美國語文第四冊 第159期：河口劇場（03）
I shall never be able to banish that awful moment from my memory.
我永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)忘記那可怕的一刻。
Pepper's roar, expressive of astonishment, indignation, and pain, is still ringing in my ears.
佩珀嚎叫著，充滿吃驚、憤怒和痛苦，這聲音至今還回響在我的耳邊。
I looked upon him as a corpse, and, glancing not far into the dreary future, pictured myself led forth to execution in the presence of the very same spectators then assembled.
我像看一具尸體一樣看著他，同時(shí)想象著在不久的將來，我當(dāng)著這些人的面被處決。
Luckily, poor Pepper was not seriously hurt;
幸運(yùn)的是，可憐的佩珀傷勢并不重。
but Grandfather Nutter, appearing in the midst of the confusion (attracted by the howls of young Tell),
混亂中爺爺努特出現(xiàn)了（被小退爾的嚎叫吸引來的），
issued an injunction against all theatricals thereafter, and the place was closed;
下令從此停止一切演出，劇場關(guān)閉了。
not, however, without a farewell speech from me,
我沒忘發(fā)表告別演說，
in which I said that this would have been the proudest moment of my life if I hadn't hit Pepper Whitcomb in the mouth.
我說如果不是射中了佩珀.惠特科姆的嘴，這一定是我一生中最驕傲的時(shí)刻。
Whereupon the audience (assisted, I am glad to state, by Pepper) CRIed, "Hear! hear!"
對此，觀眾（我得說，佩珀起了不小的作用）喊叫起來：“聽！聽！”
I then attributed the accident to Pepper himself, whose mouth, being open at the instant I fired, acted upon the arrow much after the fashion of a whirlpool, and drew in the fatal shaft.
后來我把過錯(cuò)歸于佩珀自己，我射擊的時(shí)候，他大張的嘴像旋渦一樣，把箭吸了進(jìn)去。
I was about to explain how a comparatively small maelstrom could suck in the largest ship, when the curtain fell of its own accord, amid the shouts of the audience.
在觀眾的喊叫聲中，我正要解釋小旋渦是怎么吸進(jìn)大船的，舞臺的幕布自己掉了下來。
This was my last appearance on any stage.
這是我最后一次和舞臺沾邊。
It was some time, though, before I heard the end of the William Tell business.
可是很久以后人們還會(huì)提到威廉·退爾。
Malicious little boys who hadn't been allowed to buy tickets to my theater used to cry out after me in the street,—"Who killed Cock Robin?"
未獲準(zhǔn)買票進(jìn)入劇場的小孩子們心懷惡意，常常在我身后喊——“誰殺死了知更鳥?”
