血字的研究 77复仇天使(8)（在线收听）

Disguised, and under an assumed name, he returned to Salt Lake City,

他乔装改扮，更名改姓，回到盐湖城来。

careless what became of his own life, as long as he obtained what he knew to be justice.

他只求正义得伸，至于自己的生命则早已置之度外了。

There he found evil tidings awaiting him.

他到达盐湖城后，才发觉不妙的消息正在等待着他。

There had been a schism among the Chosen People a few months before,

几个月以前，摩门教徒中发生过一次分裂，

some of the younger members of the Church having rebelled against the authority of the Elders,

教中年轻的一派起来反抗长老的统治，

and the result had been the secession of a certain number of the malcontents, who had left Utah and become Gentiles.

结果有相当多的不满分子脱离了教会。他们离开了犹他，变成了异教徒。

Among these had been Drebber and Stangerson; and no one knew whither they had gone.

锥伯和斯坦节逊也在其中，可是任何人都不知道他们的下落。

Rumour reported that Drebber had managed to convert a large part of his property into money,

据说，锥伯早就把他的大部财产设法变卖了，因此在他离开的时候，

and that he had departed a wealthy man, while his companion, Stangerson, was comparatively poor.

他已经是一个腰缠万贯的富翁，而他的同伴斯坦节逊，相形之下，却是相当票穷。

There was no clue at all, however, as to their whereabouts.

但是，他们现在究竟在何处，丝毫没有线索可寻。

Many a man, however vindictive, would have abandoned all thought of revenge in the face of such a difficulty,

在这种困难情况下，不管复仇心如何迫切，一般人恐怕难免就要灰心丧志，放弃复仇的打算了。

but Jefferson Hope never faltered for a moment.

但是，杰弗逊·侯波却一刻也没有动摇过。

With the small competence he possessed, eked out by such employment as he could pick up,

他带着他所有的一笔为数很少的金钱出发，没有钱的时候，就随便找点工作餬口。

he travelled from town to town through the United States in quest of his enemies.

一个城市一个城市地在美国各地寻找他的仇人。

Year passed into year, his black hair turned grizzled,

一年跟着一年地过去了，他的一头黑发变斑白了，

but still he wandered on, a human bloodhound, with his mind wholly set upon the one object to which he had devoted his life.

但是，他仍旧继续流浪下去，他把他的全部心力都贯注在这个复仇事业上，为了这个事业，他已经献出了他的一生。