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1Unit1GhostsforTea1“Tenpenceforaviewoverthebay”,saidtheoldmanwiththetelescope.“Lovelyclearmorning.Havealookattheoldlighthouseandtheremainsofthegreatshipwreckof1935.”“十便士看一次海湾风光，”那个带着一架望远镜的老头说道。“多么晴朗美丽的早晨。请来看看那古老的灯塔和1935年失事的大轮船残骸吧。”2Tenpencewassheerrobbery,buttheviewwascertainlymagnificent.要十便士简直是敲诈勒索，可是海湾的景色确实壮丽。3Cliffsstretchedintothedistance,sparklingwaveswhippedbythewindwereunrollingontothebeach,andafewyachts,withcreamy-whitesails,werecurvinganddodginggracefullyonthesea.Justbelow,aflockofseagullswerescreamingatoneanotherastheytwistedandglidedoverthewater.Amileouttosea,theoldlighthousestoodonastoneplatformontherocks,whichwerebeinggreedilylickedbythewaves.InnowayindeeddidIgrudgemymoney.AsIdirectedthetelescopetowardsthelighthouse,themanbesidemetappedmywrist.峭壁向远方伸展，海风激起的阵阵波浪泛着白花，冲上海滩。海面上几艘游艇张着乳白色的风帆优雅地避开浪头蜿蜓前进。山崖下面，一群海鸥相互叫唤着，在海面上盘旋飞翔。离岸一英里处，在海浪贪婪地吮舔着（拍打着）的岩岸上，那座古老的灯塔矗立在一座石头平台上。说实话，我毫不吝惜那几个钱。当我把望远镜转朝灯塔时，站在我身旁的那个老头拍了拍我的手腕。4“Haveyouheardabouttheterribletragedythatoccurredthereinthatlighthouse?'heaskedinahushedwhisper.”“Iimaginetheremaybeplentyoflegendsattachedtosuchadramatic-lookingplace”Isuggested.“It'snolegend,declaredtheoldman.Myfatherknewthetwomeninvolved.Italltookplacefiftyyearsagotoday.Letmetellyou.”您听过在那座灯塔里发生的一起骇人听闻的惨案吗?”他压低了嗓声对我说。“我想这个地方看起来非常富有戏剧性，有关它的传说一定不少，”我说。“这可不是传说，”那老头郑重其事地说。“我父亲认识那起惨案的两个当事人。一切都发生在50年前的今天。让我说给您听听吧。”5Hisvoiceseemedtogrowdeeperandmoredramatic.他的声音似乎变得更低沉、更富有戏剧性了。6“Forawholeweekthatlighthousehadbeenisolatedbystorms”,hebegan,“withterrifyingseassurgingandcrashingovertherocks.Peopleonshorewereanxiousaboutthetwomenworkingthere.They'dbeenonthebestoftermsuntiltwoorthreeweeksbefore,whentheyhadquarreledovercardsinthevillageinn.MartinhadaccusedBlakeofcheating.Blakehadvowedtoavengetheinsulttohishonor.Butthankstothewiseadviceofamantheybothrespected,theyapologizedtoeachother,andsoonseemedtohavegotovertheirdisagreement.Butsomeslightresentmentandbitternessremained.Anditwasfearedthatthestrainofcontinuedisolationandroughweathermightaffecttheirnerves,though,needlesstosay,theirfriendshadnoideahowserioustheconsequenceswouldbe.”“整整一个礼拜，风暴困住了那座灯塔，”他开始说。“咆啸的大海波涛汹涌，海浪拍打着岩石，轰然作响。岸上的人们十分担心在那儿工作的两个人。他们俩是多年的挚友，但在两三个礼拜前，他们在乡村酒店里玩牌时吵了一架。马丁指责布莱克打牌时耍赖，布莱克则发誓要对侮辱他人格的不实之辞进行报复。多亏一位他们俩都尊敬的人好言相劝，他们才互相道了歉，并以乎很快地结束了他们之间的不快。不过各自心里还有些怨恨。因此，人们担心长时间与世隔绝所造成的极度紧张和恶劣的天气会使他们俩神经过敏，尽管不用说，但两人的朋友们根本没意识到后果会有多么严重。”27“Fiftyyearsagoto-night,nolightappearedinthetower,andonlyattwoo'clockinthemorningdidthebeamsuddenlystarttoflashoutitswarningagain.Thenextmorningthelightwasstillvisible.Thestormhadalmostblownitselfout,soareliefboatsetouttoinvestigate.Agrimdiscoveryawaitedthecrew.Themen'sliving-roomwasinahorrifyingstate.Thetablewasover-turned:apackofplayingcardswasscatteredeverywhere:bloodstainssplashedthefloor.ThereliefmenclimbedthewindingstairtothelanternroomandtherediscoveredMartin'sbody,crouchedbesidetheburninglamp.Hehadbeenstabbedandwasdead.Twodayslater,Blake'sbodywaswashedup.scratched,bruised,andterriblyinjured.”“离今50年前的那个晚上，灯塔上没有出现灯光，直到凌晨两点钟左右才有一束灯光突然发出警告信号。“第二天早上，灯光依然可见。风暴已经平息了，人们派出一条救生船前去查看情况。等待人们的却是一个不忍目睹的场面——马丁和布莱克的起居室一片骇人景象，桌子翻倒在地，一副牌散得到处都是，地板上溅满了血迹。营救人员爬上旋梯来到灯塔间，在那儿发现了马丁的尸体蜷缩在仍然亮着的灯旁。他是被捅死的。两天后，布莱克的尸体被潮水冲了上来，他身上划破多处，浑身青肿，伤得不轻。8“Onlythencouldwereallystartguessingwhathadhappened.Thisgreattragedycouldonlyhavebeenduetoarenewaloftheirquarrel.Boredanddepressedasaresultoftheirisolation,MartinandBlakemusthavestartedtoplaycards.Againsuspectingcheating,Martinhadaccusedhisformerfriendofdishonesty;afighthadbrokenoutandBlakehadseizedhisknife.Inafitofmadnesshehadattackedhiscompanion,whohadfallenmortallywounded.Then,appalledbywhathehaddone,theloneliness,thebatteringofwindandwaves,Blakehadrushedtotheparapetandflunghimselfontotherocksbelow,wheretheseahadclaimedhim.“我们只是在那时才猜测究竟发生了什么事。这场大悲剧只是由于他们俩再次争吵而引起的。他们准是因为与世隔绝而内心焦躁，于是开始玩牌。马丁又怀疑布莱克耍赖，指责这位原先的朋友不老实。接着一场格斗发生了，布莱克一把拿起刀子，在一阵狂怒之下向他的伙伴刺去，马丁受了致命伤而倒下。布莱克被自己的行为惊呆了。他受不了这里的孤独寂寞以及风浪的拍击声，于是狂奔到栏杆边纵身跳向下面的岩石。接着大海吞噬了他。9“ButMartinwasstillalive.Hourslater,afterdarknesshadfallen,hehadrecoveredconsciousness.Herememberedhisjoboflightingthelamp;sufferingintensepain,thepoorwretchcrawledslowlyupthewindingstaircase,dragginghimselffromsteptosteptillhegottothelantern.Athislastgasphemanagedtolightthisbeforefinallycollapsing.“但当时马丁还活着。过了几小时，也就是在天色暗下来以后，他苏醒过来，想起了自己点灯的职责。于是，可怜的马丁忍着剧痛，慢慢地爬上旋梯，一步一步地爬到灯前。用最后剩下的一口气，他点亮了灯塔，然后倒下。10“Foryearsafterwardsitwassaidthatthelighthousewashaunted,and,owingtothesestories,theydidn'thaveanyapplicantsforthejoboflighthouse-keeperfromamongthesuperstitiouslocalinhabitants.Andnowtheysaythatoneveryanniversaryofthatday,especiallywhentheseaisrough,youcanstandintheliving-room,hearthecardsfailingandthesoundofangrycries,seetheflashofablade,andthenglimpseafigurerushingtotheparapet.Andthenyouheartheslowdraggingofabodyfromsteptosteptowardstheroomabove.“数年后，据说那座灯塔闹鬼了。就因为这些传说，当地迷信的居民中没有人愿意申请做灯塔维护员。如今发人们都说，每年到出事的那一天，尤其是当海浪很大的时候，人们站在起居室里就能听到摔牌声和怒吼声，就能看到刀刃的寒光，还会瞥见一个人影奔向栏杆，然后听到一个人缓慢地向塔顶爬去。”11“TheoldmanpausedandIturnedtogo.'Bytheway',headded,'haveyouanyfree3timethisafternoon?Ifso,whydon'tyouhaveteainthelighthouse