Jack crouched with his face a few inches away from this clue, then stared forward into the semi-darkness of the undergrowth. His sandy hair, considerably longer than it had been when they dropped in, was lighter now; and his bare back was a mass of dark freckles and peeling sunburn. A sharpened stick about five feet long trailed from his right hand, and except for a pair of tattered shorts held up by his knife-belt he was naked. He closed his eyes, raised his head and breathed in gently with flared nostrils, assessing the current of warm air for information. The forest and he were very still.
杰克蹲着身子，他的脸部只偏离这条线索几英寸；接着，他盯着前面半明半暗的矮灌木林丛。他淡茶色的头发，比他们刚上岛那阵子可长多了，颜色也更淡了；晒得人要脱皮的太阳射在他那布满黑雀斑的光背脊上。他右手拖着一根约长五英尺的尖木棒；除了用来佩刀的皮带所束着的一条破烂短裤，他什么也没穿。杰克闭上眼睛，抬起头，大张着鼻孔深深地呼吸，估摸着暖和的气流，想作一点判断。森林里一片宁静。
Jack was bent double. He was down like a sprinter, his nose only a few inches from the humid earth. The tree trunks and the creepers that festooned them lost themlves in a green dusk thirty feet above him, and all about was the undergrowth. There was only the faintest indication of a trail here; a cracked twig and what might be the impression of one side of a hoof. He lowered his chin and stared at the traces as though he would force them to speak to him. Then dog-like, uncomfortably on all fours yet unheeding his discomfort, he stole forward five yards and stopped. Here was loop of creeper with a tendril pendant from a node. The tendril was polished on the underside; pigs, passing through the loop, brushed it with their bristly hide.
杰克弓着身子。他像个短跑选手似的蹲在地上，鼻子离潮湿的地面只有几英寸。在他头上三十英尺光景，树干以及交织着垂挂下来的藤蔓在绿蒙蒙的暮色中混成一片；四周全是矮灌木林丛。踪迹到这儿只有蛛丝马迹可寻：一根断裂的树枝呀，一个可能是蹄子的一侧留下的印记呀。他低着下巴，目不转睛地盯着这些痕迹，似乎想要迫使它们对他说出什么秘密。随后杰克像狗似的四肢着地——这怪不舒服，可他并不觉得，又悄悄地朝前爬了五码停下。在这儿有个成圈圈形状的藤蔓，茎节上垂荡着卷须。卷须的下沿被磨得光光：那是硬毛密生的野猪在穿过藤圈时磨擦所成的。
The silence of the forest was more oppressive than the heat, and at this hour of the day there was not even the whine of insects. Only when Jack himself roused a gaudy bird from a primitive nest of sticks was the silence shattered and echoes set ringing by a harsh cry that seemed to come out of the abyss of ages. Jack himself shrank at this cry with a hiss of indrawn breath, and for a minute became less a hunter than a furtive thing, ape-like among the tangle of trees. Then the trail, the frustration, claimed him again and he searched the ground avidly. By the trunk of a vast tree that grew pale flowers on its grey bark he checked, closed his eyes, and once more drew in the warm air; and this time his breath came short, there was even a passing pallor in his face, and then the surge of blood again. He passed like a shadow under the darkness of the tree and crouched, looking down at the trodden ground at his feet.
森林的静谧比起暑热来更为逼人，在这个时刻，甚至连各种昆虫的哀鸣都听不见。只是当杰克从一个枝条搭成的老鸟窠里惊起一只花哨的鸟儿，才打破了宁静，似乎从无限久远的年代里发出一声尖厉的鸟叫，又引起了阵阵的回声。这声怪叫使杰克倒抽一口冷气，缩作一团；片刻之间，与其说他是个猎手，倒不如说是个在乱树丛中鬼头鬼脑的猴样的东西。随后，痕迹和挫折促使他继续前进，他又贪婪地在地面上搜索起来。在一棵灰树干上长着浅色花朵的大树旁，杰克突然停了下来，闭上眼睛，又吸了一口暖和的空气：这一次他呼吸有点儿急促，脸上甚至一阵苍白，随后热血又涌上来。他像幽灵似的穿过树下的黑暗处，蹲着身子，低头察看脚下被踩踏过的土地。
At length he let out his breath in a long sigh and opened his eyes. They were bright blue, eyes that in this frustration seemed bolting and nearly mad. He passed his tongue across dry lips and scanned the uncommunicative forest. Then again he stole forward and cast this way and that over the ground.
他终于长长地叹了口气，睁开了眼睛。蓝莹莹的眼睛这当口儿仿佛因受到挫折而闪着怒火，有点儿发狂。他伸出舌头舔舔干裂的双唇，察看着默默无言的森林。然后又悄悄地向前，边在地上东寻西找。
The droppings were warm. They lay piled among turned earth. They were olive green, smooth, and they steamed a little. Jack lifted his head and stared at the inscrutable masses of creeper that lay across the trail. Then he raised his spear and sneaked forward. Beyond the creeper, the trail joined a pig-run that was wide enough and trodden enough to be a path. The ground was hardened by an accustomed tread and as Jack rose to his full height he heard something moving on it. He swung back his right arm and hurled the spear with all his strength. From the pig-run came the quick, hard patter of hoofs, a castanet sound, seductive, maddening — the promise of meat. He rushed out of the undergrowth and snatched up his spear. The pattering of pig’s trotters died away in the distance.
热乎乎的粪便堆在翻起的土中，光溜溜的，呈橄榄青色，还有点儿在冒气。杰克抬起头来，睁大眼睛看着痕迹上面绕作一团的藤蔓。然后他提起长矛悄悄地前进。穿出这团藤蔓，痕迹与一条野猪出没的路径相交；这条路径被踩踏得足以成为一条小道，宽度也够了。地面因经常被踩踏变得挺硬，杰克站直身子，他听见有东西在小道上走动。他右臂朝后一摆，用尽浑身力气投出长矛。从野猪出没的路径传来一阵急促而猛烈的嗒嗒的蹄子声，一种响板似的声音，引人入胜又令人发狂——吃肉有盼头了。他冲出矮灌木林丛，一把抓起长矛。野猪的快步声却已经消失在远处。
Jack stood there, streaming with sweat, streaked with brown earth, stained by all the vicissitudes of a day’s hunting. Swearing, he turned off the trail and pushed his way through until the forest opened a little and instead of bald trunks supporting a dark roof there were light grey trunks and crowns of feathery palm. Beyond these was the glitter of the sea and he could hear voices. Ralph was standing by a contraption of palm trunks and leaves, a rude shelter that faced the lagoon and seemed very near to falling down. He did not notice when Jack spoke.
杰克站在那儿，汗如雨下，褐色的泥土横一条竖一条地沾在身上，一副打了一天猎的样子。他嘴里嘟囔着骂人话，绕过痕迹处，在树丛中费力地往前走，直走到一处稍微开阔一点的地方；支撑着浓黑树顶的光树干被淡褐色树干和叶冠茂盛的棕榈树所代替。之外是银波闪闪的大海，他又能听见其他孩子们的声音了。拉尔夫正站在一个用棕榈枝叶搭起来的新鲜玩意儿旁边，这是个面朝环礁湖的简陋的窝棚，似乎摇摇欲坠。杰克开口说话时，拉尔夫还没注意到他。
He flung himself down at Jack’s feet. Simon remained, looking out of the hole in the shelter. Once down, Ralph explained.
他猛地往杰克脚下一倒。西蒙仍留在窝棚里，从空洞中朝外面看。拉尔夫一躺下就解释道：
“Oh, hullo. Water? There by the tree. Ought to be some left.”
“噢，你好。水吗？在树那边。该还剩下点吧。”
Two shelters were in position, but shaky. This one was a ruin.
两个窝棚已竖了起来，但是摇摇晃晃的。这一个却成了一堆废料。
Simon spoke from inside the shelter. “Up a bit.”
西蒙从窝棚里说：“稍高一点。”
“I said have you got any water? I’m thirsty.”
“我说你有没有水哪？我口渴。”
“Needed that.”
“要那个。”
Ralph turned to the shelter and lifted a branch with a whole tiling of leaves.
拉尔夫转向窝棚，把一根上面满是当瓦片用的带绿叶的树枝往上挪了挪。
Ralph looked up, frowning, from the complication of leaves. He did not notice Jack even when he saw him.
拉尔夫从乱糟糟的树叶中把头一仰，皱着眉头。甚至当他看着杰克时，注意力都还没有集中过来。
“Never get it done.”
“老是盖不好。”
The leaves came apart and fluttered down. Simon’s contrite face appeared in the hole.
树叶一分开，就飘飘扬扬地纷纷坠地，空洞中露出西蒙那张懊恼的面孔。
“Sorry.”
“对不起。”
Jack took up a coconut shell that brimmed with fresh water from among a group that was arranged in the shade, and drank. The water splashed over his chin and neck and chest. He breathed noisily when he had finished.
在树阴里排列着一批椰子壳，杰克拿起一只盛满清水的，咕嘟咕嘟地一饮而尽。水直泼到他的下巴、头颈和胸上。喝完水后他呼哧呼哧地直喘气。
Ralph surveyed the wreck with distaste.
拉尔夫打量一下这堆破烂，挺倒胃口。
“Been working for days now. And look!”
“一直干了好几天啰。可瞧瞧！”
Ralph withdrew his attention from the shelter and realized Jack with a start.
拉尔夫的注意力从窝棚上集中过来，吃惊地认出了杰克。
“Got any water?”
“还有水吗？”
“We want meat.”
“咱们需要肉呀。”
“You’re chief. You tell ’em off.”
“你是头儿。你训训他们。”
“Meetings. Don’t we love meetings? Every day. Twice a day. We talk.” He got on one elbow. “I bet if I blew the conch this minute, they’d come running. Then we’d be, you know, very solemn, and someone would say we ought to build a jet, or a submarine, or a TV set. When the meeting was over they’d work for five minutes, then wander off or go hunting.”
“这个会那个会的。咱们不是老爱开会吗！每天都开。一天两次。尽扯淡。”他支起一个手肘。“我敢打赌，要是我现在吹起海螺，他们准跑着过来。你知道，然后咱们就煞有介事地开会，有的就会说我们该造架喷气机，有的会说该造艘潜水艇，还有的会说该造一台电视。可一开完会，干不了五分钟，他们就东游西荡开了，要不就会去打猎。”
“They’re hopeless. The older ones aren’t much better. D’you see? All day I’ve been working with Simon. No one else. They’re off bathing, or eating, or playing.”
“他们简直无可救药。稍大一点的也好不了多少。你看见吗？我整天跟西蒙一起干活。别的一个也没。他们跑开洗澡呀、吃呀、玩呀。”
“Well, we haven’t got any yet. And we want shelters. Besides, the rest of your hunters came back hours ago. They’ve been swimming.”
“嗯，可咱们一点儿都没弄到呢。咱们还需要窝棚。再说，其余的你那些猎人已回来几个钟头了。可他们一直在游泳。”
“Except me and my hunters –“
“我跟我的猎手可除外——”
Simon poked his head out carefully.
西蒙谨慎地伸出头来。
Ralph lay flat and looked up at the palm trees and the sky.
拉尔夫平躺在地上，仰望着棕榈树林和天空。
He gesticulated, sought for a word.
他打着手势，考虑用什么字眼。
Jack flushed.
杰克脸红了。
“Except the hunters. Well, the littluns are –“
“猎手除外。可是，小家伙们——”
“And they keep running off. You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished?”
“他们却老是到处跑。你记得那次会吗？为了造好窝棚，每个人都得要怎么使劲干才行呀！”
“But you didn’t.”
“但是你没有。”
He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up.
他极力克制自己，极力扑灭中烧的怒火。
“I thought I might.”
“我想我也许会的。”
“And we don’t get it.”
“可咱们没弄到。”
“We need shelters.”
“咱们需要窝棚。”
“I went on,” said Jack. “I let them go. I had to go on. I –“
“我还在干，”杰克说。“我让他们走的。我得继续干。我——”
“But you haven’t yet.”
“但是你还没有做到。”
“Are you accusing –?”
“你这是责骂我——？”
The madness came into his eyes again.
一种狂热的神色又出现在他的眼睛里。
“We want meat –“
“咱们需要肉——”
“I thought I might — kill.”
“我认为我也许会杀掉……”
“If it rains like when we dropped in we’ll need shelters all right. And then another thing. We need shelters because of the –“
“要是遇到咱们刚掉到岛上那阵下的大雨，窝棚对咱们真是少不了。还有件事。咱们需要窝棚是因为——”
Now the antagonism was audible.
此刻对抗很明显了。
His invitation might have passed as casual, were it not for the undertone.
要不是因为那口气，他的挑斗或许本会被忽略过去。
Some hidden passion vibrated in Ralph’s voice.
某种暗藏的激情使拉尔夫的声音在颤抖。
“I went on. I thought, by myself –“
“我继续干。我认为，由我自己——”
“You wouldn’t care to help with the shelters, I suppose?”
“我想你大概对搭窝棚不感兴趣吧？”
“But I shall! Next time! I’ve got to get a barb on this spear! We wounded a pig and the spear fell out. If we could only make barbs –“
“可我一定会弄到的！下一次！我要在这根矛上装上倒钩！我们扎伤了一头猪，可矛脱落下来。只要我们能装上倒钩——”
Suddenly Jack shouted in rage.
杰克突然怒气冲冲地叫起来。
“All I’m saying is we’ve worked dashed hard. That’s all.”
“我只是说我们在累死累活地干！没别的。”
They were both red in the face and found looking at each other difficult. Ralph rolled on his stomach and began to play with the grass.
他们俩全都涨红着脸，难以互相正视。拉尔夫身体一滚，肚子朝地，拨弄起地上的草来。
“As if it wasn’t a good island.”
“就好像这岛上闹怪事。”
“As if this wasn’t a good island,” said Ralph slowly. “Yes, that’s right.”
“就好像这岛上闹怪事，”拉尔夫慢吞吞地说道。“对呀，说得对。”
“As if,” said Simon, “the beastie, the beastie or the snake-thing, was real. Remember?”
“就好像，”西蒙说，“就好像小野兽、小野兽或蛇样的东西是真的一样。还记得吗？”
“Well. They’re frightened.”
“嘿。他们担惊受怕的事。”
Jack put down his spear and squatted.
杰克放下长矛，蹲坐下去。
He rolled over and peered into Jack’s fierce, dirty face.
他滚了过来，盯着杰克那张凶相毕露的脏脸。
Jack shook his head.
杰克摇摇头。
“You’ve noticed, haven’t you?”
“你已经注意到了，是不是？”
Astonished at the interruption, they looked up at Simon’s serious face.
这插话使他们吃了一惊，抬头一看，见到西蒙正正经经的面孔。
He paused for a moment and they both pushed their anger away. Then he went on with the safe, changed subject.
他停了一停；两人都把怒气丢到一边。随后他改变话题，谈起一件不会引起争吵的事情。
The two older boys flinched when they heard the shameful syllable. Snakes were not mentioned now, were not mentionable.
两个稍大的男孩一听到这个令人害臊的字眼时，不由自主地畏缩了一下。此刻还没有正式提到“蛇”，这个字眼是不宜提起的。
“I mean the way things are. They dream. You can hear ’em. Have you been awake at night?”
“我是说事情弄成那个样子。他们晚上做梦。你可以听得见。你夜里有时醒过来不？”
“They talk and scream. The littluns. Even some of the others. As if –“
“他们说呀、叫呀。小家伙们。甚至还有些大的呢。就好像——”
Jack sat up and stretched out his legs.
杰克坐着挺直身、伸直腿。
“Noticed what?”
“注意到什么？”
“Crackers. Remember when we went exploring?”
“疯子。记得咱们去探险那阵子吗？”
“They’re batty.”
“他们疯了。”
They grinned at each other, remembering the glamour of the first day. Ralph went on. “So we need shelters as a sort of –“
他们互相咧嘴笑笑，记起了第一天的魅力。拉尔夫继续说道：“因此咱们需要拿窝棚作为一种——”
He paused for a moment, not sure if Ralph would take him seriously.
他停了一下，吃不准拉尔夫是否会拿他的话当真。
“All the same — in the forest. I mean when you’re hunting, not when you’re getting fruit, of course, but when you’re on your own –“
“在森林里反正一样。当然啰，我是指打猎的时候——不是采野果子，当你独自一个——”
“If you’re hunting sometimes you catch yourself feeling as if –” He flushed suddenly. “There’s nothing in it of course. Just a feeling. But you can feel as if you’re not hunting, but — being hunted, as if something’s behind you all the time in the jungle.”
“打猎的时候，有时你自己会感到就像——”他忽然脸红了。“当然其实也没啥。只是一种感觉。但是你会感到好像不是你在打猎，而是——你在被谁猎捕；在丛林里好像有什么东西一直在跟着你。”
“Only I know how they feel. See? That’s all.”
“只有我知道他们是怎样感觉的。是不是？就那么回事。”
“The best thing we can do is get ourselves rescued.”
“咱们所能干的最好事情，就是使自己得救。”
Jack leapt to his feet and spoke very quickly.
杰克跳了起来，急匆匆地说道：
Jack drew up his legs, clasped his knees, and frowned in an effort to attain clarity.
杰克收拢双腿，抱着膝盖，皱眉皱额地尽量想把话讲清楚。
He took a few rapid steps toward the beach, then came back.
他快步朝海滩跑了几步，随后又折回来。
“Go on.”
“说下去。”
“That’s how you can feel in the forest. Of course there’s nothing in it. Only — only –“
“在森林里你就会有那样的感觉。当然其实也没啥。只有——只有——”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“唷，我倒不晓得呢。”
“Home.”
“住所。”
“That’s right.”
“不错。”
They were silent again: Simon intent, Ralph incredulous and faintly indignant. He sat up, rubbing one shoulder with a dirty hand.
他们又不吭声了：西蒙听得入了神，拉尔夫不很相信，并且有点光火。他端坐起来，用一只脏手擦着一个肩膀。
“Miles.”
“几英里。”
The bottom part of the trickle, as though conscious of their gaze, thickened to a creamy blur which crept up the feeble column.
白烟的底部仿佛觉察到了他们的目光，逐渐变成浓浓的一团，慢慢上升，并入上面那条细小的烟柱。
“Rescue? Yes, of course! All the same, I’d like to catch a pig first –” He snatched up his spear and dashed it into the ground. The opaque, mad look came into his eyes again. Ralph looked at him critically through his tangle of fair hair.
“得救？对对，当然啰！不过全一样，我倒是想先逮头野猪——”他抓起长矛，猛戳进泥地。一种意思不很明确而又狂野的神色又出现在他的眼睛里。拉尔夫的目光穿过自己的一绺金发，挑剔地看着他。
“They’ve put on green branches,” muttered Ralph. “I wonder!” He screwed up his eyes and swung round to search the horizon.
“我估计他们加了青树枝，”拉尔夫喃喃自语。他眯起眼睛，转过身去朝海平线方向寻找着。
“I wonder how far off you could see that.”
“不知道在多远才能看得见这烟。”
Jack had to think for a moment before he could remember what rescue was.
杰克不得不想一想，才总算记起了“得救”是怎么回事。
Jack shouted so loudly that Ralph jumped.
杰克叫得这么响，倒把拉尔夫吓了一跳。
“You and your fire!”
“你呀！你的火呀！”
“We don’t make enough smoke.”
“咱们的烟生得不够浓。”
“So long as your hunters remember the fire –“
“只要你的猎手记得住要生火——”
The two boys trotted down the beach, and, turning at the water’s edge, looked back at the pink mountain. The trickle of smoke sketched a chalky line up the solid blue of the sky, wavered high up and faded. Ralph frowned.
两个男孩快步走下海滩，在海水边上回顾着粉红色的山。蔚蓝色的晴空画上了一缕白烟，冉冉上升，慢慢消失。拉尔夫皱起眉头。
“What? Where? Is it a ship?”
“什么？在哪儿？是条船吗？”
“Got it!”
“找到啦！”
“I was working too –“
“我也在干活——”
“But you like it!” shouted Ralph. “You want to hunt! While I –“
“可你喜欢那种活！”拉尔夫叫喊道。“你要打猎！而我——”
Indignation took away Ralph’s control.
拉尔夫熬不住了，他气呼呼地说：
“But we want meat!”
“可咱们需要肉呢！”
“Of course! They’ll lie up there — they must, when the sun’s too hot –“
“自然啦！它们全躺在那上面——它们准这样，当阳光太热时——”
They faced each other on the bright beach, astonished at the rub of feeling. Ralph looked away first, pretending interest in a group of littluns on the sand. From beyond the platform came the shouting of the hunters in the swimming pool. On the end of the platform, Piggy was lying flat, looking down into the brilliant water.
在明亮的海滩上他们对视着，为感情的龃龉而吃惊。拉尔夫先侧眼看向一边，装着对沙滩上一群小家伙们感兴趣的样子。从平台外孩子们游泳的水潭里传来了一阵阵猎手的嬉闹声。猪崽子平躺在平台的一端，俯视着五光十色的海水。
“And I work all day with nothing but Simon and you come back and don’t even notice the huts!”
“我跟西蒙一个人干了一整天活，可你回来甚至连茅屋都没注意到！”
“We could steal up on one — paint our faces so they wouldn’t see — perhaps surround them and then –“
“我们可以悄悄地接近一头——我们把脸涂黑了，那猪群就认不出来——也许能围住它们，然后——”
“I was talking about smoke! Don’t you want to be rescued? All you can talk about is pig, pig, pig!”
“我在谈烟呢！你不想要得救了？你只会说猪呀、猪呀、猪呀！”
“I thought you saw a ship!”
“我还以为你看到一只船呢！”
But Jack was pointing to the high declivities that led down from the mountain to the flatter part of the island.
但是杰克却指着从山头向岛的稍平坦部分蜿蜒而下的高斜坡。
“– they get up high. High up and in the shade, resting during the heat, like cows at home –“
“——野猪爬上了高坡。到了那高处，太阳晒不到的地方，正在暑热之中休息呢，真像老家的母牛——”
Ralph gazed bewildered at his rapt face.
拉尔夫迷惑地注视着杰克全神贯注的脸色。
“All the rest rushed off. He’s done as much as I have. Only –“
“其他的全都跑开了。西蒙干的跟我一样多。只有——”
“But the sun’s nearly set!”
“可是太阳快落山了！”
They walked along, two continents of experience and feeling, unable to communicate.
他们俩一块儿朝前走着，却如陌路相逢，感受和感情都无法交流。
“I might have time –“
“也许还有时间——”
But when they reached the shelters Simon was not to be seen. Ralph put his head in the hole, withdrew it, and turned to Jack.
可当他们走到窝棚，西蒙却不见了。拉尔夫把头伸进那空洞里，又缩回来，转脸向杰克说：
“Simon’s always about.”
“西蒙总在附近。”
Ralph stared back to the shelters with Jack by his side.
拉尔夫开始往窝棚走去，杰克在他身旁跟着。
“He’s queer. He’s funny.”
“他真是又古怪又好笑。”
He wanted to explain how people were never quite what you thought they were.
他想要进一步解释，人们怎么从来就跟你所想的不一样。
“Got fed up,” said Jack, “and gone for a bathe.”
“腻了罢，”杰克说，“准去洗澡了。”
“People don’t help much.”
“这些人都帮不了多大忙。”
“He’s buzzed off.”
“他一溜烟走了。”
“Don’t bother.”
“别费心啦。”
Ralph frowned.
拉尔夫皱皱眉头。
Jack nodded, as much for the sake of agreeing as anything, and by tacit consent they left the shelter and went toward the bathing pool.
杰克点点头，要是拉尔夫随便说些什么别的，他也会同意的；两人不再讲话，一同离开了窝棚，朝洗澡的水潭走去。
“And then,” said Jack, “when I’ve had a bathe and something to eat, I’ll just trek over to the other side of the mountain and see if I can see any traces. Coming?”
“洗完澡以后，”杰克说道，“我再吃点东西，就翻到山那边去看看能不能找到踪迹。你去不去？”
“Simon. He helps.” He pointed at the shelters.
“西蒙。他很帮忙。”他指指窝棚。
“Do a bit for you,” muttered Jack, “before I have a bathe.”
“替你干一点吧，”杰克喃喃而语，“干完了我洗个澡。”
“I’ll come back and go on with the shelter.”
“我要回去继续搭窝棚。”
“If I could only get a pig!”
“要是能搞到一头猪该多好！”
They looked at each other, baffled, in love and hate. All the warm salt water of the bathing pool and the shouting and splashing and laughing were only just sufficient to bring them together again.
他们困惑地互相瞅瞅，爱恨交加。洗澡水潭暖洋洋的咸水、嬉闹声、泼水声和欢笑声，这所有的一切刚刚足以把他们俩再连在一起。
Simon was not in the bathing pool as they had expected.
拉尔夫和杰克本指望在洗澡水潭找到西蒙，可西蒙并不在那里。
When the other two had trotted down the beach to look back at the mountain he had followed them for a few yards and then stopped. He had stood frowing down at a pile of sand on the beach where somebody had been trying to build a little house or hut. Then he turned his back on this and walked into the forest with an air of purpose. He was a small, skinny boy, his chin pointed, and his eyes so bright they had deceived Ralph into thinking him delightfully gay and wicked. The coarse mop of black hair was long and swung down, almost concealing a low, broad forehead. He wore the remains of shorts and his feet were bare like Jack’s. Always darkish in color, Simon was burned by the sun to a deep tan that glistened with sweat.
原来当他们小步跑下海滩回头去望山头那阵子，西蒙原也跟在后面跑了一段路，后来他停住了，看见海滩上有一些孩子想在一个沙堆旁边搭一个小房子或者说是小茅屋，他皱皱眉头，随后转身离去，好像带着某种目的走进了森林。西蒙是个瘦骨嶙峋的小个子，下巴突出，眼睛倒很有神采，使得拉尔夫误以为他又快活可爱又顽皮淘气。西蒙乱糟糟的粗黑的长头发披散而下，几乎遮没了他那又低又阔的前额。他穿着破烂的短裤，像杰克那样光着脚丫子，本是黝黑的皮肤被阳光晒成深褐色，跟汗珠一起一闪一亮。
He picked his way up the scar, passed the great rock where Ralph had climbed on the first morning, then turned off to his right among the trees. He walked with an accustomed tread through the acres of fruit trees, where the least energetic could find an easy if unsatisfying meal. Flower and fruit grew together on the same tree and everywhere was the scent of ripeness and the booming of a million bees at pasture. Here the littluns who had run after him caught up with him. They talked, cried out unintelligibly, lugged him toward the trees. Then, amid the roar of bees in the afternoon sunlight, Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach, pulled off the choicest from up in the foliage, passed them back down to the endless, outstretched hands. When he had satisfied them he paused and looked round. The littluns watched him inscrutably over double handfuls of ripe fruit.
他择路爬上孤岩，翻过第一天清晨拉尔夫曾爬过的那块大岩石，然后朝右折进树林子。他踏着熟悉的小道穿过成片的野果树，那儿不费力气就可找到吃的，虽然并不尽如人意。同一棵树上又长花儿又长果子，到处都是野果成熟的香味和草地上无数蜜蜂的嗡嗡声。本来在他身后跟着跑的小家伙们，在这儿追上了他。他们七嘴八舌地簇拥着他朝野果树走去，嘴里不知道在叫点什么。接着，在下午的阳光下，在蜜蜂的嗡嗡声中，西蒙为小家伙们找到了他们够不着的野果，他把簇叶高处最好的摘下来，向下丢到许许多多向前伸出的手里。满足了小家伙们以后，他停了停，四下张望一番。小家伙们双手满捧着熟透的野果，莫名其妙地望着他。
Simon turned away from them and went where the just perceptible path led him. Soon high jungle closed in. Tall trunks bore unexpected pale flowers all the way up to the dark canopy where life went on clamorously. The air here was dark too, and the creepers dropped their ropes like the rigging of foundered ships. His feet left prints in the soft soil and the creepers shivered throughout their lengths when he bumped them.
西蒙转身离开了他们，沿着勉强辨认得出的小路走去。不久他就进入了高高的丛林之中。高大的树身上满是意想之外的淡雅的花朵，一直长到密不透光的树叶形成了华盖，树林里的小动物在那上面喧闹。这儿的空间也是黑洞洞的，藤蔓垂下了无数的枝条，就像从沉没的船上垂下的索具。柔软的泥土里留下了西蒙的脚印；而当他一碰到藤蔓，它们就从上到下整个儿颤动起来。
He came at last to a place where more sunshine fell. Since they had not so far to go for light the creepers had woven a great mat that hung at the side of an open space in the jungle; for here a patch of rock came close to the surface and would not allow more than little plants and ferns to grow. The whole space was walled with dark aromatic bushes, and was a bowl of heat and light. A great tree, fallen across one corner, leaned against the trees that still stood and a rapid climber flaunted red and yellow sprays right to the top.
他终于来到了一个阳光更充裕的地方。这儿的藤蔓用不着长得太远就能照到阳光，它们平织成一块大“毯子”，悬挂在丛林中一块空地的一侧；在这儿，有一方岩石压着地面，只有小树苗和凤尾草才能稍稍生长。整个空地的周围都是芳香扑鼻的深色矮灌木丛，就像一个满装着暑热和阳光的碗钵。一棵参天的大树倾倒在这空地的一角，靠在亭亭直立的树木上，一种生长迅速的攀缘植物一直爬到了大树顶上，随风摇曳着它那红色和黄色的小树枝。
Simon paused. He looked over his shoulder as Jack had done at the close ways behind him and glanced swiftly round to confirm that he was utterly alone. For a moment his movements were almost furtive. Then he bent down and wormed his way into the center of the mat. The creepers and the bushes were so close that he left his sweat on them and they pulled together behind him. When he was secure in the middle he was in a little cabin screened off from the open space by a few leaves. He squatted down, parted the leaves and looked out into the clearing. Nothing moved but a pair of gaudy butterflies that danced round each other in the hot air. Holding his breath he cocked a critical ear at the sounds of the island. Evening was advancing toward the island; the sounds of the bright fantastic birds, the bee-sounds, even the crying of the gulls that were returning to their roosts among the square rocks, were fainter. The deep sea breaking miles away on the reef made an undertone less perceptible than the susurration of the blood.
西蒙停住脚。他像杰克所做过的那样，扭头看看靠近身后的地方，迅速地瞥了瞥四周，肯定周围没有别人。刹那间他几乎是在鬼鬼祟祟地行动。随后他弯下腰扭动着身子往那“毯子”当中钻了进去。藤蔓和矮灌木丛长得如此稠密，西蒙往前挤着，汗水都被刮到枝条上；他身子刚一过去，身后的枝条就又合拢了。他终于安然地到达了正中，到了一个叶子稀疏、又跟林中空地隔开的小角里。他蹲下来，分开树叶，朝外窥测着空地。热烘烘的空中只有一对华丽的花蝴蝶在上下扑飞，别的什么也没有。他竖起警觉的耳朵，屏气静息地倾听着岛上的各种声音。夜幕正在降落；毛色艳丽的怪鸟的啁啾声，蜜蜂的嗡嗡声，正在飞回到筑在方岩石上窝巢的海鸥的哑哑声，都变得越来越轻。几英里之外，深沉的海水撞击着礁石，发出低微的声音，轻得简直令人难以觉察。
Now the sunlight had lifted clear of the open space and withdrawn from the sky. Darkness poured out, submerging the ways between the trees till they were dim and strange as the bottom of the sea. The candle-buds opened their wide white flowers glimmering under the light that pricked down from the first stars. Their scent spilled out into the air and took possession of the island.
此刻阳光已经高得完全照不到空地，并渐渐地从空中褪去。夜色倾泻开来，淹没了林间的通道，使它们变得像海底那样昏暗而陌生。初升的群星投下了清光，星光下，无数蜡烛似的花蕾怒放出一朵朵大白花微微闪烁，幽香弥漫，慢慢地笼罩了整个海岛。
Simon dropped the screen of leaves back into place. The slope of the bars of honey-colored sunlight decreased; they slid up the bushes, passed over the green candle-like buds, moved up toward the canopy, and darkness thickened under the trees. With the fading of the light the riotous colors died and the heat and urgency cooled away. The candlebuds stirred. Their green sepals drew back a little and the white tips of the flowers rose delicately to meet the open air.
西蒙一松手，原先像形成屏幕似的枝叶又回复原位。倾斜的淡黄色阳光渐渐减弱；阳光擦上矮灌木丛，抹过像蜡烛似的绿色花蕾，朝树冠上移去，树木下面的夜色更浓了。缤纷的色彩随着光的隐去而一起消失；暑热和急切的心情顿时也冷了下来。蜡烛似的花蕾微微地颤动着。绿色的萼片稍稍收缩，乳白色的花尖雅致地向上迎接开阔的夜空。
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