福爾摩斯探案集·四簽名 第101期:瓊諾贊·斯茂的奇異故事(11)

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At two in the morning the rounds passed and broke for a moment the weariness of the night.

后半夜兩點鐘，稍微打破整夜沉寂的巡查過去了。

Finding that my companions would not be led into conversation,

我的同伴既不愿和我交談，

I took out my pipe and laid down my musket to strike the match.

我就把槍放下，掏出煙斗來劃了一根火柴。

In an instant the two Sikhs were upon me.

猛然間兩個印度兵向我沖了上來，

One of them snatched my firelock up and levelled it at my head,

一個人搶過槍來，開了槍上的保險門并把槍口對著我的腦袋；

while the other held a great knife to my throat and swore between his teeth that he would plunge it into me if I moved a step.

另一個人抽出一把大刀擱在我脖子上，而且咬著牙說，只要我動一步就把刀子刺進我的喉嚨。

My first thought was that these fellows were in league with the rebels, and that this was the beginning of an assault.

我第一個想法是：他們一定和叛兵一伙，這也就是他們突擊的開始。

If our door were in the hands of the sepoys the place must fall,

如果他們占據(jù)了這個堡門，整個碉堡就一定會落入敵人手中，

and the women and children be treated as they were in Cawnpore.

堡里的婦孺也就會受到和在康普相同的遭遇。

Maybe you gentlemen think that I am just making out a case for myself,

也許你們幾位會想，我是在這里為自己胡謅，

but I give you my word that when I thought of that, though I felt the point of the knife at my throat,

可是我敢發(fā)誓，當我想到這一點的時候，雖然我覺得出來，刀尖就抵在我的咽喉上，

I opened my mouth with the intention of giving a scream,

我還是張開了口想要大叫一聲，

if it was my last one, which might alarm the main guard.

即使是最后一聲也罷，因為說不定這樣就能給中心警衛(wèi)室一個警告。

The man who held me seemed to know my thoughts; for, even as I braced myself to it, he whispered:

那個按住我的人似乎已經(jīng)知道了我的心思，正當我要出聲的時候，他向我低聲道：

'Don't make a noise. The fort is safe enough. There are no rebel dogs on this side of the river.'

'不要出聲，堡壘不會有危險，河這邊沒有叛兵。'

There was the ring of truth in what he said, and I knew that if I raised my voice I was a dead man.

他的話聽來似乎還真實。我知道，只要我一出聲就會被害，

I could read it in the fellow's brown eyes.

我從這家伙的棕色眼珠里看出了他的意思，

I waited, therefore, in silence, to see what it was that they wanted from me.

所以我沒有出聲。我等待著，看他們要讓我怎么樣。

'Listen to me, sahib,' said the taller and fiercer of the pair, the one whom they called Abdullah Khan.

那個比較高，比較兇，叫愛勃德勒·克汗的向我說道：'先生，聽我說。

'You must either be with us now, or you must be silenced forever.

現(xiàn)在只有兩條路任你選擇：一條路是和我們合作；一條路就是讓你永遠再也出不來聲。

The thing is too great a one for us to hesitate.

事情太大了，咱們誰也不能猶豫。

Either you are heart and soul with us on your oath on the cross of the Christians,

或是你誠心誠意地向上帝起誓和我們合作到底；

or your body this night shall be thrown into the ditch, and we shall pass over to our brothers in the rebel army.

或是我們今晚就把你的尸體扔到溝里，然后到我們叛軍弟兄那邊去投降，

There is no middle way. Which is it to be–death or life?

此外絕對沒有中間路線。你選哪條路，生還是死？

We can only give you three minutes to decide, for the time is passing, and all must be done before the rounds come again.'

我們只能給你三分鐘作出決定，因為時間短促，必須在下次巡邏到來之前把事情辦妥。'