評(píng)論
打印
Of the guests, none except the American notices this or sees the boy place a bowl of milk on the veranda just outside the open doors.
在座的客人中除了那位美國(guó)人以外誰(shuí)也沒(méi)有注意到這一幕，也沒(méi)有看到那個(gè)男仆把一碗牛奶放在緊靠門邊的走廊上。
The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing — bait for a snake. He realizes there must be a cobra in the room. He looks up at the rafters — the likeliest place — but they are bare. Three comers of the room are empty, and in the fourth the servants are waiting to serve the next course. There is only one place left — under the table.
那個(gè)美國(guó)人突然醒悟過(guò)來(lái)。在印度，碗中的牛奶只有一個(gè)意思——引蛇的誘餌。他意識(shí)到餐室里一定有條眼鏡蛇。他抬頭看了看屋頂上的椽子——那是最可能有蛇藏身的地方——但那上面空蕩蕩的。室內(nèi)的三個(gè)角落里也是空的，而在第四個(gè)角落里，仆人們正在等著上下一道菜。這樣，剩下的就只有一個(gè)地方了——餐桌下面。
His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others, but he knows the commotion would frighten the cobra into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so commanding that it silences everyone.
他首先想到的是往后一跳，并向其他人發(fā)出警告。但他知道這樣會(huì)引起騷亂，致使眼鏡蛇受驚咬人。于是他很快講了一通話，其語(yǔ)氣非常威嚴(yán)，竟使所有的人都安靜了下來(lái)。
I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count three hundred — that's five minutes — and not one of you is to move a muscle. Those who move will forfeit 50 rupees. Ready!
“我想了解一下在座的諸位到底有多大的克制能力，我數(shù)三百下——也就是五分鐘——你們誰(shuí)都不許動(dòng)一動(dòng)。動(dòng)者將罰款五十盧比。準(zhǔn)備好!”
The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying "...two hundred and eighty..." when, out of the comer of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of milk. Screams ring out as he jumps to slam the veranda doors safely shut.
在他數(shù)數(shù)的過(guò)程中，那二十個(gè)人都像一尊尊石雕一樣端坐在那兒。當(dāng)他數(shù)到“……二百八十……”時(shí)，突然從眼角處看到那條眼鏡蛇鉆了出來(lái)，向那碗牛奶爬去。在他跳起來(lái)把通往走廊的門全都砰砰地牢牢關(guān)上時(shí)，室內(nèi)響起了一片尖叫聲。
"You were right, Major!" the host exclaims. "A man has just shown us an example of perfect self—control."
“你剛才說(shuō)得很對(duì)，少校!”男主人大聲說(shuō)。“一個(gè)男子剛剛為我們顯示了從容不迫、鎮(zhèn)定自若的范例。”
Just a minute, the American says, turning to his hostess. "Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know that cobra was in the room?"
“且慢，”那位美國(guó)人一邊說(shuō)著一邊轉(zhuǎn)向女主人。“溫茲太太，你怎么知道那條眼鏡蛇是在屋子里呢?”
A faint smile lights up the woman's face as she replies: "Because it was crawling across my foot."
女主人的臉上閃現(xiàn)出一絲淡淡的微笑，回答說(shuō)：“因?yàn)樗?dāng)時(shí)正從我的腳背上爬過(guò)去。”
