三十九级台阶(中英对照).docx

三十九级台阶(中英对照).docx

《三十九级台阶(中英对照).docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《三十九级台阶(中英对照).docx（96页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

TheThirty-NineSteps

三十九级台阶

简介

理查德·哈内走回他伦敦的公寓，感到百无聊赖。

他想，在英格兰好像什么令人激动的

事情也不曾发生过。

也许他该回非洲去。

然而，那天晚上来了一位叫斯卡德尔的客人，给他

讲了一个离奇的故事。

一周以后，哈内卧在苏格兰荒原的石楠丛中，饥肠辘辘，筋疲力尽。

一架小飞机在他头

顶的蓝天上低空盘旋。

哈内一动不动地躺着，希望谢天谢地飞机不要发现他，同时琢磨着口

袋里斯卡德尔的黑色小笔记本。

斯卡德尔在笔记本里记着“黑石”，这个神秘的黑石是谁呢？

那个“三十九级台阶”又怎么那么重要？

六月十五日伦敦会出什么事？

而斯卡德尔已经被害，哈内的敌人在苏格兰的山山岭岭日夜追捕他，他必须自己搞清这

是为什么。

如果他的敌人抓住他，就会把他杀掉……

约翰·巴肯（1875—1940）：

苏格兰作家，政治家，曾任加拿大总督。

他有许多著作最

有名的是理查德·哈内系列惊险小说，其中包括《三十九级台阶》，该书写于一九一五年，

后改编成著名导演希区科克执导的电影。

1Themanwhodied

Ireturnedtomyflatataboutthreeo'clockonthatMayafternoonveryunhappywithlife.I

hasbeenbackinBritainforthreemonthsandIwasalreadybored.Theweatherwasbad，the

peopleweredull，andtheamusementsofLondonseemedasexcitingasaglassofcoldwater.

'RichardHannay，'Itoldmyself，'youhavemadeamistake，andyouhadbetterdosomething

aboutit.'

ItmademeangrywhenIthoughtoftheyearsIhadspentinAfrica.Ihadspentthoseyears

workingveryhardandmakingmoney.Notalotofmoney，butenoughforme.IhadleftScotland

whenIwassixyearsold，andIhadneverbeenhomesince.ForyearsIhaddreamtofcoming

hometoBritainandspendingtherestofmylifethere，butIwasdisappointedwiththeplace

afterthefirstweek.AndsohereIwas，thirty-sevenyearsold，healthy，withenoughmoneyto

haveagoodtime，andboredtodeath.

ThateveningIwentouttodinnerandsatreadingthenewspapersafterwards.Theywerefull

ofthetroublesinsouth-eastEurope，andtherewasalongreportaboutKarolides，theGreek

PrimeMinister.Heseemedtobeanhonestman，butsomepeopleinEuropehatedhim.However，

manypeopleinBritainlikedhim，andonenewspapersaidthathewastheonlymanwhocould

preventawarstarting.IrememberwonderingifIcouldgetajobinsouth-eastEuropeltl

bthitimgeaoessboringthanlifeinLondon.

AsIwalkedhomethatnight，IdecidedtogiveBritainonemoreday.Ifnothinginteresting

happened，IwouldtakethenextboatbacktoAfrica.

MyflatwasinabignewbuildinginLanghamPlace.Therewasadoormanattheentranceto

thebuilding，buteachflatwasseparate，withitsownfrontdoor.Iwasjustputtingthekeyinto

mydoorwhenamanappearednexttome.Hewasthin，withashortbrownbeardandsmall，

verybrighteyes.Irecognizedhimasthemanwholivedinaflatonthetopfloorofthebuilding.

Wehadspokenonceortwiceonthestairs.

'CanIspeaktoyou？

'heasked.'MayIcomeinforaminute？

'Hisvoicewasshakingalittle.

Iopenedthedoorandwewentin.

'Isthedoorlocked？

'heasked，andquicklylockedithimself.

'I'mverysorry，'hesaidtome.'It'sveryrudeofme.ButI'minadangerouscornerandyou

lookedlikethekindofmanwhowouldunderstand.IfIexplain，willyouhelpme？

'

'I'lllistentoyou，'Isaid.'That'sallIpromise.'Iwasgettingworriedbythisstrangeman's

behaviour.

Therewasatablewithdrinksonitnexttohim，andhetookalargewhiskyforhimself.He

drankitquickly，andthenputtheglassdownsoviolentlythatitbroke.

'I'msorry，'hesaid.'I'malittlenervoustonight.Yousee，atthismomentI'mdead.'

Isatdowninanarmchairandlitmypipe.

'Howdoesitfeel？

'Iasked.Iwasnowalmostsurethatthemanwasmad.

Hesmiled.'I'mnotmad-yet.Listen，I'vebeenwatchingyou，andIguessthatyou'renot

easilyfrightened.I'mgoingtotellyoumystory.Ineedhelpverybadly，andIwanttoknowif

you'retherightmantoask.'

'Tellmeyourstory，'Isaid，'andI'lltellyouifIcanhelpyou.'

Itwasanextraordinarystory.Ididn'tunderstandallofit，andIhadtoaskalotofquestions，

buthereitis：

HisnamewasFranklinP.ScudderandhewasanAmerican，buthehadbeeninsouth-east

Europeforseveralyears.ByaccidenthehaddiscoveredagroupofPeoplewhowereworking

secretlytopushEuropetowardsawar.Thesepeoplewereclever，anddangerous.Someofthem

wantedtochangetheworldthroughwar；otherssimplywantedtomakealotofmoney，and

thereisalwaysmoneytobemadetanyamreGdissuRfromawar.Theirplanwastogetaanwar

witheachother.

'Iwanttostopthem，'Scuddertoldme，'andifIcanstayaliveforanothermonth，IthinkI

can.'

'Ithoughtyouwerealreadydead，'Isaid.

'I'lltellyouaboutthatinaminute，'heanswered.'Butfirst，doyouknowwhoConstantine

Karolidesis？

'

'TheGreekPrimeMinister.I'vejustbeenreadingabouthimintoday'snewspapers.'

'Right.He'stheonlymanwhocanstopthewar.He'sintelligent，he'shonest，andheknows

what'sgoingon-andsohisenemiesplantokillhim.Ihavediscoveredhow.Thatwasvery

dangerousforme，soIhadtodisappear.Theycan'tkillKarolidesinGreecebecausehehastoo

manyguards.Butonthe15thofJunehe'scomingtoLondonforabigmeeting，andhisenemies

plantokillhimhere.'

'Youcanwarnhi