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I presently found there were no less than nine naked savages sitting round a small fire they had made, not to warm them, for they had no need of that, the weather being extremely hot,
我立即发现，那儿大约有十来个赤身裸体的野人，围着一小堆火坐着。他们生火显然不是为了取暖，因为天气很热，根本用不着取暖。
but, as I supposed, to dress some of their barbarous diet of human flesh which they had brought with them, whether alive or dead I could not tell.
我想，他们一定是带来了战俘在烤人肉，至于那些战俘带上岛时是活是死，我就不得而知了。
They had two canoes with them, which they had hauled up upon the shore; and as it was then ebb of tide, they seemed to me to wait for the return of the flood to go away again.
他们有两只独木舟，已经拉到岸上。那时正好退潮，他们大概要等涨潮后再走。
It is not easy to imagine what confusion this sight put me into, especially seeing them come on my side of the island, and so near to me;
看到这一情景，我内心慌极了；尤其是发现他们到了小岛的这一边，离我住所那么近，很难想象我是多么惊慌失措啊！
but when I considered their coming must be always with the current of the ebb, I began afterwards to be more sedate in my mind, being satisfied that I might go abroad with safety all the time of the flood of tide, if they were not on shore before;
但我后来注意到，他们必须得趁着退潮上岛。这一发现使我稍稍安心了一点。只要他们不在岸上，我在涨潮期间外出是绝对安全的。
and having made this observation, I went abroad about my harvest work with the more composure.
知道这一点，我以后就可以外出安心收割庄稼了。
As I expected, so it proved; for as soon as the tide made to the westward I saw them all take boat and row (or paddle as we call it) away.
事情果然不出我所料，当潮水开始西流时，他们就上船划桨离去了。
I should have observed, that for an hour or more before they went off they were dancing, and I could easily discern their postures and gestures by my glass.
离开前，他们还跳了一个多小时的舞。从望远镜里可以清楚地看到他们手舞足蹈的样子。
I could not perceive, by my nicest observation, but that they were stark naked, and had not the least covering upon them; but whether they were men or women I could not distinguish.
我还可以看到他们都赤身裸体，一丝不挂，可是是男是女，怎么仔细看也分辩不出来。
As soon as I saw them shipped and gone, I took two guns upon my shoulders, and two pistols in my girdle, and my great sword by my side without a scabbard, and with all the speed I was able to make went away to the hill where I had discovered the first appearance of all;
一见他们上船离开了，我就拿了两支枪背在肩上，两支手枪挂在腰带上，又取了一把没鞘的大刀悬在腰间，尽快向靠海的那座小山上跑去，正是在那儿我第一次发现野人的踪迹。
and as soon as I get thither, which was not in less than two hours (for I could not go quickly, being so loaded with arms as I was), I perceived there had been three canoes more of the savages at that place;
我费了两个多钟头才到达那里，因为我全副武装，负担太重，怎么也走不快。我一上小山就看到，除了我刚才看到的两只独木舟外，还有另外三只在那儿。
and looking out farther, I saw they were all at sea together, making over for the main.
再往远处看去，只见他们在海面上会合后往大陆方向驶去了。
This was a dreadful sight to me, especially as, going down to the shore, I could see the marks of horror which the dismal work they had been about had left behind it -- viz.
对我来说，这真是一个可怕的景象。尤其是我走到岸边，看到他们所干的惨绝人寰的残杀遗留下来的痕迹，更令人可怕！
the blood, the bones, and part of the flesh of human bodies eaten and devoured by those wretches with merriment and sport.
那血迹，那人骨，那一块块人肉！可以想象，那些残忍的家伙一边吞食，一边寻欢作乐。
I was so filled with indignation at the sight, that I now began to premeditate the destruction of the next that I saw there, let them be whom or how many soever.
见此情景，我义愤填膺。这不禁使我重新考虑：下次再碰到他们过来干此罪恶勾当，非把他们宰尽杀绝不可，不管他们是什么部落，也不管他们来多少人。
It seemed evident to me that the visits which they made thus to this island were not very frequent, for it was above fifteen months before any more of them came on shore there again --
但我发现，他们显然并不常到岛上来，我第二次碰到他们在那里登岸，是一年零三个月之后的事。
that is to say, I neither saw them nor any footsteps or signals of them in all that time; for as to the rainy seasons, then they are sure not to come abroad, at least not so far.
也就是说，一年多时间中，我从未再见到过他们，也没有见过他们的脚印或其他任何上岛的痕迹。看来，在雨季，他们肯定不会出门，至少不会跑到这么远的地方来。
Yet all this while I lived uncomfortably, by reason of the constant apprehensions of their coming upon me by surprise:
然而，在这一年多中，我却时刻担心遭到袭击，所以日子过得很不舒畅。
from whence I observe, that the expectation of evil is more bitter than the suffering, especially if there is no room to shake off that expectation or those apprehensions.
由此，我悟出一个道理：等待大难临头比遭难本身更令人痛苦，尤其是无法逃避这种灾难而不得不坐等其降临，更是无法摆脱这种担惊受怕的恐惧。
During all this time I was in a murdering humour, and spent most of my hours, which should have been better employed, in contriving how to circumvent and fall upon them the very next time I should see them --
这段时间里，我只是一心想杀这些野人。大部分时间我不干别的，只是苦思冥想杀人计划。我设想种种计谋，下次再看到他们时该怎样进攻，
especially if they should be divided, as they were the last time, into two parties;
尤其是要提防他们像上次那样，分成两股前来。
nor did I consider at all that if I killed one party -- suppose ten or a dozen -- I was still the next day, or week, or month, to kill another, and so another, even AD INFINITUM,
但我完全没有考虑到，即使我把他们通通杀光，比如说，杀掉十个或十二个，到第二天，或第二个星期，或第二个月，我还得再杀掉另一股。这样一股一股杀下去，永无止境，
till I should be, at length, no less a murderer than they were in being man-eaters -- and perhaps much more so.
我自己最后岂不也成了杀人凶手，而且也许比那些食人族更残暴！
I spent my days now in great perplexity and anxiety of mind, expecting that I should one day or other fall, into the hands of these merciless creatures;
我现在每天都在疑虑和焦急中过日子，感到自己总有一天会落入那些残忍无情的家伙手中。
and if I did at any time venture abroad, it was not without looking around me with the greatest care and caution imaginable.
即使偶尔大着胆子外出，也总是东张西望，极度小心谨慎。
And now I found, to my great comfort, how happy it was that I had provided a tame flock or herd of goats, for I durst not upon any account fire my gun, especially near that side of the island where they usually came, lest I should alarm the savages;
我现在发现，我老早养了一群羊，这真给了我极大的宽慰，因为我无论如何也不敢再开枪，尤其是在他们常来的一带地方，唯恐惊动了那些野人。
and if they had fled from me now, I was sure to have them come again with perhaps two or three hundred canoes with them in a few days, and then I knew what to expect.
我知道，即使我暂时把他们吓跑，不出明天他们就会卷土重来，那时，说不定会来两三百只独木舟，我的结果也就可想而知了。
However, I wore out a year and three months more before I ever saw any more of the savages, and then I found them again, as I shall soon observe.
然而，在一年零三个月中，我从未见过一个野人。直到后来，才又重新碰到了他们。详细经过，我下面再谈。
It is true they might have been there once or twice; but either they made no stay, or at least I did not see them;
不错，在这段时期中，他们很可能来过一两次。不过，他们大概没有在岛上逗留多久，要不就是我自己没有听到他们的动静。
but in the month of May, as near as I could calculate, and in my four and twentieth year, I had a very strange encounter with them; of which in its place.
可是现在，我在岛上已生活了二十四个年头了。大概是这一年的五月份，我又见到了那些食人族。这可以说是一次奇遇。下面我就讲讲这次不期而遇的经过。
