福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第46期:沙漠中的旅客(4)

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In the blue vault of the heaven there had appeared three little specks which increased in size every moment, so rapidly did they approach.

原來在藍色的天穹下，出現了三個黑點，黑點越來越大，來勢極快。頃刻之間，就看出來是三只褐色的大鳥了，

They speedily resolved themselves into three large brown birds, which circled over the heads of the two wanderers, and then settled upon some rocks which overlooked them.

它們在這兩個流浪人的頭上盤旋著，接著就在他們上面的一塊大石上落將下來。

They were buzzards, the vultures of the West, whose coming is the forerunner of death.

這是三只巨雕，也就是美國西部所謂的禿鷹；它們的出現，就是死亡的預兆。

"Cocks and hens," cried the little girl gleefully, pointing at their ill- omened forms, and clapping her hands to make them rise.

"公雞和母雞，"小女孩指著這三個兇物快活地叫道，并且連連拍著小手，打算驚動它們使它們飛起來。

"Say, did God make this country?" "Of course He did," said her companion, rather startled by this unexpected question.

"喂，這個地方也是上帝造的嗎？""當然是他造的。"她的同伴回答說。她這樣突然一問，倒使他吃了一驚。

"He made the country down in Illinois, and He made the Missouri," the little girl continued.

小女孩接著說："那邊的伊里諾州是他造的，密蘇里州也是他造的。

"I guess somebody else made the country in these parts. It's not nearly so well done. They forgot the water and the trees."

我想這里一定是別人造的。造得可不算好，連水和樹木都給忘了。"

"What would ye think of offering up prayer?" the man asked diffidently.

大人把握不定地問道："做做祈禱，你說好嗎？"

"It ain't night yet," she answered.

小女孩回答說："還沒有到晚上呢。"

"It don't matter. It ain't quite regular, but He won't mind that, you bet.

"沒關系，本來就不必有什么固定的時刻。你放心吧，上帝一定不會怪罪咱們的。

You say over them ones that you used to say every night in the wagon when we was on the plains."

你現在就禱告一下吧，就象咱們經過荒野時每天晚上在篷車里做的那樣。"

"Why don't you say some yourself?" the child asked, with wondering eyes.

小女孩睜著眼睛奇怪地問道。"你自己怎么不祈禱呢？"

"I disremember them," he answered. "I hain't said none since I was half the height o' that gun.

他回答道："我不記得祈禱文了。從我有那槍一半高的時候起，我就沒有作過禱告了。

I guess it's never too late. You say them out, and I'll stand by and come in on the choruses."

可是我看現在再祈禱也不算太晚。你把祈禱文念出來，我在旁邊跟著你一起念。"

"Then you'll need to kneel down, and me too," she said, laying the shawl out for that purpose.

她把包袱平鋪在地上說道："那么你要跪下來，我也跪下。

"You've got to put your hands up like this. It makes you feel kind of good."

你還得把手這樣舉起來，你就會覺得好些了。"

It was a strange sight, had there been anything but the buzzards to see it.

除了巨雕以外，沒有一個人看到這個奇特的景象：

Side by side on the narrow shawl knelt the two wanderers, the little prattling child and the reckless, hardened adventurer.

在狹窄的披肩上，并排跪著兩個流浪者，一個是天真無邪的小女孩，一個是粗魯、堅強的冒險家。

Her chubby face and his haggard, angular visage were both turned up to the cloudless heaven in heartfelt entreaty to that dread Being with whom they were face to face,

她那胖胖的小圓臉和他的那張憔悴瘦削的黑臉，仰望著無云的天空，虔誠地向著面對面地和他們同在的可敬畏的神靈祈禱；

while the two voices–the one thin and clear, the other deep and harsh–united in the entreaty for mercy and forgiveness.

而且，這是兩種語音，一個清脆而細弱，一個是低沉而沙啞，同聲祈禱，祈求上帝憐憫、饒恕。

The prayer finished, they resumed their seat in the shadow of the boulder until the child fell asleep, nestling upon the broad breast of her protector.

祈禱完了以后，他們又重新坐在大石的陰影里，孩子倚在她保護人的寬闊的胸膛里，慢慢地睡著了。