牛津書蟲系列 織工馬南 3 Where is Silas's gold？

3 Where is Silas's gold?

3 西拉斯的金子哪兒去了?

When Dunstan Cass left the cottage，Silas Marner was only a hundred metres away.He was walking home from the village，where he had gone to buy what he needed for his next day's work.His legs were tired，but he felt almost happy.He was looking forward to supper-time，when he would bring out his gold.Tonight he had an extra reason to hurry home.He was going to eat hot meat，which was unusual for him.And it would cost him nothing，because someone had giv-en him a piece of meat as a present.He had left it cooking over the fire.The door key was needed to hold it safely in place，but Silas was not at all worried about leaving his gold in the cot-tage with the door unlocked.He could not imagine that a thief would find his way through the mist，rain and darkness to the little cottage by the quarry.

鄧斯坦·凱斯離開的時候，西拉斯僅僅在100米之外，他從村里買了第二天干活用的東西，正往家里走。西拉斯的腿很累，但他心里很高興。他期待著晚飯時間的到來，那時他又可以拿出金子來了。今晚他匆匆回家還有個特別的理由，他今天要吃一塊熱熱的烤肉，平時他很少吃肉。不過他并沒有花錢，因為這塊肉是別人送給他的禮物。他出來時已經(jīng)把它烤在了火上，肉是用大門鑰匙串起來的，西拉斯一點兒也不擔(dān)心不鎖門而把金幣留在小屋里，他不信會有賊能在這樣的大霧、大雨里摸黑找到他在采石場邊上的小草屋。

When he reached his cottage and opened the door，he did not notice that anything was different.He threw off his wet coat，and pushed the meat closer to the fire.As soon as he was warm again，he began to think about his gold.It seemed a long time to wait until after supper，when he usually brought out the coins to look at.So he decided to bring out his gold immediate-ly，while the meat was still cooking.

他回到家，打開門，沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)任何異常。他脫下濕衣服，把肉向火上推了推，一暖和過來，他馬上開始想他的金子。他不能像平時那樣等到吃完晚飯再把金子拿出來，那要等太久了，他決定趁肉還在烤著，馬上拿出金子來。

But when he took up the floorboards near the loom，and saw the empty hole，he did not understand at once.His heart beat violently as his trembling hands felt all round the hole.There was nothing there!He put his hands to his head and tried to think.Had he put his gold in a different place，and forgotten about it?He searched every corner of his small cottage，until he could not pretend to himself any more.He had to accept the truth-his gold had been stolen!

當(dāng)他扒開織機旁的地板，看到洞里空空的什么也沒有時，并沒有馬上明白過來。他的心劇烈地跳著，用顫抖的手把洞摸了個遍，什么也沒有!他用手抱著頭，想好好想一想。是不是自己把金子放在了別處又忘了?他找遍了草屋的每一個角落，但終于一無所獲，他不能再欺騙自己了。他不得不接受這一事實——他的金子被偷走了!

He gave a wild，desperate scream，and stood still for a mo-ment.Then he turned towards his loom，and almost fell into the seat where he always worked.He touched the loom to make sure it，too，had not been stolen.Now he was beginning to think more clearly.'A thief has been here!If I can find him，he'll have to give back my gold!But I was only away for a short time，and there's no sign of anyone entering the cottage.'He wondered whether it was really a thief who had taken his money，or whether it was the same cruel God who had already destroyed his happiness once.But Silas preferred to suspect a thief，who would perhaps return the money.He began to think it must be Jem Rodney，a local poacher，who had known about Silas's money，and who sometimes visited the cottage.Silas felt stronger now that he thought he knew the thief.'I must go and tell the Squire，and the police!'he said to himself.'They'll make Jem give me back the money!'so he hurried out in the rain without a coat，and ran towards the Rainbow.

他發(fā)出一聲絕望的慘叫，呆呆地站了一會兒，猛地轉(zhuǎn)向織機，險些跌倒在每天干活的座位上。西拉斯摸著織布機以確定他的織布機還沒有被偷走。這時他的思想清楚了一些。“一定是有賊來過!如果我能找出這個人，他就得把金子還給我!可我只離開了一會兒，也看不出有人進(jìn)過屋呀!”他不明白是真的有賊偷走了他的錢，還是那個曾經(jīng)毀壞過他幸福生活的殘忍的上帝又在懲治他。不過西拉斯寧愿懷疑是賊干的，因為賊還可能把錢還回來。他開始猜想賊一定是本地的偷獵者杰姆·羅德尼，因為他知道西拉斯有錢，而且以前來過小屋。西拉斯以為自己知道賊是誰了，就感到自己強大了點兒。“我必須去告訴鄉(xiāng)紳和警察!”他對自己說，“他們會讓杰姆還我錢。”于是他來不及披外衣就沖進(jìn)雨里，向彩虹酒館跑去。

He thought he would find the most important people in Rav-eloe at the public house，but in fact most of them were at Mrs Osgood's birthday dance.There were，however，five villagers at the Rainbow，enjoying an interesting conversation about ghosts，while drinking their beer.

西拉斯本以為一定能在酒館見到瑞福洛最重要的人們，可實際上大部分人都去參加奧斯古德太太的生日舞會了。然而還是有5個村民在酒館中一邊喝著啤酒，一邊閑談著有關(guān)鬼怪的事。

'I tell you，people have seen ghosts，'the butcher said.'And I'll tell you where，too.Behind the church!'

“告訴你們，有人真的見過鬼，”屠戶說，“而且我告訴你們在哪兒，就在教堂后面!”

'That's right，'agreed old Mr Macey.'You young ones aren't old enough to remember，but people have seen ghosts near the church since I was a boy.Oh yes，it's true.'

“沒錯，”麥西老先生附和著，“你們太小了，不記得，從我小時候起人們就在教堂附近看見過鬼。沒錯，是真的。”

The farrier laughed scornfully.'Ghosts!People imagine they see things on a dark night!You can't make me believe in ghosts!It's a question of fact!There are no ghosts!'

馬掌匠嘲諷地大笑起來。“鬼!人們總幻想著在黑夜里看到什么!你別想讓我相信!這是個事實問題!世界上根本沒有鬼!”

'Now，now，'began the lanalord，who always tried to keep the peace，'in some ways you're all wrong，and in some ways you're all right，that's my opinion.There are ghosts，and there aren't，well，that's what people say.And…'

“行了，行了，”酒館主人發(fā)話了，他總想維持和平，“我覺得你們都不對，又都對，人們總說有鬼沒鬼，但……”

Just then Silas's white face appeared suddenly in the door-way.He had run all the way from his cottage，so he could not speak for a moment.He stared silently at the men with his strange staring eyes，looking exactly like a ghost.For a few minutes nobody said anything，while Silas tried to control his breathing.Then the landlord spoke.

這時西拉斯蒼白的臉突然出現(xiàn)在過道里。他從草屋一路跑來，所以一時說不出話來，只是不聲不響地用那雙奇怪的、直瞪著的眼睛盯著人們，確實有點兒像一個鬼。半晌沒有人說話，而西拉斯則在努力地使自己呼吸平穩(wěn)下來。然后酒館主人打破了沉默。

'What do you want，Master Marner?Come，tell us.'

“怎么了，馬南師傅?來，告訴我們。”

'Robbed!'cried Silas，suddenly able to speak.'I've been robbed!I want the police，and the Squire!'He waved his arms wildly as he spoke.

“賊!”西拉斯喊道，他忽然能說話了。“我被賊偷了!我要找警察，還有鄉(xiāng)紳!”他邊說邊瘋狂地?fù)]著手。

'Hold him，Jem，'said the landlord to the poacher，who was sitting near the door.'I think he's gone mad.'

“按住他，杰姆，”酒館主人對坐在門邊的偷獵者說，“我想他瘋了·”!

But Jem moved quickly away.'Not me!'he replied.'I don't want anything to do with a ghost!'

可杰姆馬上躲到了一邊。“別讓我按他，”他答道，“我可不想和魔鬼打交道!”

'Jem Rodney!'cried Silas，turning and staring at the man he suspected.

“杰姆·羅德尼!”西拉斯轉(zhuǎn)臉盯著這個他懷疑的人喊道。

'Yes，Master Marner?'answered Jem，trembling a little.

“怎么啦，馬南師傅?”杰姆有點兒發(fā)抖。

'If it was you who stole my money，'said Silas，going close to Jem，'just give it back to me，and I won't tell the police.Please—just give it back.'

“如果是你偷了我的錢，”西拉斯走近了說，“還給我，我不會去報告警察。請你還給我!”

'Stole your money!'cried Jem angrily.'I'll throw this glass at you if you accuse me of stealing your money!'

“偷你的錢!”杰姆生氣地喊道，“如果你再誣陷我偷你的錢，我就用杯子砸你!”

'Come now，Master Matner，'said the landlord firmly，tak-ing Silas by the arm.'You must explain what you mean if you want us to believe you.And sit down by the fire to dry your clothes.You're very wet.'

“來，馬南師傅，”酒館主人拉住西拉斯堅決地說，“如果想讓我們相信你，你必須向我們講清楚。來，坐下烤烤你的衣服，你都濕透了。”

'That's right，'said the farrier.'No more staring like a madman.That's what I thought you were at first—not a ghost，of course.'

“對，”馬掌匠說，“別再像瘋子似地瞪著眼了，我一開始就認(rèn)為你不是個魔鬼而是個瘋子。”

The weaver sat down，in the centre of the little group of men，and told his story.It felt strange but pleasant to him，to talk to his neighbours and tell them his problems.The men re-alized at once that Silas was telling the truth.They had sus-pected him of working for the devil，but they knew now that the devil was no longer taking care of him.

西拉斯坐下來，在一小群人中間講起自己的故事。和鄰居講話并告訴他們自己的問題，這種感覺讓西拉斯感到很奇特，可也很愉快。人們馬上意識到西拉斯講的是實話，他們確實懷疑過西拉斯為魔鬼工作，可他們相信現(xiàn)在魔鬼不再照料他了。

'Well，Master Marner，'said the landlord in the end，'you mustn't accuse poor Jem.He sometimes steals a chicken，we all know that，but he's been sitting here drinking with us all evening.So he's not the thief.'

“好了，馬南師傅，”酒館主人最后說，“你千萬別再為難可憐的杰姆了，我們都知道他有時會偷只雞什么的，可今晚他一直在這兒和我們一起喝酒，所以他不會是賊。”

'That's right，'said old Mr Macey.'You can't accuse someone who hasn't done anything wrong，Master Marner.'

“沒錯，”麥西老先生說，“你不能難為沒有做錯事的人，馬南師傅。”

These words brought the past back to Silas，and he remem-bered standing in front of his accusers in the Light Street chapel.He went up to Jem.

這些話使西拉斯想起了過去的事，想起了許多年前在日光街教堂里他站在指責(zé)他的人面前。他走到杰姆面前。

'I was wrong，'he said miserably.'I'm sorry，Jem.I had no reason to accuse you.But—where can my gold be?'

“我錯了，”他痛心地說，“對不起，杰姆，我不該難為你，可是——我的金子哪兒去了?”

'Perhaps some stranger came to your cottage while you were out，'said the farrier.'But we must report the robbery to the police and the Squire immediately.'

“可能有陌生人在你不在的時候闖進(jìn)了你的小屋，”馬掌匠說，“但不管怎樣我們必須馬上向警察和鄉(xiāng)紳報案。”

Next morning，when the whole village heard about the stolen gold，they all discussed it excitedly.A few people still did not trust Silas or believe his story.Most people，however，were suspicious of the pedlar who had visited Raveloe the month be-fore.Perhaps he had returned to hide near the quarry，and steal the money when Silas left his cottage.Several villagers thought they remembered his evil-looking face，and felt sure he was not honest.

第二天，全村人都聽說了丟金子的事，大家都在興奮地議論，一小部分人仍然不相信西拉斯和他的故事，而大多數(shù)人都懷疑上個月來過瑞福洛的小販，沒準(zhǔn)兒他溜回來藏在了采石場附近，然后趁西拉斯出門的時候偷了錢。有幾個村民更是想起來他們早就從小販那張罪惡的臉上看出他不是好人。

Silas himself remembered that the pedlar had come to his cottage door recently.He hoped the pedlar was indeed the thief，because the police could catch him and make him give back the money.His home seemed very empty to him without his gold，and he desperately wanted to get it back.

西拉斯自己也想起小販不久前到過自己的小屋。他希望小販真的是賊，那樣警察就能抓住他讓他還錢了。沒有了金子，小屋顯得空空蕩蕩，西拉斯不顧一切地想找回金子。