About a week later, we were sailing round the rocky coast of northern Scotland in very bad weather. It was difficult to see anything because of the thick fog. One evening there was a great crash, and the officers ran out to see what had happened. I thought we had hit a rock, but in fact it was a small boat. As we watched, the boat broke in two, and went to the bottom with all its men, except the one passenger. At the moment of the crash, this man managed to jump up and catch the side of the ship and pull himself up.
大约一周以后,在非常恶劣的天气条件下,我们沿苏格兰北部的礁岩海岸行驶着。由于大雾弥漫,很难看见什么东西。一天晚上,有一声猛烈的撞击声,高级船员们都跑出去看发生了什么。我以为我们是撞上了一块岩石,但实际上是一条小船。我们观看时,小船碎成了两半,除了这一位乘客外其余的人连船一起沉入海底了。在撞船的那一刻,这个人用力跳起来,抓住了我们这条船的船舷,挣扎着上了船。
The captain brought him into the round-house. He was smallish but well-built, with an open, sunburnt face, and bright, amused eyes. When he took off his long coat, I could see that he had a pair of pistols and was wearing a sword at his side. Although his life had clearly been in great danger, he seemed very calm, and spoke politely to the captain. Hoseason was looking with interest at the man's clothes. He was wearing a hat with feathers, a blue coat with silver buttons, and expensive-looking lace round his neck.
船长把他带进了后甲板室里。他个子有点小,但身体强壮,长着一张开朗的、晒黑的脸和一双明亮的、逗人喜欢的眼睛。当他脱下长大衣时,我能看见他带着一对手枪,佩着一把剑。虽然他的生命显然处于极大的危险之中,但他看起来很镇静,并且有礼貌地和船长说着话。霍齐亚森饶有兴趣地看看那个男人的衣服。他戴着一顶插有羽毛的帽子,穿着一件带银扣子的蓝外衣,脖子那儿有一圈看似贵重的花边。
'I'm sorry about the boat, sir,' said the captain.
“就船的事我很抱歉,先生,”船长说道。
'I've lost some grand friends today,' replied the stranger, 'and that's worse than losing ten boats.'
“今天我失去了一些好朋友,”陌生人回答道,“这比失掉10条船更糟糕。”
'Well, sir, there are more men in the world than boats,' replied the captain, still watching him closely. 'I know, be cause I've been in France, like you.'
“唔,先生,这世界上人比船多,”船长回答道,眼睛仍紧紧地盯着陌生人,“我知道,因为我和你一样曾经在法国待过。”
He said these last words clearly and carefully. They seemed to have a special meaning. The stranger put his hand quickly on his pistol.
船长既清晰又当心地吐出了最后几个字。它们似乎有一种特殊的含义。陌生人迅速地把手搁到手枪上。
'Don't worry,' said Hoseason. 'Ye've a French soldier's coat on your back and a Scottish tongue in your head, that's true, but so has many an honest man these days.'
“别担心。”霍齐亚森说道,“你穿着一件法国士兵的外套,但又操着苏格兰口音,那不假,但现今有很多诚实的人都这样。”
'Well, sir,' replied the stranger, 'I must tell you that I'm one of those honest Highlanders who were proud to fight for their homes, their clan and their country in 1745, against the English King. And I must tell you another thing. If King George's soldiers find me, I'll be in trouble. I was on my way to France, where some of my clansmen live now. But in the fog my boat missed the French ship that was meeting me. So if you can take me to France, I'll pay you well.'
“好吧,先生,”陌生人说道,“我必须告诉你我是那些以自己在1745年反抗英格兰国王、为家园而战、为部族而战、为国家而战为荣的诚实的高地人之一。我还得告诉你另外一件事。如果乔治国王的士兵发现我,我将会有麻烦。我要去法国,我的一些族人现在住在那儿。但是在雾中我的小船错过了来接我的法国船。如果你能把我带到法国的话,我将好好酬谢你。”
He opened his purse and showed that it was full of gold coins. The captain seemed excited as he looked at the money, and then at the man's face.
他打开钱包,示意那里面装满了金币。船长看看钱接着又看看那人的脸,显得激动的样子。
'To France?' he replied. 'No, I can't do that. But to the Highlands, aye, we can discuss that.' They sat down together, and in the end agreed that the captain would take the stranger to Loch Linnhe, on the northwest coast of Scotland, for sixty pounds. There the Highlander would be among friends, and safe from the English army. He and Hoseason shook hands, and the captain left me alone with the stranger.
“去法国?”他答道,“不,我不能那样做。但如果是去高地,对,我们还可以商量商量那个。”他们坐在一起,最后达成协议:船长将把陌生人带到苏格兰西北海岸的林荷湖,条件是给他60镑。在那儿这位高地人将置身于朋友之中,并因远离英格兰军队而很安全。他和霍齐亚森握握手,然后把我和陌生人单独留在一起。
He had told the captain that the gold was not his own. Some of the Highlanders had escaped to France after the Forty-Five, but their friends and clansmen in Scotland sometimes managed to find a little money to send them. It was this man's job to take the money across to France, and he did this by travelling secretly to Scotland as often as possible. I thought he was very brave. 'If he's caught by the English army, they'll kill him!' I told myself. I liked the way he seemed to enjoy living dangerously.
他已告诉过船长金子不是他自己的。在1745年政变后,有些高地人逃到了法国,但他们在苏格兰的一些朋友和族人有时设法找到一点钱送给他们。这个人的使命是把钱带到法国,他通常是通过秘密地尽量常去苏格兰来完成他的使命的。我认为他很勇敢。“如果他被英格兰军队抓住了,他们会杀了他!”我自言自语道。我喜欢他看似喜欢冒险地生活的样子。
When he asked me for whisky, I had to go to ask the captain for the key to the cupboard. I found Hoseason and his officers talking quietly in a corner, and heard them planning to kill the stranger and steal his money. They seemed to think that I would help them, and asked me to bring them secretly some guns from the round-house. I went slowly back to the stranger, not sure what I should do. But when I entered the round-house, and saw him eating his supper, I decided at once.
他找我要威士忌时,我不得不去找船长要小橱子的钥匙。我发现霍齐亚森船长和高级船员们在一个角落里悄声地谈论着,而且我听到他们计划杀掉这位陌生人并偷走他的钱财。他们似乎认为我能帮他们,让我从后甲板室给他们偷偷地拿些枪来。我慢慢地回到陌生人那儿,不清楚该怎么办。但当我进了后甲板室并看见他在吃晚餐时,我立刻做出了决定。