PART2 Chapter1 大盐碱荒漠上-双语名著无障碍阅读丛书——《福尔摩斯探案经典之血字的研究A Study in Scarlet》

PART 2 THE COUNTRY OF THE SAINTS 第二部 圣徒的区域 Chapter 1 On the Great Alkali Plain In the central portion of the great North American Continent there lies an arid and repulsive desert,which for many a long year served as a barrier against the advance of civilization.From the Sierra Nevada to Nebraska, and from the Yellowstone River in the north to the Colorado upon the south, is a region of desolation and silence.Nor is Nature always in one mood throughout this grim district.It comprises snow-capped and lofty mountains, and dark and gloomy valleys.There are swift-flowing rivers which dash through jagged canons;and there are enormous plains,which in winter are white with snow,and in summer are grey with the saline alkali dust. They all preserve,however,the common characteristics of barrenness, inhospitality,and misery. There are no inhabitants of this land of despair.A band of Pawnees or of Blackfeet may occasionally traverse it in order to reach other hunting-grounds, but the hardiest of the braves are glad to lose sight of those awesome plains, and to find themselves once more upon their prairies The coyote skulks among the scrub,the buzzard flaps heavily through the air,and the clumsy grizzly bear lumbers through the dark ravines,and picks up such sustenance as it can amongst the rocks.These are the sole dwellers in the wilderness. In the whole world there can be no more dreary view than that from the northern slope of the Sierra Blanco.As far as the eye can reach stretches the ·140· 第一章大益碱荒漠上 北美大陆的中部地区，横贯着一片沙漠地，贫瘠干 ①arid['arid]a.千燥的 涸，荒凉恐怖。长期以来，这片地区形成了一道屏障， ②repulsive [ri'pAlsiv]a.令 人厌恶的 阻碍着人类文明的进程。从内华达山脉到内布拉斯加 州，从北部的黄石河到南部的科罗拉多河之间，是一片 荒凉萧疏、寂静无声的区域。但是，在整个这样一片环 ③desolation【.deso'leifon]n. 荒凉 境恶劣的区域里，大自然也并不总是一种心境。这里有 comprise [kam'praiz]v. 白雪皑皑、高耸入云的群山；有幽深险峻、昏暗阴郁的 由…组成 ⑤jagged「d3 egid]a.参差 峡谷；有湍急的河流，奔涌在犬牙交错的山涧；有广袤 不齐的 ⑥saline['seilain]a.含盐的 浩瀚的平原，冬日里白雪覆盖，夏日里是一层灰色的盐 ⑦alkali[eka,lain.碱 ⑧barrenness[baranis]n.荒 碱。然而，这些地方有着共同的特征—荒芜贫瘠，不 芜 宜居住，满目悲凉。 这片悲凉绝望的土地上，没有人类居住。虽然偶 尔会有一群波尼人和黑脚人横穿这一区域，以便到达另 外的狩猎区，但是，即便是这些勇士中的最坚忍不拔者 ⑨prairie['preari]n.大草原 也会盼望着尽快走出这片令人恐惧的平原，重新回到属 @coyote ['koiaut]m.郊狼 于他们自己的草原上。丛林狼潜行在灌木丛中，秃鹰在 @skulk[skAlk]v.潜行 ②scrub[skrAb]n.灌木丛 空中拍打着沉重的翅膀，笨拙的灰熊在幽暗的峡谷中 ⑧buzzard[bazad]n.秃鹰 ④avine[ra'vi:nln.山谷 吃力地攀爬，在岩石间觅食。这些就是荒原之中仅有的 sustenance ['sAstinans]n. 食物 居民。 ⑥dweller ['dwelal n,居住者 站立在布兰科山脉的北麓看，世界上没有比眼前更 加阴郁单调的景致了。极目远跳，眼前是一片广袤无垠 ·141· Chapter 1 On the Great Alkali Plain great flat plain-land,all dusted over with patches of alkali,and intersected by clumps of the dwarfish chaparral bushes.On the extreme verge of the horizon lie a long chain of mountain peaks,with their rugged summits flecked with snow.In this great stretch of country there is no sign of life,nor of anything appertaining to life.There is no bird in the steel-blue heaven,no movement upon the dull,grey earth-above all,there is absolute silence.Listen as one may,there is no shadow of a sound in all that mighty wilderness;nothing but silence-complete and heart-subduing silence. It has been said there is nothing appertaining to life upon the broad plain. That is hardly true.Looking down from the Sierra Blanco,one sees a pathway traced out across the desert,which winds away and is lost in the extreme distance.It is rutted with wheels and trodden down by the feet of many adventurers.Here and there there are scattered white objects which glisten in the sun,and stand out against the dull deposit of alkali.Approach,and examine them!They are bones:some large and coarse,others smaller and more delicate. The former have belonged to oxen,and the latter to men.For fifteen hundred miles one may trace this ghastly caravan route by these scattered remains of those who had fallen by the wayside. Looking down on this very scene,there stood upon the fourth of May, eighteen hundred and forty-seven,a solitary traveller.His appearance was such that he might have been the very genius or demon of the region.An observer would have found it difficult to say whether he was nearer to forty or to sixty.His face was lean and haggard and the brown parchment-like skin was drawn tightly over the projecting bones;his long,brown hair and beard were all flecked and dashed with white;his eyes were sunken in his head,and burned with an unnatural lustre;while the hand which grasped his rifle was hardly more fleshy than that of a skeleton.As he stood,he leaned upon his weapon for support, and yet his tall figure and the massive framework of his bones suggested a wiry and vigorous constitution.His gaunts face,however,and his clothes,which ·142· 第一章 大盐碱荒上 ①intersect,inta'sekt),横 的平原，地面上尘土覆盖，四处都是盐碱地，一丛丛低 穿 ②chaparral Ltaep3'reln.藩 矮的灌木散落其间。地平线的尽头是一长列山峰，鳞峋 木丛 ③eck [flek]v.使，有斑点 峥嵘的山顶上斑斑驳驳地布着积雪。在这样一片辽阔的 ④appertain【,ep3'tein]v.有 区域里，没有任何生命的迹象，也没有任何与生命有关 关联 的东西。铁青色的天空中，没有飞鸟。灰暗的地面上， 没有任何动静一总之，这儿一片寂静。侧耳倾听，宽 广的荒野上毫无声息，没有别的，只有寂静—彻底而 又令人心寒的寂静。 要说这片广阔无垠的荒原上没有一点和生命有关 的东西，那倒并不完全属实。从布兰科山脉俯视，人 们可以看到，沙漠中有条弯弯曲曲的小道，一直蜿蜒 到了天尽头。小道上布满了车辙和许多探险者脚踏出 ⑤rut [rA形成车辙 的痕迹。那里处处散落着一些白色的物品，在太阳下 ⑥tread [tred]v.睬出 闪闪发亮，在单调的盐碱地的衬托下，显得格外醒目。 走向近处，仔细一看，原来全是骨头，有些大而粗糙， 有些小而细腻。前者是牛骨，后者是人骨。恐怖的篷 车小道绵延一千五百英里，人们根据散落在路边的遗 骨沿途前行。 ⑦caravan[karavan】n.篷 车 1847年5月4日，有位孤行者在高处俯视着眼前的一 幕。他的音容相貌就像是这个地区的精灵或妖魔。外人 ⑧solitary['solitori]a.单独 很难判断，他是四十来岁，还是六十来岁。只见他面容 的 ⑨demon[di:man]n.妖魔 憔悴消瘦，棕褐色的皮肤像羊皮纸似的，裹着嶙峋的骨 架。长长的棕褐色头发和胡须已经花白了。两眼深陷， haggard{hagod]a.面容 闪烁着异样的光芒。紧握着来复枪的手比骷髅骨也多不 憔悴的 parchment-like ['pa:tfma 出半点肌肉。他用来复枪作支撑站立着，他那高大的身 ntlaik]a.像羊皮纸的 形和宽阔的骨架表明，他曾经有着强壮有力的体格。不 过现在，他面容消瘦，衣衫松松垮垮地套在身上，一副 @lustre[lAsto]n.光泽 skeleton ['skeliton]n. 衰老而枯朽的模样。此人颜临死亡—就要死于饥饿和 架 干渴。 @constitution [,konsti't junn体格 他在峡谷深处历经了千辛万苦，终于爬上了这处 gaunt [go:nt]a.消瘦的 小的高地，指望着寻找到水源，但毫无结果。广袤 ·143· Chapter 1 On the Great Alkali Plain hung so baggily over his shrivelled limbs,proclaimed what it was that gave him that senile and decrepit appearance.The man was dying-dying from hunger and from thirst. He had toiled painfully down the ravine,and on to this little elevation, in the vain hope of seeing some signs of water.Now the great salt plain stretched before his eyes,and the distant belt of savage mountains,without a sign anywhere of plant or tree,which might indicate the presence of moisture. In all that broad landscape there was no gleam of hope.North,and east,and west he looked with wild questioning eyes,and then he realized that his wanderings had come to an end,and that there,on that barren erag,he was about to die."Why not here,as well as in a feather bed,twenty years hence,"he muttered,as he seated himself in the shelter of a boulder Before sitting down,he had deposited upon the ground his useless rifle, and also a large bundle tied up in a grey shawl,which he had carried slung over his right shoulder.It appeared to be somewhat too heavy for his strength,for in lowering it,it came down on the ground with some little violence.Instantly there broke from the grey parcel a little moaning cry,and from it there protruded a small,scared face,with very bright brown eyes, and two little speckled,dimpled fists. "You've hurt me!"said a childish voice reproachfully. “Have I though,.”the man answered penitently,“Ididn't go for to do it..” As he spoke he unwrapped the grey shawl and extricated a pretty little girl of about five years of age,whose dainty shoes and smart pink frock with its little linen apron,all bespoke a mother's care.The child was pale and wan but her healthy arms and legs showed that she had suffered less than her companion. "How is it now?"he answered anxiously,for she was still rubbing the tousy golden curls which covered the back of her head. "Kiss it and make it well,"she said,with perfect gravity,showing the injured part up to him."That's what mother used to do.Where's mother?" ·144· 第一章大盐碱荒漠上「 ①shrivelled ['frivold]a.菱 的盐碱地在他的眼前延伸着，还有远处荒凉的连绵群 缩的 ②senile['si:nail训a.衰老的 山，哪儿都没有植物或者树木的影子，而植物和树木 ③decrepit【dikrepit]a.老朽 的 可指示着有水存在啊。宽广的原野上，看不到半点希 ④toil [toi训v跋涉 望的亮光。他用狂乱迷惑的目光打量着北面，东面， elevation L.elo'veifon]n. 高地 还有西面，然后意识到，自己漂泊的日子已经到了尽 头，这片贫瘠的峭壁上就是自己的葬身之地了。“现 在死在这里，同二十年后死在天鹅绒的锦被上不是一 样的吗？”他喃喃地说着，一面正要背靠着一块巨石 坐下来。 ⑧crag [krag]n.峭壁 坐下之前，他把自己那支毫无用处的来复枪放在 地上，同时把扛在自己右肩膀上的一个灰色大布包也 ⑦boulder ['baulda]n.巨石 放下来。看起来，布包太沉，他已经不堪重负了，因 为放下时，布包在地上弄出了动静。紧接着，里面传 @bundle[bandl]n.包裹 ⑨shawl [fo:l]n.大披肩 出微弱的哭声，接着露出了一张受惊的，长着明亮褐 @sling [slin]v抛，掷 色双眸的脸蛋，还伸出了两只长着雀斑的微凹的小 拳头。 “您摔痛我啦！”一个稚嫩的声音说着，语气中透 protrude [prau'tru:d]v. 必 着埋怨。 “真的吗？”男人回答说，语气中带着款疚，“我不 是故意这样的。”他一边说话，一边解开布包，把里面 一个年龄大概五岁左右的漂亮小姑娘抱出来。小姑娘脚 penitently ['penitantli]ad. 悔过地 穿着一双精致的鞋子，身穿着漂亮的粉红色连衣裙，外 ④extricate['ekstri.keit]v.使 加一个亚麻布做的围兜。这一切体现了母亲的关爱。孩 脱身 ⑧frock[fkn.连衣裙 子显得面容苍白，神情倦怠，但四肢健康，说明她不像 函wan [wonl a.苍白的 其同伴那样吃苦遭罪。 “现在感觉怎么样了？”他焦急地问了一声，因为 看见她还在揉着脑后那团蓬乱的金色鬈发。 “您如果亲一亲，就会好的，”她说着，态度很认 tousy['tauzil a.蓬乱的 真，一边把受伤的地方亮给他看。“妈妈过去就是这样 做的。妈妈哪儿去啦？” “妈妈走了。我想你很快就可以见到她啦。” ·145· Chapter 1 On the Great Alkali Plain "Mother's gone.I guess you'll see her before long." “Gone,eh!”said the little girl.“Funny,she didn't say good-bye;she most always did if she was just goin'over to auntie's for tea,and now she's been away three days.Say,it's awful dry,ain't it?Ain't there no water,nor nothing to eat?” "No,there ain't nothing,dearie.You'll just need to be patient awhile,and then you'll be all right.Put your head up ag'in me like that,and then you'll feel bullier.It ain't easy to talk when your lips is like leather,but I guess I'd best let you know how the cards lie.What's that you've got?" "Pretty things!fine things!"cried the little girl enthusiastically,holding up two glittering fragments of mica."When we goes back to home I'll give them to brother Bob.” "You'll see prettier things than them soon,"said the man confidently."You just wait a bit.I was going to tell you though-you remember when we left the river?" “oh,yes.” "Well,we reckoned we'd strike another river soon,d'ye see.But there was somethin'wrong;compasses,or map,or somethin',and it didn't turn up. Water ran out.Just except a little drop for the likes of you and-and-" "And you couldn't wash yourself,"interrupted his companion gravely, staring up at his grimy visage "No,nor drink.And Mr.Bender,he was the first to go,and then Indian Pete,and then Mrs.McGregor,and then Johnny Hones,and then,dearie, your mother.” "Then mother's a deader too,"cried the little girl dropping her face in her pinafore and sobbing bitterly. "Yes,they all went except you and me.Then I thought there was some chance of water in this direction,so I heaved you over my shoulder and we tramped it together.It don't seem as though we've improved matters.There's ·146· 第一章 大盐碱荒漠上 “走了，呃！”小姑娘说，“奇怪啊，她都没有说 再见呢，即便是去姨妈家喝茶，她也总是会来说声再 见的，可现在她已经离开三天了。哎呀，好渴啊，不是 吗？难道就没有水，或者其他可以吃的东西吗？” “没有，什么都没有，亲爱的。你所需要的就是忍耐 一阵子，然后就一切都好了。你把头这样倚靠在我身上， 这样会好受一点儿。嘴巴干透了，说话就费劲，但我觉得， 最好还是把实际情况告诉你。你手里拿着什么东西？” ①how the cards lie情况如 “漂亮的东西！精致的东西啊！”小姑娘热情洋溢 何 地大声说着，一边举起两块亮晶晶的云母石，“等我们 ②mica[maika]n.云母 回家之后，我要把它们送给鲍勃弟弟。” “你很快就可以看到更加漂亮的东西的，”男人信 心百倍地说，“你只需要稍等片刻，我刚才正要告诉你 的一—你还记我们离开的那条河吗？” “噢，记得。” “对啊，我们本来指望着很快就可以到达另外一条 河边，你知道的。但是，出差错了，可能是因为罗盘， 或者地图，或者别的什么东西，那条河没有找到。水快 ③compass ['kAmpas]n.指 要没有了，只剩下一点点，要留给你这样的小孩子喝。 南针 还有—还有—” ④interrupt,into'TApt]v.打 “那您都洗刷不成了，”小姑娘打断了同伴的话，神 断 ⑤visage[vizids]n.面容 情很严肃，抬起头看着他神情凝重的脸庞。 “对，喝的水都没有了。本德先生，他是第一个离开 的，然后是印第安人皮特，然后是麦克格雷格太太，然 后是约翰尼·霍尼斯，再后来，亲爱的，就是你妈妈。” “这么说来，妈妈也死了，”小姑娘大声说着，把头 垂在围兜上，伤心地抽泣起来了。 @pinafore[pino,fo】h.围裙 “是啊，他们全都走了，就剩下我和你。后来，我 ⑦heave [hi:vv举 以为往这个方向可以寻找到水源，于是，于是，我把你 ⑧tramp[traemp】以沉重 扛在肩膀上，一同艰难跋涉地到达了这儿。看起来，我 的步子走 们面前的形势并没有改善，现在我们希望渺茫啊！” ·147· Chapter 1 On the Great Alkali Plain an almighty small chance for us now!" "Do you mean that we are going to die too?"asked the child,checking her sobs,and raising her tear-stained face. “I guess that's about the size of it..” "Why didn't you say so before?"she said,laughing gleefully."You gave me such a fright.Why,of course,now as long as we die we'll be with mother again." “Yes,you will,,dearie.” "And you too.I'll tell her how awful good you've been.I'll bet she meets us at the door of heaven with a big pitcher of water,and a lot of buckwheat cakes,hot,and toasted on both sides,like Bob and me was fond of.How long will it be first?” "I don't know-not very long."The man's eyes were fixed upon the northern horizon.In the blue vault of the heaven there had appeared three little specks which increased in size every moment,so rapidly did they approach.They speedily resolved themselves into three large brown birds, which circled over the heads of the two wanderers,and then settled upon some rocks which overlooked them.They were buzzards,the vultures of the west, whose coming is the forerunner of death. "Cocks and hens,"cried the little girl gleefully,pointing at their ill-omened forms,and clapping her hands to make them rise."Say,did God make this country?” "In course He did,"said her companion,rather startled by this unexpected question. "He made the country down in Illinois,and He made the Missouri,"the little girl continued."I guess somebody else made the country in these parts.It's not nearly so well done.They forgot the water and the trees." "What would ye think of offering up prayer?the man asked diffidently. “tain't night yet,”she answered. "It don't matter.It ain't quite regular,but He won't mind that,you bet.You say over them ones that you used to say every night in the waggon when we ·148·