and if it had not been for Tom's sharp eyes, the paper would certainly have been overlooked and passed by. 如果不是汤姆尖锐的眼睛，这张纸肯定被忽视和略过了。

The next windstorm would have covered it up, and all that afterward happened never would have occurred. 下一场风暴肯定会将它覆盖住，接下来所发生的就将不复存在。

Look, sir, he said, as he struck the sand from the paper. It has writing on it. Let me see it, said Parson Jones. 他说先生看，他将这张纸从沙子中敲打出来，牧师琼斯说上面有字，让我看看。

He adjusted the spectacles a little more firmly on his nose as he took the paper in his hand and began studying it. 他稍微调整了一下眼镜，让它在鼻子上更加固定，他将纸放在手里并开始研究。

What's all this? he said; a whole lot of figures and nothing else. And then he read aloud,  Mark—S. S. W. by S. 他说这是什么？一大堆数字，其它的没有了，他大声读了出来，“Mark—S. S. W. by S.”

What d'ye suppose that means, Tom? I don't know, sir, said Tom. But perhaps we can understand it better if you read on. 汤姆你觉得这是什么意思？汤姆说我不知道先生，但或许如果您继续读下去，我们或许能搞清楚。

'Tis all a great lot of figures, said Parson Jones, withi out a grain of meaning in them so far as I can see, 牧师琼斯说都是一些数字，我现在看来我什么也没看出来，

unless they be sailing directions. And then he began reading again: Mark, S. S. W. by S. 40, 72, 91, 130, 151, 177, 202, 232, 除非这些是航路指南，随后他继续读了起来，马克，S. S. W. by S.，40, 72, 91, 130, 151, 177, 202, 232,

256, 2 71, d'ye see, it must be sailing directions—299, 335 362, 415, 446, 469, 491, 533, 544, 571, 598, 256, 2 71，这一定是航路指南，299, 335 362, 415, 446, 469, 491, 533, 544, 571, 598，

what a lot of them there are—626, 652, 676, 695, 724, 851, 876, 905, 940, 967. Peg. S. E. by E. 269 foot. Peg. 这还有许多，626, 652, 676, 695, 724, 851, 876, 905, 940, 967. 钉子. S. E. by E.，269英尺，钉子。

S. S. W. by S. 427 foot. Peg. Dig to the west of this six foot. What's that about a peg? exclaimed Tom. S. S. W. by S. 427英尺，钉子，西边六英尺入钉，汤姆叫嚷道，钉子是关于什么的？

What's that about a peg? And then there's something about digging, too! 钉子是关于什么的？也是关于挖掘的！

It was as though a sudden light began shining into his brain. He felt himself growing quickly very excited. 似乎有一道闪电射进了他的大脑。他感觉自己越来越兴奋。

Read that over again, sir, he cried. Why, sir, you remember I told you they drove a peg into the sand. 他叫嚷到，先生请再读一遍，你还记得吗先生，我告诉您他们将钉子插入沙子里。

And don't they say to dig close to it? Read it over again, sir, read it over again! 他们难道没有说钉子要和什么东西靠近？请再读一遍，请再读一遍。

Peg? said the good gentleman. To be sure it was about a peg. Let's look again. Yes, here it is. Peg S. E. by E. 269 foot. 这名绅士说钉子？为了确定那是跟钉子有关的，让我们再看看，没错，就是这里，钉子，S. E. by E.，269英尺。