and if I reached the shore of the main I might perhaps meet with relief, or I might coast along, as I did on the African shore, till I came to some inhabited country, and where I might find some relief;
我想,只要一上大陆,我就会得救;或者,我可以像上次在非洲那样,让小舟沿海岸行驶,一直驶到有居民的地方,从而获救。
and after all, perhaps I might fall in with some Christian ship that might take me in: and if the worst came to the worst, I could but die, which would put an end to all these miseries at once.
而且说不定还会碰到文明世界的船只,他们就一定会把我救出来。最坏的结果也不过是死,一死倒好,一了百了,种种苦难也算到了尽头。
Pray note, all this was the fruit of a disturbed mind, an impatient temper, made desperate, as it were, by the long continuance of my troubles, and the disappointments I had met in the wreck I had been on board of,
请读者注意。我当时心烦意乱,性情急躁,所以才产生了上述种种想法。而我之所以心烦意乱,性情急躁,是因为长期以来生活一直不顺,加上最近我上那条遇难船后万分失望,因而心情更加烦躁不安。
and where I had been so near obtaining what I so earnestly longed for ? somebody to speak to, and to learn some knowledge from them of the place where I was, and of the probable means of my deliverance.
因为我原来指望在船上能找到一两个活人,这样我总算可以找到说说话的伙伴,并从他们那儿了解一些情况,譬如我目前究竟在哪里,有没有脱险的可能等等。
I was agitated wholly by these thoughts; all my calm of mind, in my resignation to Providence, and waiting the issue of the dispositions of Heaven, seemed to be suspended;
这些都是我冒险上船所迫切追求的目的,可是结果一无所获。所有这些都使我头脑发昏,感情冲动。在此之前,我已心情平静,只想听天由命,一切凭上天作主;可现在,心情怎么也安定不下来了。
and I had as it were no power to turn my thoughts to anything but to the project of a voyage to the main, which came upon me with such force, and such an impetuosity of desire, that it was not to be resisted.
我仿佛无法控制自己的思想,整天只想着怎样渡海到对面的大陆上去。而且,这种愿望越来越强烈,简直使我无法抗拒。
When this had agitated my thoughts for two hours or more, with such violence that it set my very blood into a ferment, and my pulse beat as if I had been in a fever,
有两三小时工夫,强烈的欲望使我激动得心跳加剧,热血沸腾,好像得了热病一样。
merely with the extraordinary fervour of my mind about it, Nature -- as if I had been fatigued and exhausted with the very thoughts of it -- threw me into a sound sleep.
当然,这只是我头脑发热罢了。我就这么想啊想,想到精疲力竭,直至昏昏睡去。
One would have thought I should have dreamed of it, but I did not, nor of anything relating to it, but I dreamed that as I was going out in the morning as usual from my castle,
也许有人以为,我在睡梦中会登上大陆。可是,我没有做这样的梦,却做了一个与此毫不相干的梦。我梦见自己像往常一样,一大早走出城堡,
I saw upon the shore two canoes and eleven savages coming to land, and that they brought with them another savage whom they were going to kill in order to eat him;
忽然看见海面上有两只独木船载着十一个野人来到岛上;他们另外还带来了一个野人,准备把他杀了吃掉。
when, on a sudden, the savage that they were going to kill jumped away, and ran for his life;
突然,他们要杀害的那个野人一下子跳起来,拼命奔逃。
and I thought in my sleep that he came running into my little thick grove before my fortification, to hide himself;
睡梦中,我恍惚见他很快就跑到我城堡外的小密林里躲起来。
and that I seeing him alone, and not perceiving that the others sought him that way, showed myself to him, and smiling upon him, encouraged him:
我发现只有他一个人,其他野人并没有过来追他,便走出城堡,向他招手微笑,并叫他不要怕。
that he kneeled down to me, seeming to pray me to assist him; upon which I showed him my ladder, made him go up, and carried him into my cave, and he became my servant;
他急忙跪在地下,仿佛求我救救他。于是,我向他指指我的梯子,叫他爬上去,并把他带到我住所的洞穴里。由此,他就成了我的仆人。
and that as soon as I had got this man, I said to myself, "Now I may certainly venture to the mainland, for this fellow will serve me as a pilot, and will tell me what to do,
我一得到这个人,心里就想:现在,我真的可以冒险上大陆了,这个野人可以做我的向导,告诉我如何行动,
and whither to go for provisions, and whither not to go for fear of being devoured; what places to venture into, and what to shun."
什么地方可弄到食物,什么地方不能去,以免被野人吃掉,什么地方可去,什么地方不可去。
I waked with this thought; and was under such inexpressible impressions of joy at the prospect of my escape in my dream, that the disappointments which I felt upon coming to myself,
正这样想着,我就醒了。起初,我觉得自己大有获救的希望,高兴得无法形容;及至清醒过来,
and finding that it was no more than a dream, were equally extravagant the other way, and threw me into a very great dejection of spirits.
发现原来不过是一场梦境,不禁又极度失望,懊丧不已。
Upon this, however, I made this conclusion: that my only way to go about to attempt an escape was, to endeavour to get a savage into my possession:
但是,这个梦境却给了我一个启示:我若想摆脱孤岛生活,唯一的办法就是尽可能弄到一个野人;
and, if possible, it should be one of their prisoners, whom they had condemned to be eaten, and should bring hither to kill.
而且,如果可能的话,最好是一个被其他野人带来准备杀了吃掉的俘虏。
But these thoughts still were attended with this difficulty: that it was impossible to effect this without attacking a whole caravan of them, and killing them all;
但要实现这个计划也有困难的一面,那就是进攻一大队野人,并把他们杀得一个不留。
and this was not only a very desperate attempt, and might miscarry, but, on the other hand, I had greatly scrupled the lawfulness of it to myself;
这种做法可以说是孤注一掷,难保不出差错;不仅如此,从另一方面来说,我还顾虑这种做法是否合法。
and my heart trembled at the thoughts of shedding so much blood, though it was for my deliverance.
一想到要杀这么多人,流这么多血,我的心不由得颤抖起来,尽管这样做是为了使自己获救。
I need not repeat the arguments which occurred to me against this, they being the same mentioned before;
前面已经谈到过为什么不应该主动去攻击野人的种种理由,所以我不必在此啰嗦了。
but though I had other reasons to offer now -- viz. that those men were enemies to my life, and would devour me if they could;
另外,我现在还可以举出种种其他理由来证明为什么我应该攻击这些野人。譬如说,这些野人是我的死敌,只要可能,他们就会把我吃掉;
that it was self-preservation, in the highest degree, to deliver myself from this death of a life, and was acting in my own defence as much as if they were actually assaulting me, and the like;
再譬如说,我这样做是为了自保,是为了自救,是一种自卫行为。因为,他们若向我进攻,我也不得不还击。