《圣诞颂歌》 第四章 最后一位幽灵(7)

（单词翻译）

The spirit stood and pointed¹ down at one of the graves³.

幽灵站在那儿，朝下指着其中的一个坟墓。

Scrooge was strangely afraid.

斯克罗吉感到莫名的恐惧。

'Before I look more closely⁴ at that gravestone,' he said, 'answer me one question.

“在我更仔细地看墓碑前，”他说，“回答我一个问题。

Are these the shadows of the things that will be, or are they only shadows of the things that may be?'

这些影子是将来会实现的事情还是可能会实现的事情？”

Without replying, the ghost pointed silently⁵ down at the grave².

鬼魂没有回答，它默默地朝下指着坟墓。

Scrooge moved slowly towards it, and following the finger, read on the stone his own name, EBENEZER SCROOGE.

斯克罗吉慢慢地向它走去，顺着幽灵手指头的方向，他看见墓碑上写着他自己的夕字：埃比尼泽·斯克罗吉。

'Am I that man who was lying on the bed?' he cried.

“我就是那个躺在床上的人吗？”他大声问。

The spirit pointed from the grave to him, and back again.

幽灵从坟墓指向他，然后又指向坟墓。

'No, spirit! Oh, no, no!'

“不，幽灵！噢，不，不！”

The finger was still there.

手指依然还是指着坟那里。

Scrooge fell to the ground in front of the ghost, holding its long dark robe⁶.

斯克罗吉倒在鬼魂前面的地上，抓住它长长的黑袍子。

'Spirit! Listen! I am a changed man! I have learnt my lesson from you spirits!

“幽灵！听着！我是一个改过自新的人了！我从你们这些幽灵身上吸取了教训！

Why show me this terrible end, if there is no hope for me!'

如果我没有希望的话，为什么要让我看如此可怕的结局！”

For the first time the hand appeared to shake.

他的手第一次颤抖起来。

'Good spirit, tell me that my future will change, if I change my life now!'

“我的好幽灵，告诉我如果我现在改变我的生活，我的未来也会改变的！”

The kind hand shook again.

他善良的手有些颤抖了。

'I will remember the past, and think of the future. I will be good to other people.

“我将记住过去，并且会为未来考虑的。我会对他人行善的，

I will keep Christmas in my heart, and will try to be kind, and cheerful⁷, and merry, every day.

我会把圣诞记在心中并尽可能的善良、高兴、快乐，每天都这样。

Oh, tell me I can clean away the writing on this stone!'

噢，对我说我能够把这石头上的名字弄掉！”

Wildly, he caught the ghostly hand and held it for a moment.

他死命地抓住鬼魂的手并攥了一会儿。

But the spirit was stronger than him, and pulled its hand away.

但幽灵比他要强壮，它把手挣脱开。

Just then Scrooge noticed that something strange was happening to the spirit.

这时斯克罗吉看到奇怪的事情在幽灵的身上发生了。

It was getting smaller and smaller, and suddenly it became — a bedpost.

它变得越来越小，突然变成了——一根床柱子。