Chapter 43 Hark!
第四十三章 聽!
HIST! Did you hear that noise, Cabaco?
噓!你可聽到那聲音,卡巴科?
It was the middle-watch: a fair moonlight; the seamen were standing in a cordon, extending from one of the fresh-water butts in the waist, to the scuttle-butt near the taffrail.
這是夜班分:月色皎潔;水手們站成一條線,從中甲板的一只淡水桶伸展到船尾欄桿附近的大飲水桶。他們就這樣傳遞水桶,加滿那只大飲水桶。
In this manner, they passed the buckets to fill the scuttle-butt. Standing, for the most part, on the hallowed precincts of the quarter-
他們大都站在后甲板那塊禁區(qū)上,大家都很小心謹慎,嘴不說話,腳不沙沙作響。
deck, they were careful not to speak or rustle their feet. From hand to hand, the buckets went in the deepest silence, only broken by the occasional flap of a sail, and the steady hum of the unceasingly advancing keel.
水桶就在這種闃無聲動的氣氛中傳來遞去,只有桅帆不時的拍擊聲,和不斷向前的船骨的不變的哼哧聲打破沉寂。
It was in the midst of this repose, that Archy, one of the cordon, whose post was near the after-hatches, whispered to his neighbor, a Cholo, the words above.
就在這種寧靜的氣氛中,那個站在靠近后艙口,名字叫做阿基的水手,對他旁邊那個綽羅人悄悄地說了上述那句話。
Hist! did you hear that noise, Cabaco?
噓!你可聽到那聲音,卡巴科?
Take the bucket, will ye, Archy? what noise d'ye mean?
把那只桶接住好嗎,阿基?你說的是什么聲音?
There it is again-under the hatches-don't you hear it-a cough- it sounded like a cough.
喏,又響啦...在艙口下面...你沒聽到...一聲咳嗽...真像是一聲咳嗽。
Cough be damned! Pass along that return bucket.
咳個鬼!把那只空桶傳過來吧。
There again-there it is!-it sounds like two or three sleepers turning over, now!
喏,又響啦。就在那地方!好象有兩三個人在睡夢里翻身,你聽!
Caramba! have done, shipmate, will ye?
胡說八道!隨它去,好不好,伙計?
It's the three soaked biscuits ye eat for supper turning over inside of ye-nothing else. Look to the bucket!
那是你晚飯吃下去的三塊泡濕的面包在你肚皮里翻身的緣故旁的沒有什么。當心水桶!
Say what ye will, shipmate; I've sharp ears.
隨你怎么說吧,伙計;我的耳朵可真靈。