血字的研究 72复仇天使（3）

He had now come to the mouth of the very defile¹ in which he had left them.

现在，他已经来到刚才把他们留下的那个山谷入口。

Even in the darkness he could recognize the outline of the cliffs which bounded it.

虽然是在黑暗之中，他也能辨认出遮断入口处的那些巨石的轮廓。

They must, he reflected, be awaiting him anxiously,for he had been absent nearly five hours.

他想，他们一定正在焦急地等待着他呢，因为他已经离开差不多有五个钟头了。

In the gladness of his heart he put his hands to his mouth and made the glen reecho to a loud halloo as a signal that he was coming.

一时高兴之下，他把两只手放在嘴边，借着峡谷的回音，大声召唤着，表示他回来了，

He paused and listened for an answer.

他停了一下，倾听着回音。

None came save his own cry, which clattered² up the dreary³, silent ravines, and was borne back to his ears in countless⁴ repetitions.

可是，除了他自己的呼声碰在这篇沉寂、荒凉的峡谷石壁上，折回来形成无数的回音以外，什么也没有。

Again he shouted, even louder than before, and again no whisper came back from the friends whom he had left such a short time ago.

他又叫了一声，比先前的一声更加响亮。可是，还是没有听见和他离开不久的朋友们的回音。

A vague, nameless dread⁵ came over him, and he hurried onward⁶ frantically⁷, dropping the precious food in his agitation⁸.

他隐隐约约地感到一种莫名的恐惧，于是便急忙奔了过去，慌忙中，他把宝贝似的兽肉也扔掉了。

When he turned the corner, he came full in sight of the spot where the fire had been lit.

他转过弯去，一眼便把刚才生火地方的情况看清楚了。

There was still a glowing pile of wood ashes there, but it had evidently not been tended since his departure.

那里仍然有着一堆炭火在闪烁发光；但是很明显，在他离开以后，再也没有人照料过。

The same dead silence still reigned⁹ all round.

周围同样是一片死寂。

With his fears all changed to convictions, he hurried on.

原有的恐惧现在变成了现实。他急忙奔向前去。

There was no living creature near the remains¹⁰ of the fire: animals, man, maiden¹¹, all were gone.

火堆旁没有一点活着的东西；马匹、老人和少女都不见了。

It was only too clear that some sudden and terrible disaster had occurred during his absence

这分明是在他离开以后发生了什么突如其来的可怕灾难，

a disaster which had embraced them all, and yet had left no traces behind it.

他们无一幸免，而且没有留下一点痕迹。

Bewildered and stunned¹² by this blow, Jefferson Hope felt his head spin round, and had to lean upon his rifle to save himself from falling.

这个意外打击，使得侯波惊慌失措、目瞪口呆。他只觉得一阵天旋地转，于是赶紧抓住了他的来复枪支持着自己，以免跌倒下去。

He was essentially¹³ a man of action, however, and speedily recovered from his temporary impotence.

但是，他到底是一个意志坚强的人，很快地便从这种迷惘中清醒过来。

Seizing a half-consumed piece of wood from the smouldering fire, he blew it into a flame, and proceeded with its help to examine the little camp.

他从火堆里捡起一段半焦的木材，把它吹燃。他借着这个光亮，把这个休息的地方察看了一番。

The ground was all stamped down by the feet of horses, showing that a large party of mounted men had overtaken the fugitives¹⁴,

地面上到处都是马蹄践踏的印子，这就说明：一大队骑马的人，已经追上了逃亡者。

and the direction of their tracks proved that they had afterwards turned back to Salt Lake City.

从他们去路的方向看来，证明他们后来又转回盐湖城去了。

Had they carried back both of his companions with them?

他们是否把他的两个伙伴全都带走了呢？

Jefferson Hope had almost persuaded himself that they must have done so,

侯波几乎确信他们一定是那样做了，

when his eye fell upon an object which made every nerve of his body tingle¹⁵ within him.

可是，当他的眼光落在一件东西上的时候，不禁使他毛发都竖了起来。

A little way on one side of the camp was a low-lying heap of reddish soil, which had assuredly not been there before.

离他们原来休息处没有几步远的地方，有一堆不高的红土，这肯定是原来所没有的。

There was no mistaking it for anything but a newly dug grave.

一点也不错，这是一个新掘成的坟墓。

As the young hunter approached it, he perceived that a stick had been planted on it, with a sheet of paper stuck in the cleft¹⁶ fork of it.

当这个年轻猎人走近的时候，他发觉土堆上面还插着一支木棒，木棒裂缝处夹着一张纸，

The inscription¹⁷ upon the paper was brief, but to the point: JOHN FERRIER,FORMERLY OF SALT LAKE CITY. Died August 4th, 1860.

纸上草草写了几个字，但却写得分明：约翰·费瑞厄生前住在盐湖城死于1860年8月4日

1 defile   

v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道

参考例句：

• Don't defile the land of our ancestors!再不要污染我们先祖们的大地！
• We respect the faith of Islam, even as we fight those whose actions defile that faith.我们尊重伊斯兰教的信仰，并与玷污伊斯兰教的信仰的行为作斗争。

2 clattered   

发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He dropped the knife and it clattered on the stone floor. 他一失手，刀子当啷一声掉到石头地面上。
• His hand went limp and the knife clattered to the ground. 他的手一软，刀子当啷一声掉到地上。

3 dreary   

adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的

参考例句：

• They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。
• She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

4 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

5 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

6 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

7 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。

8 agitation   

n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动

参考例句：

• Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
• These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

9 reigned   

vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式）

参考例句：

• Silence reigned in the hall. 全场肃静。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Night was deep and dead silence reigned everywhere. 夜深人静，一片死寂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

12 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

13 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

14 fugitives   

n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Three fugitives from the prison are still at large. 三名逃犯仍然未被抓获。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Members of the provisional government were prisoners or fugitives. 临时政府的成员或被捕或逃亡。 来自演讲部分

15 tingle   

vi.感到刺痛，感到激动；n.刺痛，激动

参考例句：

• The music made my blood tingle.那音乐使我热血沸腾。
• The cold caused a tingle in my fingers.严寒使我的手指有刺痛感。

16 cleft   

n.裂缝；adj.裂开的

参考例句：

• I hid the message in a cleft in the rock.我把情报藏在石块的裂缝里。
• He was cleft from his brother during the war.在战争期间，他与他的哥哥分离。

17 inscription   

n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文

参考例句：

• The inscription has worn away and can no longer be read.铭文已磨损，无法辨认了。
• He chiselled an inscription on the marble.他在大理石上刻碑文。