Chapter 6

CHAPTER six, What gave Leo his idea was a story that every kid in San Francisco knew, a ghost story about a man named Corey Drew. He was a man who had struck it rich during the gold rush and moved to San Francisco. He'd lived in Rincon Hill, which was the fanciest part of San Francisco back then. He was all set to build himself a huge mansion, marry a fine lady, and start his new life. Then one night, walking up Rincon Hill, he was robbed and stabbed to death. His killer was never found. But old-timers said that his ghost still haunted the streets of that neighborhood. Leo wasn't afraid of Corey Drew. Some kids were scared to be on Rincon Hill after dark. There

给里奥灵感的是一个旧金山的孩子都知道的故事，一个关于科里·德鲁的鬼故事。 他是一个在淘金热中发了财并搬到旧金山的人。 他住在林肯山，那是当时旧金山最豪华的地方。 他准备为自己建造一座巨大的豪宅，娶一位漂亮的女士，开始他的新生活。 一天晚上，他走上林肯山时，被抢劫并被刺死。 凶手一直没有找到。 但老人们说，他的鬼魂仍然出没在那个街区的街道上。 里奥并不害怕科里·德鲁。 有些孩子害怕天黑后在林肯山上。 在那里

was even a creepy rhyme about it, which every kid in San Francisco knew as well as the ABCs. On Rincon Hill, way up high There lived a man who would not die Corey Drew, Corey Drew Is watching you, is watching you. Corey Drew, Corey Drew See a crow and then you're through. Late at night, shine no light. Or you might just die of fright. Leo knew that Fletch and Wilkie weren't afraid of him or any other kids. They weren't afraid of the police. But just maybe, they were a little afraid of the ghost of Corey Drew. Leo's idea was to make Fletch and Wilkie believe that Corey Drew had come to get them. Leo had a tattered old hat of Papa's. He had a tin of flour, which he would rub on his face for a deathly look. He had a candle, which he would hold under his chin to give himself a ghostly glow. He'd talk in a low whisper. "Give me my gold!" he'd say.

甚至还有一首令人毛骨悚然的押韵，旧金山的每个孩子都像abc一样熟悉。 在林肯山上，很高的地方住着一个不会死的人科里·德鲁，科里·德鲁在看着你，看着你。 科里·德鲁，科里·德鲁看到一只乌鸦你就完了。 深夜，没有灯光照耀。 或者你可能会被吓死。 里奥知道弗莱彻和威尔基不怕他，也不怕其他孩子。 他们不怕警察。 但也许，他们有点害怕科里·德鲁的鬼魂。 里奥的想法是让弗莱彻和威尔基相信科里·德鲁是来找他们的。 利奥有一顶爸爸的破帽子。 他有一罐面粉，他会把面粉抹在脸上，做出一副死一般的表情。 他有一根蜡烛，他把它举在下巴下面，让自己散发出幽灵般的光芒。 他说话的声音很低。 “把我的金子给我!”

With their eyes full of sleep, hopefully Fletch and Wilkie would believe that they really could be looking at a ghost. And they'd be just scared enough to hand over the gold nugget. Leo knew it was a crazy idea, for sure. But no crazier than scaring away a hungry grizzly with a cut-off snake rattle. It was past 4:30 A.M. when Leo set out for Rincon Hill. He'd decided to go close to sunrise. He needed darkness for his plan to work. But in case something bad happened with Fletch, Leo wanted there to be some people out on the streets. He'd know right away if Fletch and Wilkie were falling for his trick. And if they didn't, he'd have to get away quickly. But Leo didn't see a soul as he walked through the narrow streets up toward Rincon Hill. He heard some curses from the alleys — gamblers, probably. A baby's cry sounded from an open window. A milk wagon rattled by. But the streets were deserted.

他们的眼睛充满了睡意，希望弗莱彻和威尔基会相信他们真的看到了一个鬼。 他们会吓得把金块给我。 里奥当然知道这是个疯狂的主意。 但没有什么比用断响尾蛇吓跑饥饿的灰熊更疯狂的了。 利奥出发去林肯山时已经凌晨4:30多了。 他决定在日出之前出发。 他需要黑暗才能使他的计划奏效。 但为了防止弗莱彻发生不测，里奥希望有人在街上。 如果弗莱彻和威尔基上当了，他马上就会知道。 如果他们不这么做，他就得赶紧离开。 但当利奥穿过狭窄的街道向林肯山走去时，一个人影也没有。 他听到了小巷里的咒骂声——可能是赌徒。 从一扇开着的窗户里传来婴儿的哭声。 一辆运牛奶的马车辚辚驶过。但是街上空无一人。

Except for the dogs. They seemed to be everywhere Leo looked. Darting in and out of doorways, sprinting across the streets, shivering against buildings. Their howls and cries filled the air. Aaaaaoooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Aaaaaoooooooooooooooooooooooooo! He'd never heard such a sound before. He wondered what was upsetting the dogs. Papa had said that Grandpop always listened to the cries of wolves. "They always know when there's danger around." Did the dogs know something that Leo didn't? Were they trying to tell him he should run home? Don't be stupid, Leo told himself. Maybe the dogs howled like this every night when Leo was fast asleep. He was letting the darkness get to him. He reminded himself of something Papa always said: Brave people got spooked all the time. What made them brave was that they didn't let their fear stop them. Leo thought of the noises Grandpop would have heard in the Rocky

除了狗。似乎利奥看到的每一个地方都有它们。 在门口冲进冲出，在街道上奔跑，在建筑物上瑟瑟发抖。 空气中充满了他们的嚎叫。 Aaaaaoooooooooooooooooooooooooo !Aaaaaoooooooooooooooooooooooooo !他以前从未听到过这样的声音。 他不知道是什么让狗们心烦意乱。 爸爸说过，爷爷总是听着狼的叫声。 “它们总是知道周围有危险。” 狗狗们是不是知道了些利奥不知道的事? 他们是想告诉他应该跑回家吗? 别傻了，里奥对自己说。 也许每天晚上里奥熟睡的时候狗都会这样嚎叫。 他被黑暗控制了。 他提醒自己想起爸爸常说的话:勇敢的人总是会受到惊吓。 他们之所以勇敢，是因为他们没有让恐惧阻止他们。 利奥想到了爷爷在《洛基》里听到的声音

Mountains — the screams of mountain lions and the screeches of owls, gunshots of bandits and murderers. Had Grandpop let those sounds scare him off? Heck no! He'd kept moving forward. And so did Leo. Rincon Hill wasn't fancy anymore. Most of the big mansions had been turned into boardinghouses. Other streets were lined with little wooden houses, all crammed together like teeth in a crooked smile. Leo reached the corner of Essex and Folsom, and saw a beaten-up building. The roof was half caved in. The huge chimney loomed against the black sky. The front window was shattered and the front door was hanging off its hinges. Was this the place? It had to be, he decided. The other buildings were just regular houses. Leo stood on the steps, knowing that he could lose his nerve any second. He took a deep breath, pushed aside the front door, and slipped in.

山——山狮的尖叫，猫头鹰的尖叫，强盗和杀人犯的枪声。 是爷爷让那些声音把他吓跑了吗? 见鬼不!他一直在前进。 利奥也一样。林肯山已经不再是什么名堂了。 大部分的豪宅都改成了寄宿公寓。 其他街道两旁都是小木屋，全都挤在一起，就像一个歪笑中的牙齿。 利奥走到埃塞克斯和福尔松的拐角处，看到了一栋破旧的建筑。 屋顶半塌了。 巨大的烟囱映衬着黑色的天空。 前窗碎了，前门也从铰链上掉了下来。 是这里吗?他决定，这是必须的。 其他的建筑都是普通的房子。 利奥站在台阶上，知道自己随时都可能失去勇气。 他深吸了一口气，推开前门，溜了进去。

He lit his candle and held it in front of him. He'd always imagined Fletch and Wilkie's hideout would be like a pirate den. He pictured velvet couches and fine rugs stolen from mansions on Nob Hill. But the place was a dump. There were broken chairs and tables piled in one corner and garbage heaped in the other. The air was cold and damp, and it stunk like trash and rats. He saw two shapes sprawled across the floor, at the back of the saloon. Leo crept closer. It was Fletch and Wilkie, fast asleep. They didn't even have an old horse blanket to share. They had covered themselves with newspapers. Amazing, Leo thought. This place was worse than his little room at the boardinghouse. He looked around, hoping that maybe he'd see his gold nugget. There was a dead mouse lying stiffly near Wilkie's foot. But no gold.

他点燃蜡烛，举在身前。 他一直以为弗莱彻和威尔基的藏身处就像海盗的巢穴。 他想象着从诺布山的豪宅里偷来的天鹅绒沙发和精美地毯。 但那地方是个垃圾场。一个角落里堆满了破椅子和桌子，另一个角落里堆满了垃圾。 空气又冷又湿，散发着垃圾和老鼠的臭味。 他看见酒吧后面的地板上躺着两个人影。 利奥爬得更近了。是弗莱契和威尔基，他们睡得正香。 他们甚至连一条旧马毯都没有。 他们用报纸盖住了自己。 太神奇了，里奥想。这地方比他在寄宿公寓的小房间还糟。 他环顾四周，希望能看到他的金块。 威尔基脚边僵硬地躺着一只死老鼠。 但是没有金子。