福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第71期:復(fù)仇天使(2)

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About the middle of the second day of their flight their scanty store of provisions began to run out.

他們逃亡的次日，大約中午的時(shí)候，不多的口糧眼看就要吃完了。

This gave the hunter little uneasiness, however, for there was game to be had among the mountains,

但是，這件事并沒有使這位獵人感到有什么不安，因?yàn)榇笊街?，有的是飛禽走獸可以獵取充饑。

and he had frequently before had to depend upon his rifle for the needs of life.

從前他就常常是靠著他的那支來復(fù)槍維持生活的。

Choosing a sheltered nook, he piled together a few dried branches and made a blazing fire,

他選擇了一個(gè)隱蔽的平靜所在，拾取了一些枯枝干柴生氣火來，

at which his companions might warm themselves, for they were now nearly five thousand feet above the sea level, and the air was bitter and keen.

讓他的伙伴們暖和一下。因?yàn)?，他們現(xiàn)在已是在海拔五千英尺的高山之上，空氣是徹骨的寒冷。

Having tethered the horses, and bid Lucy adieu, he threw his gun over his shoulder, and set out in search of whatever chance might throw in his way.

他把騾馬拴好，并和露茜告別后，就背上他的來復(fù)槍，出去碰碰運(yùn)氣，打點(diǎn)東西。

Looking back, he saw the old man and the young girl crouching over the blazing fire, while the three animals stood motionless in the background.

他回過頭來，只見老人和少女正圍著火堆取暖，三只騾馬一動也不動地站立在后邊。

Then the intervening rocks hid them from his view.

再走幾步，便為大石阻擋，看不見他們了。

He walked for a couple of miles through one ravine after another without success, though, from the marks upon the bark of the trees,

他翻山越嶺，走了兩英里多路，可是一無所獲。

and other indications, he judged that there were numerous bears in the vicinity.

然而，從樹干上的痕跡以及其他的一些跡象看來，他斷定附近有無數(shù)野熊出沒。

At last, after two or three hours' fruitless search, he was thinking of turning back in despair,

可是他搜索了兩三個(gè)小時(shí)，也毫無結(jié)果。

when casting his eyes upwards he saw a sight which sent a thrill of pleasure through his heart.

最后，他正打算空手回去的時(shí)候，忽然抬頭一看，不覺心花怒放。

On the edge of a jutting pinnacle, three or four hundred feet above him,

原來在離地三、四百英尺高處的一塊突出的懸?guī)r邊上，

there stood a creature somewhat resembling a sheep in appearance, but armed with a pair of gigantic horns.

站著一只野獸，樣子看來很象羊，但是卻武裝著一對巨大的長角。

The big-horn–for so it is called–was acting, probably, as a guardian over a flock which were invisible to the hunter;

這個(gè)被人叫做"大犄角"的家伙，可能是正在為侯波所看不到的同群執(zhí)行著警戒任務(wù)。

but fortunately it was heading in the opposite direction, and had not perceived him.

巧得很，這只野獸是背對著侯波的，因此，它并沒有發(fā)覺他。

Lying on his face, he rested his rifle upon a rock, and took a long and steady aim before drawing the trigger.

他趴在地上，把槍架在一塊巖石上，他又慢又穩(wěn)地瞄好準(zhǔn)以后才開了槍。

The animal sprang into the air, tottered for a moment upon the edge of the precipice, and then came crashing down into the valley beneath.

這個(gè)野獸跳了起來，在巖石邊掙扎了幾下，就滾落到谷底去了。

The creature was too unwieldy to lift, so the hunter contented himself with cutting away one haunch and part of the flank.

這只野獸十分沉重，一個(gè)人背不動，侯波將死獸的一只腿和一些腰肉割了下來。

With this trophy over his shoulder, he hastened to retrace his steps, for the evening was already drawing in.

這時(shí)，已經(jīng)是暮色四合，一片蒼茫了。于是他背起這些戰(zhàn)利品，趕忙沿著來路往回走去，

He had hardly started, however, before he realized the difficulty which faced him.

但是，他剛要舉步就想起自己已陷入了困境。

In his eagerness he had wandered far past the ravines which were known to him, and it was no easy matter to pick out the path which he had taken.

因?yàn)楫?dāng)他專心一意尋找野獸的時(shí)候，他走的太遠(yuǎn)了，已經(jīng)遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地走出了他所熟悉的山谷，現(xiàn)在再要認(rèn)出他所走過的道路，卻不是一件容易的事了。

The valley in which he found himself divided and sub-divided into many gorges, which were so like each other that it was impossible to distinguish one from the other.

他覺得他所在的這個(gè)山谷，一時(shí)變成千溝萬壑，處處十分相似，簡直無法辨認(rèn)。他沿著一條山溝走了一英里多路，來到一個(gè)澗水淙淙的所在。

He followed one for a mile or more until he came to a mountain torrent which he was sure that he had never seen before.

他肯定來時(shí)決沒有見過這個(gè)山澗。他斷定自己已經(jīng)走錯(cuò)了路，

Convinced that he had taken the wrong turn, he tried another, but with the same result.

于是又另走一條，結(jié)果仍然不是正路。

Night was coming on rapidly, and it was almost dark before he at last found himself in a defile which was familiar to him.

夜色很快就降臨了，當(dāng)他終于找到一條他所熟識的小道時(shí)，天色已經(jīng)完全黑了下來。

Even then it was no easy matter to keep to the right track, for the moon had not yet risen, and the high cliffs on either side made the obscurity more profound.

雖然他找到了這條熟路，可是現(xiàn)在要沿著這條小路不再走錯(cuò)，也非易事。因?yàn)樵铝吝€未升起，小路兩邊絕壁高聳，使得道路格外黑暗難行。

Weighed down with his burden, and weary from his exertions, he stumbled along,

這時(shí)，侯波背著沉重的東西，直壓得喘不過起來，況且忙碌了半天，現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)感到非常疲乏。

keeping up his heart by the reflection that every step brought him nearer to Lucy,

但是，他仍舊蹣跚地前進(jìn)著，當(dāng)他想到前進(jìn)一步，就靠近了露茜一步，

and that he carried with him enough to ensure them food for the remainder of their journey.

而且還帶來這么多食物，足夠他們今后旅途的食用，因此他的精神便又振奮起來。