美國語文第四冊 第183期：白蘭地酒河淺灘（05）
Sometimes the animals plunged, losing their foothold; nevertheless, they gallantly breasted the current, and inch by inch worked their way to a point about six feet below Gilbert.
有時馬踩空，失去平衡；盡管如此，他們?nèi)杂赂业孛鎸樗?，一寸寸地來到了距離吉爾伯特六英尺的地方。
It seemed impossible to approach nearer.
不可能更靠近了。
"Can you swim?" asked the man.
“你還能游嗎？”那個人說。
Gilbert shook his head. "Throw me the end of Roger's bridle!" he then CRIed.
吉爾伯特搖了搖頭。“扔給我羅杰的韁繩！”他大喊道。
The man unbuckled the bridle and threw it, keeping the end of the rein in his hand.
那個人解開馬的韁繩，扔了過來。
Gilbert tried to grasp it, but his hands were too numb.
吉爾伯特試圖抓住另一端，可他的手麻木了。
He managed, however, to get one arm and his head through the opening, and relaxed his hold on the log.
最后他終于讓一只胳膊和頭穿過韁繩的圓孔，放開了一直抱著的樹干。
A plunge, and the man had him by the collar.
向前一跨步，那個人抓住了他的衣領(lǐng)。
He felt himself lifted by a strong arm and laid across Roger's saddle.
他感到一只強有力的手把他提了起來，放到了羅杰的鞍子上。
With his failing strength and stiff limbs, it was no slight task to get into place;
由于他力氣喪失，手腳麻木，坐穩(wěn)可不容易；
and the return, though less laborious to the horses, was equally dangerous, because Gilbert was scarcely able to support himself without help.
回程不那么費力，也同樣危險，因為如果沒人幫忙，吉爾伯特?zé)o法坐穩(wěn)。
"You're safe now," said the man, when they reached the bank, "but it's a downright mercy of God that you're alive!"
“你現(xiàn)在安全了，”到河岸時那個人說，“全是上帝的憐憫，你還活著！”
The other horseman joined them, and they rode slowly across the flooded meadow.
另一個騎手走過來，他們緩慢騎過低洼地。
They had both thrown their cloaks around Gilbert, and carefully steadied him in the saddle, one on each side.
他們都把外衣給吉爾伯特披上，一邊一個，小心地扶著他。
He was too much exhausted to ask how they had found him, or whither they were taking him,—too numb for curiosity, almost for gratitude.
他太疲勞了，無法詢問他們是如何找到他的，要到哪兒去——身體都凍麻木了，顧不上好奇和表達感激之情。
"Here's your savior!" said one of the men, patting Roger's shoulder.
“這是你的救命恩人！”一個騎手拍著羅杰的肩說，
It was through him that we found you. Do you wish to know how?
我們是通過他找到你的。想知道怎么回事嗎？
Well—about three o'clock it was, maybe a little earlier, maybe a little later, my wife woke me up.
好的——大約三點鐘的時候，或許更早或更晚一點，我的妻子叫醒我，
Do you hear that? she said.
說，“聽到了嗎？”
