是她唯一能够寄信给弗雷德里克斯堡的方式。 —

Mrs. Maloney did not like for her to write letters.
马龙尼太太不喜欢她写信。

The stump of the candle was burning low, so Lena hastily bit the wood from around the lead of her pencil and began. —
蜡烛的蜡燃得很低，所以Lena匆匆地咬掉铅笔周围的木头，开始写信。 —

This is the letter she wrote:
这是她写的信：

Dearest Mamma:–I want so much to see you. —
亲爱的妈妈：我非常想见到你。 —

And Gretel and Claus and Heinrich and little Adolf. I am so tired. I want to see you. —
以及格雷特尔、克劳斯、海因里希和小阿道夫。我非常累。我想见到你。 —

To-day I was slapped by Mrs. Maloney and had no supper. —
今天我被马龙尼太太打了一巴掌，没有吃晚饭。 —

I could not bring in enough wood, for my hand hurt. She took my book yesterday. —
我拿不了足够的木柴，因为我手疼。昨天她拿走了我的书。 —

I mean “Grimm’s Fairy Tales,” which Uncle Leo gave me. —
我的意思是，那本是勒奥伯父给我的《格林童话故事》。 —

It did not hurt any one for me to read the book. —
让我读这本书对任何人都没有伤害。 —

I try to work as well as I can, but there is so much to do. —
我尽力工作，但有太多事要做。 —

I read only a little bit every night. —
我每晚只读一点点。 —

Dear mamma, I shall tell you what I am going to do. —
亲爱的妈妈，我要告诉你我打算做什么。 —

Unless you send for me to-morrow to bring me home I shall go to a deep place I know in the river and drown. —
除非明天你派人来把我送回家，否则我就去我熟悉的河中某个深处溺水。 —

It is wicked to drown, I suppose, but I wanted to see you, and there is no one else. —
溺水可能是邪恶的，但我想要见你，而没有别人可以。 —

I am very tired, and Tommy is waiting for the letter. —
我很累，汤米正在等着信。 —

You will excuse me, mamma, if I do it.
妈妈，请原谅我这么做。

Your respectful and loving daughter,
你忠诚又爱你的女儿，莉娜。

Lena.
在信完成时，汤米仍然忠诚地等着，莉娜看着他捡起信开始爬上陡峭的山坡。

Tommy was still waiting faithfully when the letter was concluded, and when Lena dropped it out she saw him pick it up and start up the steep hillside. —
她没有脱衣服，吹灭了蜡烛，蜷缩在地板上的床垫上。 —

Without undressing she blew out the candle and curled herself upon the mattress on the floor.
10:30，巴林格老人穿着袜子走出家门，靠在门口的大门上，抽着烟斗。

At 10:30 o’clock old man Ballinger came out of his house in his stocking feet and leaned over the gate, smoking his pipe. —
他望着被月光映照的大道，用一只脚的脚趾抠着另一只脚的脚踝。 —

He looked down the big road, white in the moonshine, and rubbed one ankle with the toe of his other foot. —
弗雷德里克斯堡的邮件该快要走过这条路了。 —

It was time for the Fredericksburg mail to come pattering up the road.
溪里的信。

Old man Ballinger had waited only a few minutes when he heard the lively hoofbeats of Fritz’s team of little black mules, and very soon afterward his covered spring wagon stood in front of the gate. —
老人巴林格只等了几分钟，就听到弗里茨的小黑骡队活泼的蹄声，不久之后，他的带顶弹簧牛车就停在大门前。 —

Fritz’s big spectacles flashed in the moonlight and his tremendous voice shouted a greeting to the postmaster of Ballinger’s. —
弗里茨的大眼镜在月光下闪烁，他那巨大的声音向巴林格的邮局官员大声打招呼。 —

The mail-carrier jumped out and took the bridles from the mules, for he always fed them oats at Ballinger’s.
邮递员跳下车，给骡子解了缰绳，因为他总是在巴林格家给它们喂燕麦。

While the mules were eating from their feed bags old man Ballinger brought out the mail sack and threw it into the wagon.
当骡子们正在吃着它们的饲料袋时，巴林格老人拿出邮袋扔进了牛车里。

Fritz Bergmann was a man of three sentiments–or to be more accurate– four, the pair of mules deserving to be reckoned individually. —
弗里茨·伯格曼是一个有着三种情感（或者更准确地说是四种情感）的人，其中一对骡子应该被单独计算在内。 —

Those mules were the chief interest and joy of his existence. —
这些骡子是他生活中的主要兴趣和快乐源泉。 —

Next came the Emperor of Germany and Lena Hildesmuller.
接下来是德意志皇帝和莱娜·希尔德斯米勒。

“Tell me,” said Fritz, when he was ready to start, “contains the sack a letter to Frau Hildesmuller from the little Lena at the quarries? —
“告诉我，”弗里茨说，当他准备出发时，” 邮袋里有封信给霍尔德斯米勒夫人，是来自采石场的小莱娜写的吗？” —

One came in the last mail to say that she is a little sick, already. —
最近一封信里说她有点生病了。 —

Her mamma is very anxious to hear again.”
她妈妈非常焦虑地想再次听到她的消息。

“Yes,” said old man Ballinger, “thar’s a letter for Mrs. Helterskelter, or some sich name. —
“是的，”老巴林格说，“有一封给赫尔特斯凯尔特夫人的信，或者是某个类似的名字。 —

Tommy Ryan brung it over when he come. Her little gal workin’ over thar, you say?”
汤米·瑞安在他来的时候带过来的。你说她的小女儿在那儿工作？”

“In the hotel,” shouted Fritz, as he gathered up the lines; —
“在旅馆里，”弗里茨边收拾着缰绳边喊道， —

“eleven years old and not bigger as a frankfurter. The close-fist of a Peter Hildesmuller! —
“11岁了，跟一个法兰克福热狗一样小。彼得·希尔德斯穆勒地小心眼！ —

–some day I shall with a big club pound that man’s dummkopf–all in and out the town. —
有一天我要用大棍子把那个人的蠢脑袋砸扁——来回在镇子里。 —

Perhaps in this letter Lena will say that she is yet feeling better. So, her mamma will be glad. —
也许在这封信里，莉娜会说她还感觉好些了。这样，她妈妈会很高兴。 —

Auf wiedersehen, Herr Ballinger–your feets will take cold out in the night air.”
再见，巴林格先生——夜空里你的脚会着凉。

“So long, Fritzy,” said old man Ballinger. “You got a nice cool night for your drive.”
拜拜，弗里茨，”老巴林格说。“你有一个凉爽的夜晚去驾车。”

Up the road went the little black mules at their steady trot, while Fritz thundered at them occasional words of endearment and cheer.
小黑骡子们在路上一直稳定地小跑，而弗里茨偶尔对它们喊些亲昵和鼓励的话语。

These fancies occupied the mind of the mail-carrier until he reached the big post oak forest, eight miles from Ballinger’s. —
这些想法占据了邮递员的思绪，直到他到达距离巴林格尔有八英里的大邮政橡树森林。 —

Here his ruminations were scattered by the sudden flash and report of pistols and a whooping as if from a whole tribe of Indians. —
这时，他的思绪被突然的枪声和一片印第安人的呼喊声所打散。 —

A band of galloping centaurs closed in around the mail wagon. —
一群飞驰的半人马围在邮车周围。 —

One of them leaned over the front wheel, covered the driver with his revolver, and ordered him to stop. —
其中一人俯身在前轮上，用手枪对准驾驶员，命令他停下来。 —

Others caught at the bridles of Donder and Blitzen.
其他人抓住了“Donder”和“Blitzen”的缰绳。

“Donnerwetter!” shouted Fritz, with all his tremendous voice–“wass ist? —
“Donnerwetter！”弗里茨用他那浑厚的声音大声喊道–“发生了什么？ —

Release your hands from dose mules. Ve vas der United States mail!”
把你的手从那些毛驴上松开。我们是美国邮政！”

“Hurry up, Dutch!” drawled a melancholy voice. —
“快点，荷兰佬！”一个忧郁的声音说。 —

“Don’t you know when you’re in a stick-up? —
“你不知道自己是被劫持了吗？ —

Reverse your mules and climb out of the cart.”
倒退你的毛驴，从车里爬出来。”

It is due to the breadth of Hondo Bill’s demerit and the largeness of his achievements to state that the holding up of the Fredericksburg mail was not perpetrated by way of an exploit. —
由于汉多·比尔的罪大恶极和他的伟大成就，有必要说明一下，弗雷德里克斯堡邮件的劫持并不是一次英勇的行动。 —

As the lion while in the pursuit of prey commensurate to his prowess might set a frivolous foot upon a casual rabbit in his path, so Hondo Bill and his gang had swooped sportively upon the pacific transport of Meinherr Fritz.
正如狮子在追逐猎物时，可能会无意中踩到路径上的一只兔子一样，汉多·比尔和他的团伙轻松地袭击了弗里茨先生的太平洋交通工具。

The real work of their sinister night ride was over. —
他们险恶夜行的真正任务已经完成。 —

Fritz and his mail bag and his mules came as gentle relaxation, grateful after the arduous duties of their profession. —
弗里茨、他的邮袋和他的骡子是辛勤工作之后的宝贵放松。 —

Twenty miles to the southeast stood a train with a killed engine, hysterical passengers and a looted express and mail car. —
在东南方有一列火车，火车头被击毙，乘客们陷入恐慌，快递和邮政车辆被洗劫一空。 —

That represented the serious occupation of Hondo Bill and his gang. —
这代表了汉多·比尔和他的团伙的严肃职业。 —

With a fairly rich prize of currency and silver the robbers were making a wide detour to the west through the less populous country, intending to seek safety in Mexico by means of some fordable spot on the Rio Grande. —
拿着一大笔货币和银器的劫匪们正绕道西行，通过人口较少的地区，打算在里约格兰德河的某个可涉水的地方寻求安全。 —

The booty from the train had melted the desperate bushrangers to jovial and happy skylarkers.
火车上的赃物让这些绝望的山贼变得开心愉悦起来。

Trembling with outraged dignity and no little personal apprehension, Fritz climbed out to the road after replacing his suddenly removed spectacles. —
沮丧地颤抖着，不禁个人充满忧虑，弗里茨换上了被突然拿走的眼镜后走到路边。 —

The band had dismounted and were singing, capering, and whooping, thus expressing their satisfied delight in the life of a jolly outlaw. —
乐队下马并开始唱歌、蹦跳和呼喊，表达着他们对一个快乐的亡命之徒生活的满意喜悦。 —

Rattlesnake Rogers, who stood at the heads of the mules, jerked a little too vigorously at the rein of the tender-mouthed Donder, who reared and emitted a loud, protesting snort of pain. —
站在骡马头前的响尾蛇·罗杰斯用力拉了一下嘴巴敏感的唐德尔，唐德尔突然后仰，发出一声疼痛的响噪。 —

Instantly Fritz, with a scream of anger, flew at the bulky Rogers and began to assiduously pummel that surprised freebooter with his fists.
弗里茨立刻怒吼一声，飞身扑向那个庞大的罗杰斯，并开始用拳头殴打这个惊讶的盗匪。

“Villain!” shouted Fritz, “dog, bigstiff! Dot mule he has a soreness by his mouth. —
“恶棍！”弗里茨喊道，“畜生，大笨蛋！那匹骡子嘴巴疼。 —

I vill knock off your shoulders mit your head– robbermans!”
我要用拳头砸掉你的头—强盗！”

“Yi-yi!” howled Rattlesnake, roaring with laughter and ducking his head, “somebody git this here sour-krout off’n me!”
“呀呀！”响尾蛇大笑着扭动脑袋，“有人把这个酸菜冻掉我身上”。

One of the band yanked Fritz back by the coat-tail, and the woods rang with Rattlesnake’s vociferous comments.
乐队中的一个人拉住弗里茨的后襟，树林里回荡着响尾蛇高声的评论。

“The dog-goned little wienerwurst,” he yelled, amiably. —
“这只该死的小细长香肠狗！”他亲切地喊道。 —

“He’s not so much of a skunk, for a Dutchman. Took up for his animile plum quick, didn’t he? —
“对于一个荷兰人来说，他不算太坏。他为他的动物立即挺身而出，不是吗？” —

I like to see a man like his hoss, even if it is a mule. —
“我喜欢看到一个男人喜欢他的马，即使它是一头骡子。” —

The dad-blamed little Limburger he went for me, didn’t he! —
“这该死的小林堡奶酪他冲我跑过来了，对吧！” —

Whoa, now, muley–I ain’t a-goin’ to hurt your mouth agin any more.”
“哦，慢点，骡子，我不会再伤你的嘴了。”

Perhaps the mail would not have been tampered with had not Ben Moody, the lieutenant, possessed certain wisdom that seemed to promise more spoils.
也许如果列兵本·穆迪没有拥有某些看起来能带来更多战利品的智慧，这封信件就不会被篡改了。

“Say, Cap,” he said, addressing Hondo Bill, “there’s likely to be good pickings in these mail sacks. —
“说吧，队长，”他对汉多·比尔说，“这些邮袋里可能会有一些好东西。” —

I’ve done some hoss tradin’ with these Dutchmen around Fredericksburg, and I know the style of the varmints. —
“我和弗雷德里克斯堡周围的这些荷兰人做过一些马匹交易，我知道这些家伙的风格。” —

There’s big money goes through the mails to that town. —
“有很多大额资金通过邮件运到那个城镇。” —

Them Dutch risk a thousand dollars sent wrapped in a piece of paper before they’d pay the banks to handle the money.”
“这些荷兰人宁愿把一千美元用纸包起来寄出去，也不愿意给银行支付手续费去处理这笔钱。”

Hondo Bill, six feet two, gentle of voice and impulsive in action, was dragging the sacks from the rear of the wagon before Moody had finished his speech. —
身高六英尺两英寸的汉多·比尔嗓音温和，行动冲动，在穆迪还没结束讲话时，他就开始拖动货车后面的袋子。 —

A knife shone in his hand, and they heard the ripping sound as it bit through the tough canvas. —
一把刀在他手中闪闪发光，人们听到了刀锋刺破坚硬帆布的撕裂声。 —

The outlaws crowded around and began tearing open letters and packages, enlivening their labours by swearing affably at the writers, who seemed to have conspired to confute the prediction of Ben Moody. Not a dollar was found in the Fredericksburg mail.
歹徒们围拢过来，开始撕开信件和包裹，他们一边亲切地咒骂着写信人，仿佛都在共同合谋打破本·穆迪的预言。弗雷德里克斯堡的邮件里一分钱都没有。

“You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” said Hondo Bill to the mail- carrier in solemn tones, “to be packing around such a lot of old, trashy paper as this. —
“你真应该感到羞愧，”汉多·比尔以庄重的语气对邮递员说道，”搬着这么一大堆破烂纸做什么。” —

What d’you mean by it, anyhow? Where do you Dutchers keep your money at?”
“你到底是什么意思？你荷兰人把钱放在哪儿？”

The Ballinger mail sack opened like a cocoon under Hondo’s knife. —
邮车的麦林格邮袋在汉多的刀下打开，就像一个茧裹里的蛹。 —

It contained but a handful of mail. Fritz had been fuming with terror and excitement until this sack was reached. —
里面只有一把邮件。直到打开这个袋子之前，弗里茨一直在恐惧和兴奋中焦躁不安。 —

He now remembered Lena’s letter. He addressed the leader of the band, asking that that particular missive be spared.
他现在想起了莉娜的信。他写信给乐队的领导者，请求保留这封特别的信件。

“Much obliged, Dutch,” he said to the disturbed carrier. —
“非常感谢，荷兰人，”他对烦躁的信使说道。 —

“I guess that’s the letter we want. Got spondulicks in it, ain’t it? —
“我想那就是我们想要的那封信。里面有钱，不是吗？ —

Here she is. Make a light, boys.”
“在这里。亮点，伙计们。”

Hondo found and tore open the letter to Mrs. Hildesmuller. —
汉多找到并撕开了给希尔德斯穆勒夫人的信。 —

The others stood about, lighting twisted up letters one from another. —
其他人围在周围，互相点燃了扭曲的信件。 —

Hondo gazed with mute disapproval at the single sheet of paper covered with the angular German script.
汉多无言地审视着那张覆盖着德文笔迹的单张纸。

“Whatever is this you’ve humbugged us with, Dutchy? You call this here a valuable letter? —
“你拿什么蒙骗我们，荷兰人？你把这封有价值的信称作是什么？ —

That’s a mighty low-down trick to play on your friends what come along to help you distribute your mail.”
这对你的朋友来帮你发信是个非常下流的把戏。”

“That’s Chiny writin’,” said Sandy Grundy, peering over Hondo’s shoulder.
“那是中国的字写的，”桑迪格兰迪探头看着汉多的肩膀说道。

“You’re off your kazip,” declared another of the gang, an effective youth, covered with silk handkerchiefs and nickel plating. —
“你是搞错了，”帮派中的另一个人宣称，他是个形象出众的年轻人，全身上下都镶满了银币和镀镍。 —

“That’s shorthand. I see ‘em do it once in court.”
“那是速记。我在法庭上见过他们这么做。”

“Ach, no, no, no–dot is German,” said Fritz. “It is no more as a little girl writing a letter to her mamma. —
“啊，不，不，不——Dot是德语，”弗里茨说。”这不过是一个小女孩给她妈妈写信而已。 —

One poor little girl, sick and vorking hard avay from home. Ach! it is a shame. —
一个可怜的小女孩，生病了，离家辛苦地工作。啊！真是可耻。 —

Good Mr. Robberman, you vill please let me have dot letter?”
亲爱的罗伯曼先生，请把那封信给我好吗？

“What the devil do you take us for, old Pretzels?” said Hondo with sudden and surprising severity. —
“你到底认为我们是什么东西，老Pretzels？” 洪多突然又严厉又令人惊讶地说道。 —

“You ain’t presumin’ to insinuate that we gents ain’t possessed of sufficient politeness for to take an interest in the miss’s health, are you? —
“你难道在暗指我们这些绅士没有足够的礼貌来关心小姐的身体健康吗？ —

Now, you go on, and you read that scratchin’ out loud and in plain United States language to this here company of educated society.”
现在，你继续，用清晰的美国语言把那些抓字大声念给这里这一群受过教育的人听。”

Hondo twirled his six-shooter by its trigger guard and stood towering above the little German, who at once began to read the letter, translating the simple words into English. —
洪多拿着他的左轮手枪，通过扳机环转了起来，屹立在那个小德国人的上方，后者立刻开始阅读信件，将简单的文字翻译成英语。 —

The gang of rovers stood in absolute silence, listening intently.
一群漫游者静静地站着，专注地倾听着。

“How old is that kid?” asked Hondo when the letter was done.
“那个孩子多大了？” Hondo问道，当信件结束的时候。

“Eleven,” said Fritz.
“十一岁，” Fritz说。

“And where is she at?”
“她在哪里？”

“At dose rock quarries–working. Ach, mein Gott–little Lena, she speak of drowning. —
“在那些采石场–工作。天啊，小莉娜，她说要淹死。 —

I do not know if she vill do it, but if she shall I schwear I vill dot Peter Hildesmuller shoot mit a gun.”
我不知道她是否会这么做，但是如果她这样做的话，我发誓我会用枪打死彼得·希尔德斯穆勒。”

“You Dutchers,” said Hondo Bill, his voice swelling with fine contempt, “make me plenty tired. —
“你这些荷兰佬，” Hondo Bill说道，声音中充满了轻蔑，”让我很累。 —

Hirin’ out your kids to work when they ought to be playin’ dolls in the sand. —
雇佣你的孩子去工作，而他们本应该在沙箱里玩娃娃。 —

You’re a hell of a sect of people. I reckon we’ll fix your clock for a while just to show what we think of your old cheesy nation. Here, boys!”
你们是一群可恶的人。我猜我们会暂时修理一下你们的时钟，以显示我们对你们的老掉牙国家的看法。来吧，伙计们！

Hondo Bill parleyed aside briefly with his band, and then they seized Fritz and conveyed him off the road to one side. —
隆多·比尔与他的团队稍作停留，然后他们抓住弗里茨，把他从路边带到了一边。 —

Here they bound him fast to a tree with a couple of lariats. —
然后他们用两根捆绑绳将他紧紧地绑在一棵树上。 —

His team they tied to another tree near by.
他们把马车绑在附近的另一棵树上。

“We ain’t going to hurt you bad,” said Hondo reassuringly. —
“我们不会伤害你太重。”隆多安慰地说。 —

”‘Twon’t hurt you to be tied up for a while. —
“你被绑上一段时间不会受伤。 —

We will now pass you the time of day, as it is up to us to depart. —
现在轮到我们告别了。 —

Ausgespielt–nixcumrous, Dutchy. Don’t get any more impatience.”
Ausgespielt - nixcumrous，荷兰佬。不要再心急了。

Fritz heard a great squeaking of saddles as the men mounted their horses. —
弗里茨听到一阵马鞍的嘎吱作响，在男人们上马的时候。 —

Then a loud yell and a great clatter of hoofs as they galloped pell-mell back along the Fredericksburg road.
然后，他们发出一声大叫，马蹄声大作，他们一溜烟地沿着弗雷德里克堡路飞奔而去。

For more than two hours Fritz sat against his tree, tightly but not painfully bound. —
弗里茨坐在树旁超过两个小时，被牢牢地捆绑着，但没有疼痛感。 —

Then from the reaction after his exciting adventure he sank into slumber. —
在令人兴奋的冒险经历之后，他陷入了沉睡之中。 —

How long he slept he knew not, but he was at last awakened by a rough shake. —
他不知道自己睡了多久，但最终被粗暴地摇醒了。 —

Hands were untying his ropes. He was lifted to his feet, dazed, confused in mind, and weary of body. —
有人在解开他的绳索。他被抬起来，头晕目眩，心思困惑，身体疲惫不堪。 —

Rubbing his eyes, he looked and saw that he was again in the midst of the same band of terrible bandits. —
他揉揉眼睛，看到自己又一次身处那群可怕的土匪中间。 —

They shoved him up to the seat of his wagon and placed the lines in his hands.
他们把他推上马车的座位，将缰绳放在他手里。

“Hit it out for home, Dutch,” said Hondo Bill’s voice commandingly. —
“Dutch，快点出发，”汉多·比尔的声音命令道。 —

“You’ve given us lots of trouble and we’re pleased to see the back of your neck. —
“你给我们带来了很多麻烦，我们很高兴看到你的背影。 —

Spiel! Zwei bier! Vamoose!”
快走！两杯啤酒！滚蛋！”

Hondo reached out and gave Blitzen a smart cut with his quirt.
汉多伸手用鞭子狠狠抽了一下布里兹恩。

The little mules sprang ahead, glad to be moving again. —
小毛驴们高兴地跳了起来，欢欣地向前冲去。 —

Fritz urged them along, himself dizzy and muddled over his fearful adventure.
弗里茨催促它们前进，自己还在为自己的可怕经历感到头晕脑涨。

According to schedule time, he should have reached Fredericksburg at daylight. —
按照预定的时间表，他应该在天亮之前到达弗雷德里克斯堡。 —

As it was, he drove down the long street of the town at eleven o’clock A.M. He had to pass Peter Hildesmuller’s house on his way to the post-office. —
正如他所做的那样，他在上午11点驾车沿着镇上的长街驶过。他必须在去邮局的路上经过彼得·希尔德斯米勒的房子。 —

He stopped his team at the gate and called. —
他在大门口停下车，喊了一声。 —

But Frau Hildesmuller was watching for him. —
但是弗劳·希尔德斯米勒正在注视着他。 —

Out rushed the whole family of Hildesmullers.
希尔德斯米勒一家人冲了出来。

Frau Hildesmuller, fat and flushed, inquired if he had a letter from Lena, and then Fritz raised his voice and told the tale of his adventure. —
发胖而潮红的希尔德斯米勒夫人询问是否有来自莉娜的信件，然后弗里茨提高了嗓门，讲述了他的冒险故事。 —

He told the contents of that letter that the robber had made him read, and then Frau Hildesmuller broke into wild weeping. —
他讲述了那封强盗逼他读的信件的内容，然后希尔德斯米勒夫人哭泣起来。 —

Her little Lena drown herself! Why had they sent her from home? What could be done? —
她的小莉娜溺水自杀了！他们为什么让她离家出走？还能做什么？ —

Perhaps it would be too late by the time they could send for her now. —
也许现在派遣她回家已经太晚了。 —

Peter Hildesmuller dropped his meerschaum on the walk and it shivered into pieces.
彼得·希尔德斯米勒的烟斗掉在了人行道上，碎成了几块。

“Woman!” he roared at his wife, “why did you let that child go away? —
“女人！”他对妻子咆哮道，“为什么你让那个孩子离家出走？ —

It is your fault if she comes home to us no more.”
如果她再也不回来，这全都是你的错。”

Every one knew that it was Peter Hildesmuller’s fault, so they paid no attention to his words.
众人都知道这是彼得·希尔德斯米勒的错，所以对他的话不予理会。

A moment afterward a strange, faint voice was heard to call: “Mamma!” Frau Hildesmuller at first thought it was Lena’s spirit calling, and then she rushed to the rear of Fritz’s covered wagon, and, with a loud shriek of joy, caught up Lena herself, covering her pale little face with kisses and smothering her with hugs. —
不一会儿，一个奇怪而微弱的声音传来：“妈妈！”赫尔德斯米勒夫人起初以为是莉娜的灵魂在叫，然后她冲到弗里茨的篷车后面，高兴地尖叫着抱起了莉娜，用亲吻遮住了她苍白的小脸，并用紧紧的拥抱把她闷住。 —

Lena’s eyes were heavy with the deep slumber of exhaustion, but she smiled and lay close to the one she had longed to see. —
莉娜的眼睛因疲惫而沉重地睡着了，但她微笑着靠近那个她渴望见到的人。 —

There among the mail sacks, covered in a nest of strange blankets and comforters, she had lain asleep until wakened by the voices around her.
在那些邮袋中，躺着一个被陌生的毯子和舒适物品包裹起来的莉娜，她一直在那里睡着，直到被周围的声音惊醒。

Fritz stared at her with eyes that bulged behind his spectacles.
弗里茨戴着扩大了的眼镜望着她。

“Gott in Himmel!” he shouted. “How did you get in that wagon? —
“天啊！”他喊道。“你是怎么进那辆篷车的？ —

Am I going crazy as well as to be murdered and hanged by robbers this day?”
我难道要疯掉，被强盗杀害和绞死在这一天吗？”

“You brought her to us, Fritz,” cried Frau Hildesmuller. “How can we ever thank you enough?”
“是你把她带给我们的，弗里茨。”赫尔德斯米勒夫人喊道。“我们怎么能够感谢你呢？”

“Tell mamma how you came in Fritz’s wagon,” said Frau Hildesmuller.
“告诉妈妈你怎么坐上了弗里茨的马车，”希尔德斯米勒夫人说道。

“I don’t know,” said Lena. “But I know how I got away from the hotel. The Prince brought me.”
“我不知道，”莉娜说。“但是我知道我是怎么从旅馆逃脱的。是王子带我走的。”

“By the Emperor’s crown!” shouted Fritz, “we are all going crazy.”
“上帝啊！”弗里茨叫道，“我们都要疯了。”

“I always knew he would come,” said Lena, sitting down on her bundle of bedclothes on the sidewalk. —
“我一直知道他会来的，”莉娜坐在人行道上的一堆床上用品上说道。 —

“Last night he came with his armed knights and captured the ogre’s castle. —
“昨晚他带着武装的骑士来了，占领了食人魔的城堡。 —

They broke the dishes and kicked down the doors. —
“他们打破了盘子，踢倒了门。 —

They pitched Mr. Maloney into a barrel of rain water and threw flour all over Mrs. Maloney. —
“他们把马洛尼先生扔进了一桶雨水里，还在马洛尼夫人身上撒了一身面粉。” —

The workmen in the hotel jumped out of the windows and ran into the woods when the knights began firing their guns. —
当骑士们开始开枪射击时，旅馆里的工人们从窗户跳了出来，跑进了树林。 —

They wakened me up and I peeped down the stair. —
他们把我吵醒了，我偷偷地往楼下看了一眼。 —

And then the Prince came up and wrapped me in the bedclothes and carried me out. —
然后王子上来了，把我裹在被子里抱了出去。 —

He was so tall and strong and fine. His face was as rough as a scrubbing brush, and he talked soft and kind and smelled of schnapps. —
他又高又壮又帅气。他的脸像把刷子一样粗糙，说话温柔而亲切，身上有雪利酒的味道。 —

He took me on his horse before him and we rode away among the knights. —
他让我坐在他的马上，然后我们一起骑走，身边是一群骑士。 —

He held me close and I went to sleep that way, and didn’t wake up till I got home.”
他紧紧地抱着我，我就这样睡着了，一直到回家才醒来。

“Rubbish!” cried Fritz Bergmann. “Fairy tales! How did you come from the quarries to my wagon?”
弗里茨·贝格曼大声说：“胡说八道！都是童话故事！你是怎么从采石场来到我的马车上的？”

“The Prince brought me,” said Lena, confidently.
“是王子带我来的，”莉娜自信地说。

And to this day the good people of Fredericksburg haven’t been able to make her give any other explanation.
至今弗里德里克斯堡的善良居民们还没有找到其他的解释办法。