Presently, after many hasty snatches into the fire, and still hastier withdrawals of his fingers (whereby he seemed to be scorching them badly), he at last succeeded in drawing out the biscuit; then blowing off the heat and ashes a little, he made a polite offer of it to the little negro.

隔了一会,他急急地伸手向火里去抓硬面包,又赶快缩回来(好象把手烫得很痛似的),这样有好几次,总算把硬面包从火里拿了出来;于是他把那块硬面包吹吹凉,吹掉一些灰,便把它作为一种祭品,恭恭敬敬地献给那小黑人。

But the little devil did not seem to fancy such dry sort of fare at all; he never moved his lips.

但是,那个小魔鬼好象对这样干巴巴的食物完全不发生兴趣似的,嘴巴动都不动。

All these strange antics were accompanied by still stranger guttural noises from the devotee, who seemed to be praying in a sing-song or else singing some pagan psalmody or other, during which his face twitched about in the most unnatural manner.

就在做出这些希奇古怪的动作的同时,这位信男的喉咙里还发出种种更加古怪的声音,象是哼祈祷歌,或者是在唱什么异教的赞美诗,唱的时候,脸上还七歪八扭地做出种种怪相。

At last extinguishing the fire, he took the idol up very unceremoniously, and bagged it again in his grego pocket as carelessly as if he were a sportsman bagging a dead woodcock.

最后,他把火吹熄,随随便便地抓起那只小偶像,往斗篷口袋里一塞,就象个猎人把一只死山鸡放进袋里一样的漫不经心。

All these queer proceedings increased my uncomfortableness, and seeing him now exhibiting strong symptoms of concluding his business operations, and jumping into bed with me, I thought it was high time, now or never, before the light was put out, to break the spell in which I had so long been bound.

所有这些古怪的行动使我越来越感到不安。看来他的公事已告结束,就要跳上床来跟我睡在一起了。我象碰到鬼似的,这半天都呆在这里不开口;我认为,时机不可再失,要末现在,要末就来不及,我得在他熄灯之前,挣扎出一句话来。

But the interval I spent in deliberating what to say, was a fatal one.

我心里在盘算该说些什么好的这段时间,真是个性命交关的时分。

Taking up his tomahawk from the table, he examined the head of it for an instant, and then holding it to the light, with his mouth at the handle, he puffed out great clouds of tobacco smoke. The next moment the light was extinguished, and this wild cannibal, tomahawk between his teeth, sprang into bed with me.

他打桌子上拿起那支烟斗斧,检视一下头子,就拿来对着火,嘴衔着柄子,喷出一大口烟来。一转眼间,灯已经熄掉,这个嘴里咬着烟斗斧的野人,就跳上床来跟我睡在一起。

I sang out, I could not help it now; and giving a sudden grunt of astonishment he began feeling me.

我大声叫了出来,我现在再也禁不住自己了;他发出一声嗥叫,诧异之极,就动手来摸我。

Stammering out something, I knew not what, I rolled away from him against the wall, and then conjured him, whoever or whatever he might be, to keep quiet, and let me get up and light the lamp again.

我嘴里结结巴巴地说了些话,什么话连我自己也不知道,身子滚到墙边躲他,后来又跟他讲了许多好话,说不管他是何等样人,请他不要闹,先放我起来,把灯重新点亮。

But his guttural responses satisfied me at once that he but ill comprehended my meaning.

他喉咙里咕噜着回答,我听了立刻明白他原来误解了我的意思。