Poor Old Bill (II)可憐的老比爾（下）

“When we could no longer hear Captain singing we all grew very cheerful and made a banquet out of our year’s provisions， as we all hoped to be home again in under three weeks. We had three great banquets every day for a week—every man had more than he could eat， and what was left over we threw on the floor like gentlemen. And then one day， as we saw San Hu?gédos， and wanted to sail in to spend our money， the wind changed round from behind us and beat us out to sea. There was no tacking against it， and no getting into the harbour， though other ships sailed by us and anchored there. Sometimes a dead calm would fall on us， while fishing boats all around us flew before half a gale， and sometimes the wind would beat us out to sea when nothing else was moving.

“當再也聽不到船長的歌聲時，所有人都變得很高興。我們用一年份的糧食開了一場宴會，因為我們都盼望能在三個星期之內回家。在整整一周里，我們每天開三次大宴——每個人都有吃不完的食物，我們像紳士一樣把剩下的扔到地上。后來有一天，當我們看見圣休杰多斯時，就想開過去，上岸花花錢，這時后面的風卻轉了向，把船吹往大海。旁邊駛過的船都能正常地航行和在港口下錨，我們的船卻絲毫不能變換航向，也不能進港。有時，我們陷入一陣死一般的平靜，而周圍的漁船卻在強風當中飛馳；有時，其他的東西一動不動，風卻會將我們的船吹到遠海。

“It was just the same at Norenna.

“在諾任那，情況也是一樣。

“We kept close together now and talked in low voices. Suddenly poor old Bill grew frightened. As we went all along the Siractic coast-line， we tried again and again， and the wind was waiting for us in every harbour and sent us out to sea. Even the little islands would not have us. And then we knew that there was no landing yet for poor old Bill， and every one upbraided his kind heart that had made them maroon Captain on a rock， so as not to have his blood upon their heads. There was nothing to do but to drift about the seas. There were no banquets now， because we feared that Captain might live his year and keep us out to sea.

“我們聚在一起，低聲交談。突然，可憐的老比爾變得很害怕。我們沿著斯拉克提克的海岸線航行，試了一次又一次，風在每一個港口等著我們，又把我們吹向海上。即便是小島也無從靠岸。那時我們才明白了，就是因為可憐的老比爾，我們才不能上岸。大家都責罵他的善心。都是他讓船員們把船長放逐到一塊巖石上，以免他的血濺到他們頭上。除了在海上漂流，別無他法。現在沒有宴會了，大家害怕船長能得終天年，把我們一直留在海上。

“At first we used to hail all passing ships， and used to try to board them in the boats; but there was no towing against Captain’s curse， and we had to give that up. So we played cards for a year in Captain’s cabin， night and day， storm and fine， and every one promised to pay poor old Bill when we got ashore.

“剛開始時，我們向過往的所有船只招手，想乘小船登上它們，可是船長的詛咒讓小船無法拖動，只有放棄。就這樣我們在船長室里打了一年的牌，夜里打，白天打，晴時打，有暴風雨時也打。每人都承諾在上岸后給可憐的老比爾結錢。

“It was horrible to us to think what a frugal man Captain really was， he that used to get drunk every other day whenever he was at sea， and here he was still alive， and sober too， for his curse still kept us out of every port， and our provisions were gone.

“想到船長實際上過著多么飲食節儉的生活，我們感到很恐怖。以前他在海上每隔一天都喝得爛醉，但現在看來他還活著，還很清醒——他的詛咒仍然讓我們進不了任何港口，船上的糧食也沒有了。

“Well， it came to drawing lots， and Jim was the unlucky one.

“好吧，我們到了需要抓鬮的地步，吉姆成了那不走運的人。

“When there was only Jakes and poor old Bill and the cabin-boy and Dick， we didn’t draw any longer. We said that the cabin-boy had had all the luck， and he mustn’t expect any more. Then poor old Bill was alone with Jakes and Dick， and Captain was still alive. When there was no more boy， and the Captain still alive， Dick， who was a huge strong man like poor old Bill， said that it was Jakes’ turn， and he was very lucky to have lived as long as he had. But poor old Bill talked it all over with Jakes， and they thought it better than Dick should take his turn.

“當船上只剩下杰克斯、可憐的老比爾、船上服務生和迪克時，我們不再抓鬮。我們說服務生的運氣已經太好，他不可以再期盼更多。接著只余下可憐的老比爾跟杰克斯和迪克，而船長還沒有死。沒有別的服務生了，而船長仍然活著，像可憐的老比爾一樣高大強壯的迪克說，現在輪到杰克斯了，他能活那么長已是非常幸運。不過，可憐的老比爾把迪克的想法全跟杰克斯說了，他倆認為迪克才應該去死。

“Then there was Jakes and poor old Bill; and Captain would not die.

“之后船上只剩下杰克斯和可憐的老比爾，可船長總也不死。

“And these two used to watch one another night and day， when Dick was gone and no one else was left to them. And at last poor old Bill fell down in a faint and lay there for an hour. Then Jakes came up to him slowly with his knife， and makes a stab at poor old Bill as he lies there on the deck. And poor old Bill caught hold of him by the wrist， and put his knife into him twice to make quite sure. Then poor old Bill was all alone at sea.

“迪克死后，便沒有第三個人了，兩個人在白天和夜里都盯著對方。最后，可憐的老比爾暈倒了，在那兒躺了一個小時。杰克斯拿著刀慢慢地靠近，捅向那躺在甲板上的人。可憐的老比爾抓住杰克斯的手腕，保險起見，拿刀捅了他兩次。于是，海上就只剩可憐的老比爾一人了。

“And the very next week， Captain must have died on his bit of an island; for poor old Bill heard the Captain’s soul going cursing over the sea， and the day after that the ship was cast on a rocky coast.

“只過了一個星期，船長一定是死在小島上了，因為可憐的老比爾聽到船長的靈魂在海上詛咒。第二天，船便被拋到了滿是巖石的海岸邊。

“And Captain’s been dead now for over a hundred years， and poor old Bill is safe ashore again. But it looks as if Captain hadn’t done with him yet， for poor old Bill doesn’t ever get any older， and somehow or other he doesn’t seem to die. Poor old Bill！”

“船長已經死了一百多年了，可憐的老比爾又安全地回到岸上。可是，船長似乎仍沒有放過他，因為他一點兒也沒有變老。不知怎的，他似乎也死不了。可憐的老比爾呀！”

When this was over the man’s fascination suddenly snapped， and we all jumped up and left him.

話一說完，這個男人突然從沉迷戀中清醒過來。我們都跳起來，離開了他。

It was not only his revolting story， but it was the fearful look in the eyes of the man who told it， and the terrible ease with which his voice surpassed the roar of the rain， that decided me never again to enter that haunt of sailors—the tavern of the sea.

我決定再也不去那個水手們常去的地方（大海的酒館）了，不僅因為他那討厭的故事，還因為他那讓人害怕的眼神，和他蓋過雨聲的嗓音中那份瘆人的從容。

1原名愛德華·約翰·莫爾頓·德拉克斯·普倫基特（1878—1957，Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett），“鄧薩尼勛爵”是其筆名。他一生創作了上百部作品，深遠地影響了包括《克蘇魯神話》的作者 H. P. 洛夫克拉夫特和世界奇幻科幻文學女王、《地海》系列的作者厄休拉·勒古恩在內的幾十名作家，是現代奇幻文學的奠基人之一。