Chapter 43 Hark!
第四十三章 听!
HIST! Did you hear that noise, Cabaco?
嘘!你可听到那声音,卡巴科?
It was the middle-watch: a fair moonlight; the seamen were standing in a cordon, extending from one of the fresh-water butts in the waist, to the scuttle-butt near the taffrail.
这是夜班分:月色皎洁;水手们站成一条线,从中甲板的一只淡水桶伸展到船尾栏杆附近的大饮水桶。他们就这样传递水桶,加满那只大饮水桶。
In this manner, they passed the buckets to fill the scuttle-butt. Standing, for the most part, on the hallowed precincts of the quarter-
他们大都站在后甲板那块禁区上,大家都很小心谨慎,嘴不说话,脚不沙沙作响。
deck, they were careful not to speak or rustle their feet. From hand to hand, the buckets went in the deepest silence, only broken by the occasional flap of a sail, and the steady hum of the unceasingly advancing keel.
水桶就在这种阒无声动的气氛中传来递去,只有桅帆不时的拍击声,和不断向前的船骨的不变的哼哧声打破沉寂。
It was in the midst of this repose, that Archy, one of the cordon, whose post was near the after-hatches, whispered to his neighbor, a Cholo, the words above.
就在这种宁静的气氛中,那个站在靠近后舱口,名字叫做阿基的水手,对他旁边那个绰罗人悄悄地说了上述那句话。
Hist! did you hear that noise, Cabaco?
嘘!你可听到那声音,卡巴科?
Take the bucket, will ye, Archy? what noise d'ye mean?
把那只桶接住好吗,阿基?你说的是什么声音?
There it is again-under the hatches-don't you hear it-a cough- it sounded like a cough.
喏,又响啦...在舱口下面...你没听到...一声咳嗽...真像是一声咳嗽。
Cough be damned! Pass along that return bucket.
咳个鬼!把那只空桶传过来吧。
There again-there it is!-it sounds like two or three sleepers turning over, now!
喏,又响啦。就在那地方!好象有两三个人在睡梦里翻身,你听!
Caramba! have done, shipmate, will ye?
胡说八道!随它去,好不好,伙计?
It's the three soaked biscuits ye eat for supper turning over inside of ye-nothing else. Look to the bucket!
那是你晚饭吃下去的三块泡湿的面包在你肚皮里翻身的缘故旁的没有什么。当心水桶!
Say what ye will, shipmate; I've sharp ears.
随你怎么说吧,伙计;我的耳朵可真灵。
