羊皮卷的故事（24）

Nearly a fortnight after the caravan¹ had returned to its headquarters in Palmyra,

商队返回帕尔迈拉岛两个星期后的一天夜里，

Hafid was awakened² from his straw cot in the stable,

海菲在牲口棚的草床上被人叫醒

and summoned to appear before Pathros.

主人召见他。

He hastened to the bed chamber³ of the master and stood uncertainly before the huge bed

他匆匆来到主人的寝宫，手足无措地立在床头。

which dwarfed⁴ its occupant.

宽大的床铺使得睡在上面的人看起来小了许多。

Pathros opened his eyes

柏萨罗睁开双眼，

and struggled with his coverings until he was sitting upright.

挣扎着坐了起来。

His face was gaunt

他面容憔悴，

and blood vessels⁵ bulged⁶ in his hands.

手上青筋暴露，

It was difficult for Hafid to believe that this was the same man

海菲不敢相信，眼前的这个人，

with whom he had spoken only twelve days ago.

就是两周前和自己讲过话的那个人。

Pathros motioned toward the lower half of the bed

主人用手指了指床铺的下半部，

and the youth sat carefully on its edge,

少年小心翼翼地挨着床边坐下来，

waiting for the old man to speak.

等着主人发话。

Even Pathros' voice was different in sound and pitch from their last meet- tog.

他注意到就连主人说话的音调都和上次见面时大不相同。

"My son, ye have had many days to reconsider your ambitions.

“孩子，这些天来，你有足够的时间考虑，

Is it still within thee to become a great salesman?"

你还想成为一个最伟大的推销员吗?”

"Yes, sire."

“是的，老爷。”

The ancient head nodded.

老人点了点头，

"So be it. I had planned to spend much time with you

“那就开始吧！我本来计划多花点时间和你在一起，

but as you can see there are other plans for me.

但是你也看得出来，我还有其它的事要做。

Although I consider myself a good salesman

虽然我是一个成功的推销员，

I am unable to sell death on departing from my door.

但是我还是没办法把死亡从这个门口推销出去。

He has been waiting for days like a hungry dog at our kitchen door.

死亡早在那儿等着我了，

Like the dog,

就像一只饿狗，

he knows that eventually the door will be left unguarded...."

等在厨房门口，稍一疏忽，它就冲进来……”

Coughing interrupted Pathros and Hafid sat motionless as the old man gasped⁷ for air.

话没说完，他便咳了起来，海菲呆呆地坐在床边，看着老人吃力地喘着气。

Finally the coughs ceased and Pathros smiled weakly,

最后，咳嗽停了，柏萨罗露出虚弱的笑容。

"Our time together is brief so let us begin.

“我们在一起的时间不多了，我还是言归正传吧。

First, remove the small cedar⁸ chest which is beneath this bed."

你先把床下的香杉木箱子拉出来。”

Hafid knelt and pulled out a small leather- strapped⁹ box.

海菲跪下来，双手摸索着，从床底拉出一只裹着皮革的小箱子，

He placed it below the contour made by Pathros' legs on the bed.

把它放在柏萨罗刚刚坐过的地方。

The old man cleared his throat,

老人清了清喉咙，

"Many years ago when I possessed¹⁰ less status that even a camel boy,

“许多年以前，当我连个喂养骆驼的僮仆都不如的时候，

I was privileged to rescue a traveler from the East

无意间救了一个东方人，

who had been set upon by two bandits.

那时他被两个强盗绑架。

He insisted that I had saved his life

事后，这个东方人硬说我是他的救命恩人，

and wished to reward me although I sought none.

一定要报答我。

Since I had neither a family nor funds

他见我无依无靠，孤苦伶仃的一个人，

he enjoined¹¹ me to return with him to his home

就把我接到他家去，

and kin¹² where I was accepted as one of his own.

与他的家人共享天伦之乐。”

"One day, after I had grown accustomed to my new life,

“我慢慢适应了那里的生活。一天，

he introduced me to this chest. Inside were ten leather scrolls¹³, each one numbered.

他把这个箱子打开给我看，里面装了十张羊皮卷，每一张都标了号码。

1 caravan   

n.大蓬车；活动房屋

参考例句：

• The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。
• Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。

2 awakened   

v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

4 dwarfed   

vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The old houses were dwarfed by the huge new tower blocks. 这些旧房子在新建的高楼大厦的映衬下显得十分矮小。
• The elephant dwarfed the tortoise. 那只乌龟跟那头象相比就显得很小。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 bulged   

凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物）

参考例句：

• His pockets bulged with apples and candy. 他的口袋鼓鼓地装满了苹果和糖。
• The oranges bulged his pocket. 桔子使得他的衣袋胀得鼓鼓的。

7 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

9 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 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。

11 enjoined   

v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The embezzler was severely punished and enjoined to kick back a portion of the stolen money each month. 贪污犯受到了严厉惩罚，并被责令每月退还部分赃款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She enjoined me strictly not to tell anyone else. 她严令我不准告诉其他任何人。 来自辞典例句

12 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

13 scrolls   

n.（常用于录写正式文件的）纸卷( scroll的名词复数 )；卷轴；涡卷形（装饰）；卷形花纹v.（电脑屏幕上）从上到下移动（资料等），卷页( scroll的第三人称单数 )；（似卷轴般）卷起；（像展开卷轴般地）将文字显示于屏幕

参考例句：

• Either turn it off or only pick up selected stuff like wands, rings and scrolls. 把他关掉然后只捡你需要的物品，像是魔杖(wand)，戒指(rings)和滚动条(scrolls)。 来自互联网
• Ancient scrolls were found in caves by the Dead Sea. 死海旁边的山洞里发现了古代的卷轴。 来自辞典例句