荐读一只麻雀的故事
★ 第6章 ★
We had no time for conversation. 'Come!' Alan said and started running along the side of the hill, keeping low to the ground. I followed him like a sheep. We ran and ran, faster than I had ever run before, and my heart was beating wildly. Sometimes, to my surprise, Alan straightened his back and showed himself to the soldiers who were chasing us.
我们连谈话的时间都没有。“来!”艾伦说道，接着沿着山边、伏着身子跑起来。我像一只绵羊一样地跟着他。我们跑啊跑，我从来没有跑这么快过，我的心狂乱地跳着。有时，令我惊讶的是，艾伦站直了腰，故意向追我们的士兵暴露他自己。
After fifteen minutes, Alan stopped, lay flat in the heather, and turned to me. 'Now,' he said, 'this is serious. Do what I do, if ye don't want to die'. And just as fast, but much more carefully and secretly, we went back almost the same way that we had come. At last, we arrived back in the wood where I had found Alan.
15分钟后，艾伦停下来，平躺在草丛里，对我转过身来。“且听我讲，”他说，“这很严重。如果你不想死的话，照我做的做。”我们又和刚才一样快地、但更当心并更隐密地几乎是原路折回。最后我们又抵达了我以前发现艾伦的那片树林。
We fell down in the heather and lay without moving for a long time. My legs hurt, my head was aching, and I thought I was dead.
我们倒在石南丛里，一动不动地躺了很长一段时间。我的腿疼，头也疼，我想我要死了。
Alan was the first to speak. 'Well,' he said, 'that was hot work, David.'
艾伦首先开了口。“晤，”他说道，“那可是一件棘手的事，戴维。”
I said nothing. I had seen murder done. I knew that Colin Campbell had been Alan's greatest enemy and I had found Alan hiding in the wood. Although I didn't think that he had actually shot Campbell, I felt sure that he had planned the killing. I could not look at him.
我没说话。我目击了刺杀。我知道科林·坎贝尔一直是艾伦最恨的敌人而且当时我也发现艾伦躲在树丛里。虽然我认为他没有亲手杀死坎贝尔，但我敢肯定他预谋了刺杀。我当时无法正视他。
'Are ye still tired?' he asked.
“你是不是还累?”他问道。
'No,' I replied, my face turned away from him, 'no, I'm not tired now. Alan, I can't stay with you, I must leave you. I liked you very much, but we're two different people, that's all.'
“不，”我答道，把脸从他那边转开。“不，我现在不累。艾伦，我不能和你待在一起，我得离开你。我曾非常喜欢你，但我们是两个不同的人，就这些。”
'Ye must explain what ye mean by that, David,' said Alan, looking very serious.
“你得解释你那话是什么意思，戴维。”艾伦说道，表情非常严肃。
'Alan, why do you ask? You know very well that Colin Campbell is lying dead in the road in his own blood.'
“艾伦，你为什么要问?你很清楚科林·坎贝尔正躺在路上血泊里，死了。”
Alan was silent for a moment, 'Well, Mr. Balfour of Shaws,' he said at last, 'I promise ye that I did not plan the murder, or know anything about it.'
艾伦沉默了一下。“好吧，鲍尔弗·肖先生，”他最后说道，“我向你保证我没有预谋杀人，也不知道什么。”
'Thank God for that!' I cried and offered him my hand.
“谢天谢地!”我喊道，并向他伸出了我的手。
He did not appear to see it. I don't know why you're so worried about a dead Campbell,' he said.
他似乎没有看到。“我不明白你为什么这么关心一个死了的坎贝尔人，”他说道。
'I know that you hate their clan, Alan, but taking a life in cold blood is a terrible thing to do. Do you know who did it?'
“我知道你恨他们氏族，艾伦，但是蓄意谋杀一个人是一件很可怕的事。你知道是谁干的吗?”
'I wouldn't recognize him again,' said Alan, shaking his head sadly, 'I'm good at forgetting, David. ”
“我再也认不出他了。”艾伦说道，悲伤地摇摇头，“我很健忘，戴维。”
I had to laugh at that. Then I remembered something. 'But when we were running away, you showed yourself to the soldiers, to give the murderer a chance to escape!'
对此我只能笑笑而已。接着我又想起来什么了。“但是当我们逃路时，你把你自己暴露给士兵，就是为了给刺杀者一个逃跑的机会!”
'Any Highlander would do that. The best place for the lad who shot Colin Campbell is the heather, and we must all do what we can to help him keep away from the soldiers.'
“任何高地人都会那样做的。枪杀了科林·坎贝尔的小伙子的最佳栖身之处就是石南丛林，而且我们应该竭尽全力帮助他从士兵那儿脱身。”
I shook my head at this. These Highlanders were strange, wild people, to be sure. But Alan was ready to die for what he thought was right, and I liked him for that. I offered him my hand again, and this time he took it.
我对此摇了摇头。这些高地人确实很怪，很野蛮。但是艾伦愿意为他认为对的东西而献身，我喜欢他那一点。我又向他伸出手去，这一次他握住了我的手。
'Now, David,' he said, 'we must escape too. The Campbells will accuse us both of the murder.'
“听我说，戴维，”他说道，“我们也必须逃跑。坎贝尔人将指责我们俩杀了人。”
'But we didn't do it!' I cried. 'We can prove that in court!'
“但是我们没有做!”我叫道，“我们能在法庭上证实那一点!”
'Man, I'm surprised at ye,' said Alan. 'Do ye not know that if a Campbell is killed, the accused has to go to court in Inveraray, in the heart of Campbell country? When the Campbell lawyers have finished with ye, you'll be dead!'
“伙计，我对你感到惊讶。”艾伦回答道，“难道你不知道如果一个坎贝尔人被杀了，被指控的人得去坎贝尔人地域的中心因弗雷里当堂对簿吗?当坎贝尔的律师们和你一起结束工作时，你也就要死了!”
This frightened me a little. 'All right, Alan,' I said, ' I'll go with you.'
这使我有点害怕了。“好吧，艾伦，”我说道，“我和你一起走。”
'But remember,' said Alan, 'it'll be a hard life. You'll have to sleep in the open air, and you'll often have an empty stomach. Ye can choose-either live in the heather with me, or die at the hands of the Campbells.'
“但是记住，”艾伦说道，“生活将是艰苦的。你得睡在露天处，还得时常忍饥挨饿。你可以选择——要么和我一起在石南丛林中生活，要么死在坎贝尔人手里。”
'That's easy to decide,' I said, and we shook hands on it.
“那很容易决定。”我说道，而且我们俩人握手言定。
When we looked between the trees, we could just see the redcoats of the soldiers, still moving away from us across the hills. Alan smiled, and told me that we would go first to the house of his clansman, James Stewart, and then to the Low lands. The Campbells and the English soldiers would not think of looking for us there, and Alan could find a place on a ship sailing to France.
当我们透过树丛看时，只能看见士兵们穿着的红制服还在山峦中移动，离我们渐渐远去了。艾伦微笑着，告诉我说我们将先去他的族人詹姆斯·斯图尔特家，然后再去低地。坎贝尔人和英格兰士兵不会想到去那儿找我们，艾伦也能找到一条开往法国的船。
We walked for several hours and arrived that night at a large house in a valley.
我们走了几小时，那个晚上到达了山谷中的一座大房子。
There were lights in all the windows, and people were running in and out of the open doors. Alan whistled three times, and we were met at the door by a tall, good-looking man of about fifty, who welcomed us in Gaelic.
所有的窗户都有灯光，人们从开着的门内跑进跑出。艾伦吹了三声口哨，一个约莫五十岁、长相很好的高个儿男人在门口迎接我们，他用盖尔语欢迎我们。
'James Stewart,' said Alan, 'I'll ask ye to speak in English because my friend here comes from the Lowlands, and cannot speak Gaelic.'
“詹姆斯·斯图尔特，”艾伦说道，“因为我这儿这位朋友从低地来，并不会说盖尔语，所以请你说英语。”
James spoke politely to me for a few moments, but soon he turned back to Alan, with a very worried look on his face 'This is a terrible accident,' he said. 'It will bring trouble to all of us!'
詹姆斯很有礼貌地和我说了一会儿，但是很快他又转身和艾伦说话，带着很担忧的神色。“这是一个可怕的意外。”他说道，“它将给我们所有人带来麻烦!”
'Well, man,' said Alan, 'ye should be grateful that Colin Campbell is dead!'
“好吧，伙计，”艾伦说道，“你应该感激科林·坎贝尔死了才是!”
'Aye,' replied James, 'but he was killed in Appin, remember that, Alan, so it's the AppinStewarts who'll be accused. And I'm a man with a family!'
“对，”詹姆斯回答道，“但是他是在阿平被杀死的，记着那一点，艾伦，这样将被指控的是阿平的斯图尔特人。而且我是一个有家室的人!”
I looked around me. Men with white, frightened faces were hurrying here and there, without any clear idea of what they ought to do first.
我环顾四周。脸色苍白、面色惊恐的人们一会儿在这儿、一会儿在那儿地操忙着，不清楚他们自己应该先做什么。
Some were hiding guns and swords, while others were burning papers. When James saw me looking surprised, he explained, 'The soldiers search my house first, ye see, and I don't want them to find anything.'
一些人在藏枪和剑，而另外一些人在烧毁文件。当詹姆斯看见我面带惊讶时，他解释道：“你明白士兵们会首先搜查我的房子，我不想让他们发现任何东西。”
We went inside and met James's wife and children, who were crying in a corner. I felt very sorry for them, but we did not have much time to talk. Alan explained what we needed for our escape, and soon James's men brought us two swords, two pistols, some food, a cooking pot, and a bottle of whisky. We needed money too because Alan had given his gold to another man to take to France. But James had only a little to give us.
我们走了进去，遇到了詹姆斯的在墙角大哭的妻小。我为他们感到很难受，但我们没有多少时间来交谈。艾伦解释了我们逃跑所需的东西，不一会儿詹姆斯的人给我们拿来两把剑、两枝手枪、一些食物、一个做饭用的锅和一瓶威士忌酒。我们也需要钱，因为艾伦已经把他的金子给了另一个人以便带到法国去。但是詹姆斯只有一点儿钱可以给我们。
'Ye must find a safe place somewhere near,' he said, 'and send me a message. I'll find some more money for ye, and send it to ye. But, Alan,' and here he stopped for a moment, biting his finger worriedly, 'I'll have to accuse ye of killing that Campbell. I'll have to! If I don't, they'll accuse me! I have to think of myself and my family! Do ye see that?'
“你得在附近某处找一个安全的地方，”他说道，“并给我送一个口信。我会给你再找一些钱，并送给你。但是，艾伦，”说到这儿，他停了一下，焦急地咬着手指，“我不得不指控你杀了那个坎贝尔。我得这样!如果我不这样，他们将指控我!我得为我自己和我家人着想!你明白吗?”
'Aye,' said Alan slowly. 'I see that.'
“嗯，”艾伦慢慢地说道，“我明白那一点。”
'And I'll have to accuse your friend from the Lowlands too. Ye see that, Alan—say that ye see that!'
“而且，我也得指控你这个从低地来的朋友。你明白那个，艾伦——就说你明白那个!”
Alan's face went red. 'It's hard on me, James! I brought him here, and now my friends accuse him of murder!'
艾伦的脸红了。“这对我太残酷了，詹姆斯!我把他带到这儿，现在我的朋友们指控他犯了谋杀罪!”
'But just think Alan, man!' cried James. 'The Campbells will be sure to accuse him. And I have children!'
“但是想想，艾伦，伙计!”詹姆斯叫道，“坎贝尔人一定会指控他。而且我有孩子!”
'Well, sir,' said Alan, turning to me, 'what do ye say? If ye do not agree, I won't let James do it.'
“唔，先生，”艾伦说道，向我转过身来，“你意下如何?如果你不同意，我不会让詹姆斯做的。”
'I cannot understand why we don't accuse the man who did kill Campbell,' I replied sharply, 'but accuse me, Mr. Stewart, if you like, accuse Alan, accuse King George! I am Alan's friend, and if I can help his friends in any way, I don't mind the danger.'
“我不明白我们为什么不指控那个的确杀了坎贝尔的人。”我厉声回答道，“但是如果你喜欢，斯图尔特先生，就指控我，指控艾伦，指控乔治国王吧!我是艾伦的朋友，而且如果我能在任何方面帮助他的朋友们，我不会在意危险的。”
罗伯特·路易斯·斯蒂文森(1850——1894)是英国著名的小说家和散文家。他出生于苏格兰爱丁堡一个富裕人家，祖父和父亲都是土木工程师，以建筑灯塔著名。或许是受家庭影响，他于一八六七年进爱丁堡大学读土木工程，但是后来改学法律。
在《诱拐》这部作品里，斯蒂文森以其一以贯之的创作风格，向我们讲述了一个紧张刺激、扣人心弦的故事，同时塑造了一系列让人难忘的人物形象。主人公戴维·鲍尔弗不必多说，读者从他的历险故事中自能感受到他的机智勇敢，活脱脱一个少年英雄的形象跃然纸上;其他人物不管正邪，都各有其貌，栩栩如生，随着故事的展开，让我们逐一看到了送戴维上路的神父坎贝尔的忠厚，想要独吞家产的戴维叔叔埃比尼译·鲍尔弗的奸诈，与埃比尼译·鲍尔弗共谋诱拐戴维的船长霍西森的贪婪，与戴维同甘共苦的艾伦对事业的坚贞、对朋友的忠诚，以及帮戴维讨回公道的律师兰基勒的诚信，等等。
