We had no time for conversation. 'Come!' Alan said, and started running along the side of the hill, keeping low to the ground. I followed him like a sheep. We ran and ran, faster than I had ever run before, and my heart was beating wildly. Sometimes, to my surprise, Alan straightened his back and showed himself to the soldiers who were chasing us.
我們連談話的時間都沒有。“來!”艾倫說道,接著沿著山邊、伏著身子跑起來。我像一只綿羊一樣地跟著他。我們跑啊跑,我從來沒有跑這么快過,我的心狂亂地跳著。有時,令我驚訝的是,艾倫站直了腰,故意向追我們的士兵暴露他自己。
After fifteen minutes, Alan stopped, lay flat in the heather, and turned to me. 'Now,' he said, 'this is serious. Do what I do, if ye don't want to die'. And just as fast, but much more carefully and secretly, we went back almost the same way that we had come. At last we arrived back in the wood where I had found Alan.
15分鐘后,艾倫停下來,平躺在草叢里,對我轉過身來。“且聽我講,”他說,“這很嚴重。如果你不想死的話,照我做的做。”我們又和剛才一樣快地、但更當心并更隱密地幾乎是原路折回。最后我們又抵達了我以前發現艾倫的那片樹林。
We fell down in the heather, and lay without moving for a long time. My legs hurt, my head was aching, and I thought I was dead.
我們倒在石南叢里,一動不動地躺了很長一段時間。我的腿疼,頭也疼,我想我要死了。
Alan was the first to speak. 'Well,' he said, 'that was hot work, David.'
艾倫首先開了口。“晤,”他說道,“那可是一件棘手的事,戴維。”
I said nothing. I had seen murder done. I knew that Colin Campbell had been Alan's greatest enemy, and I had found Alan hiding in the wood. Although I didn't think that he had actually shot Campbell, I felt sure that he had planned the killing. I could not look at him.
我沒說話。我目擊了刺殺。我知道科林·坎貝爾一直是艾倫最恨的敵人而且當時我也發現艾倫躲在樹叢里。雖然我認為他沒有親手殺死坎貝爾,但我敢肯定他預謀了刺殺。我當時無法正視他。
'Are ye still tired?' he asked.
“你是不是還累?”他問道。
'No,' I replied, my face turned away from him, 'no, I'm not tired now. Alan, I can't stay with you, I must leave you. I liked you very much, but we're two different people, that's all.'
“不,”我答道,把臉從他那邊轉開。“不,我現在不累。艾倫,我不能和你待在一起,我得離開你。我曾非常喜歡你,但我們是兩個不同的人,就這些。”
'Ye must explain what ye mean by that, David,' said Alan, looking very serious.
“你得解釋你那話是什么意思,戴維。”艾倫說道,表情非常嚴肅。
'Alan, why do you ask? You know very well that Colin Campbell is lying dead in the road in his own blood.'
“艾倫,你為什么要問?你很清楚科林·坎貝爾正躺在路上血泊里,死了。”
Alan was silent for a moment, 'Well, Mr Balfour of Shaws,' he said at last, 'I promise ye that I did not plan the murder, or know anything about it.'
艾倫沉默了一下。“好吧,鮑爾弗·肖先生,”他最后說道,“我向你保證我沒有預謀殺人,也不知道什么。”
'Thank God for that!' I cried, and offered him my hand.
“謝天謝地!”我喊道,并向他伸出了我的手。
He did not appear to see it. I don't know why ye're so worried about a dead Campbell,' he said.
他似乎沒有看到。“我不明白你為什么這么關心一個死了的坎貝爾人,”他說道。
'I know that you hate their clan, Alan, but taking a life in cold blood is a terrible thing to do. Do you know who did it?'
“我知道你恨他們氏族,艾倫,但是蓄意謀殺一個人是一件很可怕的事。你知道是誰干的嗎?”
'I wouldn't recognize him again,' said Alan, shaking his head sadly, 'I'm good at forgetting, David. ”
“我再也認不出他了。”艾倫說道,悲傷地搖搖頭,“我很健忘,戴維。”
I had to laugh at that. Then I remembered something. 'But when we were running away, you showed yourself to the soldiers, to give the murderer a chance to escape!'
對此我只能笑笑而已。接著我又想起來什么了。“但是當我們逃路時,你把你自己暴露給士兵,就是為了給刺殺者一個逃跑的機會!”
'Any Highlander would do that. The best place for the lad who shot Colin Campbell is the heather, and we must all do what we can to help him keep away from the soldiers.'
“任何高地人都會那樣做的。槍殺了科林·坎貝爾的小伙子的最佳棲身之處就是石南叢林,而且我們應該竭盡全力幫助他從士兵那兒脫身。”
I shook my head at this. These Highlanders were strange, wild people, to be sure. But Alan was ready to die for what he thought was right, and I liked him for that. I offered him my hand again, and this time he took it.
我對此搖了搖頭。這些高地人確實很怪,很野蠻。但是艾倫愿意為他認為對的東西而獻身,我喜歡他那一點。我又向他伸出手去,這一次他握住了我的手。
'Now, David,' he said, 'we must escape too. The Campbells will accuse us both of the murder.'
“聽我說,戴維,”他說道,“我們也必須逃跑。坎貝爾人將指責我們倆殺了人。”
'But we didn't do it!' I cried. 'We can prove that in court!'
“但是我們沒有做!”我叫道,“我們能在法庭上證實那一點!”
'Man, I'm surprised at ye,' said Alan. 'Do ye not know that if a Campbell is killed, the accused has to go to court in Inveraray, in the heart of Campbell country? When the Campbell lawyers have finished with ye, ye'll be dead!'
“伙計,我對你感到驚訝。”艾倫回答道,“難道你不知道如果一個坎貝爾人被殺了,被指控的人得去坎貝爾人地域的中心因弗雷里當堂對簿嗎?當坎貝爾的律師們和你一起結束工作時,你也就要死了!”
This frightened me a little. 'All right, Alan,' I said, ' I'll go with you.'
這使我有點害怕了。“好吧,艾倫,”我說道,“我和你一起走。”
'But remember,' said Alan, 'it'll be a hard life. Ye'll have to sleep in the open air, and ye'll often have an empty stomach. Ye can choose-either live in the heather with me, or die at the hands of the Campbells.'
“但是記住,”艾倫說道,“生活將是艱苦的。你得睡在露天處,還得時常忍饑挨餓。你可以選擇——要么和我一起在石南叢林中生活,要么死在坎貝爾人手里。”
'That's easy to decide,' I said, and we shook hands on it.
“那很容易決定。”我說道,而且我們倆人握手言定。