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My sister, Mrs. Joe Gregory, was more than twenty years older than I, and had established a great reputation with herself and the neighbors because she had brought me up 'by hand'. Having at that time to find out for myself what the expression meant, and knowing her to have a hard and heavy hand, and to be much in the habit of laying it upon her husband as well as upon me, I supposed that Joe Gregory and I were both brought up by hand.
我的姐姐乔•格雷戈里太太比我年长二十几岁。在邻居中，她以将我 “一手” 抚养大而享有盛誉。那时我就知道 “一手” 这个词是什么意思了。我知道她的手结实又笨重，她总是习惯把手打在她丈夫和我身上，我想我和乔•格雷戈里就是这样由她 “一手” 抚养大的吧。
She was not a good—looking woman, my sister; and I had a general impression that she must have made Joe Gregory marry her by hand. Joe was a fair man, with curls of flaxen hair on each side of his smooth face, and with eyes of such a much undecided blue that they seemed to have somehow got mixed with their own whites. He was a mild, good—natured, sweet—tempered, easy—going, foolish, dear fellow—a sort of Hercules in strength, and also in weakness.
我姐姐长得不怎么好看。我总有个印象，那就是一定是她 “一手” 策划好，让乔•格雷戈里娶她的。乔皮肤很白，光滑的脸颊两边留着淡黄色的卷发。他的双眼透着淡淡的蓝色，淡得几乎和眼白都混在一起，无法分辨。他性情温和、心地善良、脾气很好、十分随和。他虽然有些傻，却很讨人喜欢——他力大无比，却十分怕老婆，和赫尔克里士像极了。
My sister, Mrs. Joe, with black hair and eyes, had such a prevailing redness of skin that I sometimes used to wonder whether it was possible she washed herself with a nutmeg—grater instead of soap. She was tall and bony, and almost always wore a coarse apron, fastened over her figure behind with two loops, and having a square impregnable bib in front, that was stuck full of pins and needles. She made it a powerful merit in herself, and a strong reproach against Joe, that she wore this apron so much. Though I really see no reason why she should have worn it at all: or why, if she did wear it at all, she should not have taken it off, every day of her life.
我的姐姐乔太太长着一头黑发，一双黑眼睛，可全身的皮肤却是红色的。我过去常常想，她可能不是用肥皂，而是用肉豆蔻擦子擦洗身体的。她身材高挑、瘦骨嶙峋的，总是系着一条粗布围裙，在她的背后打了两个节。她的胸前围了一条方方正正的围兜，上面别满了大头针和缝衣针。她每天都围着围裙，一方面把这当作自己的一大优良品质，另一方面还借此对乔大加责难。不过，我真的不明白她为什么要围着那个围裙。即使要围，我也不明白她为什么成天都围着，从不脱下来。
Joe's forge adjoined our house, which was a wooden house, as many of the dwellings in our country were—most of them, at that time. When I ran home from the churchyard, the forge was shut up, and Joe was sitting alone in the kitchen. Joe and I being fellow—sufferers, and having confidences as such, Joe imparted a confidence to me, the moment I raised the latch of the door and peeped in at him opposite to it, sitting in the chimney corner.
乔的铁匠铺紧挨着我们住的房子。和那时我们村里大多数人家住的房子一样，我们家的房子也是木制结构的。当我从教堂墓地跑回家时，铁匠铺已经关门了，乔正一个人坐在厨房里。乔和我是难兄难弟，同病相怜。我们彼此坦诚相待，所以当我刚一抬起门闩，把头探进门里，看到乔坐在对面的火炉旁边时，他就告诉了我一个秘密。
"Mrs. Joe has been out a dozen times, looking for you, Pip. And she's out now, making it a baker's dozen. "
“乔太太出去找过你十二次了，皮普。现在她又出去了，总共是十三次了。”
"Is she? "
“她是去找我了吗？”
"Yes, Pip, " said Joe; "and what's worse, she's got Tickler with her. "
“是啊，皮普。” 乔说， “更糟的是，她还带着那根胳肢棒呢。”
At this dismal intelligence, I twisted the only button on my waistcoat round and round, and looked in great depression at the fire. Tickler was a wax—ended piece of cane, worn smooth by collision with my tickled frame.
听到这个令人沮丧的情报，我不停地扭动着我背心上唯一的纽扣，极度抑郁地看着炉火。胳肢棒是一根一头涂着蜡的棒子。这根棒子经常在我身上搔痒，早就被磨得很光滑了。
"She sat down, " said Joe, "and she got up, and she made a grab at Tickler, and she Rampaged out. That's what she did, " said Joe, slowly clearing the fire between the lower bars with the poker, and looking at it: "she Rampaged out, Pip. "
“她一会儿坐下，” 乔说, “一会儿又站起来，之后她就抓起胳肢棒，发疯了似的冲了出去。就是这样。” 乔一边说，一边用火钳慢慢地拨着火炉底层的木棒。他看着炉火说： “她就像发疯了一样地冲出去了，皮普。”
"Has she been gone long, Joe? " I always treated him as a larger species of child, and as no more than my equal.
“她出去很久了吗，乔？” 我一贯把他看成是个身材高大一些的孩子，和我也没什么两样。
"Well, " said Joe, glancing up at the Dutch clock, "she's been on the Rampage, this last spell, about five minutes, Pip. She's a coming! Get behind the door, old chap, and have the jack—towel betwixt you.”
“是啊。” 乔瞥了一眼那座荷兰大钟，说道， “她发疯了一样地冲出去了，这最后一次已经有五分钟了，皮普。她回来了！老弟，躲到门后去，用那条长毛巾盖住你自己。”
I took the advice. My sister, Mrs. Joe, throwing the door wide open, and finding an obstruction behind it, immediately divined the cause, and applied Tickler to its further investigation. She concluded by throwing me—I often served as a connubial missile—at Joe, who, glad to get hold of me on any terms, passed me on into the chimney and quietly fenced me up there with his great leg.
我按他说的做了。我的姐姐乔太太狠狠地把门推开，发现门背后有什么东西阻挡她开门，立刻就猜到了是什么，于是把胳肢棒伸了出去，想试探一下。结果便是她把我投向了乔——我总是这样被当作他们夫妻间的飞箭——而乔不论怎样都会很高兴地接住我，把我放在了火炉旁，默默地用他那健壮的腿保护着我。
"Where have you been, you young monkey? " said Mrs. Joe, stamping her foot. "Tell me directly what you've been doing to wear me away with fret and fright and worry, or I'd have you out of that corner if you was fifty Pips, and he was five hundred Gorgers. "
“你这只小野猴子，刚刚去哪里了？” 乔太太边跺脚边说， “老实说你干什么去了，害得我又急又怕又担心。你要是不老实说，就算有五十个皮普，有五百个格雷戈里，我也要把你从那个角落里给拽出来。”
"I have only been to the churchyard, " said I, from my stool, crying and rubbing myself.
“我只是去了教堂墓地。” 我坐在凳子上说，边哭边揉着身上疼痛的地方。
"Churchyard! " repeated my sister. "If it wasn't for me you'd have been to the churchyard long ago, and stayed there. Who brought you up by hand? "
“教堂墓地！” 我姐姐重复道， “要不是我，你早就去了那里啦，而且永远呆在那里回不来了啦。是谁一手把你拉扯大的？”
"You did, " said I.
“是你。” 我说。
"And why did I do it, I should like to know? " exclaimed my sister.
“我想问问你，我为什么要这么做？” 我姐姐喊道。
I whimpered, "I don't know. "
我呜咽着说： “我不知道。”
"I don't! " said my sister. "I'd never do it again! I know that. I may truly say I've never had this apron of mine off, since born you were. It's bad enough to be a blacksmith's wife (and him a Gregory) without being your mother.”
“不知道！” 我姐姐说， “我再也不会这么做了！我可知道。我还真要告诉你，打你一出生，我的围裙就没脱下来过。当一个铁匠的老婆（还是他，格雷戈里铁匠）已经够倒霉的了，还得当你的妈。”
My thoughts strayed from that question as I looked disconsolately at the fire. For, the fugitive out on the marshes with the ironed leg, the mysterious young man, the file, the food, and the dreadful pledge I was under to commit a larceny on those sheltering premises, rose before me in the avenging coals.
我悲伤地望着炉火，思绪却早已离开了她提的那个问题。因为，沼泽地里遇到的那个腿上绑着铁链的逃犯、那个神秘的年轻人、锉刀、食物、还有我许下的那个可怕的誓言——为此我得去我寄宿的人家偷窃，所有这些都从那充满复仇之意的炉火中跳到我的面前。
"Hah! " said Mrs. Joe, restoring Tickler to his station. "Churchyard, indeed! You may well say churchyard, you two. " One of us, by—the—bye, had not said it at all. "You'll drive me to the churchyard betwixt you, one of these days, and oh, a pr—r—recoils pair you'd be without me! "
“哈！” 乔夫人说着把胳肢棒放回了原处， “教堂墓地！好啊！你们两个就好好地说教堂墓地吧。” 其实，我们中有一个人根本就没有说过。 “活在你们中间，你们就快要把我赶到教堂墓地了。等到那一天，噢，没有我，看你们这对，胆，胆小鬼怎么活！”
As she applied herself to set the tea—things, Joe peeped down at me over his leg, as if he were mentally casting me and himself up, and calculating what kind of pair we practically should make, under the grievous circumstances foreshadowed. After that, he sat feeling his right—side flaxen curls and whisker, and following Mrs. Joe about with his blue eyes, as his manner always was at squally times.
当她离开去布置茶点了之后，乔从他大腿上面偷偷地向下瞥我，好像他心里在设想着我和他自己，推测着如果她预言的悲惨情况真会发生的话，我们会变成怎样的一对。之后，他坐在那里，拨弄着自己右侧的淡黄色卷发和络腮胡，蓝色的眼睛跟随着乔太太的身影转动。每次起了风波，他总是这副模样。
My sister had a trenchant way of cutting our bread—and—butter for us that never varied. First, with her left hand she jammed the loaf hard and fast against her bib—where it sometimes got a pin into it, and sometimes a needle, which we afterwards got into our mouths. Then she took some butter (not too much) on a knife and spread it on the loaf, in an apothecary kind of way, as if she were making a plaster—using both sides of the knife with a slapping dexterity, and trimming and molding the butter off round the crust. Then, she gave the knife a final smart wipe on the edge of the plaster, and then sawed a very thick round off the loaf: which she finally, before separating from the loaf, hewed into two halves, of which Joe got one, and I the other.
我姐姐给我们切黄油面包时的动作总是很麻利，而且总是一个样子。首先，她用左手把一块面包牢牢地压在她的围兜上——有时那上面的大头针或缝衣针会扎进面包里，之后我们就会连针一起吃进嘴里。然后她在刀上涂一些黄油（不是很多），再涂到面包上。就像药剂师制做膏药一样——使用起刀子来极其敏捷，两面都不在话下。之后她根据面包壳的形状，修去多余的黄油。然后，她用刀子在 “膏药” 的边缘处进行最后的细致修整。最后，从整块面包上锯下很厚的一片，在这片和整块面包分离之前，将其一劈两半，乔一半，我一半。
On the present occasion, though I was hungry, I dared not eat my slice. I felt that I must have something in reserve for my dreadful acquaintance, and his ally the still more dreadful young man. I knew Mrs. Joe's housekeeping to be of the strictest kind, and that my larcenous researches might find nothing available in the safe. Therefore I resolved to put my hunk of bread—and—butter down the leg of my trousers.
在目前的情况下，虽然我很饿，却不敢吃我的那一片。我觉得我必须留一些给我那个恐怖的朋友吃，还有他的同伴——那个更恐怖的年轻人。我知道乔太太的持家风格是最严谨的。我若是想从食柜里偷到些什么，是不可能的。于是我决定把我那一大片黄油面包片放在我的裤腿里。
The effort of resolution necessary to the achievement of this purpose, I found to be quite awful. It was as if I had to make up my mind to leap from the top of a high house, or plunge into a great depth of water. And it was made the more difficult by the unconscious Joe. In our already—mentioned freemasonry as fellow—sufferers, and in his good—natured companionship with me, it was our evening habit to compare the way we bit through out slices, by silently holding them up to each other's admiration now and then—which stimulated us to new exertions. Tonight, Joe several times invited me, by the display of his fast—diminishing slice, to enter upon our usual friendly competition; but he found me, each time, with my yellow mug of tea on one knee, and my untouched bread—and—butter on the other. At last, I desperately considered that the thing I contemplated must be done, and that it had best be done in the least improbable manner consistent with the circumstances. I took advantage of a moment when Joe had just looked at me, and got my bread—and—butter down my leg.
我发现很难下足够的决心来完成这一想法。这就仿佛是我要下定决心从一个很高的屋顶上往下跳，或是跳进很深的水中一样。而更难的是乔对此事毫无察觉。前面我提到过我们是一对同病相怜的难兄难弟，他也总是很友好地和我相处。晚上我们有个习惯，那就是比较一下我们吃面包的速度。我们会时不时地悄悄举起各自的面包，并相互赞许——这样就会鼓励我们继续地啃下去。今晚，乔曾几次向我展示他那快速吃剩下的小块面包，对我发出邀请，进行我们例行的友好比赛。但他却每次都发现我一只膝盖上放着那个黄色的茶杯，另一只膝盖上放着我没动过的黄油面包。最后，我痛下决心，认为我考虑的事情必须得完成，而且要完成得神不知鬼不觉才好。我抓住了乔刚刚把视线从我身上移开的那一刻，把黄油面包扔进了裤腿。
Joe was evidently made uncomfortable by what he supposed to be my loss of appetite, and took a thoughtful bite out of his slice, which he didn't seem to enjoy. He turned it about in his mouth much longer than usual, pondering over it a good deal, and after all gulped it down like a pill. He was about to take another bite, and had just got his head on one side for a good purchase on it, when his eye fell on me, and he saw that my bread—and—butter was gone.
乔显得不太自在，因为他以为我食欲不振。他若有所思地咬了一小口面包，却并不怎么起劲。他咬下的这口面包在嘴里咀嚼的时间比平常都要久。他一边嚼一边想心事，最后像吞药丸一样一口吞了下去。当他正要咬第二口，而且把头歪向一边，找准了下口的位置时，他的目光落在了我的身上，发现我的黄油面包不翼而飞了。
The wonder and consternation with which Joe stopped on the threshold of his bite and stared at me, was too evident to escape my sister's observation.
乔刚一咬就停住了，瞪着我，满脸的惊异和惶恐。这表情太明显了，怎能逃过我姐姐的观察。
"What's the matter now? " said she, smartly, as she put down her cup.
“出什么事了？” 她机敏地说道，同时放下了手中的茶杯。
"I say, you know! " muttered Joe, shaking his head at me in very serious remonstrance. "Pip, old chap! You'll do yourself a mischief. It'll stick somewhere. You can't have chewed it, Pip. "
“我说，你可是知道的！” 乔低声说，他冲我摇着脑袋，很严肃地抗议着， “皮普，老弟！你这样会让自己难受的。会卡住的。你不能直接吞下去的，皮普。”
"What's the matter now? " repeated my sister, more sharply than before.
“到底发生什么事了？” 我姐姐用更尖锐的声音重新问了一遍。
"If you can cough any trifle on it up, Pip, I'd recommend you to do it, " said Joe, all aghast. "Manners are manners, but still your elth's your elth. "
“如果你能咳一点出来的话，皮普，我劝你还是试试。” 乔不知所措地说道， “礼仪固然是礼仪，可身体是你自己的啊。”
By this time, my sister was quite desperate, so she pounced on Joe, and, taking him by the two whiskers, knocked his head for a little while against the wall behind him: while I sat in the corner, looking guiltily on.
这时我姐姐已经气急败坏了，她扑向乔，抓住他两边的络腮胡，把他的脑袋往他身后的墙上撞了好一阵子。我则坐在角落里，心中满是歉疚。
"Now, perhaps you'll mention what's the matter, " said my sister, out of breath, "you staring great stuck pig. "
“现在，或许你可以说说发生什么事了。” 我姐姐上气不接下气地说， “你这头挨千刀的大呆猪。”
Joe looked at her in a helpless way; then took a helpless bite, and looked at me again.
乔无助地望着她，又无助地咬了一口面包，然后又看看我。
"You know, Pip, " said Joe, solemnly, with his last bite in his cheek and speaking in a confidential voice, as if we two were quite alone, "you and me is always friends, and I'd be the last to tell upon you, any time. But such a—” he moved his chair and looked about the floor between us, and then again at me—" such a most on common Bolt as that! "
“你知道，皮普，” 乔严肃地说，把最后一口面包放进嘴里，用秘密的语调跟我说，仿佛只有我们两个人一样， “你我永远都是朋友，无论任何时候，我都不会告发你的。不过像你那样——” 他挪动了一下椅子，在我们两个中间的地上找了找，又继续对我说， “像你那样一口吞下去，太不正常了！”
"Been bolting his food, has he? " cried my sister.
“他把面包一口吞下去了，是不是？” 我姐姐嚷道。
"You know, old chap, " said Joe, looking at me, and not at Mrs. Joe, with his bite still in his cheek, "I Bolted, myself, when I was your age—frequent—and as a boy I've been among a many Bolters; but I never see your Bolting equal yet, Pip, and it's a mercy you aren't Bolted dead. "
“你知道，老弟，” 乔看着我而不是乔太太，说道，他嘴里还含着那最后一口面包， “我在你这个年纪时，也那样吞过——总是那么做——那时我就已经是个吞食高手了。但是我还没见过像你那么吞的，皮普。吞那么一大块都没被噎死，真是上帝仁慈啊。”
My sister made a dive at me, and fished me up by the hair: saying nothing more than the awful words, "You come along and are dosed. "
我姐姐冲到我面前，抓住我的头发像钓鱼一样把我拎起来，仅仅说了这样几个恐怖的字： “你给我过来，吃一剂药。”
Some medical beast had revived Tar—water in those days as a fine medicine, and Mrs. Joe always kept a supply of it in the cupboard; having a belief in its virtues correspondent to its nastiness. At the best of times, so much of this elixir was administered to me as a choice restorative that I was conscious of going about, smelling like a new fence. On this particular evening the urgency of my case demanded a pint of this mixture, which was poured down my throat, for my greater comfort, while Mrs. Joe held my head under her arm, as a boot would be held in a boot—jack. Joe got off with half a pint; but was made to swallow that (much to his disturbance, as he sat slowly munching and meditating before the fire), "because he had a turn. " Judging from myself, I should say he certainly had a turn afterwards, if he had had none before.
在当时，某些江湖医生使柏油水作为一种良药流行起来。于是，乔太太的食柜里常常备有柏油水。柏油水又脏又恶心，而正因如此，乔太太相信其有很强的药效。哪怕是在情况最好的时候，我也喝下了不少这种被当成绝佳补品的灵丹妙药。这使得我四处走的时候，总觉得身上在散发出一股新筑成的篱笆的味道。在今晚这个特殊的时刻，我的情况非常紧急，需要喝上一品脱这种混合液。为了让我喝得舒服点，乔太太把我的头夹在她的胳肢窝下，用一种脱靴器拔靴子的姿势，将药水灌进了我的喉咙。乔只喝了半品脱，但却是被迫吞下这柏油水的（这让他很是烦心，他本坐在火炉前慢慢地咀嚼着面包，悠闲地思考着）， “因为他刚刚受到了惊吓。” 而在我看来，我得说如果刚才那次他没被吓到的话，这次他是着实受到了惊吓。
Conscience is a dreadful thing when it accuses man or boy; but when, in the case of a boy, that secret burden cooperates with another secret burden down the leg of his trousers, it is (as I can testify) a great punishment. The guilty knowledge that I was going to rob Mrs. Joe—I never thought I was going to rob Joe, for I never thought of any of the housekeeping property as his—united to the necessity of always keeping one hand on my bread—and—butter as I sat, or when I was ordered about the kitchen on any small errand, almost drove me out of my mind. Then, as the marsh winds made the fire glow and flare, I thought I heard the voice outside, of the man with the iron on his leg who had sworn me to secrecy, declaring that he couldn't and wouldn't starve until tomorrow, but must be fed now. At other times, I thought, what if the young man who was with so much difficulty restrained from imbruing his hands in me, should yield to a constitutional impatience, or should mistake the time, and should think himself accredited to my heart and liver tonight, instead of tomorrow! If ever anybody's hair stood on end with terror, mine must have done so then. But, perhaps, nobody's ever done?
当男人或男孩受到良心谴责时，感觉会很糟糕。对一个男孩来说，这种秘密的包袱和另外一种他裤腿里的秘密的包袱叠加起来（我可以保证），绝对是个大大的惩罚。一来，我不得不去偷乔太太的东西——我从来没认为是乔的东西，因为我从不认为这家里的任何一件财产是他的——这让我产生负罪感；二来，无论我坐着还是被叫到厨房做事情，都不得不用一只手按住裤腿里的黄油面包，这两点让我快要疯了。那时，沼泽地吹来的风使得炉火烧得旺了起来，闪着刺眼的光，我觉得我听到外面传来了那个腿上绑着铁链的男人的声音，他曾让我发誓保守秘密。那个声音宣称他现在就要吃东西，他无法也不愿挨饿等到明天了。有时，我又会想到那个年轻人。那个男人花了好大力气才阻止他把侵犯的手伸向我，但要是他等得没有耐性了，或是弄错了时间，认为他应该在今晚而不是明天就来取我的心肝的话，我该怎么办！如果有谁曾经被吓得头发倒竖，那我当时一定也是这样了。但是，或许以前根本没有人被吓成这副样子。
It was Christmas Eve, and I had to stir the pudding for next day, with a copper—stick, from seven to eight by the Dutch clock. I tried it with the load upon my leg (and that made me think afresh of the man with the load on his leg), and found the tendency of exercise to bring the bread—and—butter out at my ankle, quite unmanageable. Happily, I slipped away, and deposited that part of my conscience in my garret bedroom.
今天是圣诞前夜，我必须坐在荷兰大钟旁边，拿一根铜棒搅拌明天吃的布丁，从七点一直搅到八点。我手里干着活，同时感到腿上负担的重量（这又让我想到那个腿上绑着重物的男人）。我感觉手部的搅动快要把黄油面包从脚踝处震出来了，太难控制了。让人高兴的是，我终于可以脱身了，我的大半个心都已经跑到我的阁楼卧室了。
"Hark! " said I, when I had done my stirring, and was taking a final warm in the chimney corner before being sent up to bed; "was that great guns, Joe? "
“听！” 我说，我搅拌好后，趁着还没被叫去睡觉，来到火炉旁再取个暖， “那是大炮的声音吗，乔？”
"Ah! " said Joe. "There's another convict off. "
“啊！” 乔说， “又有犯人逃跑了。”
"What does that mean, Joe? " said I.
“那是什么意思，乔？” 我说。
Mrs. Joe, who always took explanations upon herself, said, snappishly, "Escaped. Escaped. " Administering the definition like Tar—water.
乔太太总是喜欢主动解释说明，于是暴躁地说： “逃跑了。有人逃跑了。” 她像灌柏油水一样向我灌输这种解释。
While Mrs. Joe sat with her head bending over her needlework, I put my mouth into the forms of saying to Joe, "What's a convict? " Joe put his mouth into the forms of returning such a highly elaborate answer, that I could make out nothing of it but the single word "Pip".
当乔太太低头做针线活的时候，我对着乔，做出口型： “什么是犯人？” 乔也用嘴型给出了一个相当复杂的答案，我除了辨别出一个词 “皮普” 以外，什么都不明白。
"There was a convict off last night, " said Joe, aloud, "after sun—set—gun. And they fired warning of him. And now, it appears they're firing warning of another. "
“昨晚有犯人逃跑了，” 乔大声说， “在日落之后。 “他们放炮警告大家有逃犯。现在似乎是放炮通告又有一个犯人逃走了。”
"Who's firing? " said I.
“是谁在放炮？” 我问。
"Drat that boy, " interposed my sister, frowning at me over her work, "what a questioner he is. Ask no questions, and you'll be told no lies. "
“你这个小鬼真烦，” 我姐姐一边干着针线活，一边对我皱着眉，插嘴说道， “真是个问题篓子。不要总问问题，问多了难免要受骗。”
It was not very polite to herself, I thought, to imply that I should be told lies by her, even if I did ask questions. But she never was polite, unless there was company.
我想我姐姐真是有些无理，即使我确实问了些问题，也不该暗示说我就应该因此被她骗啊。但是只要没有客人在，她总是这样无礼。
At this point, Joe greatly augmented my curiosity by taking the utmost pains to open his mouth very wide, and to put it into the form of a word that looked to me like "sulks. " Therefore, I naturally pointed to Mrs. Joe, and put my mouth into the form of saying "her? " But Joe wouldn't hear of that, at all, and again opened his mouth very wide, and shook the form of a most emphatic word out of it. But I could make nothing of the word.
这时，乔尽最大的努力把他的嘴张大，这更增强了我的好奇心。他做的口型在我看来像 “生气” 这个词。于是，我很自然地指指乔太太，然后做出口型说 “她吗” ？但是乔根本不理我，又一次把口型张得很大，非常用力地做出那个词语的口型。但我还是一点也不明白。
"Mrs. Joe, " said I, as a last resource, "I should like to know—if you wouldn't much mind—where the firing comes from?”
“乔太太，” 我决定最后试一次，问道， “我想知道——如果你不那么介意的话——是什么地方在放炮？”
"Lord blesses the boy! " exclaimed my sister, as if she didn't quite mean that, but rather the contrary.
“愿主保佑这个孩子！” 我姐姐大声叫道，仿佛她并不是真正想表达这个意思，而是正好相反。
"From the Hulks! "
“是监狱船！”
"Oh—h! " said I, looking at Joe. "Hulks! "
“哦！” 我说，同时看着乔， “监狱船！”
Joe gave a reproachful cough, as much as to say, "Well, I told you so. "
乔责备似的咳嗽了一声，就像是在说： “我跟你说了嘛。”
"And please what's Hulks? " said I.
“那请问什么是监狱船呢？” 我说。
"That's the way with this boy! " exclaimed my sister, pointing me out with her needle and thread, and shaking her head at me. "Answer him one question, and he'll ask you a dozen directly. Hulks are prison—ships, right 'cross th' meshes. " We always used that name for marshes, in our country.
“这孩子就是这样！” 我姐姐叫道，用她的针线指着我，冲我摇着头， “回答他一个问题，他马上就再问你十几个。监狱船就是关押犯人的船，就在 ‘沼’ 的对面。” 在我们村子里，人们总是用 ‘沼’ 这个词形容沼泽地。
"I wonder who's put into prison—ships, and why they're put there. " said I, in a general way, and with quiet desperation.
“我想问是谁被关进监狱船，为什么把他们关在那里？” 我问道，像往常一样表面平静，内心却急切地想知道。
It was too much for Mrs. Joe, who immediately rose. "I tell you what, young fellow, " said she, "I didn't bring you up by hand to badger people's lives out. It would be blame to me, and not praise, if I had. People are put in the Hulks because they murder, and because they rob, and forge, and do all sorts of bad; and they always begin by asking questions. Now, you get along to bed! "
这真是惹怒了乔太太，她猛地站了起来。 “我告诉你，小家伙，” 她说， “我一手把你拉扯大，可不是为了让你缠着人问问题的。如果我把你养成那样的话，别人都会骂我，而不是表扬我的。有人被关进监狱船，是因为他们杀人，因为他们抢劫、造假，做许许多多的坏事。而他们最开始学坏都是从爱问问题开始的。现在，你快去睡觉吧！”
I was never allowed a candle to light me to bed, and, as I went upstairs in the dark, with my head tingling—from Mrs. Joe's thimble having played the tambourine upon it, to accompany her last words—I felt fearfully sensible of the great convenience that the Hulks were handy for me. I was clearly on my way there. I had begun by asking questions, and I was going to rob Mrs. Joe.
我上楼睡觉时，姐姐从不允许我点蜡烛。当我在黑暗中上楼的时候，头感觉到阵阵刺痛——这是因为乔太太和我说最后那几句话时，用顶针敲我的头，仿佛敲小手鼓一样——她说的那几句话让我非常害怕，因为我很清楚监狱船离我近在咫尺。很明显，我已经在去那里的路上了。我已经开始喜欢问问题了，而且我又打算偷乔太太的东西。
Since that time, which is far enough away now, I have often thought that few people know what secrecy there is in the young, under terror. No matter how unreasonable the terror, so that it be terror. I was in mortal terror of the young man who wanted my heart and liver; I was in mortal terror of my interlocutor with the ironed leg; I was in mortal terror of myself, from whom an awful promise had been extracted; I had no hope of deliverance through my all—powerful sister, who repulsed me at every turn; I am afraid to think of what I might have done, on requirement, in the secrecy of my terror.
虽然已经过去很久了，但从那时起，我就经常想，很少有人知道孩子在恐惧之下，心里藏着怎样的秘密。不论这恐惧多么不近乎情理，对孩子来说却是真正的恐惧。我很害怕那个想取我心肝的年轻人。我很害怕和我交谈的那个腿上绑着铁链的人。我很害怕我自己，因为我许下了一个可怕的誓言。我不指望我无所不能的姐姐来解救我，她每次总是把我拒之门外。现在每当我想起当年在心里秘密的恐惧之下，自己可能会做出怎样的事情时，仍会觉得很不安。
If I slept at all that night, it was only to imagine myself drifting down the river on a strong spring—tide, to the Hulks; a ghostly pirate calling out to me through a speaking—trumpet, as I passed the gibbet—station, that I had better come ashore and be hanged there at once, and not put it off. I was afraid to sleep, even if I had been inclined, for I knew that at the first faint dawn of morning I must rob the pantry. There was no doing it in the night, for there was no getting a light by easy friction then; to have got one, I must have struck it out of flint and steel, and have made a noise like the very pirate himself rattling his chains.
那天晚上，只要我一合眼，就会想象自己随着澎湃的浪潮顺流而下，向监狱船漂去。当我经过绞刑架时，一个幽灵般的海盗用喇叭向我呼喊着，让我最好靠岸，立刻接受绞刑，不要浪费时间。我非常害怕，即使我努力地想睡，却不敢睡着，因为我知道清晨第一道微微的曙光照亮时，我就必须去食品间偷东西了。夜里不能偷，因为那时还没有什么东西只要一擦，就能轻易地取到火。要想点着火，我就必须用火刀火石，制造出如同那个海盗身上的铁链般咔嗒咔嗒的噪音。
As soon as the great black velvet pall outside my little window was shot with grey, I got up and went down stairs; every board upon the way, and every crack in every board, calling after me, "stop thief! " And "Get up, Mrs. Joe! " In the pantry, which was far more abundantly supplied than usual, owing to the season, I was very much alarmed, by a hare hanging up by the heels, whom I rather thought I caught, when my back was half turned, winking. I had no time for verification, no time for selection, no time for anything, for I had no time to spare. I stole some bread, some rind of cheese, about half a jar of mincemeat (which I tied up in my pocket—handkerchief with my last night's slice), some brandy from a stone bottle (which I decanted into a glass bottle I had secretly used for making that intoxicating fluid, Spanish—liquorices—water, up in my room: diluting the stone bottle from a jug in the kitchen cupboard), a meat bone with very little on it, and a beautiful round compact pork pie. I was nearly going away without the pie, but I was tempted to mount upon a shelf, to look what it was that was put away so carefully in a covered earthen ware dish in a corner, and I found it was the pie, and I took it, in the hope that it was not intended for early use, and would not be missed for some time.
当我窗外那黑丝绒一般的罩子透出一点灰光时，我就起床下楼了。沿路的每一块楼梯板，楼梯板上的每一处裂缝，都在我身后高喊： “站住，小偷！ “乔太太，快起来！” 在食品间，我发现因为季节的原因，食物比平时要丰富得多。我半转过身子时，突然被一只倒悬着的野兔吓了一跳，而且我确实觉得那只野兔在向我眨眼。我没时间证实，也没时间选择，什么事都来不及了，因为我实在是没有时间耽搁了。我偷了一些面包、一些干酪皮、半罐子碎肉（把这些和昨晚的那块面包一起包进一块手帕里），还从石酒坛里倒出一些白兰地（我把白兰地倒进一个小玻璃瓶里，这小瓶是我偷偷用来在楼上卧室制造能散发芳香的西班牙甘草水的。然后从厨房的食品柜里拿出水壶，把水灌进石酒坛里），还拿了一块没什么肉的骨头，和一块又圆又漂亮的猪肉馅饼。我本打算不拿馅饼就走的，但我还是试着爬上了架子，看看那只角落里盖得很严实的陶瓷碟子里倒底装了什么。结果我发现是一个馅饼，于是就拿了。我希望这不是马上就要用的，那样一时半会儿都没人会想起它。
There was a door in the kitchen, communicating with the forge; I unlocked and unbolted that door, and got a file from among Joe's tools. Then, I put the fastenings as I had found them, opened the door at which I had entered when I ran home last night, shut it, and ran for the misty marshes.
厨房里有一个门和铁匠铺相连。我打开锁，拉开门闩，从乔的工具中拿出一把锉刀。然后，我把其他器具放回原处，打开昨晚我回家时走的那扇门，再关好，然后跑向那充满雾气的沼泽地。