He took his money from his pouch and showed it to the young man.
男孩从兜里掏出钱,给那少年看。
The owner of the bar came over and looked, as well.
酒吧老板也凑上前来。
The two men exchanged some words in Arabic, and the bar owner seemed irritated.
他们俩用阿拉伯语交谈了几句,酒吧老板似乎生气了。
"Let's get out of here," said the new arrival. "He wants us to leave."
“咱们走。”少年说,“他不愿意让我们待在这里。”
The boy was relieved. He got up to pay the bill, but the owner grabbed him and began to speak to him in an angry stream of words.
男孩松了口气,起身去付账,但是酒吧老板拦住他,开始不停地说着什么。
The boy was strong, and wanted to retaliate, but he was in a foreign country.
身强力壮的圣地亚哥想回击,然而此刻是在别国土地上。
His new friend pushed the owner aside, and pulled the boy outside with him.
他的新朋友将酒吧老板推开,拉着他跑到外边。
"He wanted your money," he said. "Tangier is not like the rest of Africa. This is a port, and every port has its thieves."
“他想要你的钱。”少年说,“丹吉尔和非洲其他地方不一样,这是个港口,港口总是有很多贼。”
The boy trusted his new friend. He had helped him out in a dangerous situation.
男孩相信他的新朋友,因为少年在关键时刻帮了自己。
He took out his money and counted it.
男孩从兜里掏出钱来数了数。
"We could get to the Pyramids by tomorrow," said the other, taking the money. "But I have to buy two camels."
“明天我们就能到达金字塔。”那少年边把钱抓到自己手里,边说道,“不过,我们需要买两头骆驼。”
They walked together through the narrow streets of Tangier. Everywhere there were stalls with items for sale.
他们在丹吉尔狭窄的街巷里走着,每个街角都有卖东西的棚子。
They reached the center of a large plaza where the market was held. There were thousands of people there, arguing, selling, and buying;
最后,他们来到一个很大的广场。广场此时成了集市,数千人在那里讨价还价,买进卖出。
vegetables for sale amongst daggers, and carpets displayed alongside tobacco.
卖蔬菜的中间夹杂着卖短剑的,卖地毯的旁边就是卖各种各样烟袋的。
But the boy never took his eye off his new friend. After all, he had all his money.
但是,男孩的目光一直紧盯着他的新朋友,不管怎么说,男孩所有的钱都在他手上呢。
He thought about asking him to give it back, but decided that would be unfriendly.
他本想把钱要回来,但又觉得那样做不太礼貌。
He knew nothing about the customs of the strange land he was in.
他并不了解这块陌生土地的风土人情。
"I'll just watch him," he said to himself. He knew he was stronger than his friend.
盯住他就行,圣地亚哥暗自思忖,反正自己比他强壮。
Suddenly, there in the midst of all that confusion, he saw the most beautiful sword he had ever seen.
在纷繁杂乱的商品中间,他突然看到一把剑,那是他见过的最漂亮的剑。
The scabbard was embossed in silver, and the handle was black and encrusted with precious stones.
包银的剑鞘,黑色的剑柄,柄上嵌有宝石。
The boy promised himself that, when he returned from Egypt, he would buy that sword.
男孩暗暗发誓,从埃及回来的时候,一定要买下这把宝剑。
"Ask the owner of that stall how much the sword costs," he said to his friend.
“请你问一下摊主,这把剑多少钱。”圣地亚哥对他的朋友说。
Then he realized that he had been distracted for a few moments, looking at the sword.
有那么两秒钟,他只顾盯着看那把剑了。
His heart squeezed, as if his chest had suddenly compressed it.
没听到回答,男孩的心一下揪紧了,胸口仿佛压了一块巨石。
He was afraid to look around, because he knew what he would find.
他不敢扭头,因为他知道将会看到什么。
He continued to look at the beautiful sword for a bit longer, until he summoned the courage to turn around.
他的视线继续在那把漂亮的宝剑上停留了片刻,最后,终于鼓足勇气,转过身。
All around him was the market, with people coming and going, shouting and buying, and the aroma of strange foods ...
他的周围,集市上的人熙来攘往,高声喧哗,异国的菜肴散发着香味……
but nowhere could he find his new companion.
他那位伙伴的面孔消失无踪。