The owner did not wait for a second invitation. He seized a rope which Dantes flung to him, and with an activity that would have done credit to a sailor, climbed up the side of the ship, while the young man, going to his task, left the conversation to Danglars, who now came towards the owner. He was a man of twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, of unprepossessing countenance, obsequious to his superiors, insolent to his subordinates; and this, in addition to his position as responsible agent on board, which is always obnoxious to the sailors, made him as much disliked by the crew as Edmond Dantes was beloved by them.
船主没再说什么便立即抓住了唐泰斯抛给他的一条绳子,以水手般敏捷的动作爬上船边的弦梯,那青年去执行他的任务了,把船王和那个他称为腾格拉尔的人留在了一起。腾格拉尔现在正向船主走来。他约莫有二十五六岁,天生一副对上谄媚对下轻视无礼,不讨人喜欢的面孔。他在船上担任押运员,本来就惹水手们讨厌,他个人的一些作派也是惹人讨厌的一个因素,船员都憎恶他,却很爱戴爱德蒙·唐泰斯。
"Well, M. Morrel," said Danglars, "you have heard of the misfortune that has befallen us?"
“莫雷尔先生,”腾格拉尔说,“你听说我们所遭到的不幸了吧?”
"Yes -- yes: poor Captain Leclere! He was a brave and an honest man."
“唉,是的!可怜的莱克勒船长!他的确是一个勇敢而又诚实的人!”
"And a first-rate seaman, one who had seen long and honorable service, as became a man charged with the
interests of a house so important as that of Morrel & Son," replied Danglars.
“而且也是一名一流的海员,是在大海与蓝天之间度过一生的——是负责莫雷尔父子公司这种重要的公司的最合适的人才。”腾格拉尔回答。
"But," replied the owner, glancing after Dantes, who was watching the anchoring of his vessel, "it seems to me that a sailor needs not be so old as you say, Danglars, to understand his business, for our friend Edmond seems to
understand it thoroughly, and not to require instruction from any one."
“可是,”船主一边说,一边把眼光盯在了正在指挥抛锚的唐太斯身上,“在我看来,腾格拉尔,一个水手要干得很内行,实在也不必象你所说的那样的老海员才行,因为你看,我们这位朋友爱德蒙,不需任何人的指示,似乎也干得很不错,完全可以称职了。”
"Yes," said Danglars, darting at Edmond a look gleaming with hate. "Yes, he is young, and youth is invariably
self-confident. Scarcely was the captain's breath out of his body when he assumed the command without consulting any one, and he caused us to lose a day and a half at the Island of Elba, instead of making for Marseilles direct."
“是的,”腾格拉尔向爱德蒙扫了一眼,露出仇恨的目光说,“是的,他很年轻,而年轻人总是自视甚高的,船长刚去世,他就跟谁也不商量一下,竟自作主张地独揽指挥权,对下面发号施令起来,而且还在厄尔巴岛耽搁了一天半,没有直航返回马赛。”
"As to taking command of the vessel," replied Morrel, "that was his duty as captain's mate; as to losing a day and a half off the Island of Elba, he was wrong, unless the vessel needed repairs."
“说到他执掌这只船的指挥权,”莫雷尔说道,“他既然是船上大副,这就应该是他的职责。至于在厄尔巴岛耽搁了一天半的事儿,是他的错,除非这只船有什么故障。”
"The vessel was in as good condition as I am, and as, I hope you are, M. Morrel, and this day and a half was lost from pure whim, for the pleasure of going ashore, and nothing else."
“这只船是象你我的身体一样,毫无毛病,莫雷尔先生,那一天半的时间完全是浪费——只是因为他要到岸上玩玩,别无他事。”
"Dantes," said the shipowner, turning towards the young man, "come this way!"
“唐太斯!”船主转过身去喊青年,“到这儿来!”
"In a moment, sir," answered Dantes, "and I'm with you." Then calling to the crew, he said -- "Let go!"
“等一下,先生,”唐太斯回答,“我就来。”然后他对船员喊道,“抛锚!”
The anchor was instantly dropped, and the chain ran rattling through the port-hole. Dantes continued at his post in spite of the presence of the pilot, until this manoeuvre was completed, and then he added, "Half-mast the colors, and square the yards!"
锚立刻抛下去了,铁链哗啦啦一阵响声过去。虽有领港员在场,唐太斯仍然克尽职守,直到这项工作完成,才喊“降旗,把旗降在旗杆半中央。”
"You see," said Danglars, "he fancies himself captain already, upon my word."
“看,”腾格拉尔说,“他简直已自命为船长啦。”
"And so, in fact, he is," said the owner.
“嗯,事实上,他已经的确是了。”船主说。
"Except your signature and your partner's, M. Morrel."
“不错,就缺你和你的和伙人签字批准了,摩斯尔先生。”
"And why should he not have this?" asked the owner; "he is young, it is true, but he seems to me a thorough seaman, and of full experience."
“那倒不难。”船主说,“不错,他很年轻,但依我看,他似乎可以说已是一个经验丰富的海员了。”
A cloud passed over Danglars' brow.
腾格拉尔的眉际掠过一片阴云。
"Your pardon, M. Morrel," said Dantes, approaching, "the vessel now rides at anchor, and I am at your service. You hailed me, I think?"
“对不起,莫雷尔先生,”唐太斯走过来说,“船现在已经停妥,我可以听的您吩咐了。刚才是您在叫我吗?”
Danglars retreated a step or two.
腾格拉尔向后退了一两步。
"I wished to inquire why you stopped at the Island of Elba?"
“我想问问你为什么要在厄尔巴岛停泊耽搁了一天半时间。”
"I do not know, sir; it was to fulfil the last instructions of Captain Leclere, who, when dying, gave me a packet for
Marshal Bertrand."
“究竟为什么我也不十分清楚,我只是在执行莱克勒船长最后的一个命令而已。他在临终的时候,要我送一包东西给贝特朗元帅。”
"Then did you see him, Edmond?"
“你见到他了吗,爱德蒙?”
"Who?"
“谁?”
"The marshal."
“元帅。”
"Yes."
“见到了。”
Morrel looked around him, and then, drawing Dantes on one side, he said suddenly -- "And how is the emperor?"
莫雷尔向四周张望了一下,把唐太斯拖到一边,急忙问道:“陛下他好吗?”
"Very well, as far as I could judge from the sight of him."
“看上去还不错。”
"You saw the emperor, then?"
“这么说,你见到陛下了,是吗?”
"He entered the marshal's apartment while I was there."
“我在元帅房间里的时候,他进来了。”
"And you spoke to him?"
“你和他讲了话吗?”
"Why, it was he who spoke to me, sir," said Dantes, with a smile.
“是他先跟我讲话的,先生。”唐太斯微笑着说。
"And what did he say to you?"
“他跟你都说了些什么?”
"Asked me questions about the vessel, the time she left Marseilles, the course she had taken, and what was her
cargo. I believe, if she had not been laden, and I had been her master, he would have bought her. But I told him I was only mate, and that she belonged to the firm of Morrel & Son. `Ah, yes,' he said, `I know them. The Morrels have been shipowners from father to son; and there was a Morrel who served in the same regiment with me when I was in garrison at Valence.'"
“问了我一些关于船的事——什么时候启航开回马赛,从哪儿来,船装了些什么货。我敢说,假如船上没有装货,而我又是船主的话,他会把船买下来的。但我告诉他,我只是大副,船是莫雷尔父子公司的。‘哦,哦!’他说,‘我了解他们!莫雷尔这个家族的人世世代代都当船主。当我驻守在瓦朗斯的时候,我那个团里面也有一个姓莫雷尔的人。”
"Pardieu, and that is true!" cried the owner, greatly delighted. "And that was Policar Morrel, my uncle, who was
afterwards a captain. Dantes, you must tell my uncle that the emperor remembered him, and you will see it will bring tears into the old soldier's eyes. Come, come," continued he, patting Edmond's shoulder kindly, "you did very right, Dantes, to follow Captain Leclere's instructions, and touch at Elba, although if it were known that you had conveyed a packet to the marshal, and had conversed with the emperor, it might bring you into trouble."
“太对了!一点不错!”船主非常高兴地喊道。“那是我的叔叔波立卡·莫雷尔,他后来被提升到上尉。唐太斯,你一定要去告诉我叔叔,说陛下还记得他,你将看到那个老兵,被感动得掉眼泪的。好了,好了!”他慈爱地拍拍爱德蒙的肩膀继续说,“你做得很对,唐太斯,你是应该执行莱克勒船长的命令在厄尔巴岛靠一下岸的——但是如果你曾带一包东西给元帅,并还同陛下讲过话的事被人知道的话,那你就会受连累的。”
"How could that bring me into trouble, sir?" asked Dantes; "for I did not even know of what I was the bearer; and the emperor merely made such inquiries as he would of the first comer. But, pardon me, here are the health officers and the customs inspectors coming alongside."
“我怎么会受连累呢?”唐太斯问。“我连带去的是什么东西根本都不知道,而陛下所问及的,又是一般的人所常问的那些普通问题。哦,对不起,海关关员和卫生部的检查员来了”说完那青年人就向舷门那儿迎过去了。