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It was a dark night, and there were no lights in the windows. My uncle was probably in bed. Mr Rankeillor, Torrance and I hid below the steps, near enough to hear any conversation, while Alan went straight up to the door and knocked loudly. After some time my uncle opened his bedroom window, and called down, in a frightened voice, 'What do ye want at this time of night? Who are ye?'
那天晚上很黑，窗户也没透出亮光。我叔叔可能上床睡觉了。我、兰基勒先生还有托伦斯藏在台阶下边，离房子近得都可以听清任何谈话，而艾伦径直走向房门并大声敲了起来。过了一会儿之后我叔叔打开了他卧室的窗户，用惊恐的声音对下面叫道：“晚上这个时候你想干什么？你是谁？”
'I do not want to give ye my own name,' replied Alan, 'but I've come to talk to ye about someone called—David.'
“我不想告诉你我自己的名字，”艾伦回答说，“但我来是想和你谈一下一个人——一个叫戴维的人的事情。”
'What!' cried my uncle. And after a moment, he said unhappily, 'Will ye come inside, to discuss—the matter?'
“什么？！”我叔叔大叫起来。过了一会儿他不快地说：“你能进来以便谈一下——这事吗？”
'I will not,' said Alan sharply. 'It's here on this doorstep that we must talk. Come down and speak to me.'
“我不行，”艾伦机警地说，“我们得在门阶这儿说。下来对我说。”
After Ebenezer had thought about it, he decided to do what Alan wanted. It took him a long time to come downstairs, and a longer time to unlock the heavy door, but at last we saw him in the doorway, holding his gun in his shaking hands.
埃比尼泽考虑了之后，决定做艾伦想要他做的事。他花了很长时间才到楼下，花了更长的时间才打开沉重的大门，但我们终于看到他站在门口，用他发抖的手握着枪。
'Now,' said Alan, 'ye're intelligent enough to see that I'm a Highlander. I have friends who live near the island of Mull. Well, it seems that a ship went down near there, and soon afterwards my friends found a lad, half-dead, on the beach. Your nephew, Mr Balfour. Since then they've been taking care of him. And now they'd like to know, Mr Balfour, if ye want him back. Ye'll have to pay, if ye do. My friends are very poor.
“现在，”艾伦说道，“你肯定已经看出来了我是一个高地人。我有几个朋友住在马尔岛附近。唔，似乎是有一条船在那儿附近沉没了，之后不久我的朋友们在沙滩上发现了一个奄奄一息的小伙子。是你的侄子，鲍尔弗先生。自那之后，他们一直在照顾他。现在他们想知道，鲍尔弗先生，你是否想让他回来。如果你同意，你必须付钱。我的朋友们很穷。”
'I don't want him back,' said my uncle. 'He wasn't a good lad. I won't pay a shilling for him!'
“我不想让他回来。”我叔叔说，“他那时就不是一个好小伙子。我不会为他付一个先令！”
'Blood's thicker than water, sir,' said Alan. 'He's your brother's son! But if ye don't want him back, will ye pay us to keep him? And ye'll have to hurry. I'm not waiting here all night!'
“血浓于水，先生。”艾伦说，“他是你兄弟的儿子！但是如果你不让他回来，你愿意付我们钱以抚养他吗？而且你必须快一点儿。我不可能在这儿等你一晚上！”
'Give me a minute to think, will ye?' cried my uncle.
“给我一分钟让我想一想，行不行？”我叔叔叫着。
'In two words, sir, do ye want us to kill or keep the lad?'
“两个字，先生，你是让我们杀他还是留他？”
'Oh, sir!' cried Ebenezer. 'Don't talk of killing!'
“噢，先生！”埃比尼泽叫道，“不要谈杀！”
'Well, killing's easier, and quicker, and cheaper.'
“唔，相比之下，杀是较简单、快捷又省钱的办法。”
'I'm an honest man,' said my uncle, 'and no murderer.'
“我是一个诚实的人，”我叔叔说，“而且不是一个杀人犯。”
'Well, well,' replied Alan, 'and now how much will ye pay for us to keep him? First I need to know how much ye paid Hoseason to kidnap the lad. How much was it?'
“好了，好了，”艾伦说，“你现在愿意付多少钱给我们去抚养他？首先我想知道你付了多少钱给霍齐亚森让他去诱拐这个小伙子。是多少？”
'Hoseason? Kidnap? What are ye talking about, man?' screamed my uncle, jumping up and down on the doorstep.
“霍齐亚森？诱拐？你在说什么，伙计？”我叔叔尖叫着，气得在门阶那儿上下乱跳。
'Hoseason himself has told me about it,' said Alan calmly, 'so ye needn't pretend. Just answer the question, or ye'll find my sword in your stomach!'
“霍齐亚森本人已告诉我这件事，”艾伦镇静地说着，“所以你不用装了。只回答问题，不然你会发现我的剑将刺入你的肚子！”
'Don't get angry!' cried my uncle. 'I gave him twenty pounds, that's all. But to be honest with ye—he was going to sell the lad as a slave, and keep that money, ye see.'
“别生气，”我叔叔喊着，“我给他20镑，就那么多。但老实和你说——他想把这小伙子当奴隶卖掉，并且独吞那笔钱，你知道。”
'Thank you, Mr Thomson, that's excellent,' said the lawyer, stepping forward. 'Good evening, Mr Balfour,' he said politely to the old man.
“谢谢你，汤姆森先生，那太好了。”律师走上前说。“晚上好，鲍尔弗先生，”他礼貌地对这个老人说。
And, 'Good evening, uncle Ebenezer,' said I.
还有，“晚上好，埃比尼泽叔叔，”我说。
And, 'It's a grand evening, Mr Balfour,' added Torrance.
还有，“这真是一个重要的夜晚，鲍尔弗先生，”托伦斯补充道。
My uncle said nothing, but stood there on the doorstep with his mouth open. We took him into the kitchen, and sat down to discuss matters. After an hour, it was all decided. My uncle accepted that Shaws belonged to me, but he would stay there during his lifetime. He agreed to pay me money every year, and Mr Rankeillor would check that he did.
我叔叔什么也没说，但张嘴站在台阶上。我们带他进了厨房，坐下来商量事情。一个小时后，一切都定下来了。我叔叔同意肖家大院归我所有，但他要待在那儿度过余生。他同意每年付给我钱，而且兰基勒先生将监督他的行为。
