8 AN UNCOMFORTABLE TIME

CHAPTER EIGHT AN UNCOMFORTABLE TIME THE TWO boys were half-glad, half-sorry that the men had gone into another room. Glad because they were no longer afraid of being found, but sorry because it was now impossible to hear clearly what the men were saying. They could hear a murmur from the next room. Jack nudged George. 'I'm going to creep across the floor and go to the door. Perhaps I can hear what they are saying then,' he whispered.

第八章不舒服的时刻两个孩子看到男人们走进了另一个房间，又高兴又难过。 高兴是因为他们不再害怕被发现了，但遗憾的是，他们现在听不清这些人在说什么了。 他们能听到隔壁房间传来的窃窃私语声。 杰克推了推乔治。“我要蹑手蹑脚地穿过地板，走到门口。 “也许我能听到他们在说什么。”他低声说。

'No, don't,' said George, in alarm. 'We'll be discovered. You're sure to make a noise!' 'I've got rubber-soled shoes on. I shan't make a sound,' whispered back Jack. 'You stay here, George. I DO wonder where Susie and Jeff are. I hope I don't bump into them anywhere.' Jack made his way very quietly to the doorway that led to the next room. There was a broken door still hanging there, and he could peep through the crack. He saw the three men in the room beyond, sitting on old boxes, intently studying a map of some kind, and talking in low voices. If only he could hear what they said! He tried to see what the men were like, but it was too dark. He could only hear their voices, one a polished voice speaking clearly and firmly, and the other two rough and unpleasant. Jack hadn't the slightest idea what they were talking about. Loading and unloading. Six-two

“不，不要。”乔治惊恐地说。 “我们会被发现的。你一定会制造噪音的！“我穿的是胶底鞋。” “我不会发出声音的。”杰克小声回答。 “你呆在这儿，乔治。我真想知道苏茜和杰夫在哪儿。 我希望我不会在任何地方碰到他们。”杰克非常安静地走到通往下一个房间的门口。 那里还挂着一扇破门，他可以从裂缝里偷看。 他看见那边房间里的三个人，坐在旧盒子上，专心地研究着某种地图，低声交谈着。 要是他能听到他们在说什么就好了！他想看看那些人是什么样子，但天太黑了。 他只能听到他们的声音，一个声音优美、清晰、坚定，另外两个声音粗哑、刺耳。 杰克一点也不知道他们在谈论什么。 装卸。六十二年

or maybe seven-ten. Points, points, points. There mustn't be a moon. Darkness, fog, mist. Points. Fog. Six-two, but it might go as long as seven-twenty. And again, points points, points. What in the world could they be discussing? It was maddening to hear odd words like this that made no sense. Jack strained his ears to try and make out more, but it was no use, he couldn't. He decided to edge a little nearer.

或者7 - 10。分，分，分。 一定不会有月亮。黑暗，雾，雾。 点。雾。6点2分，但也可能长到7点20分。 再说一遍，点，点，点。 他们到底在讨论什么？ 听到这种莫名其妙的话真叫人抓狂。 杰克竖起耳朵想多听些什么，但没有用，他听不懂。 他决定凑近一点。

He leaned against something that gave way behind him. It was a cupboard door! Before he could stop himself Jack fell inside, landing with a soft thud. The door closed on him with a little click. He sat there, alarmed and

他靠在身后一件东西上。 那是一个橱柜门！杰克还没来得及阻止自己，就掉了进去，砰的一声落在地上。 门咔哒一声关上了。 他坐在那里，惊慌失措

astonished, not daring to move. 'What was that?' said one of the men. They all listened, and at that moment a big rat ran silently round the room, keeping to the wall. One of the men picked it out in the light of his torch. 'Rats,' he said. 'This place is alive with them. That's what we heard.' 'I'm not sure,' said the man with the clear voice. 'Switch off that light, Zeb. Sit quietly for a bit and listen.' The light was switched off. The men sat in utter silence, listening. Another rat scuttered over the floor. Jack sat absolutely still in the cupboard, fearful that the men might come to find out who had made a noise. George stood in the hearth of the next room, wondering what had happened. There was such dead silence now, and darkness too! The owl awoke in the chimney above him,

惊呆了，不敢动。 “那是什么？”其中一个说。 就在这时，一只大老鼠贴着墙，悄悄地绕着房间跑了一圈。 其中一个人用手电筒把它挑了出来。 “老鼠，”他说。“这个地方充满了他们的活力。 这就是我们听到的。“我不确定，”那个声音清晰的人说。 “把灯关掉，泽布。 静静地坐一会儿，听我说。”灯关掉了。 那些人静静地坐着，听着。 又一只老鼠在地板上窜来窜去。 杰克一动不动地坐在橱柜里，担心那些人会来发现是谁发出了声音。 乔治站在隔壁房间的壁炉边，不知道发生了什么事。 现在是死一般的寂静，而且一片漆黑！猫头鹰在他头顶的烟囱里醒来，

and stirred once more. Night-time! It must go hunting. It gave one soft hoot and dropped down the chimney to make its way out through the bare window. It was as startled to find George standing at the bottom of the chimney as George was startled to feel the owl brushing his cheek. It flew silently out of the window, a big moving shadow in the dimness. George couldn't bear it. He must get out of this chimneyplace, he must! Something else might fall down on him and touch his face softly. Where was Jack? How mean of him to go off and leave him with things that lived in chimneys! And Jack had the torch with him too. George would have given anything to flick on the light of a torch. He crept out of the hearth, and stood in the middle of the floor, wondering what to do. What was Jack doing? He had said he was going to the doorway that led to the next

又动了一下。夜间!它必须去打猎。 它轻轻地叫了一声，从烟囱里掉下来，从光秃秃的窗户里爬了出去。 看到乔治站在烟囱底，它吓了一跳，就像乔治感到猫头鹰在刷他的脸颊时吓了一跳一样。 它无声无息地飞出窗外，在黑暗中成为一个移动的大影子。 乔治受不了了。他必须离开这个烟囱，他必须！别的东西可能会落在他身上，轻轻地碰触他的脸。 杰克在哪里？他走了，把烟囱里的东西留给他，这是多么卑鄙啊！杰克也带着火炬。 乔治愿意付出任何代价来点燃火炬。 他蹑手蹑脚地走出壁炉，站在地板中央，不知道该怎么办。 杰克在做什么？他说他要去通往下一个房间的门口