福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第57期:和先知的會(huì)談(1)

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Chapter 3

第三章

JOHN FERRIER TALKS WITH THE PROPHET

約翰·費(fèi)瑞厄和先知的會(huì)談

THREE weeks had passed since Jefferson Hope and his comrades had departed from Salt Lake City.

杰弗遜·侯波和他的伙伴們離開(kāi)鹽湖城已經(jīng)有三個(gè)禮拜了。

John Ferrier's heart was sore within him when he thought of the young man's return, and of the impending loss of his adopted child.

約翰·費(fèi)瑞厄每當(dāng)想到這個(gè)年輕人回來(lái)的時(shí)候，他就要失去他的義女，心中便感到非常痛苦。

Yet her bright and happy face reconciled him to the arrangement more than any argument could have done.

但是，女兒的那張明朗而又幸福的臉，比任何爭(zhēng)論都更能說(shuō)服他順從這個(gè)安排。

He had always determined, deep down in his resolute heart, that nothing would ever induce him to allow his daughter to wed a Mormon.

他心中早已暗暗決定，無(wú)論如何，他決不讓他的女兒嫁給一個(gè)摩門(mén)教徒。

Such marriage he regarded as no marriage at all, but as a shame and a disgrace.

他認(rèn)為，這種婚姻根本不能算是婚姻，簡(jiǎn)直就是一種恥辱。

Whatever he might think of the Mormon doctrines, upon that one point he was inflexible.

不管他對(duì)于摩門(mén)教教義的看法究竟如何，但是在這一個(gè)問(wèn)題上面，他卻是堅(jiān)定不移的。

He had to seal his mouth on the subject, however, for to express an unorthodox opinion was a dangerous matter in those days in the Land of the Saints.

然而，他對(duì)于這個(gè)問(wèn)題，卻不能不守口如瓶，因?yàn)樵谀﹂T(mén)教的天下，發(fā)表違反教義的言論是十分危險(xiǎn)的。

Yes, a dangerous matter–so dangerous that even the most saintly dared only whisper their religious opinions with bated breath,

的確，這是十分危險(xiǎn)的，而且危險(xiǎn)到這種程度，就連教會(huì)中那些德高望重的圣者們，也只敢在暗地里偷偷地談?wù)撍麄儗?duì)于教會(huì)的意見(jiàn)，

lest something which fell from their lips might be misconstrued, and bring down a swift retribution upon them.

唯恐一句話(huà)露出去就會(huì)馬上招致橫禍。

The victims of persecution had now turned persecutors on their own account, and persecutors of the most terrible description.

過(guò)去被迫害的人，為了報(bào)復(fù)，現(xiàn)在一變而為迫害者，并且是變本加厲，極端殘酷。

Not the Inquisition of Seville, nor the German Vehmgericht, nor the secret societies of Italy, were ever able to put a more formidable machinery in motion than that which cast a cloud over the state of Utah.

塞維爾的宗教法庭、日爾曼人的叛教律以及意大利秘密黨所擁有的那些龐大的行動(dòng)組織等等，比之于摩門(mén)教徒在猶他州所布下的天羅地網(wǎng)，都是望塵莫及的。

Its invisibility, and the mystery which was attached to it, made this organization doubly terrible.

這個(gè)無(wú)形的組織出沒(méi)無(wú)常，再加上與它相關(guān)聯(lián)的那些神秘活動(dòng)，使得這個(gè)組織倍加可怖。

It appeared to be omniscient and omnipotent, and yet was neither seen nor heard.

這個(gè)組織似乎是無(wú)所不知、無(wú)所不能；但是，它的所作所為人們既看不見(jiàn)，也聽(tīng)不到。

The man who held out against the Church vanished away, and none knew whither he had gone or what had befallen him.

誰(shuí)要是敢于反對(duì)教會(huì)，誰(shuí)就會(huì)突然失蹤。既沒(méi)有人知道他的下落，也沒(méi)有人知道他的遭遇。

His wife and his children awaited him at home, but no father ever returned to tell them how he had fared at the hands of his secret judges.

家中妻子兒女倚門(mén)而望，可是父親卻一去不返，再也不會(huì)回來(lái)向他們?cè)V說(shuō)他落在他的秘密審判者手中的遭遇。

A rash word or a hasty act was followed by annihilation, and yet none knew what the nature might be of this terrible power which was suspended over them.

說(shuō)話(huà)稍一不慎，行動(dòng)偶失檢點(diǎn)，立刻就會(huì)招來(lái)殺身之禍；而且誰(shuí)也不知道籠罩在他們頭上的這種可怕的勢(shì)力究竟是什么。

No wonder that men went about in fear and trembling, and that even in the heart of the wilderness they dared not whisper the doubts which oppressed them.

因此，人們個(gè)個(gè)驚慌，人人恐懼；即使是在曠野無(wú)人之處，也不敢對(duì)壓其他們的這種勢(shì)力暗地里表示疑義，這也就不足為奇了。