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The country had been a place of terror; but the town was in its way even more depressing.
乡村是恐怖的地方，可是从某种程度上来说，城镇更加令人沉闷。
Down that long valley there was at least a certain gloomy grandeur in the huge fires and the clouds of drifting smoke,
但在这狭长的山谷，至少有一种阴沉的壮观之感，烈焰映天，烟云变幻，
while the strength and industry of man found fitting monuments in the hills which he had spilled by the side of his monstrous excavations.
而有力气和勤劳的人在这些小山上创造了当之无愧的不朽业绩，这些小山都是那些人在巨大的坑道旁堆积而成的。
But the town showed a dead level of mean ugliness and squalor.
但城镇却显得丑陋和肮脏。
The broad street was churned up by the traffic into a horrible rutted paste of muddy snow. The sidewalks were narrow and uneven.
来往车辆把宽阔的大街轧出许多泥泞不堪的车辙。人行道狭窄而崎岖难行。
The numerous gas-lamps served only to show more clearly a long line of wooden houses, each with its veranda facing the street, unkempt and dirty.
许多煤气灯仅仅照亮一排木板房，每座房屋都有临街的阳台，既杂乱又肮脏。
As they approached the centre of the town the scene was brightened by a row of well-lit stores,
麦克默多和那矿工走近了市中心，一排店铺灯光明亮，
and even more by a cluster of saloons and gaming houses, in which the miners spent their hard-earned but generous wages.
那些酒馆、赌场更是灯光辉煌，矿工们则在那里大手大脚地挥霍他们用血汗挣来的钱。
"That's the Union House," said the guide, pointing to one saloon which rose almost to the dignity of being a hotel. "Jack McGinty is the boss there."
"这就是工会，"这个向导指着一家高大而像旅社的酒馆说道，"杰克·麦金蒂是这里的首领。"
"What sort of a man is he?" McMurdo asked.
"他是一个怎样的人？"麦克默多问道。
"What! Have you never heard of the boss?"
"怎么！你过去没听说过首领的大名吗？"
"How could I have heard of him when you know that I am a stranger in these parts?"
"你知道我对此地很陌生，我怎么会听说过他呢？"
"Well, I thought his name was known clear across the country. It's been in the papers often enough."
"噢，我以为工会里的人都知道他的名字呢。他的名字经常登报呢。"
"What for?"
"为什么呢？"
"Well," the miner lowered his voice, "over the affairs."
"啊，"这个矿工放低了声音，"出了些事呗。""
"What affairs?"
"什么事？"
"Good Lord, mister! you are queer, if I must say it without offense. There's only one set of affairs that you'll hear of in these parts, and that's the affairs of the Scowrers."
"天哪，先生，我说句不怕你见怪的话，你可真是个怪人，在此地你只会听到一类事，这就是死酷党人的事。"
"Why, I seem to have read of the Scowrers in Chicago. A gang of murderers, are they not?"
"为什么，我好像在芝加哥听说过死酷党人。是一伙杀人凶手，是不是？
"Hush, on your life!" cried the miner, standing still in alarm, and gazing in amazement at his companion.
"嘘，别说了！千万别说了！"这个矿工惶惑不安地站在那里，惊讶地注视着他的同伴，大声说道。
"Man, you won't live long in these parts if you speak in the open street like that. Many a man has had the life beaten out of him for less."
"伙计，要是你在大街上像这样乱讲话，那你在此地就活不了多久了。许多人因为比这还小的事都已经送命了。"
"Well, I know nothing about them. It's only what I have read."
"好，对他们的事，我什么也不知道，这仅仅是我听说的。"
"And I'm not saying that you have not read the truth."
"不过，我不是说你听到的不是真事。"
The man looked nervously round him as he spoke, peering into the shadows as if he feared to see some lurking danger.
这个人一面说，一面忐忑不安地向四周打量了一番，紧紧盯着暗处，好像怕看到什么暗藏的危险一样。
"If killing is murder, then God knows there is murder and to spare.
"如果是凶杀的话，那么天知道，凶杀案多着呢。
But don't you dare to breathe the name of Jack McGinty in connection with it, stranger; for every whisper goes back to him, and he is not one that is likely to let it pass.
不过你千万不要把这和杰克·麦金蒂的名字联在一起。因为每个小声议论都会传到他耳边，而麦金蒂又是不肯轻易放过的。
Now, that's the house you're after, that one standing back from the street. You'll find old Jacob Shafter that runs it as honest a man as lives in this township."
好，那就是你要找的房子，就是街后的那一座。你会发现房主老雅各布·谢夫特是本镇的一个诚实人。"
"I thank you," said McMurdo, and shaking hands with his new acquaintance he plodded,
"谢谢你，"麦克默多和他的新相识握手告别时说道，
gripsack in hand, up the path which led to the dwelling house, at the door of which he gave a resounding knock.
他提着旅行包，步履沉重地走在通往那所住宅的小路上，走到门前，用力敲门。
