書蟲三級《三個陌生人》：2、三個陌生人之 第二個陌生人

2.The second stranger
2．第二個陌生人

During this conversation the other visitors had not taken much notice of the stranger, because they were discussing what the fiddler should play next. They were just getting up to start another dance when there was a second knock at the door. At this sound, the stranger turned his back to the door, and seemed very busy trying to light his pipe.

牧羊人和陌生人說話時，其他客人沒怎么注意到這個陌生人，因為他們正討論小提琴手接下來應(yīng)該拉什么曲子。他們正準備起身再跳一支舞，門再次被敲響了。聽到敲門聲，陌生人轉(zhuǎn)過身子背對著大門，似乎在忙著點他的煙斗。

Come in!' called Shepherd Fennel a second time. In a moment another man entered. He too was a stranger.

“請進！”牧羊人芬內(nèi)爾再次喊道。很快，另一個人走了進來。又是一個陌生人。

This one was very different from the first. There was a more cheerful look about him. He was several years older, with greying hair and a full, reddish face. Under his long wet coat he was wearing a dark grey suit.

這人跟第一個人大不相同，神色要歡快一些。他比第一個人大幾歲，頭發(fā)灰白，紅光滿面，長長的濕外套下面是一身暗灰色的衣服。

I must ask to rest here for a few minutes, friends,' he said, 'or I shall be wet to the skin before I reach Casterbridge.'

“請讓我在這兒休息幾分鐘吧，朋友們，”他說，“要不然我還沒到卡斯特橋就會全身濕透了。”

Make yourself at home, sir,' replied Fennel, a little less warmly than when welcoming the first stranger. The cottage was not large, there were not many chairs, and these newcomers brought cold, wet air into the room.

“您請隨便，先生。”芬內(nèi)爾回答道，態(tài)度不像迎接第一個陌生人那么熱情了。屋子不大，沒多少椅子，況且這些陌生人還把濕冷的寒氣帶到了室內(nèi)。

The second visitor took off his coat and hat, and sat down heavily at the table, which the dancers had pushed into the chimney corner. He found himself sitting next to the first stranger, who smiled politely at him and passed him the mug of mead. The second man took it, lifted it to his mouth, and drank without stopping, watched by Mrs Fennel, who was not pleased at this free drinking of her best mead.

第二個陌生人脫下外套、摘下帽子，重重地坐在被跳舞的人們推到壁爐邊的桌子旁。他發(fā)現(xiàn)自己坐在了第一個陌生人旁邊。那人禮貌地朝他微笑著，把手里那杯蜂蜜酒遞給了他。第二個陌生人接過杯子舉到嘴邊，一口氣喝了下去。芬內(nèi)爾太太看著他，對這種恣意喝自己最好的蜂蜜酒的行為感到很不高興。

At last the man in the grey suit put down the mug with a happy sigh. 'That's wonderful mead, shepherd!' he said. 'I haven't tasted anything as good as that for many years.'

最后，灰衣人高興地嘆了口氣，放下了杯子。“這酒太棒了，牧羊人！”他說，“我好多年沒嘗過這么好的東西了。”

I'm pleased you enjoy it, sir!' replied Shepherd Fennel.

“我很高興你喜歡這酒，先生！”牧羊人芬內(nèi)爾答道。

It's goodish mead,' agreed his wife, a little coldly. 'Made from our own honey, o'course, and it is trouble enough to make, I can tell ye. But we may not make any more — honey sells well, and we don't need much mead for ourselves.'

“這是上好的蜂蜜酒，”牧羊人的妻子有些冷淡地附和道，“當(dāng)然，是用我們自己的蜂蜜做的，做起來可真是費勁啊，我跟你說。不過我們可能不會再釀了——蜂蜜賣得不錯，而我們自己又不需要太多蜂蜜酒。”

Oh, but you can't stop making this!' cried the man in grey. He took the mug again and drank the last drop. 'I love mead, as much as I love going to church on Sundays, or giving money to the poor!'

“哦，你們可不能不釀了！”灰衣人叫道。他又端起杯子，喝掉了最后一滴酒。“我喜歡蜂蜜酒，就像喜歡星期天去教堂做禮拜、喜歡把錢施舍給窮人一樣！”

Ha, ha, ha!' said the man by the fire, who seemed to enjoy the stranger's little joke.

“哈哈哈！”坐在壁爐邊的男人笑了起來，似乎被這個陌生人的小笑話給逗樂了。

The old mead of those days, made with the best honey and the freshest eggs, tasted very strong, but it did not taste as strong as it actually was. Before long, the stranger in grey became very cheerful and red in the face. He made himself comfortable in his chair, and continued the conversation.

那時候的蜂蜜酒是用最好的蜂蜜和最新鮮的雞蛋釀成的，酒味很沖，實際上的酒勁兒卻還要大。沒過多久，灰衣人就興奮起來，變得面紅耳赤。他在椅子上舒舒服服地坐好，接著往下說。

Well, as I say, I'm on my way to Casterbridge,' he said.

“呃，我說，我這是要去卡斯特橋。”他說。

You don't live there then?' said Shepherd Fennel.

“那么您不住在那兒啰？”牧羊人芬內(nèi)爾問。

Not yet, although I plan to move there soon.'

“現(xiàn)在還不是，不過我打算很快就搬過去。”

Going to start a business, perhaps?' asked the shepherd.

“您這是準備去做點買賣嗎？”牧羊人問道。

No, no,' said his wife. 'It is easy to see that the gentleman is rich, and doesn't need to work at anything.'

“不，不，”他的妻子說，“一看就知道這位先生很有錢，什么都不用做。”

Rich is not the word for me, madam,' replied the man in grey. 'I have to work, and I do work. And even if I only get to Casterbridge by midnight tonight, I must begin work there at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Yes, hot or cold, rain or snow, I must do my day's work tomorrow.'

“有錢這個詞不是用來形容我的，夫人，”灰衣人答道，“我必須工作，而且也的確在工作。即便今晚半夜才能到達卡斯特橋，我也必須在明早8點開始工作。是的，無論嚴寒酷暑、下雨下雪，我明天都得去做我一天的工作。”

Poor man! So, although you look rich and comfortable, your life is harder than ours, is it?' said the shepherd's wife.

“可憐的人！那就是說，雖然你看起來又有錢又自在，你的日子卻比我們還要難過，是吧？”牧羊人的妻子說。

Well, it's the work that I have to do, that's all. Now I must leave you, friends. But before I go, there's time for one more drink to your baby's health. Only, the mug is empty.'

“呃，那工作是我必須做的，就這樣。好了，我得走了，朋友們。不過，走之前我還有時間再喝一杯，為你家孩子的健康祝福?？墒潜右呀?jīng)空了。”

Here's some small mead, sir,' offered Mrs Fennel. 'We call it small, but it's still made from good honey.'

“這兒還有些低度蜂蜜酒，先生，”芬內(nèi)爾太太主動說，“雖然我們叫它低度酒，但也是用優(yōu)質(zhì)蜂蜜釀成的。”

No,' said the stranger. 'I prefer to remember the taste of your best mead, thank you.'

“那就不用了，”陌生人說道，“我更愿意銘記你們最好的蜂蜜酒的味道，謝謝。”

Of course you do,' said Shepherd Fennel quickly. He went to the dark place under the stairs where the best mead was kept, and filled the mug. His wife followed him and spoke worriedly to him in a low voice.

“您當(dāng)然得喝點，”芬內(nèi)爾趕緊說。他走到樓梯下存放最好的蜂蜜酒的黑暗角落里，把杯子裝滿。他的妻子跟了過去，焦慮地跟他低聲說話。

I don't like the look o' the man at all! He's drunk enough for ten men already! Don't give him any more o' the best!'

“我一點都不喜歡那個人的樣子！他足足喝了夠十個人喝的酒！別再把最好的酒給他了！”

But he's in our house, my love, and 'tis a miserable wet night. What's a mug of mead more or less?'

“可是他在我們家呀，親愛的，而且今晚又那么潮濕陰冷。一杯蜂蜜酒又有什么呢？”

Very well, just this time then,' she said, looking sadly at the mead. 'But who is he, and what kind of work does he do?'

“那好吧，僅此一次，”她說道，難過地看著蜂蜜酒，“可他是誰？究竟是干什么的？”

I don't know. I'll ask him again.'

“我不知道，等下再問問他。”

While the man in grey drank his mead, Fennel asked him again about his work, but the man did not reply at once. Suddenly the first stranger spoke from his seat by the fire.

趁著灰衣人喝酒的工夫，芬內(nèi)爾再次問起了他的工作，可他并沒有馬上回答。突然，坐在壁爐邊座位上的第一個陌生人說話了。

Anybody may know what I do — I work with wheels.'

“人人都可以知道我是干什么的——我是和輪子打交道的。”

And anybody may know what I do,' said the man in the grey suit, 'if they're clever enough to find it out.'

“人人也都可以知道我是干什么的，”灰衣人說道，“如果他們足夠聰明、能夠發(fā)現(xiàn)的話。”

There was a short silence, which the shepherd's wife broke by calling for a song. The second mug of mead had made the stranger's face even redder and more cheerful than before, and he offered to sing the first song. This is what he sang:

一陣短暫的沉默之后，牧羊人的妻子提議大家來唱首歌。第二杯蜂蜜酒使得陌生人臉色更加紅潤，神情也愈發(fā)興奮了，于是他主動要求唱第一首歌。他唱道：

My job is the strangest one,

我的工作最最奇怪，

Honest shepherds all—

誠實的牧羊人們——

Work that all the world can see;

全世界的人都能看見；

My customers I tie, and I take them up so high,

我把顧客綁住，帶往高處，

And send 'em to a far country!

送他們到遙遠的國度！

No one spoke, except the man near the fire, who joined in the last part, with a deep, musical voice:

沒有人吭聲，除了那個坐在壁爐邊的人。他用低沉悅耳的聲音附和著歌曲的最后一部分：

And send 'em to a far country!

送他們到遙遠的國度！

None of the people in the room understood what the singer meant, except the man near the fire; who continued smoking, and said calmly, 'Go on, stranger! Sing on!'

屋里沒有人明白唱歌的人是什么意思，除了坐在壁爐邊的那個人。他繼續(xù)抽著煙，平靜地說：“繼續(xù)，陌生人！繼續(xù)唱！”

The man in grey drank again from his mug, and sang:

我不用太多東西，

There isn't much I need,

誠實的牧羊人們——

Honest shepherds all—

就可以解放犯人。

To set the criminals free.

一小截繩子，一個高高的絞架，

A little piece of rope, and a tall hanging post,

我就足夠用了！

And that'll be enough for me!

這下屋里所有的人都聽明白了，這個陌生人是在用歌聲回答牧羊人的問題。他們望著他，眼睛和嘴巴因恐懼而大張著。

Now it was clear to everybody in the room that the stranger was answering the shepherd's question in song. They all looked at him, their eyes and mouths wide open in horror.

“哦，他就是那個劊子手！”人們輕聲地交頭接耳，“他來就是要在明天絞死卡斯特橋監(jiān)獄里那個可憐的鐘表匠——那個鐘表匠沒有活干，孩子們都沒吃的，所以就偷了一頭羊。就因為這個，他要被絞死了！”