In these amusements, the hours passed away uncounted; his deviations had perplexed his memory, and he knew not toward what point to travel.
七兜八转的东奔西突,时间过得飞快,难以确定的方向干扰了他的记忆,后来,他简直不知道究竟朝哪里走才好。
He stood pensive and confused, afraid to go forward lest he should go wrong, yet conscious that the time of loitering was now past.
他木木地站立那里,陷入迷惘,脑子里一片混乱,他不敢迈步向前,唯恐再走错了路,尽管这样,他毕竟觉察到,时间在他的反复折腾中飞快流逝。
While he was thus tortured with uncertainty, the sky was overspread with clouds,
正当他百般纠结时,刹那间,天空乌云密布,
the day vanished from before him, and a sudden tempest gathered round his head.
刚才明晃晃的天空旋即变得晦暗混沌,突如其来的暴雨云团在他头顶上空急遽聚集。
He was now roused by his danger to a quick and painful remembrance of his folly;
突然间清楚眼前的困厄险境,他为起初的愚蠢后悔万分,
he now saw how happiness is lost when ease is consulted;
此刻他才意识到,拐入岔路前尚有路人可以询问,而他却是糟蹋了良好机遇!
he lamented the unmanly impatience that prompted him to seek shelter in the grove,
想起当时不假思索,一门心思要在丛林里寻觅荫凉,
and despised the petty curiosity that led him on from trifle to trifle.
加上微不足道的好奇心,却让此时的他手足无措,难以脱身,想到这里,他不禁长吁短叹起来。
While he was thus reflecting, the air grew blacker and a clap of thunder broke his meditation.
正当他兀自后悔不迭时,天刹时愈来愈黑,一道霹雳电闪,打断了他的思路。
He now resolved to do what remained yet in his power; to tread back the ground which he had passed,
他决心利用仅存体力沿原路返回,
and try to find some issue where the wood might open into the plain.
首先必须先找到森林通向平原的出口。
He prostrated himself upon the ground, and commended his life to the Lord of nature.
他随后匍匐在地,让身心感应自然之神,
He rose with confidence and tranquillity, and pressed on with his saber in his hand;
片刻功夫,他充满自信地站立起来,内心格外宁静。