福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第59期:和先知的會談(3)

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One fine morning John Ferrier was about to set out to his wheatfields, when he heard the click of the latch,

一個晴朗的早晨，約翰·費瑞厄正打算外出到麥田里去，他忽然聽到前門的門閂咔噠響了一下。

and, looking through the window, saw a stout, sandy-haired, middle-aged man coming up the pathway.

他從窗口向外一望，只見一個身強力壯、有著一頭淡茶色頭發(fā)的中年男子沿著小徑走了過來。

His heart leapt to his mouth, for this was none other than the great Brigham Young himself.

他大吃一驚，因為進來的不是別人，正是大人物卜瑞格姆·揚親自駕到。

Full of trepidation–for he knew that such a visit boded him little good–Ferrier ran to the door to greet the Mormon chief.

他感到十分害怕，因為他明白，這種訪問對他說來是兇多吉少的。費瑞厄趕緊跑到門口去迎接這位摩門教的首領(lǐng)。

The latter, however, received his salutations coldly, and followed him with a stern face into the sitting-room.

但是，揚對于他的迎接表示非常冷淡，他板著面孔隨他進了客廳。

"Brother Ferrier," he said, taking a seat, and eyeing the farmer keenly from under his light-coloured eyelashes, "the true believers have been good friends to you.

"費瑞厄兄弟，"他一面說著，一面坐了下來，兩眼從他那淡色睫毛下嚴(yán)峻地瞧著這個農(nóng)民，"上帝的忠實信徒們一直以善良的朋友態(tài)度對待你，

We picked you up when you were starving in the desert, we shared our food with you, led you safe to the Chosen Valley, gave you a goodly share of land,

當(dāng)你在沙漠里行將餓斃的時候，我們拯救了你，我們把我們的食物分給了你，把你平安地帶到這個上帝選定的山谷來，分給你一大片土地，而且讓你在我們的保護下，

and allowed you to wax rich under our protection. Is not this so?"

慢慢地發(fā)財致富騎來，是不是這樣呢？"

"It is so," answered John Ferrier.

"是這樣。"費瑞厄回答說。

"In return for all this we asked but one condition: that was, that you should embrace the true faith, and conform in every way to its usages.

"為所有這一切，我們只提出過一個條件，就是：你必須信奉我們這個純正的宗教，并且要在各方面奉行教規(guī)。

This you promised to do, and this, if common report says truly, you have neglected."

這一點，你也曾答應(yīng)過這樣做；可是，如果大家的報告不是假的話，就在這一點上，你卻一直玩忽不顧。"

"And how have I neglected it?" asked Ferrier, throwing out his hands in expostulation.

費瑞厄伸出雙手答辯道："那么，我到底怎樣玩忽不顧呢？

"Have I not given to the common fund? Have I not attended at the Temple? Have I not– –?"

難道我沒有按照規(guī)定繳納公共基金嗎？難道我沒有去教堂禮拜嗎？難道我--"

"Where are your wives?" asked Young, looking round him. "Call them in, that I may greet them."

"那么，你的妻子們都在哪里？"揚問道，四面瞧了一下，"把她們叫出來，我要見見她們。"

"It is true that I have not married," Ferrier answered. "But women were few, and there were many who had better claims than I.

費瑞厄回答說："我沒有娶妻，這倒是事實。可是，女人已經(jīng)不多了，而且許多人比我更需要。

I was not a lonely man: I had my daughter to attend to my wants."

我也并不是一個孤零零的人，我還有我的女兒侍奉我哩。"

"It is of that daughter that I would speak to you," said the leader of the Mormons.

這位摩門教的領(lǐng)袖說："我就是為著你的那個女兒才來找你談話的。

"She has grown to be the flower of Utah, and has found favour in the eyes of many who are high in the land."

她已經(jīng)長大成人了，而且稱得上是咱們猶他地方的一朵花了。這里許多有地位的人物都看中了她。"

John Ferrier groaned internally.

約翰·費瑞厄聽了這話以后，不禁心中暗暗叫苦。