牛津書蟲系列 化身博士 2 In search of Mr Hyde

2 In search of Mr Hyde

2 尋找海德先生

After dinner that evening Mr Utterson went into his office and unlocked a cupboard. He took out an envelope.It contained the will of Doctor Henry Jekyll，and was writtenin the doctor's own handwriting.

那天晚上，吃了飯，厄特森先生走進自己的辦公室，打開柜櫥上的鎖，拿出一個信封，里面裝的是亨利·杰基爾博士的遺囑，是立書人親筆寫的。

'If I die，or if I disappear for more than three months，'thewill began，'I wish to leave everything I own to my dearfriend Edward Hyde.'

“如果我死了，或者三個月不見蹤影，”遺囑上寫道，“我希望把所有一切留給我親愛的朋友——愛德華·海德。”

This will had both worried and annoyed Mr Utterson. To alawyer it was an unusual and dangerous kind of will. It wasbad enough when Edward Hyde was only an unknown name，but now that the lawyer knew something about Hyde， the willworried him more than ever. It had seemed like madness before;now it began to seem shameful. With a heavy heart MrUtterson replaced the envelope in the cupboard，put on hiscoat and went to see his old friend Doctor Lanyon.

這份遺囑讓厄特森先生坐立不安。作為一名律師，他覺得這樣的遺囑既少見又危險。直到今天以前，他對這個愛德華·海德一無所知，這就夠糟的了?？涩F(xiàn)在知道了一些有關(guān)海德的事情，遺囑就更讓他生氣了。如果說以前這一切看起來是瘋狂的，那么現(xiàn)在這個名字就是令人發(fā)指的。厄特森先生心事重重地把文件放進柜子里，穿上大衣，去找他的老朋友蘭寧醫(yī)生。

Doctor Lanyon was enjoying his after-dinner coffee.'Comein，old friend!' he cried. The two men had known each othersince their school days.They sat for several minutes，drinkingcoffee and talking companionably of this and that. At last MrUtterson mentioned the thoughts that were worrying him.

蘭寧醫(yī)生正在品著飯后的咖啡。“哈!老朋友，快進來!”他大聲嚷著。他們倆從上學的時候起就認識。倆人坐在一起，一邊喝咖啡，一邊閑扯著，最后厄特森先生談起了自己心中的不安。

'I suppose，Lanyon，'he said，'that you and I are HenryJekyll's oldest friends?'

“我想，蘭寧，”他說，“你我應(yīng)該是亨利·杰基爾最老的朋友了吧?”

'I suppose so，'said Doctor Lanyon，'but I don't often seehim now.'

“我想是吧，”蘭寧醫(yī)生說，“不過，我最近不常見他了。”

'Really?' said Mr Utterson in surprise.'I thought you andhe were interested in the same things.'

“哦，是嗎?”厄特森有些吃驚地問道，“我還以為你和他興趣相投呢!”

'We were at one time，'said Doctor Lanyon.'But morethan ten years ago Henry Jekyll became too—well，imaginativefor me. He developed some strange，wild， unscientific ideas. Itold him so，and I've seen very little of him since then.'

“曾經(jīng)有過，”醫(yī)生接著說，“不過，那是十多年前了。那以后，亨利·杰基爾變得——嗯，對我來講太不可思議了。他腦子里裝了一些奇怪、荒唐、不科學的想法，我就是這么和他說的，從那以后，我就很少見到他了。”

Mr Utterson looked at his friend's red， angry face.'Only adisagreement about some scientific question，'he thought.'It's nothing worse than that.' Calmly he continued，'Didyou ever meet a friend of Jekyll's a man called Hyde?'

厄特森先生看著朋友氣呼呼、漲紅的臉，心想：“只不過是科學見解上的分歧，并沒有什么大不了的。”他不動聲色地又問：“你有沒有見過杰基爾的一個朋友——一個叫海德的朋友?”

'Hyde?'repeated Lanyon.'No， never.'

“海德?”醫(yī)生重復(fù)道，“沒有，從來沒有。”

Soon the lawyer said goodnight and went home to bed，where he lay awake for a long time thinking about Enfield's description of Hyde，and Doctor Jekyll's will.When at last hefell asleep，he was troubled by dreams. In his mind's eye hesaw a faceless man marching over the child's body.Then hesaw his old friend Jekyll in bed，while the same faceless figurestood over him.The facelessness of that figure worried himdeeply.

不一會兒，律師道了晚安，回家睡覺，可他躺在床上好長時間還想著恩菲爾德說的海德的樣子，還有杰基爾博士的遺囑。好不容易睡著了，可是一個夢接著一個夢，讓他心緒不寧。夢里仿佛看見一個沒有臉的人重重踩過孩子的身體，又看見老朋友杰基爾躺在床上，那個沒有臉的人站在他身上。那個沒有臉的人著實讓他擔心。

'Very well，Mr Hyde，'said the lawyer to himself，'I willfind you，and I will see your face for myself.'

“走著瞧，海德先生，”律師自言自語地說，“我一定要找到你，親眼看看你的模樣。”

During the next few weeks Mr Utterson spent many hoursin the narrow street where Enfield had seen Hyde.He waitedpatiently near the mysterious door， hoping for a sight of MrHyde—and one dry， clear winter night he was successful.The street was empty and silent and small sounds carried along way.The lawyer heard footsteps. He stepped back intothe shadows and waited.A short figure turned the corner andwalked towards the mysterious door. Although Mr Uttersoncould not see his face， he felt a strong， almost violent， dislikefor the stranger.

以后的好幾個星期，厄特森先生在恩菲爾德看見海德的那條背街上徘徊了好久。他在那扇神秘的門旁耐心等著，希望能發(fā)現(xiàn)海德先生的蹤跡。終于，一個清冷的冬夜他遇上了海德。那天晚上，街道空蕩蕩的，寂靜無聲，一點響動聲都能傳出去好遠，律師突然聽見了腳步聲。他躲在陰暗處，等著。一個小個子男人轉(zhuǎn)過街角，朝那扇神秘的門走去。雖然看不見陌生人的臉，但厄特森先生還是強烈地感到一種憎恨。

Mr Utterson stepped forward and touched him on the shoulder.'Mr Hyde?'

厄特森先生緊走幾步，輕輕拍了拍那人的肩膀：“是海德先生吧?”

'Yes，that's my name，'said the stranger coolly.' What doyou want?'

“正是，”陌生人冷冰冰地說，“你想怎么樣?”

'I see that you're going in.I'm an old friend of DoctorJekyll's.My name is Utterson.You must have heard myname—may I come in with you?'

“我看見您正要進門。我是杰基爾博士的好朋友，叫厄特森，您一定聽他提過我，我能和您一起進去嗎?”

'Doctor Jekyll is not at home，'replied Mr Hyde.'How didyou know me?'he added sharply.

“杰基爾博士這會兒不在家，”海德回答說。突然他機容地問道：“你怎么知道我的名字?”

'First let me see your face，'replied the lawyer.

“先讓我看看您的臉再說，”律師回答道。

Mr Hyde hesitated for a moment， then he stood under thestreet light and the lawyer saw his face.'Thank you，' saidMr Utterson.'Now I shall know you again. It may beuseful.'

海德猶豫了一下，接著站到路燈下，律師看清了他的臉，說：“謝謝您，我有幸認識您了，這也許會有用的。”

'Yes，'said Mr Hyde，'it may indeed be useful.Here，too，is my address.You may need it one day.'He gave the lawyerhis address，which was in a poor part of London.

“不錯，”海德說，“確實會有用的。喏，還有我的地址，說不定有一天您用得著。”他說了自己的住處，在倫敦的一個貧民區(qū)。

'Good God!'thought the lawyer，'does Hyde know aboutJekyll's will?Is that what he's thinking of?'But he saidnothing.

“天哪!”律師想，“海德一定知道杰基爾的遺囑吧?他打的就是這個主意吧?”但律師沒說出來。

'And now，'said Mr Hyde，'How did you know me?'

“那么，”海德問，“你怎么會知道我呢?”

'You were described to me.'

“聽人跟我講起過您。”

'Who did that?'

“誰說的?”

'I know people who know you.'

“咱們都認識的，”律師說。

'Who?' asked Mr Hyde sharply.

“是誰?”海德厲聲問道。

'Doctor Jekyll，for example，'said the lawyer.

“譬如說，杰基爾博士，”律師答道。

'He never told you!'cried Mr Hyde in sudden anger.'Don't lie to me!'And before the lawyer could answer， heturned the key in the lock and disappeared into the house.

“他決不會和你說的!”海德突然生氣地吼了起來，“別想騙我了!”還沒等律師答話，他掏出鑰匙開了門，消失在屋里。

Mr Utterson stared at the closed door.'Why do I dislikehim so much?'he said to himself.'Enfield was right—thereis something evil about the man.Poor Henry Jekyll，I'm worried about you. Your new friend will mean trouble for you.'

厄特森先生盯著緊閉的大門，自言自語道：“我怎么那么不喜歡他呢?恩菲爾德說得對，這個人骨子里有股邪氣?？蓱z的亨利·杰基爾，真讓人為你擔心，你這個新朋友會給你惹麻煩的。”

Round the corner from the narrow street there was a squareof handsome old houses.One of these was Doctor.Jekyll's house，and Mr Utterson knocked at the front door. The servant answered and told him that Doctor Jekyll was not athome.

在小街的拐彎處有一個廣場，里面的建筑都是些富麗堂皇的老房子，其中有一幢是杰基爾博士的。厄特森先生敲響了前門，仆人開了門，告訴他博士這會兒不在家。

'I saw Mr Hyde go in by the laboratory door in the street atthe back of the house， said the lawyer.

“我看見海德先生從屋子后面的街上，從實驗室的門進來了，”律師說。

'That's right，Mr Utterson，'replied the servant. 'MrHyde has his own key， and comes and goes when he likes. Wehave orders from Doctor Jekyll to obey him.'

“是的，厄特森先生，”仆人回答說，“海德先生自己有鑰匙，想來就來，想走就走，主人吩咐過我們要服從他。”

Mr Utterson walked home more worried than ever.

厄特森先生回家時，心里更擔心了。

A fortnight later Doctor Jekyll gave a dinner party for a fewold friends.Mr Utterson was among them and he remained after the others had left.

兩個星期后，杰基爾博士請老朋友上他家吃飯，厄特森先生也去了，而且一直呆到別人都告辭了。

'I've been wanting to speak to you for some time，Jekyll，'said the lawyer，'about your will.'

“杰基爾，我一直想和你談?wù)劊?rdquo;律師說，“是你那個遺囑的事。”

Doctor Jekyll was a tall， well-made man of fifty with asmooth， kindly face.'My poor friend，'he said，'you doworry unnecessarily， you know. Like poor Lanyon when Itold him about my new ideas.“Imaginative rubbish”he calledthem… I'm very disappointed in Lanyon.'

杰基爾博士五十開外，高高的個子，身材勻稱，總是一副安詳、和善的表情。“我可憐的朋友，”他說，“真沒必要擔什么心，就和那個可憐的蘭寧醫(yī)生一樣，我把自己的想法告訴他，他卻說是'幻想的垃圾'，他真讓我失望。”

But the lawyer did not want to talk about Doctor Lanyon.'You know I've never agreed with your will，'he continued.'You've told me often enough，'said his friend sharply.

律師并不想談蘭寧醫(yī)生，他接著說：“你明白，我從來就沒同意過你那個遺囑!”

'Well，I've learnt something about your friend Hyde，'continued the lawyer.

“你早告訴過我好幾回了!”博士的話有點刺耳。

The colour of the doctor's handsome face changed from pinkto greyish-white.'I don't want to hear any more，'he said.'You don't understand. I'm in a very difficult，painful situation.

“那就好。不過我最近聽到一些有關(guān)你的朋友海德的事，”律師繼續(xù)說。

'Tell me everything，'said Mr Utterson，'and I'll do mybest to help you.'

博士那英竣紅潤的臉龐一下子變得灰白。“我不想再聽了，”他說，“你不明白，我現(xiàn)在的處境有多困難，多痛苦。”“把一切都告訴我，”厄特森先生說，“我會盡力幫你的。”

'You're very kind，but this is a private matter.I'll tell youone thing—I can get rid of Mr Hyde any time I want. Youmust understand，however， that I take a great interest in poorHyde.I know you've seen him—he told me， and I'm afraidhe wasn't very polite to you. But I really do care about him.And if anything happens to me，I want you to promise tomake sure that he inherits my money.'

“你待我真好，可這是我個人的事。我只能告訴你一件事——只要我愿意，隨時可以擺脫這個海德先生。但有一點希望你能理解，我對可憐的海德也極為關(guān)注。我知道你見過他——他告訴我了，我擔心他對你有所沖撞，但我確實很關(guān)心他，要是我出了什么不測，你一定要保證讓他繼承我的財產(chǎn)。”

'I cannot pretend that I shall ever like him，' said thelawyer.

“我沒法假裝自己喜歡他，”律師說。

'I'm not asking you to like him，'said his friend.'I onlyask you to help him，when I'm gone.'

“我并不要求你喜歡他，”他的朋友說，“我只要你幫助他，要是我不在了。”

'I promise，'said Mr Utterson sadly.

“好吧，我答應(yīng)你，”厄特森先生憂郁地說。