8

　　Escape from the island

　　I was now in my twenty—seventh year on the island，and I did not want to be there for another year. We worked hard to get the corn in，and to make a lot of bread. We had dried fruit and salted meat，and big pots to keep water in. One evening Friday went out to look for a turtle for meat and eggs. But in less than an hour he was back，and he looked very afraid.

　　'Master！Master！'he cried. 'There's a great ship near the island，and men are coming to the shore in a boat！'

　　I jumped up and ran with him down to the shore. To my great surprise，I saw that it was an English ship！But why was it here？English ships never came this way. Perhaps they were pirates！'Don't let them see you，Friday！'I called. 'We'll hide in the trees and watch. '

　　There were eleven men in the boat，but three of them were prisoners. Their arms were tied with rope，but their legs were free and they could walk. The other sailors pushed the three prisoners up the beach，laughing and shouting and hitting them. Then some of them sat down on the sand and began to drink. Others walked away to look at the island，and two men stayed to watch the boat. The three prisoners walked slowly a-long the beach and sat down under a tree，not far from us. They looked very unhappy.

　　Very quietly，I came up behind them through the trees，and called out to them in English.

　　'Don't be afraid，'I said. 'I'm an Englishman. Perhaps I can help you. '

　　The three men turned and looked at me. They did not answer at once；they were too surprised. Perhaps they thought I was a wild man myself，in my strange home—made clothes of animals' skins，and with my long hair and beard. Then the old－east man spoke.

　　'I am the captain of that ship，'he said，'and these two men are my first and second officers. Last night there was a mutiny，and the seamen took the ship from me. Now they're going to leave the three of us here，to die on this island. '

　　'De these mutineers have guns？'

　　'Only two，'he answered，'and they've left those on the boat. '

　　'All righ，'I said. 'We'll fight them，but if we get your ship back for you，you must take me back to England. '

　　The captain agreed immediately and thanked me very warm－ly for my help. Friday ran back to my house to get all the guns，and the captain and I made a plan.

　　The first part was easy because the seamen were not ready for a fight. We shot the two men at the boat，and the captain shot another man. This man，Tom Smith，was the worst of them all and he began the mutiny on the ship. Then the cap-tain talked to the other five men，and they agreed to help him. They did not really want to be mutineers，but they were afraid of Tom Smith.

　　'Now，'I said to the captain，'we must get back your ship. How many men are on it？'

　　'Twenty－six，'the captain replied，'and they will fight hard because they won't want to go home. It is death for all muti-neers in England. But not all the men are bad. I'm sure that some of them will help me. '

　　Just then we saw another boat，which was coming from the ship to the shore. There were ten men in it，and they all had guns. We ran into the trees and waited.

　　It was a long hard fight，but by now it was dark and this helped us very much. We ran here and there in the trees，call-ing and shouting. The seamen could not see us and did not know how many men they were fighting. In the end the first officer shouted to them：

　　'Put down your guns and stop fightng！The captain has fifty island people to help him. We can kill you all！'

　　So the seamen stopped fighting and we took their guns. Three of the men agreed to come back to the captain，and we put the others in my cave. Friday and I stayed to watch the prisoners，while the captain and his men went back to fight for the ship.

　　All night we listened to the sound of guns and shouting，but in the morning，when the sun came up，the captain was master of his ship again. I went down to the shore to meet him.

　　'My dear friend，'he cried，'There's your ship！I'll take you to the ends of the world in it！'

　　I put my arms round him，and we laughed and cried together. How happy I was to leave the ialand！

　　My good friend Friday came with me，of course，but we left the mutineers on the island. We decided not to kill them；they could begin a new life on the island. I showed them my three houses，my cornfields and my goats，and all my tools. Their life would he easy because of all my hard work for so many years.

　　And so，on the nineteenth of December 1689-after twen-ty-seven years，two months and nineteen days-I said good-bye to my island and sailed home to England.

　　8 逃离孤岛

　　现在我在这岛上已经呆了27年，我不愿再呆下去了。我们勤劳地工作，收割谷物，制成许多面包。我们准备了干果、咸肉和装水的大罐子。一天傍晚，星期五为了吃肉和海龟蛋去抓海龟。但不到一个钟头他就回来了。他看起来非常害怕。

　　“主人！主人！”他叫喊着。“在岛的附近有一只大船，他们坐着一条小船上岸来了！”

　　我跳起来跟他一起下山朝岸边跑。令我非常惊奇的是，我看到那是一艘英国船！但为什么会在这儿？英国船只从不朝这个方向来。或许他们是海盗！“别让他们看见你，星期五！”我叫到。“我们躲到树后，瞧着。”

　　船上有11个人，但其中3个是俘虏。他们的手臂用绳子捆着，但他们的脚是自由的，可以走路。其他水手把这3个俘虏押到海滩上，笑着，叫着并踢他们。一些人坐在沙滩上开始喝酒。其他人走开去观察小岛，留下两个人看守小船。3个俘虏沿着海滩走得很慢，在离我们不远的树下坐了下来。他们显得非常沮丧。

　　我悄悄地穿过树丛走到他们后面，用英语招呼他们。

　　“不要害怕，”我说。“我是英国人。或许我能帮助你们。”

　　这3个人转过身来看着我。他们没有马上回答；他们很惊讶。可能会认为我这个穿着用动物皮毛自制的古怪衣服，长长的头发和胡须的人是个野人。稍后，最年长的人说话了。

　　“我是船长，”他说，“这两个是我的大副和二副。昨晚发生了一场叛乱，水手夺走了我的船。现在他们将把我们3人丢在这儿，让我们死在岛上。”

　　“这些反叛者有枪么？”

　　“只有两支枪，”他回答，“他们把枪留在小船上了。”

　　“好的，”我说。“我们来打他们，但是如果我们为你夺回了船，你们必须带我回英国去。”

　　船长立即同意并热情感谢我的帮助。星期五跑回房子取来所有的枪，船长和我作了计划。

　　第一步还是容易的，因为水手没有作战的准备。我们开枪打死了船上的两人，船长击毙了另一个。这个叫汤姆·史密斯的，是其中最坏的一个。他发动了这个船上的叛乱。然后船长和其他5个人谈话，他们答应帮助船长。他们并非真的想成为反叛者，只是他们畏惧汤姆·史密斯。

　　“现在，”我对船长说，“我们必须回到你的船上。船上有多少人？”

　　“26个，”船长回答，“他们会顽强抵抗，因为他们不想回家。在英国所有的反叛者都会处以死刑。但并非所有的人都坏。我相信有一些人会帮助我的。”

　　这时我们看见另一只小船，正离开大船向岸边驶来。船上有10个人，他们都带了枪。我们跑进树丛等着。

　　这是一场艰苦的持久战，但此刻天已黑了，这对我们很有利。我们在树丛里到处跑，叫喊着。水手们看不见我们也不知道和他们打仗的有多少人。最后，大副朝他们喊：

　　“放下武器。停止战斗！船长得到了50名岛上居民的帮助，我们能把你们全部消灭！”

　　因此水手们停止了作战，我们缴了他们的枪。其中3人同意回到船长这边，我们把其余的人送进我的山洞里。我和星期五留下看守俘虏，而船长和他的手下回去为夺船而战斗。

　　整夜我们听见枪声及叫喊声，但到了早晨，当太阳升起时，船长又成了大船的主人。我下山到海岸边去迎接他。

　　“我亲爱的朋友，”他喊道。“那是你的船！我会用他把你载到世界的每个角落！”

　　我拥抱他，我们一起又笑又叫。离开这个小岛我是多么高兴啊！

　　我的好朋友星期五当然跟随着我，但我们把那些叛乱者留在了岛上。我们决定不杀他们；他们能够在岛上开始一种新的生活。我给他们看了我的三间房子，我的庄稼地和我的山羊以及所有的工具。由于我的多年的艰苦劳动他们的生活会轻松得多。