T
They tripped along the murky aisles with the rest of the company, visiting the familiar wonders of the cave—wonders dubbed with rather over–descriptive names, such as "The Drawing–Room," "The Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on.
他们和其他同伴一起沿着昏暗的过道前行，参观洞穴中熟悉的奇观——这些奇观被赋予了相当夸张的描述性名称，如“客厅”、“大教堂”、“阿拉丁宫殿”等等。
Presently the hide–and–seek frolicking began, and Tom and Becky engaged in it with zeal until the exertion began to grow a trifle wearisome; then they wandered down a sinuous avenue holding their candles aloft and reading the tangled web–work of names, dates, post–office addresses, and mottoes with which the rocky walls had been frescoed (in candle–smoke).
不久，捉迷藏的嬉戏开始了，汤姆和贝基热情地参与其中，直到这种努力开始变得有点累人；然后他们沿着蜿蜒的大道漫步，高举蜡烛，阅读着岩石墙壁上用蜡烛烟熏成的错综复杂的网络作品——名字、日期、邮局地址和座右铭。
Still drifting along and talking, they scarcely noticed that they were now in a part of the cave whose walls were not frescoed.
他们仍然一边漂流一边交谈，几乎没有注意到他们现在已经到了洞穴的一部分，那里的墙壁没有被熏黑。
Presently they came to a place where a little stream of water, trickling over a ledge and carrying a limestone sediment with it, had, in the slow–dragging ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleaming and imperishable stone.
不久，他们来到了一个地方，一条小溪水从壁架上滴下来，带着石灰沉积物，在缓慢的岁月里，形成了一个镶有花边、皱巴巴的尼亚加拉瀑布，在闪闪发光、坚不可摧的石头中。
Tom squeezed his small body behind it in order to illuminate it for Becky's gratification.
汤姆把他的小身体挤在后面，以便为贝基照亮它。
He found that it curtained a sort of steep natural stairway which was enclosed between narrow walls, and at once the ambition to be a discoverer seized him.
他发现它遮住了一种陡峭的自然楼梯，楼梯被封闭在狭窄的墙壁之间，立刻，成为发现者的野心抓住了他。
Becky responded to his call, and they made a smoke–mark for future guidance, and started upon their quest.
贝基响应了他的呼唤，他们做了一个烟雾标记，以备将来指引，然后开始了他们的探索。
They wound this way and that, far down into the secret depths of the cave, made another mark, and branched off in search of novelties to tell the upper world about.
他们这样蜿蜒曲折，深入洞穴的秘密深处，又做了一个标记，然后分岔去寻找新奇的东西，告诉上面的世界。
In one place they found a spacious cavern, from whose ceiling depended a multitude of shining stalactites of the length and circumference of a man's leg; they walked all about it, wondering and admiring, and presently left it by one of the numerous passages that opened into it.
在一个地方，他们发现了一个宽敞的洞穴，从它的天花板上垂下了许多闪闪发光的钟乳石，长度和周长都和人的腿一样；他们在它周围走来走去，惊叹不已，不久就通过其中一个通向它的众多通道离开了它。
This shortly brought them to a bewitching spring, whose basin was incrusted with a frostwork of glittering crystals; it was in the midst of a cavern whose walls were supported by many fantastic pillars which had been formed by the joining of great stalactites and stalagmites together, the result of the ceaseless water–drip of centuries.
不久，他们来到了一个迷人的泉水边，泉水的盆地镶嵌着一层闪闪发光的水晶霜；它位于一个洞穴的中央，洞穴的墙壁由许多奇异的柱子支撑着，这些柱子是由巨大的钟乳石和石笋连接在一起形成的，是几个世纪以来不停滴水的结果。
Under the roof vast knots of bats had packed themselves together, thousands in a bunch; the lights disturbed the creatures and they came flocking down by hundreds, squeaking and darting furiously at the candles.
在屋顶下，一大群蝙蝠聚集在一起，成千上万只聚成一团；灯光惊扰了这些生物，它们成群结队地飞下来，数百只一起，尖叫着，对着蜡烛猛烈地飞来飞去。
He seized Becky's hand and hurried her into the first corridor that offered; and none too soon, for a bat struck Becky's light out with its wing while she was passing out of the cavern.
他抓住贝基的手，赶紧把她带进第一个提供的走廊；这也不算太早，因为一只蝙蝠在贝基走出洞穴时用翅膀把她的灯熄灭了。
The bats chased the children a good distance; but the fugitives plunged into every new passage that offered, and at last got rid of the perilous things.
蝙蝠追赶了孩子们一段好距离；但逃亡者们跳进了每一个提供的新通道，最后终于摆脱了危险的东西。
Tom found a subterranean lake, shortly, which stretched its dim length away until its shape was lost in the shadows.
不久，汤姆发现了一个地下湖，它的昏暗长度延伸到远处，直到它的形状消失在阴影中。
He wanted to explore its borders, but concluded that it would be best to sit down and rest awhile, first.
他想探索它的边界，但最后决定最好先坐下来休息一会儿。
Now, for the first time, the deep stillness of the place laid a clammy hand upon the spirits of the children.
现在，这个地方的深深寂静第一次给孩子们的精神蒙上了一层冰冷的手。
"Why, I didn't notice, but it seems ever so long since I heard any of the others."
“哎呀，我没注意到，但好像很久没听到其他人的声音了。”
"Come to think, Becky, we are away down below them—and I don't know how far away north, or south, or east, or whichever it is. We couldn't hear them here."
“想想看，贝基，我们在他们下面很远的地方——我不知道是北、南、东，还是哪个方向。我们在这里听不到他们的声音。”
"I reckon I could find it—but then the bats. If they put our candles out it will be an awful fix. Let's try some other way, so as not to go through there."
“我想我能找到——但有蝙蝠。如果它们把我们的蜡烛吹灭，那就糟了。我们试试别的路，不要经过那里。”
"Well. But I hope we won't get lost. It would be so awful!" and the girl shuddered at the thought of the dreadful possibilities.
“好吧。但我希望我们不会迷路。那太可怕了！”女孩一想到可怕的可能性就浑身发抖。
They started through a corridor, and traversed it in silence a long way, glancing at each new opening, to see if there was anything familiar about the look of it; but they were all strange.
他们开始穿过一条走廊，默默地走了很长一段路，每次看到新的开口，都要看看它的样子是否熟悉；但它们都是陌生的。
Every time Tom made an examination, Becky would watch his face for an encouraging sign, and he would say cheerily:
每次汤姆检查时，贝基都会看着他的脸，寻找鼓励的迹象，他会高兴地说：
"Oh, it's all right. This ain't the one, but we'll come to it right away!"
"哦，没关系。这不是那一个，但我们马上就会找到它！"
But he felt less and less hopeful with each failure, and presently began to turn off into diverging avenues at sheer random, in desperate hope of finding the one that was wanted.
但每次失败后，他的希望都越来越少，不久就开始随意地拐进岔路，绝望地希望能找到想要的那一个。
He still said it was "all right," but there was such a leaden dread at his heart that the words had lost their ring and sounded just as if he had said, "All is lost!"
他仍然说"没关系"，但他心里有一种沉重的恐惧，以至于这些话失去了它们的意义，听起来就像是他说，"一切都完了！"
Becky clung to his side in an anguish of fear, and tried hard to keep back the tears, but they would come.
贝基痛苦地紧紧抓住他的身边，努力忍住眼泪，但它们还是会流出来。
"Oh, Tom, never mind the bats, let's go back that way! We seem to get worse and worse off all the time."
“哦，汤姆，别管蝙蝠了，我们还是回去吧！我们好像越来越糟糕了。”
Profound silence; silence so deep that even their breathings were conspicuous in the hush. Tom shouted. The call went echoing down the empty aisles and died out in the distance in a faint sound that resembled a ripple of mocking laughter.
一片寂静；寂静得如此深沉，以至于他们的呼吸在寂静中都显得格外突出。汤姆大喊。叫声在空荡荡的过道里回荡，在远处渐渐消失，变成了一种微弱的声音，像是一阵嘲讽的笑声。
"It is horrid, but I better, Becky; they might hear us, you know," and he shouted again.
“这很可怕，但我还是要喊，贝基；你知道，他们可能会听到我们的声音，”他又喊了一声。
The "might" was even a chillier horror than the ghostly laughter, it so confessed a perishing hope.
“可能”甚至比那幽灵般的笑声更让人感到寒意，因为它承认了一个正在破灭的希望。
It was but a little while before a certain indecision in his manner revealed another fearful fact to Becky—he could not find his way back!
没过多久，他的举止中某种犹豫不决又向贝基揭示了另一个可怕的事实——他找不到回去的路了！
"Becky, I was such a fool! Such a fool! I never thought we might want to come back! No—I can't find the way. It's all mixed up."
"贝基，我真是个傻瓜！这样的傻瓜！我从来没想过我们可能会想回来！不——我找不到路了。一切都乱了。"
"Tom, Tom, we're lost! we're lost! We never can get out of this awful place! Oh, why DID we ever leave the others!"
"汤姆，汤姆，我们迷路了！我们迷路了！我们永远也走不出这个可怕的地方！哦，我们为什么要离开其他人！"
She sank to the ground and burst into such a frenzy of crying that Tom was appalled with the idea that she might die, or lose her reason.
她瘫倒在地上，突然大哭起来，汤姆惊恐地想到她可能会死，或者失去理智。
He sat down by her and put his arms around her; she buried her face in his bosom, she clung to him, she poured out her terrors, her unavailing regrets, and the far echoes turned them all to jeering laughter.
他坐在她旁边，搂住她；她把脸埋在他怀里，紧紧地抱着他，倾诉着她的恐惧，她徒劳的悔恨，远处的回声把它们都变成了嘲笑的笑声。
He fell to blaming and abusing himself for getting her into this miserable situation; this had a better effect.
他开始责备和辱骂自己，让她陷入这种悲惨的境地；这产生了更好的效果。
She said she would try to hope again, she would get up and follow wherever he might lead if only he would not talk like that any more.
她说她会试着再次希望，她会站起来，跟着他去任何他可能带她去的地方，只要他不再那样说话。
So they moved on again—aimlessly—simply at random—all they could do was to move, keep moving. For a little while, hope made a show of reviving—not with any reason to back it, but only because it is its nature to revive when the spring has not been taken out of it by age and familiarity with failure.
于是他们又继续前进——漫无目的地——只是随意地——他们所能做的就是移动，不断移动。有一小会儿，希望似乎又重新出现了——没有任何理由支持它，只是因为它的本性就是在春天没有被岁月和对失败的熟悉所剥夺时重新出现。
By–and–by Tom took Becky's candle and blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words were not needed. Becky understood, and her hope died again. She knew that Tom had a whole candle and three or four pieces in his pockets—yet he must economize.
渐渐地，汤姆拿走了贝基的蜡烛并把它吹灭了。这种节约意味着很多！不需要言语。贝基明白，她的希望再次破灭了。她知道汤姆口袋里有一整根蜡烛和三四块碎片——但他必须节约。
By–and–by, fatigue began to assert its claims; the children tried to pay attention, for it was dreadful to think of sitting down when time was grown to be so precious, moving, in some direction, in any direction, was at least progress and might bear fruit; but to sit down was to invite death and shorten its pursuit.
渐渐地，疲劳开始显现出它的威力；孩子们试图集中注意力，因为当时间变得如此宝贵时，想到坐下来是可怕的，朝着某个方向，任何方向移动，至少是进步，可能会有结果；但坐下来就是邀请死亡并缩短它的追逐。
Tom rested with her, and they talked of home, and the friends there, and the comfortable beds and, above all, the light!
汤姆和她一起休息，他们谈论着家，那里的朋友，舒适的床，最重要的是，光！
Becky cried, and Tom tried to think of some way of comforting her, but all his encouragements were grown threadbare with use, and sounded like sarcasms.
贝基哭了，汤姆试图想办法安慰她，但他所有的鼓励都因为用得太多而变得陈旧，听起来像是讽刺。
He sat looking into her drawn face and saw it grow smooth and natural under the influence of pleasant dreams; and by–and–by a smile dawned and rested there.
他坐在那里看着她憔悴的脸，看到在愉快的梦境的影响下，它变得光滑自然；渐渐地，一个微笑出现了，并停留在那里。
The peaceful face reflected somewhat of peace and healing into his own spirit, and his thoughts wandered away to bygone times and dreamy memories.
平静的面容在他自己的精神中反射出一些平静和治愈，他的思绪飘向过去的时光和梦幻般的记忆。
While he was deep in his musings, Becky woke up with a breezy little laugh—but it was stricken dead upon her lips, and a groan followed it.
当他陷入沉思时，贝基醒来时轻笑了一声——但这笑声在她的嘴唇上突然消失了，接着是一声呻吟。
"Oh, how COULD I sleep! I wish I never, never had waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don't look so! I won't say it again."
“哦，我怎么能睡着！我希望我永远，永远不要醒来！不！不，我不，汤姆！别这样看！我不会再说了。”
"I'm glad you've slept, Becky; you'll feel rested, now, and we'll find the way out."
“我很高兴你睡着了，贝基；现在你会感觉休息好了，我们会找到出路的。”
"We can try, Tom; but I've seen such a beautiful country in my dream. I reckon we are going there."
“我们可以试试，汤姆；但我在梦中看到了一个如此美丽的国家。我想我们要去那里。”
They tried to estimate how long they had been in the cave, but all they knew was that it seemed days and weeks, and yet it was plain that this could not be, for their candles were not gone yet.
他们试图估计他们在洞穴里待了多久，但他们只知道似乎是几天几周，但显然这不可能，因为他们的蜡烛还没有熄灭。
A long time after this—they could not tell how long—Tom said they must go softly and listen for dripping water—they must find a spring.
过了很久之后——他们不知道过了多久——汤姆说他们必须轻声走，听滴水的声音——他们必须找到一个泉水。
Both were cruelly tired, yet Becky said she thought she could go a little farther.
两人都累得要命，但贝基说她觉得她可以再走一点。
They sat down, and Tom fastened his candle to the wall in front of them with some clay.
他们坐下来，汤姆用一些黏土把他的蜡烛固定在他们面前的墙上。
"I saved it from the picnic for us to dream on, Tom, the way grown–up people do with wedding–cake—but it'll be our—"
“我从野餐中留了下来，让我们像大人用婚礼蛋糕那样做梦，汤姆，但它会是我们的——”
She dropped the sentence where it was. Tom divided the cake and Becky ate with good appetite, while Tom nibbled at his moiety. There was abundance of cold water to finish the feast with. By–and–by Becky suggested that they move on again. Tom was silent a moment. Then he said:
她没把话说完。汤姆分了蛋糕，贝基胃口很好地吃了起来，而汤姆则啃着他那一份。还有大量的冷水可以用来结束这顿盛宴。过了一会儿，贝基建议他们再继续前进。汤姆沉默了一会儿。然后他说：
"Well, then, Becky, we must stay here, where there's water to drink. That little piece is our last candle!"
“好吧，那么，贝基，我们必须呆在这里，这里有水喝。那小块蜡烛是我们最后的蜡烛了！”
Becky gave loose to tears and wailings. Tom did what he could to comfort her, but with little effect. At length Becky said:
贝基放声大哭，嚎啕大哭。汤姆尽力安慰她，但效果不大。最后贝基说：
"I don't know. But anyway, your mother would miss you as soon as they got home."
“我不知道。不过不管怎样，你妈妈他们一到家就会想你的。”
A frightened look in Becky's face brought Tom to his senses and he saw that he had made a blunder.
贝基脸上惊恐的表情让汤姆回过神来，他意识到自己犯了个错误。
In a moment a new burst of grief from Becky showed Tom that the thing in his mind had struck hers also—that the Sabbath morning might be half spent before Mrs. Thatcher discovered that Becky was not at Mrs. Harper's.
过了一会儿，贝基又一阵悲痛，让汤姆明白他心里想的事也触动了她——撒巴日早上可能已经过了一半，撒切尔太太才发现贝基不在哈珀太太家。
The children fastened their eyes upon their bit of candle and watched it melt slowly and pitilessly away; saw the half inch of wick stand alone at last; saw the feeble flame rise and fall, climb the thin column of smoke, linger at its top a moment, and then—the horror of utter darkness reigned!
孩子们紧紧盯着他们那一点蜡烛，看着它慢慢地、无情地融化掉；看到最后半英寸的灯芯独自挺立着；看到微弱的火焰升起又落下，爬上那细细的烟柱，在顶端停留了一会儿，然后——完全黑暗的恐怖笼罩了一切！
How long afterward it was that Becky came to a slow consciousness that she was crying in Tom's arms, neither could tell.
过了多久，贝基才慢慢意识到自己在汤姆的怀里哭泣，他们谁也说不上来。
All that they knew was, that after what seemed a mighty stretch of time, both awoke out of a dead stupor of sleep and resumed their miseries once more.
他们只知道，似乎过了很长一段时间后，两人都从沉睡中醒来，又开始了他们的痛苦。
He tried to get Becky to talk, but her sorrows were too oppressive, all her hopes were gone.
他试图让贝基说话，但她的悲伤太沉重了，她所有的希望都破灭了。
Tom said that they must have been missed long ago, and no doubt the search was going on.
汤姆说他们肯定早就被错过了，毫无疑问，搜寻正在进行中。
He tried it; but in the darkness the distant echoes sounded so hideously that he tried it no more.
他试过了；但在黑暗中，远处的回声听起来如此可怕，他再也不敢试了。
The hours wasted away, and hunger came to torment the captives again. A portion of Tom's half of the cake was left; they divided and ate it. But they seemed hungrier than before. The poor morsel of food only whetted desire.
时间白白流逝，饥饿再次折磨着俘虏们。汤姆那半块蛋糕还剩下一部分；他们分着吃了。但他们似乎比以前更饿了。那可怜的一点食物只会刺激欲望。
Both held their breath and listened. There was a sound like the faintest, far–off shout. Instantly Tom answered it, and leading Becky by the hand, started groping down the corridor in its direction. Presently he listened again; again the sound was heard, and apparently a little nearer.
他们都屏住呼吸，听着。有一种声音，像是最微弱、遥远的呼喊。汤姆立刻回答了，牵着贝基的手，开始摸索着朝走廊的方向走去。不久，他又听了听；又听到了声音，显然更近了一点。
"It's them!" said Tom; "they're coming! Come along, Becky—we're all right now!"
“是他们！”汤姆说；“他们来了！来吧，贝基——我们现在没事了！”
Their speed was slow, however, because pitfalls were somewhat common, and had to be guarded against.
然而，他们的速度很慢，因为陷阱有点常见，必须加以防范。
It might be three feet deep, it might be a hundred—there was no passing it at any rate.
它可能有三英尺深，也可能有一百英尺——无论如何都无法通过。
He talked hopefully to Becky; but an age of anxious waiting passed and no sounds came again.
他满怀希望地对贝基说话；但焦急等待的漫长时间过去了，再也没有声音传来。
The children groped their way back to the spring. The weary time dragged on; they slept again, and awoke famished and woe–stricken. Tom believed it must be Tuesday by this time.
孩子们摸索着回到泉水边。疲惫的时间慢慢流逝；他们又睡着了，醒来时饥饿不堪，忧心忡忡。汤姆相信现在一定是星期二了。
It would be better to explore some of these than bear the weight of the heavy time in idleness.
探索其中一些通道比无所事事地承受沉重的时间要好。
He took a kite–line from his pocket, tied it to a projection, and he and Becky started, Tom in the lead, unwinding the line as he groped along.
他从口袋里拿出一根风筝线，把它系在一个突出物上，然后他和贝基开始出发，汤姆在前面，一边摸索一边解开线。
Tom got down on his knees and felt below, and then as far around the corner as he could reach with his hands conveniently; he made an effort to stretch yet a little farther to the right, and at that moment, not twenty yards away, a human hand, holding a candle, appeared from behind a rock!
汤姆跪下来，在下面摸索，然后尽可能方便地用手绕着角落摸索；他努力再向右伸展一点，就在那一刻，不到二十码远的地方，一只拿着蜡烛的人手从一块岩石后面出现了！
Tom lifted up a glorious shout, and instantly that hand was followed by the body it belonged to—Injun Joe's!
汤姆发出了一声欢呼，紧接着那只手后面出现了它所属的身体——印第安·乔的！
He was vastly gratified the next moment, to see the "Spaniard" take to his heels and get himself out of sight.
下一刻，他非常高兴地看到“西班牙人”拔腿就跑，让自己消失在视线中。
Tom wondered that Joe had not recognized his voice and come over and killed him for testifying in court.
汤姆想知道乔为什么没有认出他的声音，过来杀了他，因为他在法庭上作证。
He said to himself that if he had strength enough to get back to the spring he would stay there, and nothing should tempt him to run the risk of meeting Injun Joe again.
他自言自语地说，如果他有足够的力气回到泉水边，他就会呆在那里，什么也不会诱使他再冒遇到印第安·乔的危险。
Another tedious wait at the spring and another long sleep brought changes.
在泉水边又一次漫长的等待，又一次长时间的睡眠，带来了变化。
Tom believed that it must be Wednesday or Thursday or even Friday or Saturday, now, and that the search had been given over.
汤姆认为现在一定是星期三或星期四，甚至是星期五或星期六，搜寻已经放弃了。
She told Tom to go with the kite–line and explore if he chose; but she implored him to come back every little while and speak to her; and she made him promise that when the awful time came, he would stay by her and hold her hand until all was over.
她告诉汤姆带着风筝线去探索，如果他愿意的话；但她恳求他每隔一小会儿就回来和她说话；她还让他承诺，当可怕的时刻到来时，他会留在她身边，握住她的手，直到一切结束。
Tom kissed her, with a choking sensation in his throat, and made a show of being confident of finding the searchers or an escape from the cave; then he took the kite–line in his hand and went groping down one of the passages on his hands and knees, distressed with hunger and sick with bodings of coming doom.
汤姆吻了她，喉咙哽咽，假装对找到搜寻者或从洞穴中逃脱充满信心；然后他手里拿着风筝线，手脚并用，摸索着沿着其中一条通道下去，饥饿使他痛苦，对即将到来的厄运的预感使他感到恶心。
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