Won from the Waves — Page 6

他们往后退了几步，以躲避飞溅的盐水浪花。

They had retreated back a few paces to avoid the salt showers.

亚当似乎仍有些不愿放弃出海的念头，这时，远处海面上传来一声沉闷的炮响。

Adam still seemed somewhat unwilling to give up putting to sea, when the dull sound of a gun from the offing reached their ears.

接着又是一声，再一声。

Another and another followed.

一个男人说道："诺顿沙洲那边有艘船。"

"There is a ship on Norton Sands," observed one of the men.

哈利伯特答道："那些炮声太远了，不像是那里传来的。"

"Those guns are too far off for that," answered Halliburt.

又响了两声，随后是几门炮同时轰鸣，发出震耳欲聋的巨响。

Two others followed, and then came the thunder-sounding reports of several fired together.

亚当大声说道："我就知道那些不是求救的炮声。那是交战船只发出的，毫无疑问；我们昨天听到的消息是真的——法国人和英国人又打起来了。"

"I was sure those were not guns of distress. They come from ships in action, depend on that; and the news is true we heard yesterday, that the French and English are at it again," exclaimed Adam.

"我早就觉得咱们与那些法国佬不会长久太平的。"

"I thought we shouldn't long remain friends with the Mounsiers."

一个渔夫喊道："愿英国的船只旗开得胜！"

"Good luck be with the English ships!" cried one of the fishermen.

亚当郑重地说道："阿门！但他们得小心行事，因为风正对着岸吹，若是双方把对方的桅杆打断，两艘船都极有可能漂到诺顿沙洲上去，到那时，上帝保佑他们吧。"

"Amen to that! but they must be careful what they are about, for with the wind dead on shore, if they knock away each other's spars, they are both more than likely to drift on Norton Sands, and if they do, the Lord have mercy on them," said Adam, solemnly.

"不管哪方得胜，情况都不妙，我担心今晚终究会是个糟糕的夜晚。自我离家以来，风向已偏东移了三个罗经点，而且风力是十分钟前的两倍。我们还是把'南希号'开回停泊处去吧，伙计们。"

"Whichever gets the victory, they will be in a bad way, as I fear, after all, it will be a dirty night. The wind has shifted three points to the eastward since I left home, and it's blowing twice as hard as it did ten minutes ago. We may as well run the Nancy up to her moorings, lads."