When the three persons came to the creek, I found that two of them could swim, but the third could not, and that, standing on the other side,he looked at the others, but went no farther, and soon after went softly back again; which, as it happened,was very good for him in the end. I observed that the two who swam were yet more than twice as strong swimming over the creek as the fellow was that fled from them. It came very warmly upon my thoughts, and indeed irresistibly, that now was the time to get me a servant, and, perhaps, a companion or assistant; and that I was plainly called by Providence to save this poor creature's life. I immediately ran down the ladders with all possible expedition, fetched my two guns, for they were both at the foot of the ladders, and getting up again with the same haste to the top of the hill, I crossed towards the sea; and having a very short cut, and all down hill, placed myself in the way between the pursuers and the pursued, hallowing aloud to him that fled, who, looking back, was at first perhaps as much frightened at me as at them; but I beckoned with my hand to him to come back; and, in the meantime, I slowly advanced towards the two that followed; then rushing at once upon the foremost, I knocked him down with the stock of my piece. I was loath to fire, because I would not have the rest hear; though, at that distance, it would not have been easily heard, and being out of sight of the smoke, too,they would not have known what to make of it. Having knocked this fellow down, the other who pursued him stopped, as if he had been frightened, and I advanced towards him: but as I came nearer, I perceived presently he had a bow and arrow, and was fitting it to shoot at me: so I was then obliged to shoot at him first, which I did, and killed him at the first shot.
當那三個人靠近消息的時候,我發(fā)現(xiàn)他們中兩個人會游泳,而第三個不會。他只是站在另一邊看著他們,并沒有靠近。不久又輕輕地回來了。正如所發(fā)生的那樣,最后證明那是對他有好處的。我注意到,溪水中游泳的兩個人比逃離他們的那個人要強壯兩倍以上。我腦海里閃過一個令人激動的、不可抗拒的主意,我想現(xiàn)在是時候給自己找個仆人了,也許會是一個同伴或者幫手。上天明明叫我拯救這個可憐人的性命。我立即以最快的速度跑下梯子,取了兩把槍,因為這兩支槍就放在梯子腳下。然后我又以同樣快的 速度爬上梯子,翻過山頂,奔向大海,抄近路向山下跑去,藏匿在追趕者和逃跑者之間。我朝逃跑的野人大聲呼喚,他回過頭來,第一次看到我時,也許和看到追趕他的人一樣驚恐。我招手示意他過來,同時慢慢向追上來的兩個野人迎上去。之后一下子沖到前面的一個野人跟前,用槍桿子把他打倒在地。我不想開槍,怕槍聲被其余野人聽見,雖然依照這個距離,槍聲是很難聽到的,即使隱隱約約聽到了,他們也看不見硝煙,所以肯定不會弄清是怎么回事。第一個野人被我打倒后,另一個追來的野人停住了腳步,仿佛被嚇住了。于是我朝他走去,但當我走近一些,立刻看到了他手里的弓箭,他準備拉弓向我射擊。我不得不先朝他開槍,一槍就把他擊斃了。
The poor savage who fled, but had stopped, though he saw both his enemies fallen and killed, as he thought, yet was so frightened with the fire and noise of my piece that he stood stock still, and neither came forward nor went backward, though he seemed rather inclined still to fly than to come on. I hallooed again to him, and made signs to come forward, which he easily understood, and came a little way; then stopped again, and then a little farther, and stopped again; and I could then perceive that he stood trembling, as if he had been taken prisoner, and had just been to be killed, as his two enemies were. I beckoned to him again to come to me, and gave him all the signs of encouragement that I could think of; and he came nearer and nearer, kneeling down every ten or twelve steps, in token of acknowledgment for saving his life. I smiled at him, and looked pleasantly, and beckoned to him to come still nearer; at length he came close to me; and then he kneeled down again, kissed the ground, and laid his headupon the ground, and taking me by the foot, set my foot upon his head; this, it seems, was in token of swearing to be my slave for ever. I took him up and made much of him, and encouraged him all I could. But there was more work to do yet; for I perceived the savage whom I had knocked down was not killed, but stunned with the blow, and began to come to himself: so I pointed to him, and showed him the savage, that he was not dead; upon this he spoke some words to me, and though I could not understand them, yet I thought they were pleasant to hear; for they were the first sound of a man's voice that I had heard, my own excepted, for above twenty-five years. But there was no time for such reflections now; the savage who was knocked down recovered himself so far as to sit up upon the ground, and I perceived that my savage began to be afraid; but when I saw that, I presented my other piece at the man, as if I would shoot him: upon this my savage, for so I call him now, made a motion to me to lend him my sword, which hung naked in a belt by my side, which I did. He no sooner had it, but he runs to his enemy, and at one blow cut off his head cleverly.
那可憐的逃跑的野人停了下來,他雖然親眼看到兩個敵人都已倒下被殺死了,卻被火光和槍聲嚇壞了,站在那里,呆若木雞,既不前進也不后退,看樣子他依然很想逃跑而不敢靠近。我再次朝他大聲招呼,做手勢叫他過來。他很快明白了我的意思,向前走了幾步,之后又停下,又向前移動一些,再次停下來。這時,我看到他渾身顫抖,他以為自己成了我的俘虜,也將像他的兩個敵人那樣被殺死。我又向他招招手,叫他靠近我,并做出我能想到的種種手勢叫他不要害怕。他這才慢慢走過來,每走一二十步便跪一下,好像是感謝我救了他的命。我對他微笑,面色和善,并一再示意他再靠近一些。最后他走近我,接著再次跪下,親吻著大地,把頭放在地上,之后抱起我的一只腳放在頭上,這似乎是在發(fā)誓將永遠做我的奴仆。我把他扶起來,對他十分和氣,盡我所能叫他不要害怕。但是還有更多的工作要做,因為我發(fā)現(xiàn)第一個被我打倒的野人并沒有死,而是被打暈了,現(xiàn)在正在蘇醒過來。我向他指了指那個野人,提示他那人并沒有死,這時他對我說了些話,雖然我聽不懂,但對我來說聽起來特別悅耳,因為這是我二十五年來第一次聽到除我以外的另一個人的聲音。但是,現(xiàn)在我還沒有時間來感嘆,被打倒的野人已經(jīng)完全清醒,并從地上坐了起來。我發(fā)現(xiàn)我的野人開始害怕起來,見此我便舉起另一支槍對準那個野人,好像要朝他開槍。這時,野人對我做了個手勢,要我把掛在腰間的那把沒鞘的刀借給他。于是我把刀遞給他。他一拿到刀,就奔向敵人,一下子利落地砍下了野人的頭。
And I named my savage-Friday.
我給我的野人取名叫"星期五"。