血字的研究 64逃命（3）

He expected that he would receive some message or remonstrance¹ from Young as to his conduct, and he was not mistaken, though it came in an unlooked-for manner.

他预料，这番行为必然会招来扬的某种警告的。事情果然不出所料，但是警告的方式，却是他万万意想不到的。

Upon rising next morning he found, to his surprise, a small square of paper pinned on to the coverlet of his bed just over his chest.

第二天早晨，费瑞厄一起床就大吃一惊地发现了，在被面上，恰好在他胸口的地方，钉着一张纸条，

On it was printed, in bold, straggling letters:"Twenty-nine days are given you for amendment², and then––"

上面歪歪斜斜地写着一行笔道粗重的字："限你二十九天改邪归正，到期则--"　

The dash was more fear-inspiring than any threat could have been.

字后这一划比任何恫吓都要令人害怕。

How this warning came into his room puzzled John Ferrier sorely, for his servants slept in an outhouse, and the doors and windows had all been secured.

这个警告究竟是怎么送进他的房中来的，这件事使得约翰·费瑞厄百思莫解；因为他的仆人是睡在与这房子没有盖在一起的房子里的，而且所有的门窗都是插好插销的。

He crumpled³ the paper up and said nothing to his daughter, but the incident struck a chill into his heart.

他把这个纸条揉成一团，丝毫也没有对他的女儿提起。可是，这件意外的事，却使他感到胆战心寒。

The twenty-nine days were evidently the balance of the month which Young had promised.

纸条上写的"二十九天"明明是指扬所指定的一月期限所剩下的日子。

What strength or courage could avail against an enemy armed with such mysterious powers?

对付一个拥有这样神秘力量的敌人，单凭血气之勇又有什么用处呢？

The hand which fastened that pin might have struck him to the heart, and he could never have known who had slain⁴ him.

钉上纸条的那只手，满可以用刀刺进他的心房，而且，他永远也不会知道究竟是谁杀害了他。

Still more shaken was he next morning.

第二天早晨，事情更加使费瑞厄感到震惊了。

They had sat down to their breakfast, when Lucy with a cry of surprise pointed⁵ upwards⁶.

当他们坐下来早餐的时候，露茜忽然用手向上面指着惊叫了起来。

In the centre of the ceiling was scrawled⁸, with a burned stick apparently⁹, the number 28.

原来，在天花板的中央，有一个数字"28"，显然是用烧焦了的木棒画的。

To his daughter it was unintelligible¹⁰, and he did not enlighten her.

他的女儿对于这个数字是莫名其妙的，他也没有向她说明。

That night he sat up with his gun and kept watch and ward⁷.

那天晚上，他没有睡觉，拿着他的枪，通宵守卫着。

He saw and he heard nothing, and yet in the morning a great 27 had been painted upon the outside of his door.

一夜之间，他既无所见，又无所闻。可是，第二天的早晨，一个大大的"27"却又写在他家的门上了。

Thus day followed day; and as sure as morning came he found that his unseen enemies had kept their register,

这样一天又一天地过去了，就象黎明每天丝毫不爽地必然来临一样，他每天也都发现他的暗藏敌人在记着数字，

and had marked up in some conspicuous¹¹ position how many days were still left to him out of the month of grace.

而且在一些明显的地方，写出他的一月期限还剩下了几天。

Sometimes the fatal numbers appeared upon the walls, sometimes upon the floors, occasionally they were on small placards stuck upon the garden gate or the railings.

有时，这个要命的数字是在墙上出现，有时是在地板上面。还有几次，这些数字是写在小纸条上，贴在花园的门上或栏杆上。

With all his vigilance John Ferrier could not discover whence these daily warnings proceeded.

约翰·费瑞厄虽然百般警戒，但是他总不能发现这些每天来临的警告究竟是在什么时候干的。

A horror which was almost superstitious¹² came upon him at the sight of them.

他一看这些警告，就感到一种几乎是迷信般的恐怖。

He became haggard and restless, and his eyes had the troubled look of some hunted creature.

因此他坐卧不宁，一天天憔悴起来，他的眼中显露出被追逐着的野兽所有的那种惊骇、仓惶的神色。

He had but one hope in life now, and that was for the arrival of the young hunter from Nevada.

现在他惟一的希望就是等待着那个年轻的猎人从内华达回来。

1 remonstrance   

n抗议，抱怨

参考例句：

• She had abandoned all attempts at remonstrance with Thomas.她已经放弃了一切劝戒托马斯的尝试。
• Mrs. Peniston was at the moment inaccessible to remonstrance.目前彭尼斯顿太太没功夫听她告状。

2 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

3 crumpled   

adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire. 她把那封信揉成一团扔进了火里。
• She flattened out the crumpled letter on the desk. 她在写字台上把皱巴巴的信展平。

4 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

7 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

8 scrawled   

乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I tried to read his directions, scrawled on a piece of paper. 我尽量弄明白他草草写在一片纸上的指示。
• Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it -- I got more." 汤姆在他的写字板上写了几个字：“请你收下吧，我多得是哩。”

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

10 unintelligible   

adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的

参考例句：

• If a computer is given unintelligible data, it returns unintelligible results.如果计算机得到的是难以理解的数据，它给出的也将是难以理解的结果。
• The terms were unintelligible to ordinary folk.这些术语一般人是不懂的。

11 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

12 superstitious   

adj.迷信的

参考例句：

• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。
• These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。