18 AN EXCITING FINISH

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN AN EXCITING FINISH THE SEVEN spent the rest of the morning up in the tree-house, talking over everything. Scamper put himself on guard as usual, but no one came by. The afternoon dragged on, and tea-time came. Then the children began to feel intensely excited. At half-past six they went one by one down to Ember Lane. They thought they had better not go in a bunch in case they attracted attention. They found the back entrance of Mark Donnal's warehouse in Petton Road, and went up the steps to it. The door swung open silently as they reached the top step. Most

第十八章激动人心的结局七个人在树上的房子里度过了整个上午，讨论着所有的事情。 斯坎普像往常一样站岗，但是没有人过来。 下午过得很慢，到了喝茶的时间。 然后孩子们开始感到非常兴奋。 六点半的时候，他们一个接一个地来到了余烬巷。 他们认为最好不要成群结队地去，以免引起注意。 他们找到了马克·唐纳在佩顿路的仓库的后门，然后走上台阶去了。 他们走到最高一级台阶时，门悄悄地打开了。 大多数

mysterious! But behind it, keeping guard, was one of the village policemen! He grinned at each child as he or she walked in, and took them up the stairs, along dusty passages, to a little room at the front. 'We've got a marvellous view of the red pillar-box,' said Janet to Peter. 'We shall see everything. I wonder if the signaller is down behind the grating yet.' They asked the policeman. He nodded. 'Yes, he's there all right. We've watched him go into the underground room, complete with white handkerchief for signalling. There are now two policemen in a cupboard outside the door, waiting!' It was too exciting to be borne! The children simply couldn't sit still. The time went by slowly. Seven o'clock– ten-past–twenty-past– twenty-five-past… A clock on a nearby church tower suddenly

神秘的!但在它后面站岗的，是一个村警察！当他或她走进来的时候，他对每个孩子都咧嘴一笑，然后带他们走上楼梯，沿着尘土飞扬的走廊，来到前面的一个小房间。 “我们能看到红色邮筒的绝妙景色，”珍妮特对彼得说。 “我们会看到一切的。我想知道信号员是不是已经到栅栏后面去了。”他们问警察。 他点了点头。“是的，他在那儿。 我们看到他带着白手帕走进了地下房间。 现在有两个警察在门外的柜子里等着！”这太刺激了，令人难以忍受！孩子们就是坐不住。 时间过得很慢。7点——20点10分——25点25分……附近教堂钟楼上的钟突然响了起来

chimed the half hour. Half-past seven! Now was the time! Everything happened very suddenly and quickly. There came the roar of a car-engine, and round a corner came the red mail-van, MKX 102. It stopped and the driver jumped out. He took a sack and ran across to the red pillar-box. He unlocked it, his back to his van.

报时半小时。七点半!现在正是时候！一切都发生得非常突然和迅速。 汽车引擎发出轰鸣声，一辆红色邮车MKX 102从拐角处开了过来。 车停了下来，司机跳了下来。 他拿了一个麻袋，跑到红色邮筒跟前。 他打开了门，背对着他的货车。

And then two men suddenly came from a small alley-way and sprinted at top speed to the van. There was no one in Ember Lane except the postman. All the workers had gone home long ago.

然后，两个人突然从一条小巷里跑出来，以最快的速度冲向那辆面包车。 在安伯巷，除了邮递员，一个人也没有。 所有的工人早就回家了。

But many watchers saw the two men. The seven children stared breathlessly, so did the policeman with them, so did the signaller behind the grating. And so did many hidden eyes belonging to watchful police, including the Inspector himself! The men leapt into the front of the van. One got into the driving-seat, the other next to him. There was a roar of the engine, and the van drove off at top speed, vanishing round the corner. The postman straightened up. He didn't seem surprised. He was in the secret too! The children rocked to and fro on their seats in excitement. A few policemen appeared from odd places and spoke to one another. Then there came a noise from down below! 'That's the signaller being caught!' said Peter. 'I bet it is!' It was, of course. He had walked out of the

但许多观察家看到了这两个人。 七个孩子上气不接下气地盯着他们，和他们在一起的警察也盯着他们，铁栅栏后面的信号员也盯着他们。 警惕性很强的警察的许多隐藏的眼睛，包括探长本人，也是如此！男人们跳上了货车的前部。 一个坐在驾驶座上，另一个坐在他旁边。 发动机轰鸣一声，面包车以最快的速度开走了，消失在拐角处。 邮递员站直了身子。 他似乎并不感到惊讶。他也知道这个秘密！孩子们兴奋地在座位上前后摇晃。 几个警察从奇怪的地方出现，互相交谈。 然后从下面传来了声音！“那是信号员被抓住了！”彼得说。 “我打赌是！”当然是这样。 他已经走出了房间

underground room straight into the arms of the waiting policemen. And, lo and behold, it was Mr Tizer! But the evening's excitement wasn't yet finished! Before half an hour had gone, the mail-van was back again, but this time it was driven by a uniformed policeman, with another beside him. Inside were the two men. As the children watched, the van doors were opened, and four policemen got out with the two men held firmly by the arms. 'Got them nicely,' said the policeman who was in the room with the children. 'They must have parked quite nearby, opened the van, and got the surprise of their lives, and here they are, back again to talk to the Chief!' It was maddening to have to go home after that. What an excitement! How wonderful to be in at the finish, but how dull afterwards! The Seven went to Peter's house to supper, talking all at once. Nobody could possibly hear

地下房间直接投入了等待的警察的怀抱。 你瞧，原来是蒂泽尔先生！但是晚上的兴奋还没有结束！不到半个小时，邮车又回来了，但这次是由一个穿制服的警察驾驶的，旁边还有一个警察。 里面是那两个人。在孩子们的注视下，面包车的门被打开了，四个警察走了出来，紧紧地抓着那两个人的胳膊。 “很好地抓住了他们，”和孩子们在房间里的警察说。 “他们一定把车停在很近的地方，打开货车，得到了他们一生中最惊喜的东西，然后他们又回来和局长说话了！”在那之后不得不回家真是令人抓狂。 多么令人兴奋啊！在比赛结束时能参加比赛是多么美妙，但比赛结束后又多么沉闷！七个人到彼得家里去吃晚饭，他们突然交谈起来。 没有人可能会听到