血字的研究 77复仇天使(8)

Disguised, and under an assumed name, he returned to Salt Lake City,

他乔装改扮，更名改姓，回到盐湖城来。

careless what became of his own life, as long as he obtained what he knew to be justice.

他只求正义得伸，至于自己的生命则早已置之度外了。

There he found evil tidings awaiting him.

他到达盐湖城后，才发觉不妙的消息正在等待着他。

There had been a schism¹ among the Chosen People a few months before,

几个月以前，摩门教徒中发生过一次分裂，

some of the younger members of the Church having rebelled against the authority of the Elders,

教中年轻的一派起来反抗长老的统治，

and the result had been the secession of a certain number of the malcontents, who had left Utah and become Gentiles.

结果有相当多的不满分子脱离了教会。他们离开了犹他，变成了异教徒。

Among these had been Drebber and Stangerson; and no one knew whither they had gone.

锥伯和斯坦节逊也在其中，可是任何人都不知道他们的下落。

Rumour² reported that Drebber had managed to convert a large part of his property into money,

据说，锥伯早就把他的大部财产设法变卖了，因此在他离开的时候，

and that he had departed a wealthy man, while his companion, Stangerson, was comparatively poor.

他已经是一个腰缠万贯的富翁，而他的同伴斯坦节逊，相形之下，却是相当票穷。

There was no clue at all, however, as to their whereabouts.

但是，他们现在究竟在何处，丝毫没有线索可寻。

Many a man, however vindictive³, would have abandoned all thought of revenge in the face of such a difficulty,

在这种困难情况下，不管复仇心如何迫切，一般人恐怕难免就要灰心丧志，放弃复仇的打算了。

but Jefferson Hope never faltered⁴ for a moment.

但是，杰弗逊·侯波却一刻也没有动摇过。

With the small competence⁵ he possessed⁶, eked⁷ out by such employment as he could pick up,

他带着他所有的一笔为数很少的金钱出发，没有钱的时候，就随便找点工作餬口。

he travelled from town to town through the United States in quest of his enemies.

一个城市一个城市地在美国各地寻找他的仇人。

Year passed into year, his black hair turned grizzled,

一年跟着一年地过去了，他的一头黑发变斑白了，

but still he wandered on, a human bloodhound, with his mind wholly set upon the one object to which he had devoted⁸ his life.

但是，他仍旧继续流浪下去，他把他的全部心力都贯注在这个复仇事业上，为了这个事业，他已经献出了他的一生。

1 schism   

n.分派，派系，分裂

参考例句：

• The church seems to be on the brink of schism.教会似乎处于分裂的边缘。
• While some predict schism,others predict a good old fashioned compromise.在有些人预测分裂的同时，另一些人预测了有益的老式妥协。

2 rumour   

n.谣言，谣传，传闻

参考例句：

• I should like to know who put that rumour about.我想知道是谁散布了那谣言。
• There has been a rumour mill on him for years.几年来，一直有谣言产生，对他进行中伤。

3 vindictive   

adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的

参考例句：

• I have no vindictive feelings about it.我对此没有恶意。
• The vindictive little girl tore up her sister's papers.那个充满报复心的小女孩撕破了她姐姐的作业。

4 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”

5 competence   

n.能力，胜任，称职

参考例句：

• This mess is a poor reflection on his competence.这种混乱情况说明他难当此任。
• These are matters within the competence of the court.这些是法院权限以内的事。

6 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。

7 eked   

v.（靠节省用量）使…的供应持久( eke的过去式和过去分词 )；节约使用；竭力维持生计；勉强度日

参考例句：

• She eked out the stew to make another meal. 她省出一些钝菜再做一顿饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She eked out her small income by washing clothes for other people. 她替人洗衣以贴补微薄的收入。 来自辞典例句

8 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。