Up they got, early next morning, out of the silken beds; and they saw that the sun was shining brightly and that the wind was blowing from the South. 第二天一早,他们就从柔软的床上爬起来;他们看到阳光明媚,风从南方吹来。
Jip smelt the South wind for half an hour. Then he came to the Doctor, shaking his head. 吉普闻了半个小时的南风。然后他来到医生面前,摇了摇头。
"I smell no snuff as yet," he said. "We must wait till the wind changes to the East." “我还没有闻到鼻烟的味道,”他说。“我们必须等到风转向东方。”
But even when the East wind came, at three o'clock that afternoon, the dog could not catch the smell of snuff. 但是即使下午三点东风来了,狗也闻不到鼻烟的味道。
The little boy was terribly disappointed and began to cry again, saying that no one seemed to be able to find his uncle for him. But all Jip said to the Doctor was, 小男孩非常失望,又开始哭起来,说似乎没有人能为他找到他的叔叔。但吉普对医生说的只是,
"Tell him that when the wind changes to the West, I'll find his uncle even though he be in China—so long as he is still taking Black Rappee snuff." “告诉他,当风向转为西风时,我会找到他的叔叔,即使他在中国——只要他还在吸黑鼻烟。”
Three days they had to wait before the West wind came. This was on a Friday morning, early—just as it was getting light. A fine rainy mist lay on the sea like a thin fog. And the wind was soft and warm and wet. 他们不得不等三天,直到西风到来。这是在一个星期五的早晨,很早——天刚刚亮。一层细雨像薄雾一样笼罩在海面上。风柔和、温暖而潮湿。
As soon as Jip awoke he ran upstairs and poked his nose in the air. Then he got most frightfully excited and rushed down again to wake the Doctor up. Jip 一醒来就跑上楼,把鼻子伸到空气中。然后他变得非常兴奋,又冲下楼去叫醒医生。
"Doctor!" he cried. "I've got it! Doctor! Doctor! Wake up! Listen! I've got it! The wind's from the West and it smells of nothing but snuff. Come upstairs and start the ship—quick!" “医生!”他喊道,“我闻到了!医生!医生!醒醒!听!我闻到了!风向是西风,除了鼻烟什么也闻不到。上楼去开船——快!”
So the Doctor tumbled out of bed and went to the rudder to steer the ship. 于是医生从床上滚下来,去掌舵。
"Now I'll go up to the front," said Jip; "and you watch my nose—whichever way I point it, you turn the ship the same way. The man cannot be far off—with the smell as strong as this. And the wind's all lovely and wet. Now watch me!" “现在我要到前面去,”Jip 说,“你看我的鼻子——我指向哪个方向,你就把船转向同一个方向。这个人离得不远——味道这么浓。而且风又可爱又潮湿。现在看我!”
So all that morning Jip stood in the front part of the ship, sniffing the wind and pointing the way for the Doctor to steer; while all the animals and the little boy stood round with their eyes wide open, watching the dog in wonder. 于是整个上午,吉普都站在船的前部,嗅着风,为医生指明方向;而所有的动物和小男孩都站在周围,睁大眼睛,惊奇地看着狗。
About lunch–time Jip asked Dab–Dab to tell the Doctor that he was getting worried and wanted to speak to him. So Dab–Dab went and fetched the Doctor from the other end of the ship and Jip said to him, 大约午饭时间,吉普让达布-达布告诉医生,他很担心,想和他说话。于是达布-达布去把医生从船的另一端找来,吉普对他说,
"The boy's uncle is starving. We must make the ship go as fast as we can." “男孩的叔叔正在挨饿。我们必须让船尽可能快地行驶。”
"How do you know he is starving?" asked the Doctor. “你怎么知道他在挨饿?”医生问。
"Because there is no other smell in the West wind but snuff," said Jip. “因为西风中没有其他气味,只有鼻烟味,”吉普说。
"If the man were cooking or eating food of any kind, I would be bound to smell it too. “如果那个人在做饭或吃任何种类的食物,我肯定也会闻到的。”
But he hasn't even fresh water to drink. 但他甚至没有新鲜的水喝。
All he is taking is snuff—in large pinches. 他只在吸鼻烟——大撮大撮地吸。
We are getting nearer to him all the time, because the smell grows stronger every minute. 我们一直在靠近他,因为气味每分钟都变得更浓。
But make the ship go as fast as you can, for I am certain that the man is starving." 但让船尽可能快地前进,因为我确信那个人正在挨饿。”
"All right," said the Doctor; and he sent Dab–Dab to ask the swallows to pull the ship, the same as they had done when the pirates were chasing them. “好的,”医生说;他派 Dab–Dab 去请燕子拉船,就像海盗追赶他们时一样。
So the stout little birds came down and once more harnessed themselves to the ship. 于是,那些结实的小鸟飞下来,再次把自己拴在船上。
And now the boat went bounding through the waves at a terrible speed. It went so fast that the fishes in the sea had to jump for their lives to get out of the way and not be run over. 现在船以惊人的速度在海浪中跳跃。它跑得太快了,海里的鱼不得不为了活命而跳起来让开路,以免被碾过。
And all the animals got tremendously excited; and they gave up looking at Jip and turned to watch the sea in front, to spy out any land or islands where the starving man might be. 所有的动物都变得非常兴奋;他们不再看 Jip,而是转过身去看前面的大海,寻找可能有那个挨饿的人的陆地或岛屿。
But hour after hour went by and still the ship went rushing on, over the same flat, flat sea; and no land anywhere came in sight. 但是,一小时又一小时过去了,船仍然在同样平坦、平坦的海面上疾驰;任何地方都没有陆地出现。
And now the animals gave up chattering and sat around silent, anxious and miserable. The little boy again grew sad. And on Jip's face there was a worried look. 现在动物们不再喋喋不休,而是静静地坐着,焦虑而痛苦。小男孩又变得悲伤起来。Jip 的脸上也露出了担忧的神情。
At last, late in the afternoon, just as the sun was going down, the owl, Too–Too, who was perched on the tip of the mast, suddenly startled them all by crying out at the top of his voice, 最后,在下午晚些时候,就在太阳落山的时候,栖息在桅杆顶端的猫头鹰 Too-Too 突然用他最大的声音喊道,把他们都吓了一跳,
"Jip! Jip! I see a great, great rock in front of us—look—way out there where the sky and the water meet. See the sun shine on it—like gold! Is the smell coming from there?" “Jip!Jip!我看到我们前面有一块巨大、巨大的岩石——看——就在天空和水相接的地方。看太阳照在它上面——像金子一样!气味是从那里传来的吗?”
And Jip called back, 吉普回答说,
"Yes. That's it. That is where the man is.— At last, at last!" “是的。就是那里。那个人就在那里。——终于,终于!”
And when they got nearer they could see that the rock was very large—as large as a big field. No trees grew on it, no grass—nothing. The great rock was as smooth and as bare as the back of a tortoise. 当他们靠近时,他们可以看到那块岩石非常大——像一个大田野一样大。上面没有树木,没有草——什么都没有。巨大的岩石像乌龟的背部一样光滑和光秃。
Then the Doctor sailed the ship right round the rock. But nowhere on it could a man be seen. All the animals screwed up their eyes and looked as hard as they could; and John Dolittle got a telescope from downstairs. 然后,医生把船绕着岩石航行。但是在岩石上看不到一个人。所有的动物都眯起眼睛,尽可能地努力看;约翰·杜利特尔从楼下拿了一个望远镜。
But not one living thing could they spy—not even a gull, nor a star–fish, nor a shred of sea–weed. 但是他们没有看到一个活着的东西——甚至没有一只海鸥,没有一只海星,也没有一丝海草。
They all stood still and listened, straining their ears for any sound. But the only noise they heard was the gentle lapping of the little waves against the sides of their ship. 他们都静静地站着,倾听着,努力倾听任何声音。但是他们听到的唯一声音是小海浪轻轻拍打着他们船的两侧。
Then they all started calling, "Hulloa, there!—HULLOA!" till their voices were hoarse. But only the echo came back from the rock. 然后他们都开始喊,“喂,那里!——喂!”直到他们的声音嘶哑。但只有回声从岩石上回来。
And the little boy burst into tears and said, 小男孩突然哭了起来,说,
"I am afraid I shall never see my uncle any more! What shall I tell them when I get home!" “恐怕我再也见不到我的叔叔了!我回家后该怎么告诉他们!”
But Jip called to the Doctor, 但是吉普对医生喊道,
"He must be there—he must—HE MUST! The smell goes on no further. He must be there, I tell you! Sail the ship close to the rock and let me jump out on it." “他一定在那里——他一定——他一定在!气味不再继续了。他一定在那里,我告诉你!把船驶近岩石,让我跳上去。”
So the Doctor brought the ship as close as he could and let down the anchor. Then he and Jip got out of the ship on to the rock. 于是医生把船尽可能地靠近,放下了锚。然后他和吉普从船上到了岩石上。
Jip at once put his nose down close to the ground and began to run all over the place. Up and down he went, back and forth—zig–zagging, twisting, doubling and turning. And everywhere he went, the Doctor ran behind him, close at his heels—till he was terribly out of breath. 吉普立刻把鼻子贴近地面,开始在整个地方奔跑。他上下奔跑,来回奔跑——曲折、扭曲、加倍和转弯。他走到哪里,医生就跟在他后面跑,紧跟在他的脚后跟——直到他喘不过气来。
At last Jip let out a great bark and sat down. And when the Doctor came running up to him, he found the dog staring into a big, deep hole in the middle of the rock. 最后吉普发出一声大吠,坐了下来。当医生跑向他时,他发现狗正盯着岩石中间的一个又大又深的洞。
"The boy's uncle is down there," said Jip quietly. "No wonder those silly eagles couldn't see him!—It takes a dog to find a man." “男孩的叔叔在下面,”吉普静静地说。“难怪那些愚蠢的鹰看不见他!——需要一只狗才能找到一个人。”
So the Doctor got down into the hole, which seemed to be a kind of cave, or tunnel, running a long way under the ground. Then he struck a match and started to make his way along the dark passage with Jip following behind. 于是医生下到洞里,这似乎是一种洞穴或隧道,在地下延伸了很长一段路。然后他划了一根火柴,开始和吉普一起沿着黑暗的通道前进。
The Doctor's match soon went out; and he had to strike another and another and another. 医生的火柴很快就熄灭了;他不得不划一根又一根又一根。
At last the passage came to an end; and the Doctor found himself in a kind of tiny room with walls of rock. 最后通道结束了;医生发现自己在一个岩石墙壁的小房间里。
And there, in the middle of the room, his head resting on his arms, lay a man with very red hair—fast asleep! 在房间的中间,一个红头发的男人头枕着手臂,睡得很香!
Jip went up and sniffed at something lying on the ground beside him. The Doctor stooped and picked it up. It was an enormous snuff–box. And it was full of Black Rappee! 吉普走过去,嗅着他旁边地上的东西。医生弯腰把它捡了起来。那是一个巨大的鼻烟盒。里面装满了黑鼻烟!