译《化身博士》第二章：寻找海德先生(一)

2019-08-20 本文已影响6人微凉_Elena

After dinner that evening Mr Utterson went into his office and unlocked a cupboard. He took out an envelope. It contained the will of Doctor Henry Jekyll, and was written in the doctors own handwriting.

晚饭后，厄特森先生走进办公室，打开柜橱上的锁，拿出来一封信，里面是亨利·哲基尔博士的亲笔遗书。

'If I die, or if I disappear for more than three months,' the will began, 'I wish to leave everything I own to my dear friend Edward Hyde.'

“若我死亡，或消失3个月以上，遗嘱生效，我所拥有的一切皆由我的好朋友爱德华·海德继承。”

This will had both worried and annoyed Mr Utterson. To a lawyer it was an unusual and dangerous kind of will. It was bad enough when Edward Hyde was only an unknown name, but now that the lawyer knew something about Hyde, the will worried him more than ever. It had seemed like madness before; now it began to seem shameful. With a heavy heart Mr Utterson replaced the envelope in the cupboard, put on his coat and went to see his old friend Doctor Lanyon.

这份遗嘱让厄特森先生坐立不安。作为一名律师，这样的遗嘱既少见又不好处理。他对爱德华·海德一无所知，这已经够糟的了，但现在又知道了些海德做的事，遗嘱就更让他生气了。如果说以前这一切听起来很疯狂，那现在这个名字是令人发指。厄特森先生心事重重地将遗嘱放回橱柜，穿上外套，出门去找老朋友兰伦医生了。

Doctor Lanyon was enjoying his after-dinner coffee. 'Come in, old friend!' he cried. The two men had known each other since their school days. They sat for several minutes, drinking coffee and talking companionably of this and that. At last Mr Utterson mentioned the thoughts that were worrying him.

兰伦医生正在品着饭后咖啡。“进来，老朋友。”他大声嚷着。两人还是学生时就认识了。他们坐在一起，一边喝咖啡，一边闲聊。最后厄特森先生谈起心中的不安。

'I suppose, Lanyon,' he said, 'that you and I are Henry Jekyli's oldest friends?'

“我想，兰伦，”他说，“你我应该是亨利·哲基尔认识最久的朋友吧？”

'I suppose so,' said Doctor Lanyon, 'but I don't often see him now.'

“应该是的”兰伦医生说，“但我和他见得不多。”

'Really?' said Mr Utterson in surprise. 'I thought you and he were interested in the same things.'

“是吗？”厄特森先生吃惊地说。“我以为你和他是志趣相投呢。”

'We were at one time,' said Doctor Lanyon. 'But more than ten years ago Henry Jekyll became too-well, imaginative for me. He developed some strange, wild, unscientific ideas. I told him so, and I've seen very little of him since then.'

“曾经是。”兰伦医生回，“不过，那是十多年前了，亨利·哲基尔变得――呃，对我来说太不可思议了。他脑子里装了些奇怪、荒唐、不科学的想法，我就是这么跟他说的。从那以后，我就很少见他了。”

Mr Utterson looked at his friend's red angry face. ' Only a disagreement about some scientific question,' he thought. 'It's nothing worse than that.' Calmly he continued, 'Did you ever meet a friend of Jekyll's-a man called Hyde?'

厄特森先生看着他朋友气得涨红的脸，心想：“只是在科学见解上有点分歧，应该没什么事的。”他不动声色地问：“那你有没有见过哲基尔的一个朋友――叫海德？”

'Hyde?' repeated Lanyon. 'No, never.'

“海德？”兰伦重复道。“没，没听过。”

Soon the lawyer said goodnight and went home to bed, where he lay awake for a long time thinking about Enfield's description of Hyde, and Doctor Jekyll's will. When at last he fell asleep, he was troubled by dreams. In his mind's eye he saw a faceless man marching over the child's body. Then he saw his old friend Jekyll in bed, while the same faceless figure stood over him. The facelessness of that figure worried him deeply.

不一会儿，律师向医生道晚安，回家去了，他躺在床上想着恩菲尔德描述的海德和哲基尔博士的遗嘱久久无法入睡。等他终于睡着时，却又噩梦连连。在梦中，他看到一个无脸男正踩在孩子身上，又梦到他的老朋友哲基尔睡在床上，那人又踩在他身上。那个看不清脸的人让他很不安。

译《化身博士》第二章：寻找海德先生(一)

'Very well, Mr Hyde,' said the lawyer to himself, 'I will find you, and I will see your face for myself.'

“很好，海德先生。”律师喃喃自语。“我要找到你，亲自看看你的模样。”

During the next few weeks Mr Utterson spent many hours in the narrow street where Enfield had seen Hyde. He waited patiently near the mysterious door, hoping for a sight of Mr Hyde-and one dry, clear winter night he was successful.The street was empty and silent and small sounds carried a long way. The lawyer heard footsteps. He stepped back into the shadows and waited. A short figure turned the corner and walked towards the mysterious door. Although Mr Utterson could not see his face, he felt a strong, almost violent, dislike for the stranger.

接下来的几周里，厄特森先生花大量时间徘徊在恩菲尔德见过海德的窄巷里，他在神秘的门附近耐心等着，希望能碰见海德先生。在一个干燥，清明的冬日夜晚，他见到了海德先生。街上空荡荡的，寂静无声，一点声响就能传出去很远。律师突然听到了脚步声，他躲到阴暗处，静静等着。一个矮小的身躯出现在拐角，朝神秘的门走去。即便厄特森先生看不到陌生人的脸，但也能感觉到一种强烈的憎恨。

Mr Utterson stepped forward and touched him on the shoulder. 'Mr Hyde?'

厄特森先生赶紧走上前，拍拍他的肩头。“是海德先生吗？”

'Yes, that' s my name,' said the stranger coolly. 'What do you want?'

“是的，我是海德。”陌生人冷冷地回。“有什么事？”

'I see that you're going in. I'm an old friend of Doctor Jekyll's. My name is Utterson. You must have heard my name-may I come in with you?'

“我见你正要进屋。我是哲基尔博士的老朋友，叫厄特森。你一定听他提过我吧！我能和你一起进屋吗？”

'Doctor Jekyll is not at home,' replied Mr Hyde. 'How did you know me?' he added sharply.

“哲基尔博士不在家”海德回。“你从哪知道我名字的？”他厉声问。

'First let me see your face,' replied the lawyer.

“先让我看看你的模样。”律师回。

Mr Hyde hesitated for a moment, then he stood under the street light and the lawyer saw his face. 'Thank you,' said Mr Utterson. 'Now I shall know you again. It may be useful.'

海德先生迟疑了一下，然后走到街灯下，律师看清了他的脸。“谢谢！”厄特森先生说，“我有幸与您相识，这应该会有用的。”

'Yes,' said Mr Hyde, 'it may indeed be useful. Here, too, is my address. You may need it one day.' He gave the lawyer his address, which was in a poor part of London.

“是的”海德说，“会有用的。这，是我的住址。你可能某天会需要。”他将他的住址递给律师，是伦敦的一个贫民区。

'Good God!' thought the lawyer, 'does Hyde know about Jekyll's will? Is that what he's thinking of?' But he said nothing.

“天哪”律师心想，“海德知道哲基尔的遗嘱吗？他是想得到他的遗产吗？”但他只字未问。

'And now,' said Mr Hyde, 'how did you know me?'

“现在”海德先生说，“你是怎么知道我的？”

'You were described to me.'

“听人提起过你。”

'Who did that?'

“谁说的？”

'I know people who know you.'

“我认识认识你的人。”

'Who?' asked Mr Hyde sharply.