Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 By the second week of August, there were about twenty thousand American soldiers in the camps in and around New York City, with more arriving every day. The Americans had built ten big forts on Manhattan Island, and six more across the river in Brooklyn. Each fort had a rough building surrounded by tall dirt-and-stone walls and deep trenches. The walls were topped with cannons.

到8月的第二个星期，大约有两万名美国士兵驻扎在纽约市及其周围的营地里，每天都有更多的人到达。 美国人在曼哈顿岛上建了十个大堡垒，在河对岸的布鲁克林又建了六个。 每个堡垒都有一个粗糙的建筑，周围是高大的土石墙和深深的壕沟。 城墙上装有大炮。

The men felt ready for battle. But still the British didn't attack. Rumors swirled. They heard about a new kind of cannonball called a shell. It exploded when it hit the ground. Spies reported that there were now more than 430 British ships anchored off nearby Staten Island, and at least forty thousand soldiers. And not all of them were Redcoats. King George had hired eight thousand German soldiers to fight alongside the British. They were known as Hessians. Hessians! The men whispered the word, like it was a curse. "They're professional killers from Germany," Paul explained. Hessians were famous around the world for their dark green-and-red uniforms, their pointed silver hats, their thick black mustaches — and their thirst for blood. They began training when they were five years old. They fought mostly with

士兵们做好了战斗准备。 但英国人仍然没有进攻。 谣言传得沸沸扬扬。他们听说有一种叫做炮弹的新型炮弹。 它撞到地面时爆炸了。 间谍报告说，现在有430多艘英国船只停泊在史坦顿岛附近，至少有4万名士兵。 并不是所有的人都是英国人。 乔治国王雇佣了八千名德国士兵与英国并肩作战。 他们被称为黑森人。 麻布!男人们低声说着这个词，就像在诅咒一样。 “他们是来自德国的职业杀手，”保罗解释说。 黑森人以其深绿色和红色的制服、尖尖的银色帽子、浓密的黑色胡须以及嗜血而闻名于世。 他们五岁时开始训练。 他们主要是和

their bayonets, which were twice as long as the ones the British used. Nate couldn't tell if the stories were completely true. He thought of the legends Papa and the men used to tell, about giant squid and whales that swallowed ships. The Hessians sounded more like storybook monsters than real-life soldiers. But there was no mistaking the fear in the men's eyes. But there was something even more dangerous than Hessians, and it was lurking right in the

他们的刺刀比英国人的刺刀长一倍。 内特不知道这些故事是否完全属实。 他想起了爸爸和人们曾经讲过的关于巨乌贼和鲸鱼吞船的传说。 黑森人听起来更像故事书里的怪物，而不是现实生活中的士兵。 但这些人眼中的恐惧是不容置疑的。 但还有比黑森人更危险的东西，它就潜伏在

camp. Nate discovered it on a boiling afternoon. The men were on a marching drill, and Nate was alone in the camp doing his chores. The weather was beastly hot. The sun beat down. Mosquitos attacked them at night. And the usual camp smells turned into an unbearable stink. The most stomach-turning odors rose up from the open latrine pits where the men — and Nate — all did their private business. Some days Nate felt sure his nose would burn right off. Nate was taking a break from chopping wood. He took a swig from the tin canteen James had given him. And then he heard a strange sound, like an animal was crying out in pain. Nate looked around, thinking it was one of the cats that chased rats around the camp. He heard the sound again, and he realized it was coming from inside one of the tents. It was James's tent.

营地。内特在一个炎热的下午发现了它。 士兵们正在进行行军训练，内特一个人在营地里做家务。 天气热得要命。 太阳炙烤着大地。蚊子在晚上袭击他们。 通常的营地气味变成了令人难以忍受的臭味。 最令人反胃的气味是从露天的厕所里飘出来的，男人们——还有内特——都在那里做自己的事。 有时候，内特觉得他的鼻子肯定会被烧掉。 内特在砍柴休息。 他喝了一口詹姆斯给他的锡水壶。 然后他听到一种奇怪的声音，像是动物在痛苦地喊叫。 内特环顾四周，以为是一只在营地里追老鼠的猫。 他又听到了那个声音，他意识到那是从一个帐篷里传出来的。 这是詹姆斯的帐篷。

Nate remembered that James had been ill yesterday. There were always gut sicknesses and fevers sweeping through the camp. Nate figured James had one of those. Nate stood outside the tent. "James?" he said. "It's Nate. Are you all right?" Silence. More moaning. Nate's heart pounded as he stuck his head through the tent flap. And then he lurched back in horror. There was someone on the ground — it had to be James. Except it didn't look like James — or even a human being. Hundreds and hundreds of hideous blisters boiled all over his face. His arms and chest were covered, too. It was smallpox, the most dreaded disease of all. It was the disease that stole Nate's mama all those years ago. It had almost killed Nate, too. Nate pushed away his fear and disgust. He went inside and knelt next to James. He took James's hand. It was burning hot.

内特想起詹姆斯昨天病了。 总有肠道疾病和发烧席卷整个营地。 内特觉得詹姆斯也有。 内特站在帐篷外面。 “詹姆斯?”他说。“这是内特。 你没事吧?”沉默。 更多的呻吟。内特把头伸进帐篷门时，他的心怦怦直跳。 然后他惊恐地往后一倒。 有人在地上——一定是詹姆斯。 只不过它看起来不像詹姆斯——甚至不像一个人。 成百上千个可怕的水泡在他脸上沸腾。 他的手臂和胸部也被遮住了。 那就是天花，最可怕的疾病。 那是多年前偷走内特妈妈的疾病。 它差点也杀了内特。 内特驱走了他的恐惧和厌恶。 他走进去，跪在詹姆斯身边。 他握住詹姆斯的手。天气很热。

"James," Nate said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Go away," James rasped. "You'll get sick." "I had it already," Nate said, taking the young man's hand. Having smallpox once — if it didn't kill you — meant you couldn't get it again. Almost half the people who got the disease died. Some came through, but were badly scarred. Eliza had scars on her cheeks. Theo had them all over his back. Nate didn't need a doctor to tell him that James was dying. He said a prayer and then rushed to find help. He returned with Paul and Martin, who were both safe from smallpox. Nate helped them bring James to the hospital. James died that night. Captain Marsh led a service for him. All of the men shed tears for that kind and generous man. The weeks ticked by. Nate became more and more restless. He worried that other men would

“詹姆斯，”内特说，咽下了喉咙里的哽咽。 “走开。”詹姆斯粗声说。“你会生病的。” “我已经有了，”内特说着，握着年轻人的手。 得过一次天花——如果它没有杀死你——就意味着你不会再得天花。 几乎一半的患者死亡。 有些人挺过来了，但却伤痕累累。 伊丽莎脸颊上有伤疤。 西奥的背上全是。 内特不需要医生告诉他詹姆斯快死了。 他祈祷了一下，然后跑去寻求帮助。 他带着保罗和马丁回来了，他们都没有感染天花。 内特帮他们把詹姆斯送到了医院。 詹姆斯当晚就死了。马什上尉为他主持了仪式。 所有的人都为那个善良慷慨的人流下了眼泪。 几个星期过去了。内特变得越来越焦躁不安。 他担心其他男人会这么做