0927翻譯：熱愛生命（傑克·倫敦）

0927翻譯：熱愛生命（傑克·倫敦）

Translation:Love of Life (Jack London)

(assembled by: alexcwlin; reviewed by: Adam Lam)

一切，總算剩下了這一點——

"This out of allwill remain --

他們經歷了生活的困苦顛連；

They have lived and havetossed:

能做到這種地步也就是勝利，

So much of the game willbe gain,

儘管他們輸掉了賭博的本錢。

Though the gold of thedice has been lost."

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他們兩個一瘸一拐地，吃力地走下河岸，有一次，走在前面的那個還在亂石中間失足搖晃了一下。

They limped painfully downthe bank, and once the foremost of the two men staggered among the rough-strewnrocks.

他們又累又乏，因為長期忍受苦難，臉上都帶著愁眉苦臉、咬牙苦熬的表情。

They were tired and weak,and their faces had the drawn expression of patience which comes of hardshiplong endured.

他們肩上捆著用毯子包起來的沉重包袱。

They were heavily burdenedwith blanket packs which were strapped to their shoulders.

總算那條勒在額頭上的皮帶還得力，幫著吊住了包袱。

Head-straps, passing acrossthe forehead, helped support these packs.

他們每人拿著一支來複槍。

Each man carried a rifle.

他們彎著腰走路，肩膀沖向前面，而腦袋沖得更前，眼睛總是瞅著地面。

They walked in a stoopedposture, the shoulders well forward, the head still farther forward, the eyesbent upon the ground.

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「我們藏在地窖里的那些子彈，我們身邊要有兩三發就好了，」走在後面的那個人說道。

"I wish we hadjust about two of them cartridges thats laying in thatcache of ours," said the second man.

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他的聲調，陰沉沉的，乾巴巴的，完全沒有感情。

His voice wasutterly and drearily expressionless.

他冷冷地說著這些話；前面的那個只顧一瘸一拐地向流過岩石、激起一片泡沫的白茫茫的小河裡走去，一句話也不回答。

He spoke withoutenthusiasm; and the first man, limping into the milky stream that foamed overthe rocks, vouchsafed no reply.

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後面的那個緊跟著他。

The other manfollowed at his heels.

他們兩個都沒有脫掉鞋襪，雖然河水冰冷——冷得他們腳腕子疼痛，兩腳麻木。

They did not remove theirfoot-gear, though the water was icy cold -- so cold that their ankles ached andtheir feet went numb.

每逢走到河水衝擊著他們膝蓋的地方，兩個人都搖搖晃晃地站不穩

In places the water dashedagainst their knees, and both men staggered for footing.

跟在後面的那個在一塊光滑的圓石頭上滑了一下，差一點沒摔倒，但是，他猛力一掙，站穩了，同時痛苦地尖叫了一聲。

The man who followedslipped on a smooth boulder, nearly fell, but recovered himself with a violenteffort, at the same time uttering a sharp exclamation of pain.

他彷彿有點頭昏眼花，一面搖晃著，一面伸出那隻閑著的手，好象打算扶著空中的什麼東西。

He seemed faint and dizzyand put out his free hand while he reeled, as though seeking support againstthe air.

站穩之後，他再向前走去，不料又搖晃了一下，幾乎摔倒。

When he had steadiedhimself he stepped forward, but reeled again and nearly fell.

於是，他就站著不動，瞧著前面那個一直沒有回過頭的人。

Then he stood still andlooked at the other man, who had never turned his head.

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他這樣一動不動地足足站了一分鐘，好象心裡在說服自己一樣。

The man stood stillfor fully a minute, as though debating with himself.

接著，他就叫了起來：「喂，比爾，我扭傷腳腕子啦。」

Then he called out: "Isay, Bill, Ive sprained my ankle."

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比爾在白茫茫的河水裡一搖一晃地走著。

Bill staggered onthrough the milky water.

他沒有回頭。

He did not look around.

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後面那個人瞅著他這樣走去；臉上雖然照舊沒有表情，眼睛裡卻流露著跟一頭受傷的鹿一樣的神色。

The man watched himgo, and though his face was expressionless as ever, his eyes were like the eyesof a wounded deer.

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前面那個人一瘸一拐，登上對面的河岸，頭也不回，只顧向前走去，

The other man limpedup the farther bank and continued straight on without looking back.

河裡的人眼睜睜地瞧著。

The man in the streamwatched him.

他的嘴唇有點發抖，因此，他嘴上那叢亂棕似的鬍子也在明顯地抖動。

His lips trembled a little,so that the rough thatch of brown hair which covered them was visibly agitated.

他甚至不知不覺地伸出舌頭來舐舐嘴唇。

His tongue even strayed outto moisten them.

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「比爾！」他大聲地喊著。

"Bill!" hecried out.

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這是一個堅強的人在患難中求援的喊聲，但比爾並沒有回頭。

It was the pleadingcry of a strong man in distress, but Bills head did not turn.

他的夥伴干瞧著他，只見他古里古怪地一瘸一拐地走著，跌跌沖沖地前進，搖搖晃晃地登上一片不陡的斜坡，向矮山頭上不十分明亮的天際走去。

The man watched him go,limping grotesquely and lurching forward with stammering gait up the slow slopetoward the soft sky-line of the low-lying hill.

他一直瞧著他跨過山頭，消失了蹤影。

He watched him go till hepassed over the crest and disappeared.

於是他掉轉眼光，慢慢掃過比爾走後留給他的那一圈世界。

Then he turned his gaze andslowly took in the circle of the world that remained to him now that Bill wasgone.

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靠近地平線的太陽，象一團快要熄滅的火球，幾乎被那些混混沌沌的濃霧同蒸氣遮沒了，讓你覺得它好象是什麼密密團團，然而輪廓模糊、不可捉摸的東西。

Near the horizon thesun was smouldering dimly, almost obscured by formless mists and vapors, whichgave an impression of mass and density without outline or tangibility.

這個人單腿立著休息，掏出了他的表，

The man pulled out hiswatch, while resting his weight on one leg.

現在是四點鐘，在這種七月底或者八月初的季節里——他說不出一兩個星期之內的確切的日期——他知道太陽大約是在西北方。

It was four oclock, and asthe season was near the last of July or first of August, -- he did not know theprecise date within a week or two, -- he knew that the sun roughly marked thenorthwest.

他瞧了瞧南面，知道在那些荒涼的小山後面就是大熊湖；同時，他還知道在那個方向，北極圈的禁區界線深入到加拿大凍土地帶之內。

He looked to the south andknew that somewhere beyond those bleak hills lay the Great Bear Lake; also, heknew that in that direction the Arctic Circle cut its forbidding way across theCanadian Barrens.

他所站的地方，是銅礦河的一條支流，銅礦河本身則向北流去，通向加冕灣和北冰洋。

This stream in which hestood was a feeder to the Coppermine River, which in turn flowed north andemptied into Coronation Gulf and the Arctic Ocean.

他從來沒到過那兒，但是，有一次，他在赫德森灣公司的地圖上曾經瞧見過那地方。

He had never been there,but he had seen it, once, on a Hudson Bay Company chart.

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他把周圍那一圈世界重新掃了一遍。

Again his gazecompleted the circle of the world about him.

這是一片叫人看了發愁的景象。

It was not a hearteningspectacle.

到處都是模糊的天際線。

Everywhere was softsky-line.

小山全是那麼低低的。

The hills were alllow-lying.

沒有樹，沒有灌木，沒有草——什麼都沒有，只有一片遼闊可怕的荒野，迅速地使他兩眼露出了恐懼神色。

There were no trees, noshrubs, no grasses -- naught but a tremendous and terrible desolation that sentfear swiftly dawning into his eyes.

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「比爾！」他悄悄地、一次又一次地喊道：「比爾！」

"Bill!" hewhispered, once and twice; "Bill!"

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他在白茫茫的水裡畏縮著，好象這片廣大的世界正在用壓倒一切的力量擠壓著他，正在殘忍地擺出得意的威風來摧毀他。

He cowered in themidst of the milky water, as though the vastness were pressing in upon him withoverwhelming force, brutally crushing him with its complacent awfulness.

他象發瘧子似地抖了起來，連手裡的槍都嘩喇一聲落到水裡。

He began to shake as withan ague-fit, till the gun fell from his hand with a splash.

這一聲總算把他驚醒了。他和恐懼鬥爭著，儘力鼓起精神，在水裡摸索，找到了槍。

This served to rouse him.He fought with his fear and pulled himself together, groping in the water andrecovering the weapon.

他把包袱向左肩挪動了一下，以便減輕扭傷的腳腕子的負擔。

He hitched his pack fartherover on his left shoulder, so as to take a portion of its weight from off theinjured ankle.

接著，他就慢慢地，小心謹慎地，疼得閃閃縮縮地向河岸走去。

Then he proceeded, slowlyand carefully, wincing with pain, to the bank.

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他一步也沒有停。

He did not stop.

他象發瘋似地拼著命，不顧疼痛，匆匆登上斜坡，走向他的夥伴失去蹤影的那個山頭——比起那個瘸著腿，一瘸一拐的夥伴來，他的樣子更顯得古怪可笑。

With a desperation that wasmadness, unmindful of the pain, he hurried up the slope to the crest of thehill over which his comrade had disappeared -- more grotesque and comical byfar than that limping, jerking comrade.

可是到了山頭，只看見一片死沉沉的，寸草不生的淺谷。

But at the crest he saw ashallow valley, empty of life.

他又和恐懼鬥爭著，克服了它，把包袱再往左肩挪了挪，蹣跚地走下山坡。

He fought with his fearagain, overcame it, hitched the pack still farther over on his left shoulder,and lurched on down the slope.

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谷底一片潮濕，濃厚的苔蘚，象海綿一樣，緊貼在水面上。

The bottom of thevalley was soggy with water, which the thick moss held, spongelike, close tothe surface.

他走一步，水就從他腳底下濺射出來，他每次一提起腳，就會引起一種吧咂吧咂的聲音，因為潮濕的苔蘚總是吸住他的腳，不肯放鬆。

This water squirted outfrom under his feet at every step, and each time he lifted a foot the actionculminated in a sucking sound as the wet moss reluctantly released its grip.

他挑著好路，從一塊沼地走到另一塊沼地，並且順著比爾的腳印，走過一堆一堆的、象突出在這片苔蘚海里的小島一樣的岩石。

He picked his way frommuskeg to muskeg, and followed the other mans footsteps along and across therocky ledges which thrust like islets through the sea of moss.

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他雖然孤零零的一個人，卻沒有迷路。他知道，再往前去，就會走到一個小湖旁邊，那兒有許多極小極細的枯死的樅樹，當地的人把那兒叫作「提青尼其利」——意思是「小棍子地」。

Though alone, he wasnot lost. Farther on he knew he would come to where dead spruce and fir, verysmall and weazened, bordered the shore of a little lake, the titchin-nichilie,in the tongue of the country, the "land of little sticks."

而且，還有一條小溪通到湖裡，溪水不是白茫茫的。

And into that lake flowed asmall stream, the water of which was not milky.

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溪上有燈心草——這一點他記得很清楚——但是沒有樹木，他可以沿著這條小溪一直走到水源盡頭的分水嶺。

There was rush-grasson that stream -- this he remembered well -- but no timber, and he would followit till its first trickle ceased at a divide.

他會翻過這道分水嶺，走到另一條小溪的源頭，這條溪是向西流的，他可以順著水流走到它注入狄斯河的地方，那裡，在一條翻了的獨木船下面可以找到一個小坑，坑上面堆著許多石頭。

He would cross this divideto the first trickle of another stream, flowing to the west, which he wouldfollow until it emptied into the river Dease, and here he would find a cacheunder an upturned canoe and piled over with many rocks.

這個坑裡有他那支空槍所需要的子彈，還有釣鉤、釣絲和一張小魚網——打獵釣魚求食的一切工具。

And in this cache would beammunition for his empty gun, fish-hooks and lines, a small net -- all theutilities for the killing and snaring of food.

同時，他還會找到麵粉——並不多——此外還有一塊腌豬肉同一些豆子。

Also, he would find flour,-- not much, -- a piece of bacon, and some beans.

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比爾會在那裡等他的，他們會順著狄斯河向南划到大熊湖。

Bill would bewaiting for him there, and they would paddle away south down the Dease to theGreat Bear Lake.

接著，他們就會在湖裡朝南方劃，一直朝南，直到麥肯齊河。

And south across the lakethey would go, ever south, till they gained the Mackenzie.

到了那裡，他們還要朝著南方，繼續朝南方走去，那麼冬天就怎麼也趕不上他們了。讓湍流結冰吧，讓天氣變得更凜冽吧，他們會向南走到一個暖和的赫德森灣公司的站頭，那兒不僅樹木長得高大茂盛，吃的東西也多得不得了。

And south, still south,they would go, while the winter raced vainly after them, and the ice formed inthe eddies, and the days grew chill and crisp, south to some warm Hudson BayCompany post, where timber grew tall and generous and there was grub withoutend.

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這個人一路向前掙扎的時候，腦子裡就是這樣想的。

These were thethoughts of the man as he strove onward.

他不僅苦苦地拼著體力，也同樣苦苦地絞著腦汁，他儘力想著比爾並沒有拋棄他，想著比爾一定會在藏東西的地方等他。

But hard as he strove withhis body, he strove equally hard with his mind, trying to think that Bill hadnot deserted him, that Bill would surely wait for him at the cache.

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他不得不這樣想，不然，他就用不著這樣拚命，他早就會躺下來死掉了。

He was compelled tothink this thought, or else there would not be any use to strive, and he wouldhave lain down and died.

當那團模糊的象圓球一樣的太陽慢慢向西北方沉下去的時候，他一再盤算著在冬天追上他和比爾之前，他們向南逃去的每一寸路。

And as the dim ball of thesun sank slowly into the northwest he covered every inch -- and many times --of his and Bills flight south before the downcoming winter.

他反覆地想著地窖里和赫德森灣公司站頭上的吃的東西。

And he conned the grub ofthe cache and the grub of the Hudson Bay Company post over and over again.

他已經兩天沒吃東西了；至於沒有吃到他想吃的東西的日子，那就更不止兩天了。

He had not eaten for twodays; for a far longer time he had not had all he wanted to eat.

他常常彎下腰，摘起沼地上那種灰白色的漿果，把它們放到口裡，嚼幾嚼，然後吞下去。

Often he stooped and pickedpale muskeg berries, put them into his mouth, and chewed and swallowed them.

這種沼地漿果只有一小粒種籽，外麵包著一點漿水。

A muskeg berry is a bit ofseed enclosed in a bit of water.

一進口，水就化了，種籽又辣又苦。

In the mouth the watermelts away and the seed chews sharp and bitter.

他知道這種漿果並沒有養份，但是他仍然抱著一種不顧道理，不顧經驗教訓的希望，耐心地嚼著它們。

The man knew there was nonourishment in the berries, but he chewed them patiently with a hope greaterthan knowledge and defying experience.

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走到九點鐘，他在一塊岩石上絆了一下，因為極端疲倦和衰弱，他搖晃了一下就栽倒了。

At nine oclock hestubbed his toe on a rocky ledge, and from sheer weariness and weaknessstaggered and fell.

他側著身子、一動也不動地躺了一會。

He lay for some time,without movement, on his side.

接著，他從捆包袱的皮帶當中脫出身子，笨拙地掙紮起來勉強坐著。

Then he slipped out of thepack-straps and clumsily dragged himself into a sitting posture.

這時候，天還沒有完全黑，他借著留連不散的暮色，在亂石中間摸索著，想找到一些乾枯的苔蘚。

It was not yet dark, and inthe lingering twilight he groped about among the rocks for shreds of dry moss.

後來，他收集了一堆，就升起一蓬火——一蓬不旺的，冒著黑煙的火——並且放了一白鐵罐子水在上面煮著。

When he had gathered a heaphe built a fire, -- a smouldering, smudgy fire, -- and put a tin pot of wateron to boil.

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他打開包袱，第一件事就是數數他的火柴。

He unwrapped hispack and the first thing he did was to count his matches.

一共六十六根。

There were sixty-seven.

為了弄清楚，他數了三遍。

He counted them three timesto make sure.

他把它們分成幾份，用油紙包起來，一份放在他的空煙草袋裡，一份放在他的破帽子的帽圈裡，最後一份放在貼胸的襯衫裡面。

He divided them intoseveral portions, wrapping them in oil paper, disposing of one bunch in hisempty tobacco pouch, of another bunch in the inside band of his battered hat,of a third bunch under his shirt on the chest.

做完以後，他忽然感到一陣恐慌，於是把它們完全拿出來打開，重新數過。

This accomplished, a paniccame upon him, and he unwrapped them all and counted them again.

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仍然是六十六根。

There were stillsixty-seven.

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他在火邊烘著潮濕的鞋襪。

He dried his wetfoot-gear by the fire.

鹿皮鞋已經成了濕透的碎片。

The moccasins were in soggyshreds.

氈襪子有好多地方都磨穿了，兩隻腳皮開肉綻，都在流血。

The blanket socks were wornthrough in places, and his feet were raw and bleeding.

一隻腳腕子脹得血管直跳，他檢查了一下。

His ankle was throbbing,and he gave it an examination.

它已經腫得和膝蓋一樣粗了。

It had swollen to the sizeof his knee.

他一共有兩條毯子，他從其中的一條撕下一長條，把腳腕子捆緊。

He tore a long strip fromone of his two blankets and bound the ankle tightly.

此外，他又撕下幾條，裹在腳上，代替鹿皮鞋和襪子。

He tore other strips andbound them about his feet to serve for both moccasins and socks.

接著，他喝完那罐滾燙的水，上好表的發條，就爬進兩條毯子當中。

Then he drank the pot ofwater, steaming hot, wound his watch, and crawled between his blankets.

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他睡得跟死人一樣。

He slept like a deadman.

午夜前後的短暫的黑暗來而復去。

The brief darkness aroundmidnight came and went.

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太陽從東北方升了起來——至少也得說那個方向出現了曙光，因為太陽給烏雲遮住了。

The sun arose in thenortheast -- at least the day dawned in that quarter, for the sun was hidden bygray clouds.

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六點鐘的時候，他醒了過來，靜靜地仰面躺著。

At six oclock heawoke, quietly lying on his back.

他仰視著灰色的天空，知道肚子餓了。

He gazed straight up intothe gray sky and knew that he was hungry.

當他撐住胳膊肘翻身的時候，一種很大的呼嚕聲把他嚇了一跳，他看見了一隻公鹿，它正在用機警好奇的眼光瞧著他。

As he rolled over on hiselbow he was startled by a loud snort, and saw a bull caribou regarding himwith alert curiosity.

這個牲畜離他不過五十尺光景，他腦子裡立刻出現了鹿肉排在火上烤得噝噝響的情景和滋味。

The animal was not morethan fifty feet away, and instantly into the mans mind leaped the vision andthe savor of a caribou steak sizzling and frying over a fire.

他無意識地抓起了那支空槍，瞄好準星，扣了一下扳機。

Mechanically he reached forthe empty gun, drew a bead, and pulled the trigger.

公鹿哼了一下，一跳就跑開了，只聽見它奔過山岩時蹄子得得亂響的聲音。

The bull snorted and leapedaway, his hoofs rattling and clattering as he fled across the ledges.

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這個人罵了一句，扔掉那支空槍。

The man cursed and flungthe empty gun from him.

他一面拖著身體站起來，一面大聲地哼哼。

He groaned aloud as hestarted to drag himself to his feet.

這是一件很慢、很吃力的事。

It was a slow and arduoustask.

他的關節都象生了銹的鉸鏈。

His joints were like rustyhinges.

它們在骨臼里的動作很遲鈍，阻力很大，一屈一伸都得咬著牙才能辦到。

They worked harshly intheir sockets, with much friction, and each bending or unbending wasaccomplished only through a sheer exertion of will.

最後，兩條腿總算站住了，但又花了一分鐘左右的工夫才挺起腰，讓他能夠象一個人那樣站得筆直。

When he finally gained hisfeet, another minute or so was consumed in straightening up, so that he couldstand erect as a man should stand.

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他慢騰騰地登上一個小丘，看了看周圍的地形。

He crawled up a small knolland surveyed the prospect.

既沒有樹木，也沒有小樹叢，什麼都沒有，只看到一望無際的灰色苔蘚，偶爾有點灰色的岩石，幾片灰色的小湖，幾條灰色的小溪，算是一點變化點綴。

There were no trees, nobushes, nothing but a gray sea of moss scarcely diversified by gray rocks, graylakelets, and gray streamlets.

天空是灰色的。沒有太陽，也沒有太陽的影子。

The sky was gray. There wasno sun nor hint of sun.

他不知道哪兒是北方，他已經忘掉了昨天晚上他是怎樣取道走到這裡的。

He had no idea of north,and he had forgotten the way he had come to this spot the night before.

不過他並沒有迷失方向。

But he was not lost.

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這他是知道的。

He knew that.

不久他就會走到那塊「小棍子地」。

Soon he would come to theland of the little sticks.

他覺得它就在左面的什麼地方，而且不遠——可能翻過下一座小山頭就到了。

He felt that it lay off tothe left somewhere, not far -- possibly just over the next low hill.

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於是他就回到原地，打好包袱，準備動身。

He went back to put hispack into shape for travelling.

他摸清楚了那三包分別放開的火柴還在，雖然沒有停下來再數數。

He assured himself of theexistence of his three separate parcels of matches, though he did not stop tocount them.

不過，他仍然躊躇了一下，在那兒一個勁地盤算，這次是為了一個厚實的鹿皮口袋。

But he did linger,debating, over a squat moose-hide sack.

袋子並不大。

It was not large.

他可以用兩隻手把它完全遮沒。

He could hide it under histwo hands.

他知道它有十五磅重——相當於包袱里其他東西的總和——這個口袋使他發愁。

He knew that it weighedfifteen pounds, -- as much as all the rest of the pack, -- and it worried him.

最後，他把它放在一邊，開始卷包袱。

He finally set it to oneside and proceeded to roll the pack.

可是，卷了一會，

He paused to gaze at thesquat moose-hide sack.

他又停下手，盯著那個鹿皮口袋。他匆忙地把它抓到手裡，用一種反抗的眼光瞧瞧周圍，彷彿這片荒原要把它搶走似的；等到他站起來，搖搖晃晃地開始這一天的路程的時候，這個口袋仍然包在他背後的包袱里。

He picked it up hastilywith a defiant glance about him, as though the desolation were trying to robhim of it; and when he rose to his feet to stagger on into the day, it wasincluded in the pack on his back.

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他轉向左面走著，不時停下來吃沼地上的漿果。

He bore away to the left,stopping now and again to eat muskeg berries.

扭傷的腳腕子已經僵了，他比以前跛得更明顯，但是，比起肚子里的痛苦，腳疼就算不了什麼。

His ankle had stiffened,his limp was more pronounced, but the pain of it was as nothing compared withthe pain of his stomach.

飢餓的疼痛是劇烈的。

The hunger pangs weresharp.

它們一陣一陣地發作，好象在啃著他的胃，疼得他不能把思想集中在到「小棍子地」必須走的路線上。

They gnawed and gnaweduntil he could not keep his mind steady on the course he must pursue to gainthe land of little sticks.

沼地上的漿果並不能減輕這種劇痛，那種刺激性的味道反而使他的舌頭和口腔熱辣辣的。

The muskeg berries did notallay this gnawing, while they made his tongue and the roof of his mouth sorewith their irritating bite.

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他走到了一個山谷，那兒有許多松雞從岩石和沼地里呼呼地拍著翅膀飛起來。

He came upon a valley whererock ptarmigan rose on whirring wings from the ledges and muskegs.

它們發出一種「咯兒-咯兒-咯兒」的叫聲。

Ker -- ker -- ker was thecry they made.

他拿石子打它們，但是打不中。

He threw stones at them,but could not hit them.

他把包袱放在地上，象貓捉麻雀一樣地偷偷走過去。

He placed his pack on theground and stalked them as a cat stalks a sparrow.

鋒利的岩石穿過他的褲子，劃破了他的腿，直到膝蓋流出的血在地面上留下一道血跡；但是在飢餓的痛苦中，這種痛苦也算不了什麼。

The sharp rocks cut throughhis pants legs till his knees left a trail of blood; but the hurt was lost inthe hurt of his hunger.

他在潮濕的苔蘚上爬著，弄得衣服濕透，身上發冷；可是這些他都沒有覺得，因為他想吃東西的念頭那麼強烈。

He squirmed over the wetmoss, saturating his clothes and chilling his body; but he was not aware of it,so great was his fever for food.

而那一群松雞卻總是在他面前飛起來，呼呼地轉，到後來，它們那種「咯兒-咯兒-咯兒」的叫聲簡直變成了對他的嘲笑，於是他就咒罵它們，隨著它們的叫聲對它們大叫起來。

And always the ptarmiganrose, whirring, before him, till their ker -- ker -- ker became a mock to him,and he cursed them and cried aloud at them with their own cry.

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有一次，他爬到了一定是睡著了的一隻松雞旁邊。

Once he crawled upon onethat must have been asleep.

他一直沒有瞧見，直到它從岩石的角落裡沖著他的臉竄起來，他才發現。

He did not see it till itshot up in his face from its rocky nook.

他象那隻松雞起飛一樣驚慌，抓了一把，只撈到了三根尾巴上的羽毛。

He made a clutch asstartled as was the rise of the ptarmigan, and there remained in his hand threetail-feathers.

當他瞅著它飛走的時候，他心裡非常恨它，好象它做了什麼對不起他的事。

As he watched its flight hehated it, as though it had done him some terrible wrong.

隨後他回到原地，背起包袱。

Then he returned andshouldered his pack.

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時光漸漸消逝，他走進了連綿的山谷，或者說是沼地，這些地方的野物比較多。

As the day wore along hecame into valleys or swales where game was more plentiful.

一群馴鹿走了過去，大約有二十多頭，都呆在可望而不可即的來複槍的射程以內。

A band of caribou passedby, twenty and odd animals, tantalizingly within rifle range.

他心裡有一種發狂似的、想追趕它們的念頭，而且相信自己一定能追上去捉住它們。

He felt a wild desire torun after them, a certitude that he could run them down.

一隻黑狐狸朝他走了過來，嘴裡叼著一隻松雞。

A black fox came towardhim, carrying a ptarmigan in his mouth.

這個人喊了一聲。

The man shouted.

這是一種可怕的喊聲，那隻狐狸嚇跑了，可是沒有丟下松雞。

It was a fearful cry, butthe fox, leaping away in fright, did not drop the ptarmigan.

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傍晚時，他順著一條小河走去，由於含著石灰而變成乳白色的河水從稀疏的燈心草叢裡流過去。

Late in the afternoon hefollowed a stream, milky with lime, which ran through sparse patches ofrush-grass.

他緊緊抓注這些燈心草的根部，拔起一種好象嫩蔥芽，只有木瓦上的釘子那麼大的東西。

Grasping these rushesfirmly near the root, he pulled up what resembled a young onion-sprout nolarger than a shingle-nail.

這東西很嫩，他的牙齒咬進去，會發出一種咯吱咯吱的聲音，彷彿味道很好。

It was tender, and histeeth sank into it with a crunch that promised deliciously of food.

但是它的纖維卻不容易嚼。

But its fibers were tough.

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它是由一絲絲的充滿了水份的纖維組成的：跟漿果一樣，完全沒有養份。

It was composed of stringyfilaments saturated with water, like the berries, and devoid of nourishment.

他丟開包袱，爬到燈心草叢裡，象牛似的大咬大嚼起來。

He threw off his pack andwent into the rush-grass on hands and knees, crunching and munching, like somebovine creature.

他非常疲倦，總希望能歇一會——躺下來睡個覺；可是他又不得不繼續掙扎前進——不過，這並不一定是因為他急於要趕到「小棍子地」，多半還是飢餓在逼著他。

He was very weary and oftenwished to rest -- to lie down and sleep; but he was continually driven on --not so much by his desire to gain the land of little sticks as by his hunger.

他在小水坑裡找青蛙，或者用指甲挖土找小蟲，雖然他也知道，在這麼遠的北方，是既沒有青蛙也沒有小蟲的。

He searched little pondsfor frogs and dug up the earth with his nails for worms, though he knew in spitethat neither frogs nor worms existed so far north.

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他瞧遍了每上個水坑，都沒有用，最後，到了漫漫的暮色襲來的時候，他才發現一個水坑裡有一條獨一無二的、象鰷魚般的小魚。

He looked into every poolof water vainly, until, as the long twilight came on, he discovered a solitaryfish, the size of a minnow, in such a pool.

他把胳膊伸下水去，一直沒到肩頭，但是它又溜開了。

He plunged his arm in up tothe shoulder, but it eluded him.

於是他用雙手去捉，把池底的乳白色泥漿全攪渾了。

He reached for it with bothhands and stirred up the milky mud at the bottom.

正在緊張的關頭，他掉到了坑裡，半身都浸濕了。

In his excitement he fellin, wetting himself to the waist.

現在，水太渾了，看不清魚在哪兒，他只好等著，等泥漿沉澱下去。

Then the water was toomuddy to admit of his seeing the fish, and he was compelled to wait until thesediment had settled.

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他又捉起來，直到水又攪渾了。

The pursuit was renewed,till the water was again muddied.

可是他等不及了，

But he could not wait.

便解下身上的白鐵罐子，把坑裡的水舀出去；

He unstrapped the tinbucket and began to bale the pool.

起初，他發狂一樣地舀著，把水濺到自己身上，同時，固為潑出去的水距離太近，水又流到坑裡。

He baled wildly at first,splashing himself and flinging the water so short a distance that it ran backinto the pool.

後來，他就更小心地舀著，盡量讓自己冷靜一點，雖然他的心跳得很厲害，手在發抖。

He worked more carefully,striving to be cool, though his heart was pounding against his chest and hishands were trembling.

這樣過了半小時，坑裡的水差不多舀光了。

At the end of half an hourthe pool was nearly dry.

剩下來的連一杯也不到。

Not a cupful of waterremained.

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可是，並沒有什麼魚；

And there was no fish.

他這才發現石頭裡面有一條暗縫，那條魚已經從那裡鑽到了旁邊一個相連的大坑——坑裡的水他一天一夜也舀不幹。

He found a hidden creviceamong the stones through which it had escaped to the adjoining and larger pool-- a pool which he could not empty in a night and a day.

如果他早知道有這個暗縫，他一開始就會把它堵死，那條魚也就歸他所有了。

Had he known of thecrevice, he could have closed it with a rock at the beginning and the fishwould have been his.

他這樣想著，四肢無力地倒在潮濕的地上。

Thus he thought, and crumpledup and sank down upon the wet earth.

起初，他只是輕輕地哭，過了一會，他就對著把他團團圍住的無情的荒原號陶大哭；後來，他又大聲抽噎了好久。

At first he cried softly tohimself, then he cried loudly to the pitiless desolation that ringed himaround; and for a long time after he was shaken by great dry sobs.

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他升起一蓬火，喝了幾罐熱水讓自己暖和暖和、並且照昨天晚上那樣在一塊岩石上露宿。

He built a fire and warmedhimself by drinking quarts of hot water, and made camp on a rocky ledge in thesame fashion he had the night before.

最後他檢查了一下火柴是不是乾燥，並且上好表的發條，

The last thing he did wasto see that his matches were dry and to wind his watch.

毯子又濕又冷，

The blankets were wet andclammy.

腳腕子疼得在悸動。

His ankle pulsed with pain.

可是他只有餓的感覺，在不安的睡眠里，他夢見了一桌桌酒席和一次次宴會，以及各種各樣的擺在桌上的食物。

But he knew only that hewas hungry, and through his restless sleep he dreamed of feasts and banquetsand of food served and spread in all imaginable ways.

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醒來時，他又冷又不舒服。

He awoke chilled and sick.

天上沒有太陽。

There was no sun.

灰濛濛的大地和天空變得愈來愈陰沉昏暗。

The gray of earth and skyhad become deeper, more profound.

一陣刺骨的寒風颳了起來，初雪鋪白了山頂。

A raw wind was blowing, andthe first flurries of snow were whitening the hilltops.

他周圍的空氣愈來愈濃，成了白茫茫一片，這時，他已經升起火，又燒了一罐開水。

The air about him thickenedand grew white while he made a fire and boiled more water.

天上下的一半是雨，一半是雪，雪花又大又潮。

It was wet snow, half rain,and the flakes were large and soggy.

起初，一落到地面就融化了，但後來越下越多，蓋滿了地面，淋熄了火，糟蹋了他那些當作燃料的乾苔蘚。

At first they melted assoon as they came in contact with the earth, but ever more fell, covering theground, putting out the fire, spoiling his supply of moss-fuel.

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這是一個警告，他得背起包袱，一瘸一拐地向前走；至於到哪兒去，他可不知道。

This was a signal for himto strap on his pack and stumble onward, he knew not where.

他既不關心小棍子地，也不關心比爾和狄斯河邊那條翻過來的獨木舟下的地窖。

He was not concerned withthe land of little sticks, nor with Bill and the cache under the upturned canoeby the river Dease.

他完全給「吃」這個詞兒管住了。

He was mastered by the verb"to eat."

他餓瘋了。

He was hunger-mad.

他根本不管他走的是什麼路，只要能走出這個谷底就成。

He took no heed of thecourse he pursued, so long as that course led him through the swale bottoms.

他在濕雪裡摸索著，走到濕漉漉的沼地漿果那兒，接著又一面連根拔著燈心草，一面試探著前進。

He felt his way through thewet snow to the watery muskeg berries, and went by feel as he pulled up therush-grass by the roots.

不過這東西既沒有味，又不能把肚子填飽。

But it was tasteless stuff anddid not satisfy.

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後來，他發現了一種帶酸味的野草，就把找到的都吃了下去，可是找到的並不多，因為它是一種蔓生植物，很容易給幾寸深的雪埋沒。

He found a weed that tastedsour and he ate all he could find of it, which was not much, for it was acreeping growth, easily hidden under the several inches of snow.

那天晚上他既沒有火，也沒有熱水，他就鑽在毯子里睡覺，而且常常餓醒。

He had no fire that night,nor hot water, and crawled under his blanket to sleep the broken hunger-sleep.

這時，雪已經變成了冰冷的雨。

The snow turned into a coldrain.

他覺得雨落在他仰著的臉上，給淋醒了好多次。

He awakened many times tofeel it falling on his upturned face.

天亮了——又是灰濛濛的一天，沒有太陽。

Day came -- a gray day andno sun.

雨已經停了。

It had ceased raining.

刀絞一樣的飢餓感覺也消失了。

The keenness of his hungerhad departed.

他已經喪失了想吃食物的感覺。

Sensibility, as far asconcerned the yearning for food, had been exhausted.

他只覺得胃裡隱隱作痛，但並不使他過分難過。

There was a dull, heavyache in his stomach, but it did not bother him so much.

他的腦子已經比較清醒，他又一心一意地想著「小棍子地」和狄斯河邊的地窖了。

He was more rational, andonce more he was chiefly interested in the land of little sticks and the cacheby the river Dease.

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他把撕剩的那條毯子扯成一條條的，裹好那雙鮮血淋淋的腳。

He ripped the remnant ofone of his blankets into strips and bound his bleeding feet.

同時把受傷的腳腕子重新捆緊，為這一天的旅行做好準備。

Also, he recinched theinjured ankle and prepared himself for a day of travel.

等到收拾包袱的時候，他對著那個厚實的鹿皮口袋想了很久，但最後還是把它隨身帶著。

When he came to his pack,he paused long over the squat moose-hide sack, but in the end it went with him.

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雪已經給雨水淋化了，只有山頭還是白的。

The snow had melted underthe rain, and only the hilltops showed white.

太陽出來了，他總算能夠定出羅盤的方位來了，雖然他知道現在他已經迷了路。

The sun came out, and hesucceeded in locating the points of the compass, though he knew now that he waslost.

在前兩天的遊盪中，他也許走得過分偏左了。

Perhaps, in his previousdays wanderings, he had edged away too far to the left.

因此，他為了校正，就朝右面走，以便走上正確的路程。

He now bore off to theright to counteract the possible deviation from his true course.

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現在，雖然餓的痛苦已經不再那麼敏銳，他卻感到了虛弱。

Though the hunger pangswere no longer so exquisite, he realized that he was weak.

他在摘那種沼地上的漿果，或者拔燈心草的時候，常常不得不停下來休息一會。

He was compelled to pausefor frequent rests, when he attacked the muskeg berries and rush-grass patches.

他覺得他的舌頭很乾燥，很大，好象上面長滿了細毛，含在嘴裡發苦。

His tongue felt dry andlarge, as though covered with a fine hairy growth, and it tasted bitter in hismouth.

他的心臟給他添了很多麻煩。

His heart gave him a greatdeal of trouble.

他每走幾分鐘，心裡就會猛烈地怦怦地跳一陣，然後變成一種痛苦的一起一落的迅速猛跳，逼得他透不過氣，只覺得頭昏眼花。

When he had travelled a fewminutes it would begin a remorseless thump, thump, thump, and then leap up andaway in a painful flutter of beats that choked him and made him go faint anddizzy.

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中午時分，他在一個大水坑裡發現了兩條鰷魚。

In the middle of the day hefound two minnows in a large pool.

把坑裡的水舀干是不可能的，但是現在他比較鎮靜，就想法子用白鐵罐子把它們撈起來。

It was impossible to baleit, but he was calmer now and managed to catch them in his tin bucket.

它們只有他的小指頭那麼長，但是他現在並不覺得特別餓。

They were no longer thanhis little finger, but he was not particularly hungry.

胃裡的隱痛已經愈來愈麻木，愈來愈不覺得了。

The dull ache in hisstomach had been growing duller and fainter.

他的胃幾乎象睡著了似的。

It seemed almost that hisstomach was dozing.

他把魚生吃下去，費勁地咀嚼著，因為吃東西已成了純粹出於理智的動作。

He ate the fish raw,masticating with painstaking care, for the eating was an act of pure reason.

他雖然並不想吃，但是他知道，為了活下去，他必須吃。

While he had no desire toeat, he knew that he must eat to live.

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黃昏時候，他又捉到了三條鰷魚，他吃掉兩條，留下一條作第二天的早飯。

In the evening he caughtthree more minnows, eating two and saving the third for breakfast.

太陽已經晒乾了零星散漫的苔蘚，他能夠燒點熱水讓自己暖和暖和了。

The sun had dried strayshreds of moss, and he was able to warm himself with hot water.

這一天，他走了不到十哩路；第二天，只要心臟許可，他就往前走，只走了五哩多地。

He had not covered morethan ten miles that day; and the next day, travelling whenever his heartpermitted him, he covered no more than five miles.

但是胃裡卻沒有一點不舒服的感覺。

But his stomach did notgive him the slightest uneasiness.

它已經睡著了。

It had gone to sleep.

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現在，他到了一個陌生的地帶，馴鹿愈來愈多，狼也多起來了。

He was in a strangecountry, too, and the caribou were growing more plentiful, also the wolves.

荒原里常常傳出狼嗥的聲音，有一次，他還瞧見了三隻狼在他前面的路上穿過。

Often their yelps driftedacross the desolation, and once he saw three of them slinking away before hispath.

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又過了一夜；早晨，因為頭腦比較清醒，他就解開系著那厚實的鹿皮口袋的皮繩，

Another night; and in themorning, being more rational, he untied the leather string that fastened thesquat moose-hide sack.

從袋口倒出一股黃澄澄的粗金沙和金塊。

From its open mouth poureda yellow stream of coarse gold-dust and nuggets.

他把這些金子分成了大致相等的兩堆，一堆包在一塊毯子里，在一塊突出的岩石上藏好，把另外那堆仍舊裝到口袋裡。

He roughly divided the goldin halves, caching one half on a prominent ledge, wrapped in a piece ofblanket, and returning the other half to the sack.

同時，他又從剩下的那條毯子上撕下幾條，用來裹腳。

He also began to use stripsof the one remaining blanket for his feet.

他仍然捨不得他的槍，因為狄斯河邊的地窖里有子彈。

He still clung to his gun,for there were cartridges in that cache by the river Dease.

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這是一個下霧的日子，這一天，他又有了餓的感覺。

This was a day of fog, andthis day hunger awoke in him again.

他的身體非常虛弱，他一陣一陣地暈得什麼都看不見。

He was very weak and wasafflicted with a giddiness which at times blinded him.

現在，對他來說，一絆就摔跤已經不是稀罕事了；有一次，他給絆了一跤，正好摔到一個松雞窩裡。

It was no uncommon thingnow for him to stumble and fall; and stumbling once, he fell squarely into aptarmigan nest.

那裡面有四隻剛孵出的小松雞，出世才一天光景——那些活蹦亂跳的小生命只夠吃一口；他狼吞虎咽，把它們活活塞到嘴裡，象嚼蛋殼似地吃起來，

There were four newlyhatched chicks, a day old -- little specks of pulsating life no more than amouthful; and he ate them ravenously, thrusting them alive into his mouth andcrunching them like egg-shells between his teeth.

母松雞大吵大叫地在他周圍撲來撲去。

The mother ptarmigan beatabout him with great outcry.

他把槍當作棍子來打它，可是它閃開了。

He used his gun as a clubwith which to knock her over, but she dodged out of reach.

他投石子打它，碰巧打傷了它的一個翅膀。

He threw stones at her andwith one chance shot broke a wing.

松雞拍擊著受傷的翅膀逃開了，他就在後面追趕。

Then she fluttered away,running, trailing the broken wing, with him in pursuit.

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那幾隻小雞隻引起了他的胃口。

The little chicks had nomore than whetted his appetite.

他拖著那隻受傷的腳腕子，一瘸一拐，跌跌沖沖地追下去，時而對它扔石子，時而粗聲吆喝；

He hopped and bobbedclumsily along on his injured ankle, throwing stones and screaming hoarsely attimes;

有時候，他只是一瘸一拐，不聲不響地追著，摔倒了就咬著牙、耐心地爬起來，或者在頭暈得支持不住的時候用手揉揉眼睛。

at other times hopping andbobbing silently along, picking himself up grimly and patiently when he fell,or rubbing his eyes with his hand when the giddiness threatened to overpowerhim.

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這麼一追，竟然穿過了谷底的沼地，發現了潮濕苔癬上的一些腳櫻。

The chase led him acrossswampy ground in the bottom of the valley, and he came upon footprints in thesoggy moss.

這不是他自己的腳營，他看得出來。

They were not his own -- hecould see that.

一定是比爾的。

They must be Bills.

不過他不能停下，因為母松雞正在向前跑。

But he could not stop, forthe mother ptarmigan was running on.

他得先把它捉住，然後回來察看。

He would catch her first,then he would return and investigate.

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母松雞給追得精疲力盡；可是他自己也累壞了。

He exhausted the motherptarmigan; but he exhausted himself.

它歪著身子倒在地上喘個不停，

She lay panting on herside.

他也歪著倒在地上喘個不停，只隔著十來尺，然而沒有力氣爬過去。

He lay panting on his side,a dozen feet away, unable to crawl to her.

等到他恢復過來，它也恢復過來了，他的餓手才伸過去，它就撲著翅膀，逃到了他抓不到的地方。

And as he recovered sherecovered, fluttering out of reach as his hungry hand went out to her.

這場追趕就這樣繼續下去。

The chase was resumed.

天黑了，它終於逃掉了。

Night settled down and sheescaped.

由於渾身軟弱無力絆了一跤，頭重腳輕地栽下去，劃破了臉，包袱壓在背上。

He stumbled from weaknessand pitched head foremost on his face, cutting his cheek, his pack upon hisback.

他一動不動地過了好久，後來才翻過身，側著躺在地上，上好表，在那兒一直躺到早晨。

He did not move for a longwhile; then he rolled over on his side, wound his watch, and lay there untilmorning.

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又是一個下霧的日子。

Another day of fog.

他剩下的那條毯子已經有一半做了包腳布。

Half of his last blankethad gone into foot-wrappings.

他沒有找到比爾的蹤跡。

He failed to pick up Billstrail.

可是沒有關係。

It did not matter.

餓逼得他太厲害了——不過——不過他又想，是不是比爾也迷了路。

His hunger was driving himtoo compellingly -- only -- only he wondered if Bill, too, were lost.

走到中午的時候，累贅的包袱壓得他受不了。

By midday the irk of hispack became too oppressive.

於是他重新把金子分開，但這一次只把其中的一半倒在地上。

Again he divided the gold,this time merely spilling half of it on the ground.

到了下午，他把剩下來的那一點也扔掉了，現在，他只有半條毯子、那個白鐵罐子和那支槍。

In the afternoon he threwthe rest of it away, there remaining to him only the half-blanket, the tinbucket, and the rifle.

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一種幻覺開始折磨他。

An hallucination began totrouble him.

他覺得有十足的把握，他還剩下一粒子彈。

He felt confident that onecartridge remained to him.

它就在槍膛里，而他一直沒有想起。

It was in the chamber ofthe rifle and he had overlooked it.

可是另一方面，他也始終明自，槍膛里是空的。

On the other hand, he knewall the time that the chamber was empty.

但這種幻覺總是縈迴不散。

But the hallucinationpersisted.

他鬥爭了幾個鐘頭，想擺脫這種幻覺，後來他就打開槍，結果面對著空槍膛。

He fought it off for hours,then threw his rifle open and was confronted with emptiness.

這樣的失望非常痛苦，彷彿他真的希望會找到那粒子彈似的。

The disappointment was asbitter as though he had really expected to find the cartridge.

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經過半個鐘頭的跋涉之後，這種幻覺又出現了。

He plodded on for half anhour, when the hallucination arose again.

他於是又跟它鬥爭，而它又纏住他不放，直到為了擺脫它，他又打開槍膛打消自己的念頭。

Again he fought it, andstill it persisted, till for very relief he opened his rifle to unconvincehimself.

有時候，他越想越遠，只好一面憑本能自動向前跋涉，一面讓種種奇怪的念頭和狂想，象蛀蟲一樣地啃他的腦髓。

At times his mind wanderedfarther afield, and he plodded on, a mere automaton, strange conceits and whimsicalitiesgnawing at his brain like worms.

但是這類脫離現實的邏思大都維持不了多久，因為飢餓的痛苦總會把他刺醒。

But these excursions out ofthe real were of brief duration, for ever the pangs of the hunger-bite calledhim back.

有一次，正在這樣瞎想的時候，他忽然猛地驚醒過來，看到一個幾乎叫他昏倒的東西。

He was jerked back abruptlyonce from such an excursion by a sight that caused him nearly to faint.

他象酒醉一樣地晃蕩著，好讓自己不致跌倒。

He reeled and swayed,doddering like a drunken man to keep from falling.

在他面前站著一匹馬。

Before him stood a horse.

一匹馬！

A horse!

他簡直不能相信自己的眼睛。

He could not believe hiseyes.

他覺得眼前一片漆黑，霎時間金星亂迸。

A thick mist was in them,intershot with sparkling points of light.

他狼狠地揉著眼睛，讓自己瞧瞧清楚，原來它並不是馬，而是一頭大棕熊。

He rubbed his eyes savagelyto clear his vision, and beheld, not a horse, but a great brown bear.

這個畜生正在用一種好戰的好奇眼光仔細察看著他。

The animal was studying himwith bellicose curiosity.

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這個人舉槍上肩，把槍舉起一半，就記起來。

The man had brought his gunhalfway to his shoulder before he realized.

他放下槍，從屁般後面的鑲珠刀鞘里拔出獵刀。

He lowered it and drew hishunting-knife from its beaded sheath at his hip.

他面前是肉和生命。

Before him was meat andlife.

他用大拇指試試刀刃。

He ran his thumb along theedge of his knife.

刀刃很鋒利。

It was sharp.

刀尖也很鋒利。

The point was sharp.

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他本來會撲到熊身上，把它殺了的。

He would fling himself uponthe bear and kill it.

可是他的心卻開始了那種警告性的猛跳。

But his heart began itswarning thump, thump, thump.

接著又向上猛頂，迅速跳動，頭象給鐵箍箍緊了似的，腦子裡漸漸感到一陣昏迷。

Then followed the wildupward leap and tattoo of flutters, the pressing as of an iron band about hisforehead, the creeping of the dizziness into his brain.

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他的不顧一切的勇氣已經給一陣洶湧起伏的恐懼驅散了。

His desperate courage wasevicted by a great surge of fear.

處在這樣衰弱的境況中，如果那個畜生攻擊他，怎麼辦？

In his weakness, what ifthe animal attacked him?

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他只好儘力擺出極其威風的樣子，握緊獵刀，狠命地盯著那頭熊。

He drew himself up to hismost imposing stature, gripping the knife and staring hard at the bear.

它笨拙地向前挪了兩步，站直了，發出試探性的咆哮。

The bear advanced clumsilya couple of steps, reared up, and gave vent to a tentative growl.

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如果這個人逃跑，它就追上去；不過這個人並沒有逃跑。

If the man ran, he wouldrun after him; but the man did not run.

現在，由於恐懼而產生的勇氣已經使他振奮起來。

He was animated now withthe courage of fear.

同樣地，他也在咆哮，而且聲音非常凶野，非常可怕，發出那種生死攸關、緊緊地纏著生命的根基的恐懼。

He, too, growled, savagely,terribly, voicing the fear that is to life germane and that lies twisted aboutlifes deepest roots.

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那頭熊慢慢向旁邊挪動了一下，發出威脅的咆哮，連它自己也給這個站得筆直、毫不害怕的神秘動物嚇住了。

The bear edged away to oneside, growling menacingly, himself appalled by this mysterious creature thatappeared upright and unafraid.

可是這個人仍舊不動。

But the man did not move.

他象石像一樣地站著，直到危險過去，他才猛然哆嗦了一陣，倒在潮濕的苔蘚里。

He stood like a statue tillthe danger was past, when he yielded to a fit of trembling and sank down intothe wet moss.

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他重新振作起來，繼續前進，心裡又產生了一種新的恐懼。

He pulled himself togetherand went on, afraid now in a new way.

這不是害怕他會束手無策地死於斷糧的恐懼，而是害怕飢餓還沒有耗盡他的最後一點求生力，他已經給兇殘地摧毀了。

It was not the fear that heshould die passively from lack of food, but that he should be destroyedviolently before starvation had exhausted the last particle of the endeavor inhim that made toward surviving.

這地方的狼很多。

There were the wolves.

狼嗥的聲音在荒原上飄來飄去，在空中交織成一片危險的羅網，好象伸手就可以摸到，嚇得他不由舉起雙手，把它向後推去，彷彿它是給風刮緊了的帳篷。

Back and forth across thedesolation drifted their howls, weaving the very air into a fabric of menacethat was so tangible that he found himself, arms in the air, pressing it backfrom him as it might be the walls of a wind-blown tent.

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那些狼，時常三三兩兩地從他前面走過。

Now and again the wolves,in packs of two and three, crossed his path.

但是都避著他。

But they sheered clear ofhim.

一則因為它們為數不多，此外，它們要找的是不會搏鬥的馴鹿，而這個直立走路的奇怪動物卻可能既會抓又會咬。

They were not in sufficientnumbers, and besides they were hunting the caribou, which did not battle, whilethis strange creature that walked erect might scratch and bite.

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傍晚時他碰到了許多零亂的骨頭，說明狼在這兒咬死過一頭野獸。

In the late afternoon hecame upon scattered bones where the wolves had made a kill.

這些殘骨在一個鐘頭以前還是一頭小馴鹿，一面尖叫，一面飛奔，非常活躍。

The d bris hadbeen a caribou calf an hour before, squawking and running and very much alive.

他端詳著這些骨頭，它們已經給啃得精光發亮，其中只有一部份還沒有死去的細胞泛著粉紅色。

He contemplated the bones,clean-picked and polished, pink with the cell-life in them which had not yetdied.

難道在天黑之前，他也可能變成這個樣子嗎？

Could it possibly be thathe might be that ere the day was done!

生命就是這樣嗎，呃？

Such was life, eh?

真是一種空虛的、轉瞬即逝的東西。

A vain and fleeting thing.

只有活著才感到痛苦。

It was only life thatpained.

死並沒有什麼難過。

There was no hurt in death.

死就等於睡覺。

To die was to sleep.

它意味著結束，休息。

It meant cessation, rest.

那麼，為什麼他不甘心死呢？

Then why was he not contentto die?

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但是，他對這些大道理想得並不長久。

But he did not moralizelong.

他蹲在苔蘚地上，嘴裡銜著一根骨頭，吮吸著仍然使骨頭微微泛紅的殘餘生命。

He was squatting in themoss, a bone in his mouth, sucking at the shreds of life that still dyed itfaintly pink.

甜蜜蜜的肉味，跟回憶一樣隱隱約約，不可捉摸，卻引得他要發瘋。

The sweet meaty taste, thinand elusive almost as a memory, maddened him.

他咬緊骨頭，使勁地嚼。

He closed his jaws on thebones and crunched.

有時他咬碎了一點骨頭，有時卻咬碎了自己的牙，

Sometimes it was the bonethat broke, sometimes his teeth.

於是他就用岩石來砸骨頭，把它搗成了醬，然後吞到肚裡。

Then he crushed the bonesbetween rocks, pounded them to a pulp, and swallowed them.

匆忙之中，有時也砸到自己的指頭，使他一時感到驚奇的是，石頭砸了他的指頭他並不覺得很痛。

He pounded his fingers,too, in his haste, and yet found a moment in which to feel surprise at the factthat his fingers did not hurt much when caught under the descending rock.

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接著下了幾天可怕的雨雪。

Came frightful days of snowand rain.

他不知道什麼時候露宿，什麼時候收拾行李。

He did not know when hemade camp, when he broke camp.

他白天黑夜都在趕路。

He travelled in the nightas much as in the day.

他摔倒在哪裡就在哪裡休息，一到垂危的生命火花閃爍起來，微微燃燒的時候，就慢慢向前走。

He rested wherever he fell,crawled on whenever the dying life in him flickered up and burned less dimly.

他已經不再象人那樣掙扎了。

He, as a man, no longerstrove.

逼著他向前走的，是他的生命，因為它不願意死。

It was the life in him,unwilling to die, that drove him on.

他也不再痛苦了。

He did not suffer.

他的神經已經變得遲鈍麻木，他的腦子裡則充滿了怪異的幻象和美妙的夢境。

His nerves had becomeblunted, numb, while his mind was filled with weird visions and deliciousdreams.

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不過，他老是吮吸著，咀嚼著那隻小馴鹿的碎骨頭，這是他收集起來隨身帶著的一點殘屑。

But ever he sucked andchewed on the crushed bones of the caribou calf, the least remnants of which hehad gathered up and carried with him.

他不再翻山越嶺了，只是自動地順著一條流過一片寬闊的淺谷的溪水走去。

He crossed no more hills ordivides, but automatically followed a large stream which flowed through a wideand shallow valley.

可是他既沒有看見溪流，也沒有看到山谷。

He did not see this streamnor this valley.

他只看到幻象。

He saw nothing savevisions.

他的靈魂和肉體雖然在並排向前走，向前爬，但它們是分開的，它們之間的聯繫已經非常微弱。

Soul and body walked orcrawled side by side, yet apart, so slender was the thread that bound them.

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有一天，他醒過來，神智清楚地仰卧在一塊岩石上。

He awoke in his right mind,lying on his back on a rocky ledge.

太陽明朗暖和。

The sun was shining brightand warm.

他聽到遠處有一群小馴鹿尖叫的聲音。

Afar off he heard the squawkingof caribou calves.

他只隱隱約約地記得下過雨，刮過風，落過雪，至於他究竟被暴風雨吹打了兩天或者兩個星期，那他就不知道了。

He was aware of vaguememories of rain and wind and snow, but whether he had been beaten by the stormfor two days or two weeks he did not know.

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他一動不動地躺了好一會，溫和的太陽照在他身上，使他那受苦受難的身體充滿了暖意。

For some time he laywithout movement, the genial sunshine pouring upon him and saturating hismiserable body with its warmth.

這是一個晴天，他想道。

A fine day, he thought.

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也許，他可以想辦法確定自己的方位。

Perhaps he could manage tolocate himself.

他痛苦地使勁偏過身子；

By a painful effort herolled over on his side.

下面是一條流得很慢的很寬的河。

Below him flowed a wide andsluggish river.

他覺得這條河很陌生，真使他奇怪。

Its unfamiliarity puzzledhim.

他慢慢地順著河望去，寬廣的河灣婉蜒在許多光禿禿的小荒山之間，比他往日碰到的任何小山都顯得更光禿，更荒涼，更低矮。

Slowly he followed it withhis eyes, winding in wide sweeps among the bleak, bare hills, bleaker and barerand lower-lying than any hills he had yet encountered.

他於是慢慢地，從容地，毫不激動地，或者至多也是抱著一種極偶然的興緻，順著這條奇怪的河流的方向，向天際望去，只看到它注入一片明亮光輝的大海。

Slowly, deliberately,without excitement or more than the most casual interest, he followed thecourse of the strange stream toward the sky-line and saw it emptying into abright and shining sea.

他仍然不激動。

He was still unexcited.

太奇怪了，他想道，這是幻象吧，也許是海市蜃樓吧——多半是幻象，是他的錯亂的神經搞出來的把戲。

Most unusual, he thought, avision or a mirage -- more likely a vision, a trick of his disordered mind.

後來，他又看到光亮的大海上停泊著一隻大船，就更加相信這是幻象。

He was confirmed in this bysight of a ship lying at anchor in the midst of the shining sea.

他眼睛閉了一會再睜開。

He closed his eyes for awhile, then opened them.

奇怪，這種幻象竟會這樣地經久不散！

Strange how the visionpersisted!

然而並不奇怪，

Yet not strange.

他知道，在荒原中心絕不會有什麼大海，大船，正象他知道他的空槍里沒有子彈一樣。

He knew there were no seasor ships in the heart of the barren lands, just as he had known there was nocartridge in the empty rifle.

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他聽到背後有一種吸鼻子的聲音——彷彿喘不出氣或者咳嗽的聲音。

He heard a snuffle behindhim -- a half-choking gasp or cough.

由於身體極端虛弱和僵硬，他極慢極慢地翻一個身。

Very slowly, because of hisexceeding weakness and stiffness, he rolled over on his other side.

他看不出附近有什麼東西，但是他耐心地等著。

He could see nothing nearat hand, but he waited patiently.

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又聽到了吸鼻子和咳嗽的聲音，離他不到二十尺遠的兩塊岩石之間，他隱約看到一隻灰狼的頭。

Again came the snuffle andcough, and outlined between two jagged rocks not a score of feet away he madeout the gray head of a wolf.

那雙尖耳朵並不象別的狼那樣豎得筆挺；它的眼睛昏暗無光，布滿血絲；腦袋好象無力地、苦惱地耷拉著。

The sharp ears were notpricked so sharply as he had seen them on other wolves; the eyes were blearedand bloodshot, the head seemed to droop limply and forlornly.

這個畜生不斷地在太陽光里霎眼。

The animal blinkedcontinually in the sunshine.

它好象有玻正當他瞧著它的時候，它又發出了吸鼻子和咳嗽的聲音。

It seemed sick. As helooked it snuffled and coughed again.

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至少，這總是真的，他一面想，一面又翻過身，以便瞧見先前給幻象遮住的現實世界。

This, at least, was real,he thought, and turned on the other side so that he might see the reality ofthe world which had been veiled from him before by the vision.

可是，遠處仍舊是一片光輝的大海，那條船仍然清晰可見。

But the sea still shone inthe distance and the ship was plainly discernible.

難道這是真的嗎？

Was it reality, after all?

他閉著眼睛，想了好一會，畢竟想出來了。

He closed his eyes for along while and thought, and then it came to him.

他一直在向北偏東走，他已經離開狄斯分水嶺，走到了銅礦谷。

He had been making north byeast, away from the Dease Divide and into the Coppermine Valley.

這條流得很慢的寬廣的河就是銅礦河。

This wide and sluggishriver was the Coppermine.

那片光輝的大海是北冰洋。

That shining sea was theArctic Ocean.

那條船是一艘捕鯨船，本來應該駛往麥肯齊河口，可是偏了東，太偏東了，目前停泊在加冕灣里。

That ship was a whaler,strayed east, far east, from the mouth of the Mackenzie, and it was lying atanchor in Coronation Gulf.

他記起了很久以前他看到的那張赫德森灣公司的地圖，現在，對他來說，這完全是清清楚楚，入情入理的。

He remembered the HudsonBay Company chart he had seen long ago, and it was all clear and reasonable tohim.

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他坐起來，想著切身的事情。

He sat up and turned hisattention to immediate affairs.

裹在腳上的毯子已經磨穿了，他的腳破得沒有一處好肉。

He had worn through the blanket-wrappings,and his feet were shapeless lumps of raw meat.

最後一條毯子已經用完了。

His last blanket was gone.

槍和獵刀也不見了。

Rifle and knife were bothmissing.

帽子不知在什麼地方丟了，帽圈裡那小包火柴也一塊丟了，不過，貼胸放在煙草袋裡的那包用油紙包著的火柴還在，而且是乾的。

He had lost his hatsomewhere, with the bunch of matches in the band, but the matches against hischest were safe and dry inside the tobacco pouch and oil paper.

他瞧了一下表。

He looked at his watch.

時針指著十一點，表仍然在走。

It marked eleven oclockand was still running.

很清楚，他一直沒有忘了上表。

Evidently he had kept itwound.

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他很冷靜，很沉著。

He was calm and collected.

雖然身體衰弱已極，但是並沒有痛苦的感覺。

Though extremely weak, hehad no sensation of pain.

他一點也不餓。

He was not hungry.

甚至想到食物也不會產生快感。現在，他無論做什麼，都只憑理智。

The thought of food was noteven pleasant to him, and whatever he did was done by his reason alone.

他齊膝蓋撕下了兩截褲腿，用來裹腳。

He ripped off his pantslegs to the knees and bound them about his feet.

他總算還保住了那個白鐵罐子。

Somehow he had succeeded inretaining the tin bucket.

他打算先喝點熱水，然後再開始向船走去，他已經料到這是一段可怕的路程。

He would have some hotwater before he began what he foresaw was to be a terrible journey to the ship.

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他的動作很慢。

His movements were slow.

他好象半身不遂地哆嗦著。

He shook as with a palsy.

等到他預備去收集乾苔的時候，他才發現自己已經站不起來了。

When he started to collectdry moss, he found he could not rise to his feet.

他試了又試，後來只好死了這條心，他用手和膝蓋支著爬來爬去。

He tried again and again,then contented himself with crawling about on hands and knees.

有一次，他爬到了那隻病狼附近。

Once he crawled near to thesick wolf.

那個畜生，一面很不情願地避開他，一面用那條好象連彎一下的力氣都沒有的舌頭舐著自己的牙床。

The animal dragged itselfreluctantly out of his way, licking its chops with a tongue which seemed hardlyto have the strength to curl.

這個人注意到它的舌頭並不是通常那種健康的紅色，而是一種暗黃色，好象蒙著一層粗糙的、半乾的粘膜。

The man noticed that thetongue was not the customary healthy red. It was a yellowish brown and seemedcoated with a rough and half-dry mucus.

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這個人喝下熱水之後，覺得自己可以站起來了，甚至還可以象想像中一個快死的人那樣走路了。

After he had drunk a quartof hot water the man found he was able to stand, and even to walk as well as adying man might be supposed to walk.

他每走一兩分鐘，就不得不停下來休息一會。

Every minute or so he wascompelled to rest.

他的步子軟弱無力，很不穩，就象跟在他後面的那隻狼一樣又軟又不穩；這天晚上，等到黑夜籠罩了光輝的大海的時候，他知道他和大海之間的距離只縮短了不到四哩。

His steps were feeble anduncertain, just as the wolfs that trailed him were feeble and uncertain; andthat night, when the shining sea was blotted out by blackness, he knew he wasnearer to it by no more than four miles.

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這一夜，他總是聽到那隻病狼咳嗽的聲音，有時候，他又聽到了一群小馴鹿的叫聲。

Throughout the night heheard the cough of the sick wolf, and now and then the squawking of the cariboucalves.

他周圍全是生命，不過那是強壯的生命，非常活躍而健康的生命，同時他也知道，那隻病狼所以要緊跟著他這個病人，是希望他先死。

There was life all aroundhim, but it was strong life, very much alive and well, and he knew the sickwolf clung to the sick mans trail in the hope that the man would die first.

早晨，他一掙開眼睛就看到這個畜生正用一種如饑似渴的眼光瞪著他。

In the morning, on openinghis eyes, he beheld it regarding him with a wistful and hungry stare.

它夾著尾巴蹲在那兒，好象一條可憐的倒楣的狗。

It stood crouched, withtail between its legs, like a miserable and woe-begone dog.

早晨的寒風吹得它直哆嗦，每逢這個人對它勉強發出一種低聲咕嚕似的吆喝，它就無精打采地呲著牙。

It shivered in the chillmorning wind, and grinned dispiritedly when the man spoke to it in a voice thatachieved no more than a hoarse whisper.

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太陽亮堂堂地升了起來，這一早晨，他一直在絆絆跌跌地，朝著光輝的海洋上的那條船走。

The sun rose brightly, andall morning the man tottered and fell toward the ship on the shining sea.

天氣好極了。

The weather was perfect.

這是高緯度地方的那種短暫的晚秋。

It was the brief Indian Summer of the high latitudes.

它可能連續一個星期。

It might last a week.

也許明後天就會結束。

To-morrow or next day itmight be gone.

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下午，這個人發現了一些痕迹，

In the afternoon theman came upon a trail.

那是另外一個人留下的，他不是走，而是爬的。

It was of another man, whodid not walk, but who dragged himself on all fours.

他認為可能是比爾，不過他只是漠不關心地想想罷了。

The man thought it might beBill, but he thought in a dull, uninterested way.

他並沒有什麼好奇心。

He had no curiosity.

事實上，他早已失去了興緻和熱情。

In fact, sensation andemotion had left him.

他已經不再感到痛苦了。

He was no longersusceptible to pain.

他的胃和神經都睡著了。

Stomach and nerves had goneto sleep.

但是內在的生命卻逼著他前進。

Yet the life that was inhim drove him on.

他非常疲倦，然而他的生命卻不願死去。

He was very weary, but itrefused to die.

正因為生命不願死，他才仍然要吃沼地上的漿果和鰷魚，喝熱水，一直提防著那隻病狼。

It was because it refusedto die that he still ate muskeg berries and minnows, drank his hot water, andkept a wary eye on the sick wolf.

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他跟著那個掙扎前進的人的痕迹向前走去，不久就走到了盡頭——潮濕的苔蘚上攤著幾根才啃光的骨頭，附近還有許多狼的腳櫻。

He followed the trail ofthe other man who dragged himself along, and soon came to the end of it -- afew fresh-picked bones where the soggy moss was marked by the foot-pads of manywolves.

他發現了一個跟他自己的那個一模一樣的厚實的鹿皮口袋，但已經給尖利的牙齒咬破了。

He saw a squat moose-hidesack, mate to his own, which had been torn by sharp teeth.

他那無力的手已經拿不動這樣沉重的袋子了，可是他到底把它提起來了。

He picked it up, though itsweight was almost too much for his feeble fingers.

比爾至死都帶著它。

Bill had carried it to thelast.

哈哈！他可以嘲笑比爾了。

Ha! ha! He would have thelaugh on Bill.

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他可以活下去，把它帶到光輝的海洋里那條船上。

He would survive and carryit to the ship in the shining sea.

他的笑聲粗厲可怕，跟烏鴉的怪叫一樣，而那條病狼也隨著他，一陣陣地慘嗥。

His mirth was hoarse andghastly, like a ravens croak, and the sick wolf joined him, howlinglugubriously.

突然間，他不笑了。

The man ceased suddenly.

如果這真是比爾的骸骨，他怎麼能嘲笑比爾呢；如果這些有紅有白，啃得精光的骨頭，真是比爾的話？

How could he have the laughon Bill if that were Bill; if those bones, so pinky-white and clean, were Bill?

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他轉身走開了。

He turned away.

不錯，比爾拋棄了他；但是他不願意拿走那袋金子，也不願意吮吸比爾的骨頭。

Well, Bill had desertedhim; but he would not take the gold, nor would he suck Bills bones.

不過，如果事情掉個頭的話，比爾也許會做得出來的，他一面搖搖晃晃地前進，一面暗暗想著這些情形。

Bill would have, though,had it been the other way around, he mused as he staggered on.

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他走到了一個水坑旁邊。

He came to a pool of water.

就在他彎下腰找鰷魚的時候，他猛然仰起頭，好象給戳了一下。

Stooping over in quest ofminnows, he jerked his head back as though he had been stung.

他瞧見了自己反映在水裡的險。

He had caught sight of hisreflected face.

臉色之可怕，竟然使他一時恢復了知覺，感到震驚了。

So horrible was it thatsensibility awoke long enough to be shocked.

這個坑裡有三條鰷魚，可是坑太大，不好舀；他用白鐵罐子去捉，試了幾次都不成，後來他就不再試了。

There were three minnows inthe pool, which was too large to drain; and after several ineffectual attemptsto catch them in the tin bucket he forbore.

他怕自己會由於極度虛弱，跌進去淹死。

He was afraid, because ofhis great weakness, that he might fall in and drown.

而且，也正是因為這一層，他才沒有跨上沿著沙洲並排漂去的木頭，讓河水帶著他走。

It was for this reason thathe did not trust himself to the river astride one of the many drift-logs whichlined its sand-spits.

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這一天，他和那條船之間的距離縮短了三哩；第二天，又縮短了兩哩——因為現在他是跟比爾先前一樣地在爬；到了第五天末尾，他發現那條船離開他仍然有七哩，而他每天連一哩也爬不到了。

That day he decreased thedistance between him and the ship by three miles; the next day by two -- for hewas crawling now as Bill had crawled; and the end of the fifth day found theship still seven miles away and him unable to make even a mile a day.

幸虧天氣仍然繼續放晴，他於是繼續爬行，繼續暈倒，輾轉不停地爬；而那頭狼也始終跟在他後面，不斷地咳嗽和哮喘。

Still the Indian Summerheld on, and he continued to crawl and faint, turn and turn about; and ever thesick wolf coughed and wheezed at his heels.

他的膝蓋已經和他的腳一樣鮮血淋漓，儘管他撕下了身上的襯衫來墊膝蓋，他背後的苔蘚和岩石上仍然留下了一路血漬。

His knees had become rawmeat like his feet, and though he padded them with the shirt from his back itwas a red track he left behind him on the moss and stones.

有一次，他回頭看見病狼正餓得發慌地舐著他的血漬、他不由得清清楚楚地看出了自己可能遭到的結局——除非——除非他幹掉這隻狼。

Once, glancing back, he sawthe wolf licking hungrily his bleeding trail, and he saw sharply what his ownend might be -- unless -- unless he could get the wolf.

於是，—幕從來沒有演出過的殘酷的求生悲劇就開始了——病人一路爬著，病狼一路跛行著，兩個生靈就這樣在荒原里拖著垂死的軀殼，相互獵取著對方的生命。

Then began as grim atragedy of existence as was ever played -- a sick man that crawled, a sick wolfthat limped, two creatures dragging their dying carcasses across the desolationand hunting each others lives.

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如果這是一條健康的狼，那末，他覺得倒也沒有多大關係；可是，一想到自己要喂這麼一隻令人作嘔、只剩下一口氣的狼，他就覺得非常厭惡。

Had it been a well wolf, itwould not have mattered so much to the man; but the thought of going to feedthe maw of that loathsome and all but dead thing was repugnant to him.

他就是這樣吹毛求疵。

He was finicky.

現在，他腦子裡又開始胡思亂想，又給幻象弄得迷迷糊糊，而神智清楚的時候也愈來愈少，愈來愈短。

His mind had begun towander again, and to be perplexed by hallucinations, while his lucid intervalsgrew rarer and shorter.

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有一次，他從昏迷中給一種貼著他耳朵喘息的聲音驚醒了。

He was awakened once from afaint by a wheeze close in his ear.

那隻狼一跛一跛地跳回去，它因為身體虛弱，一失足摔了一跤。

The wolf leaped lamelyback, losing its footing and falling in its weakness.

樣子可笑極了，可是他一點也不覺得有趣。

It was ludicrous, but hewas not amused.

他甚至也不害怕。

Nor was he even afraid.

他已經到了這一步，根本談不到那些。

He was too far gone forthat.

不過，這一會，他的頭腦卻很清醒，於是他躺在那兒，仔細地考慮。

But his mind was for themoment clear, and he lay and considered.

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那條船離他不過四哩路，

The ship was no more thanfour miles away.

他把眼睛擦凈之後，可以很清楚地看到它；同時，他還看出了一條在光輝的大海里破浪前進的小船的白帆。

He could see it quitedistinctly when he rubbed the mists out of his eyes, and he could see the whitesail of a small boat cutting the water of the shining sea.

可是，無論如何他也爬不完這四哩路。

But he could never crawlthose four miles.

這一點，他是知道的，而且知道以後，他還非常鎮靜。

He knew that, and was verycalm in the knowledge.

他知道他連半哩路也爬不了。

He knew that he could notcrawl half a mile.

不過，他仍然要活下去。

And yet he wanted to live.

在經歷了千辛萬苦之後，他居然會死掉，那未免太不合理了。

It was unreasonable that heshould die after all he had undergone.

命運對他實在太苛刻了，

Fate asked too much of him.

然而，儘管奄奄一息，他還是不情願死。

And, dying, he declined todie.

也許，這種想法完全是發瘋，不過，就是到了死神的鐵掌里，他仍然要反抗它，不肯死。

It was stark madness,perhaps, but in the very grip of Death he defied Death and refused to die.

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他閉上眼睛，極其小心地讓自己鎮靜下去。

He closed his eyes andcomposed himself with infinite precaution.

疲倦象漲潮一樣，從他身體的各處湧上來，但是他剛強地打起精神，絕不讓這種令人窒息的疲倦把他淹沒。

He steeled himself to keepabove the suffocating languor that lapped like a rising tide through all thewells of his being.

這種要命的疲倦，很象一片大海，一漲再漲，一點一點地淹沒他的意識。

It was very like a sea,this deadly languor, that rose and rose and drowned his consciousness bit bybit.

有時候，他幾乎完全給淹沒了，他只能用無力的雙手劃著，漂游過那黑茫茫的一片；可是，有時候，他又會憑著一種奇怪的心靈作用，另外找到一絲毅力，更堅強地劃著。

Sometimes he was all butsubmerged, swimming through oblivion with a faltering stroke; and again, bysome strange alchemy of soul, he would find another shred of will and strikeout more strongly.

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他一動不動地仰面躺著，現在，他能夠聽到病狼一呼一吸地喘著氣，慢慢地向他逼近。

Without movement he lay onhis back, and he could hear, slowly drawing near and nearer, the wheezingintake and output of the sick wolfs breath.

它愈來愈近，總是在向他逼近，好象經過了無窮的時間，但是他始終不動。

It drew closer, evercloser, through an infinitude of time, and he did not move.

它已經到了他耳邊。

It was at his ear.

那條粗糙的干舌頭正象砂紙一樣地磨擦著他的兩腮。

The harsh dry tongue gratedlike sandpaper against his cheek.

他那兩隻手一下子伸了出來——或者，至少也是他憑著毅力要它們伸出來的。

His hands shot out -- or atleast he willed them to shoot out.

他的指頭彎得象鷹爪一樣，可是抓了個空。

The fingers were curvedlike talons, but they closed on empty air.

敏捷和準確是需要力氣的，他沒有這種力氣。

Swiftness and certituderequire strength, and the man had not this strength.

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那隻狼的耐心真是可怕。

The patience of the wolfwas terrible.

這個人的耐心也一樣可怕。

The mans patience was noless terrible.

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這一天，有一半時間他一直躺著不動，儘力和昏迷鬥爭，等著那個要把他吃掉、而他也希望能吃掉的東西。

For half a day he laymotionless, fighting off unconsciousness and waiting for the thing that was tofeed upon him and upon which he wished to feed.

有時候，疲倦的浪潮湧上來，淹沒了他，他會做起很長的夢；然而在整個過程中，不論醒著或是做夢，他都在等著那種喘息和那條粗糙的舌頭來舐他。

Sometimes the languid searose over him and he dreamed long dreams; but ever through it all, waking anddreaming, he waited for the wheezing breath and the harsh caress of the tongue.

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他並沒有聽到這種喘息，他只是從夢裡慢慢蘇醒過來，覺得有條舌頭在順著他的一隻手舐去。

He did not hear the breath,and he slipped slowly from some dream to the feel of the tongue along his hand.

他靜靜地等著。

He waited.

狼牙輕輕地扣在他手上了；扣緊了；狼正在盡最後一點力量把牙齒咬進它等了很久的東西裡面。

The fangs pressed softly;the pressure increased; the wolf was exerting its last strength in an effort tosink teeth in the food for which it had waited so long.

可是這個人也等了很久，那隻給咬破了的手也抓住了狼的牙床。

But the man had waitedlong, and the lacerated hand closed on the jaw.

於是，慢慢地，就在狼無力地掙扎著，他的手無力地掐著的時候，他的另一隻手已經慢慢摸過來，

Slowly, while the wolfstruggled feebly and the hand clutched feebly, the other hand crept across to agrip.

一下把狼抓祝五分鐘之後，這個人已經把全身的重量都壓在狼的身上。

Five minutes later thewhole weight of the mans body was on top of the wolf.

他的手的力量雖然還不足以把狼掐死，可是他的臉已經緊緊地壓住了狼的咽喉，嘴裡已經滿是狼毛。

The hands had notsufficient strength to choke the wolf, but the face of the man was pressedclose to the throat of the wolf and the mouth of the man was full of hair.

半小時後，這個人感到一小股暖和的液體慢饅流進他的喉嚨。

At the end of half an hourthe man was aware of a warm trickle in his throat.

這東西並不好吃，

It was not pleasant.

就象硬灌到他胃裡的鉛液，而且是純粹憑著意志硬灌下去的。

It was like molten leadbeing forced into his stomach, and it was forced by his will alone.

後來，這個人翻了一個身，仰面睡著了。

Later the man rolled overon his back and slept.

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捕鯨船「白德福號」上，有幾個科學考察隊的人員。

There were some members ofa scientific expedition on the whale-ship Bedford.

他們從甲板上望見岸上有一個奇怪的東西。

From the deck they remarkeda strange object on the shore.

它正在向沙灘下面的水面挪動。

It was moving down thebeach toward the water.

他們沒法分清它是哪一類動物，但是，因為他們都是研究科學的人，他們就乘了船旁邊的一條捕鯨艇，到岸上去察看。

They were unable toclassify it, and, being scientific men, they climbed into the whale-boatalongside and went ashore to see.

接著，他們發現了一個活著的動物，可是很難把它稱作人。

And they saw something thatwas alive but which could hardly be called a man.

它已經瞎了，失去了知覺。

It was blind, unconscious.

它就象一條大蟲子在地上蠕動著前進。

It squirmed along theground like some monstrous worm.

它用的力氣大半都不起作用，但是它老不停，它一面搖晃，一面向前扭動，照它這樣，一點鐘大概可以爬上二十尺。

Most of its efforts wereineffectual, but it was persistent, and it writhed and twisted and went aheadperhaps a score of feet an hour.

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三星期以後，這個人躺在捕鯨船「白德福號」的一個鋪位上，眼淚順著他的削瘦的面頰往下淌，他說出他是誰和他經過的一切。

Three weeks afterward theman lay in a bunk on the whale-ship Bedford, and with tears streaming downhis wasted cheeks told who he was and what he had undergone.

同時，他又含含糊糊地、不連貫地談到了他的母親，談到了陽光燦爛的南加利福尼亞，以及桔樹和花叢中的他的家園。

He also babbledincoherently of his mother, of sunny Southern California, and a home among theorange groves and flowers.

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沒過幾天，他就跟那些科學家和船員坐在一張桌子旁邊吃飯了，

The days were not manyafter that when he sat at table with the scientific men and ships officers.

他饞得不得了地望著面前這麼多好吃的東西，焦急地瞧著它溜進別人口裡。

He gloated over thespectacle of so much food, watching it anxiously as it went into the mouths ofothers.

每逢別人咽下一口的時候，他眼睛裡就會流露出一種深深惋惜的表情。

With the disappearance ofeach mouthful an expression of deep regret came into his eyes.

他的神志非常清醒，可是，每逢吃飯的時候，他免不了要恨這些人。

He was quite sane, yet hehated those men at meal-time.

他給恐懼纏住了，他老怕糧食維持不了多久。

He was haunted by a fearthat the food would not last.

他向廚子，船艙里的服務員和船長打聽食物的貯藏量。

He inquired of the cook,the cabin-boy, the captain, concerning the food stores.

他們對他保證了無數次，但是他仍然不相信，仍然會狡猾地溜到貯藏室附近親自窺探。

They reassured himcountless times; but he could not believe them, and pried cunningly about thelazarette to see with his own eyes.

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看起來，這個人正在發胖。

It was noticed that the manwas getting fat.

他每天都會胖一點。

He grew stouter with eachday.

那批研究科學的人都搖著頭，提出他們的理論。

The scientific men shooktheir heads and theorized.

他們限制了這個人的飯量，可是他的腰圍仍然在加大，身體胖得驚人。

They limited the man at hismeals, but still his girth increased and he swelled prodigiously under hisshirt.

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水手們都咧著嘴笑。

The sailors grinned.

他們心裡有數。

They knew.

等到這批科學家派人來監視他的時候，他們也知道了。

And when the scientific menset a watch on the man, they knew too.

他們看到他在早飯以後萎靡不振地走著，而且會象叫化子似地，向一個水手伸出手。

They saw him slouch forwardafter breakfast, and, like a mendicant, with outstretched palm, accost asailor.

那個水手笑了笑，遞給他一塊硬麵包，

The sailor grinned andpassed him a fragment of sea biscuit.

他貪婪地把它拿住，象守財奴瞅著金子般地瞅著它，然後把它塞到襯衫裡面。

He clutched itavariciously, looked at it as a miser looks at gold, and thrust it into hisshirt bosom.

別的咧著嘴笑的水手也送給他同樣的禮品。

Similar were the donationsfrom other grinning sailors.

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這些研究科學的人很謹慎。

The scientific men werediscreet.

他們隨他去。

They let him alone.

但是他們常常暗暗檢查他的床鋪。

But they privily examinedhis bunk.

那上面擺著一排排的硬麵包，褥子也給硬麵包塞得滿滿的；每一個角落裡都塞滿了硬麵包。

It was lined with hardtack;the mattress was stuffed with hardtack; every nook and cranny was filled withhardtack.

然而他的神志非常清醒。

Yet he was sane.

他是在防備可能發生的另一次饑荒——就是這麼回事。

He was taking precautionsagainst another possible famine -- that was all.

研究科學的人說，他會恢復常態的；事實也是如此，「白德福號」的鐵錨還沒有在舊金山灣里隆隆地拋下去，他就正常了。

He would recover from it,the scientific men said; and he did, ere the Bedfords anchor rumbleddown in San Francisco Bay.

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附註：

(1) 英文是原著來的。

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