译读原著01-04：Tom Swift And His Motor-Boat
汤姆·史威夫特和他的摩托艇
(Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa)
（或卡洛斯湖的竞争对手）
VICTOR APPLETON
维克多·阿普尔顿
CHAPTER IV
TOM AND ANDY CLASH
Even a casual observer could have told that an auto had had some part in dragging the log to the place where it blockaded the road. In the dust were many marks of the big rubber tires and even the imprint of a rope,which had been used to tow the tree trunk.
"What fo' yo' t'ink any one put dat log dere?" asked the colored man as he followed Tom. Boomerang, the mule, so called because Eradicate said you never could tell what he was going to do, opened his eyes lazily and closed them again. "I don't know why, Rad, unless they wanted to wreck an automobile or a wagon. Maybe tramps did it for spite."
即使是一个不敏感的观察者，也会感觉出汽车将原木拖到这个地方，肯定有一定的目的。 路面有许多宽橡胶轮胎摩擦的痕迹，甚至还有用来拖曳树干的绳索的印记。“你怎么想，谁把木头放到那里的？” 有色人跟着汤姆问。 骡子，爱瑞德克特说，你永远不知道一头骡子将要去做什么，它会懒洋洋地睁开眼睛，然后再次闭上眼睛。 “我不知道为什么，伙计，除非他们想破坏汽车或货车。也许无聊流浪汉会故搞这样的恶作剧。”
"Maybe some one done it to make yo' hab trouble, Mistah Swift."
"No, I hardly think so. I don't know of any one who would want to make trouble for me, and how would they know I was coming this way---' Tom suddenly checked himself. The memory of the scene at the auction came back to him and he recalled what Andy Foger had said about 'getting even."
"Which way did dat auto go?" resumed Eradicate.
“也许有人这样做是为了给你麻烦，斯威夫特先正（生）。”
“不，我几乎不这么认为。我不知道有谁愿意为我制造麻烦，他们怎么知道我要从这里走-”汤姆突然审视自己。 拍卖会的情景又浮现在他眼前，他回想起安迪·佛格“走着瞧”的警告。
“t汽车走得哪条路？” 爱瑞德克特说。
"It came from down the road," answered Tom, not completing the sentence he had left unfinished. "They dragged the log up to the foot of the hill and left it. Then the auto went down this way." It was comparatively easy, for a lad of such sharp observation as was Tom, to trace the movements of the vehicle.
"Den if it's down heah, maybe we cotch 'em," suggested the colored man.
汤姆回答：“是从这条路，”他没有说完这句话，也不想说完。 “他们将原木拖到山脚下，然后放下。然后汽车就一路向下跑了。” 对于像汤姆这样的敏锐观察者来说，追踪车辆的运动轨迹相对容易。
老黑建议说：“那，那如果从这里下，嘿，也许我们能赶上他（们）。”
The young inventor did not answer at once. He was hurrying along,his eyes on the telltale marks. He had proceeded some distance from the place where the log was when he uttered a cry. At the same moment he hurried from the road toward a thick clump of bushes that were in the ditch alongside of the highway. Reaching them, he parted the leaves and called:
"Here's the auto, Rad!"
我们的发明家没有立即回答。 他匆匆走过去，注视着路上留下的痕迹。 他离开了原木向前走，突然他发出惊呼。他从公路下去，走向公路旁沟渠中的一排浓密的灌木丛。 他伸手拨开树叶，喊道：
“汽车在这里，伙计！”
The colored man ran up, his eyes wider open than ever. There,hidden amid the bushes, was a large touring car.
"Whose am dat?" asked Eradicate.
Tom did not answer. He penetrated the underbrush, noting where the broken branches had been bent upright after the forced entrance of the car,the better to hide it. The young inventor was, seeking some clew to discover the owner of the machine. To this end he climbed up in the tonneau and was looking about when some one burst in through the screen of bushes and a voice cried: "Here, you get out of my car!"
老黑跑起来，他的眼睛比以往任何时候睁得更大。 就在那里，藏在灌木丛中，是一辆大型旅行车。
“谁的啊？” 爱瑞德克特问。
汤姆没有回答。 他钻进灌木丛，注意到汽车强行闯入后，折断的树枝直立在哪里，正好将车隐藏起来。 年轻的发明家继续寻找一些线索，试图发现汽车的所有者。 最后，他爬上车厢，看着有人穿过灌木丛屏幕，突然闯进来，大声喊道：“主人在此，滚出我的车！”
."Oh, is it your car, Andy Foger?" asked Tom calmly as he recognized his squint-eyed rival. "I was just beginning to think it was. Allow me to return your wrench," and he held out the one he had picked up near the log. "The next time you drag trees across the road," went on the lad in the tonneau, facing the angry and dismayed Andy, "I'd advise you to post a notice at the top of the hill, so persons riding down will not be injured."
“哦，是你的车吗，安迪·佛格？” 汤姆认出了他的斜眼对手，冷静地问道。 “我刚开始是这样认为。请允许我归还你的扳手。”他举起在原木附近捡起的那把扳手。 “下次您将树木拖过马路时，”车厢上的小伙子对着愤怒而沮丧的安迪说，“我建议您在山顶上张贴一个告示，这样骑车的人就不会 受伤。”
"Notice--- road---hill---logs!" stammered Andy, turning red under his freckles.
"That's what I said," replied Tom coolly.
"I---I didn't have anything to do with putting a log across any road,"
mumbled the bully. "I---I've been off toward the creek."
"Have you?" asked Tom with a peculiar smile.
“告示---公路---小山---原木！” 安迪结结巴巴，雀斑下的脸皮变成了红色。
“我是这么说的。”汤姆冷静地说。
“我-与我没有任何关系，我没在任何道路上放置原木。”
坏蛋嘟囔着 “我-我正要去小河。”
“有吗？” 汤姆带着奇特的微笑问。
"I thought you might have been looking for the wrench you dropped near the log. You should be more careful and so should Sam Snedecker, who's hiding outside the bushes," went on our hero, for he had caught sight of the form of Andy's crony. "I---I told him not to do it!" exclaimed Sam as he came from his hiding place.
“我觉得你可能一直在寻找掉在原木附近的扳手。你应该更加小心，躲在灌木丛外的山姆·斯内德克也应该这样，”我们的英雄继续说道，因为他已经注意到了安迪的帮凶。 “我-我告诉他不要这样做！” 萨姆从躲藏处出来时大叫。
"Shut up!" exclaimed Andy desperately."Oh, I think I know your secret," continued the young inventor. "You wanted to get even with me for outbidding you on the motor- boat. You watched which road I took, and then, in your auto, you came a shorter way,ahead of me. You hauled the log across the foot of the hill, hoping, I
suppose, that my machine would be broken. But, let me tell you, it was a risky trick. Not only might I have been killed, but so would whoever else who happened to drive down the slope over the log, whether in a wagon or automobile. Fortunately Eradicate discovered it in time and warned me.
“闭嘴！” 安迪歇斯底里。“哦，我想我知道你的秘密，”年轻的发明家继续说道。 “您想找点茬子，因为让我在摩托艇上胜过了你。你先观察我走了哪条路，然后在你的汽车，走了一段更短的路程，驶向我的前方。你把原木放置在山脚下，我猜你希望我撞坏我的摩托车。 但是，我告诉你，这是一个冒险的把戏。 我不仅可能被杀，任何人都会被杀死，无论是开货车还是汽车，如果碰巧从上边下来碰上你的木头。 幸运的是，爱瑞德克特及时发现了它，并警告了我。
I ought to have you arrested, but you're not worth it. A good thrashing is what such sneaks as you deserve!"
"You haven't got any evidence against us," sneered Andy confidently,his old bravado coming back.
"I have all I want," replied Tom. "You needn't worry. I'm not going to tell the police. But you've got to do one thing or I'll make you sorry you ever tried this trick. Eradicate will help me, to don't think you're going to escape."
我应该让你被捕，但是你不值得。 这样的偷偷摸摸，下场是你应得的！”
“你没有任何证据证明那是我们做的，”安迪满怀信心地笑着说，他的老伙计回来了。
“我有所有证据，”汤姆回答。 “您不必担心。我不会告诉警察。但是您必须做一件事，否则，我会让你为自己的小把戏而后悔终生。爱瑞德克特会帮助我，不要动心思去逃脱。”
"You get out of my automobile!" demanded Andy. "I'll have you arrested if you don't."
"I'll get out because I'm ready to, but not on account of your threats,"retorted Mr. Swift's son. "Here's your wrench. Now I want you and Sam to start up this machine and haul that log out of the way."
"S'pose I won't do it?" snapped Andy.
“你离开我的车！” 安迪命令。 “如果你不，我会让你被捕。”
斯威夫特反驳说：“我会离开这破车，不过是因为我愿意，不是因为你的威胁。是你的扳手。现在，我希望你和萨姆一起启动车子，并拖走那段木头。”
“假设我不这样做吗？” 安迪打断。
"Then I'll cause your arrest, besides thrashing you into the bargain!You can take your choice of removing the log so travelers can pass or having a good hiding, you and Sam. Eradicate, you take Sam and I'll tackle Andy."
"Don't you dare touch me!" cried the bully, but there was a whine in his tones.
"You let me alone or I'll tell my father!" added Sam. "I---I didn't have nothin' to do with it, anyhow. I told Andy it would make trouble,but he made me help him."
“那么，除了揍你之外，我会让警察逮捕你！你和山姆可以选择，挪除原木让旅客和可以通过，或者你们可以逃避。爱瑞德克特，你对付山姆，我搞定安迪 。”
“你不能碰我！” 坏蛋大叫，但他的声音在嗓子眼没发出来。
“你别碰我，不然我会告诉父亲！” 山姆补充说。 “我-我无论如何都没事。我告诉安迪这会有麻烦，但是他让我帮他。”
"Say, what's the matter with you?" demanded Andy indignantly of his crony. "Do you want to---"
"I wish I'd never come with you," went on Sam, who was beginning to be frightened.
"Come now. Start up that machine and haul the log out of the way,"demanded Tom again.
"I won't do it I" retorted the red-haired lad impudently.
“还说，你脑子有病吗？” 安迪愤慨地要求他的帮凶。 “你想要- -”
“我真后悔跟你一起来。”萨姆受到惊吓，继续说道。
“现在赶紧吧，启动汽车，拖走木头”汤姆再次命令。
“我不会这样做，”红发小伙无礼地反驳。
"Yes, you will," insisted our hero, and he took a step toward the bully.
They were out of the clump of bushes now and in the roadside ditch.
"You let me alone," almost screamed Andy, and in his baffled rage he rushed at Tom, aiming a blow.
The young inventor quickly stepped to one side, and, as the bully passed him, Tom sent out a neat left-hander. Andy Foger went down in a heap on the grass.
“是的，你会的。”我们的英雄坚持说，他向坏蛋迈出一步。
他们现在出了灌木丛，到了路肩上。
“你不要碰我。”安迪差点尖叫，然后他怒不可遏地冲向汤姆，挥出一拳。
年轻的发明家迅速闪到一边，当坏蛋掠过他时，汤姆打出了一记利索的左勾拳。 安迪·佛格跌倒在草地上。
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