and, seizing a rope, he applied it with all his might to the backs of the two traitors,  说着，他拿起一根绳子，用死劲地抽打那两个叛乱者的背脊，

　　till they yelled no more, but lifelessly hung their heads sideways, as the two crucified thieves are drawn. 直打得他们再也叫骂不出，只是毫无生气地斜挂着头，就象图画上那两个钉在十字架上的强盗（《新约。路加福音》第二十三章，记耶稣被钉在十字架上，有两个犯人和耶稣被一同带来处死，一个在左边，一个在右边。）。

　　"My wrist is sprained with ye! he cried, at last; but there is still rope enough left for you, my fine bantam, that wouldn't give up.  “我的手腕也让你们给扭伤啦！他最后大声叫道；可是，绳子有的是呢，好小子，那是不会放松你的。

　　Take that gag from his mouth, and let us hear what he can say for himself. 把那家伙嘴里塞的东西拿掉，让我们来听听他还会说什么吧。

　　"For a moment the exhausted mutineer made a tremulous motion of his cramped jaws, and then painfully twisting round his head, said in a sort of hiss, “那个精疲力竭的反叛者，他的痉挛的嘴巴抖动一会儿，然后痛苦地扭过头来，嘶嘶地说道，

　　What I say is this and mind it well if you flog me, I murder you! 我要说的是——请记牢——如果你鞭打我，我就要宰掉你！

　　"Say ye so? then see how ye frighten me and the Captain drew off with the rope to strike. “啊，你是这么说的么？那么，瞧你可吓得了我。——船长拉起绳子就要打。

　　"Best not, hissed the Lakeman. “还是不打的好，湖上人嘶嘶地说。

　　"But I must, and the rope was once more drawn back for the stroke. “我偏要打，——绳子又往后一甩，要打下去。

　　"Steelkilt here hissed out something, inaudible to all but the Captain; “斯蒂尔基尔特这回又嘶嘶地说出些什么来，除了船长以外，大家都听不到；

　　who, to the amazement of all hands, started back, paced the deck rapidly two or three times, 叫大家都一楞的是，船长竟吓得往后一退，迅速在甲板上踱了两三转，

　　and then suddenly throwing down his rope, said, I won't do it let him go  cut him down: d'ye hear? 然后，突然丢下他的绳子，说道，我不打啦——随他吧——把他放下来，你们可听到？