Treasure Island金银岛

Chapter 9

Powder and Arms火药和武器

THE HISPANIOLA lay some way out, and we went under the figureheads and round the sterns of many other ships, and their cables sometimes grated underneath our keel, and sometimes swung above us. At last, however, we got alongside, and were met and saluted as we stepped aboard by the mate, Mr. Arrow, a brown old sailor with earrings in his ears and a squint. He and the squire were very thick and friendly, but I soon observed that things were not the same between Mr. Trelawney and the captain.
西斯潘尼奥拉号停泊的地方离岸边有些距离，我们坐平底船向那里驶去时，不停地在船只的头饰和船尾的舵叶之间绕来绕去。那些船上的缆绳时不时地擦着我们的船底，时而在我们的头顶上晃荡。我们终于到了西斯潘尼奥拉号旁，大副埃罗先生在我们登船时迎接我们，并向我们致敬。这是一个老水手，皮肤棕色，戴着耳环，斜着眼睛看人。他和乡绅非常亲密，但我很快就发现船长和特劳维尼先生之间的关系就另当别论了。
This last was a sharp-looking man who seemed angry with everything on board and was soon to tell us why, for we had hardly got down into the cabin when a sailor followed us.
船长是个脸色非常严峻的人，好像对船上的一切都有气，而且不一会儿就告诉了我们其中的原因，因为我们前脚走进船舱，后脚就有一个水手跟了进来。
"Captain Smollett, sir, axing to speak with you," said he.
“先生，斯摩莱特船长要和你谈谈。”他说。
"I am always at the captain's orders. Show him in," said the squire.
“我随时听候船长的吩咐，快请他进来。”乡绅说。
The captain, who was close behind his messenger, entered at once and shut the door behind him.
紧跟在听差后面的船长立刻走了进来，并随手关上了门。
"Well, Captain Smollett, what have you to say? All well, I hope; all shipshape and seaworthy?"
“你好，斯摩莱特船长，你想说什么？我希望一切进展顺利，万事俱备，只等出海。”
"Well, sir," said the captain, "better speak plain, I believe, even at the risk of offence. I don't like this cruise; I don't like the men; and I don't like my officer. That's short and sweet."
“你好，先生，”船长开口道，“我想即使会冒犯你，我也要实话实说。我不喜欢这次航行，我不喜欢这些人，也不喜欢大副。我说得够简单明了了吧。”
"Perhaps, sir, you don't like the ship?" inquired the squire, very angry, as I could see.
“先生，也许你不喜欢这条船吧？”乡绅问。我看他非常恼火。
"I can't speak as to that, sir, not having seen her tried," said the captain. "She seems a clever craft; more I can't say."
“在没有看到船航行之前，先生，我无权说我不喜欢它。”船长说，“这条船看上去造得精良，别的我就说不上来了。”
"Possibly, sir, you may not like your employer, either?" says the squire.
“先生，你大概也不喜欢你的雇主吧？”乡绅又说。
But here Dr. Livesey cut in.
但利维塞大夫插了进来。
"Stay a bit," said he, "stay a bit. No use of such questions as that but to produce ill feeling. The captain has said too much or he has said too little, and I'm bound to say that I require an explanation of his words. You don't, you say, like this cruise. Now, why?"
“等一等，”大夫说，“等一等。这样提问除了伤害感情外没有任何利益处。船长也许说得有点过头，也许说得还不够透彻，所以我想请他解释一下。你说你不喜欢这次航行，为什么？”
"I was engaged, sir, on what we call sealed orders, to sail this ship for that gentleman where he should bid me," said the captain. "So far so good. But now I find that every man before the mast knows more than I do. I don't call that fair, now, do you?"
“先生，我受聘于这位先生将船驶往他要去的地方，而这地方我却不知道。”船长说，“这本来也没有什么。可我发现船上每个人知道得都比我多。我认为这不公平，你说呢？”
"No," said Dr. Livesey, "I don't."
“是不公平，”利维塞大夫说，“我也认为这不公平。”
"Next," said the captain, "I learn we are going after treasure—hear it from my own hands, mind you. Now, treasure is ticketlish work; I don't like treasure voyages on any account, and I don't like them, above all, when they are secret and when (begging your pardon, Mr. Trelawney) the secret has been told to the parrot."
“而且，”船长接着说道，“我听说我们要去找什么宝藏——请注意，我是听我的手下说的。我说，寻找宝藏可不是闹着玩的事。我说什么也不喜欢出海去找宝藏，更不喜欢去寻找什么不仅人人都知道，而且——请原谅我这么说，特劳维尼先生——连鹦鹉都知道的宝藏。”
"Silver's parrot?" asked the squire.
“你是说希尔弗的鹦鹉？”乡绅问。
"It's a way of speaking," said the captain. "Blabbed, I mean. It's my belief neither of you gentlemen know what you are about, but I'll tell you my way of it—life or death, and a close run."
“我只是打个比方。”船长说，“我的意思是这已不再是什么秘密。我相信你们二位先生并不真正清楚自己在干什么，不过我可以把我的看法告诉你们：这牵涉到生死，而且形势非常险恶。”
"That is all clear, and, I dare say, true enough," replied Dr. Livesey. "We take the risk, but we are not so ignorant as you believe us. Next, you say you don't like the crew. Are they not good seamen?"
“你讲得很清楚，而且也都是大实话，”利维塞大夫说，“我们是在冒险，但我们也并不像你想象的那么糊涂。你刚才说你不喜欢这些船员，难道他们不是好水手吗？”
"I don't like them, sir," returned Captain Smollett. "And I think I should have had the choosing of my own hands, if you go to that."
“我不喜欢他们，先生，”斯摩莱特船长答道，“如果你硬想知道其中的原因，那么我认为船员本来应该由我亲自挑选的。”
"Perhaps you should," replied the doctor. "My friend should, perhaps, have taken you along with him; but the slight, if there be one, was unintentional. And you don't like Mr. Arrow?"
“也许是应该由你来挑选，”大夫说，“也许我朋友原本该带你一起去，不过，如果这方面有什么急慢之处，那也不是存心的。你不喜欢埃罗先生吗？”
"I don't, sir. I believe he's a good seaman, but he's too free with the crew to be a good officer. A mate should keep himself to himself—shouldn't drink with the men before the mast!"
“我不喜欢，先生。我相信他是个好水手，但他对手下人太放纵，不能算是个好大副。一个大副应该严于律己，不应该在船上和手下人一起喝酒！”
"Do you mean he drinks?" cried the squire.
“你是说他酗酒？”乡绅嚷了起来。
"No, sir," replied the captain, "only that he's too familiar."
“不是，先生，”船长说，“我只是说他太随便了。”
"Well, now, and the short and long of it, captain?" asked the doctor. "Tell us what you want."
“好了，我们长话短说，船长，”大夫说，“告诉我你想怎么做吧。”
"Well, gentlemen, are you determined to go on this cruise?"
“先生们，你们是不是下定决心一定要进行这次航行了？”
"Like iron," answered the squire.
“我们已经铁了心。”乡绅回答。
"Very good," said the captain. "Then, as you've heard me very patiently, saying things that I could not prove, hear me a few words more. They are putting the powder and the arms in the fore hold. Now, you have a good place under the cabin; why not put them there?—first point. Then, you are bringing four of your own people with you, and they tell me some of them are to be berthed forward. Why not give them the berths here beside the cabin?—second point."
“那好，”船长说，“既然你们已经耐心听我说了这些我无法证明的事实，那就再听我说几句吧。他们正在把火药和武器搬进前舱。你们的房舱下面有个好地方，为什么不把火药和武器放在那里呢？这是第一点。你们带了四个人，我听他们说也要睡在前舱。为什么不让他们睡在房舱旁的什么地方呢？这是第二点。”
"Any more?" asked Mr. Trelawney.
“还有呢？”特劳维尼先生问。
"One more," said the captain. "There's been too much blabbing already."
“还有一点，”船长说，“事情已经泄露得太多了。”
"Far too much," agreed the doctor.
“是太多了。”大夫赞同地说。
"I'll tell you what I've heard myself," continued Captain Smollett: "that you have a map of an island, that there's crosses on the map to show where treasure is, and that the island lies—" And then he named the latitude and longitude exactly.
“我把我听到的情况都告诉你们吧。”斯摩莱特船长接着说，“我听说你们有一张某个岛屿的地图，图上有个十字符标出了藏宝地点，这个岛屿就是在——”他精确地说出了岛的经纬度。
"I never told that," cried the squire, "to a soul!"
“我绝对没有对任何人说过这些。”乡绅嚷道。
"The hands know it, sir," returned the captain.
“水手们都知道。”船长回答。
"Livesey, that must have been you or Hawkins," cried the squire.
“利维塞，肯定是你就或霍金斯说出去的。”乡绅又嚷道。
"It doesn't much matter who it was," replied the doctor. And I could see that neither he nor the captain paid much regard to Mr. Trelawney's protestations. Neither did I, to be sure, he was so loose a talker; yet in this case I believe he was really right and that nobody had told the situation of the island.
“是谁说出去的并不重要。”大夫说。我可以看出，他和斯摩莱特船长对特劳维尼先生的申辩都不以为然。说实在的，就连我也有同感，因为我知道特劳维尼先生的嘴巴不牢靠。不过，我相信特劳维尼先生这次真的没有说出去，而且也相信我们谁都没有将岛的方位说出去。
"Well, gentlemen," continued the captain, "I don't know who has this map; but I make it a point, it shall be kept secret even from me and Mr. Arrow. Otherwise I would ask you to let me resign."
“好了，先生们，”船长接着说道，“我不知道这张图在谁的手上，但我我们要声明一点：这张图即便对我我和埃罗先生也必须保密，否则我得要请求你们允许我辞职。”
"I see," said the doctor. "You wish us to keep this matter dark and to make a garrison of the stern part of the ship, manned with my friend's own people, and provided with all the arms and powder on board. In other words, you fear a mutiny."
“我明白了。”大夫说，“你是希望我们将这件事隐瞒起来，同时在船尾部分建立一支警卫力量，由我朋友自己的人组成，并拥有船上所有的火药和武器。换句话说，你担心有人会叛乱。”
"Sir," said Captain Smollett, "with no intention to take offence, I deny your right to put words into my mouth. No captain, sir, would be justified in going to sea at all if he had ground enough to say that. As for Mr. Arrow, I believe him thoroughly honest; some of the men are the same; all may be for what I know. But I am responsible for the ship's safety and the life of every man Jack aboard of her. I see things going, as I think, not quite right. And I ask you to take certain precautions or let me resign my berth. And that's all."
“先生，”斯摩莱特船长说，“我丝毫不想冒犯你，但我认为你无权把我没有说过的话硬安到我的头上。任何船长如果有足够的理由说出你刚才那番话，都会理当然地拒绝出海。至于埃罗先生，我相信他绝对诚实；有些船员也很诚实，也许船上个个船员都很诚实，这我也难说。但是，我要对船的安全负责，也要对船上每个人的生命负责。我只是觉得事情不大对头，所以想请你们采取一些防范措施，否则就允许我辞职。我要说的就是这些。”
"Captain Smollett," began the doctor with a smile, "did ever you hear the fable of the mountain and the mouse? You'll excuse me, I dare say, but you remind me of that fable. When you came in here, I'll stake my wig, you meant more than this."
“斯摩莱特船长，”大夫微微一笑开口道，“你有没有听过老鼠和山的寓言①？请原谅我这样问你，但我敢说，你使我想起了那则寓言。我敢以我的假发打赌，你刚才进来时一定还有别的事。”
"Doctor," said the captain, "you are smart. When I came in here I meant to get discharged. I had no thought that Mr. Trelawney would hear a word."
“你太精明了，大夫，”船长说，“我刚才进来时是准备辞职的。我原来以为特劳维尼先生准听不进我的话。”
"No more I would," cried the squire. "Had Livesey not been here I should have seen you to the deuce. As it is, I have heard you. I will do as you desire, but I think the worse of you."
“我是听不进去，”乡绅大声说，“要不是利维塞在这里的话，我早就请你滚蛋了。结果我不仅听了，而且还将按你的要求去做，只是我对你的印象又差了一点。”
"That's as you please, sir," said the captain. "You'll find I do my duty."
“那随你的便，先生，”船长说，“你会发现我是尽心尽力的。”
And with that he took his leave.
他说完就告退了。
"Trelawney," said the doctor, "contrary to all my notions, I believed you have managed to get two honest men on board with you—that man and John Silver."
“特劳维尼，”大夫说，“我相信你为我们这次的航行找到了两个正直的人——这位船长和约翰·希尔弗——这倒真是出乎我的意料之外。”
"Silver, if you like," cried the squire; "but as for that intolerable humbug, I declare I think his conduct unmanly, unsailorly, and downright un-English."
“希尔弗嘛，我想你的看法是对的，”乡绅说，“可说到刚才这位只会故意吓唬人的讨厌家伙嘛，我认为他的行为不像个男子汉，没有一点水手的风度，根本不像个英国绅士。”
"Well," says the doctor, "we shall see."
“我们还是走着瞧吧。”大夫说。
When we came on deck, the men had begun already to take out the arms and powder, yo-ho-ing at their work, while the captain and Mr. Arrow stood by superintending.
我们来到甲板上时，水手们正在往外搬武器和火药，边干边哟哟嗬嗬地喊着号子，而船长和埃罗先生则站在一旁指挥。
The new arrangement was quite to my liking. The whole schooner had been overhauled; six berths had been made astern out of what had been the after-part of the main hold; and this set of cabins was only joined to the galley and forecastle by a sparred passage on the port side. It had been originally meant that the captain, Mr. Arrow, Hunter, Joyce, the doctor, and the squire were to occupy these six berths. Now Redruth and I were to get two of them and Mr. Arrow and the captain were to sleep on deck in the companion, which had been enlarged on each side till you might almost have called it a round-house. Very low it was still, of course; but there was room to swing two hammocks, and even the mate seemed pleased with the arrangement. Even he, perhaps, had been doubtful as to the crew, but that is only guess, for as you shall hear, we had not long the benefit of his opinion.
新的安排很合我的意，但整个船却翻了个个儿。主货舱后半截靠船尾的地方本来安了六个铺位，原先是为船长、埃罗先生、亨特、乔伊斯、大夫和乡绅预备的，而且只有左舷一条木板过道通向厨房和水手舱。可由于现在雷德鲁斯和我得睡其中两张铺，埃罗先生和船长就只好睡到甲板升降口里边去了。这个升降口左右两侧已经加宽，简直可以称为后甲板房舱。这地方当然很矮，但挂两张吊床还是绰绰有余，所以就连大副好像也非常满意这种安排。我想他大概也对那些水手不放心——当然这只是我的猜测而已。不过，大家很快就会看到，他的戒备之心不仅事出有因，而且也将使我们获益匪浅。
We were all hard at work, changing the powder and the berths, when the last man or two, and Long John along with them, came off in a shore-boat.
正当我们每个人忙着搬火药、换床铺时，最后几名水手和高个子希尔弗坐着小船从岸边过来了。
The cook came up the side like a monkey for cleverness, and as soon as he saw what was doing, "So ho, mates!" says he. "What's this?"
厨师像猴子一样灵活地爬上船舷，一看到船上忙碌的样子就说：“伙计们好！你们这是干吗？”
"We're a-changing of the powder, Jack," answers one.
“我们正给火药换个地方，伙计。”一个水手回答。
"Why, by the powers," cried Long John, "if we do, we'll miss the morning tide!"
“我的天哪！”高个子约翰大声叫道，“我们这样会错过早潮的！”
"My orders!" said the captain shortly. "You may go below, my man. Hands will want supper."
“这是我的命令！”船长简单地说，“你可以下去了，伙计！水手们一会儿就要吃晚饭了。”
"Aye, aye, sir," answered the cook, and touching his forelock, he disappeared at once in the direction of his galley.
“是，是，先生。”厨子说着举起手来碰了一下自己的额发，立刻消失在去厨房的方向。
"That's a good man, captain," said the doctor.
“这个人不错，船长。”大夫说。
"Very likely, sir," replied Captain Smollett. "Easy with that, men—easy," he ran on, to the fellows who were shifting the powder; and then suddenly observing me examining the swivel we carried amidships, a long brass nine, "Here you, ship's boy," he cried, "out o' that! Off with you to the cook and get some work."
“大概吧，”船长答道，“别着急，伙计们——慢慢来。”他冲着搬运火药的水手们喊道。突然，他看到我正在细细打量甲板中央那尊铜铸旋转炮——“喂，服务生，”他喝道，“别站在这里，去厨房找点活干。”
And then as I was hurrying off I heard him say, quite loudly, to the doctor, "I'll have no favourites on my ship."
我向厨房走去时，听到他用很高的腔调对大夫说：
"I'll have no favourites on my ship."
“我的船上不允许有宠儿。”
I assure you I was quite of the squire's way of thinking, and hated the captain deeply.
我可以向大家保证，当时我和乡绅的看法完全一致，我恨透了船长。