Introduction：The story takes place in a California community known as Poker Flat，near the town of La Porte。In November 1850，four“immoral”characters are exiled as part of the“cleansing”of bad elements by the townspeople。They set outfor a less-respectable camp a hard day’s journey away over a mountain range，but what await them are nothing but a deadly blizzard and a trial of their souls。
1 As Mr。John Oakhurst，gambler，stepped into the main street of Poker Flat on the morning of the twenty-third of November，1850，he was conscious of a changein its moral atmosphere since the preceding night。Two or three men，conversing earnestly together，ceased as he approached，and exchanged significant glances。There was a Sabbath lull in the air which，in a settlement unused to Sabbath influences，looked ominous。
2 Mr。Oakhurst’s calm，handsome face betrayed small concern in theseindications。Whether he was conscious of any predisposing cause was another question。“I reckon they’re after somebody，”he reflected“likely it’s me。”He returned to his pocket the handkerchief with which he had been whipping away the red dust of Poker Flat from his neat boots，and quietly discharged his mind of any further conjecture。
3 In point of fact，Poker Flat was“after somebody”。It had lately suffered theloss of several thousand dollars，two valuable horses，and a prominent citizen。It was experiencing a spasm of virtuous reaction，quite as lawless and ungovernable as any of the acts that had provoked it。A secret committee had determined to rid the town of all improper persons。This was done permanently in regard of two men who were then hanging from the boughs of a sycamore in the gulch，and temporarily in the banishment of certain other objectionable characters。I regret to say that some of these were ladies。It is but due to the sex，however，to state that their impropriety was professional，and it was only in such easily established standards of evil that Poker Flat ventured to sit in judgment。
評注：故事發生的背景是美國西部，19世紀下半葉，曆史上稱之為美國“鍍金時代”。西部和東部不同，那裏依然是執法者的盲區，定居者在那裏尚未形成城鎮，還隻是很簡陋的營地。於是人們往往通過社區內的秘密委員會來裁定一些司法問題。
Sabbath：n。安息日
lull：n。暫時的平靜
ominous：adj。不詳的
betray：v。顯露……跡象
predisposing：adj。預先安排的
reckon：v。猜想
discharge：v。放行，遣散
conjecture：n。猜測，臆想
spasm：n。一陣發作
permanently：adv。
永久地
banishment：n。放
逐，驅逐
objectionable：adj。
引起反感的4Mr。Oakhurst was right in supposing that he was included in this category。A few of the committee had urged hanging him as a possible example，and a sure method of reimbursing themselves from his pockets of the sums he had won from them。“It’s agin justice，”said Jim Wheeler，“to let this yer young man from RoaringCamp—an entire stranger—carry away our money。”But a crude sentiment of equityresiding in the breasts of those who had been fortunate enough to win from Mr。Oakhurst overruled this narrower local prejudice。
5 Mr。Oakhurst received his sentence with philosophic calmness，none the less coolly that he was aware of the hesitation of his judges。He was too much of a gambler not to accept Fate。With him life was at best an uncertaingame，and he recognized the usual percentage in favor of the dealer。
評注：Oakhurst先生被作為不道德的賭徒而遭到驅逐，而在哈特的筆下他卻具有冷靜、勇敢、無私的英雄主義精神。其他幾個遭到流放的人也都具有美好的品德。注意哈特的這種反諷式寫作。
6 A body of armed men accompanied the deported wickedness of Poker Flat to the outskirts of the settlement。Besides Mr。Oakhurst，who was known to be a coolly desperate man，and for whose intimidation the armed escort was intended，the expatriated party consisted of a young woman familiarly known as the“Duchess”another，who had won the title of“Mother Shipton”and“Uncle Billy”，a suspected sluice-robber and confirmed drunkard。The cavalcade provoked no comments from the spectators，nor was any word uttered by the escort。Only，when the gulch whichmarked the uttermost limit of Poker Flat was reached，the leader spoke briefly and to the point。The exiles were forbidden to return at the peril of their lives。
reimburse：v。償還
agin：prep。against
yer：[俚語]your
overrule：vt。駁回，否決
too……not to：“too……not to”此句型是由含否定意義的“too……to”演變而來，這個句型意為“太……不會不……”、“非常……一定能……”
deported：adj。被驅逐的
intimidation：n。威脅
escort：n。護衛
expatriated：adj。被驅逐的
cavalcade：n。隊伍
gulch：n。峽穀
exile：n。流放
at the peril of：冒著……的危險7As the escort disappeared，their pent-up feelings found vent in a few hysterical tears from the Duchess，some bad language from Mother Shipton，and a Parthian volley of expletives from Uncle Billy。The philosophic Oakhurst alone remainedsilent。He listened calmly to Mother Shipton’s desire to cut somebody’s heartout，to the repeated statements of the Duchess that she would die in the road，and to the alarming oaths that seemed to be bumped out of Uncle Billy as he rode forward。With the easy good humor characteristic of his class，he insisted upon exchanging his own riding horse，“Five Spot”，for the sorry mule which the Duchess rode。But even this act did not draw the party into any closer sympathy。The young woman readjusted her somewhat draggled plumes with a feeble，faded coquetryMother Shipton eyed the possessor of“Five Spot”with malevolence，and Uncle Billy included the whole party in one sweeping anathema。
評注：從上下文不難推斷出，Duchess是一個娼妓，而Mother Shipton很可能是妓院的老鴇，Uncle Billy則應該是一個慣偷和酒鬼。
8 The road to Sandy Bar—a camp that，not having as yet experiencedthe regenerating influences of Poker Flat，consequently seemed to offer some invitation to the emigrants—lay over a steep mountain range。It was distant a day’s severe travel。In that advanced season，the party soon passed out of the moist，temperateregions of the foothills into the dry，cold，bracing air of the Sierras。The trail was narrow and difficult。At noon the Duchess，rolling out of her saddle upon the ground，declared her intention of going no farther，and the party halted。
9 The spot was singularly wild and impressive。A wooded amphitheater，surrounded on three sides by precipitous cliffs of naked granite，sloped gently toward the crest of another precipice that overlooked the valley。It was，undoubtedly，the most suitable spot for a camp，had camping been advisable。But Mr。Oakhurst knew that scarcely half the journey to Sandy Bar was accomplished，and the party were not equipped or provisioned for delay。This fact he pointed out to his companions curtly，with a philosophic commentary on the folly of“throwing up their hand before the game was played out”。But they were furnished with liquor，whichin this emergency stood them in place of food，fuel，rest，and prescience。In spite of his remonstrances，it was not long before they were more or less under its influence。Uncle Billy passed rapidly from a bellicose state into one of stupor，the Duchess became maudlin，and Mother Shipton snored。Mr。Oakhurst alone remained erect，leaning against a rock，calmly surveying them。
pent-up：adj。被壓抑的
hysterical：adj。歇斯底裏的
volley：n。迸發
expletive：n。咒罵語
draggled：adj。邋遢的
plume：n。羽毛
coquetry：n。媚態
malevolence：n。惡意
anathema：n。詛咒
amphitheater：n。似圓形劇場的場所
precipice：n。懸崖
provision：v。提供……糧食（必需品）
curtly：adv。簡單粗暴地
prescience：n。先見
remonstrance：n。抗議
bellicose：adj。好鬥的
stupor：n。恍惚，麻木
maudlin：adj。傷感的
10 Mr。Oakhurst did not drink。It interfered with a profession which required coolness，impassiveness，and presence of mind，and，inhis ownlanguage，he“couldn’t afford it”。As he gazed at his recumbent fellow exiles，the loneliness begotten of his pariah trade，his habits of life，his very vices，for the first timeseriously oppressed him。He bestirred himself in dusting his black clothes，washing his hands and face，and other acts characteristic of his studiously neat habits，and for a moment forgot his annoyance。The thought of deserting his weakerand more pitiable companions never perhaps occurred to him。Yet he could not help feeling the want of that excitement which，singularly enough，was most conducive to that calm equanimity for which he was notorious。He looked at the gloomy walls that rose a thousand feet sheer above the circling pines around himat the sky，ominously cloudedat the valley below，already deepening into shadow。And，doing so，suddenly he heard his own name called。
評注：雖然Oakhurst憑借自己作為高水平賭徒的敏銳直覺判斷出這次行程不宜中途在此歇腳，但他並沒有阻攔或拋下大家，而是選擇同舟共濟。從對天色和四周景物的描寫來看，一場不祥的自然災難已經迫在眉睫了。
11 A horseman slowly ascended the trail。In the fresh，open face of the newcomer Mr。Oakhurst recognized Tom Simson，otherwise known as the“Innocent”of Sandy Bar。He had met him some months before over a“little game”，and had，with perfect equanimity，won the entire fortune—amounting to some forty dollars—of thatguileless youth。After the game was finished，Mr。Oakhurst drewthe youthful speculator behind the door and thus addressed him：“Tommy，you’re a good littleman，but you can’t gamble worth a cent。Don’t try it over again。”He then handedhim his money back，pushed him gently from the room，and so made a devoted slave of Tom Simson。
12 There was a remembrance of this in his boyish and enthusiastic greeting of Mr。Oakhurst。He had started，he said，to go to Poker Flat to seek his fortune。“Alone？”No，not exactly alonein fact（a giggle），he had run away with Piney Woods。Didn’t Mr。Oakhurst remember Piney？She that used to wait on the table at the Temperance House？They had been engaged a long time，but old Jake Woods had objected，and so they had run away，and were going to Poker Flat to be married，and here they were。And they were tired out，and how lucky it was they had found a place to camp and company。All this the Innocent delivered rapidly，while Piney，a stout，comely damsel of fifteen，emerged from behind the pine tree，where she had been blushing unseen，and rode to the side of her lover。