4 The Ladies and the Lizard

CHAPTER 4 The Ladies and the Lizard At first Jonathan panicked, feeling like a rat in a trap. After a while, however, he forced himself to quiet his mind. He knew he needed to be calm to plan his escape. Most important, he thought, he must not let on that he knew. He was a prisoner who must pretend to be a guest, but all the while he would remain watchful, gather information, and try to formulate a plan.

第4章女士们和蜥蜴起初乔纳森惊慌失措，觉得自己像一只掉进陷阱的老鼠。 然而，过了一会儿，他强迫自己平静下来。 他知道他需要冷静下来计划逃跑。 最重要的是，他想，他不能让人知道他知道。 他是一个囚犯，必须假装是客人，但他会一直保持警惕，收集信息，并试图制定一个计划。

Every night, while only he ate, he forced himself to calmly discuss business matters with the count. And during the day, while the count was away, he explored the depths of the castle further, trying to unlock its evil secrets. One day, as sunset was approaching, Jonathan came upon a door at the top of a stairway. It seemed locked, but gave under a little pressure. Once inside, Jonathan looked around, thinking that this was probably the part of the castle occupied by the ladies in the olden days, for the furniture was more feminine than in the other rooms he had seen. Sinking down onto some soft cushions, he could practically see the ladies who had once lived here, sitting on this very couch, writing love letters. As he let his mind wander, he began to grow very sleepy. Despite the count's warning, he decided that he would

每天晚上，只有他一个人吃饭的时候，他强迫自己平静地和伯爵讨论生意上的事情。 白天，趁伯爵不在的时候，他进一步探索了城堡的深处，试图解开它邪恶的秘密。 一天，太阳快落山了，乔纳森来到楼梯顶上的一扇门前。 它似乎是锁着的，但在一点压力下就裂开了。 一进去，乔纳森环顾四周，想这可能是古时候女士们住的地方，因为这里的家具比他见过的其他房间更女性化。 他躺在柔软的靠垫上，几乎可以看到曾经住在这里的女士们正坐在这张沙发上写情书。 当他走神的时候，他开始变得很困。 不顾伯爵的警告，他决定要这样做

sleep here. Just for one night, it would be a sweet escape from his prison cell. Was he still sleeping? He did not know. All he knew was that he was not alone. In the moonlight opposite him were three young women who appeared to be sisters. All very beautiful, they had ruby lips and white teeth, and they floated around him like mist. "You go first," one of them said, leaning over him lower and lower. She is going to bite my neck! Jonathan thought in alarm. Before he could react, the count appeared out of nowhere. Furious, his eyes positively blazing, he grabbed the woman kneeling over Jonathan by the neck and threw her to the side like a rag doll. "How dare you?" he hissed at the three

睡在这里。哪怕只有一个晚上，他也能甜蜜地逃离监狱。 他还在睡觉吗？他不知道。 他只知道他并不孤单。 月光下，他对面站着三个年轻女子，看上去像是姐妹。 它们都很漂亮，有着红宝石般的嘴唇和洁白的牙齿，像薄雾一样在他周围漂浮。 “你先走吧。”其中一个说着，把身子靠得越来越低。 她要咬我的脖子了！乔纳森惊恐地想。 他还没来得及反应，伯爵就不知从哪儿冒了出来。 他怒不可遏，眼睛闪闪发光，一把抓住跪在乔纳森身上的女人的脖子，把她像布娃娃一样扔到一边。 “你们怎么敢？”他对三个人嘶嘶地说

sisters. He spoke in a low voice, but Jonathan could hear him. "I told you, you may have him when I am done with him." Perhaps as a consolation prize, the count threw the women a big bag with something wiggling in it. They grabbed it up and, giggling, ran away. What was in that bag? Jonathan wondered, in horror. A cat or perhaps a dog? He shuddered to think. Returning to his room, Jonathan felt a brief sense of comfort, but upon opening the window to get some air he saw something that only made him feel more frightened. Jonathan saw the count emerge from his own bedroom window and climb headfirst, down the stone wall, with his fingers and toes gripping the stones like a lizard! Jonathan pulled back quickly before the count could see him. The next evening, however, he wondered if

姐妹。他说话的声音很低，但乔纳森听得见。 “我告诉过你，等我把他弄好了，你就可以得到他了。” 也许是作为安慰奖，伯爵扔给女人们一个大袋子，里面有东西在扭动。 他们抓起它，咯咯地笑着跑开了。 袋子里装的是什么？乔纳森惊恐地想。 猫还是狗？他想起来就不寒而栗。 回到自己的房间，乔纳森感到一阵短暂的舒适感，但当他打开窗户透透气时，他看到的东西只会让他感到更加害怕。 乔纳森看见伯爵从自己卧室的窗户里出来，头朝下爬下石墙，手指和脚趾像蜥蜴一样抓住石头！乔纳森在伯爵看见他之前迅速后退。 然而，第二天晚上，他想知道

the count had seen him after all, for that night he was given a strange new assignment. "You must write three letters," the count said. "I will mail them for you. The first will say that your work here is nearly done, and that you will start home in a few days. The second will say that you will be leaving the following morning. And the third will say that you have already left the castle and arrived at the town of Bistritz." The count nodded. "Yes, the mail is not picked up very often. Given how busy you are, it really will be the best and most convenient thing for you to take care of all your letter writing up front." Jonathan swallowed in fear. Why would the count be asking him to write these letters unless he was planning to kill him, and create a story to cover up his tracks? Of course, he could not show the count his fear. "What dates shall I put on the letters?" he asked

伯爵终于看见他了，因为那天晚上他接到了一项奇怪的新任务。 “你必须写三封信。”伯爵说。 “我会帮你寄出去的。 第一个人会说你这儿的工作差不多完成了，过几天你就可以回家了。 第二张会说你将在第二天早上离开。 第三个人会说你已经离开城堡，来到比斯特里茨镇了。” 伯爵点点头。“是的，邮件不常被取走。 考虑到你有多忙，提前写好所有的信件对你来说真的是最好、最方便的事情。” 乔纳森吓得咽了口唾沫。 为什么伯爵要他写这些信除非他打算杀了他，然后编造一个故事来掩盖他的罪行？ 当然，他不能让伯爵看到他的恐惧。 “信上写什么日期呢？”他问

casually. "June twelfth, June nineteenth, and June twenty-ninth," the count said. It was now May 19, Jonathan thought. He now knew the span of his own life! God help him! Briefly he considered writing something else in the three letters and sealing them quickly, before the count could see, but he thought better of it. Thank God he had, for in addition to once again giving him thin envelopes, this time the count actually ripped open the seals to confirm the letters' contents. In the meantime, however, Jonathan took a terrible chance. Having noticed some Gypsies outside his window in search of work, Jonathan decided that he would write one additional letter, to Mina, in shorthand, and try to get it outside to the Gypsies to mail. He would throw it out the window with a gold coin. He would not tell Mina

随便。“六月十二日，六月十九日，六月二十九日，”伯爵说。 现在是5月19日，乔纳森想。 他现在知道自己的生命有多长了！上帝保佑他！他想在这三封信里写点别的东西，趁伯爵还没看见，赶快封上，但他又转念一想。 感谢上帝，这一次伯爵不仅给了他薄薄的信封，而且撕开了封条，确认了信的内容。 然而，与此同时，乔纳森冒了一个可怕的风险。 乔纳森注意到窗外有一些吉普赛人在找工作，于是他决定再写一封信给米娜，用速记的方式，然后设法把信寄给外面的吉普赛人。 他会把它和一枚金币一起扔出窗外。 他不肯告诉米娜