精美英文欣赏:星期五

Part 4 Friday

第四部分 星期五

When the three persons came to the creek¹, I found that two of them could swim, but the third could not, and that, standing² on the other side，he looked at the others, but went no farther, and soon after went softly back again; which, as it happened，was very good for him in the end. I observed that the two who swam were yet more than twice as strong swimming over the creek as the fellow was that fled from them. It came very warmly upon my thoughts, and indeed irresistibly³, that now was the time to get me a servant, and, perhaps, a companion or assistant; and that I was plainly called by Providence⁴ to save this poor creature's life. I immediately ran down the ladders with all possible expedition, fetched my two guns, for they were both at the foot of the ladders, and getting up again with the same haste to the top of the hill, I crossed towards the sea; and having a very short cut, and all down hill, placed myself in the way between the pursuers and the pursued, hallowing aloud to him that fled, who, looking back, was at first perhaps as much frightened at me as at them; but I beckoned⁵ with my hand to him to come back; and, in the meantime, I slowly advanced towards the two that followed; then rushing at once upon the foremost, I knocked him down with the stock of my piece. I was loath⁶ to fire, because I would not have the rest hear; though, at that distance, it would not have been easily heard, and being out of sight of the smoke, too，they would not have known what to make of it. Having knocked this fellow down, the other who pursued him stopped, as if he had been frightened, and I advanced towards him: but as I came nearer, I perceived presently he had a bow and arrow, and was fitting it to shoot at me: so I was then obliged to shoot at him first, which I did, and killed him at the first shot.

当那三个人靠近消息的时候，我发现他们中两个人会游泳，而第三个不会。他只是站在另一边看着他们，并没有靠近。不久又轻轻地回来了。正如所发生的那样，最后证明那是对他有好处的。我注意到，溪水中游泳的两个人比逃离他们的那个人要强壮两倍以上。我脑海里闪过一个令人激动的、不可抗拒的主意，我想现在是时候给自己找个仆人了，也许会是一个同伴或者帮手。上天明明叫我拯救这个可怜人的性命。我立即以最快的速度跑下梯子，取了两把枪，因为这两支枪就放在梯子脚下。然后我又以同样快的 速度爬上梯子，翻过山顶，奔向大海，抄近路向山下跑去，藏匿在追赶者和逃跑者之间。我朝逃跑的野人大声呼唤，他回过头来，第一次看到我时，也许和看到追赶他的人一样惊恐。我招手示意他过来，同时慢慢向追上来的两个野人迎上去。之后一下子冲到前面的一个野人跟前，用枪杆子把他打倒在地。我不想开枪，怕枪声被其余野人听见，虽然依照这个距离，枪声是很难听到的，即使隐隐约约听到了，他们也看不见硝烟，所以肯定不会弄清是怎么回事。第一个野人被我打倒后，另一个追来的野人停住了脚步，仿佛被吓住了。于是我朝他走去，但当我走近一些，立刻看到了他手里的弓箭，他准备拉弓向我射击。我不得不先朝他开枪，一枪就把他击毙了。

The poor savage⁷ who fled, but had stopped, though he saw both his enemies fallen and killed, as he thought, yet was so frightened with the fire and noise of my piece that he stood stock still, and neither came forward nor went backward, though he seemed rather inclined still to fly than to come on. I hallooed again to him, and made signs to come forward, which he easily understood, and came a little way; then stopped again, and then a little farther, and stopped again; and I could then perceive that he stood trembling, as if he had been taken prisoner, and had just been to be killed, as his two enemies were. I beckoned to him again to come to me, and gave him all the signs of encouragement that I could think of; and he came nearer and nearer, kneeling down every ten or twelve steps, in token of acknowledgment for saving his life. I smiled at him, and looked pleasantly, and beckoned to him to come still nearer; at length he came close to me; and then he kneeled down again, kissed the ground, and laid his headupon the ground, and taking me by the foot, set my foot upon his head; this, it seems, was in token of swearing to be my slave for ever. I took him up and made much of him, and encouraged him all I could. But there was more work to do yet; for I perceived the savage whom I had knocked down was not killed, but stunned⁸ with the blow, and began to come to himself: so I pointed⁹ to him, and showed him the savage, that he was not dead; upon this he spoke¹⁰ some words to me, and though I could not understand them, yet I thought they were pleasant to hear; for they were the first sound of a man's voice that I had heard, my own excepted, for above twenty-five years. But there was no time for such reflections now; the savage who was knocked down recovered himself so far as to sit up upon the ground, and I perceived that my savage began to be afraid; but when I saw that, I presented my other piece at the man, as if I would shoot him: upon this my savage, for so I call him now, made a motion to me to lend him my sword, which hung naked in a belt by my side, which I did. He no sooner had it, but he runs to his enemy, and at one blow cut off his head cleverly.

那可怜的逃跑的野人停了下来，他虽然亲眼看到两个敌人都已倒下被杀死了，却被火光和枪声吓坏了，站在那里，呆若木鸡，既不前进也不后退，看样子他依然很想逃跑而不敢靠近。我再次朝他大声招呼，做手势叫他过来。他很快明白了我的意思，向前走了几步，之后又停下，又向前移动一些，再次停下来。这时，我看到他浑身颤抖，他以为自己成了我的俘虏，也将像他的两个敌人那样被杀死。我又向他招招手，叫他靠近我，并做出我能想到的种种手势叫他不要害怕。他这才慢慢走过来，每走一二十步便跪一下，好像是感谢我救了他的命。我对他微笑，面色和善，并一再示意他再靠近一些。最后他走近我，接着再次跪下，亲吻着大地，把头放在地上，之后抱起我的一只脚放在头上，这似乎是在发誓将永远做我的奴仆。我把他扶起来，对他十分和气，尽我所能叫他不要害怕。但是还有更多的工作要做，因为我发现第一个被我打倒的野人并没有死，而是被打晕了，现在正在苏醒过来。我向他指了指那个野人，提示他那人并没有死，这时他对我说了些话，虽然我听不懂，但对我来说听起来特别悦耳，因为这是我二十五年来第一次听到除我以外的另一个人的声音。但是，现在我还没有时间来感叹，被打倒的野人已经完全清醒，并从地上坐了起来。我发现我的野人开始害怕起来，见此我便举起另一支枪对准那个野人，好像要朝他开枪。这时，野人对我做了个手势，要我把挂在腰间的那把没鞘的刀借给他。于是我把刀递给他。他一拿到刀，就奔向敌人，一下子利落地砍下了野人的头。

And I named my savage-Friday.

我给我的野人取名叫"星期五"。

1 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 irresistibly   

adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地

参考例句：

• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside. 她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was irresistibly attracted by her charm. 他不能自已地被她的魅力所吸引。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

5 beckoned   

v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。
• The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 loath   

adj.不愿意的；勉强的

参考例句：

• The little girl was loath to leave her mother.那小女孩不愿离开她的母亲。
• They react on this one problem very slow and very loath.他们在这一问题上反应很慢，很不情愿。

7 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

8 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

9 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。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。