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It was a rimy morning, and very damp. I had seen the damp lying on the outside of my little window, as if some goblin had been crying there all night, and using the window for a pocket—handkerchief. Now, I saw the damp lying on the bare hedges and spare grass, like a coarser sort of spiders' webs; hanging itself from twig to twig and blade to blade. On every rail and gate, wet lay clammy; and the marsh—mist was so thick, that the wooden finger on the post directing people to our village—a direction which they never accepted, for they never came there—was invisible to me until I was quite close under it. Then, as I looked up at it, while it dripped, it seemed to my oppressed conscience like a phantom devoting me to the Hulks.
那个清晨一片白霜, 空气非常潮湿。早上起来时，我就看到小窗户的外侧覆盖着一层湿气，仿佛有个小妖精在那里哭了一整夜，把窗户当作了擦泪的手帕。此刻，我看到湿气凝结在光秃秃的树篱和稀疏的草地上，就像粗糙的蜘蛛网，挂在树枝之间和草叶之间。每家的栅栏和大门上都有一层湿冷的水汽。沼雾太浓，所以只有走到近前，我才看清柱子上那根指向我们村庄的木制手指——其实人们从来没有按手指的指向走过，因为人们从来不会来这里。然后，我抬头看着这根木制手指，它正在往下滴水珠。对我受压抑的良知来说，它好似一个幽灵，一心要把我奉献给监狱船。
The mist was heavier yet when I got out upon the marshes, so that instead of my running at everything, everything seemed to run at me. This was very disagreeable to a guilty mind. The gates and dykes and banks came bursting at me through the mist, as if they cried as plainly as could be, "A boy with Somebody—else's pork pie! Stop his! " The cattle came upon me with like suddenness, staring out of their eyes, and steaming out of their nostrils, "Hollow, young thief! " One black ox, with a white cravat on—who even had to my awakened conscience something of a clerical air—fixed me so obstinately with his eyes, and moved his blunt head round in such an accusatory manner as I moved round, that I blubbered out to him, "I couldn't help it, sir! It wasn't for myself I took it! " Upon which he put down his head, blew a cloud of smoke out of his nose, and vanished with a kick—up of his hind—legs and a flourish of his tail.
当我来到沼泽地时，雾气就更浓了。置身其中，仿佛眼前的一切向我迎面扑来而不是我向前走去。这对心怀负罪感的我来说是非常讨厌的。闸门、堤坝、河岸都突然冲破迷雾，向我逼近。它们仿佛极其清楚地喊道： “偷拿别人猪肉馅饼的小子！捉住他！” 仿佛突然之间，牛群出现在我面前。每头牛都双目圆睁、鼻孔喷气，似乎在说： “嘿，小贼！” 有一头黑色公牛，脖子上长了一圈白毛，就像戴着一条白色围巾。对于我被唤醒的良知来说，它有一种牧师的气场。这头牛的两眼死死地盯住我，我每动一下，它那愚钝的脑袋就随我动一下，一举一动之中满是指责。我只能朝它大声哭喊道： “先生，我是身不由己啊！我偷猪肉馅饼并不是为了我自己啊！” 听到这些话，它低下头，从鼻孔里喷出一团雾气，踢了踢后腿，甩了甩尾巴，然后就消失不见了。
All this time, I was getting on towards the river; but however fast I went, I couldn't warm my feet, to which the damp cold seemed riveted, as the iron was riveted to the leg of the man I was running to meet. I knew my way to the Battery, pretty straight, for I had been down there on a Sunday with Joe, and Joe, sitting on an old gun, had told me that when I was prentice to him regularly bound, we would have such Larks there! However, in the confusion of the mist, I found myself at last too far to the right, and consequently had to try back along the river—side, on the bank of loose stones above the mud and the stakes that staked the tide out. Making my way along here with all dispatch, I had just crossed a ditch which I knew to be very near the Battery, and had just scrambled up the mound beyond the ditch, when I saw the man sitting before me. His back was towards me, and he had his arms folded, and was nodding forward, heavy with sleep.
自始至终我都在朝河边赶去，但无论我跑得有多快，我的双脚仍然冰冷。湿气紧紧地裹住我的脚，就像铁镣死死地铐住我飞奔过去要见的那个人的腿一样。我认识去炮台的路，一直走下去就是，因为之前的某个星期日，我曾和乔去过那里。当时乔坐在一尊老古炮上对我说，如果我签下长期合约成为他的固定学徒，那我们该有多高兴啊！然而，浓雾之中，我迷失了方向，最终发现自己已经偏右走了很远，结果不得不沿着河岸、踩着岸边的湿泥上那松动的石块和防汛木桩往回走。我全速沿河向前赶路。我跨过了一条小沟——我知道炮台离这里很近了——接着迅速爬上小沟那边的土丘，一上土丘，就看到那个人坐在我的前方。他背对着我，双臂交叉置于胸前。他正在熟睡当中，头部不时微微向前点动。
I thought he would be gladder if I came upon him with his breakfast, in that unexpected manner, so I went forward softly and touched him on the shoulder. He instantly jumped up, and it was not the same man, but another man!
我想，如果我出其不意地带着早餐出现在他面前的话，他一定会更高兴的。于是我轻轻地走上前去，拍了一下他的肩膀。他马上跳了起来，但结果竟不是我以为的那个人，而是另一个人！
And yet this man was dressed in coarse grey, too, and had a great iron on his leg, and was lame, and hoarse, and cold, and was everything that the other man was; except that he had not the same face, and had a flat broad—brimmed low—crowned felt that on. All this, I saw in a moment, for I had only a moment to see it in: he swore an oath at me, made a hit at me—it was a round weak blow that missed me and almost knocked himself down, for it made him stumble—and then he ran the mist, stumbling twice as he went, and I lost him.
但是同样地，这个人也穿着灰色的粗线布衣，腿上铐着巨大的铁镣，走路一瘸一拐，嗓音粗哑、浑身冰冷。除了一张不同的面孔以及戴在头上的一只低顶宽边毡帽以外，他和我要见的那个人一模一样。所有这些都是我在片刻之间观察到的，因为我也只有这片刻的时间。随即他就对我破口大骂，挥拳攻击。所幸这一拳是弯着胳膊打来的，力量不大，不但没有击中我，反而差点把他自己带倒。然后他跌跌撞撞地冲进大雾之中，绊倒了两次，之后就消失了。
"It's the young man! " I thought, feeling my heart shoot as I identified him. I dare say I should have felt a pain in my liver, too, if I had known where it was.
“他就是那个年轻人！” 我这样想着，同时由于认出了他，我感到心脏一阵剧痛。我敢说，要是我知道肝脏是长在哪里的话，我肯定也会感到那里疼的。
I was soon at the Battery, after that, and there was the right man—hugging himself and limping to and fro, as if he had never all night left off hugging and limping—waiting for me. He was awfully cold, to be sure. I half expected to see him drop down before my face and die of deadly cold. His eyes looked so awfully hungry, too, that when I handed him the file and he laid it down on the grass, it occurred to me he would have tried to eat it, if he had not seen my bundle. He did not turn me upside down, this time, to get at what I had, but left me right side upwards while I opened the bundle and emptied my pockets.
很快我就来到了炮台。一到那里就看到我要见的那个人在那等我。他紧抱着自己的身体，一瘸一拐地走来走去，仿佛已经这样持续了一整夜而丝毫没有合眼——一直这样等着我。他一定是太冷了。我几乎预感到他会由于严寒在我面前倒地而死。同时，他的眼神中也流露出极度饥饿的神情。看到他把我递过去的锉刀随手丢在草地上，我突然觉得要不是看到我手中的食品包，他一定连锉刀也吃。这次他没有把我倒立起来搜个底朝天，然后拿走我所有的东西，而是让我自己打开食品包，掏空口袋。
"What's in the bottle, boy? " said he.
“小子，瓶子里装的是什么？” 他问道。
"Brandy, " said I.
“白兰地。” 我答道。
He was already handing mincemeat down his throat in the most curious manner—more like a man who was putting it away somewhere in a violent hurry, than a man who was eating it—but he left off to take some of the liquor. He shivered all the while, so violently, that it was quite as much as he could do to keep the neck of the bottle between his teeth, without biting it off.
此时他已经在往嘴里猛塞碎肉了，那种奇怪的吃法让他看起来不像是在吃东西而是在匆忙而粗暴地将碎肉囤积在某个地方。但得知有白兰地之后，他丢开碎肉，开始喝酒。他一直都在颤抖，由于颤抖得非常厉害，所以他能把瓶颈咬在牙齿之间而没有把它咬断就已经很不容易了。
"I think you have got the ague, " said I.
“我想你是染上了疟疾。” 我说道。
"I 'm much of your opinion, boy, " said he.
“小子，我觉得多半是被你说中了。” 他答道。
"It's bad about here, " I told him. "You've been lying out on the meshes, and they're dreadful aguish. Rheumatic too. "
“这儿条件太差了。” 我对他说， “你一直都躺在沼泽地上，很容易染上疟疾的。还有风湿病。”
"I'll eat my breakfast afore they're the death of me, " said he. "I'd do that, if I was going to be strung up to that there gallows as there is over there, directly afterwards. I'll beat the shivers so far, I'll bet you. "
“就算他们会要了我的命也得等我把早餐吃完再说。” 他说道， “即使眼下我马上要被送上绞刑架绞死，我还是要先吃完早餐。我敢和你打赌，我会战胜这些颤抖。”
He was gobbling mincemeat, meat bone, bread, cheese, and pork pie, all at once: staring distrustfully while he did so at the mist all round us, and often stopping—even stopping his jaws—to listen. Some real or fancied sound, some clink upon the river or breathing of beast upon the marsh, now gave him a start, and he said, suddenly:
他狼吞虎咽，把碎肉、肉骨、面包、奶酪以及猪肉馅饼一起往嘴里塞。同时还疑神疑鬼地环视我们四周的迷雾，常常停下来，甚至停止咀嚼，侧耳静听。也许是某种真实的声音或是他幻想中的声音，也许是河面上的叮当声或沼地里野兽的喘息声让他下了一跳，他突然问道：
"You're not a deceiving imp? You brought no one with you? "
“你不会是个招摇撞骗的小鬼吧？你没带其他人来吧？”
"No, sir! No! "
“没有，先生！绝对没有！”
"Nor give no one the office to follow you? "
“也没有给任何人留下线索来跟踪你吧？”
"No! "
“没有！”
"Well, " said he, "I believe you. You'd be but a fierce young hound indeed; if at your time of life you could help to hunt a wretched war mint, hunted as near death and dunghill as this poor wretched war mint is! "
“好吧，” 他说道， “我相信你。如果你小小年纪就帮着别人追捕一个落魄的可怜鬼，尤其是像我这样离死期不远、就快腐烂发臭的穷鬼，那你无疑就成了一条凶狠的小猎狗了！”
Something clicked in his throat, as if has works in him like a clock, and was going to strike. And he smeared his ragged rough sleeve over his eyes.
他喉咙里有什么东西咔嗒响了一下，仿佛他身体里有座钟，马上就要敲响一样。接着他用破烂的粗布衣袖擦了擦眼睛。
Pitying his desolation, and watching him as he gradually settled down upon the pie, I made bold to say, "I am glad you enjoy it. "
看到他这般凄凉，我很是同情。看着他又开始吃猪肉馅饼，我鼓足了勇气对他说: “我很高兴你喜欢吃这个馅饼。”
"Did you speak? "
“你说什么？”
"I said I was glad you enjoyed it. "
“我说我很高兴你喜欢吃这个馅饼。”
"Thanked, my boy. I do. " I had often watched a large dog of ours eating his food; and I now noticed a decided similarity between the dog's way of eating, and the man's. The man took strong sharp sudden bites, just like the dog. He swallowed, or rather snapped up, every mouthful, too soon and too fast; and he looked sideways here and there while he ate, as if he thought there was danger in every direction, of somebody's coming to take the pie away. He was altogether too unsettled in his mind over it, to appreciate it comfortably, I thought, or to have anybody to dine with him, without making a chop with his jaws at the visitor. In all of which particulars he was very like the dog.
“谢谢你，我的孩子。我的确喜欢吃这个馅饼。” 我以前时常看着我们家的一只大狗吃东西。现在我发现，这个人的吃法与那只狗的吃法简直是太相像了。这个人猛地用力咬上几口, 就像狗一样。每一口食物他都是吞下去的，不，分明是抢着往里塞，吃得太快太急了。吃的时候，他看看这边，瞅瞅那边，仿佛认定四面八方都隐藏着危险，随时会有人跳出来抢走他的馅饼一样。我想他如此心神不宁，肯定无法好好享受这个馅饼。要是有人和他一起进食，他非咬掉来者一块肉不可。所有这些细节都让他和那只狗更加相像了。
"I am afraid you won't leave any of it for him, " said I, timidly; after a silence during which I had hesitated as to the politeness of making the remark. "There's no more to be got where that came from. " It was the certainty of this fact that impelled me to offer the hint.
“恐怕你不会给他留一点了。” 我小心翼翼地说。说前我迟疑了很久，不知道这样说有没有礼貌。 “我只能弄到这么多食物了。” 这是千真万确的，所以我才不得不跟他说。
"Leave any for him? Who's him? " said my friend, stopping in his crunching of pie—crust.
“给他留点？他是谁？” 我的朋友正在咀嚼馅饼皮，听到我的话，停了下来反问我。
"The young man. That you spoke of. That was hid with you. "
“那个年轻人。你说起过的那个。他和你躲藏在一起。”
"Oh ah! " he returned, with something like a gruff laugh. "Him? Yes, yes! He don't want no witless. "
“噢！” 他发出一声粗鲁的笑声，回答道， “他？对，对！他不吃东西的。”
"I thought he looked as if he did, " said I.
“我觉得他看起来还是要吃东西的。” 我说道。
The man stopped eating, and regarded me with the keenest scrutiny and the greatest surprise.
这个人停下了咀嚼，用最尖锐、最诧异的目光审视着我。
"Looked? When? "
“看起来？什么时候？”
"Just now. "
“刚刚。”
"Where? "
“在哪里？”
"Yonder, " said I, pointing; "over there, where I found him nodding asleep, and thought it was you. "
“那边，” 我用手指着回答道， “就在那边，我看到他坐在那里打瞌睡，我还以为是你。”
He held me by the collar and stared at me so, that I began to think his first idea about cutting my throat had revived.
他一把抓住我的衣领，死死地盯着我。我开始觉得他又有了起初那个割断我喉咙的打算。
"Dressed like you, you know, only with a hat, " I explained, trembling; "and—and” —I was very anxious to put this delicately— “and with—the same reason for wanting to borrow a file. Didn't you hear the cannon last night? "
“穿得很想你，只不过多戴了顶帽子。” 我颤抖着向他解释道， “而且——而且” ——我急切地想说得委婉一些—— “而且你们俩借来锉刀都是为了相同的目的。难道昨天夜里你没有听见炮声吗？”
"Then, there was firing! " he said to himself.
“哦，那的确是炮声！” 他自言自语道。
"I wonder you shouldn't have been sure of that, " I returned, "for we heard it up at home, and that's further away, and we were shut in besides. "
“我很奇怪你怎么就不确定那是炮声呢。” 我回答说， “我们住得更远一些，关在屋里都可以听到。”
"Why, see now! " said he. "When a man's alone on these flats, with a light head and a light stomach, perishing of cold and want, he hears nothing all night, but guns firing, and voices calling. Hears? He sees the soldiers, with their red coats lighted up by the torches carried afore, closing in round him. Hears his number called, hears himself challenged, hears the rattle of the muskets, hears the orders' Make ready! Present! Cover him steady, men! 'And is laid hands on—and there's nothing! Why, if I see one pursuing party last night—coming up in order, Damn' em, with their tramp, tramp—I see a hundred. And as to firing! Why, I see the mist shake with the cannon, arter it was broad day—But this man, " he had said all the rest, as if he had forgotten my being there; "did you notice anything in him? "
“唉，听我说！” 他说道， “当一个人独自在这沼地，脑袋昏昏沉沉，胃里空无一物，缺衣少食、饥寒难耐的时候，整晚听到的都是枪声和喊声。只是听见么？他还看到士兵向他团团包围过来。士兵手中的火把，照亮了他们身上的红色军服。他听见自己的编号被叫到，听见自己被质问，听见火枪咔咔的响声，听见军令声 ‘弟兄们，各就各位！举枪！瞄准他！’ 接着他就被捉住了——他们也消失了！哎呀，我昨天夜里看见一个搜捕队。他们整齐有序地行进，他妈的，发出沉重的脚步声，我看见有一百人呢。至于炮声嘛！哎，大炮把雾气都震得发颤，那时候天已经亮了——但这个人，” 他滔滔不绝，仿佛已经忘记了我的存在， “你察觉到他有什么异常吗？”
"He had a badly bruised face, " said I, recalling what I hardly knew I knew.
“他的脸上有严重的擦伤。” 我说道，想起了这一个我自己都几乎不知道我曾注意到的细节。
"Not here? " exclaimed the man, striking his left cheek mercilessly, with the flat of his hand.
“不是在这里吗？” 这个人用手掌狠狠地扇了自己的左脸颊，高声喊道。
"Yes, there! "
“对，就是那里！”
"Where is he? " He crammed what little food was left, into the breast of his grey jacket. "Show me the way he went. I'll pull him down, like a bloodhound. Curse this iron on my sore leg! Give us hold of the file, boy. "
“他现在在哪里？” 他将仅剩的一点食物包好，塞进他灰色夹克的胸口处。 “给我指一下他往哪个方向去了。我要像一只猎犬一样追上他。这该死的铁镣，让我的腿痛得不行！小子，把锉刀拿来。”
I indicated in what direction the mist had shrouded the other man, and he looked up at it for an instant. But he was down on the rank wet grass, filing at his iron like a madman, and not minding me or minding his own leg, which has an old chafe upon it and was bloody, but which he handled as roughly as if it had no more feeling in it than the file. I was very much afraid of him again, now that he had worked himself into this fierce hurry, and I was likewise very much afraid of keeping away from home any longer. I told him I must go, but he took no notice, so I thought the best thing I could do was to slip off. The last I saw of him, his head was bent over his knee and he was working hard at his fetter, muttering impatient imprecations at it and at his leg. The last I heard of him, I stopped in the mist to listen, and the file was still going.
我给他指出了那个人消失在大雾之中的方向，他抬起头望了片刻。然后他就坐在茂盛、潮湿的草地上，发疯般地锉他的铁镣，毫不在意一旁的我或是他自己的腿。他腿上有一处旧伤，现在已经是血淋淋的，但他对此毫不在意，仿佛那条腿和锉刀一样没有知觉。我再一次对他感到非常害怕。现在他已经变得心急火燎了，而且我也担心自己离家的时间太久了。我告诉他我必须走了，但他根本没有听见。所以我想我最好还是悄悄地溜走。我看他最后一眼的时候，他正低着头，冲着膝盖，拼命地锉铁镣，嘴里不耐烦地咒骂着铁镣和他的腿。我最后听见他的声音时，我在迷雾之中停下了脚步，仔细聆听，那还是他锉脚镣的声音。