when a thumping of louder thunder leaped from out the storm cloud, which every minute was coming nearer and nearer. 突然一阵隆隆巨响从暴风云中迸发，每一分钟都在向我们走进。

Still Tom Chist lay watching. Suddenly, the three pirates came out again from behind the sand hill, the captain leading the way; 汤姆依然躺在那里观察，突然三名海盗再次从沙丘后面出来，船长带路；

the negro and white man followed closely behind him. They had gone about halfway across the sandy level toward the hillock 黑人和白人紧随其后，他们向小丘方向走来，已经穿越了沙地的一半，

behind which Tom Chist lay, when the white man stopped and bent over as though to tie his shoe. 小丘后面就是汤姆躺着的地方，突然白人停下来，弯下腰似乎在系鞋带。

This brought the negro a few steps in front of his companion. 这让黑人比他的同伴多向前了几步。

That which then followed happened so suddenly, so unexpectedly, so swiftly, 随后的事情发生的十分突然，十分不可思议，十分迅速，

that Tom Chist had hardly time to realize what it all meant before it was over. 汤姆还没来得及反应就结束了。

As the negro passed him, the white man arose suddenly and stood silently erect; 就当黑人越过同伴时，白人突然起身，安安静静地直立着，

and Tom Chist saw the white moonlight glint upon the blade of a great dirk knife which he now held in his hand. 汤姆看到长匕首刀刃闪烁的白色月光，刀正握在白人手中。

The white man took one, two silent, catlike steps behind the unsuspecting negro. 一步，两步，白人静悄悄地走到了毫无戒备的黑人后面。

Then there was a sweeping flash of the blade in the pale light, 在暗淡的月光下，刀刃反射的光一闪而过，

and a blow, the thump of which Tom could hear even from where he lay stretched out upon the sand. 然后是一声巨响，就连平躺在沙滩上的汤姆都听得到。

There was an instant yell from the black man, 黑人立即发出了尖叫声，

who ran stumbling forward, stopped, regained his footing, and then stood for a moment as though rooted to the spot. 他跌跌撞撞地向前跑，努力让自己站稳，随后站立了一会，好似固定在了那一点。

Meantime the pirate captain had stopped, and now stood with his hand resting upon his cane, looking calmly on. 同时，海盗船长停下了，将他的手放在手杖上站立，冷静地注视着。

Then the black man started to run. The white man stood for a while glaring after him; 黑人男子开始逃跑，白人站立了一会，并怒视这名黑人；

then he, too, started after his victim upon the run. The black man was not very far from Tom when he staggered and fell. 随后他开始追逐他，黑人男子在距离不远处跌落。

He tried to rise, then fell forward again and lay at length. At that instant the first edge of the cloud cut across the moon, 他尝试起身，之后再次向前倒，最终倒地，就在这时乌云的边缘第一次穿透了月亮，

and there was a sudden darkness; but in the silence Tom heard the sound of another blow and a groan, 突然变得很黑，但在寂静之中，汤姆又听到了一声巨响和呻吟声，

and then presently a voice calling to the pirate captain that it was all over. 随后有人向船长报告，说一切结束了。