“The only other dream I know of that came true, was from the cook of a bark I was aboard of once. He was a silly, pasty-faced sort o' chap, always giving education to sailor men who didn't believe in it. One night, when we were homeward-bound from Sydney to London, he suddenly sat up in 'is bunk and laughed so loud that he woke us all up.”
我所知道的另一个梦想成真的例子，发生在曾经跟我同船的一个厨师身上。他傻傻的，脸色苍白，总爱教育水手们，但没人真正信服他。一天晚上，当时我们正在从悉尼至伦敦的返航途中，他突然大笑着从他的铺位上坐了起来，我们全被他吵醒了。
"Wot's wrong, cookie?" ses one o' the chaps. "I was dreaming," ses the cook, "such a funny dream. I dreamt old Bill Foster broke 'is leg." "Well, wot is there to laugh at in that?" ses old Bill, very sharp. "It was funny in my dream," ses the cook. "You looked so comic with your leg doubled up under you, you can't imagine."
“怎么回事，小厨？”其中一个人问道。“我刚刚在做梦，”厨师回答说，“是一个很有趣的梦。我梦见老比尔·福斯特摔断了腿。” “嗯，那又有什么好笑的？”老比尔反问道，声音非常尖锐。“这件事在我的梦里很有趣，”厨师说，“你一条腿蜷缩着很有喜感，你肯定无法想象。”
We went off to sleep again and forgot all about it. Only three days afterwards, poor Bill did fall and break his leg. The cook was not surprised.” "My dreams always come true," he said. "It's a gift, and, being tender-'arted, it worries me terrible sometimes." He was going on like that, taking credit for a pure accident. "I don't talk about it," he ses, "'cos it frightens people."
我们重新入睡，并且把刚刚发生的一切都忘掉了。仅仅三天后，可怜的比尔果真摔断了一条腿。厨师并没有感到惊讶。“我的梦总是能成真，“他说，“这是一种天赋，而且，我的心肠很软，所以这天赋有时非常令我烦恼。”他一直是这样，把一些纯粹的意外归功到自己身上。“我不打算谈论这些，”他说，“因为怕吓到你们。”
“After that dream about Bill, the cook had dreams pretty near every night, and talked little bits of 'em in his sleep. When we asked 'im about them the next morning he'd always shake his 'ead and say: "Never mind." Sometimes he'd mention a chap's name in 'is sleep and make 'im nervous for days.”
在那次梦到比尔之后，厨师每天晚上几乎都会做类似的梦，并且在做梦时都会说一些相关的梦话。我们第二天早上问他做了什么梦时，他总是摇着头说：“没什么。”有的时候，他还会在梦话中提到我们中某个人的名字，然后让这个人紧张好几天。
“The only chap that seemed to show any good feeling for the cook since, was a young feller named Joseph Meek; a steady young chap who was going to be married to old Bill Foster's niece as soon as we got home. Nobody else knew it, but he told the cook all about it one quiet night. He said she was too good for him, but he couldn't get her to see it.”
从那以后，唯一一个对厨师表现出好感的人，就是一位名叫约瑟夫·米克的性格沉稳的年轻人。在我们回到伦敦后，他就会马上和老比尔·福斯特的侄女结婚。其他人都不知道这件事，但在一个安静的晚上，他把这件事完整地告诉了厨师。他说，感觉自己配不上她，但他无法让她理解这一点。
"My feelings 'ave changed," he ses. "Perhaps they'll change again?" ses the cook, trying to comfort him. Joseph shook his head. "No, I've made up my mind," he ses, very slow. "I'm young, and, besides, I can't afford it; but how to get out of the marriage I don't know. Couldn't you have a dream again for me?"
“我对她的感觉已经发生了变化，”他说。“或许有天又变了呢？”厨师试图安慰他。约瑟夫摇了摇头。“不会的，我已经下定决心了，”他语速非常慢地说，“我还年轻，而且，我承受不起这桩婚事；但如何避免这桩婚事发生，我还不知道。难道您不能再为我做个梦吗？”
"What do you mean?" ses the cook. "Do you think I make my dreams up?" "No, no; certainly not," ses Joseph; "but couldn't you do it just for once? Have a dream that me and Emily are killed a few days after the wedding. Just dream we are killed. She might believe it.” It took 'im three days and a silver watch-chain to persuade the cook, but he did at last.“
你什么意思？”厨师说。“你觉得那些梦是我编的？”“不，不，当然不是，”约瑟夫说，“但是，难道您不能只编这一次吗？您就梦见，我和艾米丽在婚礼后几天就被杀害了。只要梦见我们被杀害了就行。她可能会相信的。”他用了三天时间，并付出了一条银表链的代价，才成功劝说厨师按照他说的做了。
One night, old Bill was watching him from his bunk bed when the cook began to talk in 'is sleep, and the very first words made Bill sit up. "There they go," ses the cook, "Emily Foster and Joseph Meek--and there's old Bill, good old Bill, going to give the bride away. How 'appy they all look, especially Joseph!" Old Bill put his 'and to his ear and leaned out of his bunk. "There they go," ses the cook again; "but what is that 'orrible black thing with claws hanging over Joseph?” Poor Bill nearly fell out of 'is bunk, and lay there as pale as death, listening. "Oh no... it's Joseph and Emily, stark and stiff, and they've only been married a week. 'Ow awful they look! Oh! oh! o-oh!"
一天晚上，老比尔躺在自己的铺位上看到厨师开始说梦话，第一句梦话就让老比尔坐了起来。 “看看他俩，”厨师在梦话中说，“艾米莉·福斯特和约瑟夫·米克，还有老比尔，多好的人啊，却要把新娘送走。他们所有人都看起来那么高兴，尤其是约瑟夫！”老比尔把一直手放在自己的耳朵旁，身体从铺位上探了出来。“看看这对，”厨师又说起了梦话，“但是，那可怕的悬在约瑟夫头上的黑色的带着爪子的东西又是什么？”可怜的老比尔几乎从铺位上掉了下来，呆呆地躺在那里听着厨师的梦话，脸色像死人一样苍白。“哦不......这是约瑟夫和艾米丽，身体已经僵硬了，他们可刚刚结婚一个星期。他们看起来太惨了！哦！哦！哦……！”
He woke up and saw old Bill staring at 'im. "You've been dreaming, cook," ses Bill, in a trembling voice. "'Have I?" ses the cook. "About Joseph and my niece," ses Bill." "Promise me you won't tell Joseph, Bill. It would only make 'im miserable, and it wouldn't do any good." "I don't know so much about that," ses Bill, "if they didn't marry, it couldn't 'appen, could it?" "Don't talk foolish," ses the cook; "they must marry. I saw it in my dream." "Well, we'll see," ses Bill. "I'm going to have a quiet talk with Joseph about it, and see what he ses. I ain't a-going to 'ave my poor gal murdered!"
他醒了过来，看到老比尔正盯着他看。“你一直在做梦，厨师，”比尔用颤抖的声音说。“我有吗？”厨师说。“是关于约瑟夫和我侄女的梦，”比尔说。“比尔，你答应我，别告诉约瑟夫。因为这只会让他感到痛苦，不会有任何好处。”“我并不太清楚你的梦是什么意思，”比尔说，“如果他们不结婚，事情就不会发生，是吗？”“别说傻话，”厨师说，“他们肯定会结婚。”我在梦中看到了。”“嗯，那就再说吧，“比尔说，”我会平静地和约瑟夫好好谈谈这件事，听听他怎么说。我可不想让我可怜的侄女被杀！”
“He 'ad a quiet talk with Joseph. Joseph wouldn't hear of it at first, but at last he said that they would tell Emily and let her decide. Joseph doubted if he had done the right thing, especially two weeks later, when they arrived in London and he saw Emily waiting for him at the docks. She was beautiful, and perfect in her demeanour… they’d make a splendid couple. Why on earth had he opened up to the cook about his doubts in marrying her!?”
后来，他平静地和约瑟夫谈了这件事。约瑟夫起初并不信他，但最后说他们会一起把这件事告诉艾米丽，并让她自己做决定。约瑟夫怀疑自己是否做了正确的事情，尤其是两周后，当他们抵达伦敦时，他看到艾米丽正在码头等他。她是那么美丽，举止优雅......他俩会成为完美的一对。他为什么要向厨师讲述他对这桩婚事的疑虑！？“
“After Bill and Joseph told Emily, back in their apartment in London, she got up with a shiver.” "It's all nonsense!" ses Joseph suddenly, starting up. "True love would run the risk. I ain't afraid!" "It's too much to ask a gal," ses Bill, shaking his 'ead. "I couldn't dream of it," ses Emily. "What's the use of being married for a week? Look at uncle's leg--that's enough for me!" They all talked at once then, and Joseph tried all he could to persuade Emily, but it was no good. Emily said eventually she wouldn't marry him in a million years. To that, Joseph made a choking noise in his throat and then got up, went to the door, turned around and stared at them one last time. "Good-night all," he ses, and leaves…”
比尔和约瑟夫回到了他们在伦敦的公寓，并把这件事告诉了艾米丽，听后，她颤抖着站了起来。”“一派胡言！”约瑟夫突然说道，“真爱就是要冒险。我不害怕！” “但这样要求一个女孩就太过分了，”比尔摇着头说。“我是不会梦见这种事的，”艾米丽说，“仅仅结婚一个星期又有什么用？看看我叔叔的腿……我已经受够了！”他们立刻讨论了起来，然后约瑟夫竭尽全力想要说服艾米丽，但一点儿用也没用。艾米丽最后表示，她一百万年内都不会嫁给他。最后，约瑟夫的喉咙里挤出了一个令人窒息的声音，然后站起身来，走到门口，转过身来，最后瞪了一眼老比尔和他的侄女。“大家晚安，”他说，然后转身离开了...... |