(单词翻译:单击)
英文原版
"Twelve years have now elapsed since the first assassinations which proved the existence of a criminal organization in our midst. From that day these outrages have never ceased, until now they have reached a pitch which makes us the opprobrium of the civilized world. Is it for such results as this that our great country welcomes to its bosom the alien who flies from the despotisms of Europe? Is it that they shall themselves become tyrants over the very men who have given them shelter, and that a state of terrorism and lawlessness should be established under the very shadow of the sacred folds of the starry Flag of Freedom which would raise horror in our minds if we read of it as existing under the most effete monarchy of the East? The men are known. The organization is patent and public. How long are we to endure it? Can we forever live--
Sure, I've read enough of the slush!" cried the chairman, tossing the paper down upon the table. "That's what he says of us. The question I'm asking you is what shall we say to him?"
"Kill him!" cried a dozen fierce voices.
"I protest against that," said Brother Morris, the man of the good brow and shaved face. "I tell you, Brethren, that our hand is too heavy in this valley, and that there will come a point where in self-defense every man will unite to crush us out. James Stanger is an old man. He is respected in the township and the district. His paper stands for all that is solid in the valley. If that man is struck down, there will be a stir through this state that will only end with our destruction."
"And how would they bring about our destruction, Mr. Standback?" cried McGinty. "Is it by the police? Sure, half of them are in our pay and half of them afraid of us. Or is it by the law courts and the judge? Haven't we tried that before now, and what ever came of it?"
"There is a Judge Lynch that might try the case," said Brother Morris.
A general shout of anger greeted the suggestion.
"I have but to raise my finger," cried McGinty, "and I could put two hundred men into this town that would clear it out from end to end." Then suddenly raising his voice and bending his huge black brows into a terrible frown, "See here, Brother Morris, I have my eye on you, and have had for some time! You've no heart yourself, and you try to take the heart out of others. It will be an ill day for you, Brother Morris, when your own name comes on our agenda paper, and I'm thinking that it's just there that I ought to place it."
Morris had turned deadly pale, and his knees seemed to give way under him as he fell back into his chair. He raised his glass in his trembling hand and drank before he could answer. "I apologize, Eminent Bodymaster, to you and to every brother in this lodge if I have said more than I should. I am a faithful member--you all know that--and it is my fear lest evil come to the lodge which makes me speak in anxious words. But I have greater trust in your judgment than in my own, Eminent Bodymaster, and I promise you that I will not offend again."
The Bodymaster's scowl relaxed as he listened to the humble words. "Very good, Brother Morris. It's myself that would be sorry if it were needful to give you a lesson. But so long as I am in this chair we shall be a united lodge in word and in deed. And now, boys," he continued, looking round at the company, "I'll say this much, that if Stanger got his full deserts there would be more trouble than we need ask for. These editors hang together, and every journal in the state would be crying out for police and troops. But I guess you can give him a pretty severe warning. Will you fix it, Brother Baldwin?"
"Sure!" said the young man eagerly.
"How many will you take?"
自首次暗杀事件发生,即示明我区存在犯罪组织,现已流逝十二载。唯自斯日始,此类暴行迄未间断。时至今日,彼等已登峰造极,竟使吾人蒙受文明世界之耻。吾国当日欢纳自欧洲专制政体下逃亡之移民,何曾预想此等结果?彼等竟欲欺凌当日赖以栖身之恩主,自作暴戾,而此等恐怖暴虐、目无法纪,竟在自由之星条旗帜圣神掩盖之下确立,顿使吾人心目中引起惊恐,尤如置身于最衰朽之东方君主国中者。彼等之名,人所共知。此组织亦公开。吾人对此容忍何日方休?吾人品能常此生活……'
“够了,这种废话我念够了!"麦金蒂把报纸扔到桌上,高声喊道,“这就是斯坦格关于我们的报道。我现在对你们提出的问题是,我们对他怎样处理?”
“杀死他!"十几个人的声音杀气腾腾地喊道。
“我反对这样做,"那个长着一双浓眉、脸刮得干干净净的莫里斯兄弟说道,“弟兄们,我告诉你们,我们在这个山谷中所施的手段太狠了,他们出于自卫势必要联合起来消灭我们。詹姆士·斯坦格是一个老人。他在镇上和区里都很受敬重。他发行的报纸在这山谷中也有牢固的基础。如果这个人被我们杀害,一定会震动全国,最后结局只能是我们的毁灭。”
“他们怎么样能使我们毁灭呢?懦夫先生,"麦金蒂叫道,“用警察吗?肯定说,一半警察是受我们雇用的,另一半害怕我们。也许用法庭和法官来对付我们?我们以前不是见识过吗?结果又怎么样呢?”
“法官林奇可能来审讯这件案子的,"莫里斯兄弟说道。
大家听了,都怒喊起来。
“只要我伸出手指,"麦金蒂喊道,“我就可以派二百个人到城里把他们彻底清除出去。"然后,双眉紧皱,突然提高了声音,“喂,莫里斯兄弟,我早已注意到你了。你自己不忠心,还要让别人离心离德。莫里斯兄弟,当你自己的名字也列入我们的议事日程时,就是你的黑煞日了。我想我正应当把尊名提出来列到日程上去。”
莫里斯立刻面色苍白,双膝颤抖,瘫倒在椅子上,颤巍巍地举啤酒杯,喝了一口,答道:“尊敬的身主,假如我说了我不应该说的话,我向你和会中诸位弟兄道歉。你们大家都知道,我是一个忠心的会友,刚才也是我唯恐会里招来不幸,所以说出这样忧虑的话来。可是,尊敬的身主,我绝对相信你的裁决,甚于相信我自己,我保证以后再也不敢冒犯了。”
身主听他说得这样谦卑,脸上的怒气消失了。“很好,莫里斯兄弟。我也不愿对你加以教训。可是,只要我在领导之位,我们分会在言和行上就要统一。现在,弟兄们,"他看了看周围的弟兄,继续说道,“我还要再说一下,如果斯坦格得到他完全应受的惩罚,那我们就会招来更多的麻烦。一旦这些新闻记者串通起来,国内每一家报刊就都会向警察和部队呼吁了。不过我认为你可以给他一次相当严厉的警告。鲍德温兄弟,你来安排一下好吗?”
“当然了!"这个年轻人热烈地应道。
“你要带多少人去?”
背景阅读
作者简介:
亚瑟·柯南·道尔(1859——1930)英国杰出的侦探小说家、剧作家。生于苏格兰爱丁堡,父亲是一位政府建工部的公务员。柯南·道尔自幼喜欢文学,中学时任校刊主编。毕业于爱丁堡医科大学,行医10余年,收入仅能维持生活。后专写侦探小说。《血字的研究》几经退稿才发表,以《四签名》闻名于世。1891年弃医从文,遂成侦探小说家。代表作有《波西米亚丑闻》《红发会》、《五个橘核》等。1894年决定停止写侦探小说,在《最后一案》中让福尔摩斯在激流中死去。不料广大读者对此极端愤慨,提出抗议。柯南道尔只得在《空屋》中让福尔摩斯死里逃生,又写出《巴斯克维尔的猎犬》、《恐怖谷》等侦探小说。塑造的福尔摩斯已成为世界上家喻户晓的人物。就连福尔摩斯的办公地点——伦敦贝克街221号B也成了旅游景点。
导言:
《百年孤独》内容复杂,人物众多,情节离奇,手法新颖。马尔克斯在书中溶汇了南美洲特有的五彩缤纷的文化。他通过描写小镇马孔多的产生、兴盛到衰落、消亡,表现了拉丁美洲令人惊异的疯狂历史。小说以“汇集了不可思议的奇迹和最纯粹的现实生活”荣获1982年诺贝尔文学奖。
伯尔斯通庄园的主人不幸惨遭杀害,死状奇惨无比,头颅几乎被枪击得粉碎,四周血肉模糊,惨不忍睹!尸体旁边留有卡片,上面潦草地写着“V.V.341”的字样。这令案子更为扑朔迷离:这张卡片难道是凶手留下来的吗?它代表什么意义?“恐怖谷”曾令道格拉斯惴惴不安。“恐怖谷”究竟是个怎样的地方?道格拉斯的死与“恐怖谷 ”又有什么关系?
福尔摩斯,侦探的代名词;没有他,就没有侦探文学和侦探文化——新星出版社倾力打造《福尔摩斯探案全集(图注本)》,根据公认最权威英译本重新翻译,配以五百幅原版配图、两千余条专业学者注释、五十余篇延伸阅读、六十篇注释笔记,为中国福迷铸就世界上最权威、最经典的福尔摩斯探案全录。
阿瑟·柯南·道尔(Arthur Conan Doyle,1859—1930),英国著名侦探小说家、剧作家,现代侦探小说的奠基人之一,被誉为“英国侦探小说之父”。