评论
打印
The isolated house in which Chester Wilcox lived was about five miles off in an adjacent valley.
切斯特·威尔科克斯居住的孤零零的房屋，在邻近的山谷里，离这里有五英里左右。
That very night he started off all alone to prepare for the attempt.
就在这天夜晚，麦克默多独自一人去为暗杀活动做准备。
It was daylight before he returned from his reconnaissance.
他侦察完情况回来时，天色已经大亮。
Next day he interviewed his two subordinates, Manders and Reilly, reckless youngsters who were as elated as if it were a deer-hunt.
第二天他去看他的两个助手曼德斯和赖利，这是两个卤莽轻率的年轻人，他们兴高采烈，仿佛要去打围逐鹿一样。
Two nights later they met outside the town, all three armed, and one of them carrying a sack stuffed with the powder which was used in the quarries.
两夜以后，他们在镇外相会，三个人都带了武器，其中一人带了一袋采石场用的炸药。
It was two in the morning before they came to the lonely house.
他们来到这所孤零零的房前时，已是半夜两点钟。
The night was a windy one, with broken clouds drifting swiftly across the face of a three-quarter moon.
夜里风势迅猛，乱云急驰，半轮明月时隐时现。
They had been warned to be on their guard against bloodhounds; so they moved forward cautiously, with their pistols cocked in their hands.
他们深恐有猎犬出来，十分小心地向前走去，手中的枪机头大张。
But there was no sound save the howling of the wind, and no movement but the swaying branches above them.
可是只听疾风怒吼，别无声息，只见树枝摇曳，毫无动静。
McMurdo listened at the door of the lonely house; but all was still within.
麦克默多站在这所孤零零的房屋门外静听了一阵，里面寂静无声。
Then he leaned the powder bag against it, ripped a hole in it with his knife, and attached the fuse.
他便把炸药包放到门边，用小刀挖了一个小洞，点燃了导火索。
When it was well alight he and his two companions took to their heels, and were some distance off, safe and snug in a sheltering ditch,
他和两个同伙走到远处安全地带，伏在沟里观看，
before the shattering roar of the explosion, with the low, deep rumble of the collapsing building, told them that their work was done.
炸药爆炸的轰鸣声以及房屋倒坍的低沉的隆隆声，说明他们已经完成了任务。
No cleaner job had ever been carried out in the bloodstained annals of the society.
在这个社团的血腥史上还从来不曾有过这么干净利落的杰作呢。
But alas that work so well organized and boldly carried out should all have gone for nothing!
然而，可惜他们的精心策划和大胆执行都白费了！
Warned by the fate of the various victims, and knowing that he was marked down for destruction,
原来切斯特·威尔科克斯听到许多人被害的消息，知道死酷党人也要来谋害自己，
Chester Wilcox had moved himself and his family only the day before to some safer and less known quarters, where a guard of police should watch over them.
就在前一天把家搬到比较安全而又无人知晓的地方去了，那里还有一队警察防守。
It was an empty house which had been torn down by the gunpowder, and the grim old colour sergeant of the war was still teaching discipline to the miners of Iron Dike.
炸药所炸毁的只是一所空房子，而这位刚毅坚强的老海军陆战队上士依然严格地管理戴克钢铁厂的矿工。
"Leave him to me," said McMurdo. "He's my man, and I'll get him sure if I have to wait a year for him."
"待我来收拾他，"麦克默多说道，"把他交给我，即使我等他一年，也一定结果他。"
A vote of thanks and confidence was passed in full lodge, and so for the time the matter ended.
会里的人都对他表示感激和信任，于是这件事就暂时结束了。
When a few weeks later it was reported in the papers that Wilcox had been shot at from an ambuscade, it was an open secret that McMurdo was still at work upon his unfinished job.
几星期以后，报上报道说，威尔科克斯被人暗杀，而麦克默多在继续完成他未结束的工作，这已经是人所周知的了。
Such were the methods of the Society of Freemen, and such were the deeds of the Scowrers
这就是自由人会所用的一些手法，这就是死酷党人的所作所为，
by which they spread their rule of fear over the great and rich district which was for so long a period haunted by their terrible presence.
他们对这一广袤富庶的地区施行着恐怖的统治，而由于存在着死酷党人的恐怖行动，长期以来，人们总是提心吊胆地生活着。
Why should these pages be stained by further crimes? Have I not said enough to show the men and their methods?
为什么用这么多罪恶的事实来玷污这些纸张呢？难道我还没有完全说清这些人和他们的手法吗？
These deeds are written in history, and there are records wherein one may read the details of them.
这些人的所作所为已经载入历史，人们可以从记载里看到详细情节。
There one may learn of the shooting of Policemen Hunt and Evans because they had ventured to arrest two members of the society
读者可以在那里看到，他们还枪杀警察亨特和伊万斯，因为他们竟斗胆逮捕过两个死酷党徒，
a double outrage planned at the Vermissa lodge and carried out in cold blood upon two helpless and disarmed men.
这两件暴行是维尔米萨分会策划的，并且残忍地杀害了两名孤立无援手无寸铁的人。
There also one may read of the shooting of Mrs. Larbey when she was nursing her husband, who had been beaten almost to death by orders of Boss McGinty.
读者还可以读到，拉贝太太被枪杀，因为首领麦金蒂命人将她丈夫打得半死，她紧抱着丈夫不放。
The killing of the elder Jenkins, shortly followed by that of his brother, the mutilation of James Murdoch,
老詹金斯被害，不久他弟弟也惨遭杀害；詹姆斯·默多克被弄得肢体残废；
the blowing up of the Staphouse family, and the murder of the Stendals all followed hard upon one another in the same terrible winter.
斯塔普霍斯全家被炸；斯坦德鲁斯被谋杀；惨案一件接一件地发生在这恐怖的寒冬里。
Darkly the shadow lay upon the Valley of Fear.
阴霾暗无天日地笼罩着恐怖谷。
The spring had come with running brooks and blossoming trees.
春天来了，溪水潺潺，草木发芽。
There was hope for all Nature bound so long in an iron grip; but nowhere was there any hope for the men and women who lived under the yoke of the terror.
长时间受到束缚的大自然恢复了生气；可是生活在恐怖之中的男女却依然毫无希望。
Never had the cloud above them been so dark and hopeless as in the early summer of the year 1875.
他们头上的阴云从未像1875年初夏那样黑暗而令人绝望。
