13 The end of the gang
13 团伙的覆灭
The sun burst upon the crowded city in all its brightness. It lit up every corner of London, the great houses of the rich, and the miserable homes of the poor. It shone everywhere, even into the room where the murdered woman lay. The horror of that scene was even more dreadful in the clear morning light.
阳光灿烂地照耀着拥挤的城市，照亮了伦敦的每一个角落，无论是富人的豪宅还是穷人的陋室。阳光无处不在，甚至照进了那个被害女子陈尸的房间。在清晨明亮的光线下，那场景显得更加恐怖骇人。
Sikes sat there, unable to move, looking at the body. He had thrown the blood-covered stick into the fire, then washed himself and his clothes. He had cut out the bits of his clothes that were stained and burnt them too, but there were still bloodstains all over the floor. Even the dog’s feet were bloody.
赛克斯坐在那里，动弹不得，死死盯着尸体。他已经把沾满血的棍子扔进火里烧了，又清洗了自己和衣服。他把衣服上染血的部分剪下来也烧掉了，但地板上仍然到处都是血迹，甚至连狗的脚上也沾满了血。
Finally, he forced himself to leave the room, pulling the dog out with him and locking the door behind him. He walked rapidly north, towards Highgate, then on to Hampstead. On the open land of Hampstead Heath, away from people and houses, he found a place in a field where he could sleep without being disturbed.
最后，他强迫自己离开房间，把狗拖了出去并锁上了门。他快步向北走去，先到了海格特，接着又去了汉普斯特德。在远离人群和房屋的汉普斯特德荒野上，他在田野里找了个地方，以为可以不受打扰地睡一觉。
But before long he was up again and running. This time he ran back towards London for a while. Then he turned and went north again, sometimes walking, sometimes running, with no clear purpose in his mind. Eventually, he felt hungry, and changed direction towards Hendon, a quiet place away from the crowds, where he could buy food. But even the children and chickens there seemed to look at him with suspicion. So he turned back towards Hampstead Heath again, without having eaten, uncertain where to go.
但没过多久他又爬起来开始奔跑。这一次他朝伦敦方向跑了一会儿，然后又转身再次向北，时而走时而跑，脑子里毫无明确的目的。后来他觉得饿了，便转向亨登，那是个远离人群的安静地方，他想在那儿买点吃的。但就连那里的孩子和小鸡似乎都用怀疑的眼光看着他。于是他没吃上东西又折回汉普斯特德荒野，不知该何去何从。
At last he turned north again, his dog still running at his heels, and set off to a village just outside London. He stopped at a small, quiet pub and bought a meal, then went on again. It was now dark and as he continued walking, he felt as if Nancy were following him, her shadow on the road, her last low cry in the wind. If he stopped, the ghostly figure did the same. If he ran, it ran too, moving stiffly, like a corpse. Sometimes he turned, determined to drive the ghost away, but his blood ran cold with terror. Every time he turned, the ghost turned too, and was still behind him.
最终他再次向北走去，狗紧跟在他身后，他出发前往伦敦郊外的一个村庄。他在一家安静的小酒馆停下买了顿饭，然后继续赶路。天已经黑了，随着他继续前行，他感觉南希仿佛一直跟着他，路上有她的影子，风中有她临终前低沉的哭喊声。他一停下，那个鬼魅般的身影也随之停下；他一跑，它也跑，动作僵硬得像具尸体。有时他猛地转身，决心驱走这鬼魂，却吓得血液凝固。每次转身，那鬼魂也都转过身来，依然跟在他身后。
Finally, he found another field where he could hide. He lay down, unable to sleep, his mind filled with visions of the dead girl. Her wide, dead eyes stared at him, watching him through a curtain of blood.
最后，他又找了一片田野藏身。他躺了下来却无法入睡，脑海中全是死去女孩的景象。她那睁大的死眼盯着他，透过一层血幕注视着他。
Suddenly he heard shouting in the distance. He jumped to his feet and saw that the sky seemed on fire. Sheets of flame shot into the air, driving clouds of smoke in his direction. He heard an alarm bell, and more shouts of ‘Fire!’ Running with his dog across the fields, he joined the crowds of men and women fighting the fire. He could forget his own terror in this new danger, and he worked all night with the crowd, shouting, running and working together to stop the flames destroying more buildings.
突然，他听到远处传来喊叫声。他跳起来一看，只见天空仿佛着了火一般。大片火焰冲天而起，滚滚浓烟向他这边飘来。他听到了警报铃声，还有更多人喊着“着火了！”他带着狗穿过田野跑去，加入了救火的人群中。在这场新的危险中，他暂时忘却了自己的恐惧，整夜和人群一起呐喊、奔跑、奋力扑救，阻止大火吞噬更多的建筑。
In the morning the mad excitement was over, and the dreadful memory of his crime returned — more terrifying than ever. In desperation, he decided to go back to London.
到了早上，那种疯狂的亢奋结束了，犯罪的可怕记忆重新涌上心头——比以往任何时候都更加恐怖。绝望之中，他决定返回伦敦。
‘At least there’ll be somebody I can speak to,’ he thought to himself. ‘And it’s a better hiding-place than out here in the country. I’ll hide there for a week, get some money out of Fagin, then escape to France.’
“至少那儿还有能说得上话的人，”他暗自思忖，“而且城里比这乡下更容易藏身。我在那儿躲一个星期，从费金那儿弄点钱，然后逃到法国去。”
Suddenly he remembered the dog — people would be looking for his dog as well as himself. He decided to drown the animal. But the dog smelt the man’s fear, and turned and ran away from him faster than it had ever run in its life.
突然他想起了那条狗——人们不仅会搜捕他，也会找他的狗。他决定把狗淹死。但这狗嗅出了主人的恐惧，转身就跑，跑得比它这辈子任何时候都快。
‘You have a choice, Mr Monks,’ said Mr Brownlow.
“蒙克斯先生，你有两个选择，”布朗洛先生说。
‘You have been kidnapped and brought here to my house. You can either tell me what I want to know, or I’ll have you arrested, instantly, for fraud and robbery. It’s your choice. And you must decide now. At once.’
“你被绑架带到了我家。你要么告诉我想知道的事，要么我就立刻以欺诈和抢劫罪逮捕你。你自己选吧。你必须现在就做决定，马上。”
Monks hesitated and looked at the old man, but Mr Brownlow’s expression is so serious and determined that the younger man realized it was pointless to protest. ‘I didn’t expect this treatment from my father’s oldest friend,’ said Monks angrily, sitting down with a frown on his face.
蒙克斯犹豫了一下，看着这位老人，但布朗洛先生的神情如此严肃坚定，让这个年轻人意识到抗议是徒劳的。“没想到我父亲最老的朋友会这样对我，”蒙克斯愤怒地说，皱着眉头坐了下来。
‘Yes, I was your father’s oldest friend,’ said Mr Brownlow. ‘And I know all about you — how your father, while still a boy, was forced by his family into an unhappy marriage with an older woman, and how you were the result of that marriage. I also know that your parents separated, hating each other by the end.’
“是的，我是你父亲最老的朋友，”布朗洛先生说，“我也知道你的所有底细——你父亲还是个少年时就被家族逼迫与一个年长的女人结了婚，那段婚姻并不幸福，而你就是那段婚姻的产物。我还知道你父母后来分居了，到最后彼此憎恨。”
‘Well — what’s so important about that?’
“好吧——那又怎样？有什么要紧的？”
‘When they’d been separated for ten years,’ said Mr Brownlow, ‘your father met another family. There were two daughters, one nineteen years old and the other only two or three. Your father became engaged to the older daughter. At this point one of his rich relations died and left him a lot of money in his will. Your father had to travel to Italy to receive his inheritance, and while there, he became ill and died. Your mother, who was living with you in Paris, immediately rushed to Italy when she heard the news. As your father had made no will of his own, all the relation’s money came to you and her.’
“当他们分居十年后，”布朗洛先生说，“你父亲遇到了另一个家庭。那家有两个女儿，一个十九岁，另一个只有两三岁。你父亲和大女儿订了婚。就在这时，他的一位富有的亲戚去世了，在遗嘱中留给他一大笔钱。你父亲不得不去意大利继承遗产，却在那里生病去世了。当时和你住在巴黎的母亲一听到消息就立刻赶往意大利。由于你父亲自己没有立遗嘱，那位亲戚留下的所有钱财就归了你和你母亲。”
Monks listened with close attention, biting his lip and staring at the floor.
蒙克斯全神贯注地听着，咬着嘴唇，盯着地板。
‘Before your father went to receive that money, he came to see me,’ continued Mr Brownlow slowly, his eyes fixed on Monks’ face.
“在你父亲去领取那笔钱之前，他来见过我，”布朗洛先生缓缓说道，目光紧盯着蒙克斯的脸。
‘I never heard that before,’ said Monks, looking up suddenly, a suspicious expression on his face.
“我以前从没听说过这事，”蒙克斯说着突然抬起头，脸上露出怀疑的神色。
‘He left me a picture of the poor girl he wanted to marry. He talked wildly about shame and guilt, and how he would give part of the money he’d inherited to his wife and to you, and use the rest to escape from England with the girl he loved. He refused to tell me any more details.’
“他留下了那个他想娶的可怜女孩的画像给我。他激动地谈到羞耻和愧疚，说要把继承的一部分钱分给妻子和你，剩下的钱则用来和他心爱的女孩逃离英国。但他拒绝告诉我更多细节。”
Monks breathed more easily, and even smiled.
蒙克斯呼吸顺畅了些，甚至还笑了笑。
‘But,’ said Mr Brownlow, pulling his chair nearer to the other man, ‘by chance I was able to rescue your brother Oliver from a life of misery and —’
“但是，”布朗洛先生说着把椅子拉近了些，“我偶然救出了你的弟弟奥利弗，使他脱离了苦海，而且——”
‘What!’ cried Monks.
“什么！”蒙克斯叫道。
Mr Brownlow continued without a pause. ‘And when he was recovering from his sickness here in my house, I noticed how similar he looked to the girl’s face in the picture. But he was taken away before I could discover his history — as you know very well.’
布朗洛先生没有停顿继续说道：“当他在我家养病康复期间，我注意到他的长相和画中女孩的面容非常相似。但我还没来得及查明他的身世，他就被带走了——这一点你心里很清楚。”
‘You can’t prove anything!’ said Monks.
“你什么都证明不了！”蒙克斯说。
‘I can. I heard that you were in West Indies. I went there to try and find you to see if you knew anything about Oliver, but you’d already left. I returned to London, and was unable to find you until two hours ago.’
“我能。我听说你在西印度群岛，就去那里找你，想看看你是否知道奥利弗的事，但你已经离开了。我回到伦敦，直到两小时前才找到你。”
‘And now what? You can’t prove that Oliver’s my brother.’ Monks smiled unpleasantly.
“那现在又怎样？你无法证明奥利弗是我弟弟。”蒙克斯令人厌恶地笑道。
‘I couldn’t before,’ said Mr Brownlow, standing up. ‘But now I can. There was a will, but your mother destroyed it. This will mentioned a child that would be born later; this was Oliver, the child you met later by accident. You noticed his resemblance to your father and you became suspicious. You then went back to his birthplace, found proof of his birth and the fact that he’s your half-brother, and destroyed that proof.’
“以前我不能，”布朗洛先生站起身来说道，“但现在我可以了。确实有一份遗嘱，但被你母亲销毁了。那份遗嘱提到了一个后来出生的孩子，那就是奥利弗，也就是你后来偶然遇到的那个孩子。你注意到他长得像你父亲，便起了疑心。于是你回到他的出生地，找到了他的出生证明以及他是你同父异母弟弟的证据，然后将这些证据全部销毁了。”
Monks sat in silence, his eyes filled with fear.
蒙克斯沉默地坐着，眼中充满了恐惧。
‘Yes,’ continued Mr Brownlow fiercely, ‘shadows on the wall have caught your whispers with Fagin, and brought them to my ear. For the sake of that innocent child, whom you wanted to destroy. And now murder had been done, and you are as guilty of that as if you had struck the blow yourself!’
“没错，”布朗洛先生严厉地继续说道，“墙上的影子捕捉到了你和费金的窃窃私语，传到了我的耳朵里。为了那个你想毁掉的无辜孩子。如今发生了谋杀案，即便不是你亲手所为，你也同样罪责难逃！”
‘No, no,’ said Monks quickly. ‘I knew nothing of that. Nothing at all.’ He was silent for a while, realizing how much was known about him. Hatred and fear fought inside him, but he was a coward at heart. At last, seeing no escape, he raised his head. ‘I will admit everything — in front of witnesses, if necessary.’
“不，不，”蒙克斯急忙说道，“我对那件事一无所知。完全不知道。”他沉默了一会儿，意识到对方掌握了多少关于他的事。仇恨与恐惧在他内心交战，但他骨子里是个懦夫。最终，眼见无路可逃，他抬起头来。“我全都承认——如果有必要，当着证人的面也可以。”
Mr Brownlow nodded coldly. ‘I will prepare a document for you to sign. You must give Oliver what is really his, and then you can go where you please.’
布朗洛先生冷冷地点了点头。“我会准备一份文件让你签字。你必须把本该属于奥利弗的东西还给他，之后你想去哪儿都行。”
At that moment Dr Losberne rushed into the room. ‘The murderer will be taken tonight! His dog’s been found.’
就在这时，洛斯伯恩医生冲进房间。“凶手今晚就会被抓获！他的狗已经被找到了。”
‘And Fagin?’ asked Mr Brownlow.
“那费金呢？”布朗洛先生问。
‘They’re sure of him. They may have him already.’
“肯定跑不了他。说不定已经抓到了。”
Mr Brownlow turned back to Monks. ‘Have you made up your mind?’
布朗洛先生转回身看向蒙克斯：“你下定决心了吗？”
‘Yes,’ replied Monks. ‘And you promise — it’ll remain a secret? No police, or charges of fraud against me?’
“是的，”蒙克斯回答，“你保证——这件事会保密？不会有警察，也不会起诉我欺诈？”
‘Yes,’ said Mr Brownlow. ‘You have my promise. For now, you must remain here, locked in this room. I will come for you tomorrow evening and take you to sign a confession in front of witnesses.’
“是的，”布朗洛先生说，“我向你保证。但目前你必须待在这里，锁在这个房间里。明天晚上我会来接你，带你去当着证人的面签署认罪书。”
Mr Brownlow then left the room with the doctor, and they eagerly discussed the news of the hunt for the criminals. ‘My blood boils with anger,’ said Mr Brownlow. ‘This poor murdered girl must be revenged. You stay here and guard Monks. I’ll go out and get the latest news.’
随后布朗洛先生和医生离开了房间，急切地讨论着追捕罪犯的消息。“我怒火中烧，”布朗洛先生说，“必须为这个可怜的被害女孩报仇。你留在这里看守蒙克斯，我出去打听最新消息。”
The two men parted, each in a fever of excitement.
两人分头行动，各自都处于极度兴奋之中。
Down by the river Thames was a district called Rotherhithe, one of the dirtiest and roughest places in London. The houses next to the river had no owners; they were broken down and ruined, but could be defended against attack. In an upper room of one of these houses, were three members of Fagin’s gang.
泰晤士河畔有个叫罗瑟希特的地方，是伦敦最肮脏、最混乱的区域之一。河边的房子没有主人，虽然破败不堪，但却易于防守。在其中一栋房子的楼上房间里，藏着费金团伙的三个成员。
‘When was Fagin taken, then?’ asked the man called Toby.
“费金是什么时候被抓的？”托比问道。
‘Two o’clock this afternoon. Charley and I escaped up the chimney, but Noah was caught. Bet went to see Nancy and when she saw the body, she started screaming and wouldn’t stop. She’s been taken to hospital.’
“今天下午两点。查理和我从烟囱逃走了，但诺亚被抓了。贝特去看南希，看到尸体后就开始尖叫个不停，已经被送去医院了。”
‘What’s happened to Charley Bates?’
“查理·贝茨怎么样了？”
‘He’ll come here when it’s dark. It’s too dangerous now.’
“天黑后他会来这里。现在太危险了。”
‘We’re in trouble,’ said Toby. ‘Fagin’s going to hang — that’s certain.’
“我们麻烦大了，”托比说，“费金肯定要被绞死了。”
‘You should have seen him when he was caught,’ said another robber. ‘The police carried him through the crowd while all the people jumped at him, screaming and trying to attack him.’
“你真该看看他被抓时的样子，”另一个强盗说，“警察架着他穿过人群，所有人都扑向他，尖叫着想要攻击他。”
Suddenly Sikes’ dog ran into the room. All the robbers rushed out immediately to look for Sikes, but there was no sign of him. They returned to the upstairs room.
突然，赛克斯的狗跑进了房间。所有的强盗立刻冲出去寻找赛克斯，却没发现他的踪影。他们回到了楼上的房间。
‘I hope he’s not coming here,’ said Toby.
“希望他不会来这里，”托比说。
‘The dog’s come a long way,’ said another man. ‘Covered in mud, and tired out.’
“这狗跑了很远的路，”另一个人说，“浑身是泥，累坏了。”
They sat there in silence, wondering where Sikes was. It was already dark when they heard a sudden, hurried knock at the door downstairs.
他们默默地坐着，琢磨着赛克斯在哪儿。天已经黑了，这时他们听到楼下门口突然传来急促的敲门声。
Toby went to the window to look down, then pulled his head back in, his face pale with fear. There was no need to tell the others who it was.
托比走到窗边往下看，然后把头缩了回来，脸色吓得煞白。不用告诉其他人是谁来了。
‘We must let him in,’ said Toby, although none of them wanted to see him. Toby went down to the door and returned, followed by Sikes. White-faced, with a three-day-old beard, hollow cheeks and staring eyes, Sikes looked like a ghost. No one said a word.
“我们必须让他进来，”托比说，尽管谁也不想见他。托比下楼开门回来，后面跟着赛克斯。赛克斯面色惨白，留着三天没刮的胡子，双颊凹陷，两眼发直，活像个鬼魂。没人说一句话。
‘Nothing to say to me?’ Sikes asked.
“没什么要对我说的吗？”赛克斯问。
The only answer was a low shout of many voices from outside in the distance, coming closer. Lights appeared. Looking out, Sikes saw a stream of people crossing the bridge towards them. Then there was a loud knocking on the door and more shouts from the crowd.
唯一的回应是远处外面传来许多人低沉的喊声，越来越近。灯光亮了起来。赛克斯向外望去，看见如潮水般的人群正过桥向他们涌来。接着便是猛烈的敲门声和人群更大的呼喊声。
‘The doors are made of metal and they’re locked and chained,’ said Toby. The three robbers watched Sikes nervously, as if he were a wild animal.
“门是金属做的，已经锁好并用链子拴住了，”托比说。三个强盗紧张地盯着赛克斯，仿佛他是一头野兽。
‘Bring a ladder!’ shouted some of the crowd below.
“拿梯子来！”下面的人群中有人喊道。
‘Give me a rope, quick,’ Sikes said to the others. ‘I’ll go the other way, climb down the back and escape over the river. Get me a rope — now! Or I’ll do three more murders!’
“快给我一根绳子，”赛克斯对其他人说，“我从另一边下去，从后面爬下屋顶过河逃跑。给我绳子——快点！不然我就再杀三个人！”
A minute later, Sikes appeared on the roof and the shouts from the crowd below swelled to a great roar. Then the front door was smashed down and people streamed into the house. Sikes quickly tied the rope around the chimney, then began to tie the other end around himself, ready to lower himself to the ground behind the house. But just as he put the rope over his head, he screamed in terror and threw his arms above his head. He staggered back, slipped and fell over the edge of the roof. As he fell, the rope tightened around his neck with a horrible jerk. In a second the murderer was dead, and there he hung, his body swinging gently from side to side. The dog, which had followed its master onto the roof, jumped down towards the lifeless body, missed, and fell dead on the stones below.
一分钟后，赛克斯出现在屋顶上，下面人群的喊声汇聚成了巨大的咆哮声。紧接着前门被砸开，人们涌入屋内。赛克斯迅速把绳子系在烟囱上，然后开始把另一端绑在自己身上，准备从屋后降到地面。但就在他把绳圈套过头顶的瞬间，他惊恐地尖叫一声，双手高举过头。他向后踉跄一步，脚下一滑，从屋顶边缘跌落下去。坠落时，绳子猛地勒紧了他的脖子。顷刻间，这个杀人犯就断了气，悬吊在那里，尸体轻轻地左右摇晃。那条跟着主人爬上屋顶的狗纵身跳向那具毫无生气的尸体，却没能抓住，摔死在下方的石地上。
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