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It chanced that on the same evening McMurdo had another more pressing interview which urged him in the same direction.
碰巧就在这天晚上，麦克默多遇到一个更紧急的情况，使他不得不这样去做。
It may have been that his attentions to Ettie had been more evident than before,
也许因为他对伊蒂的关心比以前更明显，
or that they had gradually obtruded themselves into the slow mind of his good German host;
也许这种关心被好心的德国房东逐渐觉察出来，
but, whatever the cause, the boarding-house keeper beckoned the young man into his private room and started on the subject without any circumlocution.
但不管什么原因，反正房东把这个年轻人招呼到自己房中，毫不掩饰地谈到正题上来。
"It seems to me, mister," said he, "that you are gettin' set on my Ettie. Ain't that so, or am I wrong?"
"先生，据我看来，"他说道，"你渐渐地爱上我的伊蒂了，是这样吗？还是我误会了？"
"Yes, that is so," the young man answered.
"是的，正是这样，"年轻人答道。
"Vell, I vant to tell you right now that it ain't no manner of use. There's someone slipped in afore you."
"好，现在我对你直说吧，这是毫无用处的。在你以前，已经有人缠上她了。"
"She told me so."
"她也对我这么说过。"
"Vell, you can lay that she told you truth. But did she tell you who it vas?"
"好，你应当相信她说的是真情。不过，她告诉你这个人是谁了吗？"
"No, I asked her; but she wouldn't tell."
"没有，我问过她，可是她不肯告诉我。"
"I dare say not, the leetle baggage! Perhaps she did not vish to frighten you avay."
"我想她不会告诉你的，这个小丫头。也许她不愿意把你吓跑吧。"
"Frighten!" McMurdo was on fire in a moment.
"吓跑！"麦克默多一下子火冒三丈。
"Ah, yes, my friend! You need not be ashamed to be frightened of him. It is Teddy Baldwin."
"啊，不错，我的朋友！你怕他，这也不算什么羞耻啊。这个人是特德·鲍德温。"
"And who the devil is he?"
"这恶魔是什么人？"
"He is a boss of Scowrers."
"他是死酷党的一个首领。"
"Scowrers! I've heard of them before. It's Scowrers here and Scowrers there, and always in a whisper!
"死酷党！以前我听说过。这里也有死酷党，那里也有死酷党，而且总是窃窃私语！
What are you all afraid of? Who are the Scowrers?"
你们大家都怕什么呢？死酷党到底是些什么人呢？"
The boarding-house keeper instinctively sank his voice, as everyone did who talked about that terrible society.
房东像每一个人谈起那个恐怖组织时一样，本能地放低了声音。
"The Scowrers," said he, "are the Eminent Order of Freemen!"
"死酷党，"他说道，"就是自由人会。"
The young man stared. "Why, I am a member of that order myself."
年轻人大吃一惊，说道："为什么？我自己就是一个自由人会会员。"
"You! I vould never have had you in my house if I had known it -- not if you vere to pay me a hundred dollar a veek."
"你！要是我早知道，我决不会让你住在我这里--即使你每星期给我一百美元，我也不干。"
"What's wrong with the order? It's for charity and good fellowship. The rules say so."
"这个自由人会有什么不好呢？会章的宗旨是博爱和增进友谊啊。"
"Maybe in some places. Not here!"
"有些地方可能是这样的。这里却不然！"
"What is it here?"
"它在这里是什么样的呢？"
"It's a murder society, that's vat it is."
"是一个暗杀组织，正是这样。"
McMurdo laughed incredulously. "How can you prove that?" he asked.
麦克默多不相信地笑了笑，问道："你有什么证据呢？"
"Prove it! Are there not fifty murders to prove it?
"证据！这里怕没有五十桩暗杀事件做证据！
Vat about Milman and Van Shorst, and the Nicholson family, and old Mr. Hyam, and little Billy James, and the others?
像米尔曼和范肖尔斯特，还有尼科尔森一家，老海厄姆先生，小比利·詹姆斯以及其他一些人不都是证据吗？
Prove it! Is there a man or a voman in this valley vat does not know it?"
还要证据！这个山谷里难道还有一个男女不了解死酷党么？"
"See here!" said McMurdo earnestly. "I want you to take back what you've said, or else make it good.
"喂！"麦克默多诚恳地说道，"我希望你收回你说的话，或是向我道歉。
One or the other you must do before I quit this room. Put yourself in my place. Here am I, a stranger in the town.
你必须先做到其中一点，然后我就搬走。你替我设身处地想一想，我在这个镇子里是一个外乡人。
I belong to a society that I know only as an innocent one.
我是一个社团成员，但我只知道这是一个纯洁的社团。
You'll find it through the length and breadth of the States; but always as an innocent one.
你在全国范围内到处可以找到它，不过总是一个纯洁的组织。
Now, when I am counting upon joining it here, you tell methat it is the same as a murder society called the Scowrers.
现在，正当我打算加入这里的组织时，你说它全然是一个杀人的社团，叫做'死酷党'。
I guess you owe me either an apology or else an explanation, Mr. Shafter."
我认为你该向我道歉，不然的话，就请你解释明白，谢夫特先生。"
"I can but tell you vat the whole vorld knows, mister. The bosses of the one are the bosses of the other.
"我只能告诉你，这是全世界都知道的，先生。自由人会的首领，就是死酷党的首领。
If you offend the one, it is the other vat vill strike you. We have proved it too often."
假如你得罪了这一个，那一个就要报复你。我们的证据太多了。"
"That's just gossip -- I want proof!" said McMurdo.
"这不过是一些流言蜚语！我要的是证据！"麦克默多说道。
"If you live here long you vill get your proof. But I forget that you are yourself one of them. You vill soon be as bad as the rest.
"假如你在这儿住长些，你自己就会找到证据的。不过我忘了你也是其中的一员了。你很快就会变得和他们一样坏。
But you vill find other lodgings, mister. I cannot have you here.
不过你可以住到别处去，先生。我不能再留你住在这里了。
Is it not bad enough that one of these people come courting my Ettie, and that I dare not turn him down, but that I should have another for my boarder?
一个死酷党人来勾引我的伊蒂，而我不敢拒绝，这已经够糟糕了，我还能再收另一个做我的房客吗？
Yes, indeed, you shall not sleep here after to-night!"
对，真的，过了今晚，你不能再住在这里了。"
