杰克生气地问自己，他到底指望从这些脚印中发现什么呢。很可能它们通向大路，或者一扇门，或者其他什么地方，但这些都不会告诉他任何事情。如果它们通向一所房子、一个车库，或者某个停过车的地方，他还是一无所知。此外，他的鞋子里不舒服地塞满了雪，他冷得要命。他厌倦了自己玩这种游戏。
Jake asked himself crossly just what the devil he expected to find out from those footprints anyway. Probably they led to the main road, or to a gate, or to some other place that wouldn’t tell him a thing. If they did lead to a house, or a garage, or some spot where a car had been parked, he would still be in the dark. Besides, his shoes were unfortably full of snow, and he was getting damnably cold. He was sick of playing games by himself.
不，他已经走了这么远，不妨继续走下去。他讨厌以这样一个没有结论的结果放弃。
No, he’d e this far, he might as well go on. He hated to quit on such an inconclusive note.
这条小路比刚才那条更窄，也没那么干净。一丛丛野草和荆棘半埋在雪里，绊住了他的脚踝；湿漉漉的树枝拂过他的脸。一根特别讨厌的树枝，显然对他有个人成见，把他的帽子从头上扯了下来，杰克从雪地里捡起帽子，气愤地咒骂着。不管留下那些脚印的人是谁，杰克都不喜欢他。
This path was narrower than the other had been and not so well cleared. Clumps of weed and bramble, half buried in the snow, caught at his ankles; wet branches brushed against his face. One particularly obnoxious branch, evidently taking a personal dislike to him, snatched the hat from his head, and Jake picked it out of the snow, swearing indignantly. Whoever the guy was who had made those footprints, Jake didn't like him.
也许他会看不到脚印，在树林里迷路。有时候人们确实会这样。文宁庄园的树林只有大概半平方英里，但这也足够了，因为树林荒草丛生、杂乱无章。他可能会走到树林中央的某个地方，然后开始绕圈走。过一会儿天就会黑下来，会更冷。他会在树林里转上好几个小时，试图找到出去的路，最后他会躺在雪地里睡觉，然后在那里冻死。他想知道知更鸟会不会飞来用树叶把他盖上。不，现在不是知更鸟出现的季节。它们会在春天发现他，就在他睡着的地方。
Perhaps he'd lose sight of the footprints and get lost in the woods. People did, sometimes. The woods on the Venning estate were only about a half-mile square, but that would be enough, neglected and tangled as they were. He might get somewhere in the center of them and begin going around in a circle. It would get dark after a while, and colder. He'd wander around for hours, trying to find his way out, and at last he'd lie down in the snow to go to sleep, and freeze there. He wondered if the robins would e and cover him over with leaves. No, it was the wrong season for robins. They'd find him in the spring, right where he'd gone to sleep.
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