评论
打印
I had met the man, but now, there were two revolvers strapped to his hips. Instinctively I knew he was the game warden. I glanced at the squirrel involuntarily; I knew the season was closed. But the man was grinning.
我以前见过这个人，但是这次他髋部却挎着两支左轮手枪。凭直觉我明白他是个猎区监管员。我不由自主地瞥了一眼地上的松鼠，我清楚现在到了禁猎季节，可是这人却咧嘴笑了。
That's all right. I saw it all, he said.
“没关系，我全看见了，”他说。
That's lucky for me, I said, "but I really caused him to shoot it. I thought he was hunting squirrels."
“我运气不错，”我说，“但的确是我引他开枪的。我以为他是在猎松鼠。”
No, he's hunting nothing that lives in trees. He was hunting old King Solomon.
“不，他从来不猎取生活在树上的动物。他要猎捕老所罗门王。”
I see, I said, though I didn't see at all. A triangle affair possibly, or a mountain feud.
“我明白了，”我说，尽管我根本就不明白。也许是一场三角恋，或是山区里的深仇大恨。
Old King Solomon is a bass, he said. "We call him that because he's so smart nobody can catch him. That fellow with the gun hooked him once, but couldn't hold him. Ever since, he's been trying to shoot him. Well, that's against the law; and nobody's going to do that if I can help it."
“老所罗门王是一只鲈鱼，”他说。因为他太狡猾了，没人能抓到他，所以我们这样称呼他。那个带枪的家伙曾钓到一次，但没能抓住。从那以后，他就一直设法用枪打他。得了，那是违法的，只要我还在，谁也别想这么做。”
How big was he?
“他有多大？”
I don't like strangers to think I'm lying, he said, "even when I'm telling the truth."
“我不想让陌生人觉得我在撒谎，”他说，“虽然我说的是实话。”
That was enough. I determined then and there to keep a sharp lookout.
这就足够了。我当场就打定主意要格外留意这件事。
Where does King Solomon hold court most of the time? I asked with a studied effort to be casual. "It seems that our friend with the gun expects to find him in this hole. Has he ever been seen here?"
“老所罗门王大都在哪儿临朝听政呢？”我故意漫不经心地问道。“看起来我们那位带枪的朋友想在这个洞里找到他，有人曾在这里看到过他吗？”
Once. About a year ago. But he might be a mile or two up or down by now. Well, I reckon I'll get back to town. See you again.
“有过一次。大约在一年以前。但是他可能就在这上下游一两英里远的地方。好啦，我想我要回镇上了，再见。”
Well, I did see the warden several times after that; and when I saw him, usually I saw the man with the gun.
从那以后，我的确又见过那个猎区监管员几次，而且每次见到他，通常都会看到那个带枪的人。
