鼻子被强力撼动 风也让他窒息
The noise was shattering. The wind choked him.
他感觉仿佛被生吞了
He felt as if he were being eaten alive
被一只尖叫的杀人怪兽吞进了肚子
and swallowed up in the belly of a screaming, murderous monster.
然后结束了 火车开走了
And then it was over. The train was gone.
彼得·沃森睁开眼睛 看见白色天空
Peter Watson opened his eyes and saw the white sky
那一大朵白云还在头上慢慢飘动
and the big, white cloud still drifting overhead.
一切都结束了 他成功躲过了一劫
It was all over, and he had done it.
给他解开 – 欧尼说道
Cut him loose. – …Ernie said.
雷蒙德割断把彼得绑在铁轨上的绳索
Raymond cut the strings binding Peter to the rails.
“把腿也解开 但是手继续绑着”
“Undo his feet, but keep his hands tied.”
雷蒙德把他脚踝处的绳索割断
Raymond cut the strings around his ankles.
欧尼说道:“你还是个俘虏 朋友”
“Oh, you’re still a prisoner, matey,” Ernie said.
两个大男孩押着彼得·沃森 经过下一个田野 往湖边走去
The two bigger boys marched Peter Watson across the next field towards the lake.
俘虏的手腕依然被绑在身前
The prisoner’s wrists were still tied together.
欧尼另一只空闲的手拿着枪
Ernie held the gun in his spare hand
雷蒙德拿着从彼得身上抢来的望远镜
and Raymond carried the binoculars he had taken from Peter.
这个湖呈窄长形
The lake was long and narrow
两岸长着高大的柳树
with tall willow trees growing along its bank.
在中间 湖水很清澈
In the middle, the water was clear,
但在靠近湖岸边 有一片芦苇荡
but closer to the shore was a forest of bulrushes.
欧尼说:“现在 我提议这样做
“Now, then,” Ernie said. “What I suggest is this.”
你抓他的手臂 我抬他的腿
“You take his arms, I’ll take his legs,
然后尽全力 把他抛到泥泞的漂亮芦苇丛里”
and we’ll swing him as far out as we can over them nice muddy reeds.”
雷蒙德打断他 “瞧 那里 我们打它吧 ”
“Look!” Raymond interrupted. “There! Let’s have him!”
彼得·沃森马上转身过去看
Peter Watson turned and saw it at once.
是个用大堆芦苇和灯芯草筑成的巢
A nest consisting of a huge pile of reeds and rushes
离水面60厘米高
that rose up two feet above the waterline.
上面有只美丽的白天鹅 平静地卧在巢里 宛如湖上夫人
And, on top, a magnificent white swan sitting serenely as the Lady of the Lake.
它的头转向男孩们 变得警惕起来
Her head was turned towards the boys, alert and watchful.
雷蒙德喊道:“天啊 真漂亮 ”
“Holy cats!” cried Raymond. “What a beauty!”
欧尼放开俘虏的手臂 把枪举到肩上
Ernie let go of the prisoner’s arm and lifted the gun to his shoulder.
彼得结结巴巴地说 “这是 这是鸟类保护区”
“This is… This is a bird sanctuary,” said Peter, stammering.
欧尼问:“什么 ”
“A what?” asked Ernie.
彼得感觉一股狂怒之气 开始在体内聚集
Peter felt a wild rage beginning to build up inside him.
他试图保持声音平静
He tried to keep his voice calm.
“天鹅是英格兰最珍稀的受保护鸟类
“Swans are the most protected birds in England,
而且没人会打卧在巢里的鸟 因为它身下可能有小天鹅
and nobody shoots a bird on its nest. She may have cygnets under her.”
拜托别这样 你们不能这样做 拜托 不要 住手 ”
“Please don’t do it. You can’t do it. Please, don’t do it! Stop!”
子弹打中了优雅天鹅的头部
The bullet hit the swan in her elegant head
它白色的长脖子慢慢垂到巢的一边
and her long white neck sank slowly to the side of the nest.
开门
Open.
“把他的手解开 雷蒙德 他是我们的猎犬”
“Cut his hands free, Raymond. He’s our gun-dog.”
雷蒙德割断小男孩手腕上的绳索
Raymond cut the strings binding the small boy’s wrists.
“快去捡 ”
“Go get him!”
我说道:“我不去”
“I refuse,” I said.
欧尼张开手 重重打了彼得的脸
Ernie hit Peter across the face, hard, with his open hand.
顿时他一个鼻腔开始流出了一点血
A trickle of blood began running out of one nostril.
“敢再拒绝我一次 我跟你保证
“Try refusin’ one more time, and I’m goin’ to make you a promise:
我会把你的每一颗亮白的门牙都打掉
I’ll knock out every one of your shiny white front teeth,
上下排的门牙全打掉 明白没 ”
top and bottom. You understand that?”
彼得没有说话
Peter said nothing.
欧尼喊道:“回答我 明白吗 ”
“Answer me!” Ernie barked. “You understand?”
彼得·沃森安静地说 “是的 我明白了”
“Yes,” Peter Watson said quietly. “I understand that.”
彼得的眼泪流下脸颊
Tears were running down Peter’s face
他同时走下堤岸 进入湖水里
as he went down the bank and entered the water.
他涉水走到死去的天鹅旁边 轻轻用双手抬起它
He waded out to the dead swan and picked it up tenderly with both hands.
下面有两只小小的天鹅 身上覆盖着灰绒毛
Underneath were two tiny cygnets, their bodies covered with gray down.
它们在巢中间簇拥成一团
They were huddling in the center of the nest.
欧尼在湖岸边喊:“有鹅蛋吗 ”
“Any eggs?” Ernie shouted from the bank.
彼得回答:“没有 什么都没有”
“No,” Peter answered. “Nothing.”
他抱起死天鹅 回到了湖边
He carried the dead swan back to the edge of the lake.
轻轻把它放在地上 站起身来 面对着另外两个男孩
He placed it gently on the ground, and he stood up and faced the two others.
他的眼睛 依然被眼泪浸湿了 但燃烧着熊熊怒火
His eyes, still wet with tears, were blazing with fury.
他说:“该死的是你们两个”
“It’s you who ought to be dead,” he said.
欧尼看着似乎有点吃惊 但是很快神情自若
Ernie seemed just a tiny bit taken aback, but he quickly recovered.
一个危险的火光 在他黑色的小眼睛里雀跃
A dangerous little spark danced in his small black eyes.
“把刀给我 雷蒙德”
“Give me your knife, Raymond.”
鸟翅膀连接处的骨头有个关节
There is a joint in the bone where the wing meets the bird.
欧尼把刀刺进关节 割断肌腱
Ernie slid the knife into the joint and cut through the tendon.
刀很锋利 切得干净利落
The knife was sharp and cut well,
很快翅膀就被完整地卸下来了
and soon the wing came away all in one piece.
欧尼把天鹅转过来 割下另一边翅膀
Ernie turned the swan over and severed the other wing.
他把手伸向雷蒙德 说道:“绳索”
“String,” he said, holding out his hand to Raymond.
欧尼割下了八条绳索 每条将近1米长
Ernie cut eight pieces, each about a yard long.
他把绳索的两头 系在大翅膀顶部的边缘
He tied the bits of string along the top edge of the great wing.
“把手臂举起来”
“Stick out your arms.”
在阳光下 彼得·沃森站在湖旁边
Peter Watson stood in the sunshine beside the lake
这是五月的一个美丽早晨
on this beautiful May morning,
这对巨大 无力 带点血的翅膀
the enormous, limp, slightly bloodied wings
荒诞地悬挂在他身体两侧
dangling grotesquely at his sides.
欧尼拍了拍手掌 然后在草地上跳了一会吉格舞
Ernie clapped his hands and danced a little jig on the grass.
彼得·沃森问:“你玩够了吗 ”
“Have you finished?” Peter Watson asked.
欧尼说:“天鹅不会说话”
“Swans don’t talk,” Ernie said.
他们沿着湖畔走 来到了一棵高大的柳树旁
They marched along the bank of the lake until they came to a tall willow tree.
枝叶从很高处垂下来
The branches hung down from a great height
几乎要碰到湖面
until they almost touched the surface of the lake.
“天鹅先生 待会你这样
“What you’re gonna do, Mr. Swan,
你爬到树顶 上去之后
is climb to the top, and when you get there,
你展开双翼 然后飞起来吧 ”
you’ll spread out your wings and take off!”
雷蒙德叫到:“太棒了 ”
“Fantastic!” cried Raymond.
能爬到高处
The thought of being high up
还能远离这些小流氓 这个想法对彼得很有吸引力
and out of reach of these hooligans appealed to Peter greatly.
等他上去了 他就会待在上面
When he was up there, he’d stay up there.
他觉得两个男孩 不会费力气爬上树找他麻烦
He doubted they would bother to come up after him.
如果他们真上来了 他可以沿着细树枝爬走
If they did, he could climb away on a thin limb
那里承受不住两个人的重量
that wouldn’t take the weight of two people.
那棵树爬起来比较轻松 树枝低矮 所以他上树很容易
The tree was fairly easy to climb, with low branches to give him a start up.
欧尼喊道:“再高点 继续爬 ”
“Higher!” shouted Ernie. “Keep going!”
彼得终于爬到最高处 没法继续往上了
Peter eventually arrived at a point where he could go no higher.
他的脚站在宛如手臂粗的树枝上
His feet were standing on a branch as thick as a man’s wrist,
这根树枝一直往远处延伸到湖上
and this branch reached far out over the lake,
优雅地往下悬垂着
then curved gracefully downward.
爬上来后 他站着休息
He stood there resting after the climb.
他站在很高的地方 至少有15米高 他看不见两个男孩
He was very high up, at least 50 feet. He couldn’t see the two boys.
他们已经没有站在树下了
They were no longer standing at the base of the tree.
“现在听好了 ”
“Now listen carefully!”
他们已经离开了树旁
They had walked away from the tree
走到可以清晰看到树顶小男孩的地方
to a point where they had a clear view of the small boy at the top.
现在往下看去
Looking down at them now,
彼得·沃森才意识到柳树的叶子
Peter Watson realized how sparse and slender
是如此的稀疏和纤细
the leaves of a willow tree were.
几乎让他毫无遮挡
They gave him almost no cover at all.
“开始沿着树枝走
“Start walking out along that branch!”
走到泥泞的湖水上方 然后起飞 ”
“Keep goin’ till you’re out over the nice muddy water! Then take off”
彼得·沃森没有动
Peter Watson didn’t move.
他的眼睛盯着下面田地 远处的两个身影
He kept his eyes on the distant figures in the field below.
他们站着不动 往上看着他
They were standing quite still, looking up at him.
“我准备数到十
“I’m gonna count to ten,
如果你不展翅高飞 我就开枪打你下来”
if you ain’t spread them wings and flown away, I’m gonna shoot you down.”
“这样我今天就打中了两只天鹅”
“That’ll make two swans I’ve knocked off today.”
“开始咯”
“Here we go.”
“一 二 三 四 五 六 ”
“One, two, three, four, five, six!”
彼得·沃森还是一动不动 现在起 任何东西都不会让他挪半步
Peter Watson remained absolutely still. Nothing would make him move from now on.
“七 八 九 十 ”
“Seven, eight, nine, ten!”
彼得可以看到枪被举到了与肩同高
Peter could see the gun coming up to the shoulder.
直直地对准他
Pointing straight at him.
他听见来♥复♥枪♥的响声
He heard the crack of the rifle
还有子弹从他脑袋旁边呼啸而过
and the zip of the bullet as it whistled past his head.
这非常吓人 但是他没有动
It was frightening, but he didn’t move.
他能看见欧尼在填装子弹
He could see Ernie loading the gun.