牛津書蟲系列 曾達的囚徒 5 His Majesty returns to Strelsau

5 His Majesty returns to Strelsau

5 國王回到斯特萊索

It was one o'clock in the morning.For a few minutes we said nothing.Then Sapt cried，'The Duke's men have taken the King prisoner!'

此刻是凌晨一點鐘。有幾分鐘的時間我們一句話也沒說，然后薩普特叫道：“公爵的人把國王關起來了!”

Then we must get back and wake everyone in Strelsau!'I cried.'We must catch Black Michael before he kills the King.'

“我們必須回到斯特萊索，喚醒那兒的每一個人。”我說，“我們必須在黑邁克爾殺了國王之前抓住他。”

'Who knows where the King is now?'Sapt answered.Then suddenly he began to laugh.'But we've given Black Michael a problem，'he said.'Yes，my boy.We'll go back to Strelsau.The King will be in his palace in Strelsau again tomorrow.'

“誰又知道國王在哪兒呢?”薩普特回答。然后他突然笑了起來：“不過我們已經給了黑邁克爾一個難題。”他說，“是的，我的孩子，我們回斯特萊索去。明天國王又會在斯特萊索的宮中的。”

'No!'I cried.

“不!”我說。

'Yes!'Sapt answered.'It's the only way to help him.Go back and take his place for him.'

“是的!”薩普特回答，“這是唯一能幫助他的方法?；厝?，替他去當國王。”

'But the Duke knows…'

“可是公爵明白……”

'Yes，but he can't speak，can he?What can he say?“This man isn't the King because I've taken the real King prisoner and murdered his servant.”Can he say that?'

“沒錯，但他沒法說出來，對嗎?他能說什么呢?'這個男人不是國王，因為我把真正的國王關進牢里，而且殺了他的仆人。'他難道能這么說嗎?”

But people will soon realize l'm not the real King，'I said.

“可是人們很快就會知道我不是真正的國王。”我說。

'Perhaps，perhaps not，'said Sapt.'But we must have a King in Strelsau，or Michael will ride in tomorrow as the new King!Listen，boy，if you don't go back to Strelsau，they'll kill the King.And if you do go back，they can't kill the King.Because if they kill him，how can they ever say that you're not the real King?Don't you see?'he cried.'It's a dangerous game，but it gives us a chance of winning.'

“也許會，也許不會。”薩普特說。“但我們必須得有一個國王在斯特萊索，否則邁克爾明天就會奔去成為新國王。聽著，孩子，如果你不回斯特萊索，他們就會殺掉國王?？墒侨绻慊厝チ耍麄兙筒荒軞⑺?，因為假如他們殺了他，他們怎么才能說明你不是真正的國王?你難道不明白嗎?”他說，“這是一場危險的游戲，不過它給了我們一次獲勝的機會。”

It was a wild，hopeless plan，but I was young.I would never have the chance of an adventure like this again.'Sapt，I'll try it，'I said.

這是一個瘋狂無望的計劃，但是那時我正年輕，我不可能再有這樣的奇遇了。“薩普特，我試試。”我說。

'Good for you!'Sapt cried.'But we must hurry!Look!'

“太棒了!”薩普特說。“可我們得快點兒，你看。”

He pulled me over to the door The moon was low now，and there was not much light，but I could just see a small group of men on horses.They were Black Michael's men，probably coming to take the dead body of Josef away.

他把我拖到門邊。月亮現在低低的，沒有什么光亮，但我恰好能看見一小群人騎在馬上。他們是黑邁克爾的人，可能是來運走約瑟夫的尸體。

'We can't let them go without doing something，'I said，thinking of poor Josef.

“我們不能就這么讓他們走了。”我說，心里想著可憐的約瑟夫。

'Right，'Sapt agreed.We ran out of the back of the house，and quickly got onto our horses.Silently，we waited in the darkness，and then we galloped round the house and straight into the group of men.Between us，we killed three of them，but a bullet hit my finger and it began to bleed.

“好吧。”薩普特同意了。我們從屋子背后跑出去，很快地騎上了馬。在黑暗中我們悄悄地等著，然后飛快地繞過房子，直沖進那群人中。我們殺了他們三個人，不過有一槍打中了我的手指，手指流血了。

We rode hard all night and it was about eight or nine o'clock in the morning when we reached Strelsau.Luckily，the streets were still empty.We arrived at the palace，went in，and got to the dressing-room.When we opened the door，Fritz was asleep，but he woke immediately.When he saw me，he fell to the ground and cried，'Thank God，Your Majesty!You're safe!'

我們騎著馬整整走了一夜，到達斯特萊索是早上八九點鐘，幸運的是，街上還是空空的。我們到達王宮，走進去直到更衣室。當我們開開門時，弗里茨正在熟睡，但他立刻就醒來了。當他看見我時，他跪倒在地叫道：“感謝上帝，陛下，您平安無事!”

'Well done，boy!'Sapt shouted.'We'll do it!'

“干得好，孩子!”薩普特說，“我們就這么辦。”

Fritz stood up.He looked at me，up and down，down and up.Then he took a step backwards.'Where's the King?'he cried.

弗里茨站了起來，他看著我，從上到下，從下到上。然后他后退一步：“國王在哪里?”他嚷道。

'Be quiet，'Sapt warned him.'Someone will hear!'

“安靜點，”薩普特警告他，“別人會聽見的。”

Fritz's face was white now.'Is the King dead?'he asked quietly.

弗里茨的臉變白了，“國王死了嗎?”他靜靜地問。

'Please God，no，'I answered.'But Black Michael has him.'

“上帝保佑吧，他還沒有死。”我說，“不過黑邁克爾抓住他了。”

The next day was a long one for me.Sapt talked to me for three hours about what I must do and what I must say，what I liked and what I didn't like.Then I had to do some of the King's business，but，because of my damaged finger，I did not have to write my name on any papers.

第二天對我來說十分漫長。薩普特對我說了三個小時，告訴我應該做什么，不能做什么，什么是我喜歡的，什么是我不喜歡的。接著我不得不做一些國王該做的事。不過，由于我的手傷了，我不用在任何紙上簽名。

When，at last，I was alone with Sapt and Fritz，we began to talk about Black Michael.Fritz told me that Black Michael had six very dangerous men among his servants-three Ruritanians，a Belgian，a Frenchman，and an Englishman.They did anything that the Duke ordered，and did not stop at murder.Three of them-the foreigners，Fritz had heard were in Strelsau now with Duke Michael.

最后，當我又和薩普特、弗里茨在一起時，我們開始談論黑邁克爾。弗里茨告訴我，黑邁克爾的隨從中有六個非常危險的家伙，其中三個是盧里塔尼亞人，一個比利時人，一個法國人，還有一個英國人。黑邁克爾讓他們做什么就做什么，就是殺人也干。弗里茨聽說其中三個外國人現在正和黑邁克爾一起呆在斯特萊索。

Sapt banged the table with his hand in excitement.'Then the King must be alive!Michael's brought the foreigners with him，and left the three Ruritanians to hold the King prisoner.Usually，the Six，as they're called，go everywhere with him.'

薩普特興奮地用手拍了一下桌子，“這么說國王肯定還活著。邁克爾帶了三個外國人，讓那三個盧里塔尼亞人看著國王。通?？偸呛谶~克爾走到哪兒他們六個跟到哪兒的。”

Fritz wanted to do something immediately about Black Michael and his men，but Sapt and I realized that we could not do anything openly.

弗里茨想立即就對黑邁克爾和他的人采取行動，可薩普特和我覺得我們什么事也不能公開地干。

'We'll play a waiting game，and let Michael make the first move，'I said.

“我們要玩一場等待游戲，讓邁克爾先動手。”我說。

And so I continued as King of Ruritania.In order to help the real King，I tried to make myself popular with the people.I went riding through the streets，smiling and talking to everybody.I also went to visit the Princess Flavia.The King's officials had told me that the Princess was very popular，and the people hoped that she would become my wife.

因此，我就繼續(xù)當盧里塔尼亞的國王，為了幫助真正的國王，我試著得到人民的愛戴。我乘車穿過每條街道，對每個人微笑，跟每個人說話。我也去拜訪弗蕾維亞公主。國王的官員們告訴我公主非常受百姓的歡迎，人們希望她會成為我的妻子。

It was easy for me to pretend to be in love with the Princess.Too easy.Those beautiful eyes and that lovely smile were stealing my heart.Here was my greatest danger!I was pretending to be another man，but losing my own heart.On my first visit，we sat together for a long time，talking of this and that.When I got up to leave，Princess Flavia said，'Rudolf，you will be careful，won't you?You have enemies，as I'm sure you know，and your life is very important to…Ruritania.'

對我來說，假裝我正愛著公主是很容易的事兒，太容易了。她那美麗的眼睛和可愛的微笑正悄悄占據我的心。這才是我最大的危險!我假裝是另外一個男人，但失去的是我自己的心。在我第一次拜訪她的時候，我們在一起坐著，說這說那，過了很長時間。當我站起來告別的時候，弗蕾維亞公主說：“魯道夫，你會小心的，是嗎?你有敵人，你肯定知道這個，而且你的生命對于盧里塔尼亞是很重要的。”

'Only to Ruritania?'I asked softly.

“只對盧里塔尼亞重要嗎?”我溫柔地問。

'And to your loving cousin，'she answered quietly.

“對愛著你的表妹也一樣。”她靜靜地回答。

I could not speak.I took her hand in mine.Then，with a heavy heart，I left.

我說不出話來。我握住了她的手，然后帶著一顆沉重的心離開了她。

Of course，I made many mistakes in my new life as King.But I managed to talk my way out of them，with luck and with help from Fritz and Sapt.It was like living on a knife edge.Once I met my brother Michael in the Princess's house.We smiled and talked politely，but I could see the anger in his black eyes.

自然，在作為國王的新生活中，我犯了許多錯誤，但我很幸運，加上有弗里茨和薩普特的幫助，都設法掩飾過去了。這真像在刀刃上過日子。有一次我在公主的房子里遇見了我的兄弟邁克爾。我們微笑著，彬彬有禮地聊天，但我能看出他黑眼睛里的怒火。