I was loth to spend our shot too hastily; so I called my servant, not my man Friday, for he was better employed, for, with the greatest dexterity imaginable, he had charged my fusee and his own while we were engaged --
我不愿匆匆放完最后一排枪,就叫来了自己的仆人。我没有叫星期五,而是叫了我新雇的那个水手。星期五有更重要的任务要完成。在我们开火的时候,他以惊人的速度给我和他自己的枪装弹药。
but, as I said, I called my other man, and giving him a horn of powder, I had him lay a train all along the piece of timber, and let it be a large train.
所以我说,我叫的是新雇的仆人。我给了他一角火药,命令他沿着那根长木头把火药撒下去,撒成一条宽宽长长的火药线。
He did so, and had but just time to get away, when the wolves came up to it, and some got upon it, when I, snapping an unchanged pistol close to the powder, set it on fire;
他照着办了。他刚转身回来,狼群就冲了过来,有几只甚至已冲上了那根长木。我立即抓起一支没有放过的手枪,贴近火药线开了一枪,使火药燃烧起来。
those that were upon the timber were scorched with it, and six or seven of them fell; or rather jumped in among us with the force and fright of the fire;
冲上木料的几只狼给烧伤了;其中有六、七只由于火光的威力和惊恐,竟连跌带跳地落入我们中间。
we despatched these in an instant, and the rest were so frightened with the light, which the night for it was now very near dark made more terrible that they drew back a little;
我们立即把它们解决了。其他的狼被火光吓得半死,加上这时天已黑下来,火光看起来就更可怕了,这才使那些狼后退了几步。
upon which I ordered our last pistols to be fired off in one volley, and after that we gave a shout;
这时,我就下令全体人员用手枪一起开火,那是我们剩下的最后一批没有放过的手枪。然后大家齐声呐喊。
upon this the wolves turned tail, and we sallied immediately upon near twenty lame ones that we found struggling on the ground, and fell to cutting them with our swords,
这才使那些狼掉转尾巴逃跑了。于是我们马上冲到那二十多只受伤的狼跟前;它们已跑不动了,只是在地上挣扎。我们拿起刀乱砍乱杀。
which answered our expectation, for the crying and howling they made was better understood by their fellows; so that they all fled and left us.
正如我们预期的那样,这办法果然奏效,因为那些逃跑的狼听到同伴的惨叫声,知道事情不妙,就吓得跑远了,而且再也没有回来。
We had, first and last, killed about threescore of them, and had it been daylight we had killed many more.
我们一共打死了六十多只狼。要是在白天,我们也许能杀死更多。
The field of battle being thus cleared, we made forward again, for we had still near a league to go.
扫清了敌人,就继续前进。我们还要赶三英里的路。
We heard the ravenous creatures howl and yell in the woods as we went several times, and sometimes we fancied we saw some of them; but the snow dazzling our eyes, we were not certain.
在路上,有好几次,听到饿狼在森林里嚎叫咆哮。有时,好像还看到几只狼的身影,但因雪光耀眼,不敢十分肯定。
In about an hour more we came to the town where we were to lodge, which we found in a terrible fright and all in arms;
大约又过了半小时,我们才到了预定要过夜的那个小镇。到了那里,发现全镇人个个惊恐万状,并全副武装。
for, it seems, the night before the wolves and some bears had broken into the village, and put them in such terror that they were obliged to keep guard night and day, but especially in the night, to preserve their cattle, and indeed their people.
原来昨天晚上,有不少狼和几只熊侵入了村子,把人们吓坏了,只好昼夜巡逻守卫;尤其是夜里,更要严加把守,保护牲畜,更要保卫全体居民。
The next morning our guide was so ill, and his limbs swelled so much with the rankling of his two wounds, that he could go no farther;
第二天早晨,向导的病势加重了;他的两处伤口化脓,四肢肿胀,根本无法上路。
so we were obliged to take a new guide here, and go to Toulouse, where we found a warm climate, a fruitful, pleasant country, and no snow, no wolves, nor anything like them;
我们只得雇了一个新向导,把我们带到土鲁斯。那儿气候温和,物产丰富,风景明媚,既没有雪,也没有狼或其他猛兽。
but when we told our story at Toulouse, they told us it was nothing but what was ordinary in the great forest at the foot of the mountains, especially when the snow lay on the ground;
当我们在土鲁斯把我们的经历告诉当地人时,他们对我们说,在山下大森林里,碰到狼是常事,尤其是当白雪覆盖大地,狼就成群出现。
but they inquired much what kind of guide we had got who would venture to bring us that way in such a severe season, and told us it was surprising we were not all devoured.
他们再三问我们雇了哪个向导,竟敢在大雪天带我们走这条路。他们说,我们没有给狼吃掉,真是万幸!
When we told them how we placed ourselves and the horses in the middle, they blamed us exceedingly, and told us it was fifty to one but we had been all destroyed,
我们告诉他们,我们是把马围在中间,摆成一个三角形的阵势打退狼群的。他们听了后大大责怪了我们一阵子,说我们没有把命送掉,真是运气。
for it was the sight of the horses which made the wolves so furious, seeing their prey, and that at other times they are really afraid of a gun;
狼主要是想吃马。它们之所以那样奋不顾身冲上来,是由于看到了我们身后的马。一般来说,狼是怕枪的,
but being excessively hungry, and raging on that account, the eagerness to come at the horses had made them senseless of danger,
但当它们饿疯时,就会不顾危险,只想抢马吃了。
and that if we had not by the continual fire, and at last by the stratagem of the train of powder, mastered them, it had been great odds but that we had been torn to pieces;
要不是我们连续开枪,并且最后用点燃火药的办法把他们吓退,我们大概早就给那些饿狼撕成碎片吃掉了。
whereas, had we been content to have sat still on horseback, and fired as horsemen, they would not have taken the horses so much for their own, when men were on their backs, as otherwise;
其实,只要我们安安稳稳地坐在马上,像骑兵那样向狼群开枪,它们看到马上有人,就不会把马看作猎物了。
and withal, they told us that at last, if we had stood altogether, and left our horses, they would have been so eager to have devoured them, that we might have come off safe, especially having our firearms in our hands, being so many in number.
最后,他们又说,如果我们大家紧挨在一起,丢开我们的马,狼就一心只想吃马而不会管我们,我们也可平安通过,更何况我们有武器,而且人多势众。
For my part, I was never so sensible of danger in my life; for, seeing above three hundred devils come roaring and open mouthed to devour us, and having nothing to shelter us or retreat to, I gave myself over for lost;
对我来说,这次遇险,是我一生中最可怕的一次。当时,我看到三百多个恶魔般的畜牲嚎叫着向我们冲来,张开大嘴恨不得一口把我们吞掉,而我们又无处可躲,无处可退,我以为一定完蛋了。
and, as it was, I believe I shall never care to cross those mountains again: I think I would much rather go a thousand leagues by sea, though I was sure to meet with a storm once a week.
说实在的,从此我再也不想过那些山了。我觉得宁可在海上航行三千海里,那怕一星期遇上一次风暴,也比过那些荒山野岭强。
I have nothing uncommon to take notice of in my passage through France nothing but what other travellers have given an account of with much more advantage than I can.
在法国的旅程,一路上没有什么特别的事情可记;即使有,也不过是许多其他旅行家已记过的事,而且他们肯定比我记得好得多。
I travelled from Toulouse to Paris, and without any considerable stay came to Calais, and landed safe at Dover the 14th of January, after having had a severe cold season to travel in.
我从土鲁斯到巴黎,一路马不停蹄,直达加莱。随后,在一月十四日,平安渡过海峡到达多佛尔。这整整一个最严寒的冬季,我就在旅行中度过了。
I was now come to the centre of my travels, and had in a little time all my new discovered estate safe about me, the bills of exchange which I brought with me having been currently paid.
现在我已抵达旅行的终点了。在短短的几天里,我兑现了带来的几张汇票;我新获得的财产,也都安全地转到了我的手上。
My principal guide and privy counsellor was my good ancient widow, who, in gratitude for the money I had sent her, thought no pains too much nor care too great to employ for me;
我的长辈和良师益友,就是那位心地善良的老寡妇。她衷心感激我汇给她的钱;因此,她不辞劳苦,对我关怀备至,尽心尽力为我服务。
and I trusted her so entirely that I was perfectly easy as to the security of my effects;
我对她也是一百个放心,把所有的财产都交托给她保管。
and, indeed, I was very happy from the beginning, and now to the end, in the unspotted integrity of this good gentlewoman.
事实上,我对这位善良的、有教养的女人自始至终都非常满意。
And now, having resolved to dispose of my plantation in the Brazils, I wrote to my old friend at Lisbon, who, having offered it to the two merchants, the survivors of my trustees, who lived in the Brazils,
现在,我决定把巴西的种植园卖掉。为此,我写了一封信给我在里斯本的那位老朋友。他以我的名义通知住在巴西的那两位商人,也就是我那两位代理人住在巴西的儿子。
they accepted the offer, and remitted thirty three thousand pieces of eight to a correspondent of theirs at Lisbon to pay for it.
他们接受了我的卖价,并已经汇了三万三千葡萄牙金币给他们在里斯本的代理人,嘱咐他照付。