牛津書蟲系列 金銀島 12 Israel Hands

12 Israel Hands

12 伊斯萊爾·漢茲

I lost no time and climbed up the rope on to the deck of the ship.The two men were there，red-cap on his back，Israel Hands against the side，his face white There was dark blood around them on the deck，and I was sure each had killed the other in their drunken fight.

我不失時機地抓住纜繩，爬上大船的甲板。兩個留守的海盜都在甲板上，戴紅帽的仰面躺在甲板上，伊斯萊爾·漢茲靠在船舷上，臉色蒼白。他們周圍的甲板上有斑斑血跡，我斷定他們酒醉之后自相殘殺，結果同歸于盡了。

Then Israel Hands turned with a low cry of pain.He looked across at me and whispered one word：‘Rum’.

這時伊斯萊爾·漢茲翻了一下身，痛苦地呻吟了一聲。他看了我一眼，吐出一句話：“朗姆酒。”

I went below to the cabin where there were empty bottles on the floor and tobacco smoke filled the air.I found a bottle with some rum left in it，and found some water and some bread and cheese for myself.I took the bottle back on deck，where Hands drank half the rum before taking the bottle from his mouth.

我下到船艙里，地上全是空瓶，空氣中充滿了煙味。我發(fā)現(xiàn)只有一只瓶子里還有一點酒;我給自己找到一些面包干和干酪。我走上甲板把酒遞給漢茲，他一口氣就喝下去一半。

‘By thunder!’he said.‘I wanted some of that.But where have you come from?’

“媽的!”他說。“我正需要這個。你是從哪兒來的?”

I've come to take control of this ship，Mr Hands，’I said，‘so please remember I'm your captain.’

“我是來接管這條船的，漢茲先生，”我說。“記住，現(xiàn)在我是你的船長。”

He watched me pull down the Jolly Roger and throw it overboard，then he said，‘I expect you'll want to go ashore now.Suppose we talk about it.’There was some colour back in his cheeks but he looked very sick.‘Who's going to sail the ship now?You can't do it;but if you give me food and drink and a handkerchief to tie up my wound，I'll tell you how to sail her.’

他看著我降下了骷髏旗，扔到海里，他說：“我看你是想到岸上去。咱們來談談吧。”他的臉上露出一點血色，但還很虛弱。“現(xiàn)在誰來駕船呢?你肯定不行;但如果你給我點吃喝，幫我用一塊手帕包扎傷口，我會告訴你如何駕船的。”

‘All right，’I agreed.‘We'll go into North Inlet and quietly put her on the beach there.’

“那好吧，”我說。“我要把船開向島北的水灣，慢慢地登上那里的海灘。”

In three minutes I had the Hispaniola sailing easily before the wind，along the coast of Treasure Island.Then I went be-low and got a handkerchief and helped.Hands tie up the great bleeding wound in his leg.He ate a little and drank more of the rum，then he began to look a little better.

不到三分鐘我就輕而易舉地駕著伊斯帕尼奧拉號沿著金銀島順風而行了。然后我下去找到一條手帕，幫助漢茲包扎他腿上鮮血直流的傷口。他吃了一點東西，又喝了不少酒，看起來比剛才好多了。

We sailed ahead of the wind，the island moving past quickly.After my success，I was less sorry about deserting the stockade.There was only one thing that worried me.It was the way Israel Hands watched me at my work，a cold little smile on his face.

我們乘風航行，島上的景物迅速向后退去。我終于成功了，因而對不辭而別的內(nèi)疚也減少了許多。只有一件事讓我擔心，那就是漢茲看我干活的表情，他的臉上總帶著冷笑。

We could not put the ship on the beach when we reached North Inlet because the sea was too high.We had to wait，sit ting in silence over another meal.

因為海水太深，當我們到達北部水灣時，我們沒法讓船沖上岸灘。于是我們默默地坐下來，一邊吃些東西一邊等待。

‘Cap’n，’Hands said to me，still with that smile on his face，‘my old mate，O’Brien，is dead.Can you throw him overboard?’

“船長先生，”漢茲對我說，臉上還帶著狡詐的笑，“我的老伙伴奧布賴恩已經(jīng)死了。你能把他扔到海里去嗎?”

‘I'm not strong enough，’I said.

“我沒這么大力氣，”我說。

There was a pause，then he said，‘Well now，would you be very kind and go down to the cabin and fetch me a bottle of wine，Jim?This rum's too strong for my head.’

他頓了一下對我說：“那么，你現(xiàn)在下去給我找一瓶葡萄酒來怎么樣?這朗姆酒勁兒太大了。”

I listened to his words but didn't believe them.He wanted me to leave the deck，that was clear，but why?

我聽明白他的話，但一點都不信他。顯然，他要我離開甲板，但為什么呢?

‘Wine?’I said.‘Will you have white or red?’

“葡萄酒?”我問。“要白的還是紅的?”

‘I don't mind，’he said，‘as long as it's strong and there's plenty of it.’

“都行，”他說，“只要多一些，有點勁就行。”

‘I'll have to search for it，’I told him.

“好吧，我去找一找，”我說。

I went below，then took off my shoes and went quietly up the other stairs to watch him.He was on his hands and knees and，although his leg hurt him，he moved quickly across the deck and took a long knife from among some ropes.I could see the blood on it.Then he hid it under his coat and went back to his place.

我跑下去，然后脫下鞋爬上梯子看他。他用兩手和兩個膝蓋爬行。盡管腿受傷了，他還是爬得很快，然后從甲板上一盤纜繩下面找出一把長刀。我可以看見上面的血跡。然后他把刀藏在衣服下面，回到原處。

This was all I needed to know Israel Hands could move about and now had a weapon，and he was going to try to kill me.But I knew that he wouldn't use the knife until the ship was safely on the beach.I went back to the cabin，put my shoes on again，and picked up a bottle of wine.Then I went back up on deck.

這正是我需要知道的一切。伊斯萊爾·漢茲能夠爬行而且他現(xiàn)在有了武器，他想殺掉我。但我相信在伊斯帕尼奧拉號安全抵達沙灘之前他不會殺我的。我回到船艙，穿上鞋，找到一瓶葡萄酒回到甲板上。

He took a long drink from the bottle of wine，saying，Here's luck!’

他拿起酒瓶喝了個痛快，嘴里喊著：“百事如意!”

Afterwards，we sailed into North Inlet and I forgot to watch Hands carefully.We were nearly on the beach and I was looking over the side of the ship.Perhaps I heard a sound or saw his shadow moving，I don't know.But when I looked round，there he was，half-way towards me with the knife in his right hand!

然后，我們把船駛往北部水灣，我也忘了注意漢茲。我們快到海灘了，我向船側面望了一下。也許我聽見了什么聲音或看見了他的影子在動，當我回過頭去的時候，漢茲右手舉著刀都快到我眼前了!

He threw himself at me and I jumped to one side，leaving him to fall on the deck.Quickly，I took a pistol from my pocket and aimed it at him----he powder was wet and the pistol didn't fire!He got up and came at me with surprising speed，but suddenly the Hispaniola hit the sand and went over on one side.We were.both thrown down and began to roll across the deck，but I was on my feet first and climbed up into the sails，hand over hand.When I was in a safe place，I loaded my pistols，this time with dry powder.

他撲向我而我跳到一旁，他摔倒在甲板上。我迅速地掏出手槍瞄準他——但是火藥受潮了，槍沒響!他起身以驚人的速度向我撲過來，正在這時伊斯帕尼奧拉號突然擱淺，向一側傾斜。我們都失去平衡，滾向一邊，但我先站起來一躍，兩手交替著爬上桅桿。我爬到安全的地方，把手槍換上干火藥。

Hands was pulling himself up among the sails now，the knife between his teeth.

漢茲嘴里銜著刀，也慢慢地爬向桅桿。

‘One more step，’I said，‘and I'll kill you!’

“你要再上來一步，”我說，“我就殺了你。”

‘Jim，’he said.He took the knife from his mouth to speak，and looked beaten.‘We'll have to make peace，you and I.You're too sharp and quick for an old sailor like me…’

“吉姆，”他說，從口中取下長刀，“咱們來講和吧，像我這樣一個老海員斗不過你這樣身手矯捷的年輕人……”

But then，with a sudden movement，his hand went back and something went speeding through the air.I felt a sharp pain，and I was pinned to the mast by my shoulder.In the terrible pain and surprise of the moment，both my pistols went off and fell from my hands.

但是突然，他的手向后一揮，就見一件東西嗖的一聲飛過來。我感到一陣劇痛，我的肩膀被釘在了桅桿上。就在這巨痛和吃驚之際，我的雙槍響了，隨即槍也從手中滑落。

They did not fall alone.With a cry，Hands fell into the water.He came up，the water around him red from his blood，then he went down again，for ever.

掉下去的不光是兩枝槍。漢茲大叫一聲，掉到了水里。他先是浮上來，血把周圍的水染紅了，然后又沉下去，永遠上不來了。

I felt sick and frightened.The blood from my wound ran over my back and chest，and the knife seemed to burn like hot iron.But I was trembling so badly that it shook the knife out of my skin，and I could move again.I climbed down through the sails，then went below to tie up my wound.There was a lot of blood but it wasn't deep.Next，I went up on deck.It was now evening and a light wind was blowing，so I lowered the sails before climbing down a rope and into the sea.

我感到一陣恐懼和惡心。血從我的傷口流到背上和胸上，那把長刀像火紅的烙鐵在我的肩膀上。我使勁地發(fā)抖，以至于那把刀掉下去了，我又可以動了。我順著桅桿溜下來，到船艙包扎好傷口。我流了很多血，但傷得不深。然后我來到甲板上?，F(xiàn)在已經(jīng)是晚上了，微風輕拂，我降下帆，然后順著一條繩子下到海里。

The water was only waist-deep and I walked ashore.The sun had gone now and，once on dry land，I began to walk to the stockade.Perhaps the others would blame me for deserting，I thought，but Captain Smollett would be pleased I had taken the Hispaniola，I was sure.

海水僅及我的腰部，我向岸上走去。太陽已經(jīng)落山了，我一上岸就直奔寨子而去。也許別人會指責我逃跑，我琢磨著，可是斯摩列特船長一定會為我奪回了伊斯帕尼奧拉號而高興。

When I reached the stockade，the house lay in dark shadow.But on the other side，a large fire had almost burned itself out.This seemed strange，as it had not been our habit to build lange fires.

我到寨子的時候，木屋籠罩在黑暗中。在另一邊有一堆快燃盡的篝火。這很奇怪，這么大的篝火不可能是我們燒的。

There were no sounds，except for the wind in the trees，and I went quietly round to the eastern side，keeping in the shadows.As I came nearer to the corner of the house，I heard my friends breathing loudly as they slept，and at once felt happier again.I got to the door and looked in，but all was dark and I could see nothing.With my arms out in front of me，I walked in.

周圍一點動靜都沒有，只有樹林中的風聲。我繞到寨子東邊，盡可能躲在陰影中。我接近木屋的時候，聽見我的朋友們熟睡的鼾聲，立即高興起來。我找到門向里看，屋里一片漆黑，什么也看不見。我伸出手摸索著走進屋。

Suddenly，there was a high voice screaming in the darkness：‘Pieces of eight!Pieces of eight!Pieces of eight!’It was Silver's parrot，Captain Flint!

突然，一個聲音響起來：“八個里亞爾!八個里亞爾!八個里亞爾!”是西爾弗的鸚鵡，“弗林特船長”!

Immediately，men began to wake up，and I heard Silver's voice shout，‘Who's there?’

隨即，人們都醒了，我聽見西爾弗喊道：“誰在那兒?”

I turned to run，crashed violently against one person，then ran straight into the arms of another.

我轉(zhuǎn)身就跑，剛掙脫了一個人，又被另一個人抓祝