They had not stood thus long when three of the crew came up to us. Till now we had but heard their voices, but when they came so near as to be seen, Paul and Friday shot at them. Two of the men fell dead—they were the worst of the crew—and the third ran off. At the sound of the guns I came up, but it was so dark that the men could not tell if there were three of us or three score.
他们还没站在那多久,就有三个船员向我们走来。直到现在,我们只能听见他们的声音,当他们继续走近,近到我们能看见他们的时候,保罗和星期五朝他们开枪了。其中船员中最恶劣的那两个人死了,第三个人逃跑了。枪声一响,我就出来了,但天太黑了,那群船员无法辨认我们是三个人还是三十个人。
It happened just as I wished it, for I heard the men ask:“To whom must we yield, and where are they?” Friday told them that Paul was there with the king of the isle, who had brought with him a crowd of men! At this, one of the crew said: “If Paul will spare our lives, we will yield.” “Then,” said Friday, “you shall know the king’s will.” Then Paul said to them: “You know my voice; if you lay down your arms, the king will spare your lives.”
事情如我希望的那样发展了,因为我听到那群船员问道:“我们要向谁屈服,他们在哪?”星期五告诉他们,保罗就在那里,和岛上的国王待在一起,并带来了一群人!这时,其中一个船员说:“如果保罗饶了我们的命,我们就投降。”“那么,”星期五说,“你们会知晓国王的旨意的。”保罗对他们说:“你们知道我的声音;如果你们放下武器,国王就会饶了你们的命。”
They fell on their knees to beg the same of me. I took good care that they did not see me, but I gave them my word that they should all live, that I should take four of them to work the ship, and that the rest would be bound hand and foot for the good faith of the four. This was to show them what a stern king I was.
他们跪下向我乞求。我十分谨慎,不让他们看见我,但我向他们保证,他们都会活着,我要带其中四个人去修船,为表示这四个人的诚意,其余的人都要把手和脚捆起来。这是为了向他们表明我是十分严厉的国王。
Of course I soon set them free, and I showed them how they could take my place on the isle. I told them of all my ways, taught them how to mind the goats, how to work the farm, and how to make the bread. I gave them a house to live in, firearms, tools, and my two tame cats —in fact, all that I owned but Poll and my gold.
当然,我很快就放他们自由,我让他们知道如何能取代我在岛上的位置。我把我所有的行为都告诉了他们,教他们如何照顾山羊,如何经营农场,如何做面包。我给了他们一栋住房,武器,工具,还有我的两只温顺的猫——事实上,我有的东西都给了他们,除了Poll和金子。