前 两天,艾伦很和善,也很耐心。他认为我的气总会消的。我常常看也不看他,还不让他帮忙。
Early on the third morning we came to an openhill. There was no shelter. We could not lie downand sleep.
第三天一大早,我们来到一座开阔的山岗上,四周没有任何可以遮风避雨的地方,我不能在那里躺下睡觉。
Alan was anxious and looked at me.
艾 伦很着急。他望着我,又一次说:
“Le t me c a rry your bundle ,”he said,once again.
“我替你背你的包袱吧。”
“No,tha nk you ,”I said. “不用,谢谢。”我说。
Alan’s face was dark. 艾伦的脸沉了下来,说:
“I will not offe r a ga in,Da vid ,”he said.“I’m nota pa tie nt ma n. It’s not my na ture .”
“大卫,我以后再不主动提出帮你的忙了。我不是一个有耐心的人,那不是我的生性。”
“I know it isn ’t,”Isaid,like a child.
“这我知道。”我耍了小孩子脾气。
From this time he changed. He whistled andsmiled. He marched along proudly. He called me‘Whig’and other names. He reminded,me that Iwas afraid of jumping.
从 那以后,他变了。他一边走一边吹着口哨,微笑着,显得洋洋自得。他骂我是个辉格佬等等,还提起我胆小,不敢跳过河那件事。
I knew it was my own fault. But I was tiredand weak. aud I could not be sorry. The weatherwas fine and dry now,but a sharp wind blew on mybody. I thought I could not drag myself much farther.
Soon I must lie down. I must die on thesemountains like a fox or a sheep. I thought,like achild,“Ala n will be sorry whe n I am de a d,It will punish him.”
我知道这都是我自己的不对,可是我的身体又累又虚弱,连后悔也顾不上了。这时,雨住天晴,可是仍然刮着大风,吹得我冷飕飕的。
我想我再也挪不动几步了,很快就会躺倒,象一只狐狸和绵羊一样死在这几座山上。我天真地想:“我死后艾伦会后悔的。我的死将是对他的惩罚。”
Once I fell down,and this troubled Alan. I gotup again quickly,and he soon forgot. One moment Iwas hot,the next I was cold and trembling. I could
有 一次,我跌倒了。艾伦很着急,可是我很快又站了起来,艾伦也就没有把它当作一回事。我一会儿
not bear the pain in my side. At last I felt my endwas coming. I must have one angry quarrel with Alanand finish my life.
发烧,一会儿发冷,浑身直打哆嗦,肚子疼痛难忍。最后,我感到自己的死期到了,决心在死前跟艾伦大吵一次。
Alan had just called me‘ Whig ’again. Istopped.
艾伦刚刚又叫了我一声“辉格佬”,我站住不走了,说:
“Mr S tewa rt,”I said,“you a re olde r tha n I . Youough t to b e ha ve be tte r. . Ge ntleme n d o no t insult the irfrie nd s be ca us e the ir ide a s a re diffe re nt. You willple a s e spe a k with re spe c t of my king,a nd my goodfrie nd s the Campbe lls .”
“斯图尔特先生,你比我年长。
说话办事应该更有礼貌。有教养的人并不因为见解不同而侮辱自己的朋友,请你在讲话时尊重我的国王和我的好朋友坎贝尔人。”
Alan stopped with his hands in his pockets.
He smiled an evil smile and whistled a Jacobitetune.
艾伦双手插在衣袋里,停了下来。他恶意地笑了笑,用口哨吹了一首约各党的曲子。
“I am a S tewa rt,”he said.
“我是斯图尔特家族的人。”他说。
“Ye s ,”I replied,“I know you b e a r a king ’sname . You a re a lwa ys te lling me tha t. In the . Highland s I ha ve s e e n ma ny S tewa rts . Mos t of them we redirty.”
我回答说:“是的,我知道你跟一位国王同姓,你总是在我面前夸耀这一点。可是,我在高地一带见过不少斯图尔特家族的人,他们大多数都很卑鄙。”
“Do you know tha t you a re insulting me ?”Alansaid quietly.
“你这是侮辱我,你懂吗?”艾伦不动声色地说。
“Le t me a dd some th ing,”I continued.“Both theCampbe lls a nd the Wh igs ha ve be a te n you in b a ttle ,a nd you ha ve run awa y. The y a re be tte r tha n you.”
我接着说:“我还有话要讲,坎贝尔人和辉格派比你们强大,他们在战场上打败过你们,所以你们才仓惶逃窜。”
Alan stood still.
艾 伦站在那里,一动也不动。他说:
“It is a pity,”he said.“A ma n ca nnot forgivec e rta in things .”
“很遗憾,有些事我是不能宽恕的。”
“No,”I said,“I am re a dy. ”And I drew mysword.
我 说。“好,我准备好了。”说着就抽出我的佩刀。
“Da vid !”he cried,“a re you ma d?I ca nnot fightyou. It is murde r .”
他失声说:“大卫,你疯啦?我不能跟你较量,那是凶杀。”
“You insulte d me ,”I said.
“你侮辱了我。”我说。
“It’s true !”Alan cried. He slowly drew hissword. Then he threw it away and fell to theground.
“我说的是事实!”艾伦大声说。他缓缓地抽出了他的刀,又把刀扔掉,坐了下来,高声说:
“No!No!”he cried,“I ca nnot!I ca nnot!”
“不!不!我不能!不能啊!”
Suddenly all my angry thoughts left me. I wasonly sick,and sorry,and astonished at myself.
突然间,我心头的积愤一下子消失了。我只感到难过、后悔,对自己的所作所为感到莫名其妙。
Oh,I had spoken cruel words!I rememberedAlan’s kind deeds,his courage,his patient help inour evil days. I had insulted him. I had lost mybrave friend for ever.
啊,我的话太伤人了。我想起了艾伦做过的许多好事,他的勇气和在艰难困苦的日子里对我的耐心帮助。而我却侮辱了他,这一下我永远失去了一位勇敢的朋友。
No apology could ever wash away my words.
Only,perhaps,a cry for help might bring him backto me. I forgot my pride and spoke.
我说了那些话,再道歉也无济于事了。也许只有大声求他帮助才会使我们重归于好。我顾不上自己的体面了,说:
“Ala n,”I said,“if you ca nnot he lp me ,I mus tdie he re .”
“艾伦,你要是不帮助我,我只好死在这儿了。”
He sat up and looked at me strangely.
他坐起来,奇怪地打量着我。
“It’s true ,”I said.“I c a n go no fa rthe r . Le t mege t to a hous e . I will die more e a s ily the re . ”“Ca n youwa lk?”Alan asked.
我说:“是真的,我一步也走不动了。让我到一位住家去,在那里,我即使死,也可以少受些苦。”“你走得动吗?”艾伦问道。
“No ,”I said,“not without he lp. My le gs a rewe a k. I h a ve a te rrible pa in in my s ide . I c a n ’tbre a the . If I d ie ,will you forgive me ,Ala n ?In myhe a rt,I like d you we ll,e ve n whe n I wa s a ngry.”
我说:“不行,除非有人扶着我走。我两腿发软,肚子疼得要命,气也出不来。艾伦,我要是死了,你能原谅我吗?我打心眼里喜欢你,即就是生气的时候,也喜欢你。”
“Don ’t s a y th a t,Da vid ,”Alan cried.“Le t mege t my a rm round you . Is tha t e a s ie r?”
艾伦大声说;“别说那些啦,大卫。我用一只胳膊扶住你,这样走,是不是省力些?”
“Ye s ,”I said,and I pressed his arm with myhand.
“是省力一些。”我说着,用手抓住了他的胳膊。
“Da vid,”he said,“I am a fool. I ha ve no s e ns e .
I could not remembe r you we re only a la d. I could nots e e you we re dying on yo ur fe e t. Da vid,you mus t trya nd forgive me .”
艾伦说:“大卫,我是个笨蛋,简直没有脑子,那会儿就忘记你还是个孩子,没看出你真的走不动了。
大卫,你一定要原谅我。”
“Oh,le t’s s a y no more a bout it!”I said.“Ala n,wha t ma ke s you so good to me ?”
我说:“啊,咱们不要再谈这些了。艾伦,你为什么待我这么好?”
“I don’t know,inde e d,”Alan said.“I like d yoube c a us e you ne ve r qua rre le d. Now I like you be tte r!”
艾伦说:“我也不知道,确实不知道。当初我喜欢你,是因为你不和人吵架,而现在我更喜欢你了!”