《金银岛》第十四章 寻宝记(5)

I was never afraid of Flint in his life and，by thunder，I'll face him dead！

妈的，我也不怕他的鬼魂。

There's seven hundred thousand pounds not a quarter of a mile from here．

离这儿不到1／4英里有70万英镑。

I'll not leave that much money for a drunken old seaman-him dead，too！

不能因为碰上个死了的老醉鬼就扔掉这么多财宝不要啊。

And there's something strange．

而且有点怪。

There was an echo¹，and no man ever saw a ghost with a shadow，so why should a ghost's voice have an echo？

刚才的声音有回音，而且也没人看见过鬼魂还有影子。为什么鬼魂的声音还有回音？

It's not natural．

这很奇怪。

The words calmed George Merry．Yes，that's right，he said．

这些话让乔治·墨利平静了一些。没错，他说。

Now I think about it，it was like Flint's voice，but not exactly like it．

我现在想起来了。那声音很像弗林特的，但又不确切。

It was like another person's voice…more like

挺像另一个人的声音……更像

Ben Gunn！shouted Silver．

本·葛恩！西尔弗叫道。

If it was，it's still a ghost，said Dick．

如果是的话，也还是鬼魂的声音，迪克说。

Ben Gunn's not here in body，any more than Flint is．

本·葛恩也是个死人，和弗林特一样。

But the older men laughed．

年长的几个人笑起来。墨利嚷道：

Nobody minds Ben Gunn，Dead or alive，cried George．

谁也不把本·葛恩放在眼里，不管他是死是活，谁也不怕他。

The men were happy again，the colour back in their faces as they talked together and began to walk on．

那帮人又高兴起来，脸上渐渐有了血色，他们开始边说边赶路。

George Merry went first，leading the way with Silver's compass．

乔治·墨利走在前面，拿着西尔弗的罗盘领路。

We reached the first tall tree，but it was the wrong one．So was the second．

我们走到第一棵大树下，但证明是错的。第二棵也是如此。

The third was tall enough to be seen from the sea，both east and west of the island．

第三棵树很高，从东西两面的海上都能看见。

My companions hurried on，desperate to get their hands on the seven hundred thousand pounds in gold which lay somewhere under the tree's shadows．

我的同行者们急忙赶过去，一心想得到藏在树阴下的70万英镑财宝。

Silver pulled at the rope that held me，and turned his eyes upon me with a deadly look．

西尔弗拽着绳子，恶狠狠地瞪着我。

I could read his thoughts．

我明白他的心思。

So near to the gold now，everything was forgotten—his promise and the doctor's warning²．

现在离宝藏越来越近了，他忘了一切——他的保证和大夫的劝告。

I knew he hoped to take the treasure，cut every honest throat on that island，find and board the Hispaniola at night，and sail away a rich man and a murderer³．

我知道他希望找到宝藏后杀掉每一个诚实的人，晚上找到伊斯帕尼奥拉号逃掉，做一个富翁和杀人犯。

Suddenly，George Merry shouted，All together，boys！

忽然，乔治·墨利喊道：都过来！

and the men began to run．Not ten metres farther⁴ on they stopped and cried out．

大家都跑过去。不出十米大伙都停下来惊叫起来。

Silver moved quickly，and the next moment we were with them Before us was a large hole，

西尔弗迅速过去，我们很快和他们在一起了。在我们面前是个大洞，

but it was not a new hole because grass grew on the bottom．

显然不是新挖的，因为底部长满了野草。

There was no treasure．

洞里没有宝藏。

The seven hundred thousand pounds had gone！

价值70万英镑的财宝不翼而飞了！

1 echo   

n.回音，共鸣；vi.发出回声；vt.模仿，附和

参考例句：

• She shouted on the mountaintop and listened for the echo.她在山顶上大声喊着，然后聆听着回声。
• I should like to echo the words of the previous speaker.我想重复前面一位发言者的话。

2 warning   

n.警告，告诫，训诫，警戒，警报

参考例句：

• The other side paid no attention to our warning.对方不重视我方的警告。
• He realized that his doctor was warning him off drink.他意识到医生在告诫他戒酒。

3 murderer   

n.杀人犯，凶手

参考例句：

• How long should a murderer be kept in prison?犯了谋杀罪的人应在监狱关多少年？
• They discovered the murderer to have run away.他们发现凶手已逃之夭夭。

4 farther   

adj.更远的，进一步的；adv.更远的，此外；far的比较级

参考例句：

• I can throw the ball farther than you can.这个球我能比你扔得远。
• The farther hill is five kilometres away.那座更远的小山在五公里以外。