巴斯克维尔的猎犬 岩岗上的人（16）

 

　　But I resisted all his solicitations and succeeded in dissuading him from his announcedintention of walking home with me. I kept the road as long as his eye was on me, and then I struckoff across the moor and made for the stony hill over which the boy had disappeared. Everythingwas working in my favour, and I swore that it should not be through lack of energy orperseverance that I should miss the chance which fortune had thrown in my way.

　　我谢绝了他的一切恳求， 而且成功地打消了他的要陪我散步回家的想法。 在他望得见我的时候， 我一直是顺着大路走， 然后我突然离开了大道， 穿过沼地， 向那孩子消失不见的那座山上走去。 对我说来事事都很顺利， 我敢发誓， 我绝不会因为缺乏精神和毅力而错过命运之神给我送到眼前来的机会。

　　The sun was already sinking when I reached the summit of the hill, and the long slopesbeneath me were all golden-green on one side and gray shadow on the other. A haze lay low uponthe farthest sky-line, out of which jutted the fantastic shapes of Belliver and Vixen Tor. Over thewide expanse there was no sound and no movement. One great gray bird, a gull or curlew, soaredaloft in the blue heaven. He and I seemed to be the only living things between the huge arch of thesky and the desert beneath it. The barren scene, the sense of loneliness, and the mystery andurgency of my task all struck a chill into my heart. The boy was nowhere to be seen. But downbeneath me in a cleft of the hills there was a circle of the old stone huts, and in the middle of themthere was one which retained sufficient roof to act as a screen against the weather. My heart leapedwithin me as I saw it. This must be the burrow where the stranger lurked. At last my foot was onthe threshold of his hiding place -- his secret was within my grasp.

　　在我抵达山顶的时候， 太阳已经就要落下去了， 脚下的山坡向阳的一面变成了金绿色，而另一面则完全被灰暗的阴影笼罩了。 在极远的天际线上， 呈现出一抹苍茫的暮色， 在暮色中突出来的就是奇形怪状的贝利弗和维克森岩岗。 在无边无际的大地上， 一无动静。 一只灰雁， 也许是一只海鸥或麻鹬翱翔在高高的蓝色天空之中。 在广大无边的苍穹和下面荒芜的大地之间， 它和我好象就是这里仅有的生物了。 荒漠的景色， 孤独的感觉和我的神秘而急迫的使命使我不禁打起寒战来。 哪里也看不到那个孩子， 可是在我下面的一个山沟里有一些环绕成圈的古老石屋， 中间有一栋还有着能够使人免于日 晒雨淋的屋顶。 我一看到它， 心房就不禁为之一跳， 这一定就是那个人藏匿的地方了。 我的脚终于踏上了他那藏身之所的门槛了——他的秘密可被我抓住了。