評論
打印
'How can I decide? said I.'
我道：'叫我如何做決定？
'You have not told me what you want of me.
你們沒有告訴我是怎么一回事。
But I tell you now that if it is anything against the safety of the fort I will have no truck with it,
可是我告訴你們，如果你們的謀劃牽涉到碉堡的安全，我就不能同你們合謀，
so you can drive home your knife and welcome.'
干脆給我一刀，歡迎得很！'
'It is nothing against the fort,' said he.
他道：'這事和碉堡絕無關(guān)系，
'We only ask you to do that which your countrymen come to this land for. We ask you to be rich.
我只要你做一件事，就是和你們英國人到印度來所追求的目的相同的事情--我們叫你發(fā)財(cái)。
If you will be one of us this night, we will swear to you upon the naked knife,
今晚如果你決定和我們合作，我們就以這把刀莊嚴(yán)地對你起誓
and by the threefold oath which no Sikh was ever known to break,
從來沒有一個錫克教徒違反過的一種誓言
that you shall have your fair share of the loot.
把得來的財(cái)物，公公平平地分給你一份。
A quarter of the treasure shall be yours. We can say no fairer.'
四分之一的寶物歸你，不能再有比這樣作法更公道的了。'
'But what is the treasure then?' I asked.
我問道：'什么寶物？
'I am as ready to be rich as you can be if you will but show me how it can be done.'
我愿意和你們一樣發(fā)財(cái)，可是你得告訴我怎樣辦。'
'You will swear, then,' said he, 'by the bones of your father, by the honour of your mother, by the cross of your faith,
他道：'那么你起誓嗎？用你父親的身體，你母親的名譽(yù)和你的宗教信仰起誓，
to raise no hand and speak no word against us, either now or afterwards?'
今后絕不作不利于我們的事，不說不利于我們的話。'
'I will swear it,' I answered, 'provided that the fort is not endangered.'
我答道：'只要碉堡不受威脅，我愿意這樣起誓。'
'Then my comrade and I will swear that you shall have a quarter of the treasure which shall be equally divided among the four of us.'
那么我的同伙和我自己都起誓，給你寶物的四分之一。這就是說：咱們四個人，每人品均一份。'
'There are but three,' said I.
我道：'咱們只有三個人呀。'
'No. Dost Akbar must have his share. We can tell the tale to you while we wait them.
'不然。德斯特·阿克勃爾必須分一份。在等候他的時(shí)候，我可以告訴你這個秘密。
Do you stand at the gate, Mahomet Singh, and give notice of their coming.
莫郝米特·辛格請站在門外邊，等他們來的時(shí)候通知我們。
The thing stands thus, sahib, and I tell it to you because I know that an oath is binding upon a Feringhee, and that we may trust you.
先生，事情是這樣的，我知道歐洲人是守誓的人，所以我們信任你。
Had you been a lying Hindoo, though you had sworn by all the gods in their false temples,
你如果是個慣于說謊的印度人，無論你怎樣向神假期誓，
your blood would have been upon the knife and your body in the water.
你的血必然已經(jīng)染到我的刀上，你的尸體也就被扔到河里去了。
But the Sikh knows the Englishman, and the Englishman knows the Sikh. Hearken, then, to what I have to say.
可是我們信任英國人，英國人也信任我們，那么，聽我來說吧。
