四签名 104琼诺赞·斯茂的奇异故事（14）

He has with him as travelling-companion my foster-brother Dost Akbar, who knows his secret.

他的同伴是我的同盟兄弟德斯特·阿克勃尔，他知道这个秘密。

Dost Akbar has promised this night to lead him to a side-postern of the fort¹,

德斯特·阿克勃尔和我们议定了

and has chosen this one for his purpose.

今晚把他从我们把守的堡门带进来。

Here he will come presently², and here he will find Mahomet Singh and myself awaiting³ him.

不久他们就要来了，他知道莫郝米特·辛格同我在等着他。

The place is lonely, and none shall know of his coming.

这个地方平静得很，没有人会知道他们的到来，

The world shall know the merchant Achmet no more,

从此世界上也就再没有阿奇麦特这个商人了，

but the great treasure of the rajah shall be divided among us. What say you to it, sahib?

而土王的宝物也就归咱们几人品分了。先生，您看好不好？

In Worcestershire the life of a man seems a great and a sacred thing;

在伍斯特尔州，生命被看得很重，被看成是神圣的，

but it is very different when there is fire and blood all round you,

可是在这个残杀焚掠、

and you have been used to meeting death at every turn.

人人都是朝不保夕的环境里，就不大相同了。

Whether Achmet the merchant lived or died was a thing as light as air to me,

这个商人阿奇麦特的生死，我在当时觉得是无足轻重的，

but at the talk about the treasure my heart turned to it,

那批宝物打动了我的心。

and I thought of what I might do in the old country with it,

我想象着回老家以后怎样支配这一笔财富，

and how my folk would stare when they saw their ne'er-do-well coming back with his pockets full of gold moidores.

想象着当乡亲们看到我这个从来不干好事的人带着满口袋的金币回来，会怎样地瞪大眼睛看我。

I had, therefore, already made up my mind.

因此，我下定了决心，

Abdullah Khan, however, thinking that I hesitated, pressed the matter more closely⁴.

可是爱勃德勒·克汗还以为我在犹豫，又紧逼了一句。

'Consider, sahib,' said he, 'that if this man is taken by the commandant he will be hung or shot,

他道：'先生，请您再考虑考虑，如果这个人被指挥官捉到，必定会被处死刑，

and his jewels taken by the government, so that no man will be a rupee the better for them.

并且把宝物充公，谁也得不着一个钱。

Now, since we do the taking of him, why should we not do the rest as well?

他现在既然落到咱们手中，为什么咱们不把他私下解决了平分他的宝物呢？

The jewels will be as well with us as in the Company's coffers.

宝物归咱们和入了军队的银库还不是一样。

There will be enough to make every one of us rich men and great chiefs.

这些宝物足够使咱们每人都变成巨富。

No one can know about the matter, for here we are cut off from all men.

咱们距离别人很远，不会有人知道，

What could be better for the purpose?

您看还有比这个主意更好的吗？

Say again, then, sahib, whether you are with us, or if we must look upon you as an enemy.'

先生，请您再表示一下，您还是和我们一道呢，还是必须叫我们把您认做敌人？'

1 fort   

n.要塞，堡垒，碉堡

参考例句：

• The fort can not be defended against an air attack.这座要塞遭到空袭时无法防御。
• No one can get into the fort without a pass.没有通行证，任何人不得进入要塞。

2 presently   

adv.不久，一会儿；现在，目前

参考例句：

• I'll go to see your uncle presently.我一会儿就去看望你叔叔。
• He is presently living in New York.他目前住在纽约。

3 awaiting   

v.等候( await的现在分词 )；等待；期待；将发生在

参考例句：

• He is in custody awaiting trial . 他已被拘留候审。
• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence. 等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。