最后一块净土(外研社双语读库)(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)

作者：（美） 海明威（Ernest Hemingway）

出版社：外语教学与研究出版社

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

最后一块净土(外研社双语读库)试读：

"Nickie," his sister said to him. "Listen to me, Nickie."“尼基，”他妹妹对他说，“听我说，尼基。”

"I don't want to hear it.”“我不想听。”

He was watching the bottom of the spring where the sand rose in small spurts with the bubbling water. There was a tin cup on a forked stick that was stuck in the gravel by the spring and Nick Adams looked at it and at the water rising and then flowing clear in its gravel bed beside the road.

他看着泉水的底部，泉水汩汩地流着，小股小股的沙粒也随之翻涌。泉水边的沙砾中埋着一根树杈，树杈上顶着一个锡杯。尼克·亚当斯看着杯子，看着不断涌出的泉水又完全流入了路边的砂砾层。

He could see both ways on the road and he looked up the hill and then down to the dock and the lake, the wooded point across the bay and the open lake beyond where there were white caps running. His back was against a big cedar tree and behind him there was a thick cedar swamp. His sister was sitting on the moss beside him and she had her arm around his shoulders.

他看得见公路的两头，他抬起头看了看山冈，又低下头瞧了瞧码头和湖水，湖岸对面是树木茂密的岬角，开阔的湖面上翻滚着白色的浪尖。他背靠着一棵巨大的雪松树，身后是一片郁郁葱葱的杉树沼泽地。他妹妹此刻正坐在他身旁的苔藓上，一只胳膊揽着他的肩膀。

"The're waiting for you to come home to supper," his sister said. "There's two of them. They came in a buggy and they asked where you were.”“他们正等着你回去吃晚饭呢，”她说，“他们有两个人。他们是坐着马车来的，他们问你在哪儿。”

"Did anybody tell them?"“有人告诉他们了吗？”

"Nobody knew where you were but me. Did you get many, Nickie?"“除了我，没人知道你在哪儿。你钓到很多鱼了吗，尼基？”

"I got twenty-six.”“一共二十六条。”

"Are they good ones?"“个头大吗？”

"Just the size they want for the dinners."“拿来做饭，大小正好。”

"Oh, Nickie, I wish you wouldn't sell them.”“噢，尼基，我希望你别卖了它们。”

"She gives me a dollar a pound," Nick Adams said.“她答应一磅给我一美元。”尼克·亚当斯说。

His sister was tanned brown and she had dark brown eyes and dark brown hair with yellow streaks in it from the sun. She and Nick loved each other and they did not love the others. They always thought of everyone else in the family as the others.

妹妹的皮肤被太阳晒成了棕色；她还有深棕色的眼睛和深棕色的头发，其中几绺在阳光下发黄。兄妹俩相亲相爱，眼里没有别人。在他们眼里，家里的其他成员都是外人。

"They know about everything, Nickie," his sister said hopelessly. "They said they were going to make an example of you and send you to the reform school."“他们什么都知道了，尼基，”妹妹绝望地说，“他们说要拿你开刀，送你去教养学校。”

"They've only got proof on one thing," Nick told her. "But I guess I have to go away for a while."“他们只有一件事抓到了证据，”尼克告诉她，“不过我可能要出去避避风头。”

"Can I go?"“我能去吗？”

"No. I'm sorry, Littless. How much money have we got?”“不行，对不起，亲爱的。我们还有多少钱？”

"Fourteen dollars and sixty-five cents. I brought it.”“十四元六十五分。我带着呢。”

"Did they say anything else?"“他们还说什么了吗？”

"No. Only that they were going to stay till you came home."“没有。他们只说要等你回家才会走。”

"Our mother will get tired of feeding them."“妈妈还得给他们做吃的，肯定会觉得烦的。”

"She gave them lunch already."“她已经给他们做了午饭。”

"What were they doing?"“他们那会儿在干什么呢？”

"Just sitting around on the screen porch. They asked our mother for your rifle but I'd hid it in the woodshed when I saw them by the fence.”“就坐在纱窗门廊上。他们还问妈妈要你的步枪来着，不过我一看到他们走到篱笆旁边，就把枪藏起来了。”

"Were you expecting them?"“你料到他们会来？”

"Yes. Weren't you?”“当然，你没有料到吗？”

"I guess so. Goddam them."“是啊，这些个混蛋。”

"Goddam them for me, too," his sister said. "Aren't I old enough to go now? I hid the rifle. I brought the money.”“我也觉得他们挺混蛋的，”妹妹说道，“我都够大了，难道还不能去吗？我把猎枪藏起来了。我还把钱也带来了。”

"I'd worry about you," Nick Adams told her. "I don't even know where I'm going.”“我会为你担心的，”尼克·亚当斯告诉她，“我都不知道要去哪儿。”

"Sure you do."“你肯定知道。”

"If there's two of us they'd look harder. A boy and a girl show up.”“如果我们俩一起逃跑，他们会更卖力找我们。一个男孩和一个女孩，多显眼啊。”

"I'd go like a boy," she said. "I always wanted to be a boy anyway. They couldn't tell anything about me if my hair was cut.”“我可以打扮成男孩，”她说，“反正我一直想当个男孩。我把头发剪了，他们就认不出来了。”

"No," Nick Adams said. "That's true.”“没错，”尼克·亚当斯说，“说得没错。”

"Let's think something out good," she said. "Please, Nick, please. I could be lots of use and you'd be lonely without me. Wouldn't you be?”“咱们想些好的办法出来，”她说，“求你了，尼克，求你了。带上我很有用的，再说没有我你会孤单的。你不会孤单吗？”

"I'm lonely now thinking about going away from you.”“想到要离开你，我现在就觉得孤单了。”

"See? And we may have to be away for years. Who can tell? Take me, Nckie. Please take me." She kissed him and held onto him with both her arms. Nick Adams looked at her and tried to think straight. It was difficult. But there was no choice. "I shouldn't take you. But then I shouldn't have done any of it," he said. "I'll take you. Maybe only for a couple of days, though.”“看吧？我们可能得分开很多年。谁知道呢？带上我吧，尼克。求你带上我吧。”她吻了他一下，用两只胳膊紧紧地搂住他。尼克·亚当斯看着她，努力想理清思路。这很难。但他别无选择。“我不应该带你走。不过我也不该干那些事，”他说，“我带上你。不过，可能也就带几天。”

"That's all right," she told him. "When you don't want me I'll go straight home. I'll go home anyway if I'm a bother or a nuisance or an expense.”“没关系，”她告诉他，“等你不想要我跟着你了，我就直接回家。假如我让你讨厌，觉得麻烦或者费钱了，我就回家。”

"Let's think it out," Nick Adams told her. He looked up and down the road and up at the sky where the big high afternoon clouds were riding and at the white caps on the lake out beyond the point.“我们得好好考虑一下。”尼克·亚当斯说道。他仔细打量着眼前的公路，又抬头望了望天，只见午后的天空中高悬着大朵大朵的云彩；他又看了看岬角那边湖面上的白色浪花。

"I'd go through the woods down to the inn beyond the point and sell her the trout," he told his sister. "She ordered them for dinners tonight. Right now they want more trout dinners than chicken dinners. I don't know why. The trout are in good shape. I gutted them and they're wrapped in cheesecloth and they'll be cool and fresh. I'll tell her I'm in some trouble with the game wardens and that they're looking for me and I have to get out of the country for a while. I'll get her to give me a small skillet and some salt and pepper and some bacon and some shortening and some corn meal. I'll get her to give me a sack to put everything in and I'll get some dried apricots and some prunes and some tea and plenty of matches and a hatchet. But I can only get one blanket. She'll help me because buying trout is just as bad as selling them.”“我要穿过树林，到岬角地那边的小酒馆去，把鳟鱼卖给老板娘，”他告诉妹妹，“她订了鱼，拿来做晚饭。现在晚餐点鳟鱼的人比点鸡肉的人多。我也不知道为什么。这些鳟鱼卖相不粗。我已经给它们掏空了内脏，用粗棉布包起来了，这样它们就可以保持新鲜，不会变质了。我打算跟她说，我跟这里的渔猎法执法官起了点儿冲突，他们正四处找我，我得出去一段时间，避避风头。我会让她给我一个小煎锅、给我点儿盐、胡椒粉、熏肉、起酥油和玉米粉。我会叫她给我个大布袋，好把东西都放进去，顺便拿一些杏干、梅干和茶叶，再多带些火柴和一把短柄小斧。不过我只能弄到一条毯子。她肯定会帮我的，因为买鳟鱼和卖鳟鱼一样是犯法的。”

"I can get a blanket," his sister said. "I'll wrap it around the rifle and I'll bring your moccasins and my moccasins and I'll change to different overalls and a shirt and hide these so they'll think I'm wearing them and I'll bring soap and a comb and a pair of scissors and something to sew with and Lorna Doone and Swiss Family Robinson.”“我也能弄到一条毯子，”妹妹说道，“我会把猎枪裹在毯子里，带上你的鹿皮鞋和我的鹿皮鞋，我再换上其他样式的工装裤和衬衫，再把身上的这套藏起来，这样他们就会以为我穿的是这套。我会拿上肥皂、梳子、剪刀和针线包，还有《洛纳·杜恩》和《瑞士的鲁宾逊一家》。”

"Bring all the .22’s you can find," Nick Adams said. Then quickly, "Come on back: Get out of sight.” He had seen a buggy coming down the road.“别忘了带点二二口径的子弹，能找到多少就带多少。”尼克·亚当斯说。这时，他快速说道：“快点儿回来，别让人看见。”他刚看到路上开过来一辆马车。

Behind the cedars they lay flat against the springy moss with their faces down and heard the soft noise of the horses' hooves in the sand and the small noise of the wheels. Neither of the men in the buggy was talking but Nick Adams smelled them as they went past and he smelled the sweated horses. He sweated himself until they were well past on their way to the dock because he thought they might stop to water at the spring or to get a drink.

他们趴在雪松树后面的地上，紧贴着潮湿的苔藓，听着马蹄在沙土地上发出轻轻的嘚嘚声和车轮细微的吱呀声。马车里的两个人谁都没有出声，但当马车驶过时，尼克·亚当斯闻到了他们身上的味道，还闻到了汗淋淋的马匹的味道。他急得出了一身汗，直到他们在通往码头的路上渐渐走远，才稍稍放下心来。他还以为他们会停下来饮马或喝水什么的。

"Is that them, Littless?" he asked.“就是他们俩吗，小妹？”他问。

"Yeah," she said.“没错。”她回答道。

"Crawl way back in," Nick Adams said. He crawled back into the swamp, pulling his sack of fish. The swamp was mossy and not muddy there. Then he stood up and hid the sack behind the trunk of a cedar and motioned the girl to come further in. They went into the cedar swamp, moving as softly as deer.“再爬进来一点儿。”尼克·亚当斯说。他拖着那袋鱼，爬到了后面的沼泽旁。这一带的沼泽布满了苔藓，却不泥泞。随后，他站了起来，将袋子藏到一棵雪松树的树干后面，示意妹妹再往里面来一点。他们钻进了这片雪松树沼泽中，脚步轻得像两只小鹿。

"I know the one," Nick Adams said. "He's a no good son of a bitch.”“其中的一个我认识，”尼克·亚当斯说，“狗娘养的王八蛋。”

"He said he'd been after you for four years.”“他说他找了你四年了。”

"I know."“我知道。”

"The other one, the big one with the spit tobacco face and the blue suit, is the one from down state."“另一个，穿着蓝色套装、脸看上去像烟草渣子的大个子，是从南边那个州来的。”

"Good," Nick said. "Now we've had a look at them I better get going. Can you get home all right?”“不错，”尼克说，“既然见过他们了，我最好快点儿上路。你可以自己回家吗？”

"Sure. I'll cut up to the top of the hill and keep off the road. Where will I meet you tonight, Nickie?”“没问题。我会从山顶那边抄近道走，尽量避开公路的。我今晚在哪儿跟你碰面，尼基？”

"I don't think you ought to come, Littless.”“我还是觉得你不该来，小妹。”

"I've got to come. You don't know how it is. I can leave a note for our mother and say I went with you and you'll take good care of me.”“我一定要来。你根本不懂怎么回事。我可以给妈妈留张纸条，就说我跟你走了，你会照顾好我的。”

"All right," Nick Adams said. "I'll be where the big hemlock is that was struck by lightning. The one that's down. Straight up from the cove. Do you know the one? On the short cut to the road.”“好吧，”尼克·亚当斯说，“我会在那棵被闪电击中过的大铁杉旁边等你。就是倒在地上的那棵。从小湾处一直往里走。你知道那棵树在哪儿吗？就在通往公路的近道上。”

"That's awfully close to the house.”“那儿离家近得很呢。”

"I don't want you to have to carry the stuff too far.”“我不想让你带着那么多东西走太远。”

"I'll do what you say. But don't take chances, Nickie.”“你怎么说，我就怎么做。但是不要冒险，尼基。”

"I'd like to have the rifle and go down now to the edge of the timber and kill both of those bastards while they're on the dock and wire a piece of iron on them from the old mill and sink them in the channel.” "And then what would you do?" his sister asked. "Somebody sent them."“现在我恨不得拿着猎枪去树林边上，趁那两个混蛋在码头上的时候，杀了他们。然后去老磨坊找块烙铁，拿铁丝绑在他们身上，扔到河槽里去。”“杀了他们之后呢？接下来你怎么办？”他的妹妹问道，“他们是别人派来的。”

"Nobody sent that first son of a bitch."“第一个王八蛋可没人派他来。”

"But you killed the moose and you sold the trout and you killed what they took from your boat."“但你打死了麋鹿，卖了鳟鱼，又杀了他们从你船上拿走的东西。”

"That was all right to kill that."“打死那些东西不犯法。”

He did not like to mention what that was, because that was the proof they had.

他不想提那些究竟是什么，因为那是他们掌握的证据。

"I know. But you're not going to kill people and that's why I'm going with you.”“我知道。但是你不能杀人，我跟你走也是因为这个。”

"Let's stop talking about it. But I'd like to kill those two sons of bitches.”“我们别再说这个了。我还是想杀了那两个王八蛋。”

"I know," she said. "So would I. But we're not going to kill people, Nickie. Will you promise me?”“我知道，”她说，“我也想。但我们不能杀人，尼基。你能答应我吗？”

"No. Now I don't know whether it's safe to take her the trout.”“不能。我都不知道把鳟鱼送给她安不安全。”

"I'll take them to her.”“让我来送吧。”

"No. They're too heavy. I'll take them through the swamp and to the woods in back of the hotel. You go straight to the hotel and see if she's there and if everything's all right. And if it is you'll find me there by the big basswood tree.” "It's a long way there through the swamp, Nicky.”“不行。太重了。我会拿着鱼穿过沼泽，走到旅馆后面的树林里。你直接去旅店，看看老板娘在不在，是否一切正常。如果一切顺利，你就去那棵大椴树旁边找我，我会在那儿等你。”“穿过沼泽去旅店，路很远呢，尼克。”

"It's a long way back from reform school, too.”“那儿离教养学校也很远。”

"Can't I come with you through the swamp? I'll go in then and see her while you stay out and come back out with you and take them in.”“我能和你一起穿过沼泽吗？到时候我进去见她，你在外面等我出来找你，然后我们一起把鱼拿进去。”

"All right," Nick said. "But I wish you'd do it the other way.”“也好，”尼克说，“但我希望你能照我说的去做。”

"Why, Nickie?"“为什么，尼基？”

"Because you'll see them maybe on the road and you can tell me where they've gone. I'll see you in the second-growth wood lot in back of the hotel where the big basswood is.” Nick waited more than an hour in the second-growth timber and his sister had not come. When she came she was excited and he knew she was tired.“因为你可能会在路上看到他们，然后就能告诉我他们往哪边去了。我会在旅馆后面的那片次生林地里等你，就在那棵大椴树那儿。”尼克在次生林里呆了一个多小时，也没等到他妹妹。她出现的时候，看上去很激动，他知道她累了。

"They're at our house," she said. "They're sitting out on the screen porch and drinking whiskey and ginger ale and they've unhitched and put their horses up. They say they're going to wait till you come back. It was our mother told them you'd gone fishing at the creek. I don't think she meant to. Anyway I hope not.” "What about Mrs. Packard?"“他们就在我们家里，”她说，“他们就坐在纱窗门廊上，喝着威士忌和姜汁汽水。他们松了马缰绳，把马牵到马厩里去了。他们说，等不到你就不走。是妈妈告诉他们，说你去溪边钓鱼了。我觉得她不是故意的。不管怎么说，我希望她不是故意的。”“那帕卡德夫人呢？”

"I saw her in the kitchen of the hotel and she asked me if I'd seen you and I said no. She said she was waiting for you to bring her some fish for tonight. She was worried. You might as well take them in.” "Good," he said. "They're nice and fresh. I repacked them in ferns.”“我看到她在旅馆的厨房里，她问我有没有见过你，我说没有。她说她等着你给她送今晚的鱼呢。她很担心的样子。你最好把鱼拿进去吧。”“好，”他答道，“这些鱼挺不错的，还很新鲜。我又拿蕨草重新包了一下。”

"Can I come in with you?"“我能和你一起进去吗？”

"Sure," Nick said.“当然可以。”尼克说。

The hotel was a long wooden building with a porch that fronted on the lake. There were wide wooden steps that led down to the pier that ran far out into the water and there were natural cedar railings alongside the steps and natural cedar railings around the porch. There were chairs made of natural cedar on the porch and in them sat middle-aged people wearing white clothes. There were three pipes set on the lawn with spring water bubbling out of them, and little paths led to them. The water tasted like rotten eggs because these were mineral springs and Nick and his sister used to drink from them as a matter of discipline. Now coming toward the rear of the hotel, where the kitchen was, they crossed a plank bridge over a small brook running into the lake beside the hotel, and slipped into the back door of the kitchen. "Wash them and put them in the ice box, Nickie," Mrs. Packard said. "I'll weigh them later.”

旅馆是座长方形的木头房子，门廊面朝着湖水。宽阔的木质台阶一直通向码头，长长的码头在水面延伸开去，台阶两侧和门廊四周都竖着天然雪松木做成的栏杆。门廊上摆放着几把天然杉木制的椅子，上面坐着几个穿白衣的中年男子。草坪上装着三根水管，管口汩汩地冒着泉水，几条小径直通到水管跟前。泉水喝起来有一股臭鸡蛋味，因为里面有矿物质；尼克和妹妹过去常来这里喝水，权当是一种锻炼。现在他们来到了旅馆后面，厨房就在这里。旅馆旁有条小溪，潺潺溪水汇入旅馆旁边的湖泊中，一座木板桥横在溪流上方。他们过了木板桥，偷偷从厨房后门溜了进去。“尼基，把鱼洗干净，放到冰柜里去，”帕卡德夫人说，“我等会儿过来称。”

"Mrs. Packard," Nick said. "Could I speak to you a minute?"“帕卡德夫人，”尼克说，“我能占用您几分钟吗？”

"Speak up," she said. "Can't you see I'm busy?”“快说，”她说，“没看见我正忙着吗？”

"If I could have the money now."“我希望现在就能拿到钱。”

Mrs. Packard was a handsome woman in a gingham apron. She had a beautiful complexion and she was very busy and her kitchen help were there as well.

帕卡德夫人是个漂亮女人，围着方格花布的围裙。她的肤色很好，正忙着干活，厨房的帮工也在一旁。

"You don't mean you want to sell trout. Don't you know that's against the law?”“你不会是要把鳟鱼卖给我吧。你不知道那是犯法的吗？”

"I know," Nick said. "I brought you the fish for a present. I mean my time for the wood I split and corded."“我知道，”尼克回答说，“这些鱼是我送给您的礼物。我说的是砍柴和捆柴的工钱。”

"I'll get it," she said. "I have to go to the annex."“我明白了，”她说，“我得去趟旁边的屋子，我身上没钱。”

Nick and his sister followed her outside. On the board sidewalk that led to the icehouse from the kitchen she stopped and put her hands in her apron pocket and took out a pocketbook.

尼克和他的妹妹跟着她走出了厨房。在厨房通往冰室的木板通道上，她停下了脚步，把手伸进围裙的口袋里，拿出了一个钱包。

"You get out of here," she said quickly and kindly. "And get out of here fast. How much do you need?"“你马上离开这里，”她语速很快，但语气很温和。“迅速离开这里。你需要多少钱？”

"I've got sixteen dollars," Nick said.“我有十六美元。”尼克答道。

"Take twenty," she told him. "And keep that tyke out of trouble. Let her go home and keep an eye on them until you're clear.”“这是二十美元，”她告诉他，“别让那个小孩儿跟着受牵连。让她回家去，顺便看着他们点儿，直到你走远。”

"When did you hear about them?"“你什么时候知道他们要来的？”

She shook her head at him.

她冲他摇了摇头。

"Buying is as bad or worse than selling," she said. "You stay away until things quiet down. Nickie, you're a good boy no matter what anybody says. You see Packard if things get bad. Come here nights if you need anything. I sleep light. Just knock on the window.” "You aren't going to serve them tonight are you, Mrs. Packard? You're not going to serve them for the dinners?”“买鳟鱼和卖鳟鱼一样不合法，可能罪名还更大，”她说，“你跑得远点儿，等风头过了再回来。尼基，不管别人说什么，你都是个好孩子。如果事态严重，你就去找帕卡德先生。需要什么的话，就夜里来找我。我睡觉很轻的。只要敲敲窗户就行了。”“今晚你不打算做鳟鱼了吧，帕卡德太太？今天晚饭不卖鳟鱼了吧？”

"No," she said. "But I'm not going to waste them. Packard can eat half a dozen and I know other people that can. Be careful, Nickie, and let it blow over. Keep out of sight.”“不卖了，”她说，“这鱼也不会浪费的。帕卡德先生一顿就能吃上六七条，我还知道其他一样能吃的人。小心点，尼基，等事情过去了就好了。别让人发现你。”

"Littless wants to go with me."“妹妹想和我一起走。”

"Don't you dare take her," Mrs. Packard said. "You come by tonight and I'll have some stuff made up for you.”“你还敢带她走，”帕卡德夫人说，“今天晚上你到这儿来一趟，我给你准备些要带的东西。”

"Could you let me take a skillet?"“您能给我个平底煎锅吗？”

"I'll have what you need. Packard knows what you need. I don't give you any more money so you'll keep out of trouble.”“只要你用得着，我都会给你的。帕卡德先生知道你需要什么。我就给你这么多钱，省得给你招来麻烦。”

"I'd like to see Mr. Packard about getting a few things.”“我想见见帕卡德先生，问他要几样东西。”

"He'll get you anything you need. But don't you go near the store, Nick.”“你要什么，他都会给你的。但千万别靠近商店，尼克。”

"I'll get Littless to take him a note.”“我会让小妹给他捎个信的。”

"Anytime you need anything," Mrs. Packard said. "Don't you worry. Packard will be studying things out.”“不管什么时候，需要什么尽管说，”帕卡德夫人说，“别担心。帕卡德先生会帮你想办法的。”

"Good-bye, Aunt Halley.”“再见了，哈利阿姨。”

"Good-bye," she said and kissed him. She smelt wonderful when she kissed him. It was the way the kitchen smelled when they were baking. Mrs. Packard smelled like her kitchen and her kitchen always smelled good. "Don't worry and don't do anything bad.”“再见。”她边说着边吻了吻他。她吻他的时候，他闻到了她身上的香气。味道和厨房烤面包时的味道一样。帕卡德夫人身上总是散发着厨房的味道，而她的厨房总是闻起来很香。“不要担心，也别干什么坏事。”

"I'll be all right.”“我会好好的。”

"Of course," she said. "And Packard will figure out something."“当然，”她说，“帕卡德先生会有办法的。”

They were in the big hemlocks on the hill behind the house now. It was evening and the sun was down beyond the hills on the other side of the lake.

现在，兄妹俩站在屋后山上的大铁杉树林里。夜幕降临了，太阳沉到了湖对岸的山坡后面。

"I've found everything," his sister said. "It's going to make a pretty big pack, Nickie.”“我找到了所有的东西，”妹妹说，“很大一包呢，尼基。”

"I know it. What are they doing?"“我知道。他们在干什么呢？”

"They ate a big supper and now they're sitting out on the porch and drinking. They're telling each other stories about how smart they are.”“他们晚饭吃得很多，这会儿在门廊上坐着喝酒。他们轮番吹牛，夸自己有多聪明呢。”

"They aren't very smart so far.”“到目前为止，他们都不是很聪明。”

"They're going to starve you out," his sister said. "A couple of nights in the woods and you'll be back. You hear a loon holler a couple of times when you got an empty stomach and you'll be back.” "What did our mother give them for supper?"“他们打算让你饿着，”妹妹说，“在树林里呆上几个晚上，你就会乖乖地回来了。等到你肚子饿了，听到潜鸟叫几声，你就会回来了。”“晚上妈妈给他们吃了什么？”

"Awful," his sister said.“糟透了。”妹妹说。

"Good."“那就好。”

"I've located everything on the list. Our mother's gone to bed with a sick headache. She wrote our father.”“单子上的所有东西我都弄到了。妈妈头疼，已经上床睡觉了。她给爸爸写信了。”

"Did you see the letter?"“你看到信了吗？”

"No. It's in her room with the list of stuff to get from the store tomorrow. She's going to have to make a new list when she finds everything is gone in the morning.” "How much are they drinking?"“没有。信在她的房间里，和明天要买的杂货清单放在一起了。等明天早上她发现东西都不见了，又得重新列一份单子了。”“他们喝了多少酒？”

"They've drunk about a bottle, I guess.”“我猜喝了一瓶左右吧。”

"I wish we could put knockout drops in it."“要是我们在里面放了蒙汗药就好了。”

"I could put them in if you'll tell me how. Do you put them in the bottle?”“你告诉我怎么放，我去放好了。直接放在酒瓶里吗？”

"No. In the glass. But we haven't got any.”“不是。放在杯子里。但是我们没有药啊。”

"Would there be any in the medicine cabinet?"“药箱里有没有？”

"No."“没有。”

"I could put paregoric in the bottle. They have another bottle. Or calomel. I know we've got those.”“我可以在酒瓶里撒点止痛药。他们还有一瓶呢。或者甘汞也可以。我知道药箱里有那个。”

"No," said Nick. "You try to get me about half the other bottle when they're asleep. Put it in any old medicine bottle.”“不行，”尼克说，“等他们睡着了，你去看看能不能把那半瓶酒弄过来。随便拿个旧药瓶去倒半瓶就行。”

"I better go and watch them," his sister said. "My, I wish we had knockout drops. I never even heard of them."“我最好去看着他们，”妹妹说，“天哪，我真希望我们有蒙汗药。可是我连听都没听说过。”

"They aren't really drops," Nick told her. "It's chloral hydrate. Whores give it to lumberjacks in their drinks when they're going to jack roll them.”“其实不是蒙汗药，”尼克告诉她，“是一种叫水合氯醛的药。有些妓女想偷伐木工人口袋里的钱，就在他们喝的酒里下这种药。”

"It sounds pretty bad," his sister said. "But we probably ought to have some for in emergencies."“听起来真可怕，”妹妹说，“不过我们可能还是得弄一点儿，以防万一。”

"Let me kiss you," her brother said. "Just for in an emergency. Let's go down and watch them drinking. I'd like to hear them talk sitting in our own house.”“让我亲亲你吧，”哥哥说道，“这也是以防万一。我们下去看着他们喝。我倒想听听，他们在我们的家里在胡诌些什么。”

"Will you promise not to get angry and do anything bad?"“你能答应我绝对不发火，也不干坏事吗？”

"Sure."“当然能。”

"Nor to the horses. It's not the horses' fault.”“也不伤害他们的马。这不是马的错。”

"Not the horses either."“我也不会伤害马的。”

"I wish we had knockout drops," his sister said loyally.“要是有蒙汗药就好了。”妹妹真心实意地感叹道。

"Well, we haven't," Nick told her. "I guess there aren't any this side of Boyne City.”“可惜我们没有，”尼克对她说，“我估计，这边的博因城都没有。”

They sat in the woodshed and they watched the two men sitting at the table on the screen porch. The moon had not risen and it was dark, but the outlines of the men showed against the lightness that the lake made behind them. They were not talking now but were both leaning forward on the table. Then Nick heard the clink of ice against a bucket.

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