Unit1GhostsforTea'Tenpenceforaviewoverthebay'.saidtheoldmanwiththetelescope.'Lovelyclearmorning.Havealookattheoldlighthouseandtheremainsofthegreatshipwreckof1935.'“十便士看海湾风光。”那个带着望远镜的老头说道。“多么晴朗美丽的早晨。来看看那古老的灯塔和1935年大海难的遗迹吧!”Tenpencewassheerrobbery,buttheviewwascertainlymagnificent.十便士是纯粹的抢劫,可是海湾的景色确实壮丽。Cliffsstretchedintothedistance,sparklingwaveswhippedbythewindwereunrollingontothebeach,andafewyachts,withcreamy-whitesails,werecurvinganddodginggracefullyonthesea.Justbelow,aflockofseagullswerescreamingatoneanotherastheytwistedandglidedoverthewater.Amileouttosea,theoldlighthousestoodonastoneplatformontherocks,whichwerebeinggreedilylickedbythewaves.InnowayindeeddidIgrudgemymoney.AsIdirectedthetelescopetowardsthelighthouse,themanbesidemetappedmywrist.峭壁伸展向远处,海风激起的波浪闪耀着铺展在沙滩上,海面上几艘游艇伴着乳白色风帆优雅地弯成弧形避开。天空下方,一群海鸥在一只只的叫唤着,侧身滑过水面。离岸一英里处,在海浪贪婪地拍打的岩石上,那座古老的灯塔矗立在一石头平台上。的确我决不会吝惜钱。当我把望远镜对准灯塔时,我身旁的那个老头拍了拍我的手腕。'Haveyouheardabouttheterribletragedythatoccurredthereinthatlighthouse?'heaskedinahushedwhisper.'Iimaginetheremaybeplentyoflegendsattachedtosuchadramatic-lookingplace',Isuggested.“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。“我想这么一个看起来非常富有戏剧性的地方或许有很多传说吧。”我说。'It'snolegend',declaredtheoldman.'Myfatherknewthetwomeninvolved.Italltookplacefiftyyearsagoto-day.Letmetellyou.Hisvoiceseemedtogrowdeeperandmoredramatic.“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。我来说给您听听吧。”他的声音似乎变得更低沉、更富有戏剧性了。'Forawholeweekthatlighthousehadbeenisolatedbystorms',hebegan,'withterrifyingseassurgingandcrashingovertherocks.Peopleonshorewereanxiousaboutthetwomenworkingthere.They'dbeenonthebestoftermsuntiltwoorthreeweeksbefore,whentheyhadquarrelledovercardsinthevillageinn.MartinhadaccusedBlakeofcheating.Blakehadvowedtoavengetheinsulttohishonour.Butthankstothewiseadviceofamantheybothrespected,theyapologisedtoeachother,andsoonseemedtohavegotovertheirdisagreement.Butsomeslightresentmentandbitternessremained.anditwasfearedthatthestrainofcontinuedisolationandroughweathermightaffecttheirnerves,though,needlesstosay,theirfriendshadnoideahowserioustheconsequenceswouldbe.“整整一个礼拜,那座灯塔被风暴困住了。”他开始说,“咆啸的大海波涛汹涌,撞击着岩石。岸上的人们十分担心在那儿工作的两个人。在两三个礼拜前他们还是最好的朋友,在乡村酒店里玩牌时吵了一架。马丁指责布莱克作弊,布莱克就发誓要报复对他名誉的侮辱。但是多亏一位他们俩都尊敬的人好言相劝,他们才互相道歉,而且似乎渡过了不和。不过还是有些怨恨,令人担心的是,持续隔绝的脾气和恶劣的天气会刺激他们俩的神经,然而不用说,他们的朋友还不知道后果会是多么严重。”'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.“50年前的那个晚上,灯塔上没有出现灯光,直到凌晨两点钟突然一束灯光再次开始闪出警告信号。“第二天早上,灯光依然可见。风暴已经平息了,因此一艘救生船出发查看情况。一个残酷的发现等待着船员。马丁和布莱克的卧室一片恐怖场景,桌子被翻倒在地,一副牌散得到处都是,血迹溅得满地。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。他是被戳死的。两天后,布莱克的尸体被冲了上来,身上满是划伤、擦伤,伤得很重。'Onlythencouldwereallystartguessingwhathadhappened.Thisgreattragedycouldonlyhavebeenduetoarenewaloftheirquarrel.Boredanddepressedasaresultoftheirisolation,MartinandBlakemusthavestartedtoplaycards.Againsuspectingcheating,Martinhadaccusedhisformerfriendofdishonesty;afighthadbrokenoutandBlakehadseizedhisknife.Inafitofmadnesshehadattackedhiscompanion,whohadfallenmortallywounded.Then,appalledbywhathehaddone,theloneliness,thebatteringofwindandwaves,Blakehadrushedtotheparapetandflunghimselfontotherocksbelow,wheretheseahadclaimedhim.“只是在那时我们才真正开始猜测发生了什么事。这个巨大的惨剧可能只是归因于他们的再次争吵。由于与世隔绝产生的乏味与沮丧,他们一定开始打牌。马丁再次怀疑布莱克作弊,指责之前的朋友不老实。接着一场打斗发生了,布莱克抓起刀子,在一阵狂怒之下袭击了他的同伴,马丁受了致命伤倒下。然后布莱克被自己的所为震惊,加之孤独寂寞以及风浪的拍击声,他狂奔到栏杆边纵身投向下面的岩石,大海吞噬了他。'ButMartinwasstillalive.Hourslater,afterdarknesshadfallen,hehadrecoveredconsciousness.Herememberedhisjoboflightingthelamp;sufferingintensepain,thepoorwretchcrawledslowlyupthewindingstaircase,dragginghimselffromsteptosteptillhegottothelantern.Athislastgasphemanagedtolightthisbeforefinallycollapsing.“但马丁还活着。过了几小时天色暗下来以后,他恢复了意识,想起自己点灯的职责。忍着剧痛,可怜的马丁慢慢地爬上旋梯,拖着自己一步一步地爬到灯前。在他倒下之前,用尽最后一口气点亮了灯塔。'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。而且,因为这些传说,当地迷信的居民中没有人愿意接替做灯塔管理员。如今人们说,每年的那一天,尤其是当海上情况很恶劣的时候,站在卧室里你就能听到摔纸牌声和怒吼声,看到刀刃的寒光,还会瞥见一个人影奔向栏杆,然后听到慢慢拖动的身体一步一步爬向塔顶。”'TheoldmanpausedandIturnedtogo.'Bytheway',headded,'haveyouanyfreetimethisafternoon?Ifso,whydon'tyouhaveteainthelighthouse?Weareputtingonaspecialboattripto-day.We'rechargingapound.Andmybrother,whoboughttheoldlighthousewhentheybuil