Soapy walked eastward through a street damaged by improvementsimprovement n.改进， 进步。 He hurled the umbrella wrathfully into an excavation. He muttered against the men who wear helmetshelmet n.头盔， 钢盔 and carry clubs. Because he wanted to fall into their clutches， they seemed to regard him as a king who could do no wrong.
索比往东走，穿过一条因翻修弄得高低不平的街道。他怒气冲天地把绸伞猛地掷进一个坑里。他咕咕哝哝地抱怨那些头戴钢盔、手执警棍的家伙。因为他一心只想落入法网，而他们则偏偏把他当成永不出错的国王。
At length Soapy reached one of the avenuesavenuen.林阴道， 大街， 方法， 途径， 路 to the east where the glitter and turmoilturmoil n.骚动， 混乱 was but faint. He set his face down this toward Madison Square， for the homing instinct survives even when the home is a park bench.
最后，索比来到了通往东区的一条街上，这儿的灯光暗淡，嘈杂声也若有若无。他顺着街道向麦迪逊广场走去，即使他的家仅仅是公园里的一条长凳，但回家的本能还是把他带到了那儿。
But on an unusually quiet corner Soapy came to a standstill. Here was an old church， quaint and rambling and gabled. Through one violetstained window a soft light glowed， where， no doubt， the organist loiteredloiter v.闲荡， 虚度， 徘徊 over the keys， making sure of his mastery of the coming Sabbath anthem. For there drifted out to Soapys ears sweet music that caught and held him transfixedtransfix vt.刺穿， 使呆住 against the convolutions of the iron fence.
可是，在一个异常幽静的转角处，索比停住了。这儿有一座古老的教堂，样子古雅，显得零乱，是带山墙的建筑。柔和的灯光透过淡紫色的玻璃窗映射出来，毫无疑问，是风琴师在练熟星期天的赞美诗。悦耳的乐声飘进索比的耳朵，吸引了他，把他粘在了螺旋形的铁栏杆上。
The moon was above， lustrous and serene； vehicles and pedestrians were few； sparrows twittered sleepily in the eaves—for a little while the scene might have been a country churchyardchurchyard n.墓地， 境内。 And the anthem that the organist played cemented Soapy to the iron fence， for he had known it well in the days when his life contained such things as mothers and roses and ambitions and friends and immaculateimmaculate adj.完美的 thoughts and collars.
月亮挂在高高的夜空，光辉、静穆；行人和车辆寥寥无几；屋檐下的燕雀在睡梦中几声啁啾——这会儿有如乡村中教堂墓地的气氛。风琴师弹奏的赞美诗拨动了伏在铁栏杆上的索比的心弦，因为当他生活中拥有母爱、玫瑰、抱负、朋友以及纯洁无邪的思想和洁白的衣领时，他是非常熟悉赞美诗的。
The conjunctionconjunction n.联合， 关联， 连接词 of Soapys receptive state of mind and the influences about the old church wrought a sudden and wonderful change in his soul. He viewed with swift horror the pitpit n.深坑， 深渊， 陷阱， （物体或人体表面上的）凹陷，（英国剧场的）正厅后排、正厅后排的观众 vt.窖藏， 使凹下，去……之核， 使留疤痕， 使竞争 vi.起凹点， 凹陷 into which he had tumbled， the degraded days， unworthy desires， dead hopes， wrecked facultiesfaculty n.才能， 本领， 能力， 全体教员， （大学的）系，科， （授予的）权力 and base motives that made up his existence.
索比的敏感心情同老教堂的潜移默化交融在一起，使他的灵魂猛然间出现了奇妙的变化。他立刻惊恐地醒悟到自己已经坠入了深渊，堕落的岁月，可耻的欲念，悲观失望，才穷智竭，动机卑鄙——这一切构成了他的全部生活。
And also in a moment his heart responded thrillingly to this novel mood. An instantaneousinstantaneous adj.瞬间的， 即刻的， 即时的 and strong impulse moved him to battle with his desperate fate. He would pull himself out of the mire； he would make a man of himself again； he would conquer the evil that had taken possession of him. There was time； he was comparatively young yet； he would resurrect his old eager ambitions and pursue them without faltering. Those solemn but sweet organ notes had set up a revolution in him. Tomorrow he would go into the roaring downtown district and find work. A fur importer had once offered him a place as driver. He would find him tomorrow and ask for the position. He would be somebody in the world. He would顷刻间，这种新的思想境界令他激动万分。一股迅急而强烈的冲动鼓舞着他去迎战坎坷的人生。他要把自己拖出泥沼，他要征服那一度驾驭自己的恶魔。时间尚不晚，他还算年轻，他要再现当年的雄心壮志，并坚定不移地去实现它。管风琴的庄重而甜美音调已经在他的内心深处引起了一场革命。明天，他要去繁华的商业区找事干。有个皮货进口商一度让他当司机，明天找到他，接下这份差事。他愿意做个煊赫一时的人物。他要……
Soapy felt a hand laid on his arm. He looked quickly around into the broad face of a policeman.
索比感到有只手按在他的胳膊上。他霍地扭过头来，只见一位警察的宽脸盘。
“What are you doin here？” asked the officer.
“你在这儿干什么呀？”警察问道。
“Nothin。” said Soapy.
“没干什么。”索比说。
“Then come along.” said the policeman.
“那就跟我来。”警察说。
“Three months on the Island.” said the Magistrate in the Police Court the next morning.
第二天早晨，警察局法庭的法官宣判道：“布莱克韦尔岛，三个月。”