《幸运符》是《纽约时报》畅销书排行榜榜首作家爱情小说圣手尼古拉斯·斯帕克思的巅峰之作。

笔者：为什么要翻译这本英文小说呢？首先这本小说是《纽约时报》的畅销书，是一本爱情小说，但是呢没有中文译文版本，很久没有看过英文，想要捡起曾经遗忘的差不多的英文，遂试图翻译这本小说《幸运符》，若有不足之处，烦请谅解。

尼古拉斯·斯帕克思 [著]

@一只高腰黒一只低腰白 [译]

本译文仅供个人研习、欣赏语言之用，谢绝任何转载及用于任何商业用途。本译文所涉法律后果均由本人承担。本人同意简书平台在接获有关著作权人的通知后，删除文章。

Chapter 01: Clayton and Thibault

第一章  克莱顿 和 蒂博

Deputy Keith Clayton hadn't heard them approach, and up close, he didn't like the looks of them any more than he had the first time he'd seen them. The dog was part of it. He wasn't fond of German shepherds, and this one, though he was standing quietly, reminded him of Panther, the police dog that rode with Deputy Kenny Moore and was quick to bite suspects in the crotch at the slightest command. Most of the time he regarded Moore as an idiot, but he was still just about the closest thing to a friend that Clayton had in the department, and he had to admit that Moore had a way of telling those crotch-biting stories that made Clayton double over in laughter. And Moore would definitely have appreciated the little skinny-dipping party Clayton had just broken up, when he'd spied a couple of coeds sunning down by the creek in all their morning glory. He hadn't been there for more than a few minutes and had snapped only a couple of pictures on the digital camera when he saw a third girl pop up from behind a hydrangea bush. After quickly ditching the camera in the bushes behind him, he'd stepped out from behind the tree, and a moment later, he and the coed were face-to-face.

    警官凯斯·克莱顿没有听到那个陌生人和狗走过来的声音，他们越靠近，克莱顿越不喜欢他们的长相，宁愿从来没有见过他们。克莱顿不喜欢德国牧羊犬，就算这只牧羊犬只是很安静的呆在一边，但还是让他想起了警犬“黑豹”和警官肯尼•莫尔，每当莫尔很小声的发起命令，“黑豹”就可以迅速咬住嫌疑犯的裤裆。虽然说大多数时候，克莱顿都认为莫尔是个白痴，但是莫尔仍然是自己在警署最亲密的朋友。他不得不承认莫尔很有天赋，每次讲那些“撕咬裤裆”的故事时，总会让他笑得前仰后合。但此时此刻，莫尔一定很感激克莱顿刚刚离开了，这样他就可以独自在这个小型裸泳派对享乐了。  克莱顿为什么离开呢？因为他瞟见远处沙滩上有两个女生赤裸着在小河边晒太阳，于是他就溜到树林边上偷窥，拿起数码相机拍照片，没拍几张，就看到又有一个女生从他身后的灌木丛走了出来，他就快速把相机扔进了草丛中，然后若无其事的从树后走了出来，这时两人眼神相撞了。

Well, what have we got here?" he drawled, trying to put her on the defensive.

    “那...那边有什么？”克莱顿抢先问，他本想以攻为守，但是话到嘴边却结巴了起来。

He hadn't liked the fact that he'd been caught, nor was he pleased with his insipid opening line. Usually he was smoother than that. A lot smoother. Thankfully, the girl was too embarrassed to notice much of anything, and she almost tripped while trying to back up. She stammered something like an answer as she tried to cover herself with her hands. It was like watching someone play a game of Twister by herself. He made no effort to avert his gaze. 

    他并不想承认自己被抓住的事实，也不喜欢这个老套的开场白。但是通常来说他说话还是比较镇静的，起码会顺畅很多。幸运的是，这个女生当时很羞愧，并没有注意到他的结巴，在她尴尬的试图后退时还差点儿绊倒。当她试图用手遮挡自己赤裸的身体的时候，一边支支吾吾，好像说了些什么。她的窘态，在他看来就像是看一个人在自己玩扭扭乐一样。（笔者注： 扭扭乐游戏的最终目的就是要让大家扭成一团。游戏套装中附有一张印有各种颜色的塑胶板及指针轮盘，由裁判负责转动指针，对比赛者发号施令，当指针指到哪一只手、脚要压在哪一个颜色上，参加者就必须依照指定动作做到，谁能够坚持到底不倒下，或成为唯一一个离开游戏圈的人，就是最后的胜利者。）

Instead he smiled, pretending not to notice her body, as if he bumped into naked women in the woods all the time. He could already tell she knew nothing about the camera.

   但是，他并没有移开视线，相反，他微笑着，假装没有注意到她赤裸的身体，就好像他经常在树林里碰到裸体女生一样。这个时候，他可以肯定她对刚才偷拍的事情浑然不知。

"Now calm down. What's going on?" he asked.

    “别紧张，发生什么事情了吗？”他问道。

 He knew full well what was going on. It happened a few times every summer, but especially in August: Coeds from Chapel Hill or NC State, heading to the beach for a long, last-chance weekend at Emerald Isle before the fall term began, often made a detour onto an old logging road that twisted and bumped for a mile or so into the national forest before reaching the point where Swan Creek made a sharp turn toward the South River. There was a rock-pebble beach there that had come to be known for nude sunbathing—how that happened, he had no idea—and Clayton often made it a point to swing by on the off chance he might get lucky. Two weeks ago, he'd seen six lovelies; today, however, there were three, and the two who'd been lying on their towels were already reaching for their shirts. Though one of them was a bit heavy, the other two—including the brunette standing in front of him—had the kind of figures that made frat boys go crazy. Deputies, too.

    发生了什么事，实际上他最清楚不过。每年夏天，尤其是在八月，来自教堂山（笔者注：美国一个小镇）和 北卡州立大学的大学生们，都会在秋季开学之前去翡翠岛欢度一个漫长的周末，他们经常绕道到一条古老的伐木路，然后在国家森林颠簸大约一公里，最后抵达天鹅河即将汇入南河的地方。这里是一个有很多鹅卵石的沙滩，以裸体日光浴而闻名，虽然他对这个闻名的渊源并不清楚，但是他经常在这里游荡，觉得自己会有好运。两周前，他看到了六个裸体女生，而今天，他又遇到三个。刚刚躺在河边晒太阳的两个女生已经抓起了衬衫，其中有一个女生有点儿胖，但另外两个（包括刚刚从他身后到灌木丛走出来的女生）就比较瘦了，那个躺在河边晒太阳的另一个女生有着会让很多男生疯狂的性感身材。当然，警官也不例外。

"We didn't know anyone was out here! We thought it would be okay!

    “我们不知道还有别人在这里！我们以为这里没有人管的！”

Her face held just enough innocence to make him think, Wouldn't Daddy be proud if he knew what his little girl was up to? It amused him to imagine what she might say to that, but since he was in uniform, he knew he had to say something official. Besides, he knew he was pressing his luck; if word got out that the sheriffs office was actually patrolling the area, there'd be no more coeds in the future, and that was something he didn't want to contemplate. 

    她满脸乞求的表情让他觉得，如果她们的父亲知道这件事是会很严重的。想到她会说些什么来取悦他就很高兴，但是想着自己毕竟身着警服，应该说一些严肃的话。当然，他知道这都是靠他的运气，但如果他告诉这些女生这片区域就是警察维护治安必须巡逻的地方，这里就再也不会有裸体女生出现了，然而他并不愿看到这样的结果。

"Let's go talk to your friends."

    “我们过去和你的朋友谈谈。”

He followed her back toward the beach, watching as she tried unsuccessfully to cover her backside, enjoying the little show. By the time they stepped from the trees into the clearing by the river, her friends had pulled on their shirts. The brunette jogged and jiggled toward the others and quickly reached for a towel knocking over a couple of cans of beer in the process. 

    他跟在她的后面走着，他一路上都在努力的遮住自己的臀部，而在他身后的克莱顿却非常享受眼前的真人裸体秀。在他们从树林中走到河边的这段时间里，其他两个女生都已经穿好了衣服。她蹩脚地跑到她们身边，迅速抓起一条毛巾，却不料打翻了几罐啤酒。

Clayton motioned to a nearby tree."Didn't y'all see the sign?"

    克莱顿指着不远处的一棵树，说道，“你们没有看到那个禁令牌吗？”

On cue, their eyes swung that way. People were sheep, waiting for the next order, he thought. The sign, small and partially hidden by the low-slung branches of an ancient live oak, had been posted by order of Judge Kendrick Clayton, who also happened to be his uncle. The idea for the signs had been Keith's; he knew that the public prohibition would only enhance the attraction of the place.

    三个女孩同时转过去看他手指的方向，他心想人就跟狗一样，总是在等待主人的命令。那个禁令牌很小，而且还被老槐树低垂的枝叶遮挡住一部分。其实这个禁令牌之所以这么放是他的法官叔叔肯德里克·克莱顿的命令，也是他的意思，因为他知道越是禁止，就越会有人来这里。

"We didn't see it!" the brunette cried, swiveling back to him. "We didn't know! We just heard about this place a couple of days ago!" She continued to protest while struggling with the towel; the others were too terrified to do much of anything except try to wiggle back into their bikini bottoms. 

    “我们没看到！”她突然很大声的说，“我们真的不知道，我们只是前几天听到有这么个地方的。”她一边辩护着，一边努力用毛巾遮住自己的身体。而其他两个女生被吓到不知所措，只能本能地穿上自己的比基尼。

"It's the first time we've ever been here!"It came out like a whine, making her sound like a spoiled sorority sister. Which all of them probably were. They had that look. 

    “我们是第一次来这里！”她都快哭出来了，这声音让她听起来就像是一个被宠坏的小丫头，或者说她们三个都是，因为他们看上去都一个样。

"Did you know that public nudity is a misdemeanor in this county?"

    “你们知道在公众场合裸体是一种犯罪吗？”

He saw their young faces grow even more pale, knowing they were imagining this little transgression on their record. Fun to watch, but he reminded himself not to let it go too far.

    他看到她们的脸色变得苍白，知道她们一定在担心自己会不会被抓起来。看着她们出丑，克莱顿觉得有趣极了，但他还是提醒自己不要太过分了。

"What's your name?"

    “你叫什么名字？”

"Amy." The brunette swallowed. "Amy White."

    “艾米。”她停顿了一下，“艾米·怀特。”

Where are you from?"

    “从哪里来的？”

"Chapel Hill. But I'm from Charlotte originally."

    “北卡州立大学，但是我家在夏洛特市。”

"I see some alcohol there. Are y'all twenty-one?" 

    “我看到这里有酒，你们都满21岁了吗？”

For the first time, the others answered as well. "Yes, sir."

    其他两个一直没有说话的女生异口同声的说，“是的，警官。”

"Okay, Amy. I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to take you at your word that you didn't see the sign and that you're of legal age to drink, so I'm not going to make a big deal out of this. I'll pretend I wasn't even here. As long as you promise not to tell my boss that I let you three off the hook." They weren't sure whether to believe him. "Really?"

    “好的，艾米，我知道了，现在我告诉你我要做什么。我相信你们说的话，包括你们没有看到那个禁令牌和你们都到了饮酒的法定年龄。所以呢，我也不会小题大做，甚至我会假装我没有来过这里，只要你们答应我不要把我放过你们的事情告诉我的上级。”

"Really," he said. "I was in college once, too." 

   “真的吗？”她们不知道该不该相信他。

He hadn't been, but he knew it sounded good. "And you might want to put your clothes on. You never know—there might be people lurking around." He flashed a smile. "Make sure you clean up all the cans, okay?"

    “真的。”他说，“我也曾经上过大学。”其实他并没有上过大学，只是他觉得这么说听起来还不错。“另外，我想你们应该穿好衣服，因为你们不知道周围是否有人在偷窥。”他嘴角闪过一丝狡黠的微笑，“还有就是，走之前把啤酒瓶带走。”

"Yes, sir."

    “好的，警官。”

"I appreciate it." He turned to leave. 

    “很好。”说完，他转身离开了。

"That's it?"

    “就这样？”

Turning around, he flashed his smile again- "That's it. Y'all take care now."

    他转身，狡黠的微笑又重现在脸上。“就这样，你们注意安全！”

Clayton pushed through the underbrush, ducking beneath the occasional branch on the way back to his cruiser, thinking he'd handled that well. Very well indeed. Amy had actually smiled at him, and as he'd turned away, he'd toyed with the idea of doubling back and asking her for her phone number. No, he decided, it was probably better to simply leave good enough alone. More than likely they'd go back and tell their friends that even though they'd been caught by the sheriff, nothing had happened to them. Word would get around that the deputies around here were cod. Still, as he wove through the woods, he hoped the pictures came out. They would make a nice addition to his little collection.

    克莱顿穿过灌木丛，径直朝着自己的巡逻车走去，心想这次处理的不错，确实挺好的。艾米真的对他微笑了，而且在他转身离开的时候还在犹豫要不要跟她要电话号码。最后决定没有要，是因为这样简简单单最好了，如果要了电话，她们回去之后又把今天的经历告诉身边的朋友，说他们被警察逮到了，但是什么事情都没有。这事要是传出去了，流言蜚语满天飞，他们肯定说这里的警察很酷，都没有逮住他们而是放他们走。他还没有走出树林，就后悔没有马上把偷拍的照片拿回来，好给自己的收藏再添几张。

All in all, it had been an excellent day. He was about to go back for the camera when he heard whirling. He followed the sound toward the logging road and saw the it ranger with a dog, walking slowly up the road, looking like some kind of hippie from the sixties.

    总而言之，今天确实是很美好的一天。在他回去取照相机的时候，听到了一阵口哨声。他循声朝着伐木路走去，看到了一个陌生人和一只狗，他们正慢悠悠的走在伐木路上，他看起来就像上世纪60年代的嬉皮士。

The stranger wasn't with the girls. Clayton was sure of it. The guy was too old to be a college student* for one thing; he had to be late twenties, at least. His long hair reminded Clayton of a rat's nest, and on the stranger's back, Clayton could see the outlines of a sleeping bag poking out from beneath a backpack. This was no day-tripper on the way to the beach; this guy had the appearance of someone who'd been hiking, maybe even camping out. No telling how long he'd been here or what he'd seen.

    这个陌生人很明显不是跟那些女生一起来的，这家伙看着少说也有30岁，绝对不是一个大学生，还有就是他的长发就像鸟窝一样。克莱顿还发现他的背包中有个睡袋样的东西，他心想，这一定不是过来一日游的，而且从他的外形来看，应该是一个徒步旅行者，或者说是出来露营的。但是克莱顿并不知道这个人在这里呆了多久了，是不是看到了什么。

Like Clayton taking pictures?

    他有没有看到克莱顿偷拍呢？

No way. It wasn't possible. He'd been hidden from the main road, the underbrush was thick, and he would have heard someone tramping through the woods. Right? Still, it was an odd place to be hiking. They were in the middle of nowhere out here, and the last thing he wanted was a bunch of hippie losers ruining this spot for the coeds.

    不能，这不可能。克莱顿心想，自己刚刚是躲在离主干道很远的树林里的，如果有人路过，他一定早发现了。但是转念一想，竟然有人会来这里徒步旅行，也是很奇怪！他可不想让一个没落的嬉皮士和那条狗，毁掉这片专门为女大学生们准备的沙滩。

By then, the stranger had passed him. He was nearly to the cruiser and heading toward the Jeep that the girls had driven. Clayton stepped onto the road and cleared his throat. The stranger and the dog turned at the sound.

    这时，陌生人从克莱顿身边经过，朝着三个女大学生开的吉普车走去。克莱顿走到伐木路上，故意咳嗽了几声，陌生人和狗便转身看到了克莱顿。

From a distance, Clayton continued to evaluate them. The stranger seemed unfazed by Clayton's sudden appearance, as did the dog, and there was something in the stranger's gaze that unsettled him. Like he'd almost expected Clayton to show up. Same thing with the German shepherd. The dog's expression was aloof and wary at the same time—intelligent, almost—which was the same way Panther often appeared before Moore set him loose. His stomach did a quick flip-flop. He had to force himself not to cover his privates.

    从远处打量着他们，但陌生人却对克莱顿的出现不以为然，那条狗也是一样的反应。陌生人冷冷到看着他，这让他很不安，就好像陌生人知道他会出现一样。那只德国牧羊犬到眼神一样冷漠，同时也很警惕，很聪明，简直跟莫尔放开“黑豹”时的眼神一模一样。克莱顿想到这里，不禁打了个冷颤，但他还是尽量让自己不要用手护住裆部。

For a long minute, they continued to stare at each other. Clay-ton had learned a long time ago that his uniform intimidated most people. Everyone, even innocent people, got nervous around the law, and he figured this guy was no exception. It was one of the reasons he loved being a deputy.

    陌生人和克莱顿对视良久，在他看来，他的警服还是颇具威严的。因为世界上的所有人，包括没有罪的人看到警察都会紧张不安的，其实，这个也是他成为警察的一个原因。

"You got a leash for your dog?" he said, making it sound more like a command than a question.

    “你没有给自己的狗准备狗链吗？”克莱顿问到，但是他到口气更像是命令。

"In my backpack."

    “在我的包里。”陌生人回答道。

Clayton could hear no accent at all. "Johnny Carson English," as his mother used to describe it. "Put it on."

    克莱顿从他的回答中没有听到任何外地口音。“约翰尼·卡森式英语，”他母亲就是这么形容如此纯正的英语的。“那就给他戴上”。

"Don't worry. He won't move unless I tell him to."

    “别担心，要是没有我的命令，他动都不会动一下的。”

"Put it on anyway."

    “我才不管这么多，给他戴上。”

The stranger lowered his backpack and fished around; Clayton craned his neck, hoping for a glimpse of anything that could be construed as drugs or weapons. A moment later, the leash was attached to the dog's collar and the stranger faced him with an expression that seemed to say, Now what? 

    陌生人从肩上卸下背包，在包里摸索着狗链。克莱顿探过头想看看包里还有什么东西，他特别希望在包里看到毒品或者枪支类的东西。没一会儿，陌生人就给这只德国牧羊犬套上了狗链，然后用一种无语的眼神看向他，好像是在问克莱顿，这样可以了吧。

"What are you doing out here?" Clayton asked.

    “你来这里干什么？”克莱顿问道。

"Hiking."

    “徒步旅行。”

"That's quite a pack you've got for a hike."

    “嗯，看的出来，你背着一个适合徒步的包。”

The stranger said nothing.

    陌生人没有说话。

"Or maybe you were sneaking around, trying to see the sights.”

    “我看你在这里鬼鬼祟祟的，是想要偷窥沙滩上那阳光下的风景吗？”

"Is that what people do when they're here?"

    “我想凡是来这里的人，不都是为了那个吗？”

Clayton didn't like his tone, or the implication. "I'd like to see some identification."

    克莱顿不喜欢他说话的腔调，听上去意有所指。“身份证拿给我看一下。”

The stranger bent over his backpack again and fished out his passport. He held an open palm to the dog, making the dog stay, then took a step toward Clayton and handed it over.

    陌生人又弯腰在背包中摸索了一会儿，拿出了自己的护照，还给牧羊犬打了个手势，示意它不要动，然后把护照拿给了克莱顿。

"No driver's license?"

    “你没有驾驶证吗？”

"I don't have one."

    “没有。”

Clayton studied the name, his lips moving slightly. "Logan Thibault"

    克莱顿审视着护照上的名字，轻声念了出来，“洛根·蒂博？”

The stranger nodded. 

    陌生人点了点头。

"Where you from？"

    “你从哪里来的？”

"Colorado."

    “科罗拉多州。”

"Long Trip"

    “那可真是够远的。”

The stranger said nothing.

    陌生人什么都没有说。

"You going anywhere in particular?"

    “那你要去哪里？”

"I'm on my way to Arden."

    “阿尔丁镇。”

"Whats in Arden?"

    “阿尔丁有什么？”

"I couldn't say. I haven't been there yet."

    “我不知道，我还没有去过呢。”

Clayton frowned at the answer. Too slick. Too . . . challenging? Too something. Whatever. All at once, he knew he didn’t like this guy. “Wait here,”he said. “You don’t mind if I check this out, do you?”

    克莱顿皱了皱眉，显然陌生人的回答不能让他满意，太滑头，太能胡扯，太...太能瞎掰了。但无论如何，他知道一点，就是他不喜欢这个陌生人。“站这儿别动，“克莱尔说道，”你不介意我去查查你的身份吧。”

“Help yourself.”

    “不介意。”

As Clayton headed back to the car, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Thibault reach into his backpack and pull out a small bowl before proceeding to empty a bottle of water into it. Like he didn’t have a care in the world.

    克莱顿转身朝着巡逻车走去，时不时还回头瞥一眼，他看到那个陌生人从背包里拿出一只小碗，然后倒了点儿水，好像无论发生什么都和他无关一样。

We'll find out, won't we? In the cruiser, Clayton radioed in the name and spelling before being interrupted by the dispatcher. "It's Thibault, like T-bow, not Thigh-bolt. It's French."

我一定会查出点儿什么的，一定会。克莱顿拿着巡逻车里的无线电通报了那个名字，当他在向无线电那边的人解释蒂博怎么写的时候被打断了。

"It's Thibault, like T-bow, not Thigh-bolt. It's French."

    “他叫洛根·蒂博，是草字头的蒂，不是皇帝的帝...像是个法文名”

"Why should I care how it's pronounced?"

    “我管他是哪个蒂。”

"I was just saying—Whatever, Marge. Just check it out, will you?"

    “我只是想说...算了，玛吉，你直接查吧，查到了吗？”

"Does he look French?"

    “他长得像法国人吗？”   

"How the hell would I know what a Frenchman looks like?"

    “你在搞笑吗？我怎么知道法国人长什么样子？”

"I'm just curious. Don't get so huffy about it. I'm a little busy here."

    “我只是好奇，别生气，我这儿有点儿忙。“

Yeah, real busy, Clayton thought. Eating doughnuts, most likely. Marge scarfed down at least a dozen Krispy Kremes a day. She must have weighed at lease three hundred pounds.

    克莱顿心想，是啊，你可真忙，忙着吃你的甜甜圈。这点他可以肯定，因为玛吉每天都要吃掉是个以上的甜甜圈，她现在至少有三百磅重了。

Through the window he could see the stranger squatting beside the dog and whispering to it as it lapped up the water. He shook his head. Talking to animals. Freak. Like the dog could understand anything other than most basic of commands. His ex-wife used to do that, too. That woman treated dogs like people, which should have warned him to stay away from her in the first place.

    透过车窗，克莱顿看到那个陌生人正蹲着与牧羊犬说话，而那只狗只顾喝着碗里的水。他摇了摇头，心想，“傻子，竟然跟狗说话，好像它听得懂一样。”这让他想起了他的前妻，她也是这样，对待狗跟对待人一样，应该先警告他别碰她。

"I can't find anything," he heard Marge say. She sounded like she was chewing something. "No outstanding warrants that I can see."

    ”我什么都没查到。“无线电上传来了玛吉的声音，嘴里似乎还在嚼着什么，”没犯过什么罪。“

"You sure?"

    ”你确定？“

"Yeah, I'm sure. I do know how to do my job."

    ”肯定了，我确定。我每天都在做这些事情。“

As though he'd been listening in on the conversation, the stranger retrieved the bowl and slipped it back into his backpack, then slung his backpack over his shoulder.

    陌生人好像在远处听到了他们之间的谈话一样，开始收起碗塞进背包，然后背好包准备离开。

"Have there been any other unusual calls? People loitering around, things like that?"

    ”那你今天早上有没有接到过流浪汉在谁家门口徘徊之类的电话？或者有没有类似的报警电话？“

"No. It's been quiet this morning. And where are you, by the way? Your dad's been trying to find you."

    ”没有，今天早上没接几个报警电话，话说回来，你在哪儿呢，你爸爸到处找你呢。“

Clayton's dad was the county sheriff.

    克莱顿的父亲是汉普顿县警署的警长。

"Tell him I'll be back in a little while."

    ”那你跟我爸说，我很快就回去了。“

"He seems mad."

    ”他看起来挺生气的。“

"Just tell him I've been on patrol, okay?"

    ”你就直接告诉他我在巡逻呢，好吧？“

So he'll know I've been working, he didn't bother to add.

    克莱顿知道如果他爸知道他在工作的话就不会烦他了。

"Will do."

    ”好的，我知道了。“

That's better.

    这样最好了，克莱顿心里想着。

"I gotta go."

    ”我要挂线了。“

He put the radio handset back in place and sat without moving, feeling the slightest trace of disappointment. It would have been fun to see how the guy handled lockup, what with that girly hair and all. The Landry brothers would have had a field day with him. They were regulars in lockup on Saturday nights: drunk and disorderly, disturbing the peace, fighting, almost always with each other. Except when they were in lockup. Then they'd pick on someone else.

    克莱顿把无线电挂回原处，一动不动的坐在那里，只觉得没有查到些什么让他有些失望。他本想着如果能给那个陌生人戴上手铐，然后把它关进派出所，那家伙有着女生一样的头发，派出所里的那些地痞流氓们一定会好好陪他玩上一天的。每周六晚，他们都会因为醉酒、妨碍治安、打架斗殴等等原因被关在一起，虽然说他们平时在外面六亲不认，但是在拘留所就不一样了，他们总是专门合伙欺负新来的。

He fiddled with the handle of his car door. And what was his dad mad about this time? Dude got on his nerves. Do this. Do that. You serve those papers yet? Why are you late? Where've you been? Half the time he wanted to tell the old guy to mind his own damn business. Old guy still thought he ran things around here.

    克莱顿摆弄着车门把手，心想他父亲为什么生气呢？他是个花花公子，动不动就惹他父亲生气。你去做这个！做那个！这些文件处理完了吗？怎么又迟到？昨晚去哪儿了？大多数时候克莱顿都想告诉那个老家伙管好自己就好了。很显然，他爸爸又以为他又去哪里干坏事了。

No matter. He supposed he'd find out sooner or later. Now it was time to get the hippie loser out of here, before the girls came out. Place was supposed to be private, right? Hippie freaks could ruin the place.

    没关系，老家伙迟早会明白。现在要紧的事是，在女大学生过来这里之前，把这个没落的嬉皮士和他的那条狗赶出去，这里需要隐私保护，这个嬉皮士会把这些都搞砸的。

Clayton got out of the car, closing the door behind him. The dog cocked its head to the side as Clayton approached. He handed the passport back. "Sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Thibault." This time, he mangled the pronunciation on purpose. "Just doing my job. Unless, of course, you've got some drugs or guns in your pack."

    克莱顿下车，关好车门，朝着陌生人走去，当他走进时，那只德国牧羊犬把头侧向另一边，他把护照还了回去。”蒂博先生，给您带来的不便敬请谅解。“这一次，他故意用很重的音调说了”蒂博先生“，”我也是例行公事，当然，除非说你携带了毒品或者枪支等违禁品。“

"I don't."

    ”我没有。“

"You care to let me see for myself?"

    ”那我能亲自检查一下你的包吗？“

"Not really. Fourth Amendment and all."

    "当然不能，宪法第四条修正案禁止无理由搜身。"

"I see your sleeping bag there. You been camping ?"

    ”我看你背包里面有睡袋，你是打算露营吗？“

"I was in Burke County last night."

    ”我昨晚住在伯克县。“

Clayton studied the guy, thinking about the answer.

    克莱顿一直审视着眼前这个家伙，试图从他的回答中找出破绽。

"There aren't any campgrounds around here."

    ”但是在汉普顿县没有适合扎营的地方。“

The guy said nothing.

    这个陌生人没有说话。

It was Clayton who looked away. "You might want to keep that dog on the leash."

    克莱顿终于从陌生人身上移开视线，警告道，”你最好一直拴着你的狗。“

"I didn't think there was a leash law in this county."

    ”我不知道在荒郊野外，国家还限制了必须拴狗。“

"There isn't. It's for your dog's safety. Lot of cars out by the main road."

    ”国家没有这样的法案，我是为了它的安全照相，毕竟车来车往的。“

"I'll keep that in mind."

    ”我会注意的。“

"Okay, then." Clayton turned away before pausing once more. "If you don't mind my asking, how long have you been out here?"

    ”好的，那...“克莱顿转身准备离开，却又停下来问道，”冒昧问一句，你在这儿多久了？“

"I just walked up. Why ?"

    ”我只是刚刚路过这里，怎么了？“

Something in the way he answered made Clayton wonder, and he hesitated before reminding himself again that there was no way the guy could know what he'd been up to. "No reason."

    他的回答反倒让克莱顿更加疑心重重，他犹豫了一下，提醒自己他是不知道自己刚刚偷拍裸体女生的事情的，”没什么。“

"Can I go?"

    ”我可以走了吗？“

"Yeah. Okay."

    ”嗯嗯，可以了。“

Clayton watched the stranger and his dog start up the logging road before veering onto a small trail that led into the woods. Once he vanished, Clayton went back to his original vantage point to search for the camera. He poked his arm into the bushes, kicked at the pine straw, and retraced his steps a couple of times to make sure he was in the right place. Eventually, he dropped to his knees, panic beginning to settle in. The camera belonged to the sheriffs department. He'd only borrowed it for these special outings, and there'd be a lot of questions from his dad if it turned out to be lost. Worse, discovered with a card full of nudie pictures. His dad was a stickler for protocol and responsibility.

    陌生人带着他的狗沿着伐木路走了，然后他们转向一条林中小路，克莱顿一直看着他们，知道身影消失在他的视线里，他才回到树林里找自己的数码相机，他不停地拨开头顶的树枝，踢开地上的松稻草，跟着刚才的脚印，以保证自己走的路是对的。最后，他开始蹲下来寻找，因为这个相机是警署里面的东西，他当时说要巡逻才借出来的，如果丢了的话，他爸爸一定会一大堆问题，再严重一些，如果他爸发现存储卡里都是一些炉体的女生，那他就吃不了兜着走了。

By then, a few minutes had passed. In the distance, he heard the throaty roar of an engine fire up. He assumed the coeds were leaving; only briefly did he consider what they might be thinking when they noticed his cruiser was still there. He had other issues on his mind. The camera was gone.

    他找了好久，还没有找到。与此同时，他听到一阵引擎发动的声音，他知道她们一定是准备走了，他不知道如果那些女孩看到巡逻车还在那里的时候回怎么想。但是现在，他已经顾不得那些了，最要命的事情发生了，数码相机不见了！

Not lost. Gone. And the damn thing sure as hell didn't walk off on its own. No way the girls had found it, either. Which meant Thigh-bolt had been playing him all along. Thigh-bolt. Playing. Him. Unbelievable. He knew the guy had been acting too slick, too "I Know What You Did Last Summer.

    不是找不见，而是被人拿走了。但是他知道，相机没有腿，不会自己不见的，而且她们也肯定不会发现这个相机的，如果这样的话，肯定是刚才那个嬉皮士蒂博在捉弄他。他简直不敢相信是他，他知道那个家伙很狡猾，他觉得蒂博肯定知道他去年夏天都干了些什么。

No way was he getting away with that. No grimy, hippie, dog-talking freak was ever going to show up Keith Clayton. Not in this life, anyway.

   你可别让我克莱顿抓住你的小辫子，那个穿着长筒靴、肮脏没落的嬉皮士、和狗说话的怪胎，竟然敢拿走我的相机。你完了，再别让我见到你，这辈子都不要，否则，你死定了。

He pushed through branches heading back to the road, figuring he'd catch up to Logan Thigh-bolt and have a little look-see. And that was just for starters. More than that would follow; that much was certain. Guy plays him? That just wasn't done. Not in this town, anyway. He didn't give a damn about the dog, either. Dog gets upset? Bye, bye, doggie. Simple as that. German shepherds were weapons—there wasn't a court in the land where that wouldn't stand up.

    他拨开树枝来到大路上，心想一定要追上洛根·蒂博，他要给那个家伙点儿颜色看看。而这只是一个小小的开始，更加厉害的还在后头！那家伙竟敢玩弄他！这一切还没有结束，至少在汉普顿县，克莱顿还是有呼风唤雨的本事，至于那条狗，他则完全不在意！那只牧羊犬会觉得难过？那再见，再见吧！小狗！人们都说德国牧羊犬更像是一种武器，但是这片土地上，是没有可以让它呆的地方。

First things first, though. Find Thibault. Get the camera. Then figure out the next step.

    话虽如此，但是当务之急是先追上蒂博，拿到相机，然后在想着怎么处置他。

It was only then, while approaching his cruiser, that he realized both his rear tires were flat.

    克莱顿气冲冲地走到巡逻车旁，准备开车追赶，却发现两个车胎都爆了。

​

​

"What did you say your name was?"

   ”你刚刚说你叫什么名字来着？“

Thibault leaned across the front seat of the Jeep a few minutes later, talking over the roar of the wind. "Logan Thibault." He thumbed over his shoulder. "And this is Zeus."

    几分钟后，蒂博坐在吉普车的前座上，迎着风介绍，”洛根·蒂博“，然后又指了指身后的牧羊犬，”它是宙斯。“

Zeus was in the back of the Jeep, tongue out, nose lifted to the wind as the Jeep sped toward the highway.

    吉普车沿着伐木路一路疾驰，宙斯蹲坐在吉普车的最后面，吐着舌头，享受着风。

"Beautiful dog. I'm Amy. And this is Jennifer and Lori."

    ”你的狗真漂亮。我叫艾米，然后呢，她们是詹妮弗和；罗莉“

Thibault glanced over his shoulder. "Hi."

    蒂博转过身向他们打了声招呼，”你们好！“

"Hey."

    ”你好！“

They seemed distracted. Not surprising, Thibault thought, considering what they'd been through. "I appreciate the ride."

    她们看起来还是心不在焉的，但是想起她们刚刚的经历，就觉得一点儿都不奇怪。”谢谢你们愿意捎我一程。“

"No big deal. And you said you're going to Hampton?"

    ”没什么的，别客气，你说你要去汉普顿？“

"If it's not too far."

    ”如果不是很远的话，希望可以捎我一段。“

"It's right on the way."

    ”我们正好要去那里。“

After leaving the logging road and taking care of a couple of things, Thibault had edged back to the road just as the girls were pulling out. He'd held out his thumb, thankful that Zeus was with him, and they'd pulled over almost immediately.

    在离开伐木路之前，他又绕回树林里扎爆了巡逻车的轮胎。然后，他沿着林中小路回到了伐木路上，这时，她们正好开车过来，蒂博就竖起大拇指，示意宙斯小心车，没想到他们却把车停到了路边。

Sometimes things work out just like they're supposed to.

    有的时候，好运来了，挡都挡不住。

Though he pretended otherwise, he'd actually seen the three of them earlier that morning as they'd come in—he'd camped just over the ridge from the beach—but had given them the privacy they deserved as soon as they'd started to disrobe. To his mind, what they were doing fell into the "no harm, no foul" category; aside from him, they were completely alone out here, and he had no intention of hanging around to stare. Who cared if they took their clothes off or, for that matter, dressed up in chicken costumes? It wasn't any of his business, and he'd intended to keep it that way—until he saw the deputy driving up the road in a Hampton County Sheriffs Department car.

    蒂博假装对她们早上的遭遇浑然不知，其实他一大早上就看到了她们开车来到这里，因为他昨晚就露宿在离这儿不远的山坡上。而在他们开始脱衣服的时候，他也给了他们隐秘的空间，在他看来，不知者无罪嘛。虽然说他就在附近，但是却从没想过去偷看她们。话说回来，谁又在乎他们是不是没有穿衣服，还是打扮成火鸡一样去参加化装舞会呢？这和他没有半毛钱关系，他原本想完全置身事外的，没想到他看到一个警察开着巡逻车朝这里驶来。

He got a good look at the deputy through the windshield, and there was something wrong about the guy's expression. Hard to say what it was, exactly, and he didn't pause to analyze it. He turned around, cutting through the forest, and arrived in time to see the deputy checking the disk in his camera before quietly shutting the door of his cruiser. He watched him slink off toward the ridge. Thibault knew full well that the deputy could have been working officially, but he looked the way Zeus did when he was waiting for a piece of beef jerky. A little too excited about the whole thing.

    他隔着挡风玻璃看的一清二楚，那个警察的表情很奇怪，但他说不上来哪里奇怪，也没有去细想，而是转身穿过树林跟了上去，刚好看到那个警察在检查数码相机的存储卡。后来，那个警察小心地关上了车门，非常谨慎的朝着沙滩的方向走去，他以为那个警察有什么抓捕行动，但是那家伙的样子就像是想吃肉的宙斯一样，越观察越觉得好奇。

Thibault had Zeus stay where he was, kept enough distance so the deputy wouldn't hear him, and the rest of the plan had come together spontaneously after that. He knew that direct confrontation was out—the deputy would have claimed he was collecting evidence, and the strength of his word against a stranger's would have been unassailable. Anything physical was out of the question, mostly because it would have caused more problems than it was worth, though he would have loved to go toe-to-toe with the guy. Luckily—or unluckily, he supposed, depending on the perspective—the girl had appeared, the deputy had panicked, and Thibault had seen where the camera had landed. Once the deputy and the girl headed back toward her friends, Thibault retrieved the camera. He could have simply left at that point, but the guy needed to be taught a lesson. Not a big lesson, just a lesson that would keep the girls' honor intact, allow Thibault to be on his way, and ruin the deputy's day. Which was why he'd doubled back to flatten the deputy's tires.

    蒂博示意宙斯待在原地不要动，他尾随在那个警察身后，并保持一定的距离以免被发现，然后，接下来的事情就自然而然了。他知道，如果他鲁莽上前，当面质问肯定不行，那个警察肯定会谎称自己在搜索证据，而一个警察对一个陌生人给出这样的解释确实是无法质疑的。那么，如果动手解决呢？那更不行了，尽管他很想用拳头解决那个家伙，但是想着这会给自己带来很多麻烦，想想没有必要，还是算了。幸运的是，（或者说不幸的是，全看是站在谁的角度了）那个女生突然出现了，那个警察不知所措，而蒂博刚好看到了他扔下相机的位置。当那个女生和警察向她的朋友走去时，他拿到了那个相机，他本可以拿了相机就走，但是还是想着要让那个家伙吃点儿苦头才好，只有破坏掉那家伙美好的一天才能弥补她们的尊严受到的侵犯。说到教训那家伙，蒂博有自己的一套，这也就是他为什么要绕回去扎爆巡逻车的两个轮胎。

"Oh, that reminds me," Thibault volunteered. "I found your camera in the woods."

    ”哦，我突然想起来，“蒂博突然说道，”我刚刚在树林里好像捡到了你们的相机。“

"It's not mine. Lori or Jen—did either of you lose a camera?"  

  ”那可不是我的，詹妮弗，罗莉，是你们的吗？“

Both of them shook their heads.

    他们都摇头表示不是自己的。

"Keep it anyway," Thibault said, putting it on the seat, "and thanks for the ride. I've already got one."

    ”算了，别管是谁的了，你们拿着吧，“蒂博把相机放在车座上，接着说，”我要谢谢你们载我一程，反正我已经有了一个相机了，也用不着。“

"You sure? It's probably expensive."

    ”你确定要给我们吗？相机很贵的。“

"Positive."

    ”我非常确定。“

"Thanks."

    ”那太谢谢了。“

Thibault noted the shadows playing on her features, that she was attractive in a big-city kind of way, with sharp features, olive skin, and brown eyes flecked with hazel. He could imagine staring at her for hours.

    斑驳的树影不时的落进车窗，从艾米的脸上飘过。他看着艾米的脸，那是一张城市女生特有的迷人的脸，橄榄色的皮肤，有淡褐色斑点的棕色眼睛，他甚至觉得自己一连看几个小时都不会厌烦。

"Hey … you doing anything this weekend?" Amy asked him "We're all going out to the beach."

    ”嗯...你这周末有空吗？“艾米问道，”这个周末，我们还准备来沙滩这边。“

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't."

    ”谢谢你的邀请，但我恐怕不会去了。“

"I'll bet you're going to see your girlfriend, aren't you."

    ”你一定是急着去汉普顿看你的女朋友吧？“

"What makes you say that?"

    ”你为什么这么觉得？“

"You have that way about you."

    ”你的表情看起来像是很着急要见到某个人。“

He forced himself to turn away. "Something like that."

    蒂博转过头看向窗外，”算是吧。“