and armed with their keen mincing knives (long, crescentic, heavy implements with a handle at each end) run amuck from the bowsprit to the taffrail; and if by any devilishness of desperation possible, seize the ship. For himself, he would do this, he said, whether they joined him or not. That was the last night he should spend inthat den. But the scheme met with no opposition on the part of the other two; they swore they were ready for that, or for any other mad thing, for anything in short but a surrender. And what was more, they each insisted upon being the first man on deck, when the time to make the rush should come. But to this their leader as fiercely objected, reserving that priority for himself; particularly as his two comrades would not yield, the one to the other, in the matter; and both of them could not be first, for the ladder would but admit one man at a time. And here, gentlemen, the foul play of these miscreants must come out.
每個(gè)人拿著他們的鋒利的剁肉刀子(一種有柄的,又長(zhǎng)又重的,蛾眉月式的家伙),然后從第一斜桅奔到船尾欄桿,見人就殺;如果有神差鬼使的冒險(xiǎn)可能,就把船給占領(lǐng)下來(lái)。他說(shuō),就他自己說(shuō)來(lái),他是會(huì)這樣做的,不管他們跟不跟他一起干。這是他待在這個(gè)窩里的最后一夜了。這計(jì)劃并沒(méi)有遭到他們兩個(gè)人的反對(duì),他們發(fā)了誓,說(shuō)他們準(zhǔn)備這樣做,也準(zhǔn)備做更驚人的事情,總之,除了投降,什么都會(huì)干。不過(guò)呢,他們各人都為在沖出去的時(shí)候誰(shuí)先上甲板這個(gè)問(wèn)題爭(zhēng)持不下。他們的頭領(lǐng),對(duì)此表示強(qiáng)烈地反對(duì),認(rèn)為他自己擁有先出去的優(yōu)先權(quán);特別是另外兩個(gè)同伴,對(duì)這事情都各不相讓;可他們兩個(gè)又不能一起先出去,因?yàn)橐粡執(zhí)葑樱淮沃荒茏咭粋€(gè)人。到了這里,諸位先生,這些惡棍的卑劣行為可非露底不可了。
Upon hearing the frantic project of their leader, each in his own separate soul had suddenly lighted, it would seem, upon the same piece of treachery, namely: to be the foremost in breaking out, in order to be the first of the three, though the last of the ten, to surrender; and thereby secure whatever small chance of pardon such conduct might merit.
聽了他們的頭目這個(gè)瘋狂計(jì)劃后,仿佛各人的心里都不約而同地突然想到了同樣的詭計(jì),那就是:為了投降,雖然是十個(gè)人中的最后一批,可是,這三個(gè)人里頭,卻都要爭(zhēng)取第一個(gè)首先沖出去,因?yàn)檫@樣一來(lái),也許還多少可以獲得個(gè)寬赦的機(jī)會(huì)。