and armed with their keen mincing knives (long, crescentic, heavy implements with a handle at each end) run amuck from the bowsprit to the taffrail; and if by any devilishness of desperation possible, seize the ship. For himself, he would do this, he said, whether they joined him or not. That was the last night he should spend inthat den. But the scheme met with no opposition on the part of the other two; they swore they were ready for that, or for any other mad thing, for anything in short but a surrender. And what was more, they each insisted upon being the first man on deck, when the time to make the rush should come. But to this their leader as fiercely objected, reserving that priority for himself; particularly as his two comrades would not yield, the one to the other, in the matter; and both of them could not be first, for the ladder would but admit one man at a time. And here, gentlemen, the foul play of these miscreants must come out.
每个人拿着他们的锋利的剁肉刀子(一种有柄的，又长又重的，蛾眉月式的家伙)，然后从第一斜桅奔到船尾栏杆，见人就杀；如果有神差鬼使的冒险可能，就把船给占领下来。他说，就他自己说来，他是会这样做的，不管他们跟不跟他一起干。这是他待在这个窝里的最后一夜了。这计划并没有遭到他们两个人的反对，他们发了誓，说他们准备这样做，也准备做更惊人的事情，总之，除了投降，什么都会干。不过呢，他们各人都为在冲出去的时候谁先上甲板这个问题争持不下。他们的头领，对此表示强烈地反对，认为他自己拥有先出去的优先权；特别是另外两个同伴，对这事情都各不相让；可他们两个又不能一起先出去，因为一张梯子，一次只能走一个人。到了这里，诸位先生，这些恶棍的卑劣行为可非露底不可了。
Upon hearing the frantic project of their leader, each in his own separate soul had suddenly lighted, it would seem, upon the same piece of treachery, namely: to be the foremost in breaking out, in order to be the first of the three, though the last of the ten, to surrender; and thereby secure whatever small chance of pardon such conduct might merit.
听了他们的头目这个疯狂计划后，仿佛各人的心里都不约而同地突然想到了同样的诡计，那就是：为了投降，虽然是十个人中的最后一批，可是，这三个人里头，却都要争取第一个首先冲出去，因为这样一来，也许还多少可以获得个宽赦的机会。