Andrew Coffey

My grandfather, Andrew Coffey, was known to the whole barony as a quiet, decent man. And if the whole barony knew him, he knew the whole barony, every inch, hill and dale, bog and pasture, field and covert. Fancy his surprise one evening, when he found himself in a part of the demesne he couldn't recognise a bit. He and his good horse were always stumbling up against some tree or stumbling down into some bog-hole that by rights didn't ought to be there. On the top of all this the rain came pelting down wherever there was a clearing, and the cold March wind tore through the trees.

我的祖父安德鲁·科菲，在整个男爵领地都是出了名的沉稳、正派 之人。要是说整个领地的人都认得他，那他也认得整个领地的每一 寸土地，山冈与谷地，沼泽与牧场，田野与林薮，无一不知。可有 一天傍晚，他竟发现自己置身于庄园里一处他压根认不出来的地方， 你想他该有多吃惊。他和他那匹好马一路上不是撞上不该在那儿的 树，就是一脚踩进不该在那儿的泥沼坑。偏偏这时，凡是空旷些的 地方，雨都倾盆而下，三月的寒风也呼啸着穿过林间。

Glad he was then when he saw a light in the distance, and drawing near found a cabin, though for the life of him he couldn't think how it came there. However, in he walked, after tying up his horse, and right welcome was the brushwood fire blazing on the hearth. And there stood a chair right and tight, that seemed to say, "Come, sit down in me." There wasn't a soul else in the room. Well, he did sit, and got a little warm and cheered after his drenching. But all the while he was wondering and wondering.

正当此时，他望见远处有一点亮光，心里一喜，走近一看，竟发现 一座小屋，可他怎么想也想不明白这屋子是怎么在那儿的。不管怎 样，他拴好马，便走了进去。炉膛里燃着一堆灌木柴火，暖意扑面， 着实让人欢喜。屋里立着一把结结实实的椅子，仿佛在说：“来 呀，坐到我这儿来。”屋里再没有别的人影。好吧，他便坐了下来， 淋透的身子渐渐暖和过来，心情也松快了些。可他心里始终纳闷， 纳闷个不停。

"Andrew Coffey! Andrew Coffey!"

“安德鲁·科菲！安德鲁·科菲！”

Good heavens! who was calling him, and not a soul in sight? Look around as he might, indoors and out, he could find no creature with two legs or four, for his horse was gone.

老天爷啊！是谁在叫他，可周围连个人影也没有？他四下里怎么 找，屋里屋外都找遍了，也找不出一个两条腿或四条腿的活物， 因为连他的马都不见了。

"ANDREW COFFEY! ANDREW COFFEY! tell me a story."

“安德鲁·科菲！安德鲁·科菲！给我讲个故事。”

It was louder this time, and it was nearer. And then what a thing to ask for! It was bad enough not to be let sit by the fire and dry oneself, without being bothered for a story.

这一次声音更响了，也更近了。这可真是个奇怪的要求！本来不 让人好好烤火擦干身子已经够糟的了，还要缠着人讲故事。

"ANDREW COFFEY! ANDREW COFFEY!! Tell me a story, or it'll be the worse for you."

“安德鲁·科菲！安德鲁·科菲！！给我讲个故事，不然有你好 受的。”

My poor grandfather was so dumbfounded that he could only stand and stare.

我可怜的祖父吓得目瞪口呆，只能呆呆地站着盯着看。

"ANDREW COFFEY! ANDREW COFFEY! I told you it'd be the worse for you."

“安德鲁·科菲！安德鲁·科菲！我早说了有你好受的。”

And with that, out there bounced, from a cupboard that Andrew Coffey had never noticed before, a man. And the man was in a towering rage. But it wasn't that. And he carried as fine a blackthorn as you'd wish to crack a man's head with. But it wasn't that either. But when my grandfather clapped eyes on him, he knew him for Patrick Rooney, and all the world knew he'd gone overboard, fishing one night long years before.

话音刚落，从一个安德鲁·科菲从没注意到的橱柜里，蹦出来一个 男人。那人正怒气冲冲，可这还不算什么。他手里还提着一根上好 的黑刺李木棍子，那棍子简直就是敲破人脑袋的绝佳工具，可这也 不算什么。等我祖父定睛一看，他认出了这人正是帕特里克·鲁尼， 而全世界的人都知道，他多年前的一个夜里出海打鱼，落水淹死了。

Andrew Coffey would neither stop nor stay, but he took to his heels and was out of the house as hard as he could. He ran and he ran taking little thought of what was before till at last he ran up against a big tree. And then he sat down to rest.

安德鲁·科菲二话不说，撒腿就跑，用尽全身力气冲出了屋子。他 跑啊跑，也顾不上前面是什么，直到一头撞上了一棵大树，这才 一屁股坐下来歇口气。

He hadn't sat for a moment when he heard voices.

他刚坐下没一会儿，便听见了说话声。

"It's heavy he is, the vagabond." "Steady now, we'll rest when we get under the big tree yonder." Now that happened to be the tree under which Andrew Coffey was sitting. At least he thought so, for seeing a branch handy he swung himself up by it and was soon snugly hidden away. Better see than be seen, thought he.

“这家伙可真沉，这个流浪汉。”“稳住，等到了那边那棵大树下 再歇。”而那棵树恰巧就是安德鲁·科菲坐着的这一棵。至少他是 这么想的，因为他一见旁边有根趁手的树枝，便一跃而上，很快就 把自己藏得严严实实。他心想，与其被人瞧见，不如自己先瞧瞧 清楚。

The rain had stopped and the wind fallen. The night was blacker than ever, but Andrew Coffey could see four men, and they were carrying between them a long box. Under the tree they came, set the box down, opened it, and who should they bring out but—Patrick Rooney. Never a word did he say, and he looked as pale as old snow.

雨已经停了，风也平息了下来。夜色比先前更黑，可安德鲁·科菲 还是看清了四个男人，他们抬着一口长长的箱子。他们来到树下， 放下箱子，打开一看，抬出来的竟是——帕特里克·鲁尼。他一句 话也没说，脸色苍白得像陈年积雪一般。

Well, one gathered brushwood, and another took out tinder and flint, and soon they had a big fire roaring, and my grandfather could see Patrick plainly enough. If he had kept still before, he kept stiller now. Soon they had four poles up and a pole across, right over the fire, for all the world like a spit, and on to the pole they slung Patrick Rooney.

有个人捡来了灌木柴，另一个掏出了火绒和打火石，不一会儿便 燃起了一堆熊熊大火，我祖父这下把帕特里克看得清清楚楚。他先 前就够安静的了，这会儿更是纹丝不动。没多久他们又竖起四根 柱子，再横上一根杆子，正架在火堆上方，活脱脱就像根烤肉铁 叉，接着他们便把帕特里克·鲁尼绑在了那根横杆上。

"He'll do well enough," said one; "but who's to mind him whilst we're away, who'll turn the fire, who'll see that he doesn't burn?"

“这样就够了，”一个人说道，“可我们走了以后，谁来照看他呢？ 谁来翻动这火，谁来看着别让他给烤糊了？”

With that Patrick opened his lips: "Andrew Coffey," said he.

话音刚落，帕特里克便开了口：“安德鲁·科菲，”他说道。

"Andrew Coffey! Andrew Coffey! Andrew Coffey! Andrew Coffey!"

“安德鲁·科菲！安德鲁·科菲！安德鲁·科菲！安德鲁·科菲！”

"I'm much obliged to you, gentlemen," said Andrew Coffey, "but indeed I know nothing about the business."

“真是多谢几位了，”安德鲁·科菲说道，“不过说实话，这事我 一点也不懂。”

"You'd better come down, Andrew Coffey," said Patrick.

“你还是下来吧，安德鲁·科菲，”帕特里克说道。

It was the second time he spoke, and Andrew Coffey decided he would come down. The four men went off and he was left all alone with Patrick.

这是他第二次开口了，安德鲁·科菲便打定主意下来了。那四个人 走了，只留下他和帕特里克单独在一起。

Then he sat and he kept the fire even, and he kept the spit turning, and all the while Patrick looked at him.

于是他坐下来，把火照看得均匀，也不停地翻转着那根烤肉叉， 而帕特里克则一直盯着他看。

Poor Andrew Coffey couldn't make it all out at all, at all, and he stared at Patrick and at the fire, and he thought of the little house in the wood, till he felt quite dazed.

可怜的安德鲁·科菲怎么也想不明白这是怎么回事，他一会儿盯着 帕特里克，一会儿盯着火堆，又想起林子里的那间小屋，直看得 他晕头转向。

"Ah, but it's burning me ye are!" says Patrick, very short and sharp.

“哎呀，你把我烤糊了！”帕特里克没好气地厉声说道。

"I'm sure I beg your pardon," said my grandfather "but might I ask you a question?"

“真是对不住，”我祖父说道，“不过我能不能问您一个问题？”

"If you want a crooked answer," said Patrick; "turn away or it'll be the worse for you."

“你要是想听个含糊其辞的答案，”帕特里克说道，“那就转过身 去，不然有你好受的。”

But my grandfather couldn't get it out of his head; hadn't everybody, far and near, said Patrick had fallen overboard. There was enough to think about, and my grandfather did think.

可我祖父怎么也没法把这事从脑子里赶出去；大家不都远近皆知， 说帕特里克是落水身亡的吗？这可真够他想的了，我祖父也确实 想了不少。

"ANDREW COFFEY! ANDREW COFFEY! IT'S BURNING ME YE ARE."

“安德鲁·科菲！安德鲁·科菲！你把我烤糊了。”

Sorry enough my grandfather was, and he vowed he wouldn't do so again.

我祖父这下可真是过意不去，他发誓再也不会这样了。

"You'd better not," said Patrick, and he gave him a cock of his eye, and a grin of his teeth, that just sent a shiver down Andrew Coffey's back. Well it was odd, that here he should be in a thick wood he had never set eyes upon, turning Patrick Rooney upon a spit. You can't wonder at my grandfather thinking and thinking and not minding the fire.

“你最好别再犯，”帕特里克说道，一边斜眼瞅了瞅他，又龇了龇 牙，笑了一笑，看得安德鲁·科菲脊背一阵发凉。这也真是怪事， 他竟置身于一片从没见过的密林深处，翻烤着帕特里克·鲁尼这么 一根烤肉叉。也难怪我祖父只顾着一个劲儿地想啊想，都忘了照 看那堆火。

"ANDREW COFFEY, ANDREW COFFEY, IT'S THE DEATH OF YOU I'LL BE."

“安德鲁·科菲，安德鲁·科菲，我要让你死在这儿。”

And with that what did my grandfather see, but Patrick unslinging himself from the spit and his eyes glared and his teeth glistened.

话音刚落，我祖父便看见帕特里克从烤肉叉上解开了自己，双眼 圆睁，牙齿闪着寒光。

It was neither stop nor stay my grandfather made, but out he ran into the night of the wood. It seemed to him there wasn't a stone but was for his stumbling, not a branch but beat his face, not a bramble but tore his skin. And wherever it was clear the rain pelted down and the cold March wind howled along.

我祖父这下再也顾不上停留，拔腿便冲进了黑漆漆的林子里。他 只觉得每一块石头都在绊他的脚，每一根树枝都在抽打他的脸， 每一丛荆棘都在撕扯他的皮肉。只要是空旷的地方，雨就倾盆而 下，三月的寒风也呼啸而过。

Glad he was to see a light, and a minute after he was kneeling, dazed, drenched, and bedraggled by the hearth side. The brushwood flamed, and the brushwood crackled, and soon my grandfather began to feel a little warm and dry and easy in his mind.

他望见一点亮光，心里一喜，片刻之后，他已经跪在炉火旁，浑 身湿透，狼狈不堪，昏昏沉沉。灌木柴火熊熊燃烧，噼啪作响， 我祖父很快便觉得身子渐渐暖和干燥起来，心里也踏实了些。

"ANDREW COFFEY! ANDREW COFFEY!"

“安德鲁·科菲！安德鲁·科菲！”

It's hard for a man to jump when he has been through all my grandfather had, but jump he did. And when he looked around, where should he find himself but in the very cabin he had first met Patrick in.

一个人经历了我祖父所经历的这一切之后，实在很难再吓得跳起 来，可他还是跳了起来。他四下一看，发现自己竟又回到了最初 遇见帕特里克的那间小屋里。

"Andrew Coffey, Andrew Coffey, tell me a story."

“安德鲁·科菲，安德鲁·科菲，给我讲个故事。”

"Is it a story you want?" said my grandfather as bold as may be, for he was just tired of being frightened. "Well if you can tell me the rights of this one, I'll be thankful."

“你是想听个故事吗？”我祖父这时豁出去了，胆子也大了起来， 毕竟他已经受够了这一路的惊吓。“好吧，你要是能跟我说清楚这 到底是怎么回事，我可就感激不尽了。”

And he told the tale of what had befallen him from first to last that night. The tale was long, and may be Andrew Coffey was weary. It's asleep he must have fallen, for when he awoke he lay on the hill-side under the open heavens, and his horse grazed at his side.

于是他便把那一晚从头到尾发生的事，原原本本地讲了一遍。故事 讲得很长，安德鲁·科菲大概也累了。他一定是讲着讲着就睡着了， 因为等他醒来时，只见自己正躺在空旷的天空下、山坡上，他的 马就在他身旁吃着草。