5.To London 伦敦之行
But I was not able to see Lorna again as soon as I had hoped.
但我没能像希望的那样快再次见到洛娜。
Before the month had passed, I was called away from home, in a very strange and unexpected way.
还没过完一个月，我就以一种非常奇怪且意想不到的方式被召离了家乡。
One afternoon, as I was outside the house feeding the horses, a stranger rode up to our gate and shouted at me.
一天下午，当我正在屋外喂马时，一个陌生人骑马来到我们的门前，朝我大声喊叫。
He was a tough-looking, hard-faced man, about forty years old, with small, quick eyes, and he was dressed very differently from the way we dress in Exmoor.
他看起来粗犷强硬，面容冷峻，大约四十岁，眼睛小而锐利，穿着打扮与我们埃克斯穆尔人截然不同。
He said he was looking for Plover’s Barrows farm, and a man called John Ridd.
他说他在找普洛弗巴罗斯农场，还有一个叫约翰·里德的人。
When I told him he had found them both, he introduced himself as Jeremy Stickles, a servant of the King, and he gave me a letter.
当我告诉他两者都找到了时，他自我介绍说是杰里米·斯蒂克尔斯，国王的仆人，并递给我一封信。
I looked at him in alarm, but he said there was nothing in the letter to worry me.
我惊恐地看着他，但他说信里没有什么值得我担心的事。
At the top of the letter, my name was written in large letters.
在信的顶端，用大字写着我的名字。
I read: TO JOHN RIDD: This letter is to order you to appear before the King’s judges in London, and tell them anything you know about some matters which may be harmful to the King and the country.
我读道：“致约翰·里德：此信命令你前往伦敦出席国王法官的庭审，就任何可能对国王和国家有害的事项，告知你所知的一切。”
Jeremy Stickles seemed very pleased by my fear and surprise at the letter, but he said again that no one was going to hurt me.
杰里米·斯蒂克尔斯似乎对我收到信后的恐惧和惊讶感到很满意，但他再次表示没有人会伤害我。
All I had to do was tell the truth.
我所要做的只是说出真相。
When my mother read the letter, she became very worried and began to cry.
母亲读完信后，变得非常担忧，哭了起来。
She wondered how the King had heard of me, and what he wanted to do with me.
她不明白国王是怎么听说我的，也不知道他想把我怎么样。
But Mr Stickles, who wasn’t really as hard as he seemed, explained everything carefully to her.
但斯蒂克尔斯先生其实并不像外表那样冷酷，他仔细地向她解释了一切。
He told her that the King only knew of me because the stories of my great size and strength had reached even London.
他告诉她，国王之所以知道我，仅仅是因为关于我身材高大、力大无穷的传闻甚至传到了伦敦。
He had heard I was a good man, and thought I could help him, that was all.
他听说我是个好人，认为我能帮上忙，仅此而已。
This made my mother feel better, but I was very unhappy.
这让母亲感觉好了一些，但我却非常难过。
I was thinking of Lorna.
我心里想着洛娜。
How could I tell her I was going away?
我该怎么告诉她我要离开了？
I had promised not to go back to the valley for a month, and that was still a few days away.
我曾答应一个月内不回山谷，而离约定的时间还有几天。
But how terrible it would be if she came to look for me at the end of the month, and I was not there!
但如果月底她来找我时我不在那里，那该多糟糕啊！
I would have to break my promise and go before the agreed time.
我不得不违背诺言，在约定时间之前去一趟。
Mr Stickles was happy to stay at the farm for one or two days, to try our good Exmoor food.
斯蒂克尔斯先生乐意在农场住一两天，尝尝我们埃克斯穆尔的美味佳肴。
So I used the time to look for Lorna.
于是我利用这段时间去寻找洛娜。
But I saw nothing of her in the valley, and no signal that she needed me.
但在山谷里我没见到她的踪影，也没有看到她需要我的信号。
There was nothing else I could do.
我别无他法。
Mr Stickles wanted to go, and I had to leave for London without seeing her.
斯蒂克尔斯先生急着要走，我只好没见到她就动身前往伦敦了。
A journey to London was both long and dangerous in those days, because of all the robbers on the roads.
在那个年代，去伦敦的路途既漫长又危险，因为路上到处都是强盗。
As I said goodbye to my mother and sisters and took my last look at the farmhouse, I felt very miserable.
当我向母亲和姐妹们告别，最后看一眼农舍时，我感到非常痛苦。
But Jeremy Stickles was a good companion.
不过杰里米·斯蒂克尔斯是个很好的旅伴。
As we rode, he told me many amusing stories of London life, and we became the best of friends.
骑行途中，他给我讲了许多有趣的伦敦生活故事，我们成了最好的朋友。
I did not like London.
我不喜欢伦敦。
It was a crowded, dirty place, not at all like Exmoor — and, even worse, I had to wait more than two months before the King’s judges were ready to see me.
那是个拥挤肮脏的地方，完全不像埃克斯穆尔——更糟的是，我得等两个多月国王的法官才准备好见我。
There was a lot of trouble in London at that time, with arguments between the King and the City of London.
当时伦敦麻烦不断，国王与伦敦城之间争执不休。
Nobody had time to talk to John Ridd, but I was not allowed to leave and go home.
没人有空理会约翰·里德，但我又不被允许离开回家。
At last, I was called to see Judge Jeffreys.
终于，我被传唤去见杰弗里斯法官。
Jeremy Stickles had told me about Judge Jeffreys.
杰里米·斯蒂克尔斯曾跟我提起过杰弗里斯法官。
He was the King’s chief judge, and there were terrible stories about him.
他是国王的首席法官，关于他的可怕传闻比比皆是。
He became very angry if anyone argued with him, and he had sent many of the King’s enemies to their deaths.
谁若与他争辩，他就会勃然大怒；他已经把许多国王的敌人送上了死路。
In the room I walked into, there were three men sitting on high seats, and they were dressed in very rich clothes.
在我走进的房间里，有三个身穿华服的人坐在高高的座位上。
In front of each of them was a desk, with pen and paper.
他们每人面前都有一张桌子，上面放着纸笔。
The man in the middle seemed to be the most important.
中间那人看起来地位最高。
He was a big, heavy man, with a square chin and a kind of fire in his eyes.
他身材魁梧厚重，下巴方正，眼中透着一股怒火。
He was a man that almost anyone would be afraid of.
几乎任何人见到他都会感到害怕。
This was certainly Judge Jeffreys.
这肯定就是杰弗里斯法官。
He gave me a terrible stare, and asked me who I was and where I came from.
他恶狠狠地瞪了我一眼，问我是谁，从哪里来。
When I had told him, he said: ‘Well done, John Ridd. You have answered me without fear. I remember this matter now. I will ask you some questions.’
等我回答完毕，他说：“很好，约翰·里德。你回答得毫无惧色。我现在想起这件事了。我要问你几个问题。”
He looked at me more closely. ‘In Exmoor,’ he said, ‘there is a family of robbers. Is that true?’
他更仔细地打量着我。“在埃克斯穆尔，”他说，“有一伙强盗家族。是真的吗？”
I told him it was.
我告诉他是真的。
‘And why isn’t your local judge doing anything about them?’
“那为什么你们当地的法官不对他们采取行动？”
‘I suppose he’s afraid, my Lord. The robbers are very strong, and their valley is hard to attack.’
“我想他是害怕吧，大人。那些强盗势力很强，而且他们的山谷易守难攻。”
‘But they must still answer to the law!’ Judge Jeffreys said. ‘What’s the name of these people, and how many of them are there?’
“但他们仍必须接受法律的制裁！”杰弗里斯法官说，“这些人叫什么名字？有多少人？”
‘They are the Doones, and we think there are about forty men in the valley.’
“他们是杜恩家族，我们认为山谷里大约有四十个男人。”
‘I will do something about these thieves,’ he said. ‘Perhaps I will come down to the west myself.’
“我会对付这些盗贼的，”他说，“也许我会亲自去西部一趟。”
But then he stared hard at me again, and asked: ‘Is there any sign, in Exmoor, of any dislike of the King?’
但他随即又死死盯着我，问道：“在埃克斯穆尔，有没有任何不满国王的迹象？”
‘No, my Lord. We don’t know much about him.’
“没有，大人。我们对国王了解不多。”
‘That’s a good answer,’ he laughed. ‘But the King knows he has enemies in the country. I see you know nothing about them, though. You’re a good man, John Ridd. Keep out of trouble. Keep away from the King’s enemies, and from the Doones as well, and you will be safe. I was going to use you as a spy, but I see you’re too honest. I will send someone else. But never tell anyone what I’ve said to you.’
“回答得好，”他笑道，“但国王知道国内有他的敌人。不过我看你对他们一无所知。你是个好人，约翰·里德。别惹麻烦。远离国王的敌人，也远离杜恩家族，你就会平安无事。我本想让你当间谍，但看来你太老实了。我会派别人去。但绝不要告诉任何人我对你说的话。”
Here he stared at me very angrily, but when he saw he had frightened me enough, he smiled again.
说到这里，他愤怒地瞪着我，但看到已经把我吓够了，他又露出了笑容。
‘Now go home, John. I will remember you — and I don’t think you will forget me.’
“现在回家吧，约翰。我会记住你的——我想你也不会忘记我。”
I had no money left to hire a horse for the journey back to Exmoor, so I had to walk the whole way.
我没有余钱租马回埃克斯穆尔了，所以只能一路步行。
It took me seven days, and I was very glad to get home again.
走了七天，能再次回到家我非常高兴。
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