Lost Horizon 消失的地平线(7)

It was after the flight had lasted more than an hour that Mallinson said he thought the pilot wasn't keeping a straight course. Mallinson sat immediately in front. He was a youngster in his middle twenties, pink-cheeked, intelligent without being intellectual, beset with public school limitations, but also with their excellences. Failure to pass an examination was the chief cause of his being sent to Baskul, where Conway had had six months of his company and had grown to like him.飞行了大约一个多小时后，马林森认为飞机偏离了航线，他坐在最前面。这个年轻人大概25岁左右，双颊绯红，深藏不露，大智若愚，毕业于公立学校，差距明显，却也有些才干。因为考砸了，才被派到巴斯库尔这种地方来。在这里跟康威一起呆了6个月，渐渐近墨者黑。 But Conway did not want to make the effort that an aeroplane conversation demands. He opened his eyes drowsily and replied that whatever the course taken, the pilot presumably knew best. 不过康威不想跟飞行员讨论此事，他懒懒的睁开眼，表示不管往哪儿开，飞行员心里自然有数。 Half an hour later, when weariness and the drone of the engine had lulled him nearly to sleep, Mallinson disturbed him again. “I say, Conway, I thought Fenner was piloting us?”半小时后，正当疲倦和引擎声搅得他昏昏欲睡时，马林森再次凑到康威耳边说道: " 我说，前面是芬内尔在开飞机吗？" “Well, isn't he?” " 诶，难道不是他吗?" “The chap turned his head just now and I'll swear it wasn't he.” " 机长刚刚转头了，我发誓他绝对不是芬内尔。" “It's hard to tell, through that glass panel.”" 从玻璃倒影上看不清楚吧。" “I'd know Fenner's face anywhere.”" 那绝对不是芬内尔的脸。" “Well, then, it must be some one else. I don't see that it matters.” " 哦，那一定是其他人，没什么问题吧。" “But Fenner told me definitely that he was taking this machine.”" 但是之前芬内尔告诉我就是他来开。" “They must have changed their minds and given him one of the others.”" 一定是他们的计划变了，他被派去开别的飞机了。" “Well, who is this man, then?”" 那么，这个人是谁?" “My dear boy, how should I know? You don't suppose I've memorized the face of every flight-lieutenant in the Air Force, do you?”" 亲爱的孩子，我怎么知道呢，你不会认为我记得住空军每一个飞行员吧。" “I know a good many of them anyway, but I don't recognize this fellow.”“Then he must belong to the minority whom you don't know.”Conway smiled and added:“When we arrive in Peshawar very soon you can make his acquaintance and ask him all about himself.” " 我可是认识不少飞行员，但我不认识这个人。" " 可能他属于某个你不知道的小团队。" 康威微笑着继续说道:" 很快我们就到白沙瓦了，到时候你再跟他攀谈一番，问个明白。" “At this rate we shan't get to Peshawar at all. The man's right off his course. And I'm not surprised, either—flying so damned high he can't see where he is.” " 照这样下去我们不可能到得了白沙瓦，他完全偏离了航线，我敢肯定，除非，因为飞的太高，这家伙迷路了。" Conway was not bothering. He was used to air travel, and took things for granted. Besides, there was nothing particular he was eager to do when he got to Peshawar, and no one particular he was eager to see;so it was a matter of complete indifference to him whether the journey took four hours or six. 康威一点也不慌乱，他已经习惯了坐飞机四处奔波，一切对他来说都很正常。再说了，到了白沙瓦后，他没有什么事急需去办，也没有要紧的人去见，所以就算这次旅程拖个几小时他也无所谓。 He was unmarried; there would be no tender greetings on arrival. He had friends, and a few of them would probably take him to the club and stand him drinks; it was a pleasant prospect, but not one to sigh for in anticipation. 他一个了无牵挂的光棍，等飞机落地了，也不急着向什么人报平安。在那儿有些朋友，可能有一些会带他去酒吧畅饮。如此预想虽让人期待，但是若飞机晚点，误了玩乐，也不至于扫了谁的兴。 Nor did he sigh retrospectively, when he viewed the equally pleasant, but not wholly satisfying vista of the past decade. 他自己也不会因此不快，本来过去的十年在他看来就算不上多么完美。 Changeable, fair intervals, becoming rather unsettled;it had been his own meteorological summary during that time, as well as the world's. 生活中充满变化无常，临时调配，可说是颠沛流离。这是当时他对自己的总结，跟世界局势一样不稳定 。 He thought of Baskul,Pekin, Macao and other places—he had moved about pretty often. Remotest of all was Oxford, where he had had a couple of years of donhood after the War, lecturing on Oriental History, breathing dust in sunny libraries, cruising down the High on a push-bicycle. 巴斯库尔，北京，澳门，还有其他地方，他经常在各处辗转。遥想当初在牛津大学，战后好几年，未经风雨，成日里教授东方历史，在阳光下的图书馆自由呼吸清新的空气，自在地骑着单车在校园里穿梭。 The vision attracted, but did not stir him;there was a sense in which he felt that he was still a part of all that he might have been.A familiar gastric lurch informed him that the plane was beginning to descend. 脑海中的回忆让他一时神往，不过很快就清醒过来。他感觉潜意识里他仍然活在以往的校园时光里。一股熟悉的胃痛提醒他飞机开始下降了。 He felt tempted to rag Mallinson about his fidgets, and would perhaps have done so had not the youth risen abruptly, bumping his head against the roof and waking Barnard, the American, who had been dozing in his seat at the other side of the narrow gangway. “My God!”Mallinson cried, peering through the window.“Look down there!” 他有意要对马林森之前的担忧嘲笑一番~~假如意外没有发生的话。突然间马林森从座位上弹起来，头撞上舱顶，吵醒了伯纳德，这个美国佬原本在过道另一边的座椅上打瞌睡。" 我的上帝!" 马林森大吼一声，他望向窗外，" 快看下面!" Conway looked. The view was certainly not what he had expected, if, indeed, he had expected anything. Instead of the trim, geometrically laid-out cantonments and the larger oblongs of the hangars, nothing was visible but an opaque mist veiling an immense, sun-brown desolation.康威向下看去，此情此景确实让人惊奇，假如他曾经猜测飞机落地后的情景的话。飞机下方没有依山而建，整齐排列的营帐，也没有长方形的飞机库，他看到的只有一大片模糊不清，朦朦胧胧的荒原。 The plane, though descending rapidly, was still at a height unusual for ordinary flying.Long, corrugated mountain-ridges could be picked out, perhaps a mile or so closer than the cloudier smudge of the valleys. 此时飞机尽管在快速降低高度，但仍然高于普通飞行的高度。可依稀辨认出绵长起伏的山脊，大约有一里长，下面隐藏着深不可测的山谷。 It was typical Frontier scenery, though Conway had never viewed it before from such an altitude. 虽然康威此前没有在这样的角度看到过，但他确定这是典型的前线地貌。 It was also, which struck him as odd, nowhere that he could imagine near Peshawar. “I don't recognize this part of the world,”he commented. 同时，他意识到事情古怪，白沙瓦附近的地形与此不同。" 我不知道这是什么地方。" 他说。 Then, more privately, for he did not wish to alarm the others, he added into Mallinson's ear:“Looks as if you're right. The man's lost his way.” 然后，他悄悄地，不愿惊动其他几位，在马林森的耳边说道:" 看来你是对的，这家伙迷路了。"