13 AN EXCITING AFTERNOON

CHAPTER THIRTEEN AN EXCITING AFTERNOON BOTH PETER'S mother and Colin's were very angry when they arrived back so late for their dinner. Janet was so full of curiosity to know what had happened that she could hardly wait till Peter had finished. He kept frowning at her as he gobbled down his hot stew, afraid that she would ask some awkward questions. He sent her round to collect the Secret Seven, and they all arrived in a very short time, though Colin was late because he had to finish his dinner. Peter told them everything, and they

第十三章激动人心的下午彼得的母亲和科林的母亲都很生气，因为他们回来这么晚才吃晚饭。 珍妮特非常好奇，想知道发生了什么事，她几乎等不及彼得讲完。 他一边狼吞虎咽地吃着热炖菜，一边一直对她皱着眉头，生怕她会问一些尴尬的问题。 他派她去接七个秘密成员，他们很快就都到了，虽然柯林迟到了，因为他得吃完晚饭。 彼得把一切都告诉了他们，他们

listened, thrilled. Well, what a tale! To meet Zeb like that, and to have him telling them so much that they wanted to know! 'Little did he know why we asked him so many questions!' said Colin, with a grin. 'I must say he was quite nice to us, though he's a mean-looking man with shifty eyes.' 'This afternoon we will all go to the siding,' said Peter. 'We'll find out what days that goods train comes along, too.' So off they went. First they went to the station and found the porter again. He had nothing much to do and was pleased to talk to them. He told them tales of this, that and the other on the railway, and gradually Peter guided him to the subject of goods trains. 'Here comes one,' said the porter. 'It won't stop at the station, though– no passengers to get on or off, you see. Want to count the trucks? It's not a very long train.' Most of the trucks were open ones, and they

听着,兴奋不已。好吧，真是个故事！这样见到西布，让他告诉他们那么多，他们都想知道！“他一点也不知道我们为什么问他那么多问题！”科林笑着说。 “我得说他对我们很好，虽然他是一个面目可憎、目光诡秘的人。彼得说：“今天下午我们都到墙边去。” “我们也会弄清楚货运火车哪天来的。”于是他们出发了。 他们先去了车站，又找到了那个搬运工。 他无事可做，很乐意和他们交谈。 他给他们讲了铁路上的这个故事，那个故事和那个故事，彼得渐渐地把他引到了货运列车的话题上。 “来了一个，”看门人说。 “不过，它不会在车站停的——你知道，没有乘客上下车。 想数一数卡车吗？这不是一列很长的火车。”大多数卡车都是敞篷的，他们

carried all kinds of things, coal, bricks, machinery, crates. The train rumbled by slowly, and the Seven counted thirty-two trucks. 'I'd rather like to see that goods train Zeb told us about,' said Peter to the porter. 'The one that comes from Petlington and beyond, the six–two, I think he said. It's sometimes a very long one, isn't it?' 'Yes. Well, you'd have to come on Tuesday or Friday,' said the porter. 'But it's dark then, so you won't see much. Look, the guard of that last goods train is waving to you!' They waved back. The goods train got smaller and smaller in the distance and at last disappeared. 'I wonder things aren't stolen out of those open trucks,' said Peter, innocently. 'Oh, they are,' said the porter. 'There's been a whole lot of stealing lately, yes, even a car taken out of one truck, though you mightn't

搬运各种各样的东西，煤，砖，机械，板条箱。 火车隆隆地缓缓驶过，七个人数了数有三十二辆卡车。 “我倒想看看西布告诉我们的那列货运火车。”彼得对搬运工说。 “从佩特灵顿和其他地方来的那个，六英尺二英寸，我想他说。 有时候会很长，不是吗？“是的。 “嗯，你得在星期二或星期五来，”看门人说。 “但那时天很黑，所以你不会看到太多东西。 瞧，最后一班货运列车的卫兵在向你招手呢！”他们也挥了挥手。 货运列车在远处越来越小，最后消失了。 “我奇怪那些敞篷卡车里的东西没被偷。”彼得天真地说。 “哦，是的，”看门人说。 “最近发生了很多偷窃事件，是的，甚至从一辆卡车里偷了一辆车，不过你可能不会

believe it! Some gang at work, they say. Beats me how they do it! Well, you kids, I must go and do a spot of work. So long!' The Seven wandered off. They walked by the side of the track for about a mile until they came to where the points were that Zeb had explained that morning. Peter pointed them out. 'That's where they plan to switch the goods train off to a sideline,' he said. 'I wish we knew which evening. I think it must be soon, though, because that note George got said that everything was ready and going OK.' They followed the side-line, walking by the side of the railway. The line meandered off all by itself and finally came into a little goods yard, which seemed to be completely deserted at that moment. Big gates led into the goods yard. They were open to let in lorries that came to take the goods unloaded from trucks sent down the

相信!他们说有帮派在作祟。 我不知道他们是怎么做到的！孩子们，我得去做点事了。 这么长时间!”七神走开了。 他们沿着小路走了大约一英里，一直走到那天早上泽布解释过的地点。 彼得指出来。他说，他们计划在那里把货运列车改为副业。 “我希望我们能知道是哪天晚上。 不过我想一定很快了，因为乔治收到的那张纸条上说一切都准备好了，一切都很顺利。”他们沿着边线，沿着铁路走。 队伍自行蜿蜒而行，最后来到了一个小货场，此刻这里似乎完全空无一人。 大门通向货场。 它们是开放的，让卡车进来，从往下送的卡车上卸下货物

side-line. But only empty trucks stood on the little line now, and not a soul was about. It was plain that no goods train was expected for some time. 'This is a very lonely little place,' said Colin. 'If a goods train was diverted down here, nobody would hear it or see it, except those who would be waiting for it! I bet there will be a lorry creeping in here some evening, ready to take the lead sheets or pipes or whatever they are, from the truck whose tarpaulin is marked with white lines!' 'What about coming here on Tuesday evening, just in case that's the night they've arranged?' said Jack, suddenly. 'Then, if we saw anything happening, we could telephone the police. And before Zeb and Larry and the other two could finish their unloading we could get the police here. I say, wouldn't that be a thrill?' 'I don't know. I think really we ought to get

vb。但是现在只有空卡车站在这条小线上，周围一个人也没有。 很明显，一段时间内不会有货运列车。 “这是一个非常孤独的小地方，”柯林说。 “如果一列货运列车转到这里来，除了那些等着它的人，没有人会听到或看到它！”我敢打赌，哪天晚上会有一辆卡车慢慢地开到这儿来，准备从那辆篷布上画着白线的卡车上拿走铅板、管子或别的什么东西！“星期二晚上到这儿来怎么样，万一他们安排了那个晚上呢？”杰克突然说。 “然后，如果我们看到发生了什么事，我们可以打电话给警察。 在泽布和拉里还有另外两个人卸完货之前我们可以把警察叫来。 我说，那不是很刺激吗？”“我不知道。 我觉得我们真的应该

in touch with that big Inspector we like,' said Peter. 'We know quite enough now to be sure of what we say. The only thing we don't know is whether it's this Tuesday or if it's to be later on.' They stood together, arguing, and nobody saw a burly policeman sauntering in through the open gates. He stared when he saw the children, and stood watching them. 'I'd like to see those points,' said Colin, getting tired of the argument. 'Show me them, Peter. We'll look out for trains.' Peter forgot that children were not allowed to trespass on the railway lines. He set off up the sideline with the others, walking in the middle of the lines on his way to the points. A loud voice hailed them. 'Hey, you kids there! What do you think you're doing, trespassing like that? You come back here. I've got something to say to you.' 'Let's run!' said Pam, in a panic. 'Don't let

“和我们喜欢的那个大探长联系。”彼得说。 “我们现在知道得足够多了，可以肯定我们说的话了。 我们唯一不知道的是，是这个星期二，还是晚些时候。”他们站在一起争论着，谁也没有看见一个魁梧的警察从敞开的大门里走来。 当他看到孩子们时，他盯着他们，站在那里看着他们。 “我想看看这些要点。”科林说，厌倦了这种争论。 “给我看看，彼得。我们会留意火车的。”彼得忘了孩子是不允许擅自进入铁路线的。 他和其他人一起沿着边线出发，走在队伍的中间，走向终点。 一个响亮的声音招呼他们。“嘿，你们这些孩子！”你以为你在做什么，擅自闯入吗？ 你给我回来。我有话要对你说。“我们跑吧！”潘惊慌地说。 “不要让