四签名 93琼诺赞·斯茂的奇异故事（3）

"This is a very serious matter, Small," said the detective.

琼斯道："斯茂，这是一件很严重的事情。

"If you had helped justice, instead of thwarting¹ it in this way, you would have had a better chance at your trial."

你如果能帮助法律而不是这样地进行破坏，那么，在判刑的时候就会有得到从轻发落的机会。"

"Justice!" snarled² the ex-convict. "A pretty justice! Whose loot is this, if it is not ours?

"法律？！"罪犯咆哮着道，"多么美好的法律啊！宝物不是我们的是谁的？

Where is the justice that I should give it up to those who have never earned it? Look how I have earned it!

宝物不是他们赚来的偏要给他们，难道这算公道吗？你们看看我是怎样把宝物赚到手的：

Twenty long years in that fever-ridden swamp, all day at work under the mangrove-tree,

整整二十年，在那热病猖狂的湿地里住着，白天整日在红树下面做苦工，

all night chained up in the filthy³ convict-huts, bitten by mosquitoes,

夜晚被锁在污秽的囚棚里，镣铐加身，被蚊子咬着，

racked with ague, bullied⁴ by every cursed black-faced policeman who loved to take it out of a white man.

被疟疾折磨着，受着喜欢拿白种人泄愤的每个可恶的黑脸禁卒的种种凌辱，

That was how I earned the Agra treasure, and you talk to me of justice

这是我赚到阿格拉宝物的代价，而你却要来同我讲什么公道。

because I cannot bear to feel that I have paid this price only that another may enjoy it!

难道因为我不肯把我所历尽艰难而取得的东西让别人去享受，你就认为不公道吗？

I would rather swing a score of times, or have one of Tonga's darts⁵ in my hide,

我宁愿被绞死或吃童格一毒刺，

than live in a convict's cell and feel that another man is at his ease in a palace with the money that should be mine."

也不甘心在牢狱里活着而叫另外一个人拿着应当是我的钱去快乐逍遥！"

Small had dropped his mask of stoicism, and all this came out in a wild whirl of words,

这时斯茂已经不象以前沉默了，他滔滔不绝地倾泻出这些话来。

while his eyes blazed, and the handcuffs clanked together with the impassioned movement of his hands.

他两眼发亮，手铐随着激动的双手震得作响。

I could understand, as I saw the fury and the passion of the man,

看到他这样忿怒和冲动，我可以理解，

that it was no groundless or unnatural⁶ terror which had possessed⁷ Major Sholto when he first learned that the injured convict was upon his track.

舒尔托少校为什么一听到这囚犯越狱回来的消息就吓得惊慌失措，这是很自然的和完全有根据的。

1 thwarting   

阻挠( thwart的现在分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过

参考例句：

• The republicans are trying to embarrass the president by thwarting his economic program. 共和党人企图通过阻挠总统的经济计划使其难堪。
• There were too many men resisting his authority thwarting him. 下边对他这个长官心怀不服的，故意作对的，可多着哩。

2 snarled   

v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说

参考例句：

• The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
• As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时，它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 filthy   

adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的

参考例句：

• The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
• You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发，然后再去买张新的。

4 bullied   

adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My son is being bullied at school. 我儿子在学校里受欺负。
• The boy bullied the small girl into giving him all her money. 那男孩威逼那个小女孩把所有的钱都给他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 darts   

n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• His darts trophy takes pride of place on the mantelpiece. 他将掷镖奖杯放在壁炉顶上最显著的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I never saw so many darts in a bodice! 我从没见过紧身胸衣上纳了这么多的缝褶！ 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 unnatural   

adj.不自然的；反常的

参考例句：

• Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？
• She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。

7 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。