美國語文第四冊 第158期：河口劇場（02）
At the tenth representation, my dramatic career was brought to a close by an unfortunate circumstance.
第十場演出時(shí)發(fā)生了意外，我的舞臺生涯也隨之結(jié)束了。
We were playing the drama of "William Tell, the Hero of Switzerland."
當(dāng)時(shí)我們正在演出《瑞士英雄威廉·退爾》。
Of course I was William Tell, in spite of Fred Langdon, who wanted to act that character himself.
當(dāng)然，威廉·退爾由我扮演，盡管弗雷德·蘭登也覬覦這個(gè)角色。
I wouldn't let him, so he withdrew from the company, taking the only bow and arrow we had.
我沒有讓他演，他憤怒地退出了劇場，帶走了唯一的弓箭。
I made a crossbow out of a piece of whalebone, and did very well without him.
我用鯨須另外做了一張弓，因此沒有弗雷德·蘭登也能演下去。
We had reached that exciting scene where Gesler, the Austrian tyrant, commands Tell to shoot the apple from his son's head.
演到奧地利暴君格斯勒命令威廉·退爾箭射放在自己兒子頭上的蘋果了。
Pepper Whitcomb, who played all the juvenile and women parts, was my son.
劇中扮演孩子的是佩珀·惠特科姆，他包攬了所有兒童和女性角色。
To guard against mischance, a piece of pasteboard was fastened by a handkerchief over the upper portion of Whitcomb's face, while the arrow to be used was sewed up in a strip of flannel.
為了防止意外，惠特科姆面部上方用手帕包了一塊紙板擋著，箭頭也用法蘭絨布條縫了起來。
I was a capital marksman, and the big apple, only two yards distant, turned its russet cheek fairly towards me.
我是個(gè)神射手，而金黃色的大蘋果離我只有二碼遠(yuǎn)。
I can see poor little Pepper now, as he stood without flinching, waiting for me to perform my great feat.
我看到小佩珀站在那兒，毫無畏懼地等著我的壯舉。
I raised the crossbow amid the breathless silence of the crowded audience—consisting of seven boys and three girls, exclusive of Kitty Collins, who insisted on paying her way in with a clothespin.
我舉起弩在擁擠的觀眾的一片死寂，觀眾包括七個(gè)男孩和三個(gè)女孩，還有基蒂·克林斯，因?yàn)樗龍?jiān)持用衣夾支付入場費(fèi)。
I raised the crossbow, I repeat.
我拉了兩次弓。
Twang! went the whipcord; but, alas! instead of hitting the apple, the arrow flew right into Pepper Whitcomb's mouth, which happened to be open at the time, and destroyed my aim.
砰！弓弦響了；哎呀！箭沒有射中蘋果，筆直飛入惠特科姆張開的嘴里。這是在當(dāng)時(shí)是開放的，并摧毀了我的目標(biāo)。
