地下墓穴（13）

 

“The entrance to it is. That is just the safeguard¹ which we have against anyone else discovering it.”

“Does the proprietor² know of it?”

“Not he. He had found one or two objects which made me almost certain that his house was built on the entrance to such a place. So I rented it from him, and did my excavations³ for myself. Come in, and shut the door behind you.”

It was a long, empty building, with the mangers of the cows along one wall. Burger put his lantern down on the ground, and shaded its light in all directions save one by draping his overcoat round it.

“It might excite remark if anyone saw a light in this lonely place,” said he. “Just help me to move this boarding.”

The flooring was loose in the corner, and plank⁴ by plank the two savants raised it and leaned it against the wall. Below there was a square aperture⁵ and a stair of old stone steps which led away down into the bowels⁶ of the earth.

“Be careful!” cried Burger, as Kennedy, in his impatience⁷, hurried down them. “It is a perfect rabbits’-warren below, and if you were once to lose your way there the chances would be a hundred to one against your ever coming out again. Wait until I bring the light.”

“How do you find your own way if it is so complicated?”

“牛棚的主人知道吗？”

“他也不知道。他找到过几件东西，正是那些东西使我确信，他的房子盖在了某种地方的入口之上。于是我把房子租下来，独自进行了挖掘。进来，把门关上。"这是个长长的屋子，空空荡荡，一面墙边摆着饲料槽。

伯格把油灯放在地上，用外套挡住三面灯光，只留出一面照明。

“如果有人看见在这样偏僻的地方有灯光，会产生好奇心的，“他说。“帮我把木板挪开，”

铺地的木板是活的，两位专家把木板一块一块掀起来，靠在墙边。木板下面出现一个正方形洞口，古老的石头台阶从洞口一直通向地下深处。

“当心！"伯格嚷道，因为肯尼迪已经忍耐不住，要顺台阶往下走了。“下面就像兔子窝一样乱，一旦迷路，再想找到回来的路，成功的机会只有百分之一。等我带上灯。”

‘既然这么复杂，当初你是怎么找到回来的路呢？”

1 safeguard   

vt.保护，维护；n.预防措施，保证条款

参考例句：

• Keeping clean is a safeguard against disease.保持清洁是抵御疾病的防护措施。
• We must safeguard forest timber.我们必须保护森林。

2 proprietor   

n.所有人；业主；经营者

参考例句：

• The proprietor was an old acquaintance of his.业主是他的一位旧相识。
• The proprietor of the corner grocery was a strange thing in my life.拐角杂货店店主是我生活中的一个怪物。

3 excavations   

n.挖掘( excavation的名词复数 )；开凿；开凿的洞穴（或山路等）；（发掘出来的）古迹

参考例句：

• The excavations are open to the public. 发掘现场对公众开放。
• This year's excavations may reveal ancient artifacts. 今年的挖掘可能会发现史前古器物。 来自辞典例句

4 plank   

n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目

参考例句：

• The plank was set against the wall.木板靠着墙壁。
• They intend to win the next election on the plank of developing trade.他们想以发展贸易的纲领来赢得下次选举。

5 aperture   

n.孔，隙，窄的缺口

参考例句：

• The only light came through a narrow aperture.仅有的光亮来自一个小孔。
• We saw light through a small aperture in the wall.我们透过墙上的小孔看到了亮光。

6 bowels   

n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处

参考例句：

• Salts is a medicine that causes movements of the bowels. 泻盐是一种促使肠子运动的药物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cabins are in the bowels of the ship. 舱房设在船腹内。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。