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When he had returned home he made his own preparations for the grim evening in front of him.
麦克默多回到家中，着手准备夜晚这场你死我活的格斗。
First he cleaned, oiled, and loaded his Smith & Wesson revolver.
麦克默多首先把他那支史密斯和威森牌左轮擦干净，上好油，装足子弹。
Then he surveyed the room in which the detective was to be trapped.
然后检查一下这位侦探即将落入圈套的那间厅房。
It was a large apartment, with a long deal table in the centre, and the big stove at one side.
这间厅房很宽阔，中间放着一条长桌，旁边有一个大炉子。
At each of the other sides were windows. There were no shutters on these: only light curtains which drew across.
两旁全是窗户，窗户上没有窗板，只挂着一些浅色的窗帘。
McMurdo examined these attentively. No doubt it must have struck him that the apartment was very exposed for so secret a meeting.
麦克默多很仔细地检查了一番。毫无疑问，这间房屋非常严密，正适于进行这样秘密的约会。
Yet its distance from the road made it of less consequence. Finally he discussed the matter with his fellow lodger.
而且这里离大路很远，不会引来不良后果。最后麦克默多又与他的同伙斯坎伦商议。
Scanlan, though a Scowrer, was an inoffensive little man who was too weak to stand against the opinion of his comrades,
斯坎伦虽是一个死酷党人，但却是一个于人无害的小人物，他极为软弱无能，不敢反对他那些同伙的意见，
but was secretly horrified by the deeds of blood at which he had sometimes been forced to assist.
可是有时他被迫参加一些血腥的暗杀勾当，私下里却异常惊恐厌恶。
McMurdo told him shortly what was intended.
麦克默多三言两语把即将发生的事告诉了他。
"And if I were you, Mike Scanlan, I would take a night off and keep clear of it. There will be bloody work here before morning."
"假如我要是你的话，迈克·斯坎伦，我就在今夜离开这里，落得一身清净。这里在清晨以前，一定会有流血事件发生。"
"Well, indeed then, Mac," Scanlan answered. "It's not the will but the nerve that is wanting in me.
"真的，麦克，"斯坎伦答道，"我并不愿意这样，可是我缺乏勇气。
When I saw Manager Dunn go down at the colliery yonder it was just more than I could stand. I'm not made for it, same as you or McGinty.
在我看到离这里很远的那家煤矿的经理邓恩被害时，我几乎忍受不住了。我没有像你或麦金蒂那样的胆量。
If the lodge will think none the worse of me, I'll just do as you advise and leave you to yourselves for the evening."
假如会里不加害于我，我就照你劝告我的那样办，你们自己去处理晚上的事好了。"
The men came in good time as arranged.
麦金蒂等人如约赶来。
They were outwardly respectable citizens, well clad and cleanly; but a judge of faces would have read little hope for Birdy Edwards in those hard mouths and remorseless eyes.
他们是一些外表很体面的人，衣着华丽整洁，可是一个善于观察的人可以从他们紧闭的嘴角和凶恶残忍的目光中看出，他们渴望擒获伯尔弟·爱德华。
There was not a man in the room whose hands had not been reddened a dozen times before.
室内没有一个人的双手以前不是多次沾满鲜血的。
They were as hardened to human murder as a butcher to sheep.
他们杀起人来心肠铁硬，如同屠夫屠宰绵羊一般。
Foremost, of course, both in appearance and in guilt, was the formidable Boss.
当然，从令人生畏的身主麦金蒂的外貌和罪恶来看，他是首要人物。
Harraway, the secretary, was a lean, bitter man with a long, scraggy neck and nervous, jerky limbs,
书记哈拉威是一个骨瘦如柴的人，心黑手狠，长着一个皮包骨的长脖子，四肢神经痉挛，
a man of incorruptible fidelity where the finances of the order were concerned, and with no notion of justice or honesty to anyone beyond.
很关心分会的资金来源，却不顾得来是否公正合法。
The treasurer, Carter, was a middle-aged man, with an impassive, rather sulky expression, and a yellow parchment skin.
司库卡特是一个中年人，冷漠无情、死气沉沉，皮肤像羊皮纸一般黄。
He was a capable organizer, and the actual details of nearly every outrage had sprung from his plotting brain.
他是一个有才干的组织者，几乎每一次犯罪活动的细节安排都出自此人的罪恶头脑。
The two Willabys were men of action, tall, lithe young fellows with determined faces,
威拉比两兄弟是实干家，个子高大，年轻力壮，手脚灵活，神色坚决果断，
while their companion, Tiger Cormac, a heavy, darkyouth, was feared even by his own comrades for the ferocity of his disposition.
他们的伙伴老虎科马克是一个粗眉大眼的黑脸大汉，甚至会中的同伙对他那凶狠残暴的秉性也畏惧几分。
These were the men who assembled that night under the roof of McMurdo for the killing of the Pinkerton detective.
就是这些人，准备这一夜在麦克默多寓所杀害平克顿侦探。
