天鹅（2023）

《天鹅》
(公共人行道)
欧尼收到了一把来♥复♥枪♥当生日礼物
Ernie had been given a rifle for his birthday.
他拿上枪和一盒子弹 想看能猎杀什么
He took the gun and a box of bullets and went to see what he could kill.
在雷蒙德家外面
Outside Raymond's house,
他把两根手指伸进嘴里 吹了一个又长又刺耳的口哨
he stuck two fingers in his mouth and gave a long shrill whistle.
雷蒙德是欧尼的死党 两家只隔着四户人
Raymond was Ernie's best friend. He lived four doors away.
他把来♥复♥枪♥举过头顶
He held up the rifle over his head.
雷蒙德说:“好啊 我们可以用它找点乐子 ”
"Gripes!" said Raymond. "We can have some fun with that!"
两个男孩出发了 这是五月的一个周六早晨
The two boys set off. This was a Saturday morning in May.
栗子树的花盛开
The chestnut trees were in full flower,
沿着灌木篱墙的山楂树都是白色的
and the hawthorn was white along the hedgerows.
欧尼和雷蒙德 慢慢爬上一条灌木密集的小道
As Ernie and Raymond progressed up the narrow hedgy lane,
看见小鸟就开枪
they shot every little bird they saw.
红腹灰雀 篱雀 白喉莺 黄鹀
Bullfinches, hedge sparrows, whitethroats, yellowhammers.
等他们走到铁道时 已经有14只小鸟
When they reached the railway line, there were 14 small birds
悬挂在一条绳索上了
dangling on a line of string.
欧尼用长手臂一指 小声说道:“瞧 在那 ”
"Look!" whispered Ernie, pointing with a long arm. "Over there!"
有个小男孩用双筒望远镜
There was a small boy looking up
往上看着一棵老树的枝杈
into the branches of an old tree through binoculars.
“沃森 是那个小讨厌鬼”
"Watson! That little twerp."
彼得·沃森瘦弱单薄
Peter Watson had a small, frail body.
脸上长着雀斑 戴着镜片很厚的眼镜
Face freckled and he wore spectacles with thick lenses.
他是个优秀的学生
He was a brilliant pupil,
虽然只有13岁 但他在学校已经念高年级了
already in senior class at school though he was only 13.
他喜欢音乐 钢琴也弹得好
He loved music and played the piano well.
他不擅长游戏 为人安静 彬彬有礼
He was no good at games. He was quiet and polite.
两个大点的男孩 慢慢地偷偷接近这个小男孩
The two bigger boys crept up slowly on the small boy.
彼得没看见他们 因为他正在用双筒望远镜
He did not see them because he had the binoculars to his eyes
并且被眼前的景象深深吸引住了
and was deeply captivated by what he was looking at.
“举起双手 ” 欧尼喊道 用枪指着他
"Stick 'em up!" Ernie shouted, pointing the gun.
彼得·沃森被吓了一跳
Peter Watson jumped.
他用望远镜看着这两个闯入者
He stared through his spectacles at the two intruders.
欧尼说:“快点 举起双手 ”
"Go on!" Ernie shouted. "Stick 'em up!"
彼得·沃森站着没动
Peter Watson stood still,
双手把望远镜拿在身前
holding the binoculars in front of him with both hands.
他看着雷蒙德和欧尼
He looked at Raymond and Ernie.
他并不害怕 但他很清楚不要招惹这两个人
He wasn't afraid, but knew better than to play the fool with these two.
这些年被他们盯上了 受了好些罪
He'd suffered from their attentions over the years.
举起手
Hands up.
这是唯一理智的举动
It was the only sensible thing to do.
雷蒙德往前一步 一把夺走了望远镜
Raymond stepped forward and snatched the binoculars away.
他厉声问道:“在监视谁呢 ”
"Who you spyin' on?" He snapped.
彼得·沃森衡量了不同的可能性
Peter Watson considered the possibilities.
他可以转身跑开 但很快会被抓住
He could turn and run, but they'd catch him in seconds.
他可以大喊救命 但是没人会听见
He could shout for help, but no one would hear him.
所以 他唯一能做的就是冷静
All he could do, therefore, was to keep calm
然后试图靠说话来脱身
and try to talk his way out of the situation.
彼得说:“我在看绿色的啄木鸟”
"I was watching a green woodpecker," Peter said.
“什么 ” “雄性的绿色啄木鸟” 绿啄木鸟
"A what?" "A male, green woodpecker." Picus viridis.
“它在啄那棵死树的树干 在找毛虫吃”
"He was tapping the trunk of that dead tree, searching for grubs."
欧尼问:“它在哪 ” 说着举起了枪
"Where is he?" Ernie said, raising his gun.
“我要打它 ” 彼得说:“打不到”
"I'll 'ave 'im!" "No, you won't," Peter said,
他看着那串搭在雷蒙德肩上的小鸟
looking at the string of birds slung over Raymond's shoulder.
“你刚才一喊 它就立刻飞走了 啄木鸟都胆小得很”
"He flew off the moment you shouted. Woodpeckers are extremely timid."
雷蒙德小声在欧尼耳边说
Raymond whispered in Ernie's ear.
欧尼拍了拍大腿 “好主意 ”
Ernie slapped his thigh. "Great idea!"
他把枪放在地上 朝小男孩走去
He placed his gun on the ground and advanced upon the small boy.
他把沃森推倒在地
He threw him to the ground.
雷蒙德拿出绳索 割下一小段
Raymond took out some string and cut off a length of it.
用它紧紧绑住彼得的两只手腕
They tied Peter's wrists together tight.
雷蒙德说:“把腿也绑上”
"Now the legs," Raymond said.
彼得挣扎着 肚子上挨了一拳
Peter struggled and received a punch in the stomach.
让他喘不过气 躺着不动了
That winded him, and he lay still.
大男孩们又拿了些绳子绑住他的脚踝
The bigger boys tied his ankles with more string,
像绑鸡一样把他捆住
trussed him like a chicken.
欧尼捡起枪
Ernie picked up his gun,
他们开始扛着小男孩往铁道走
and they began to carry the boy towards the railway lines.
彼得·沃森一声不吭
Peter Watson kept absolutely quiet.
无论他们想做什么 说话都无济于事
Whatever they were up to, talking wouldn't help matters.
他们把沃森拖下路堤
They dragged him down the embankment
让他打横躺在铁轨中间 这些铁轨
and laid him lengthwise between the tracks. These tracks here.
就是这些铁轨
These tracks right here.
这件事27年前发生在我身上 我叫彼得·沃森
This happened to me 27 years ago. My name is Peter Watson.
欧尼说:“再拿点绳子来”
"More string," Ernie said.
等他们完事后 彼得现在十分无助
When they finished, Peter was helpless,
他被绑在铁轨之间
tied fast between the rails.
唯一能动就是他的头和脚
The only parts he could move were his head and feet.
欧尼和雷蒙德往后退 检视着他们的成果
Ernie and Raymond stepped back to survey their handiwork.
欧尼说:“我们做得很好”
"We done a nice job," Ernie said.
躺在铁轨之间的男孩说 “这是谋杀”
"This is murder," said the boy lying between the rails.
欧尼说:“不一定
"Not for certain," said Ernie.
要看火车底盘有多高
"Depends how much clearance the trains have."
你要是躺平 或许能逃过一劫”
"You keep down flat, you might just get away with it."
大男孩们爬到路堤上 坐在灌木后面
The bigger boys climbed up the embankment and sat behind some bushes.
欧尼拿出一包香烟 他们开始抽烟
Ernie produced a pack of cigarettes. They smoked.
彼得知道他们不会放他走
Peter knew they weren't going to release him.
这些危险又疯狂的男孩子
These were dangerous, crazy boys.
危险 疯狂而愚蠢的男孩
Dangerous, crazy, stupid boys.
彼得跟自己说 “我必须保持冷静并思考”
"I must try to keep calm and think," Peter told himself.
他躺着不动 掂量着逃脱几率
He lay there, still, weighing his chances.
他头部最高的位置就是鼻子
The highest part of his head was his nose.
他估计鼻子比铁轨高10厘米左右
He estimated his nose was sticking up about four inches above the rails.
会不会太高 对于现代柴油火车 这很难说
Was that too much? Hard to say with modern diesels.
他的头靠在 两条枕木之间松散的碎石上
His head rested upon loose gravel between two sleepers.
他必须尝试往地里钻一点
He must try to burrow down a little.
他开始扭动头部 把碎石推开
He began to wriggle his head pushing the gravel away
然后慢慢让自己陷进去一些
and gradually making for himself a small indentation.
他觉得这样会让头部高度降低5厘米
He reckoned he'd lowered his head two inches.
这样应该行了 但是脚怎么办
That would do. But what about the feet?
他把双脚往内收 呈内八字 几乎能放平
He tucked them pigeon-toed so they lay almost flat,
然后等待火车过来
then waited for the train to come.
他在想火车底部会不会形成真空效应
He wondered whether there might be a vacuum created underneath the train
在呼啸而过时把他往上吸 这是有可能的
as it rushed over him, sucking him upward. There might.
他必须全神贯注
He must concentrate everything
专心把整个身体压在地面上
upon pressing his entire body against the ground.
“别松懈 收紧全身肌肉 往地面压”
"Don't go limp. Keep stiff and tense and press down into the ground."
彼得看着头上面的白色天空
Peter watched the white sky above his head,
一朵积云正在慢慢飘动
where a single cumulus cloud was drifting slowly.
一架飞机从云端穿过
An aeroplane came across the cloud.
是一架小型高单翼飞机 机身是红的
A small high-winged monoplane with a red fuselage.
他想那是老式派珀单翼飞机 他盯着飞机 直到它消失
An old Piper Cub, he thought it was. He watched it until it disappeared.
然后 突然间
Then, quite suddenly,
他听见其中一侧轨道 发出奇怪的震动声
he heard a curious vibrating sound coming from the rails either side of him.
声音非常柔弱 几乎听不见 细微而低沉的耳语
It was very soft, scarcely audible, a tiny, thrumming whisper
似乎沿着铁轨从远处传来
that seemed to be coming along the rails from far away.
彼得抬起头 往铁道看下去
Peter raised his head and looked down the railway line
一直延伸到远处一两公里
that stretched for a mile in the distance,
他看到了火车
and saw the train.
最初只是个黑点 但他保持头部抬起
First, only a black dot, but as he kept his head raised,
这个黑点越来越大
the dot grew bigger and bigger
开始显露出形状 不再是一个点
and began to take shape and was no longer a dot,
而是巨大 方形 平钝的柴油火车头
but instead, the big, square, blunt front-end of a diesel engine.
彼得把头放下 用力往下压
Peter dropped his head and pushed it down hard into the hole
压进在碎石路面挪出的洞里
he'd dug in the gravel.
他把脚呈内八字放平
He pigeon-toed his feet flat.
他紧紧闭上眼睛 把身体往地上压
He shut his eyes tight and pressed his body into the ground.
火车迸发着冲击波 呼啸而过
The train came on with an explosive blast.
就像一把枪在他头上发射
Like a gun went off in his head.
迸发的冲击波带着猛烈啸叫的风
With the explosion came a tearing, screaming wind
像飓风一样猛灌进鼻腔 冲入肺部
like a hurricane blowing down his nostrils and into his lungs.