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Behind him walked two other figures; one was the half-naked negro, the other the man with the plaited queue and the earrings,
他后面還跟著兩個人，一名是半裸的黑人，另外一個系著鞭子，戴著耳環，
whom Tom had seen lifting the chest out of the boat. Now they were carrying the heavy box between them,
湯姆之前看到他將箱子從船上搬出來，如今，他們將沉重的箱子放在倆人中間搬運，
laboring through the sand as they bore it onward. As he who was counting pronounced the word thirty,
他們搬著箱子在沙灘上努力前行，隨著這名數數人說出數字三十，
the two men set the chest down on the sand with a grunt, the white man panting and blowing and wiping his sleeve across his forehead.
這二人將箱子放在沙灘上，并發出了嘟囔聲，這名白人氣喘吁吁，用袖子擦去額頭上的汗水。
And immediately he who counted took out a slip of paper and marked something down upon it.
突然，這名數數人拿出一張紙，在上面寫了什么。
They stood there for a long time, during which Tom lay behind the sand hillock watching them,
他們站在那里有一會，在那期間湯姆躺在沙丘后面注視著他們，
and for a while the silence was not interrupted. In the perfect stillness, the washing of little waves beating upon the distant beach,
過了一會寧靜還沒有打破，在寂靜中，只有海浪拍打遠處沙灘的聲音，
and once the far-away sound of a laugh, could be heard. One, two, three minutes passed,
可以聽到遠處傳來的歡笑聲，過了一分鐘，兩分鐘，三分鐘，
and then the men picked up the chest and started on again; and then again the other man began his counting.
之后這些男子拾起了箱子，并繼續往前走，另一名男子再一次數數。
Thirty and one, and thirty and two, and thirty and three, and thirty and four, he walked straight across the open space,
三十一，三十二，三十三，三十四，他徑直越過空曠地區，
still looking at that which he held in his hand, and thirty and five, and thirty and six, and thirty and seven, and so on,
一直看著他手中的東西，三十五，三十六，三十七....
until the three men disappeared, and still Tom could hear the sound of the counting voice in the distance.
直到這三人消失，湯姆也依然能在遠處聽到數數聲。
Just as they disappeared behind the hill there was a sudden faint flash of light; and by and by,
就在他們消失在沙丘后面時，突然出現了一道微弱的光，不久以后，
as Tom lay still listening to the counting, he heard a far-away muffled rumble of distant thunder.
當湯姆還在那里躺著聽數數聲時，他聽到了很遠處一陣沉悶的隆隆聲。
He waited for a while, and then arose and stepped to the top of the sand hillock behind which he had been lying.
他等了一會，之后起身走到沙丘頂端，他之前就在沙丘后面躺著。
He looked all about him, but there was no one else to be seen.
他四下望去，但看不到任何人。
Then he stepped down from the hillock and followed in the direction which the pirate captain and the two men carrying the chest had gone.
他從沙丘上下來，跟隨著海盜船船長和二人抬著箱子遠去的方向走。
He crept along cautiously, stopping now and then to make sure that he still heard the counting voice,
他小心翼翼地緩慢前行，時不時停下來確認他還能聽到數數聲，
and when it ceased he lay down upon the sand and waited until it began again.
當聲音停止了，他就會躺在沙灘上等待聲音再次響起。
