血字的研究 73复仇天使（4）

The sturdy old man, whom he had left so short a time before, was gone, then, and this was all his epitaph.

他刚才离开不久的那位健壮老人就此死去了，而这几个字竟成了他的墓志铭。

Jefferson Hope looked wildly round to see if there was a second grave, but there was no sign of one.

杰弗逊·侯波又到处寻找，看看是否还有第二个坟墓，可是没有发现一点痕迹。

Lucy had been carried back by their terrible pursuers to fulfil her original destiny, by becoming one of the harem of an Elder's son.

露茜已经被这班可怕的追赶者带了回去，遭到了她原先注定的命运，成为长老儿子的小妻了。

As the young fellow realized the certainty of her fate, and his own powerlessness to prevent it,

当这个年轻小伙子认识到她的命运确已如此，而他自己又无法挽回的时候，

he wished that he, too, was lying with the old farmer in his last silent resting-place.

他真想跟随着这位老农，一同长眠在他最后安息的地方。

Again, however, his active spirit shook off the lethargy which springs from despair.

但是，他的积极精神终于排除了这种由于绝望而产生的过分伤感。

If there was nothing else left to him, he could at least devote his life to revenge.

如果他实在没有别的办法可想，他至少还可以把他的一生，用在报仇雪恨上。

With indomitable patience and perseverance¹,

杰弗逊·侯波有着百折不挠的耐心和毅力，

Jefferson Hope possessed² also a power of sustained vindictiveness³, which he may have learned from the Indians amongst whom he had lived.

因此他也就具有一种百折不挠的复仇决心。他的这种复仇心，可能是在他和印第安人相处的日子里，从他们那里学来的。

As he stood by the desolate⁴ fire,

他站在凄凉的火堆旁，

he felt that the only one thing which could assuage⁵ his grief would be thorough and complete retribution, brought by his own hand upon his enemies.

觉得只有彻底、干净、痛快的报仇，并且要用他自己的手，亲自杀死他的仇人，才能减轻他的悲痛。

His strong will and untiring energy should, he determined⁶, be devoted⁷ to that one end.

他下定了决心，要把他的坚强意志和无穷的精力全部用在报仇雪恨上。

With a grim, white face, he retraced⁸ his steps to where he had dropped the food,

他面色惨白、狰狞可怕，一步一步沿着来路走去，找到他失落兽肉的地方。

and having stirred up the smouldering fire, he cooked enough to last him for a few days.

他把快要熄灭的火堆挑燃起来，烤着兽肉，一直到熟肉足够他维持数日食用为止。

This he made up into a bundle, and, tired as he was, he set himself to walk back through the mountains upon the track of the Avenging⁹ Angels.

他把烤熟的兽肉捆作一包。这时，他虽然疲惫已极，但是，仍然踏着这帮复仇天使的足迹，穿过大山，一步一步地走了回去。

For five days he toiled¹⁰ footsore and weary through the defiles¹¹ which he had already traversed on horseback.

他沿着先前骑马走过的道路，千辛万苦地走了五天；只走得疲倦已极、脚痛难忍。

At night he flung himself down among the rocks, and snatched a few hours of sleep; but before daybreak he was always well on his way.

夜里，他就躺在乱石之间，胡乱睡上几个钟头。但是天尚未明，便又起来赶路。

On the sixth day, he reached the Eagle Canon, from which they had commenced their ill-fated flight.

第六天，他就来到了鹰谷；他们就是从这里开始他们不幸的逃亡的。

Thence he could look down upon the home of the Saints.

他从鹰谷往下瞧，可以看见摩门教徒们的田舍家园。

Worn and exhausted¹², he leaned upon his rifle and shook his gaunt hand fiercely at the silent widespread city beneath him.

现在，他已是形销骨立、憔悴不堪了。他倚着他的来复枪，对着脚下这平安静而广大的城市，狠狠地挥舞着他的瘦削的拳头。

As he looked at it, he observed that there were flags in some of the principal streets, and other signs of festivity.

他瞧这个城市的时候，发现在一些主要街道上挂着旗帜和其他节日的标志。

He was still speculating as to what this might mean when he heard the clatter¹³ of horse's hoofs¹⁴, and saw a mounted man riding towards him.

他正在猜测其中原因的时候，忽听一阵马蹄奔腾的声音，只见一个人骑着马向他跑来。

As he approached, he recognized him as a Mormon named Cowper, to whom he had rendered services at different times.

当票马人走近的时候，侯波认出这就是一个名叫考起的摩门教徒。侯波曾经先后几次帮过他的忙，

He therefore accosted¹⁵ him when he got up to him, with the object of finding out what Lucy Ferrier's fate had been.

所以，当他走近时，侯波就向他打了招呼，想从他那里打听一下露茜的命运究竟如何了。

1 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

2 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

3 vindictiveness   

恶毒；怀恨在心

参考例句：

• I was distressed to find so much vindictiveness in so charming a creature. 当我发现这样一个温柔可爱的女性报复心居然这么重时，我感到很丧气。 来自辞典例句
• Contradictory attriButes of unjust justice and loving vindictiveness. 不公正的正义和报复的相矛盾的特点。 来自互联网

4 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

5 assuage   

v.缓和，减轻，镇定

参考例句：

• The medicine is used to assuage pain.这种药用来止痛。
• Your messages of cheer should assuage her suffering.你带来的这些振奋人心的消息一定能减轻她的痛苦。

6 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。

7 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

8 retraced   

v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯

参考例句：

• We retraced our steps to where we started. 我们折回我们出发的地方。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We retraced our route in an attempt to get back on the right path. 我们折返，想回到正确的路上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 avenging   

adj.报仇的，复仇的v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 )；为…报复

参考例句：

• He has devoted the past five years to avenging his daughter's death. 他过去5年一心报丧女之仇。 来自辞典例句
• His disfigured face was like some avenging nemesis of gargoyle design. 他那张破了相的脸，活象面目狰狞的复仇之神。 来自辞典例句

10 toiled   

长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉

参考例句：

• They toiled up the hill in the blazing sun. 他们冒着炎炎烈日艰难地一步一步爬上山冈。
• He toiled all day long but earned very little. 他整天劳碌但挣得很少。

11 defiles   

v.玷污( defile的第三人称单数 )；污染；弄脏；纵列行进

参考例句：

• That kind of love defiles its purity simply. 那恋爱本身就是亵渎了爱情的纯洁。 来自辞典例句
• Marriage but defiles, outrages, and corrupts her fulfillment. 婚姻只是诋毁、侮辱、败坏这种实现。 来自互联网

12 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

13 clatter   

v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声

参考例句：

• The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。
• Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

14 hoofs   

n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The stamp of the horse's hoofs on the wooden floor was loud. 马蹄踏在木头地板上的声音很响。 来自辞典例句
• The noise of hoofs called him back to the other window. 马蹄声把他又唤回那扇窗子口。 来自辞典例句

15 accosted   

v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭

参考例句：

• She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上，一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》