“That’s them,” said Piggy. “They blinded me. See? That’s Jack Merridew. You call an assembly, Ralph, we got to decide what to do.”
“是他们，”猪崽子说。“他们把我弄得像个瞎子。看见没有？那就是杰克·梅瑞狄。拉尔夫，你召开个大会，咱们必须决定怎么办。”
Rage shrilled his voice.
由于愤怒，他的声音尖起来。
Ralph brought his face within a couple of feet of Piggy’s.
拉尔夫把脸挪到离猪崽子的脸约两英尺的距离。
Ralph allowed the swollen flap of his cheek to close his eye again.
拉尔夫把肿起的脸颊凑近猪崽子的眼睛。
“Can you see me?”
“你看得见我吗？”
“No use.”
“没用呀。”
“A bit.”
“看得见一点。”
“‘Course it’s no use, Ralph. Now we got no fire.”
“当然没用，拉尔夫。这下咱们可没火了。”
Eric looked down at him through a mask of dried blood. Piggy peered in the general direction of Ralph.
埃里克脸上血迹干了，活像个假面具，他好像透过假面具俯看着拉尔夫。猪崽子朝大概是拉尔夫的方向凝视着。
In the short chill of dawn the four boys gathered round the black smudge where the fire had been, while Ralph knelt and blew. Grey, feathery ashes scurried hither and thither at his breath but no spark shone among them. The twins watched anxiously and Piggy sat expressionless behind the luminous wall of his myopia. Ralph continued to blow till his ears were singing with the effort, but then the first breeze of dawn took the job off his hands and blinded him with ashes. He squatted back, swore, and rubbed water out of his eyes.
在黎明一阵短暂的寒冷中，四个孩子围聚在曾经是火堆，而现在已是黑色余烬的四周，拉尔夫跪在地上吹着。灰色的、轻微的烟尘被他吹得四处纷扬，可其中并没有火花闪现出来。双胞胎焦急地注视着，猪崽子则木然地坐着，他的眼睛近视，就像在他面前竖着一道发光的墙。拉尔夫还在使劲吹，吹得耳朵嗡嗡直响，然而，黎明的第一股微风一下子夺走了他手中的活儿，烟灰迷糊了他的眼睛。他往后蹲了蹲，边骂边擦去眼里流出的泪水。
“They’ve got our fire.”
“他们夺走了咱们的火种。”
“They stole it!”
“是他们偷走的！”
“Blow the conch,” said Piggy. “Blow as loud as you can.”
“吹海螺，”猪崽子说。“吹得尽量响点。”
The forests re-echoed; and birds lifted, crying out of the treetops, as on that first morning ages ago. Both ways the beach was deserted. Some littluns came from the shelters. Ralph sat down on the polished trunk and the three others stood before him. He nodded, and Samneric sat down on the right. Ralph pushed the conch into Piggy’s hands. He held the shining thing carefully and blinked at Ralph.
森林里回响着号音；成群的鸟儿从树梢上惊飞起来，叽喳地鸣叫着，就像很久以前的那一个早晨。海滩两头都毫无动静。一些小家伙从窝棚里走了出来。拉尔夫坐在光光的树干上，其余三个站在他面前。他点点头，萨姆埃里克就坐到他右边。拉尔夫把海螺塞到猪崽子手中。猪崽子小心翼翼地捧着闪闪发光的海螺，朝拉尔夫眨着眼睛。
“An assembly for only us?”
“就咱们这些人开大会吗？”
“It’s all we got. Sam — let me hold on to you.”
“咱们都来参加。萨姆——让我搭着你。”
“I just take the conch to say this. I can’t see no more and I got to get my glasses back. Awful things has been done on this island. I voted for you for chief. He’s the only one who ever got anything done. So now you speak, Ralph, and tell us what. Or else –“
“我拿了海螺，我要说，我啥也看不清楚，我得把眼镜找回来。这个岛上有人干了坏透的事情。我选你当头头。只有他[1]还算替大家干了点事情。拉尔夫，这下你说吧，告诉我们怎么办——，不然——”【注：[1] 指拉尔夫。】
They went toward the platform.
他们朝平台走去。
“Go on, then.”
“那就说吧。”
Piggy broke off, sniveling. Ralph took back the conch as he sat down.
猪崽子突然停止讲话，啜泣起来。他坐下去的时候，拉尔夫拿回了海螺。
“Just an ordinary fire. You’d think we could do that, wouldn’t you? Just a smoke signal so we can be rescued. Are we savages or what? Only now there’s no signal going up. Ships may be passing. Do you remember how he went hunting and the fire went out and a ship passed by? And they all think he’s best as chief. Then there was, there was… that’s his fault, too. If it hadn’t been for him it would never have happened. Now Piggy can’t see, and they came, stealing –” Ralph’s voice ran up “– at night, in darkness, and stole our fire. They stole it. We’d have given them fire if they’d asked. But they stole it and the signal’s out and we can’t ever be rescued. Don’t you see what I mean? We’d have given them fire for themselves only they stole it. I –“
“就只是一个普普通通的火堆。你们该认为咱们做得成这件事，是不是？只要有烟作为信号，咱们就能得救。咱们是野蛮人吗？还是什么别的东西？只是眼下没信号烟升到空中去了。也许有船正在过去。你们还记得那件事吗？他怎么跑去打猎，火堆怎么灭了，船怎么过去的吗？而他们却都认为他是当头领最好的料。接着又是，又是……那也全是他的过错。要不是因为他，那件事决不会发生。这下猪崽子看不见东西了，他们跑来，偷走——”拉尔夫提高了嗓门。“——在夜里，在黑暗中，偷走了咱们的火种。他们偷走了火种。要是他们讨的话咱们本也会给的。但是他们却偷，这下信号没了，咱们也无法得救了。你们明白我的意思吗？咱们会给他们火种的，可他们就是来偷。我——”
“We ought to take spears,” said Sam. “Even Piggy.”
“咱们该带着长矛，”萨姆说。“连猪崽子也要带。”
“I got the conch. I’m going to that Jack Merridew an’ tell him, I am.”
“我拿着海螺。我要去找那个杰克·梅瑞狄，去告诉他，我现在就去。”
Piggy held up the shell.
猪崽子举起了海螺。
“You haven’t got the conch!”
“你没拿到海螺！”
“– because we may need them.”
“——因为咱们或许用得着。”
“What you goin’ to do, Ralph? This is jus’ talk without deciding. I want my glasses.”
“拉尔夫，你打算怎么办？咱们光在这儿说，也不做决定。我要讨还眼镜哪。”
“You can take spears if you want but I shan’t. What’s the good? I’ll have to be led like a dog, anyhow. Yes, laugh. Go on, laugh. There’s them on this island as would laugh at anything. And what happened? What’s grownups goin’ to think? Young Simon was murdered. And there was that other kid what had a mark on his face. Who’s seen him since we first come here?”
“你们要带长矛就带吧，我可不带。有什么用处？横竖我还得像条狗似的要有人牵着。是呀，好笑。笑吧，笑吧。这个岛上他们那伙对什么东西都好笑。可结果怎么样呢？大人们会怎么想呢？小西蒙被谋害了。还有一个脸上带胎记的小孩儿。除了咱们刚到这儿那一阵子，以后还有谁看见过他呢？”
“We could smarten up a bit and then go –“
“咱们稍稍打扮一下，然后就走——”
“I’m trying to think. Supposing we go, looking like we used to, washed and hair brushed — after all we aren’t savages really and being rescued isn’t a game –“
“我正在考虑。假定咱们去，就像咱们往常那样，洗洗干净，把头发理理——说真的，咱们毕竟不是野蛮人，而得救也不是闹着玩的——”
He opened the flap of his cheek and looked at the twins.
他鼓起脸颊看着双胞胎。
“Piggy! Stop a minute!”
“猪崽子！停一停！”
He paused lamely as the curtain flickered in his brain. Piggy held out his hands for the conch.
拉尔夫话未讲完就停下来，这时他脑中晃过了一道帘幕。猪崽子伸出双手来拿海螺。
“I’m going to him with this conch in my hands. I’m going to hold it out. Look, I’m goin’ to say, you’re stronger than I am and you haven’t got asthma. You can see, I’m goin’ to say, and with both eyes. But I don’t ask for my glasses back, not as a favor. I don’t ask you to be a sport, I’ll say, not because you’re strong, but because what’s right’s right. Give me my glasses, I’m going to say — you got to!”
“我要双手捧着这只海螺去找他。我要把海螺往前一伸。我要说，瞧，你身体比我壮，你没生气喘病。我要说，你看得见东西，两只眼睛都好。可我不是来乞求眼镜的，不是来乞求开恩的。我要说，我不是来求你讲公道[2]的，不要因为你强就可以为所欲为，有理才能走遍天下。把眼镜还我，我要说——你一定得还！”【注：[2] 此处原文为sport，在口语中意谓有体育道德精神的人。】
“What can he do more than he has? I’ll tell him what’s what. You let me carry the conch, Ralph. I’ll show him the one thing he hasn’t got.”
“他做得够损了，他还能把我怎么样？我要跟他讲个明白。拉尔夫，你们让我拿着海螺。我要给他瞧瞧，有一样东西是他所没有的。”
“You’ll get hurt.”
“他们会伤害你的。”
Piggy ended, flushed and trembling. He pushed the conch quickly into Ralph’s hands as though in a hurry to be rid of it and wiped the tears from his eyes. The green light was gentle about them and the conch lay at Ralph’s feet, fragile and white. A single drop of water that had escaped Piggy’s fingers now flashed on the delicate curve like a star.
猪崽子说完这话，脸涨得通红，身体直哆嗦。他把海螺匆匆地塞到拉尔夫手中，仿佛急着要摆脱它似的，边揩擦着夺眶而出的泪水。他们四周的绿光是柔和的。易碎的、白色的海螺放在拉尔夫脚下。从猪崽子手指缝里漏出的一粒泪珠，就像一颗星星在色泽柔和的海螺曲面上一闪一亮。
Piggy paused for a moment and peered round at the dim figures. The shape of the old assembly, trodden in the grass, listened to him.
猪崽子停了片刻，注视着周围暗淡的人影。野草被踩得乱糟糟的，还像过去开大会的样子，还像有那么些人在听他演讲。
Ralph scowled at Sam. Dimly he remembered something Simon had said to him once, by the rocks.
拉尔夫怒视着萨姆。他模模糊糊想起，西蒙曾经在岩石旁跟他讲过什么话来[3]。【注：[3] 参见第七章开始部分。】
“– if he gets waxy we’ve had it –“
“——要是他发了火咱们可就——”
At last Ralph sat up straight and drew back his hair.
最后拉尔夫坐直了身子，把头发往后一捋。
“I don’t mind. I’ll be glad, Ralph, only I’ll have to be led.”
“——我随便。我很高兴，拉尔夫，只是我要有人牵着。”
“We’ll be like we were. We’ll wash –“
“咱们该像原先一样，先洗洗——”
Ralph put the conch back on the shining log.
拉尔夫把海螺放回到闪光的圆木上。
“Don’t be silly,” he said. And then he added quickly, “Let’s go.”
“别傻乎乎的，”他说。随后又很快地补了一句，“咱们就走。”
Piggy sought in his mind for words to convey his passionate willingness to carry the conch against all odds.
猪崽子想找些话来表达自己的热情，表示他非常乐意拿着海螺来对抗一切可能发生的事情。
Sam gulped down a mouthful and protested.
萨姆咽下满口野果，表示异议。
“– he won’t think much of us –“
“——他才不会看重咱们呢——”
He held out the conch to Piggy who flushed, this time with pride.
他把海螺递给猪崽子，后者脸又红了，这次洋溢着自豪的神色。
“All right. I mean — you can try if you like. We’ll go with you.”
“好吧。我说——你要这样就试试吧。我们跟你一起去。”
“When we’re ready I’ll carry it –“
“准备好了我就拿着——”
They made their way to the devastated fruit trees. Piggy was helped to his food and found some by touch. While they ate, Ralph thought of the afternoon.
他们走向被弄得乱七八糟的野果树林。猪崽子有时靠别人帮忙，有时靠自己东摸西摸找点吃的。他们吃着野果，拉尔夫想起了下午。
“We better eat and then get ready.”
“咱们最好吃点什么，再准备准备。”
“He’ll be painted,” said Sam, timidly. “You know how he’ll be –“
“他会涂成个大花脸，”萨姆胆怯地说。“你知道他会——”
“You must carry it.”
“你一定得拿着。”
“‘Course we have. ‘Cos the smoke’s a signal and we can’t be rescued if we don’t have smoke.”
“当然咱们得生烟。因为烟是信号，要是没烟咱们就无法得救。”
“Smoke,” he said, “we want smoke.”
“烟，”他说，“咱们需要烟。”
There was silence, except for the multitudinous murmur of the bees. As last Piggy spoke, kindly.
除了大群蜜蜂的嗡嗡声响外，此刻一片安静。最后猪崽子和颜悦色地说了起来。
“We ought to comb our hair. Only it’s too long.”
“咱们该梳梳头发，就是头发太长。”
“I said ‘smoke’! We’ve got to have smoke.”
“我说‘烟’！咱们一定得有烟。”
Ralph shouted.
拉尔夫喊道：
“All the same –“
“反正都一样——”
Eric made a detaining gesture.
埃里克做了个手势，表示慢一慢。
Samneric looked at each other.
萨姆埃里克兄弟俩面面相觑。
“Well, we won’t be painted,” said Ralph, “because we aren’t savages.”
“哼，咱们可不乱涂，”拉尔夫说，“因为咱们不是野蛮人。”
“But they’ll be painted! You know how it is.” The others nodded.
“可他们涂得五颜六色的！你们晓得这是什么意思——”
“Then we must go as we are,” said Ralph, “and they won’t be any better.”
“咱们就这样去，”拉尔夫说，“他们的样子也好不了多少。”
“I’ve got both socks left in the shelter,” said Eric, “so we could pull them over our heads like caps, sort of.”
“我把两只袜子都留在窝棚里了，”埃里克说，“咱们可以把袜子套在头上，就当作是一种帽子。”
“But we bathe every day!”
“可咱们每天都洗澡哪！”
Ralph looked at the filthy objects before him and sighed.
拉尔夫看着面前两个肮脏的人，叹了口气。
“Like a girl!”
“像个小姑娘！”
They understood only too well the liberation into savagery that the concealing paint brought.
其他的人连连点头。他们太清楚不过了，使人隐藏起真相的涂脸带来的是野性的大发作。
“No paint!”
“不许涂！”
“We could find some stuff,” said Piggy, “and tie your hair back.”
“咱们可以找样东西，”猪崽子说，“你们把头发往后扎起来。”
He tried to remember.
他竭力回想起。
He turned on the twins fiercely.
他很凶地转向双胞胎。
“No. ‘Course not.”
“不像，当然不像。”
Piggy nodded propitiatingly.
猪崽子讨好地直点着脑袋瓜。
“I knew that!” shouted Ralph. He pulled his arm away from Piggy. “Are you suggesting- -?”
“我知道这话！”拉尔夫叫喊道。他把手膀从猪崽子身上挪开。“你是在提醒——”
“I’m jus’ saying what you always say,” said Piggy hastily. “I’d thought for a moment –“
“我只是在说你常说的话，”猪崽子赶紧说。“我也会想一想——”
“You’re chief, Ralph. You remember everything.”
“拉尔夫，你是头头，你什么都记得。”
“‘Course not.”
“当然没忘。”
“I hadn’t,” said Ralph loudly. “I knew it all the time. I hadn’t forgotten.”
“我可不用想，”拉尔夫大声吼道。“我一直知道这话，我可没忘。”
“I hadn’t forgotten.”
“我没忘。”
The twins were examining Ralph curiously, as though they were seeing him for the first time.
双胞胎好奇地打量着拉尔夫，似乎他们俩是初次看见他。
They set off along the beach in formation. Ralph went first, limping a little, his spear carried over one shoulder. He saw things partially, through the tremble of the heat haze over the flashing sands, and his own long hair and injuries. Behind him came the twins, worried now for a while but full of unquenchable vitality. They said little but trailed the butts of their wooden spears; for Piggy had found that, by looking down and shielding his tired sight from the sun, he could just see these moving along the sand. He walked between the trailing butts, therefore, the conch held carefully between his two hands. The boys made a compact little group that moved over the beach, four plate-like shadows dancing and mingling beneath them. There was no sign left of the storm, and the beach was swept clean like a blade that has been scoured. The sky and the mountain were at an immense distance, shimmering in the heat; and the reef was lifted by mirage, floating in a kind of silver pool halfway up the sky.
他们排好队沿着海滩出发了。拉尔夫走在头里，脚有点儿跛，肩上扛着根长矛。他透过闪光的沙滩上颤抖着的暑热烟雾和他自己披散的长发，越过手臂上的伤痕，不完全地看着前面的东西。走在拉尔夫后面的是双胞胎，眼下有一点儿担忧，但充满了不可扑灭的活力。他们往前走着，很少说话，只是把木头长矛的柄拖在地上；猪崽子发现，低头看着地上，使自己已经疲劳的眼睛避开阳光，他可以看得见长矛柄沿着沙滩往前移动。他在拖动着的长矛柄之间走着，双手小心地抱着海螺。由这些孩子们组成的这个精干的小队伍行进在海滩上，四个盘子似的人影在他们脚下跳舞、交叠在一起。暴风雨没有留下丝毫痕迹，海滩被冲刷得干干净净，就像被擦得锃亮的刀片。天空和山岭离得远远的，在暑热中闪着微光；礁石被蜃景抬高了，好像是漂浮在半空中一汪银光闪闪的水潭中。
Sam touched his arm.
萨姆触触拉尔夫的手臂说：
“Some fire — I don’t think.”
“有点儿火光——我想不是烟。”
They passed the place where the tribe had danced. The charred sticks still lay on the rocks where the rain had quenched them but the sand by the water was smooth again. They passed this in silence. No one doubted that the tribe would be found at the Castle Rock and when they came in sight of it they stopped with one accord. The densest tangle on the island, a mass of twisted stems, black and green and impenetrable, lay on their left and tall grass swayed before them. Now Ralph went forward.
他们经过那一伙人跳过舞的地方。被大雨所扑灭的烧焦的枝条仍然搁在岩石上，只是海水边的沙滩又成了平滑的一片。他们默默地走过这里，毫不怀疑会在城堡岩找到那一伙人。他们一看到城堡岩就不约而同地停下了脚步。他们的左面是岛上丛林最密的部分，黑色的、绿色的，遍地都是弯曲盘缠的根茎，简直无法穿越；他们面前摇曳着的是高高的野草。这会儿拉尔夫独自往前走着。
There was a tiny smudge of smoke wavering into the air on the other side of the rock.
在岩石的另一侧有一团小小的烟在冉冉上升。
“Smoke.”
“烟。”
“You two follow behind. I’ll go first, then Piggy a pace behind me. Keep your spears ready.”
“你们俩跟在最后面。我先上，猪崽子在我背后慢一步。拿好你们的长矛。”
Ralph turned.
拉尔夫转过身来。
Here was the crushed grass where they had all lain when he had gone to prospect. There was the neck of land, the ledge skirting the rock, up there were the red pinnacles.
这儿的野草被压得乱糟糟的，那一次拉尔夫前去探查时，他们全都在这儿躺过。那儿是陆地的隘口，围绕着岩石的是侧石——突出的架状岩石，上面是一个个红色的尖石块。
He stepped through the screen of grass on to the little open space that led to the narrow neck.
他穿过像屏幕似的野草，走到了通向狭窄隘口的小空地上。
“What are we hiding for?”
“咱们躲着干什么？”
High above them from the pinnacles came a sudden shout and then an imitation war-cry that was answered by a dozen voices from behind the rock.
在他们头上，从高高的尖顶的岩石上，突然传来一声叫喊，随后是一种模仿战争呐喊的叫声，紧接着在岩石背后十几个人跟着喊起来。
“Is it safe? Ain’t there a cliff? I can hear the sea.”
“安全吗？有没有峭壁？我听得见大海的涛声了。”
“You keep right close to me.”
“你靠紧点儿。”
“Give me the conch and stay still.”
“把海螺给我，呆着别动。”
“Halt! Who goes there?”
“站住！是谁在那儿？”
Piggy peered anxiously into the luminous veil that hung between him and the world.
猪崽子提心吊胆地向前看着，在他面前有一道发光的帷幕，把他和世界隔开。
Ralph moved forward on to the neck. He kicked a stone and it bounded into the water. Then the sea sucked down, revealing a red, weedy square forty feet beneath Ralph’s left arm.
拉尔夫朝隘口移动。他踢着一块石头，石头连蹦带跳地滚入海中。那时海水在退落下去，在拉尔夫左面的下边四十英尺光景，露出了一块长满海藻的红色的方礁石。
“You can see who I am!” he shouted. “Stop being silly!”
“你认得出我是谁！”他喊道。“别装傻了。”
“Am I safe?” quavered Piggy. “I feel awful –“
“我这样安全吗？”猪崽子声音颤抖地说。“我怕得要命——”
Ralph bent back his head and glimpsed Roger’s dark face at the top.
拉尔夫仰起头，瞥见岩石顶上罗杰黑黑的面孔。
He put the conch to his lips and began to blow. Savages appeared, painted out of recognition, edging round the ledge toward the neck. They carried spears and disposed themselves to defend the entrance. Ralph went on blowing and ignored Piggy’s terrors.
他把海螺凑到嘴边，呜呜地吹起来。野蛮人一个个冒了出来，脸上涂得辨认不出谁是谁，全围挤在朝隘口方向的侧石边上。他们擎着长矛，摆好阵势守在入口处。拉尔夫继续猛吹，也不管猪崽子给吓得魂飞魄散。
“You mind out — see?”
“你当心点——明白吗？”
Roger was shouting.
罗杰大声叫道：
“– calling an assembly.”
“——开大会。”
The savages guarding the neck muttered among themselves but made no motion. Ralph walked forwards a couple of steps. A voice whispered urgently behind him.
守卫着隘口的野蛮人交头接耳地低声说着，可谁也没动。拉尔夫又朝前走了几步。他身后一个轻轻的声音急切地说道：
He stood halfway along the neck and gazed at the savages intently. Freed by the paint, they had tied their hair back and were more comfortable than he was. Ralph made a resolution to tie his own back afterwards. Indeed he felt like telling them to wait and doing it there and then; but that was impossible. The savages sniggered a bit and one gestured at Ralph with his spear. High above, Roger took his hands off the lever and leaned out to see what was going on. The boys on the neck stood in a pool of their own shadow, diminished to shaggy heads. Piggy crouched, his back shapeless as a sack.
拉尔夫站在沿着隘口上去的半路当中，全神贯注地盯着野蛮人看。他们涂得五颜六色，神态自若，头发朝后扎着，显得比他自在。拉尔夫决定以后把自己的头发也朝后扎起来。他感到很想叫他们等着，马上就扎好自己的头发；但那是不可能的。野蛮人吃吃地笑起来，有一个用长矛作着瞄准拉尔夫的架势。在岩石高处，罗杰双手松开了杠杆，朝外倾着身子想看看情况怎么样。隘口处的几个孩子站在自己的阴影里面，看上去只是几个蓬头散发的脑袋。猪崽子蜷缩成一团，背弓得像个麻袋，失去了原来的形状。
At length Ralph took his lips away and paused to get his breath back. His first words were a gasp, but audible.
拉尔夫终于挪开了嘴唇，停下来喘一口气。他气吁吁地开口说着，可还算听得出。
“I’m calling an assembly.”
“我要召开大会。”
“Don’t leave me, Ralph.”
“别离开我，拉尔夫。”
“You kneel down,” said Ralph sideways, “and wait till I come back.”
“你跪下，”拉尔夫侧身说道，“在这儿等我回来。”
Silence.
一片沉默。
The group of boys stirred and consulted. A painted face spoke with the voice of Robert.
这一群孩子骚动起来，他们商量了一下。一个涂着颜色的脸开了口，听上去是罗伯特的口音。
“I’m calling an assembly.”
“我要召开大会。”
“He’s hunting. And he said we weren’t to let you in.”
“他去打猎了。他吩咐我们别让你进来。”
Ralph spoke again, loudly.
拉尔夫又大声地喊道：
A voice spoke from behind Ralph.
拉尔夫背后响起了一个人的话音。
“I’ve come to see about the fire,” said Ralph, “and about Piggy’s specs.”
“我来找你们看看火堆怎么样，”拉尔夫说，“还问问猪崽子的眼镜。”
He ran his eye over them.
他扫视着野蛮人。
Roger took up a small stone and flung it between the twins, aiming to miss. They started and Sam only just kept his footing. Some source of power began to pulse in Roger’s body.
罗杰拿起一小块石头，往双胞胎中间扔过去，可没投中。他们都开始扔石头了，而萨姆还站在那儿。罗杰感到，他的身体里跳动着什么力量。
The group in front of him shifted and laughter shivered outwards from among them, light, excited laughter that went echoing among the tall rocks.
拉尔夫前面的人群晃动起来，他们当中迸发出格格的笑声，高高的山岩上回荡着轻快而兴奋的笑声。
“What do you want?”
“你们要干什么？”
“Where’s Jack?”
“杰克在哪儿？”
The twins made a bolt past Ralph and got between him and the entry. He turned quickly. Jack, identifiable by personality and red hair, was advancing from the forest. A hunter crouched on either side. All three were masked in black and green. Behind them on the grass the headless and paunched body of a sow lay where they had dropped it.
双胞胎俩一个箭步冲过了拉尔夫，站到拉尔夫和入口处中间。拉尔夫很快地回过身去。杰克——从那个人的神态和红头发可以辨认出那是杰克——正从森林里走向前来。两边各蹲伏着一个猎手。三个人的脸全涂上了黑色和绿色。在他们身后的草地上，扔着一个剖开了肚子并砍去了头的野母猪。
Jack shouted above the noise.
杰克叫喊得比嘲笑声还要响。
“You pinched Piggy’s specs,” said Ralph, breathlessly. “You’ve got to give them back.”
“你抢走了猪崽子的眼镜，”拉尔夫说道，上气不接下气。“你一定得还给他。”
“Ralph! Mind me!”
“拉尔夫！帮帮我！”
“Ralph! Don’t leave me!”
“拉尔夫！别离开我！”
With ludicrous care he embraced the rock, pressing himself to it above the sucking sea. The sniggering of the savages became a loud derisive jeer.
他紧紧地抱住岩石，下面是一起一落的大海，那提心吊胆的样子很可笑。野蛮人的痴笑声变成了大叫大嚷的嘲笑声。
Piggy wailed.
猪崽子哭着喊道：
“You could have had fire whenever you wanted. But you didn’t. You came sneaking up like a thief and stole Piggy’s glasses!”
“随便什么时候你要火种都可以。可你不是来要。你像个贼似的偷偷地跑来，还偷走了猪崽子的眼镜！”
“Say that again!”
“你再说一遍！”
“Thief! Thief!”
“贼！贼！”
The blood was flowing in his cheeks and the bunged-up eye throbbed.
热血涌上他的面颊，肿胀的眼睛眨动着。
“I say! You voted for me for chief. Didn’t you hear the conch? You played a dirty trick — we’d have given you fire if you’d asked for it –“
“喂！是你们选我当头头的。你们没听见海螺声吗？你玩的是肮脏的把戏——你要火种我们本来是会给你们的——”
Ralph’s temper blazed out.
拉尔夫冒火了。
“You go away, Ralph. You keep to your end. This is my end and my tribe. You leave me alone.”
“你们滚开，拉尔夫。你们守着你们那一头，这儿是我的一头，我的一伙人。你们别来管我。”
“Got to? Who says?”
“一定得？谁说的？”
Piggy screamed.
猪崽子尖声叫道：
Jack made a rush and stabbed at Ralph’s chest with his spear. Ralph sensed the position of the weapon from the glimpse he caught of Jack’s arm and put the thrust aside with his own butt. Then he brought the end round and caught Jack a stinger across the ear. They were chest to chest, breathing fiercely, pushing and glaring.
杰克往前一冲，拿长矛直刺拉尔夫的胸膛。拉尔夫因为瞥见了杰克的手臂，察觉到他的武器的位置，用自己的矛柄把刺过来的矛尖挡开。接着拉尔夫转过长矛朝杰克一刺，矛尖擦过了对方的耳朵。他们俩现在胸对着胸，大口喘着粗气，推推搡搡，怒目相视。
The jeering died away.
嘲笑声静了下去。
“Ralph — remember what we came for. The fire. My specs.”
“拉尔夫——记住咱们到这儿来的目的。火堆，还有我的眼镜。”
“Listen. We’ve come to say this. First you’ve got to give back Piggy’s specs. If he hasn’t got them he can’t see. You aren’t playing the game –“
“听着，我们来是要说，首先你们必须把眼镜还给猪崽子。他没眼镜就看不见东西。你们这样太不光明正大了——”
Both boys were breathing very heavily.
两个孩子都呼哧呼哧地喘着粗气。
Piggy clutching the ground was trying to attract Ralph’s attention. Ralph moved, bent down, kept a wary eye on Jack.
猪崽子抓牢地面，正想设法吸引拉尔夫的注意。拉尔夫挪动身子，弯着腰，眼睛警觉地盯着杰克。
“Come on then –“
“再来呀——”
“You come on and see what you get!”
“来呀，够你受的！”
“You come on –“
“你来呀——”
“You are!”
“就是你！”
Truculently they squared up to each other but kept just out of fighting distance.
他们双方都摆出一副恶狠狠的进攻架势，但却保持着距离，刚好两人都打不到对方。
Ralph nodded. He relaxed his fighting muscles, stood easily and grounded the butt of his spear. Jack watched him inscrutably through his paint. Ralph glanced up at the pinnacles, then toward the group of savages.
拉尔夫点点头。他放松了刚才格斗时的紧张的肌肉，随便地站着，用长矛柄拄着地面。杰克似乎透过涂在脸上的涂料莫名其妙地看着他。拉尔夫昂首瞥了瞥尖顶岩石，随后看着面前的这群野蛮人。
Jack wrenched free and swung at Ralph with his spear. By common consent they were using the spears as sabers now, no longer daring the lethal points. The blow struck Ralph’s spear and slid down, to fall agonizingly on his fingers. Then they were apart once more, their positions reversed, Jack toward the Castle Rock and Ralph on the outside toward the island.
杰克挣脱开来，朝拉尔夫挥舞着长矛。这会儿两人心照不宣地拿长矛当军刀砍来砍去，而不敢再用会致命的矛尖。杰克的长矛打到拉尔夫的长矛上，往下一滑，把他的手指打得生疼。随即他们又一次分开，互换了位置，杰克背朝着城堡岩，而拉尔夫则站在外围，背向海岛。
“Come on –“
“来呀——”
“Who’s a thief?”
“谁是贼？”
“Don’t you understand, you painted fools? Sam, Eric, Piggy and me — we aren’t enough. We tried to keep the fire going, but we couldn’t. And then you, playing at hunting…”
“你们这群花脸呆子，难道你们不懂？萨姆、埃里克、猪崽子和我——我们人手不够。我们想要生好火堆，可是生不好。而你们呢，却打猎寻开心……”
Piggy whispered.
猪崽子低声说道：
The tribe of painted savages giggled and Ralph’s mind faltered. He pushed his hair up and gazed at the green and black mask before him, trying to remember what Jack looked like.
涂得五颜六色的一伙野蛮人都格格地笑着，拉尔夫心里也犹豫起来。他把头发往后一掠，凝视着面前绿色和黑色的假面具似的脸，竭力想回忆起杰克原来的模样。
“And the fire.”
“还有火堆。”
“Oh yes. Then about the fire. I say this again. I’ve been saying it ever since we dropped in.”
“噢，对了，还有火堆的事。我又要说火堆了。自从咱们落到这岛上以来我一直在说这件事。”
He held out his spear and pointed at the savages. “Your only hope is keeping a signal fire going as long as there’s light to see. Then maybe a ship’ll notice the smoke and come and rescue us and take us home. But without that smoke we’ve got to wait till some ship comes by accident. We might wait years; till we were old –“
他伸出长矛指着野蛮人。“你们唯一的希望就在于：只要有亮光可以看得见，就该生一堆信号火。或许会有船注意到烟，驶过来救咱们，把咱们带回家。要是没有烟咱们就得等到有船碰巧来这儿。说不定咱们要等好多年；等到人都老了——”
The shivering, silvery, unreal laughter of the savages sprayed out and echoed away. A gust of rage shook Ralph. His voice cracked.
野蛮人爆发出一阵颤抖的、清脆的、虚假的哄笑，这哄笑声又回荡开来。拉尔夫怒不可遏，他嗓门嘶哑地说：
“Look at that! Call that a signal fire? That’s a cooking fire. Now you’ll eat and there’ll be no smoke. Don’t you understand? There may be a ship out there –“
“瞧瞧那个！那能叫信号火堆吗？那只是个烧食的火堆。眼下你们吃东西，烟就没了。你们不明白吗？也许有艘船正从那儿经过呢——”
He pointed past them to where the trickle of smoke dispersed in the pearly air.
他指着他们身后，澄澈的天空中一缕烟飘散开去。
No one moved. Jack shouted angrily.
没人动弹。杰克怒气冲冲地喊道：
“Jack!”
“杰克！”
“I said ‘grab them’!”
“我说，抓住他们！”
“Grab them!”
“抓住他们。”
He paused, defeated by the silence and the painted anonymity of the group guarding the entry. Jack opened a pink mouth and addressed Samneric, who were between him and his tribe.
拉尔夫停住了，这一群涂成花脸的、不知名的人守卫在入口处，他们一言不发，使他占不了上风。头领张开粉红色的嘴巴，对着在他和他那一伙人之间的萨姆埃里克叫喊道：
“You two. Get back.”
“你们俩[4]回去。”【注：[4] 此处原文为You two，也可听作You too（你们也），可能因此双胞胎感到迷惑不解。】
Ralph cried out hopelessly against the black and green mask.
拉尔夫朝着脸涂成黑色和绿色的人绝望地喊道：
“– honestly!”
“——正当一点！”
The painted group moved round Samneric nervously and unhandily. Once more the silvery laughter scattered.
涂着脸的人群七手八脚地紧张地围住了萨姆埃里克。又响起了一阵清脆的哄笑声。
“Oh, I say!”
“唉呀，喂喂！”
“Tie them up!”
“把他们绑起来！”
Their spears were taken from them.
双胞胎的长矛被夺走了。
Now the painted group felt the otherness of Samneric, felt the power in their own hands. They felled the twins clumsily and excitedly. Jack was inspired. He knew that Ralph would attempt a rescue. He struck in a humming circle behind him and Ralph only just parried the blow. Beyond them the tribe and the twins were a loud and writhing heap. Piggy crouched again. Then the twins lay, astonished, and the tribe stood round them. Jack turned to Ralph and spoke between his teeth.
现在涂脸的人群觉得已经征服了萨姆埃里克，也感觉到了自己手中的力量。他们笨拙而兴奋地把双胞胎打翻在地。杰克颇受鼓舞，他知道拉尔夫会试图营救他们，返身用长矛嗡嗡地挥舞了一圈，拉尔夫刚来得及避开打击。在他们上面，那一伙人和双胞胎大叫大嚷，滚作一团。猪崽子又蹲伏下去。双胞胎很受惊地躺在地上，那一伙人站着围在他们俩周围。杰克转向拉尔夫，咬牙切齿地说道：
No one answered him. The twins, puzzled, looked at each other; while Piggy, reassured by the cessation of violence, stood up carefully. Jack glanced back at Ralph and then at the twins.
没有人答应他。双胞胎迷惑不解，互相看着对方；猪崽子看到一时不至于发生冲突，便小心翼翼地站起来。杰克回首看看拉尔夫，随后又看看双胞胎。
“Go on. Tie them.”
“别停手。绑住他们。”
Samneric protested out of the heart of civilization.
萨姆埃里克以有教养的口吻抗议道：
There was silence again. The twins lay, inexpertly tied up, and the tribe watched Ralph to see what he would do. He numbered them through his fringe, glimpsed the ineffectual smoke.
又是一阵沉默。双胞胎俩躺在地上，被乱七八糟地绑着，那一伙人注视着拉尔夫，看他究竟怎么办。拉尔夫透过额前的长发点着他们的人数，又瞥见了无效的烟。
Piggy held up the conch and the booing sagged a little, then came up again to strength.
猪崽子拿起海螺，哄笑声稍稍低落了一点，接着又响起来。
Jack, knowing this was the crisis, charged too. They met with a jolt and bounced apart. Jack swung with his fist at Ralph and caught him on the ear. Ralph hit Jack in the stomach and made him grunt. Then they were facing each other again, panting and furious, but unnerved by each other’s ferocity. They became aware of the noise that was the background to this fight, the steady shrill cheering of the tribe behind them.
杰克晓得这是紧要关头了，也向前冲去。他们俩猛然相撞，又跳了开来。杰克挥拳朝拉尔夫就是一下，打中了他的耳朵。拉尔夫一拳正中杰克的肚子，打得他发出哼哼声。接着他们俩又正面相对，气喘吁吁，怒不可遏，然而双方都没被对方的凶狠所吓倒。他们俩觉察到自己在打架时身后的叫嚷声，那一伙人持续不断的、快活的尖叫声。
“I got the conch!”
“我拿着海螺！”
“Let me speak.”
“让我说话。”
Piggy’s voice penetrated to Ralph.
在一片喧闹声中，猪崽子的声音传到拉尔夫耳中。
“You’re a beast and a swine and a bloody, bloody thief!”
“你是野兽，是猪猡，是个道道地地的贼！”
“See? They do what I want.”
“看见吗？他们听我的吩咐。”
He charged.
他冲了上去。
He was standing in the dust of the fight, and as the tribe saw his intention the shrill cheer changed to a steady booing.
他站在因他们相打而扬起的尘土中，当那一伙人看到猪崽子想讲话时，刺耳的喝彩声变成了轻蔑的哄笑声。
His temper broke. He screamed at Jack.
拉尔夫熬不住了，他朝着杰克尖声叫嚷：
Ralph shouted against the noise.
拉尔夫不顾喧哗声，叫喊道：
“Which is better — to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?”
“是照规则、讲一致好呢？还是打猎和乱杀好呢？”
A great clamor rose among the savages. Piggy shouted again.
野蛮人当中冒出响亮的喧哗声。猪崽子又叫道：
Again the clamor and again –“Zup!”
又响起了喧哗声，又响起了——“嗖！”
“Which is better — to be a pack of painted Indians like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is?”
“哪一个好一些？——是像你们那样做一帮涂脸的黑鬼好呢？还是像拉尔夫那样做一个明白事理的人好呢？”
“I tell you, I got the conch!”
“告诉你们，我拿着海螺！”
Now Jack was yelling too and Ralph could no longer make himself heard. Jack had backed right against the tribe and they were a solid mass of menace that bristled with spears. The intention of a charge was forming among them; they were working up to it and the neck would be swept clear. Ralph stood facing them, a little to one side, his spear ready. By him stood Piggy still holding out the talisman, the fragile, shining beauty of the shell. The storm of sound beat at them, an incantation of hatred. High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever.
这时候杰克也叫嚷起来，拉尔夫已无法再使别人听得出他说的话。杰克背靠着他那一伙人，长矛林立，连成一气，充满了威胁之意。他们当中正酝酿着发起一次冲击，他们在准备着，隘口将被一扫而清。拉尔夫面对他们站着，稍偏向一侧，把长矛准备好。在他身边站着的是猪崽子，仍伸着那只护身符——易碎的、闪亮而美丽的贝壳。暴风雨般的骂声朝他们俩袭来，这是一种仇恨的诅咒。在他们俩头上高高的地方，罗杰极度兴奋地、恣意地把全身的重量压在杠杆上。
Surprisingly, there was silence now; the tribe were curious to hear what amusing thing he might have to say.
令人吃惊的是，这会儿倒又静了下来；那一伙人好奇地想听听，他究竟有什么有趣的事情要讲。
“I got this to say. You’re acting like a crowd of kids.” The booing rose and died again as Piggy lifted the white, magic shell.
“我要说，你们这样做就像一群小孩儿。”哄笑声又响起来，而随着猪崽子举起白色的，有魔力的海螺，哄笑声又平息了下去。
Silence and pause; but in the silence a curious air-noise, close by Ralph’s head. He gave it half his attention — and there it was again; a faint “Zup!” Someone was throwing stones: Roger was dropping them, his one hand still on the lever. Below him, Ralph was a shock of hair and Piggy a bag of fat.
一阵沉默和停顿；但是在寂静之中，贴着拉尔夫的脑袋旁却响起了一种奇怪的声音。他略加注意地听了听——那种声音又响了起来；一声轻轻的“嗖！”有人在扔石头：罗杰在扔，他一手仍按在杠杆上。在罗杰下面，他只看到拉尔夫的蓬头散发和猪崽子缩成一团的胖胖的身躯。
“Which is better, law and rescue, or hunting and breaking things up?”
“哪一个好一些？——是法律和得救好呢？还是打猎和破坏好呢？”
He shouted.
猪崽子喊道：
Ralph heard the great rock before he saw it. He was aware of a jolt in the earth that came to him through the soles of his feet, and the breaking sound of stones at the top of the cliff. Then the monstrous red thing bounded across the neck and he flung himself flat while the tribe shrieked.
拉尔夫早在看到巨石以前就听到了它的声音。他觉察到大地震动了一下，这震动通过他的脚底传来，他还听到悬崖高处有石头破碎的声响。接着一块红色的巨石直朝隘口蹦跳而下，那一伙人尖声叫喊，拉尔夫忙扑倒在地。
The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist. Piggy, saying nothing, with no time for even a grunt, traveled through the air sideways from the rock, turning over as he went. The rock bounded twice and was lost in the forest. Piggy fell forty feet and landed on his back across the square red rock in the sea. His head opened and stuff came out and turned red. Piggy’s arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pig’s after it has been killed. Then the sea breathed again in a long, slow sigh, the water boiled white and pink over the rock; and when it went, sucking back again, the body of Piggy was gone.
巨石在猪崽子的下巴到膝盖之间这一大片面积上擦过；海螺被砸成无数白色的碎片，不复存在了。猪崽子一言未发，连咕哝一声都来不及，就从岩石侧面翻落下去。巨石又弹跳了两次，最后消失在森林之中。猪崽子往下掉了四十英尺，仰面摔倒在海中那块红色的方礁石上。脑壳迸裂，脑浆直流，头部变成了红色。猪崽子的手臂和腿部微微抽搐，就像刚被宰杀的猪的腿一样。随后大海又开始起落，发出了缓慢而长长的叹息，白色的海浪翻腾着冲上礁石，又夹上了缕缕粉红色的血丝；而随着海浪再退落下去，猪崽子的尸体也被卷走了。
This time the silence was complete. Ralph’s lips formed a word but no sound came.
这下子孩子们都鸦雀无声。拉尔夫嘴唇在翕动，但没有声音出来。
“See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I meant that! There isn’t a tribe for you any more! The conch is gone –“
“看见没有？你们看见没有？那就是你们的结果！我说，再也没有我们这一群了！海螺完了——”
Suddenly Jack bounded out from the tribe and began screaming wildly.
杰克猛地从他那一伙人中跳了出来，发狂地尖叫起来：
He ran forward, stooping.
他俯下身子，跑上前来。
The chief stopped by the pig, turned and held up his hands.
头领在死猪旁边收住脚，转过身去，举起手来。
Viciously, with full intention, he hurled his spear at Ralph. The point tore the skin and flesh over Ralph’s ribs, then sheared off and fell in the water. Ralph stumbled, feeling not pain but panic, and the tribe, screaming now like the chief, began to advance. Another spear, a bent one that would not fly straight, went past his face and one fell from on high where Roger was. The twins lay hidden behind the tribe and the anonymous devils’ faces swarmed across the neck. Ralph turned and ran. A great noise as of sea gulls rose behind him. He obeyed an instinct that he did not know he possessed and swerved over the open space so that the spears went wide. He saw the headless body of the sow and jumped in time. Then he was crashing through foliage and small boughs and was hidden by the forest.
杰克杀气腾腾地把自己的长矛对准拉尔夫飞投过去。矛尖戳破了拉尔夫肋骨上的皮肉，随即又滑开掉进了水里。拉尔夫踉跄了一下，并不觉得疼痛，只是感到惊恐，那一伙人这会儿都像头领那样尖叫着上前来。又一根长矛——一根弯的长矛，没有沿着直线飞过来——从拉尔夫面前掠过，这根长矛是从罗杰站的高处投下来的。双胞胎被捆着躺在那一伙人的背后，一张张说不清是谁的恶魔似的面孔一窝蜂地拥下了隘口。拉尔夫转身就逃。他身后响起了像成群海鸥惊叫所发出的巨大噪声。拉尔夫服从一种他并不知道自己所具有的本能，他躲闪着跑过了开阔地，因而投来的长矛距离拉得更开了。他一眼看到了一头被砍掉脑袋的野母猪，及时地一跃而过。随后他噼里啪啦地穿过簇叶和小树枝，隐没到森林之中。
“I’m chief!”
“我是头领！”
“You got to join the tribe.”
“你们必须加入我们这一派。”
The chief snatched one of the few spears that were left and poked Sam in the ribs.
头领从还留下的几根长矛中抽出了一根，戳戳萨姆的肋骨。
The chief spoke to him angrily.
头领气冲冲地对他说：
Roger looked at him gravely.
罗杰阴沉沉地看着他回答：
The hangman’s horror clung round him. The chief said no more to him but looked down at Samneric.
紧贴罗杰的周围，散布着一种刽子手般的令人恐怖的感觉。头领没再对他说什么，只是俯首直盯着萨姆埃里克。
Roger edged past the chief, only just avoiding pushing him with his shoulder. The yelling ceased, and Samneric lay looking up in quiet terror. Roger advanced upon them as one wielding a nameless authority.
罗杰在头领的身旁慢慢地挨过去，只是留心不让自己的肩膀碰着他。叫嚷声停了下来，萨姆埃里克躺在地上仰脸看着，不声不响、惊恐万状。罗杰朝他们走去，就像是在行使不可名状的权威。
“You lemme go –“
“放我走——”
“I just came down –“
“我刚下来——”
Presently the tribe returned noisily to the neck where Roger joined them.
不一会儿那一伙人吵吵嚷嚷地回到了隘口，罗杰也在那儿加入到大伙当中。
“Why aren’t you on watch?”
“为什么你不在上面守着？”
“– and me.”
“——还有我。”
“What d’you mean by it, eh?” said the chief fiercely. “What d’you mean by coming with spears? What d’you mean by not joining my tribe?”
“你这是什么意思，嗯？”头领狂怒地说。“你们带着长矛是来干什么的？不加入我们这一派你们准备干什么？”
The prodding became rhythmic. Sam yelled.
矛尖一戳一戳变得很有节奏。萨姆痛得大叫。
“That’s not the way.”
“别这样。”
“Back! Back to the fort!”
“回去！回到堡垒去！”
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