The young moon was shining brightly in a cloudless winter sky, and its light was increased by a new-fallen snow.  冬夜，天上无云，月牙的明亮清辉撒落大地。天，刚下过雪，月光更为清冷亮丽。

　　Parties of soldiers were driving about the streets, making a parade of valor, challenging resistance,  街上成群的英军士兵耀武扬威，波士顿居民怒火中烧集聚起来，抗议抵制英军，

　　and striking the inhabitants indiscriminately with sticks or sheathed cutlasses. 不少当地居民不由分说地拿起刀棍参与聚会。

　　A band, which poured out from Murray's barracks, in Brattle Street, 从布拉特大街穆雷兵营里跑出一群暴徒，

　　armed with clubs, cutlasses, and bayonets, provoked resistance, and a fray ensued.  他们全副武装地配备刺刀、棍棒还有弯刀，激怒了那些参与集聚的抵制者，双方随即发生了殴斗。

　　Ensign Maul, at the gate of the barrack yard, cried to the soldiers:  此刻，在穆雷兵营门口，莫尔少尉正对那些士兵高声叫喊：

　　Turn out, and I will stand by you; kill them; stick them; knock them down; run your bayonets through them.  冲出去！我将和你们一起战斗；杀死这些暴徒，将他们打翻在地，用刺刀挑翻。

　　One soldier after another leveled a firelock, and threatened to “make a lane” through the crowd.  士兵们逐一校准毛瑟枪，群情激奋地疯狂叫嚣，将在人群中“杀出一条血路”。

　　Just before nine, as an officer crossed King Street, now State Street, a barber's lad cried after him:  眼看快到九点，一位军官穿过国王大街，走到州立大街，一位理发店少年在他身后大声叫喊，

　　There goes a mean fellow who hath not paid my father for dressing his hair;  那个卑鄙的家伙走过来了，他理发没给我爸付钱。

　　on which, the sentinel stationed at the westerly end of the customhouse, on the corner of King Street and Exchange Lane, left his post,  听到少年的话，守卫在国王大街与皇家兑换巷拐角的海关处西端哨兵离开哨岗，

　　and with his musket gave the boy a stroke on the head, that made him stagger and cry for pain.  用毛瑟枪猛击少年头部，少年踉跄几步，痛苦地叫唤起来。

　　The street soon became clear, and nobody troubled the sentry, 街道上很快变得空荡无人，没有人去骚扰那位哨兵。

　　when a party of soldiers issued violently from the main guard, their arms glittering in the moonlight,  突然，一群士兵突然从驻防军总部方向冲过来，手中枪支在月光下发出凛冽寒光，

　　and passed on, hallooing: “Where are they? where are they? Let them come.”  他们一边跑，一边不停高叫，“那些暴徒在哪里？究竟在哪里？让他们站出来。”