About a week later, we were sailing round the rocky coast of northern Scotland in very bad weather. It was difficult to see anything because of the thick fog. One evening there was a great crash, and the officers ran out to see what had happened. I thought we had hit a rock, but in fact it was a small boat. As we watched, the boat broke in two, and went to the bottom with all its men, except the one passenger. At the moment of the crash, this man managed to jump up and catch the side of the ship and pull himself up.
大約一周以后,在非常惡劣的天氣條件下,我們沿蘇格蘭北部的礁巖海岸行駛著。由于大霧彌漫,很難看見什么東西。一天晚上,有一聲猛烈的撞擊聲,高級(jí)船員們都跑出去看發(fā)生了什么。我以為我們是撞上了一塊巖石,但實(shí)際上是一條小船。我們觀看時(shí),小船碎成了兩半,除了這一位乘客外其余的人連船一起沉入海底了。在撞船的那一刻,這個(gè)人用力跳起來,抓住了我們這條船的船舷,掙扎著上了船。
The captain brought him into the round-house. He was smallish but well-built, with an open, sunburnt face, and bright, amused eyes. When he took off his long coat, I could see that he had a pair of pistols and was wearing a sword at his side. Although his life had clearly been in great danger, he seemed very calm, and spoke politely to the captain. Hoseason was looking with interest at the man's clothes. He was wearing a hat with feathers, a blue coat with silver buttons, and expensive-looking lace round his neck.
船長把他帶進(jìn)了后甲板室里。他個(gè)子有點(diǎn)小,但身體強(qiáng)壯,長著一張開朗的、曬黑的臉和一雙明亮的、逗人喜歡的眼睛。當(dāng)他脫下長大衣時(shí),我能看見他帶著一對(duì)手槍,佩著一把劍。雖然他的生命顯然處于極大的危險(xiǎn)之中,但他看起來很鎮(zhèn)靜,并且有禮貌地和船長說著話。霍齊亞森饒有興趣地看看那個(gè)男人的衣服。他戴著一頂插有羽毛的帽子,穿著一件帶銀扣子的藍(lán)外衣,脖子那兒有一圈看似貴重的花邊。
'I'm sorry about the boat, sir,' said the captain.
“就船的事我很抱歉,先生,”船長說道。
'I've lost some grand friends today,' replied the stranger, 'and that's worse than losing ten boats.'
“今天我失去了一些好朋友,”陌生人回答道,“這比失掉10條船更糟糕。”
'Well, sir, there are more men in the world than boats,' replied the captain, still watching him closely. 'I know, be cause I've been in France, like you.'
“唔,先生,這世界上人比船多,”船長回答道,眼睛仍緊緊地盯著陌生人,“我知道,因?yàn)槲液湍阋粯釉?jīng)在法國待過。”
He said these last words clearly and carefully. They seemed to have a special meaning. The stranger put his hand quickly on his pistol.
船長既清晰又當(dāng)心地吐出了最后幾個(gè)字。它們似乎有一種特殊的含義。陌生人迅速地把手?jǐn)R到手槍上。
'Don't worry,' said Hoseason. 'Ye've a French soldier's coat on your back and a Scottish tongue in your head, that's true, but so has many an honest man these days.'
“別擔(dān)心。”霍齊亞森說道,“你穿著一件法國士兵的外套,但又操著蘇格蘭口音,那不假,但現(xiàn)今有很多誠實(shí)的人都這樣。”
'Well, sir,' replied the stranger, 'I must tell you that I'm one of those honest Highlanders who were proud to fight for their homes, their clan and their country in 1745, against the English King. And I must tell you another thing. If King George's soldiers find me, I'll be in trouble. I was on my way to France, where some of my clansmen live now. But in the fog my boat missed the French ship that was meeting me. So if you can take me to France, I'll pay you well.'
“好吧,先生,”陌生人說道,“我必須告訴你我是那些以自己在1745年反抗英格蘭國王、為家園而戰(zhàn)、為部族而戰(zhàn)、為國家而戰(zhàn)為榮的誠實(shí)的高地人之一。我還得告訴你另外一件事。如果喬治國王的士兵發(fā)現(xiàn)我,我將會(huì)有麻煩。我要去法國,我的一些族人現(xiàn)在住在那兒。但是在霧中我的小船錯(cuò)過了來接我的法國船。如果你能把我?guī)У椒▏脑挘覍⒑煤贸曛x你。”
He opened his purse and showed that it was full of gold coins. The captain seemed excited as he looked at the money, and then at the man's face.
他打開錢包,示意那里面裝滿了金幣。船長看看錢接著又看看那人的臉,顯得激動(dòng)的樣子。
'To France?' he replied. 'No, I can't do that. But to the Highlands, aye, we can discuss that.' They sat down together, and in the end agreed that the captain would take the stranger to Loch Linnhe, on the northwest coast of Scotland, for sixty pounds. There the Highlander would be among friends, and safe from the English army. He and Hoseason shook hands, and the captain left me alone with the stranger.
“去法國?”他答道,“不,我不能那樣做。但如果是去高地,對(duì),我們還可以商量商量那個(gè)。”他們坐在一起,最后達(dá)成協(xié)議:船長將把陌生人帶到蘇格蘭西北海岸的林荷湖,條件是給他60鎊。在那兒這位高地人將置身于朋友之中,并因遠(yuǎn)離英格蘭軍隊(duì)而很安全。他和霍齊亞森握握手,然后把我和陌生人單獨(dú)留在一起。
He had told the captain that the gold was not his own. Some of the Highlanders had escaped to France after the Forty-Five, but their friends and clansmen in Scotland sometimes managed to find a little money to send them. It was this man's job to take the money across to France, and he did this by travelling secretly to Scotland as often as possible. I thought he was very brave. 'If he's caught by the English army, they'll kill him!' I told myself. I liked the way he seemed to enjoy living dangerously.
他已告訴過船長金子不是他自己的。在1745年政變后,有些高地人逃到了法國,但他們?cè)谔K格蘭的一些朋友和族人有時(shí)設(shè)法找到一點(diǎn)錢送給他們。這個(gè)人的使命是把錢帶到法國,他通常是通過秘密地盡量常去蘇格蘭來完成他的使命的。我認(rèn)為他很勇敢。“如果他被英格蘭軍隊(duì)抓住了,他們會(huì)殺了他!”我自言自語道。我喜歡他看似喜歡冒險(xiǎn)地生活的樣子。
When he asked me for whisky, I had to go to ask the captain for the key to the cupboard. I found Hoseason and his officers talking quietly in a corner, and heard them planning to kill the stranger and steal his money. They seemed to think that I would help them, and asked me to bring them secretly some guns from the round-house. I went slowly back to the stranger, not sure what I should do. But when I entered the round-house, and saw him eating his supper, I decided at once.
他找我要威士忌時(shí),我不得不去找船長要小櫥子的鑰匙。我發(fā)現(xiàn)霍齊亞森船長和高級(jí)船員們?cè)谝粋€(gè)角落里悄聲地談?wù)撝椅衣牭剿麄冇?jì)劃殺掉這位陌生人并偷走他的錢財(cái)。他們似乎認(rèn)為我能幫他們,讓我從后甲板室給他們偷偷地拿些槍來。我慢慢地回到陌生人那兒,不清楚該怎么辦。但當(dāng)我進(jìn)了后甲板室并看見他在吃晚餐時(shí),我立刻做出了決定。