血字的研究 57和先知的会谈(1)

Chapter 3

第三章

JOHN FERRIER TALKS WITH THE PROPHET

约翰·费瑞厄和先知的会谈

THREE weeks had passed since Jefferson Hope and his comrades had departed from Salt Lake City.

杰弗逊·侯波和他的伙伴们离开盐湖城已经有三个礼拜了。

John Ferrier's heart was sore within him when he thought of the young man's return, and of the impending¹ loss of his adopted child.

约翰·费瑞厄每当想到这个年轻人回来的时候，他就要失去他的义女，心中便感到非常痛苦。

Yet her bright and happy face reconciled him to the arrangement more than any argument could have done.

但是，女儿的那张明朗而又幸福的脸，比任何争论都更能说服他顺从这个安排。

He had always determined², deep down in his resolute³ heart, that nothing would ever induce him to allow his daughter to wed⁴ a Mormon.

他心中早已暗暗决定，无论如何，他决不让他的女儿嫁给一个摩门教徒。

Such marriage he regarded as no marriage at all, but as a shame and a disgrace.

他认为，这种婚姻根本不能算是婚姻，简直就是一种耻辱。

Whatever he might think of the Mormon doctrines⁵, upon that one point he was inflexible⁶.

不管他对于摩门教教义的看法究竟如何，但是在这一个问题上面，他却是坚定不移的。

He had to seal his mouth on the subject, however, for to express an unorthodox opinion was a dangerous matter in those days in the Land of the Saints.

然而，他对于这个问题，却不能不守口如瓶，因为在摩门教的天下，发表违反教义的言论是十分危险的。

Yes, a dangerous matter–so dangerous that even the most saintly dared only whisper their religious opinions with bated breath,

的确，这是十分危险的，而且危险到这种程度，就连教会中那些德高望重的圣者们，也只敢在暗地里偷偷地谈论他们对于教会的意见，

lest something which fell from their lips might be misconstrued, and bring down a swift retribution upon them.

唯恐一句话露出去就会马上招致横祸。

The victims of persecution⁷ had now turned persecutors on their own account, and persecutors of the most terrible description.

过去被迫害的人，为了报复，现在一变而为迫害者，并且是变本加厉，极端残酷。

Not the Inquisition of Seville, nor the German Vehmgericht, nor the secret societies of Italy, were ever able to put a more formidable machinery⁸ in motion than that which cast a cloud over the state of Utah.

塞维尔的宗教法庭、日尔曼人的叛教律以及意大利秘密党所拥有的那些庞大的行动组织等等，比之于摩门教徒在犹他州所布下的天罗地网，都是望尘莫及的。

Its invisibility, and the mystery which was attached to it, made this organization doubly terrible.

这个无形的组织出没无常，再加上与它相关联的那些神秘活动，使得这个组织倍加可怖。

It appeared to be omniscient⁹ and omnipotent¹⁰, and yet was neither seen nor heard.

这个组织似乎是无所不知、无所不能；但是，它的所作所为人们既看不见，也听不到。

The man who held out against the Church vanished away, and none knew whither he had gone or what had befallen him.

谁要是敢于反对教会，谁就会突然失踪。既没有人知道他的下落，也没有人知道他的遭遇。

His wife and his children awaited him at home, but no father ever returned to tell them how he had fared at the hands of his secret judges.

家中妻子儿女倚门而望，可是父亲却一去不返，再也不会回来向他们诉说他落在他的秘密审判者手中的遭遇。

A rash word or a hasty act was followed by annihilation, and yet none knew what the nature might be of this terrible power which was suspended over them.

说话稍一不慎，行动偶失检点，立刻就会招来杀身之祸；而且谁也不知道笼罩在他们头上的这种可怕的势力究竟是什么。

No wonder that men went about in fear and trembling, and that even in the heart of the wilderness¹¹ they dared not whisper the doubts which oppressed them.

因此，人们个个惊慌，人人恐惧；即使是在旷野无人之处，也不敢对压其他们的这种势力暗地里表示疑义，这也就不足为奇了。

1 impending   

a.imminent, about to come or happen

参考例句：

• Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。
• The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

2 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

3 resolute   

adj.坚决的，果敢的

参考例句：

• He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。
• The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

4 wed   

v.娶，嫁，与…结婚

参考例句：

• The couple eventually wed after three year engagement.这对夫妇在订婚三年后终于结婚了。
• The prince was very determined to wed one of the king's daughters.王子下定决心要娶国王的其中一位女儿。

5 doctrines   

n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明

参考例句：

• To modern eyes, such doctrines appear harsh, even cruel. 从现代的角度看，这样的教义显得苛刻，甚至残酷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His doctrines have seduced many into error. 他的学说把许多人诱入歧途。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 inflexible   

adj.不可改变的，不受影响的，不屈服的

参考例句：

• Charles was a man of settled habits and inflexible routine.查尔斯是一个恪守习惯、生活规律不容打乱的人。
• The new plastic is completely inflexible.这种新塑料是完全不可弯曲的。

7 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

8 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

9 omniscient   

adj.无所不知的；博识的

参考例句：

• He's nervous when trying to potray himself as omniscient.当他试图把自己描绘得无所不知时，内心其实很紧张。
• Christians believe that God is omniscient.基督教徒相信上帝是无所不知的。

10 omnipotent   

adj.全能的，万能的

参考例句：

• When we are omnipotent we shall have no more need of science.我们达到万能以后就不需要科学了。
• Money is not omnipotent,but we can't survive without money.金钱不是万能的，但是没有金钱我们却无法生存。

11 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。