汤姆·索亚历险记(外研社双语读库)(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)

作者：Mark Twain 马克·吐温

出版社：外语教学与研究出版社

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

汤姆·索亚历险记(外研社双语读库)试读：

Chapter 1

第一章

"TOM!"“汤姆！”

No answer.

没人答应。

"TOM!"“汤姆！”

No answer.

又没人答应。

"What's gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!"“这孩子怎么啦，我说？你这个汤姆！”

No answer.

还是没有人答应。

The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or never looked through them for so small a thing as a boy; they were her state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for "style," not service — she could have seen through a pair of stove lids just as well. She looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but still loud enough for the furniture to hear:

老太太拉低了眼镜，从镜片上方朝房间周围看了看，然后又抬高眼镜，从镜片底下张望着。她很少或者说从来没有戴正眼镜来看一个像小男孩儿这么微不足道的东西。这副眼镜相当考究，是她引以为豪的宝贝，可不是为了实用，而是为了“装饰”，她即使透过两片炉子盖儿也照样看得一清二楚。她不知所措地愣了会儿，然后虽然不是凶神恶煞地，但嗓门高得哪儿都能听得见，她说：

"Well, I lay if I get hold of you I'll — "“好，我发誓如果我抓到你，我就——”

She did not finish, for by this time she was bending down and punching under the bed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate the punches with. She resurrected nothing but the cat.

她话没说完，因为这时候她正弯腰拿扫把往床下面杵，每杵一下就需要停下来喘口气。结果她只杵出一只猫来。

"I never did see the beat of that boy!"“我还从没见过这样的孩子！”

She went to the open door and stood in it and looked out among the tomato vines and "jimpson" weeds that constituted the garden. No Tom. So she lifted up her voice at an angle calculated for distance and shouted:

她走到敞开的门口，站在那儿朝满园子的番茄藤和吉普逊草丛里望了望，想找到汤姆。还是没有。于是，她扯开嗓子朝远处高声喊道：

"Y-o-u-u Tom!"“汤姆啊，汤姆！”

There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his roundabout and arrest his flight.

这时候，她身后有阵轻微的响动，她一转身刚好抓住了一个小男孩儿的短外套衣角，他这下可跑不掉了。

"There! I might 'a' thought of that closet. What you been doing in there?"“嘿，在这儿呢！我早就该想到那个壁橱。你躲在那儿干什么呢？”

"Nothing."“没干什么。”

"Nothing! Look at your hands. And look at your mouth. What is that truck?"“没干什么！瞧瞧你那双手。再看看你那张嘴。你浑身上下都是什么啊？”

"I don't know, aunt."“我不知道，姨妈。”

"Well, I know. It's jam — that's what it is. Forty times I've said if you didn't let that jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me that switch."“啊，我知道了。是果酱——对，没错，就是。我跟你说了得有四十遍了，不要动我的果酱，否则我就扒了你的皮。把鞭子给我。”

The switch hovered in the air — the peril was desperate —

鞭子在空中晃晃悠悠，危险迫在眉睫。

"My! Look behind you, aunt!"“啊，天哪！瞧你身后，姨妈！”

The old lady whirled round, and snatched her skirts out of danger. The lad fled on the instant, scrambled up the high board fence, and disappeared over it.

老太太以为有危险，急忙撩起裙子转过身。汤姆这小家伙赶紧撒丫子就跑，爬上老高的木栅栏，一转眼就没影儿了。

His aunt Polly stood surprised a moment, and then broke into a gentle laugh.

他的波莉姨妈站在那儿先是一愣，随后轻声笑了起来。

"Hang the boy, can't I never learn anything? Ain't he played me tricks enough like that for me to be looking out for him by this time? But old fools is the biggest fools there is. Can't learn an old dog new tricks, as the saying is. But my goodness, he never plays them alike, two days, and how is a body to know what's coming? He 'pears to know just how long he can torment me before I get my dander up, and he knows if he can make out to put me off for a minute or make me laugh, it's all down again and I can't hit him a lick. I ain't doing my duty by that boy, and that's the Lord's truth, goodness knows. Spare the rod and spoil the child, as the Good Book says. I'm a-laying up sin and suffering for us both, I know. He's full of the Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! He's my own dead sister's boy, poor thing, and I ain't got the heart to lash him, somehow. Every time I let him off, my conscience does hurt me so, and every time I hit him my old heart most breaks. Well-a-well, man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, as the Scripture says, and I reckon it's so. He'll play hooky this evening , and I'll just be obliged to make him work, to-morrow, to punish him. It's mighty hard to make him work Saturdays, when all the boys are having holiday, but he hates work more than he hates anything else, and I've got to do some of my duty by him, or I'll be the ruination of the child."“这该死的，我怎么老是不吸取教训？到现在他跟我开这种玩笑也不少了，难道我还不该提防着点吗？老糊涂是最大的糊涂蛋。俗话说得好，老狗学不会新把戏。可是老天哪，他的鬼把戏从来没有两天一样的，谁知道他下回要耍什么花招？他好像对折磨我多长时间才会把我惹毛了如指掌，也知道只要能想个法子哄哄我，逗我笑笑，就会什么事也没有了，我也不会揍他。对那孩子我可是没尽到责任。上帝知道这千真万确。正如《圣经》里所言，孩子不打不成器。我犯了溺爱孩子的罪孽，让我俩都受罪，我知道。他一肚子坏水儿，哎呦！可他是我那死去姐姐的儿子，我总是不忍心揍他。每次我饶了他，我良心上过不去。可每次我打他，我这心都要碎了。哎，罢了罢了，就像《圣经》里说的，人为母生，光阴荏苒，多苦多难。我看这话说得没错。他今天下午要是再逃学，我明天就让他干活儿了，惩罚惩罚他。星期六让他干活恐怕是苛刻了点，所有孩子都放假呢。可他最痛恨的就是干活了。我必须对他尽点责任，要不我就把这孩子给毁了。”

Tom did play hooky, and he had a very good time. He got back home barely in season to help Jim, the small colored boy, saw next day's wood and split the kindlings before supper — at least he was there in time to tell his adventures to Jim while Jim did three fourths of the work. Tom's younger brother (or rather half-brother) Sid was already through with his part of the work (picking up chips), for he was a quiet boy, and had no adventurous, troublesome ways.

汤姆确实逃学了，而且痛痛快快玩儿了一场。他回家时正好赶上帮那小黑孩吉姆的忙，帮他在晚饭前锯第二天用的木头，劈引火用的柴——至少他及时赶到那儿，把他冒险所干的事讲给吉姆听，而活却是吉姆干了四分之三。汤姆的弟弟（确切地说是同母异父的弟弟）希德已干完了他那摊活（捡碎木块），因为他是个好静的孩子，从不干什么冒险的事，也不惹什么麻烦。

While Tom was eating his supper, and stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions that were full of guile, and very deep — for she wanted to trap him into damaging revealments. Like many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low cunning. Said she:

汤姆吃晚饭的时候，只要有机会就偷糖吃，波莉姨妈这时开始问他话，话里充满诡计，深藏玄机——因为她要给他设点圈套，自己吐出真话来，给他致命性打击。跟其他很多头脑简单的人一样，她自负得很，相信自己天生有耍弄诡秘狡猾手腕的才能，认为自己极易被人识破的伎俩妙得令人惊叹。她说： “汤姆，学校里挺热的，是吧？”

"Tom, it was middling warm in school, warn't it?"“汤姆，学校里挺热的，是吧？”

"Yes'm."“对，姨妈。”

"Powerful warm, warn't it?"“热得厉害，对吧？”

"Yes'm."“是，姨妈。”

"Didn't you want to go in a-swimming, Tom?"“你是不是想去游泳来着，汤姆？”

A bit of a scare shot through Tom — a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searched Aunt Polly's face, but it told him nothing. So he said:

汤姆忽然觉得有点儿害怕——一丝不安的疑虑袭上心头。他偷看波莉姨妈的脸色，可是没看出个所以然来。于是他说：

"No'm — well, not very much."“没有啊，姨妈——呃，没怎么想去。”

The old lady reached out her hand and felt Tom's shirt, and said:

老太太伸出手，摸了摸汤姆的衬衫，说道：

"But you ain't too warm now, though." And it flattered her to reflect that she had discovered that the shirt was dry without anybody knowing that that was what she had in her mind. But in spite of her, Tom knew where the wind lay, now. So he forestalled what might be the next move:“可是你现在不怎么热吧。”想到她发现衬衣是干的而没人知道她的真正用意是什么，老太太得意洋洋。可不管老太太怎么样，汤姆现在猜透了她的心思。因此他先下手一步，防范老太太的下一招：

"Some of us pumped on our heads — mine's damp yet. See?"“有些人往我们头上泼水——我的头发还是湿的呢。看见了吧？”

Aunt Polly was vexed to think she had overlooked that bit of circumstantial evidence, and missed a trick. Then she had a new inspiration:

波莉姨妈懊恼不已，她居然没注意到这个明摆着的事实，错过了一次施伎俩的机会。可接着她灵机一动，计上心来：

"Tom, you didn't have to undo your shirt collar where I sewed it, to pump on your head, did you? Unbutton your jacket!"“汤姆，你往头上浇水的时候，不必拆掉我给你衬衫上缝的领子吧？把上衣的纽扣解开！”

The trouble vanished out of Tom's face. He opened his jacket. His shirt collar was securely sewed.

不安马上从汤姆脸上消失了。他解开上衣，衬衣的领子还是缝得好好的。

"Bother! Well, go 'long with you. I'd made sure you'd played hooky and been a-swimming. But I forgive ye, Tom. I reckon you're a kind of a singed cat, as the saying is — better'n you look. This time."“怪了！得了，算了吧。我以为你逃课去游泳了。不过我饶了你，汤姆。我看你就是俗话里说的那种烧焦毛的猫——比外表看起来要好。下不为例。”

She was half sorry her sagacity had miscarried, and half glad that Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once.

她既为自己的计谋落空而遗憾，又为汤姆能有一次如此温顺听话而高兴。

But Sidney said:

可是希德却说：

"Well, now, if I didn't think you sewed his collar with white thread, but it's black."“呃，我记得你好像给他缝领子用的是白线，可现在却是黑线。”

"Why, I did sew it with white! Tom!"“哎呀，我的确用白线缝的！汤姆！”

But Tom did not wait for the rest. As he went out at the door he said:

可汤姆没等听完话就走了。他走出门口的时候说：

"Siddy, I'll lick you for that."“希德，为这我可要狠狠揍你一顿。”

In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which were thrust into the lapels of his jacket, and had thread bound about them — one needle carried white thread and the other black. He said:

在一个安全的地方，汤姆仔细看了看别在上衣翻领上的两根大的缝衣针，针上还绕着线，一根绕着白线，另一根绕着黑线。

"She'd never noticed if it hadn't been for Sid. Confound it! sometimes she sews it with white, and sometimes she sews it with black. I wish to geeminy she'd stick to one or t'other — I can't keep the run of 'em. But I bet you I'll lam Sid for that. I'll learn him!"

他说： “如果不是希德，她是永远不会注意到的。真讨厌！有时候她用白线缝，有时候又用黑线。我真希望她总是用白线或者黑线——换来换去我实在记不住。不过，我发誓非揍希德一顿不可。我要好好教训教训他！”

He was not the Model Boy of the village. He knew the model boy very well though — and loathed him.

汤姆不是村里的模范男孩，但他熟知那位模范男孩——并且对他深恶痛绝。

Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore them down and drove them out of his mind for the time — just as men's misfortunes are forgotten in the excitement of new enterprises. This new interest was a valued novelty in whistling, which he had just acquired from a negro, and he was suffering to practise it undisturbed. It consisted in a peculiar birdlike turn, a sort of liquid warble, produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short intervals in the midst of the music — the reader probably remembers how to do it, if he has ever been a boy. Diligence and attention soon gave him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full of harmony and his soul full of gratitude. He felt much as an astronomer feels who has discovered a new planet — no doubt, as far as strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned, the advantage was with the boy, not the astronomer.

不到两分钟，甚至更短时间，他已经把所有烦恼抛到脑后了。并不是因为他的烦恼没有大人们的沉重和难受，而是因为一种更新鲜、更强烈的兴趣暂时压倒并且驱散了心中的烦恼——正如大人们为新奇之事而兴奋的时候，也会忘记自己的不幸一样。这种新鲜的兴趣就是颇有价值的口哨新式吹法，是他刚从一个黑人那儿学到的，现在他正想要不被打扰地专心练习。这口哨声就像某种特别的鸟叫声，一种流畅婉转的啼鸣。吹这个调子时候，舌头断断续续地碰上牙膛——读者如果曾经也是孩子的话，可能还记得怎么吹。孜孜不倦和一心一意使他迅速掌握了要领。他大步流星地沿着大街走着，口中吹着口哨，心里满是感激。那股乐劲儿就像天文学家发现了一颗新的行星一样——毫无疑问，就快乐的强烈、深切和纯粹程度而言，汤姆比天文学家更高兴。

The summer evenings were long. It was not dark, yet. Presently Tom checked his whistle. A stranger was before him — a boy a shade larger than himself. A new-comer of any age or either sex was an impressive curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg. This boy was well dressed, too — well dressed on a weekday. This was simply astounding. His cap was a dainty thing, his close-buttoned blue cloth roundabout was new and natty, and so were his pantaloons. He had shoes on — and it was only Friday. He even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon. He had a citified air about him that ate into Tom's vitals. The more Tom stared at the splendid marvel, the higher he turned up his nose at his finery and the shabbier his own outfit seemed to him to grow. Neither boy spoke. If one moved, the other moved — but only sidewise, in a circle; they kept face to face and eye to eye all the time. Finally Tom said:

夏天的下午很漫长。现在天还没黑。汤姆的口哨声戛然而止。他面前出现了一个陌生人——一个个头比他大点的男孩。在圣彼德堡这个贫穷、破落的小村子里，不管是男的还是女的，老的还是少的，只要是新来的，就能引起人们的极大的好奇心。而且这个男孩穿得很讲究——在平日里还穿得这么讲究。仅这一点就足以让人震惊了。他的帽子很精致，蓝色的上衣扣得紧紧的，又新又整洁，他的裤子也是一样。他还穿着鞋——今天可只是星期五！他甚至还打了条领带，是条颜色鲜亮的丝质领带。他摆出一副城里人的架势，汤姆对此感到很不自在。汤姆越是盯着那身让人叹为观止的行头，对那男孩的漂亮衣服把鼻子翘得越高，越觉得自己的衣服寒酸破旧。两个人都一声不吭。一个挪动一步，另一个也挪一步——可都是斜着步子兜圈子。他俩面对面，眼对眼这样一直相持着。最后还是汤姆先开了腔：

"I can lick you!"“我能揍你一顿！”

"I'd like to see you try it."“我倒想见识见识。”

"Well, I can do it."“好啊，我就打给你看。”

"No you can't, either."“得了，你不行。”

"Yes I can."“我行。”

"No you can't."“你就是不行。”

"I can."“我就是行。”

"You can't."“不行！”

"Can!"“行！”

"Can't!"“不行！”

An uncomfortable pause. Then Tom said:

两个人都不自在地停了下来。接着汤姆问道：

"What's your name?"“你叫什么名字？”

" 'Tisn't any of your business, maybe."“这也许你就管不着了。”

"Well I 'low I'll make it my business."“哼，我就管得着！”

"Well why don't you?"“好啊，那你就管管看。”

"If you say much, I will."“要是你再啰嗦，我就管给你看。”

"Much — much — MUCH. There now."“啰嗦——啰嗦——偏要啰嗦。我就啰嗦了，怎么着吧。”

"Oh, you think you're mighty smart, don't you? I could lick you with one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to."“哦，你认为你自己很了不起，是不是？如果我想打倒你的话，一只手背在后面都能打过你。”

"Well why don't you do it? You say you can do it."“那你为什么不动手啊？你说你能揍我一顿。”

"Well I will, if you fool with me."“如果你老是戏弄我的话，我就打给你看。”

"Oh yes — I've seen whole families in the same fix."“哈，你这种人我见得多了去了。”

"Smarty! You think you're some, now, don't you? Oh, what a hat!"“得了吧！你自认为现在是号人物，是吧？哎呦，瞧你那帽子！”

"You can lump that hat if you don't like it. I dare you to knock it off — and anybody that'll take a dare will suck eggs."“你要是看不顺眼你就把它摘下来呀，如果你敢碰，我就揍扁你——谁敢谁就等着瞧吧。

"You're a liar!"“你吹牛。”

"You're another."“你也吹牛。”

"You're a fighting liar and dasn't take it up."“你光是讲大话，不敢动手。”

"Aw — take a walk!"“去，滚你的蛋吧！”

"Say — if you give me much more of your sass I'll take and bounce a rock off 'n your head."“告诉你——你要是再骂我的话，我就拿块石头砸碎你的脑袋。”

"Oh, of course you will."“那好，你就来砸啊！”

"Well I will."“我肯定会的。”

"Well why don't you do it then? What do you keep saying you will for? Why don't you do it? It's because you're afraid."“那你干吗不动手啊？为什么老是光说不练呢？怎么不动手啊？因为你害怕了。”

"I ain't afraid."“我才不怕呢。”

"You are."“你怕。”

"I ain't."“我不怕！”

"You are."“你就是怕！”

Another pause, and more eyeing and sidling around each other. Presently they were shoulder to shoulder. Tom said:

两个人又暂停了一会儿。接着又眼对眼，相互虎视眈眈地兜着圈子。忽然两个人肩抵着肩了。汤姆说：

"Get away from here!"“你从这儿滚吧！”

"Go away yourself!"“你自己滚吧！”

"I won't."“我才不滚呢。”

"I won't either."“我也不滚。”

So they stood, each with a foot placed at an angle as a brace, and both shoving with might and main, and glowering at each other with hate. But neither could get an advantage. After struggling till both were hot and flushed, each relaxed his strain with watchful caution, and Tom said:

于是他俩站在那儿，都斜着一只脚撑着劲，用尽力气想把对手往后推，两人怒目相视。可谁也没能占上风。他们直到斗得浑身发热，满脸通红，两人稍稍放松，却都小心谨慎地提防着对方。汤姆又说：

"You're a coward and a pup. I'll tell my big brother on you, and he can thrash you with his little finger, and I'll make him do it, too."“你是个胆小鬼，是个狗崽子。我要向我大哥告你的状，他只要动动小指头就能把你捏碎，我也会让他揍你的。”

"What do I care for your big brother? I've got a brother that's bigger than he is — and what's more, he can throw him over that fence, too." (Both brothers were imaginary.)“我可不怕你什么大哥，我有一个比你大哥还大的大哥——而且我大哥能把你的大哥从那堵篱笆围墙扔过去。”（两个人的所谓的大哥都是虚构的。）

"That's a lie."“你骗人。”

"Your saying so don't make it so."“你说的也不是真的。”

Tom drew a line in the dust with his big toe, and said: "I dare you to step over that, and I'll lick you till you can't stand up. Anybody that'll take a dare will steal sheep."

汤姆用大脚趾头在地上的灰土上划了一道线，然后说：“你要是敢跨过这道线，我就把你打趴在地上，直到你站不起来。谁敢，谁就得吃不了兜着走。”

The new boy stepped over promptly, and said: "Now you said you'd do it, now let's see you do it."

这个新来的男孩毫不犹豫地跨过那道线，说道：“你说你敢打我，现在来看看你怎么打法。”

"Don't you crowd me now; you better look out."“你别逼我啊！你最好还是给我小心点。”

"Well, you said you'd do it — why don't you do it?"“哎，你不是说要打我吗？——你怎么不动手啊？”

"By jingo! for two cents I will do it."“得了，“你要是给我两分钱，我就动手。”

The new boy took two broad coppers out of his pocket and held them out with derision. Tom struck them to the ground. In an instant both boys were rolling and tumbling in the dirt, gripped together like cats; and for the space of a minute they tugged and tore at each other's hair and clothes, punched and scratched each other's nose, and covered themselves with dust and glory. Presently the confusion took form, and through the fog of battle Tom appeared, seated astride the new boy, and pounding him with his fists.

这个新来的男孩果真从口袋里掏出两个硕大的铜币，嘲弄地摊开手掌。汤姆一把将钱打到地上。两个人立刻在地上的尘土里滚打，像两只猫一样撕扯起来。紧接着又是扯头发，又是揪衣服，拼命地捶打着，抓着对方的鼻子。两个人都弄得浑身是土，却又都威风凛凛。谁胜谁败逐渐见了分晓，汤姆从打斗扬起的尘土中爬起来，骑在那个男孩的身上，攥紧拳头使劲地打那个男孩。

"Holler 'nuff!" said he.“求饶吧！”他说。

The boy only struggled to free himself. He was crying — mainly from rage.

那个男孩只想挣脱出来。他号啕大哭——主要是因为气愤。

"Holler 'nuff!" — and the pounding went on.“求饶吧！”汤姆还在继续揍他。

At last the stranger got out a smothered " 'Nuff!" and Tom let him up and said:

最后那男孩挤出了“饶了我”，汤姆让他站起来，然后说道：

"Now that'll learn you. Better look out who you're fooling with next time."“以后给我记着。下次最好看清楚你在作弄谁。”

The new boy went off brushing the dust from his clothes, sobbing, snuffling, and occasionally looking back and shaking his head and threatening what he would do to Tom the "next time he caught him out." To which Tom responded with jeers, and started off in high feather, and as soon as his back was turned the new boy snatched up a stone, threw it and hit him between the shoulders and then turned tail and ran like an antelope. Tom chased the traitor home, and thus found out where he lived. He then held a position at the gate for some time, daring the enemy to come outside, but the enemy only made faces at him through the window and declined. At last the enemy's mother appeared, and called Tom a bad, vicious, vulgar child, and ordered him away. So he went away; but he said he "'lowed" to "lay" for that boy.

新来的男孩拍拍身上的尘土，哭哭啼啼地走开了。他不时地回过头来，摇晃着脑袋，吓唬汤姆：“下次要是抓住你……”汤姆对此不屑一顾，趾高气扬地走开了。他的背刚一转过来，那男孩子就抓起一块石头朝他砸过来，正打在汤姆的背心，接着就夹着尾巴，像羚羊似的飞快地跑掉了。汤姆穷追不舍，直追到他家，也因此知道了他家在哪儿。他就站在人家大门口，嚷着叫那男孩出来较量，可是那个死对头只是在窗子里朝他做鬼脸，就是不出去。最后死对头的妈妈出来了，骂汤姆是个邪恶下流的坏孩子，喝斥他赶快滚开。于是汤姆就走了，不过，他临走时说还要寻机再教训教训那混小子一顿。

He got home pretty late that night, and when he climbed cautiously in at the window, he uncovered an ambuscade, in the person of his aunt; and when she saw the state his clothes were in her resolution to turn his Saturday holiday into captivity at hard labor became adamantine in its firmness.

那天晚上他回家很晚。当他小心翼翼地从窗户往里爬时，猛然间发现有埋伏，原来是他的波莉姨妈。她看到他衣服被弄成那副样子，更坚定了让他在周六假期干苦活儿的决心。

Chapter 2

第二章

SATURDAY morning was come, and all the summer world was bright and fresh, and brimming with life. There was a song in every heart; and if the heart was young the music issued at the lips. There was cheer in every face and a spring in every step. The locust trees were in bloom and the fragrance of the blossoms filled the air. Cardiff Hill, beyond the village and above it, was green with vegetation and it lay just far enough away to seem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposeful, and inviting.

星期六的早晨到了，夏天的世界，阳光明媚、空气新鲜、生机盎然。每个人的心中都荡漾着一首歌，而年轻人情不自禁地将心中的歌唱了出来。每个人的脸上都洋溢着欢乐，每个人的脚步都是那么轻盈。洋槐树花意正浓，空气里弥漫着芬芳的花香。村庄外面高高的卡第夫山上覆盖着绿色的植被，这山离村子的距离正好让它看起来就像一块“乐土”，充满梦幻、宁静安详、令人神往。

Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long—handled brush. He surveyed the fence, and all gladness left him and a deep melancholy settled down upon his spirit. Thirty yards of board fence nine feet high. Life to him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden. Sighing, he dipped his brush and passed it along the topmost plank; repeated the operation; did it again; compared the insignificant whitewashed streak with the far—reaching continent of unwhitewashed fence, and sat down on a tree—box discouraged. Jim came skipping out at the gate with a tin pail, and singing "Buffalo Gals." Bringing water from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, before, but now it did not strike him so. He remembered that there was company at the pump. White, mulatto, and Negro boys and girls were always there waiting their turns, resting, trading playthings, quarreling, fighting, skylarking. And he remembered that although the pump was only a hundred and fifty yards off, Jim never got back with a bucket of water under an hour — and even then somebody generally had to go after him. Tom said:

汤姆出现在人行道上，一只手拎着一桶石灰水，另一只手拿着一把长柄刷子。他仔细看了看栅栏，一点高兴劲儿都没了，一股深切的惆怅涌上心头。栅栏可是三十码长，九英尺高啊。生活对他来说太乏味空洞了，活着仅仅是一种负担。他叹着气，把刷子蘸上石灰水，沿着最顶上一层木板刷起来。接着又刷了一下，两下。看看刚刷过的不起眼的那块，再和那望不到边的一大片还没刷的栅栏相比，汤姆一屁股坐在了一个木箱子上，垂头丧气。这时，吉姆手里提着一个锡皮桶，嘴中唱着“布法罗的女娃们”蹦蹦跳跳地从大门口跑出来。在汤姆眼中，到镇上从抽水机那里拎水回来，一向是件令人厌烦的差事，现在他可不这样看了。他记得在那里有很多伴儿。有白人孩子、混血孩子还有黑人孩子，都在那排队等着提水。大家在那儿休息，交换各自玩的东西，吵吵闹闹，打斗嬉戏。而且他还记得尽管他们家离拎水处只有一百五十码左右，可是吉姆从没有在一个小时里拎回一桶水来——有时甚至还得别人去催才行。汤姆说：

"Say, Jim, I'll fetch the water if you'll whitewash some."“喂，吉姆，你来刷刷墙吧，我去提水。”

Jim shook his head and said:

吉姆摇摇头，说：

"Can't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me I got to go an' git dis water an' not stop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She say she spec' Mars Tom gwine to ax me to whitewash, an' so she tole me go 'long an' 'tend to my own business — she 'lowed she'd 'tend to de whitewashin'."“不行，汤姆少爷。老太太，她叫我去提水，不准在路上停下来和人家玩。她说她猜到汤姆少爷你会让我刷墙，所以她吩咐我只管干自己的活——她说她要亲自来看看你刷墙。”

"Oh, never you mind what she said, Jim. That's the way she always talks. Gimme the bucket — I won't be gone only a minute. She won't ever know."“哎，你别管她对你说的那一套，吉姆。她总是这样说的。把水桶给我——我马上就回来。她才不会知道呢。”

"Oh, I dasn't, Mars Tom. Ole missis she'd take an' tar de head off 'n me. Deed she would."“哦，不，我可不敢，汤姆少爷。老太太她会把我的头给拧下来的，她真的会的！”

"She! She never licks anybody — whacks 'em over the head with her thimble — and who cares for that, I'd like to know. She talks awful, but talk don't hurt — anyways it don't if she don't cry. Jim, I'll give you a marvel. I'll give you a white alley!"“她！她从来没揍过任何人——她不过是用顶针在头上敲敲罢了——谁还在乎这个啊，我倒想问问。她不过是嘴上说得凶，可是说说又没什么事——反正只要她不大叫大嚷就没事。吉姆，我给你一个好玩意，给你一个白石头子儿！”

Jim began to waver.

吉姆开始动摇了。

"White alley, Jim! And it's a bully taw."“白石头子啊，吉姆！这可是真正好玩的石头子啊。”

"My! Dat's a mighty gay marvel, I tell you! But Mars Tom I's powerful 'fraid ole missis —"“嘿！老实说，那是个挺不错的好玩意。可是汤姆少爷，我太害怕老太太了……”

"And besides, if you will I'll show you my sore toe."“还有，吉姆，只要你答应，我还给你看我那只肿痛的脚趾头。”

Jim was only human — this attraction was too much for him. He put down his pail, took the white alley, and bent over the toe with absorbing interest while the bandage was being unwound. In another moment he was flying down the street with his pail and a tingling rear, Tom was whitewashing with vigor, and Aunt Polly was retiring from the field with a slipper in her hand and triumph in her eye.

吉姆只是个凡人——这诱惑对他太大了。他放下水桶，接过白石头子儿，弯着腰饶有兴趣地看汤姆解开绷带，露出那只肿痛的脚趾。过了一会儿，吉姆拎着水桶飞快地沿着街道跑掉了，感觉屁股后面火烧火燎的。汤姆继续玩命刷墙，而波莉姨妈此时从田地干活回来了，正手里拎着一只拖鞋，眼里流露出得意洋洋的神色。

But Tom's energy did not last. He began to think of the fun he had planned for this day, and his sorrows multiplied. Soon the free boys would come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditions, and they would make a world of fun of him for having to work — the very thought of it burnt him like fire. He got out his worldly wealth and examined it — bits of toys, marbles, and trash; enough to buy an exchange of work, maybe, but not half enough to buy so much as half an hour of pure freedom. So he returned his straitened means to his pocket, and gave up the idea of trying to buy the boys. At this dark and hopeless moment an inspiration burst upon him! Nothing less than a great, magnificent inspiration.

不过，汤姆的干劲儿没持续多久。他开始想起原先为这天做的有意思的安排，心里越来越难受。再过一会儿，那些自由自在的男孩子们就会蹦蹦跳跳地跑过来，玩各种各样好玩儿的游戏，他们看到他不得不刷墙干活，会笑掉大牙的——想到这，汤姆感觉像火烧似的难受。他拿出他全部的家当，仔细地看了一阵——有残缺不全的玩具、一些石头子，还有一些没有什么用处的东西。也许这些玩意足够用来让别的孩子为自己干活，不过，要想换来半个小时的绝对自由，连一半都不够呢。于是他又把这几件破玩意装进口袋，打消了用这些来收买那些男孩子的念头。正在这灰心绝望的时刻，他忽然灵机一动，计上心来。绝对是个聪明绝伦，奇妙无比的主意。

He took up his brush and went tranquilly to work. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently — the very boy, of all boys, whose ridicule he had been dreading. Ben's gait was the hop—skip—and—jump — proof enough that his heart was light and his anticipations high. He was eating an apple, and giving a long, melodious whoop, at intervals, followed by a deep—toned ding—dong—dong, ding—dong—dong, for he was personating a steamboat. As he drew near, he slackened speed, took the middle of the street, leaned far over to star—board and rounded to ponderously and with laborious pomp and circumstance — for he was personating the Big Missouri, and considered himself to be drawing nine feet of water. He was boat and captain and engine bells combined, so he had to imagine himself standing on his own hurricane deck giving the orders and executing them:

他拿起刷子，继续一声不响地干了起来。不一会儿，本·罗杰斯出现了——在所有的孩子当中，这个男孩的讥讽嘲弄最叫汤姆害怕。本走路好像在三级跳一样——足以证明他心情轻松愉快，而且还打算大干一番什么事。他正在吃苹果，不时地发出长长的、悦耳的“呜——”声，隔会儿还发出“叮当当、叮当当”低沉的声音，他这是在扮演一只蒸汽轮船。当越来越近时，他减慢了速度，走到街中心，身体倾向右舷，费九牛二虎之力转了船头让船逆风停下——他在扮演“大密苏里号”，好像已吃水九英尺深。他既当船，又当船长还要当轮机铃。因此他就得想象着自己站在自己的顶层甲板上发号施令，同时还执行着这些命令：

"Stop her, sir! Ting—a—ling—ling!" The headway ran almost out, and he drew up slowly toward the sidewalk.“停船，伙计！叮——啊铃铃！”船几乎停稳了，他又慢慢地向人行道靠过来。

"Ship up to back! Ting—a—ling—ling!" His arms straightened and stiffened down his sides.“调转船头！叮——啊铃——铃！”他伸直了胳臂，用力笔直地垂在身体两侧。

"Set her back on the stabboard! Ting—a—ling—ling! Chow! ch—chow—wow! Chow!" His right hand, meantime, describing stately circles — for it was representing a forty—foot wheel.“右舷后退！叮——啊铃——铃！嚓呜——嚓——嚓呜！嚓呜！”这时候他的右手比划着大圆圈——这代表着一个四十英尺的转轮。

"Let her go back on the labboard! Ting—a—ling—ling! Chow—ch—chow—chow!" The left hand began to describe circles.“左舷后退！叮——啊铃——铃！嚓呜——嚓——嚓呜——嚓呜！”左手开始画圈。

"Stop the stabboard! Ting—a—ling—ling! Stop the labboard! Come ahead on the stabboard! Stop her! Let your outside turn over slow! Ting—a—ling—ling! Chow—owow! Get out that head—line! Lively now! Come — out with your spring—line — what're you about there! Take a turn round that stump with the bight of it! Stand by that stage, now — let her go! Done with the engines, sir! Ting—a—ling—ling! Sh't! s'h't! sh't!" (trying the gaugecocks).“右舷停！叮——啊铃——铃！左舷停！右舷前进！停！外面慢慢转过来！叮——啊铃——铃！嚓——呜——呜！把船头的绳索拿过来！快点！快点——再把船边的绳索递过来——你在那儿愣什么神儿呢！用绳头圈儿绕船桩子一圈！就这么拉紧——放手吧！发动机熄火，伙计！叮——啊铃——铃！希特——希特——希特！”（模仿着汽门排气的声音。）

Tom went on whitewashing — paid no attention to the steamboat. Ben stared a moment and then said: "Hi—yi! You're up a stump, ain't you?"

汤姆继续刷栅栏——对那只蒸汽轮船不理不睬，本瞪着眼睛看了一会儿，说： “哎呀，混得挺好了，是不是？”

No answer. Tom surveyed his last touch with the eye of an artist, then he gave his brush another gentle sweep and surveyed the result, as before. Ben ranged up alongside of him. Tom's mouth watered for the apple, but he stuck to his work. Ben said:

汤姆没吭声。他用艺术家的眼光审视他最后刷的那一块，接着轻轻地刷了一下，又像刚才那样打量着。本走到汤姆身旁。看见那苹果，汤姆馋得直流口水，可是还是继续刷他的墙。本说：

"Hello, old chap, you got to work, hey?"“嘿，老伙计，干活呢，嗯？”

Tom wheeled suddenly and said:

汤姆突然转过身来说道：

"Why, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing."“咳！是你呀，本！我刚才没注意。”

"Say — I'm going in a—swimming, I am. Don't you wish you could? But of course you'd druther work — wouldn't you? Course you would!"“喂，我要游泳去了，我可去了啊。你不想去吗？当然啦，你宁愿在这儿干活，对吧？你当然情愿啦！”

Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said:

汤姆打量了一下那男孩，说：

"What do you call work?"“你说什么？这叫干活？”

"Why, ain't that work?"“这还不叫干活吗？”

Tom resumed his whitewashing, and answered carelessly:

汤姆重新又开始刷墙，漫不经心地说：

"Well, maybe it is, and maybe it ain't. All I know, is, it suits Tom Sawyer."“这也许是干活，也许不是。我只知道这很合汤姆·索亚的胃口。”

"Oh come, now, you don't mean to let on that you like it?"“哦，得了吧！难道你的意思是说你喜欢干这事？”

The brush continued to move.

刷子还在不停地刷着。

"Like it? Well, I don't see why I oughtn't to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?"“喜欢干？哎，我不明白为什么我会不喜欢干。哪个男孩子能天天有机会刷墙？”

That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom swept his brush daintily back and forth — stepped back to note the effect — added a touch here and there — criticized the effect again — Ben watching every move and getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. Presently he said:

这事倒是挺新鲜的。本不再啃苹果了。汤姆灵巧地用刷子来回来去地刷着——不时地停下来退后几步看看效果——在这补一刷子，在那补一刷子——然后再打量一下效果——本目不转睛地看着汤姆的一举一动，越看越有兴趣，越看越被吸引住了。不一会儿他说：

"Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little."“喂，汤姆，让我也刷点。”

Tom considered, was about to consent; but he altered his mind:

汤姆想了一下，正打算答应他，可是他又改变了主意：

"No — no — I reckon it wouldn't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular about this fence — right here on the street, you know — but if it was the back fence I wouldn't mind and she wouldn't. Yes, she's awful particular about this fence; it's got to be done very careful; I reckon there ain't one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it's got to be done."“不——不行，本——我想这可能够呛。要知道，波莉姨妈对这栅栏相当讲究——这可是当街的一面呀——不过要是后面的，你刷刷倒也没什么，姨妈也不会在乎的。是呀，她对这道栅栏相当讲究的。刷这墙一定得特别精心。我想在一千个，也许在两千个孩子里，也找不出一个能按波莉姨妈的要求刷好这道墙的。”

"No — is that so? Oh come, now — lemme just try. Only just a little — I'd let you, if you was me, Tom."“哦，是吗？哎，就让我试一试吧。我只刷一点——如果我是你的话，我就会答应的，汤姆。”

"Ben, I'd like to, honest injun; but Aunt Polly — well, Jim wanted to do it, but she wouldn't let him; Sid wanted to do it, and she wouldn't let Sid. Now don't you see how I'm fixed? If you was to tackle this fence and anything was to happen to it —"“本，我倒是愿意，真的。可是，波莉姨妈——唉，吉姆想刷，可她不让，希德也想干，她也不让希德干。现在你看我有多为难？要是你来摆弄这墙，万一出了什么事儿……”

"Oh, shucks, I'll be just as careful. Now lemme try. Say — I'll give you the core of my apple."“啊，没事，我会小心的。让我试试吧。嘿——我把苹果核给你。”

"Well, here — No, Ben, now don't. I'm afeard —"“唉，那个……不行，本，算了吧。我就怕——”

"I'll give you all of it!"“我把这苹果全给你！”

Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his heart. And while the late steamer Big Missouri worked and sweated in the sun, the retired artist sat on a barrel in the shade close by, dangled his legs, munched his apple, and planned the slaughter of more innocents. There was no lack of material; boys happened along every little while; they came to jeer, but remained to whitewash. By the time Ben was fagged out, Tom had traded the next chance to Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair; and when he played out, Johnny Miller bought in for a dead rat and a string to swing it with — and so on, and so on, hour after hour. And when the middle of the afternoon came, from being a poor poverty—stricken boy in the morning, Tom was literally rolling in wealth. He had besides the things before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jew's—harp, a piece of blue bottle glass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that wouldn't unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six firecrackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog collar — but no dog — the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange peel, and a dilapidated old window sash.

汤姆把刷子让给本，脸上摆出一副不情愿，可心里却巴不得呢。当刚才那只“大密苏里号”在大太阳底下干活，累得大汗淋漓的时候，这位退了休的艺术家却在附近的阴凉下，坐在一只木桶上，晃悠着腿，一边大口大口地吃着苹果，一边算计着怎么再宰更多的傻瓜。这样的傻瓜可不少。每过一会儿，就有些男孩子路过。起先他们都想来开开玩笑，结果都留下来刷栅栏了。在本累得筋疲力尽时，汤姆早已经和比利·费施做好了交易。比利用一个修得很好的风筝换来接替本的机会。等到比利也玩得差不多的时候，詹尼·米勒用一只死老鼠和拴着它的小绳子购买了这个特权——一个又一个的傻小子受骗上了当，好几个钟头都是如此。下午快过了一半的时候，汤姆早上还是个穷困潦倒的穷小子，现在实际上已经富得流油了。除了刚才提到的那些玩意儿，还有十二颗石头子、一段儿破口琴、一块透明的蓝玻璃片、一门线轴做的大炮、一把什么锁也不开的钥匙、一截粉笔、一个大酒瓶塞子、一个锡皮做的小兵、一对蝌蚪、六个鞭炮、一只独眼小猫、一个门上的铜把手、一根拴狗的颈圈——却没有狗——一个刀把、四片桔子皮，还有一个破烂的窗框。

He had had a nice, good, idle time all the while — plenty of company — and the fence had three coats of whitewash on it! If he hadn't run out of whitewash he would have bankrupted every boy in the village.

他一直舒舒服服，悠闲自在——同伴很多——而且栅栏整整被刷了三遍。要不是他的石灰水用光了的话，他会让村里的每个孩子都掏空腰包破产的。

Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it — namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. If he had been a great and wise philosopher, like the writer of this book, he would now have comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. And this would help him to understand why constructing artificial flowers or performing on a treadmill is work, while rolling tenpins or climbing Mont Blanc is only amusement. There are wealthy gentlemen in England who drive four—horse passenger coaches twenty or thirty miles on a daily line, in the summer, because the privilege costs them considerable money; but if they were offered wages for the service, that would turn it into work and then they would resign.

汤姆自言自语道，这世界原来并不是那么空洞乏味啊。他已经不知不觉地发现了人类行为的一大法则——那就是为了让一个大人或一个小孩渴望干什么事，只需设法将这事变得难以到手就行了。如果他像这本书的作者一样是位伟大而睿智的哲学家，他就会懂得所谓“工作”就是一个人被迫要干的事情，至于“玩”就是一个人没有义务要干的事。这个道理使他明白了为什么做假花和表演蹬车轮就算是工作，而玩十柱戏和爬勃朗峰就算是娱乐。英国有钱的绅士在夏季每天驾着四轮马拉客车沿着同样的路线走上二三十英里，他们为这种特权竟花了大把钱。可是如果付钱让他们载客，那就把这桩事情变成了工作，他们就会撒手不干了。

The boy mused a while over the substantial change which had taken place in his worldly circumstances, and then wended toward headquarters to report.

汤姆想了会儿那天发生在他身边的天翻地覆的变化，然后就到司令部报告去了。

Chapter 3

第三章

TOM presented himself before Aunt Polly, who was sitting by an open window in a pleasant rearward apartment, which was bedroom, breakfast room, dining room, and library, combined. The balmy summer air, the restful quiet, the odor of the flowers, and the drowsing murmur of the bees had had their effect, and she was nodding over her knitting — for she had no company but the cat, and it was asleep in her lap. Her spectacles were propped up on her gray head for safety. She had thought that of course Tom had deserted long ago, and she wondered at seeing him place himself in her power again in this intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I go and play now, aunt?"

汤姆来到波莉姨妈面前，她正坐在舒适的后面房间里一个敞开的窗户旁。这间房既是卧室、又是餐厅，还是图书馆。夏日温和的空气、恬恬的静谧、花朵的芬芳、还有催人入睡的蜜蜂的嗡嗡声，都已经施展了效力。姨妈正拿着针织物打着盹——因为她除了猫没有伴儿，而猫在她膝上睡着了。她把眼镜架在了灰白的头顶上，以防被打碎。她原以为汤姆肯定早就扔下活儿溜去玩了，现在看见他站在自己面前，没有害怕的意思，吃了一惊。他说：“我现在可以去玩了吗？姨妈。”

"What, a'ready? How much have you done?"“嗯？刷好了？你刷了多少啊？”

"It's all done, aunt."“都刷好了，姨妈。”

"Tom, don't lie to me — I can't bear it."“汤姆，别跟我撒谎啊——我可受不了。”

"I ain't, aunt; it is all done."“我没撒谎，姨妈。确实都刷好了。”

Aunt Polly placed small trust in such evidence. She went out to see for herself; and she would have been content to find twenty per cent of Tom's statement true. When she found the entire fence whitewashed, and not only whitewashed but elaborately coated and recoated, and even a streak added to the ground, her astonishment was almost unspeakable. She said:

波莉姨妈不怎么相信他的话。她要自己出去看看。要是汤姆说的话有百分之二十是真的，她就心满意足了。她发现整个栅栏都已刷过了，不仅刷了而且是特意刷了一层又一层，甚至连地上还抹了一条，她简直惊讶得目瞪口呆。她说：

"Well, I never! There's no getting round it, you can work when you're a mind to, Tom." And then she diluted the compliment by adding, "But it's powerful seldom you're a mind to, I'm bound to say. Well, go 'long and play; but mind you get back some time in a week, or I'll tan you."“哎，怪了！真是不可思议！你想干的时候还是挺能干的啊，汤姆。”然后又加了一句，把刚才的表扬淡化了一下，“可你想干的时候实在是太少了，我不得不说。行了，玩儿去吧。不过到点就回来啊，不然我揍你一顿。”

She was so overcome by the splendor of his achievement that she took him into the closet and selected a choice apple and delivered it to him, along with an improving lecture upon the added value and flavor a treat took to itself when it came without sin through virtuous effort. And while she closed with a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnut.

她因为汤姆的工作成果而喜出望外，就把他带到储藏室，挑了一个又大又好的苹果递给了他。同时还更进一步地教育他，如果款待不是通过歪门邪道，而是通过自己的努力得来的，那就格外有价值和意味。在她用一句《圣经》里的妙语格言作结尾的时候，汤姆“顺”了个油炸面圈。

Then he skipped out, and saw Sid just starting up the outside stairway that led to the back rooms on the second floor. Clods were handy and the air was full of them in a twinkling. They raged around Sid like a hailstorm; and before Aunt Polly could collect her surprised faculties and sally to the rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect, and Tom was over the fence and gone. There was a gate, but as a general thing he was too crowded for time to make use of it. His soul was at peace, now that he had settled with Sid for calling attention to his black thread and getting him into trouble.

随后，他蹦蹦跳跳地跑了出来，看见希德正爬上通向二楼后面房间的楼梯。满地的泥块儿唾手可得，汤姆便捡起大把朝希德扔过去，一眨眼的工夫满天飞的全是。泥块儿像冰雹似的落在希德周围。波莉姨妈还没有来得及定定神儿，跑过来解围，就已经有六七块泥土打中了希德，而汤姆早就翻过栅栏撒丫子跑了。栅栏上有大门，可是一般来说汤姆急着要出去，没有时间从门那里走。他现在心里好受多了。希德让波莉姨妈注意到自己的黑线，让自己有了麻烦，现在跟希德算完了账。

Tom skirted the block, and came round into a muddy alley that led by the back of his aunt's cow stable. He presently got safely beyond the reach of capture and punishment, and hastened toward the public square of the village, where two "military" companies of boys had met for conflict, according to previous appointment. Tom was General of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend) General of the other. These two great commanders did not condescend to fight in person — that being better suited to the still smaller fry — but sat together on an eminence and conducted the field operations by orders delivered through aides-de-camp. Tom's army won a great victory, after a long and hardfought battle. Then the dead were counted, prisoners exchanged, the terms of the next disagreement agreed upon, and the day for the necessary battle appointed; after which the armies fell into line and marched away, and Tom turned homeward alone.

汤姆绕过那一排房子，来到靠着他姨妈牛圈后面的一条泥泞巷子里。他很快就完全地溜到抓不到也罚不着他的地方，急急忙忙赶到村里那块公共场地。这儿两支由孩子们组成的“军队”按事先的约定已集合起来，准备打仗。汤姆是其中一支部队的将军，他的知心好友乔·哈帕则率领另一支队伍。这两位总指挥不屑于亲自战斗——那更适合手下的军官战士去——而他们却一起坐在一块高地上，通过他们的随从副官发号施令，指挥打仗。经过一番长时间的艰苦奋战，汤姆的部队取得了辉煌的胜利。然后双方清点了死亡人数，交换了战俘，谈妥了下次交战条件，还约定好作战日期。于是双方部队先列好队形，迈步离开了战场，而汤姆也就独自回家了。

As he was passing by the house where Jeff Thatcher lived, he saw a new girl in the garden — a lovely little blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaited into two long tails, white summer frock and embroidered pantalettes. The fresh-crowned hero fell without firing a shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanished out of his heart and left not even a memory of herself behind. He had thought he loved her to distraction; he had regarded his passion as adoration; and behold it was only a poor little evanescent partiality. He had been months winning her; she had confessed hardly a week ago; he had been the happiest and the proudest boy in the world only seven short days, and here in one instant of time she had gone out of his heart like a casual stranger whose visit is done.

他走过杰夫·撒切尔家住的房子的时候，看见有一个新来的女孩子站在花园里——一个漂亮可爱的蓝眼睛的小姑娘。金黄色的头发梳成两只长长的发辫，穿着白色的夏装和刺绣的长裤。这位刚戴上胜利花冠的战斗英雄一枪没打就束手投降了。那个叫艾美·劳伦斯的姑娘立刻从他的心目中消失了而且消失得无影无踪。他原以为他爱她爱得神魂颠倒，而且把他的感情当作深情的爱慕，可在别人看来只不过是可怜渺小、昙花一现的爱恋罢了。他费了好几个月的工夫才赢得她的芳心，她答应也不过不到一周。他在短短七天之内做了一次世界上最幸福、最自豪的男孩儿。可现在刹那间，她就像一位拜访完毕的过客一样，被他全忘在脑后了。

He worshipped this new angel with furtive eye, till he saw that she had discovered him; then he pretended he did not know she was present, and began to "show off " in all sorts of absurd boyish ways, in order to win her admiration. He kept up this grotesque foolishness for some time; but by and by, while he was in the midst of some dangerous gymnastic performances, he glanced aside and saw that the little girl was wending her way toward the house. Tom came up to the fence and leaned on it, grieving, and hoping she would tarry yet a while longer. She halted a moment on the steps and then moved toward the door. Tom heaved a great sigh as she put her foot on the threshold. But his face lit up, right away, for she tossed a pansy over the fence a moment before she disappeared.

他爱慕着这位新来的天使并偷眼看她，直到看见她发现了自己，他便装做不知道她在的样子，开始用各种滑稽的男孩子气的方式“显摆”自己，为的是赢得她的好感。他傻乎乎地耍弄一阵子，然后一边做惊险的体操动作，一边往旁边瞟了一下，见那小姑娘正朝房子走去。汤姆走过去靠在栅栏上伤心极了，希望她再多呆一会儿。她在台阶上停了一会儿，然后朝门口走去。当她踏上门槛的时候，汤姆长叹了一声。可是他又立刻喜上眉梢，因为她进去之前往栅栏外面扔了一朵三色紫罗兰花。

The boy ran around and stopped within a foot or two of the flower, and then shaded his eyes with his hand and began to look down the street as if he had discovered something of interest going on in that direction. Presently he picked up a straw and began trying to balance it on his nose, with his head tilted far back; and as he moved from side to side, in his efforts, he edged nearer and nearer toward the pansy; finally his bare foot rested upon it, his pliant toes closed upon it, and he hopped away with the treasure and disappeared round the corner. But only for a minute — only while he could button the flower inside his jacket, next to his heart — or next to his stomach, possibly, for he was not much posted in anatomy, and not hypercritical, anyway.

汤姆跑了过去，在离花一两英尺的地方停住了，然后把手罩在眼睛上朝街上看过去，好像注意到在那边正发生什么有意思的事。然后他捡起一根稻草放在鼻子上，头使劲向后仰着，极力让稻草保持平衡。他费力地左右移动着，一点点侧着身子靠近那朵花，终于他的光脚丫踩在了上面，又用脚趾头灵巧地抓住了它，然后带着他心爱的宝贝跑开了，在转弯处消失得无影无踪。可是很快他就把花别在了上衣里就贴着心脏的地方——或者说贴近胃部的地方——可能吧，他不太懂解剖学，反正他也无所谓。

He returned, now, and hung about the fence till nightfall, "showing off," as before; but the girl never exhibited herself again, though Tom comforted himself a little with the hope that she had been near some window, meantime, and been aware of his attentions. Finally he strode home reluctantly, with his poor head full of visions.

他现在又回到了老地方，逗留在栅栏附近直到天黑，像之前那样“显摆”，可是那女孩再也没出来。汤姆用一点希望来安慰自己，希望她一直在窗子附近，而且注意到了他这番殷勤。最后，他终于不情愿地朝家走去，他那可怜的脑瓜子里满是幻想。

All through supper his spirits were so high that his aunt wondered "what had got into the child." He took a good scolding about clodding Sid, and did not seem to mind it in the least. He tried to steal sugar under his aunt's very nose, and got his knuckles rapped for it. He said:

整个吃晚饭的时间他异常兴奋。他姨妈不禁感到有些纳闷：“这孩子怎么了？”因为拿泥块砸希德的事，他挨了一顿臭骂，不过，对此他倒满不在乎。他就在姨妈的眼皮底下偷糖吃，结果遭了一顿训。他说：

"Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it."“姨妈，希德拿糖吃的时候，您怎么不打他呀。”

"Well, Sid don't torment a body the way you do. You'd be always into that sugar if I warn't watching you."“噢，希德可不像你这样让人不省心。我要是看得不紧，你恨不得钻到糖堆里不出来。”

Presently she stepped into the kitchen, and Sid, happy in his immunity, reached for the sugar bowl — a sort of glorying over Tom which was wellnigh unbearable. But Sid's fingers slipped and the bowl dropped and broke. Tom was in ecstasies. In such ecstasies that he even controlled his tongue and was silent. He said to himself that he would not speak a word, even when his aunt came in, but would sit perfectly still till she asked who did the mischief; and then he would tell, and there would be nothing so good in the world as to see that pet model "catch it." He was so brimful of exultation that he could hardly hold himself when the old lady came back and stood above the wreck discharging lightnings of wrath from over her spectacles. He said to himself, "Now it's coming!" And the next instant he was sprawling on the floor! The potent palm was uplifted to strike again when Tom cried out:

过了一会她就去厨房了。希德因为有了姨妈的庇护，得意极了，伸手去拿糖罐——这是故意对汤姆表现荣耀的举动，这可让汤姆难受极了。可是，希德手一滑，糖罐子掉到地上摔碎了。汤姆简直高兴死了。可再怎么高兴，他还是闭着嘴，一言不发。他心想自己什么都不会说的，甚至是姨妈进来的时候，他就要这么静静地端坐着，等着姨妈问谁闯的祸再揭发，看那个模范“宠儿”吃苦头，那真是世界上让人最开心的事了。当老太太走进来，站在那儿望着地上破碎的罐子，从眼镜上方迸射出愤怒的火花，他真是满心欢喜，几乎按捺不住了。他自言自语道：“好戏马上开始了！”可真想不到，马上他就趴在地上了！那只有力的巴掌举起来正要再打他时，汤姆忍不住大声叫起来：

"Hold on, now, what 'er you belting me for? — Sid broke it!"“住手啊，你凭什么这么狠打我？——是希德打碎了糖罐！”

Aunt Polly paused, perplexed, and Tom looked for healing pity. But when she got her tongue again, she only said:

波莉姨妈住了手，愣了一会儿，汤姆指望她会讲些好话哄哄他。可她张开嘴只说道：

"Umf! Well, you didn't get a lick amiss, I reckon. You been into some other audacious mischief when I wasn't around, like enough."“唉！我觉得你挨揍也没什么错。我不在的时候，说不定你又放肆干出什么坏事了。”

Then her conscience reproached her, and she yearned to say something kind and loving; but she judged that this would be construed into a confession that she had been in the wrong, and discipline forbade that. So she kept silence, and went about her affairs with a troubled heart. Tom sulked in a corner and exalted his woes. He knew that in her heart his aunt was on her knees to him, and he was morosely gratified by the consciousness of it. He would hang out no signals, he would take notice of none. He knew that a yearning glance fell upon him, now and then, through a film of tears, but he refused recognition of it. He pictured himself lying sick unto death and his aunt bending over him beseeching one little forgiving word, but he would turn his face to the wall, and die with that word unsaid. Ah, how would she feel then? And he pictured himself brought home from the river, dead, with his curls all wet, and his sore heart at rest. How she would throw herself upon him, and how her tears would fall like rain, and her lips pray God to give her back her boy and she would never, never abuse him any more! But he would lie there cold and white and make no sign — a poor little sufferer, whose griefs were at an end. He so worked upon his feelings with the pathos of these dreams, that he had to keep swallowing, he was so like to choke; and his eyes swam in a blur of water, which overflowed when he winked, and ran down and trickled from the end of his nose. And such a luxury to him was this petting of his sorrows, that he could not bear to have any worldly cheeriness or any grating delight intrude upon it; it was too sacred for such contact; and so, presently, when his cousin Mary danced in, all alive with the joy of seeing home again after an age-long visit of one week to the country, he got up and moved in clouds and darkness out at one door as she brought song and sunshine in at the other.

然后她良心上过不去了，想说几句和声和气的安慰话，可她一想，这样就会让汤姆理解成自己承认错了，这可是规矩所不容的。所以她就一声不吭，忙自己的事去了，可心里头不安得很。汤姆坐在角落处生着闷气，心里越想越难受。他知道姨妈心里想请求自己原谅他，虽然心里闷闷不乐，可想到这个还是挺满足。他不会有任何求和的表示，什么也不会理睬。他知道姨妈时不时地透过朦胧的泪眼，心怀渴望地向他望一眼，可他偏不肯表示他看出来了。他想象着自己躺在那儿病了，快要不行了，他姨妈俯身弯腰看着他，恳求他讲一两句原谅她的话，可是他转过脸去冲着墙，话没说出来就死去了。啊，那时她会觉得怎么样呢？他又想象着自己淹死了，被人从河里捞起抬回家来，头上的小卷发都湿透了，他那伤透了的心得到了安息。她会多么伤心地扑到他身上，眼泪雨点般地落下来，嘴里不住地祈求上帝把她的孩子还给她，保证将永远、永远不再虐待他了！但是，他却躺在那里浑身冰凉，脸色惨白，一动不动——一个可怜虫，受尽苦难，他的悲痛总算终结了。越幻想他就越伤心，他只能把泪水往肚子里咽，都快噎住了。泪水模糊了他的眼睛，只要眼睛一眨就会淌出来，顺着鼻尖掉了下来。他从这种悲伤中获得了无限的安慰和快意，所以绝不能忍受有什么庸俗的愉快或者无聊的欢乐来搅乱他的心境。因为他这种快慰圣洁高尚，不能遭到玷污。所以，不一会当他的表姐玛丽手舞足蹈地跑进来的时候，他马上就避开了。玛丽到乡下去作客，只住了一星期，可好像时隔三秋了似的，现在又看到自己的家高兴极了。她唱着歌欢快地从一扇门走进来的时候，汤姆却站起身来躲进阴云暗影从另一扇门溜出去了。

He wandered far from the accustomed haunts of boys, and sought desolate places that were in harmony with his spirit. A log raft in the river invited him, and he seated himself on its outer edge and contemplated the dreary vastness of the stream, wishing, the while, that he could only be drowned, all at once and unconsciously, without undergoing the uncomfortable routine devised by nature. Then he thought of his flower. He got it out, rumpled and wilted, and it mightily increased his dismal felicity. He wondered if she would pity him if she knew? Would she cry, and wish that she had a right to put her arms around his neck and comfort him? Or would she turn coldly away like all the hollow world? This picture brought such an agony of pleasurable suffering that he worked it over and over again in his mind and set it up in new and varied lights, till he wore it threadbare. At last he rose up sighing and departed in the darkness.

他避开平常男孩子们经常出没的地方，专找僻静的地方，跟他的心境相符。河里的一条木筏吸引了他，于是，他就在木筏的最外边坐下来，凝视着那单调开阔的河面，同时又希望自己不经过老天安排的那番痛苦的过程，就一下子毫无知觉地淹死。这时，他想起了那朵花。他拿出了那朵花，已经皱皱巴巴打蔫儿了，这更让他觉得更凄凉，也更幸福。他琢磨着，如果她知道了这件事，会不会同情他呢？她会哭吗？会巴不得想抱住他的脖子安慰他吗？还是，她会像这个空洞乏味的世界一样，冷漠地转头离开呢？这种想象让他痛并快乐着。他就在脑海里反反复复多角度地想象着，直到索然无味为止。最后，他叹着气站了起来，在黑暗中离开了。

About half past nine or ten o'clock he came along the deserted street to where the Adored Unknown lived; he paused a moment; no sound fell upon his listening ear; a candle was casting a dull glow upon the curtain of a second-story window. Was the sacred presence there? He climbed the fence, threaded his stealthy way through the plants, till he stood under that window; he looked up at it long, and with emotion; then he laid him down on the ground under it, disposing himself upon his back, with his hands clasped upon his breast and holding his poor wilted flower. And thus he would die — out in the cold world, with no shelter over his homeless head, no friendly hand to wipe the deathdamps from his brow, no loving face to bend pityingly over him when the great agony came. And thus she would see him when she looked out upon the glad morning, and oh! Would she drop one little tear upon his poor, lifeless form, would she heave one little sigh to see a bright young life so rudely blighted, so untimely cut down?

大约在9点半或10点左右，他沿着那条没有人影儿的大街走着，来到那位他“爱慕的无名氏”住的地方。他停下来，竖起耳朵听了一会儿，可什么都没听见。二楼窗户的帘子上映出昏暗的烛光。那个圣洁的小天使在吗？他爬过栅栏，小心地穿过花花草草，一直走到窗子下面。他抬起头，久久地深情地望着窗子，然后仰卧着躺在了窗子下面，两手交叉搭在胸前，捧着那可怜的、已经枯萎了的花。他情愿就这样死去——在这冷酷无情的世界上，当死亡的痛苦来临的时候，他这无家可归的孩子头上没有一丝遮盖，没有亲友来抹去他额上临死前留下的汗珠，也没有慈爱的面孔贴近他来表示惋惜。这样的话她早晨推开窗户，看到明媚的阳光的时候一定会看见他的。哦！她会不会对他那可怜的、已经断了气的身体落下哪怕是一小滴的眼泪呢？看见一位前途无量的年轻的生命就这样无情地被摧残，这样过早地夭折，她会轻微地长叹一声吗？

The window went up, a maidservant's discordant voice profaned the holy calm, and a deluge of water drenched the prone martyr's remains!

这时候窗子打开了，一个女仆刺耳的说话声打破了那圣洁的寂静，然后一股水泼了下来，把这位躺在地上的殉道者的遗体浇得像个落汤鸡！

The strangling hero sprang up with a relieving snort. There was a whiz as of a missile in the air, mingled with the murmur of a curse, a sound as of shivering glass followed, and a small, vague form went over the fence and shot away in the gloom.

这位被水浇得喘不过气来的英雄猛地从地上蹦起来，擤了擤鼻子，舒服了点。随后，只见有个什么东西混杂着嘟囔的咒骂声，像导弹一样嗖的一声在空中划过，接下来就听到一阵打碎玻璃的声音，之后，就见一个小小的、模糊的人影翻过栅栏，在朦胧的夜色中箭一般地跑了。

Not long after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was surveying his drenched garments by the light of a tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of making any "references to allusions," he thought better of it and held his peace, for there was danger in Tom's eye.

不一会儿，汤姆脱光衣服上床睡觉。他正借着蜡烛的光亮看看那被泼得透湿的衣服时，希德醒了。他原本有点幸灾乐祸的想法，想要“指桑骂槐”地说几句俏皮话，可是他还是改变了主意，没有出声，因为他看到汤姆眼睛里含有一股杀机。

Tom turned in without the added vexation of prayers, and Sid made mental note of the omission.

汤姆连睡前祷告也没做就上床就睡觉了，祷告更让他窝火。希德在心里却记下了汤姆偷了一次懒。

Chapter 4

第四章

THE sun rose upon a tranquil world , and beamed down upon the peaceful village like a benediction. Breakfast over, Aunt Polly had family worship: it began with a prayer built from the ground up of solid courses of Scriptural quotations, welded together with a thin mortar of originality; and from the summit of this she delivered a grim chapter of the Mosaic Law, as from Sinai.

太阳升起来，沐浴着这个宁静的世界，像圣光一样照在静静的村庄上。早饭过后，波莉姨妈做了祷告。开始的一篇祷告词完全是从《圣经》中引用来的，中间还掺杂着点自己的创意。两者勉强粘合之后，她庄严地背诵了“摩西律”那章，就像从西奈山顶上宣布的一样。

Then Tom girded up his loins, so to speak, and went to work to "get his verses." Sid had learned his lesson days before. Tom bent all his energies to the memorizing of five verses, and he chose part of the Sermon on the Mount, because he could find no verses that were shorter. At the end of half an hour Tom had a vague general idea of his lesson, but no more, for his mind was traversing the whole field of human thought, and his hands were busy with distracting recreations. Mary took his book to hear him recite, and he tried to find his way through the fog:

然后汤姆打起了精神，一本正经地去背《圣经》的段落去了。希德几天前就把他该背的段落背完了。汤姆费九牛二虎之力背诵《圣经》的五段。他选择的是基督《登山宝训》的一部分，因为他找不出来比这部分更短的了。半个小时过去了，汤姆对背的内容有了个大概的印象了，不过也就这样了，因为他现在已经心不在焉，胡思乱想了，两只手也摆弄着毫不相关的东西。玛丽拿起书要听他背诵，他就努力稀里糊涂地往下蒙着背：

"Blessed are the — a — a —"“有福的人是……呃——呃——”

"Poor —"“贫乏者——”

"Yes — poor; blessed are the poor — a — a —"“对——贫乏者；有福的人是贫乏者……呃——呃——”

"In spirit —"“精神上——”

"In spirit; blessed are the poor in spirit, for they — they —"“在精神上；有福的人是精神上的贫乏者，因为他们——他们——”

"Theirs —"“他们将——”

"For theirs.“因为他们将。

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they — they —"

有福的人是精神上的贫乏者，因为他们将进天国。有福的人是那些哀恸的人，因为他们——他们——”

"Sh —"“将——”

"For they — a —"“因为他们……呃——”

"S, H, A —"“将——”

"For they S, H — Oh, I don't know what it is!"“因为他们将——下面我记不得了！”

"Shall!"“将要——”

"Oh, shall! for they shall — for they shall — a — a — shall mourn — a — a — blessed are they that shall — they that — a — they that shall mourn, for they shall — a — shall what? Why don't you tell me, Mary? — what do you want to be so mean for?"“哦！将要！因为他们将要——因为他们将要——呃——呃——将要哀恸——呃——呃——被保佑的是那些将要——那些将要——呃——那些将要哀恸的人，因为他们将要——呃——将要什么？玛丽，为什么不提示我？——你干吗要这样小气？”

"Oh, Tom, you poor thickheaded thing, I'm not teasing you. I wouldn't do that. You must go and learn it again. Don't you be discouraged, Tom, you'll manage it — and if you do, I'll give you something ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy."“哦，汤姆，你这个笨蛋可怜虫。我可没拿你开心。我不逗你。你必须回去重新背。汤姆，你可别灰心丧气，你能背下来的——如果你背熟了，我会给你好玩儿的。哎，对了，这才是个好孩子。”

"All right! What is it, Mary, tell me what it is."“好吧！给我什么，玛丽？告诉我是什么好玩的东西。”

"Never you mind, Tom. You know if I say it's nice, it is nice."“别问啦，汤姆，我说好玩，就是好玩的东西。”

"You bet you that's so, Mary. All right, I'll tackle it again."“那你可得说话算话，玛丽。那好吧，我就再去好好地背背。”

And he did "tackle it again" — and under the double pressure of curiosity and prospective gain he did it with such spirit that he accomplished a shining success. Mary gave him a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelve and a half cents; and the convulsion of delight that swept his system shook him to his foundations. True, the knife would not cut anything, but it was a "sure-enough" Barlow, and there was inconceivable grandeur in that — though where the Western boys ever got the idea that such a weapon could possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an imposing mystery and will always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrived to scarify the cupboard with it, and was arranging to begin on the bureau, when he was called off to dress for Sunday school.

后来他真的“好好地背”了——在好奇心和能有奖品的双重诱惑下，他卖劲儿学了一阵，结果居然大获成功。玛丽给了他一把价值1角2分半的崭新的“巴露牌”小刀。他激动得直发抖，手舞足蹈。没错，这刀什么都切不了，可它是“纯正”的“巴露牌”。这可意味着极大的荣耀——虽然西部的孩子认为这种武器也会有假冒伪劣，会有损它的名誉，但这可是个大谜团，或许永远都是。汤姆捉摸着拿这把刀在碗橱上乱刻一阵，正准备上手时候，却被叫去穿衣服准备上主日学校了。

Mary gave him a tin basin of water and a piece of soap, and he went outside the door and set the basin on a little bench there; then he dipped the soap in the water and laid it down; turned up his sleeves; poured out the water on the ground, gently, and then entered the kitchen and began to wipe his face diligently on the towel behind the door. But Mary removed the towel and said:

玛丽递给他一脸盆水和一块肥皂。他就走到门外，把脸盆放在那儿的一个小凳子上，然后把肥皂在水里蘸了蘸，又把它放下，他卷起袖子，轻轻地把水泼在地上，走进厨房，用挂在门后面的一条毛巾使劲地擦着脸。可是，玛丽把毛巾拿开了，说：

"Now ain't you ashamed, Tom. You mustn't be so bad. Water won't hurt you."“嘿，你还不害臊啊？汤姆！你可别这么没治了。水可伤不着你。”

Tom was a trifle disconcerted. The basin was refilled, and this time he stood over it a little while, gathering resolution; took in a big breath and began. When he entered the kitchen presently, with both eyes shut and groping for the towel with his hands, an honorable testimony of suds and water was dripping from his face. But when he emerged from the towel, he was not yet satisfactory, for the clean territory stopped short at his chin and his jaws, like a mask; below and beyond this line there was a dark expanse of unirrigated soil that spread downward in front and backward around his neck. Mary took him in hand, and when she was done with him he was a man and a brother, without distinction of color, and his saturated hair was neatly brushed, and its short curls wrought into a dainty and symmetrical general effect. (He privately smoothed out the curls, with labor and difficulty, and plastered his hair close down to his head; for he held curls to be effeminate, and his own filled his life with bitterness.) Then Mary got out a suit of his clothing that had been used only on Sundays during two years — they were simply called his "other clothes" — and so by that we know the size of his wardrobe. The girl "put him to rights" after he had dressed himself; she buttoned his neat roundabout up to his chin, turned his vast shirt collar down over his shoulders, brushed him off and crowned him with his speckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly improved and uncomfortable. He was fully as uncomfortable as he looked; for there was a restraint about whole clothes and cleanliness that galled him. He hoped that Mary would forget his shoes, but the hope was blighted; she coated them thoroughly with tallow, as was the custom, and brought them out. He lost his temper and said he was always being made to do everything he didn't want to do. But Mary said, persuasively:

汤姆有点不自在。脸盆重新又盛满了水，这一回，他俯身在脸盆边站了一会，下定了决心，然后深深吸了一口气，开始洗脸。过了一会儿他走进厨房，闭着眼睛伸手去摸那条毛巾，脸上的肥皂水直往下淌，这可证明他确确实实洗过脸了。可是他从毛巾后头露出脸的时候，看上去还是不怎么样。因为洗干净的地方只是有两腮帮子和下巴上面，看上去像个假面具似的。在这条分界线之下和之外，还有没沾过水的一大片，黑乎乎的，从脖子一直往后往下都是。玛丽又拉过他来帮他收拾。她把他梳洗打扮完毕之后，他看起来才像个男人，像个小兄弟，脸再也不是白一块黑一块了，那湿透了的头发也梳得整整齐齐，短短的卷发弄成了对称的样子，看上去还挺不错的。（他曾偷偷地摩挲自己的卷发把它弄平，费了好大劲儿，想把头发紧紧贴在头皮上。他觉得卷发很娘娘气，这可苦了他了。）然后玛丽把他的一套衣服拿出来，这套衣服这两年来只有星期天才穿——干脆就叫“其他的衣服”——由此我们可以知道他衣橱的大小了。他自己穿好衣服之后，玛丽又帮他修整了修整。她把他那件整洁的上装的衣扣统统扣上，一直扣到下巴底下，又把他那个宽大的衬衣领子往下一翻，搭在两边的肩上，再胡撸胡撸身上，戴上他那顶有斑点的草帽。这一下子他显得特别利索，看起来也特别不舒服。他就跟看上去一样不舒服。因为穿上这身衣服对他有种束缚感，还得保持整洁，让他心里烦躁不安。他希望玛丽忘了让他穿鞋子，可事与愿违。她按照惯例，先给鞋子抹了一层蜡油，然后把它拿了出来。他发火了，说别人老是让他干他自己不愿意干的事情，可是，玛丽却劝他说：

"Please, Tom — that's a good boy."“汤姆——这才是个好孩子嘛。”

So he got into the shoes snarling. Mary was soon ready, and the three children set out for Sunday school — a place that Tom hated with his whole heart; but Sid and Mary were fond of it.

于是，汤姆吵吵嚷嚷地还是把鞋穿上了。玛丽也很快准备好了，三个孩子就一块动身去主日学校——那地方是汤姆最深恶痛绝的，但是，希德和玛丽对那儿却挺有好感。

Sabbath-school hours were from nine to half past ten; and then church service. Two of the children always remained for the sermon voluntarily, and the other always remained too — for stronger reasons. The church's high-backed, uncushioned pews would seat about three hundred persons; the edifice was but a small, plain affair, with a sort of pine board tree-box on top of it for a steeple. At the door Tom dropped back a step and accosted a Sunday-dressed comrade:

主日学校的上课时间是从9点到10点半。之后，就是做礼拜。他们三个中间有两个总是自觉自愿地留在那儿听牧师布道，而另外一个因为更重要原因也是每次都留下来。教堂里的座位靠背很高，没有垫子，一共可坐三百人。教堂是一座简陋的、规模不大的建筑。屋顶上安了一个松木板做的盒子似的装置当做尖塔。在门口，汤姆故意放慢一步，跟一个穿着星期天衣服的同伴打了招呼：

"Say, Billy, got a yaller ticket?"“喂，贝利，你有黄色票吗？”

"Yes."“有啊。”

"What'll you take for her?"“你要什么东西才换呢？”

"What'll you give?"“你准备用什么换？”

"Less see 'em."“东西呢？”

Tom exhibited. They were satisfactory, and the property changed hands. Then Tom traded a couple of white alleys for three red tickets, and some small trifle or other for a couple of blue ones. He waylaid other boys as they came, and went on buying tickets of various colors ten or fifteen minutes longer. He entered the church, now, with a swarm of clean and noisy boys and girls, proceeded to his seat and started a quarrel with the first boy that came handy. The teacher, a grave, elderly man, interfered; then turned his back a moment and Tom pulled a boy's hair in the next bench, and was absorbed in his book when the boy turned around; stuck a pin in another boy, presently, in order to hear him say "Ouch!" and got a new reprimand from his teacher. Tom's whole class were of a pattern — restless, noisy, and troublesome. When they came to recite their lessons, not one of them knew his verses perfectly, but had to be prompted all along. However, they worried through, and each got his reward — in small blue tickets, each with a passage of Scripture on it; each blue ticket was pay for two verses of the recitation. Ten blue tickets equalled a red one, and could be exchanged for it; ten red tickets equalled a yellow one; for ten yellow tickets the superintendent gave a very plainly bound Bible (worth forty cents in those easy times) to the pupil. How many of my readers would have the industry and application to memorize two thousand verses, even for a Dor� Bible? And yet Mary had acquired two Bibles in this way — it was the patient work of two years — and a boy of German parentage had won four or five. He once recited three thousand verses without stopping; but the strain upon his mental faculties was too great, and he was little better than an idiot from that day forth — a grievous misfortune for the school, for on great occasions, before company, the superintendent (as Tom expressed it) had always made this boy come out and "spread himself." Only the older pupils managed to keep their tickets and stick to their tedious work long enough to get a Bible, and so the delivery of one of these prizes was a rare and noteworthy circumstance; the successful pupil was so great and conspicuous for that day that on the spot every scholar's heart was fired with a fresh ambition that often lasted a couple of weeks. It is possible that Tom's mental stomach had never really hungered for one of those prizes, but unquestionably his entire being had for many a day longed for the glory and the �clat that came with it.

汤姆就拿出来给他看了。贝利对东西很满意。两个人就把东西换了。接着，汤姆用两个白石头子换了三张红票，又用其他一些小玩意换了两张蓝票。别的孩子走过来的时候，汤姆又拦住他们，继续收买五颜六色的票，又花了十到十五分钟。汤姆现在和一群穿着整齐、吵吵嚷嚷的男孩和女孩一起走进教堂。他走到自己的座位上，和一个离他最近的男孩争吵起来。他们的老师是位板着脸、上了年纪的人，看见他们打架就呵斥开了。他一转过身去，汤姆又揪了另一条板凳上一个男孩的头发，那男孩转过头时，他却在全神贯注地在看书。又为了要听另一个男孩子叫一声“哎唷”，他又用一枚别针扎了那个男孩一下，结果这个男孩挨了老师一顿臭骂。汤姆这个班都这样——从不闲着，吵吵嚷嚷，这儿捣鼓捣鼓那儿捣捣乱的。他们一起背诵经文时，谁也背不下来全部内容，都必须一直给提示才行。然而，他们还是勉强过了关，而且个个都有奖励——蓝色的小纸票，每张票上都印有一段《圣经》上的话。要背两段《圣经》经文才能得这么样一张蓝色纸票。十张蓝色票等于一张红色票，也可以来交换。十张红色票又可以换一张黄色票。如果得了十张黄色票，校长就奖励给这个学生一本简装的《圣经》（在当初生活还不错的时候，值4角钱）。我亲爱的读者们当中，有谁肯这么用功，费劲去背上两千段《圣经》经文来换取一本多莱版的《圣经》呢？然而玛丽却用这种方法得了两本《圣经》——那可是耐心学了两年才得到的——还有一个德国血统的男孩得了四五本。他曾一下子背诵了三千段《圣经》，可是他用脑子用得太过度了，那以后差不多成了一个白痴——这对主日学校来说太不幸了，因为每逢盛大的场面，在许多来宾面前（据汤姆的讲法），校长总是叫这个男孩出来“露一手”。只有那些年龄大的学生才能用功刻苦足够长时间去得到一本《圣经》。所以，每次颁奖都罕见难得，轰动一时。得奖的同学在当时如此伟大光荣，每个在场的学生心里都产生重新焕发的野心，这种野心往往又要持续上几个星期。汤姆内心可能从来没真想去得奖，不过长时间以来他的全部身心都在渴望得到随着这种奖励而来的光彩和荣誉，这是毋庸置疑的。

In due course the superintendent stood up in front of the pulpit, with a closed hymnbook in his hand and his forefinger inserted between its leaves, and commanded attention. When a Sunday-school superintendent makes his customary little speech, a hymnbook in the hand is as necessary as is the inevitable sheet of music in the hand of a singer who stands forward on the platform and sings a solo at a concert — though why, is a mystery: for neither the hymnbook nor the sheet of music is ever referred to by the sufferer.

等到一定时候，校长在布道台前面站了起来，他手里拿着一本合上的圣诗，食指夹在书页中间，叫大家静下来，听他讲道。主日学校的校长开始他那已成定规的简短的开场白时，手中总少不了要拿着一本圣诗，就像歌手举行独唱音乐会站在台上，手中也少不了要拿本乐谱那样——虽然谁也不知道为什么要这样。因为无论圣诗也好，乐谱也好，台上正受罪的那个人从来没看过一眼。

This superintendent was a slim creature of thirty-five, with a sandy goatee and short sandy hair; he wore a stiff standing collar whose upper edge almost reached his ears and whose sharp points curved forward abreast the corners of his mouth — a fence that compelled a straight lookout ahead, and a turning of the whole body when a side view was required; his chin was propped on a spreading cravat which was as broad and as long as a banknote, and had fringed ends; his boot toes were turned sharply up, in the fashion of the day, like sleigh runners — an effect patiently and laboriously produced by the young men by sitting with their toes pressed against a wall for hours together. Mr. Walters was very earnest of mien, and very sincere and honest at heart; and he held sacred things and places in such reverence, and so separated them from worldly matters, that unconsciously to himself his Sunday-school voice had acquired a peculiar intonation which was wholly absent on weekdays. He began after this fashion:

这位校长是个35岁的瘦子，蓄着黄棕色的山羊胡和短头发；他穿的衣服的领子硬邦邦的，领边几乎顶到他耳边，两个尖尖的领角顺着脖子弯过来，齐到他的嘴角——就像一堵围墙似的，逼着他只能往前方看，他要看旁边的话，就不得不把整个身子都转过来；他的下巴托在一条宽大的领结上面，那个领结就像一张支票那样又宽又长，周围还带有花边。他的靴子头尖尖的，向上翘着，这在当时是时兴的款式，好像雪橇下面翘起来的滑刀一样——年轻人们耐心费力地好几个钟头把脚趾顶着墙才弄得出这种效果。华尔特先生心里庄重而虔诚。他对宗教方面的事情和场所非常尊敬，把它们和世俗方面的事分得清清楚楚。因此尽管没有意识到，却养成了主日学校讲话时一种平时说话的时候没有的语调。他就用这种语调开始说起来：

"Now, children, I want you all to sit up just as straight and pretty as you can and give me all your attention for a minute or two. There — that is it. That is the way good little boys and girls should do. I see one little girl who is looking out of the window — I am afraid she thinks I am out there somewhere — perhaps up in one of the trees making a speech to the little birds. (Applausive titter.) I want to tell you how good it makes me feel to see so many bright, clean little faces assembled in a place like this, learning to do right and be good." And so forth and so on. It is not necessary to set down the rest of the oration. It was of a pattern which does not vary, and so it is familiar to us all.“孩子们，现在我要你们尽量坐好啦，集中注意力听我讲一两分钟话。对——就这样。乖孩子们就应该这样做嘛。我看见一个小姑娘在向窗外看——我想她肯定觉得我在外面呢——也许想着我在树上给小鸟讲话呢吧。（一阵嘻嘻哈哈的喝彩声。）我想告诉你们看到这么多聪明的、干干净净的小脸儿聚集在这样的地方，听话、学好，我心里是多么的高兴。”这样的话他讲得连篇。我就不用把下面的话都写下来了。反正是些千篇一律老生常谈的东西。

The latter third of the speech was marred by the resumption of fights and other recreations among certain of the bad boys, and by fidgetings and whisperings that extended far and wide, washing even to the bases of isolated and incorruptible rocks like Sid and Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly, with the subsidence of Mr. Walters' voice, and the conclusion of the speech was received with a burst of silent gratitude.

华尔特先生的演说到后面三分之一时受到了一些干扰，一些不老实的孩子又打起架来或搞别的小动作，越来越多的人讲起悄悄话。连玛丽和希德这样不“同流合污”，屹立不倒的“中流砥柱”也架不住了。华尔特先生的声音突然终止，课堂里的一切吵闹声也都随之戛然止住，大家用安静表示内心的感激：演说终于结束啦。

A good part of the whispering had been occasioned by an event which was more or less rare — the entrance of visitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompanied by a very feeble and aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged gentleman with iron-gray hair; and a dignified lady who was doubtless the latter's wife. The lady was leading a child. Tom had been restless and full of chafings and repinings; conscience-smitten, too — he could not meet Amy Lawrence's eye, he could not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small newcomer his soul was all ablaze with bliss in a moment. The next moment he was "showing off " with all his might — cuffing boys, pulling hair, making faces — in a word, using every art that seemed likely to fascinate a girl and win her applause. His exaltation had but one alloy — the memory of his humiliation in this angel's garden — and that record in sand was fast washing out, under the waves of happiness that were sweeping over it now.

刚才那阵子骚动的始作俑者是一件多少有些稀罕的事儿——有几位客人来了：有撒切尔律师，他由一个非常衰弱的老人陪伴，一位文雅、肥胖、满头铁灰色头发的中年绅士，还有一位贵夫人，她无疑是那位绅士的太太。这位夫人手里还牵着一个小孩。汤姆心里一直很不安，烦死了，惆怅不堪，良心备受谴责——他不敢正视艾美·劳伦斯的眼睛，受不了她含情脉脉的眼神。可是当他看见这位新来的小女孩，幸福的感觉又在心里燃烧了起来。接着他就拼命地卖弄炫耀——打别人的耳光，揪头发，做鬼脸——总而言之，想方设法引起女孩的注意，讨她的欢心。他高兴是高兴，就是想到在她家花园里受到的鄙视，有点不爽，不过这很快就像留在沙滩上的印迹一样，在幸福的浪潮的冲刷下消失得一干二净。

The visitors were given the highest seat of honor, and as soon as Mr. Walters' speech was finished, he introduced them to the school. The middle-aged man turned out to be a prodigious personage — no less a one than the county judge — altogether the most august creation these children had ever looked upon — and they wondered what kind of material he was made of — and they half wanted to hear him roar, and were half afraid he might, too. He was from Constantinople, twelve miles away — so he had traveled, and seen the world — these very eyes had looked upon the county courthouse — which was said to have a tin roof. The awe which these reflections inspired was attested by the impressive silence and the ranks of staring eyes. This was the great Judge Thatcher, brother of their own lawyer. Jeff Thatcher immediately went forward, to be familiar with the great man and be envied by the school. It would have been music to his soul to hear the whisperings:

这几位来访者被请到了最上座，华尔特先生讲话一结束，就向全校师生介绍了这几位贵宾。那位中年人敢情是个大人物——比县上的法官差不到哪儿去——他是这些孩子们所见过的最威严的人物——他们很想知道他到底有几斤几两——又很想听听他吼叫两声，可真要叫起来也挺害怕的。他是离这儿十二里地远的君士坦丁堡镇人——出过不少远门、见过不少世面——他亲眼目睹过县上的法庭——据说那所房子有个锡皮的屋顶。想到这些，大家都对他肃然起敬，所有人没发出一丁点声音，只是一排排的眼睛瞪大盯着他。这就是声名显赫的撒切尔大法官，是他们镇上律师的哥哥。杰夫·撒切尔立即走上前，和这位大人物亲近，全校师生心生嫉妒。听大家窃窃私语着，他心里像听到了音乐，别提多高兴了。

"Look at him, Jim! He's a-going up there. Say — look! He's a-going to shake hands with him — he is shaking hands with him! By jings, don't you wish you was Jeff?"“吉姆，你看！他上讲台了。嘿——瞧！他要和他握手啦——他真的和他握手了！哎呀，真希望自己就是杰夫！”

Mr. Walters fell to "showing off," with all sorts of official bustlings and activities, giving orders, delivering judgments, discharging directions here, there, everywhere that he could find a target. The librarian "showed off " — running hither and thither with his arms full of books and making a deal of the splutter and fuss that insect authority delights in. The young lady teachers "showed off " — bending sweetly over pupils that were lately being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boys and patting good ones lovingly. The young gentlemen teachers "showed off " with small scoldings and other little displays of authority and fine attention to discipline — and most of the teachers, of both sexes, found business up at the library, by the pulpit; and it was business that frequently had to be done over again two or three times (with much seeming vexation). The little girls "showed off " in various ways, and the little boys "showed off " with such diligence that the air was thick with paper wads and the murmur of scufflings. And above it all the great man sat and beamed a majestic judicial smile upon all the house, and warmed himself in the sun of his own grandeur — for he was "showing off," too.

华尔特先生开始“出风头”了，就跟个官儿一样到处发号施令，品头论足，指指点点，只要他看见哪儿能插上一脚。图书管理员也“卖弄”了一番——他怀里抱着好多书这儿跑那儿跑的忙乎着，这么做起码让那些有点小权的人高兴满意。年轻的女教师们也“炫耀”了一番——亲切地弯下腰看着那些刚被打过耳光的学生，伸出漂亮的手指警告那些不听话的孩子，或是亲切地拍拍听话的孩子。年轻的男教师们也“出了一番风头”，他们小声训学生一顿，显示显示自己有权威，很注意着学校的规矩——所有男男女女的教师们都在布道台旁的图书室那儿找事儿干。本来干一次就行的事儿，他们却反复干了两三次（表面上装出很着急的样子）。小姑娘们也用各种方式“卖弄”，男孩子“卖弄”得更是劲头十足，空中满是乱飞的纸团，教室里互相扭打的声音不断。在这乱哄哄的全场之上，那位大人端坐着，洋溢着法官般庄严的微笑，沐浴在自己的伟大当中——因为他自己也在“炫耀”啊。

There was only one thing wanting to make Mr. Walters' ecstasy complete, and that was a chance to deliver a Bible prize and exhibit a prodigy. Several pupils had a few yellow tickets, but none had enough — he had been around among the star pupils inquiring. He would have given worlds, now, to have that German lad back again with a sound mind.

这时候只差一件事情，就能使华尔特先生狂喜到极点了，如果能有机会给某个学生颁发一本奖品《圣经》，借以展示一下自己的魅力就好了。有几个学生拥有一些黄色票，可没有一个够数的——他在几个有名的学生中间转了一圈，问了问。这时候如果能叫那个德国血统的学生脑子正常起来，再来露一手，真是让他付出什么都行。

And now at this moment, when hope was dead, Tom Sawyer came forward with nine yellow tickets, nine red tickets, and ten blue ones, and demanded a Bible. This was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. Walters was not expecting an application from this source for the next ten years. But there was no getting around it — here were the certified checks, and they were good for their face. Tom was therefore elevated to a place with the Judge and the other elect, and the great news was announced from headquarters. It was the most stunning surprise of the decade, and so profound was the sensation that it lifted the new hero up to the judicial one's altitude, and the school had two marvels to gaze upon in place of one. The boys were all eaten up with envy — but those that suffered the bitterest pangs were those who perceived too late that they themselves had contributed to this hated splendor by trading tickets to Tom for the wealth he had amassed in selling whitewashing privileges. These despised themselves, as being the dupes of a wily fraud, a guileful snake in the grass.

这时候眼看希望就要泡汤了，汤姆·索亚却走上前来，手里拿着九张黄票、九张红票和十张蓝票，请求得到一本《圣经》。晴天霹雳啊。再过十年，华尔特先生也不会料想竟是这个家伙走上前来。可躲又躲不过去——票绝对没假，票面值也没伪造。于是，汤姆就被拔到了与法官和贵宾平起平坐的位置，他的丰功伟绩就从主席台上公布于众了。这是十年来最令人吃惊的事情，这爆炸般的新闻把这位新英雄托到了与法官大人同等的地位。这下子学校的人们瞪着眼睛看的是两位显赫之辈，不是一个了。男孩子们更是忌妒得咬牙切齿——可是最痛心疾首的还是那些和汤姆交换宝贝的孩子们，而他的那些宝贝都是出卖刷墙特权时候攒的。现在他们都痛恨极了汤姆的荣誉，可意识到的时候也晚了。这些孩子们都自惭形秽，现在才明白他们的对手是个诡计多端的骗子，是一条藏在草里狡诈的蛇，而他们自己却是受了骗的笨蛋。

The prize was delivered to Tom with as much effusion as the superintendent could pump up under the circumstances; but it lacked somewhat of the true gush, for the poor fellow's instinct taught him that there was a mystery here that could not well bear the light, perhaps; it was simply preposterous that this boy had warehoused two thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises — a dozen would strain his capacity, without a doubt.

校长给汤姆发奖的时候，这种场合下他绞尽脑汁找出一些赞美表扬的话来说。可是他话里好像没有多少是肺腑之言，因为这位可怜家伙的本能告诉他，这里面可能有猫腻。这孩子脑子里真的能装下两千段圣书里的经文，真会让人笑掉大牙——十几段经文就够他受的了，这还用说。

The prize was delivered to Tom with as much effusion as the superintendent could pump up under the circumstances; but it lacked somewhat of the true gush, for the poor fellow's instinct taught him that there was a mystery here that could not well bear the light, perhaps; it was simply preposterous that this boy had warehoused two thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises — a dozen would strain his capacity, without a doubt.

校长给汤姆发奖的时候，这种场合下他绞尽脑汁找出一些赞美表扬的话来说。可是他话里好像没有多少是肺腑之言，因为这位可怜家伙的本能告诉他，这里面可能有猫腻。这孩子脑子里真的能装下两千段圣书里的经文，真会让人笑掉大牙——十几段经文就够他受的了，这还用说。

Amy Lawrence was proud and glad, and she tried to make Tom see it in her face — but he wouldn't look. She wondered; then she was just a grain troubled; next a dim suspicion came and went — came again; she watched; a furtive glance told her worlds — and then her heart broke, and she was jealous, and angry, and the tears came and she hated everybody. Tom most of all (she thought).

艾美·劳伦斯既得意又高兴，她想方设法地要汤姆在她脸上看出这点来——可是，汤姆偏不朝她这边看。她还挺纳闷，不禁有点慌了神，然后隐隐约约又有点怀疑，又不怀疑了——紧接着又怀疑起来。她盯着他看了一会儿，当看到汤姆偷偷地瞟了新来的女孩子一眼时，什么都明白了——于是她心碎了，忌妒了，火冒三丈，跟着眼泪也流了出来。她恨所有的人。最恨最恨的是汤姆（她心里想）。

Tom was introduced to the Judge; but his tongue was tied, his breath would hardly come, his heart quaked — partly because of the awful greatness of the man, but mainly because he was her parent. He would have liked to fall down and worship him, if it were in the dark. The Judge put his hand on Tom's head and called him a fine little man, and asked him what his name was. The boy stammered, gasped, and got it out:

校长把汤姆介绍给法官大人，可是他结结巴巴的，喘不过气来，心也跳得厉害——一半是因为这位大人物的威严，更主要是因为他是新来女孩的父亲。如果是在漆黑一片的晚上，他就会向他下跪磕头了。大法官把手放在汤姆的头上，说他是个好小伙子，还问他叫什么名字。这孩子结结巴巴，喘着粗气，从牙缝里挤出来：

"Tom."“汤姆。”

"Oh, no, not Tom — it is —"“哦，不对，不是汤姆——应该是——”

"Thomas."“托马斯。”

"Ah, that's it. I thought there was more to it, maybe. That's very well. But you've another one I daresay, and you'll tell it to me, won't you?"“哦，原来如此啊。我觉得还有点什么吧。喔，这就对了。你肯定还有一半吧，也许该有。你告诉我，好不好？”

"Tell the gentleman your other name, Thomas," said Walters, "and say sir. You mustn't forget your manners."“托马斯，告诉法官大人你姓什么！”华尔特先生赶忙说，“还要称呼先生。别忘了礼貌！”

"Thomas Sawyer — sir."“托马斯·索亚——先生。”

"That's it! That's a good boy. Fine boy. Fine, manly little fellow. Two thousand verses is a great many — very, very great many. And you never can be sorry for the trouble you took to learn them; for knowledge is worth more than anything there is in the world; it's what makes great men and good men; you'll be a great man and a good man yourself, some day, Thomas, and then you'll look back and say, It's all owing to the precious Sunday-school privileges of my boyhood — it's all owing to my dear teachers that taught me to learn — it's all owing to the good superintendent, who encouraged me, and watched over me, and gave me a beautiful Bible — a splendid elegant Bible — to keep and have it all for my own, always — it's all owing to right bringing up! That is what you will say, Thomas — and you wouldn't take any money for those two thousand verses — no indeed you wouldn't. And now you wouldn't mind telling me and this lady some of the things you've learned — no, I know you wouldn't — for we are proud of little boys that learn. Now, no doubt you know the names of all the twelve disciples. Won't you tell us the names of the first two that were appointed?"“这就对了！这才是个好孩子。很不错的小伙子。有出息的小男子汉。两千段的圣书经文可真不少——实在，实在是够多的。你背这些经文花那么多功夫，一辈子也不会后悔的，因为知识是宝贵的，比世上一切财富都有价值。知识能造就伟人，造就好人；你就会成为一个伟人和好人的。托马斯，等将来有一天，当你回首往事时，你会说，一切都归功于我小时侯有幸上的主日学校的经历——归功于教授我知识的那些亲爱的老师们——归功于我的好校长，他鼓励我，督促我，还给了我一本漂亮的《圣经》——一本漂亮而精美的《圣经》——让我自己永远保留——这一切多亏了我的老师们教导有方啊！这就是你将来会说的，托马斯——你那两千段经文别人无论给你多少钱，你也不会卖吧！——你肯定不会卖的。你如果不介意的话，把你学到的东西说给我和这位太太听听吧——我知道你不会介意的——因为我们是非常赞赏好学的孩子。那么，不用问，你肯定知道所有十二门徒的名字，就把耶稣最初选定的两个门徒的名字告诉我们，好不好？”

Tom was tugging at a buttonhole and looking sheepish. He blushed, now, and his eyes fell. Mr. Walters' heart sank within him. He said to himself, it is not possible that the boy can answer the simplest question — why did the Judge ask him? Yet he felt obliged to speak up and say: "Answer the gentleman, Thomas — don't be afraid."

汤姆捏住一个钮扣眼使劲地拉，样子显得很害羞。他的脸“唰”地红了，眼睛也耷拉了下来。华尔特先生的心也随之一沉。他心里想，这个孩子连最简单的问题都不可能回答出来——为什么法官偏要问他？然而他又不得不开口，说道：“托马斯，回答法官大人的问题——不要害怕。”

Tom still hung fire.

汤姆仍一言不发。

"Now I know you'll tell me," said the lady. "The names of the first two disciples were —"“好吧，我知道你会跟我讲，”那位太太说。“最初的两个门徒的名字是——”

"DAVID AND GOLIATH!"“大卫和哥利亚斯——”

Let us draw the curtain of charity over the rest of the scene.

我们还是发发慈悲就此闭幕吧。

Chapter 5

第五章

ABOUT half past ten the cracked bell of the small church began to ring, and presently the people began to gather for the morning sermon.

大约10点半的时候，小教堂的破钟开始响了起来，随即大家便开始聚集在一起听上午的布道。

The Sunday-school children distributed themselves about the house and occupied pews with their parents, so as to be under supervision. Aunt Polly came, and Tom and Sid and Mary sat with her — Tom being placed next the aisle, in order that he might be as far away from the open window and the seductive outside summer scenes as possible. The crowd filed up the aisles: the aged and needy postmaster, who had seen better days; the mayor and his wife — for they had a mayor there, among other unnecessaries; the justice of the peace; the widow Douglas, fair, smart, and forty, a generous, good-hearted soul and well-todo, her hill mansion the only palace in the town, and the most hospitable and much the most lavish in the matter of festivities that St. Petersburg could boast; the bent and venerable Major and Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson, the new notable from a distance; next the belle of the village, followed by a troop of lawn-clad and ribbon-decked young heartbreakers; then all the young clerks in town in a body — for they had stood in the vestibule sucking their cane heads, a circling wall of oiled and simpering admirers, till the last girl had run their gantlet; and last of all came the Model Boy, Willie Mufferson, taking as heedful care of his mother as if she were cut glass. He always brought his mother to church, and was the pride of all the matrons. The boys all hated him, he was so good. And besides, he had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchief was hanging out of his pocket behind, as usual on Sundays — accidentally. Tom had no handkerchief, and he looked upon boys who had, as snobs.

主日学校的孩子们在房子周围分散开来各随各的父母坐在教堂里，这样家长好看着他们。波莉姨妈来了，汤姆、希德和玛丽在她旁边坐下来。汤姆被安排在靠近过道的位子上坐着，这样做是让他尽可能离开着的窗户和外面让他分心的夏天的景致越远越好。人们顺着走道鱼贯而入：有上了年纪而穷困潦倒的邮政局局长，他以前生活也挺好的；有镇长和他的太太——这地方竟然还有个镇长，还有其他许多没有必要的官员；有治安法官；有道格拉斯，她是个寡妇，长得小巧漂亮，40来岁，为人宽厚，心地很好，生活水平也不错，她山上的住宅是镇上唯一的宫殿，最热情好客，过节的时候也最慷慨；有华德少校和他的夫人，都已经驼背了，不过很受人尊敬；还有维尔逊律师，是大老远新来的显赫人物；再下面就是镇上的大美人，后面跟着一大帮让人害单相思病的年轻姑娘，穿细麻布衣服，扎着缎带；跟在她们之后的是镇上所有年轻的店员和职员——开始都站在门廊里，嘬着自己的手指头，像一圈发疯了的追求者一样围在那儿站成一道墙似的，一直到最后一个姑娘走出他们的包围圈为止；最后进来的一位是村里的模范儿童威利·莫夫逊，他对他母亲照顾得无微不至，就好像她是件易碎的雕花玻璃品似的。他总是领着他妈妈到教堂来，其他的妈妈都为他感到骄傲。而男孩子们都恨他，他表现太好了。而且他常常被夸奖，作为别人的楷模。他白色的手绢耷拉在屁股口袋的外面，星期天通常是这样——做出不经意的样子。汤姆没有手绢，他就瞧不起那些有手绢的孩子们，把他们看做是势利眼。

The congregation being fully assembled, now, the bell rang once more, to warn laggards and stragglers, and then a solemn hush fell upon the church which was only broken by the tittering and whispering of the choir in the gallery. The choir always tittered and whispered all through service. There was once a church choir that was not ill-bred, but I have forgotten where it was, now. It was a great many years ago, and I can scarcely remember anything about it, but I think it was in some foreign country.

听布道的人到齐后，大钟又响了一遍，为的是提醒那些迟到和在外面乱跑的人。教堂里一片寂静，显得十分庄严，只有边座席上唱诗班里有些嘻嘻哈哈和咬耳朵的声音，打破了这种寂静。自始至终，唱诗班里一直有人在窃窃私语，低声说笑。曾有过一个唱诗班不像这样没教养，可我现在想不起来那是在什么地方了。那是许多年以前的事了，我几乎没什么印象了，不过，我想大概是在外国吧。

The minister gave out the hymn, and read it through with a relish, in a peculiar style which was much admired in that part of the country. His voice began on a medium key and climbed steadily up till it reached a certain point, where it bore with strong emphasis upon the topmost word and then plunged down as if from a springboard:

牧师拿出了大家要唱的歌颂主的歌词，他津津有味地念了一遍，他那特别的强调在那地区尤其受欢迎。他的音调先由一个中音开始，逐渐升高，一直升到最高音的一个字，强调了一下，然后就像从跳板上跳下来一样，突然降低；

Shall I be car-ried toe the skies, on flow'ry beds of ease, Whilst others fight to win the prize, and sail thro' bloody seas?

为获功勋别人正浴血奋战/在沙场；我岂能安睡花床梦想/进天堂。

He was regarded as a wonderful reader. At church "sociables" he was always called upon to read poetry; and when he was through, the ladies would lift up their hands and let them fall helplessly in their laps, and "wall" their eyes, and shake their heads, as much as to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, too beautiful for this mortal earth."

大家觉得他的朗读水平简直好得没治了。在教堂的“联欢会”上，人们经常请他朗诵诗文，每当他念完之后，妇女们都要举起双手，然后软绵绵地把手落在膝上，一面“转溜”着眼珠子，一面摇头，好像在说：“这真是妙不可言，太美了，这样动听的声音在这尘世间实在是太难得了。”

After the hymn had been sung, the Rev. Mr. Sprague turned himself into a bulletin board, and read off "notices" of meetings and societies and things till it seemed that the list would stretch out to the crack of doom — a queer custom which is still kept up in America, even in cities, away here in this age of abundant newspapers. Often, the less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it.

唱完颂主歌之后，牧师斯普拉格先生就把自己变成了一块布告牌，开始宣布一些集会和团体的通知之类的事情，他说个没完，似乎这份单子直到世界末日霹雳声响时才停止——这是一种至今还在美国保留着的奇怪习惯，甚至在当今新闻报纸很多的城市里还没有改变。通常传统习俗越是没有多少理由存在，越是难把它铲除。

And now the minister prayed. A good, generous prayer it was, and went into details: it pleaded for the church, and the little children of the church; for the other churches of the village; for the village itself; for the county; for the State; for the State officers; for the United States; for the churches of the United States; for Congress; for the President; for the officers of the Government; for poor sailors, tossed by stormy seas; for the oppressed millions groaning under the heel of European monarchies and Oriental despotisms; for such as have the light and the good tidings, and yet have not eyes to see nor ears to hear withal; for the heathen in the far islands of the sea; and closed with a supplication that the words he was about to speak might find grace and favor, and be as seed sown in fertile ground, yielding in time a grateful harvest of good. Amen.

再后来牧师就做祷告了。这篇祷告内容丰富，细致入微：它为教堂和里面的孩子们祈祷；为其他村庄的教堂祈祷；为村子本身，为全县城，为国家，为国家的干部们，为美国，为美国的教堂，为国会，为总统，为执政者祈祷；为在风暴肆虐的海洋上航行的可怜的水手们求福；为被迫在欧洲君主制度和东方专制制度铁蹄下呻吟着的数百万劳苦大众求福；为那些受圣光和福音恩惠而熟视无睹、充耳不闻的人求福；为远处海岛上的那些异教徒求福；最后牧师祈求天主恩准他所说的话，希望他的话像播种在肥沃土地里的种子一样，将会开花结果，造福无穷。阿门。

There was a rustling of dresses, and the standing congregation sat down. The boy whose history this book relates did not enjoy the prayer, he only endured it — if he even did that much. He was restive all through it; he kept tally of the details of the prayer, unconsciously — for he was not listening, but he knew the ground of old, and the clergyman's regular route over it — and when a little trifle of new matter was interlarded, his ear detected it and his whole nature resented it; he considered additions unfair, and scoundrelly.

站着的人们都坐了下来，衣服发出沙沙的声响。这本书里讲述的主人公并不享受这篇祷告词，他只是忍受着罢了——能忍受就算不错了。他在祈祷过程中，一直不安分。他记录下祷告的详细内容，不过是无意识地这么做——因为他没有听，但是他熟悉牧师的陈词滥调——每当祷告词里加进一点新内容时，他的耳朵立刻就能辨别出来，而且浑身上下都不舒服。他认为加进去的太不合适，也不光明正大，简直是在耍无赖。

In the midst of the prayer a fly had lit on the back of the pew in front of him and tortured his spirit by calmly rubbing its hands together, embracing its head with its arms, and polishing it so vigorously that it seemed to almost part company with the body, and the slender thread of a neck was exposed to view; scraping its wings with its hind legs and smoothing them to its body as if they had been coattails; going through its whole toilet as tranquilly as if it knew it was perfectly safe. As indeed it was; for as sorely as Tom's hands itched to grab for it they did not dare — he believed his soul would be instantly destroyed if he did such a thing while the prayer was going on. But with the closing sentence his hand began to curve and steal forward; and the instant the "Amen" was out the fly was a prisoner of war. His aunt detected the act and made him let it go.

在祈祷做到半中间的时候，有一只苍蝇落在他前面的座椅靠背上，它不慌不忙地搓着腿，伸出胳膊抱住头，用劲地擦着脑袋，它的头几乎好像要和身子分家似的，脖子细的像根线，露出来看得清清楚楚。它又用后腿蹭了蹭翅膀，贴着身体捋了捋，好像翅膀是它礼服的后摆；它的动作慢极了，好像知道它的处境绝对安全。这只苍蝇的逍遥劲可让汤姆心里不好受。小东西的确很安全。汤姆慢慢伸出两只手想抓它，却又不敢——他相信在做祷告时干这种事情，他的灵魂立刻就会遭到毁灭的。可是，当祷告讲到最后一句时，他弓着手背悄悄地把手向苍蝇靠过去，“阿门”刚一说出口，苍蝇就做了阶下囚。他姨妈发现了他在干什么，马上就让他把苍蝇放了。

The minister gave out his text and droned along monotonously through an argument that was so prosy that many a head by and by began to nod — and yet it was an argument that dealt in limitless fire and brimstone and thinned the predestined elect down to a company so small as to be hardly worth the saving. Tom counted the pages of the sermon; after church he always knew how many pages there had been, but he seldom knew anything else about the discourse. However, this time he was really interested for a little while. The minister made a grand and moving picture of the assembling together of the world's hosts at the millennium when the lion and the lamb should lie down together and a little child should lead them. But the pathos, the lesson, the moral of the great spectacle were lost upon the boy; he only thought of the conspicuousness of the principal character before the onlooking nations; his face lit with the thought, and he said to himself that he wished he could be that child, if it was a tame lion.

牧师念着经文，单调地啰唆着，实在是太没意思了，好多人渐渐地低下头打瞌睡——他讲的尽是五花八门的地狱刑罚，让人觉得能够有资格让上帝选入天堂的真是太少了，还有什么值得拯救啊。汤姆计算着祷告词的页数，做完礼拜他总能说出牧师经文的页数，至于内容嘛，几乎什么都不知道。然而这一回，他对内容真有点感兴趣了。牧师描绘了幅辉煌而动人的画面：在新千年的时候，全世界各族人民团聚在一起，狮子和羊羔躺在一起，一个孩子领着它们。可汤姆一点也没在意这场面的感人之处，和故事的寓意，他只是想着在全国人民的注视下的那个主角。想到这里，他的脸上露出喜色。他暗自想如果那头狮子驯服的话，他真想自己就是那孩子。

Now he lapsed into suffering again, as the dry argument was resumed. Presently he bethought him of a treasure he had and got it out. It was a large black beetle with formidable jaws — a "pinch bug," he called it. It was in a percussion-cap box. The first thing the beetle did was to take him by the finger. A natural fillip followed, the beetle went floundering into the aisle and lit on its back, and the hurt finger went into the boy's mouth. The beetle lay there working its helpless legs, unable to turn over. Tom eyed it, and longed for it; but it was safe out of his reach. Other people uninterested in the sermon found relief in the beetle, and they eyed it too. Presently a vagrant poodle dog came idling along, sad at heart, lazy with the summer softness and the quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spied the beetle; the drooping tail lifted and wagged. He surveyed the prize; walked around it; smelt at it from a safe distance; walked around it again; grew bolder, and took a closer smell; then lifted his lip and made a gingerly snatch at it, just missing it; made another, and another; began to enjoy the diversion; subsided to his stomach with the beetle between his paws, and continued his experiments; grew weary at last, and then indifferent and absent-minded. His head nodded, and little by little his chin descended and touched the enemy, who seized it. There was a sharp yelp, a flirt of the poodle's head, and the beetle fell a couple of yards away, and lit on its back once more. The neighboring spectators shook with a gentle inward joy, several faces went behind fans and handkerchiefs, and Tom was entirely happy. The dog looked foolish, and probably felt so; but there was resentment in his heart, too, and a craving for revenge. So he went to the beetle and began a wary attack on it again; jumping at it from every point of a circle, lighting with his fore paws within an inch of the creature, making even closer snatches at it with his teeth, and jerking his head till his ears flapped again. But he grew tired once more, after a while; tried to amuse himself with a fly but found no relief; followed an ant around, with his nose close to the floor, and quickly wearied of that; yawned, sighed, forgot the beetle entirely, and sat down on it.

汤姆又开始痛苦了，牧师又继续往下布道。他马上想起了他的一个宝贝玩意，赶快把它拿了出来。那是一只下巴骨长得可怕的大黑甲虫——他叫它“大钳甲虫”。这只甲虫是装在雷管筒子里的。这只虫子被放出来后的第一件事，就是咬汤姆的手指。他很自然地弹了一下手指，那甲虫就滚到过道里，仰面朝天。汤姆把弄疼的手指放在嘴里。那甲虫无奈地弹动着它那几条腿，翻不了身。汤姆看着它，想把它抓回来，可是怎么也够不到。其他对牧师布道也不感兴趣的人觉得那只甲虫能解解闷儿，也都盯着它看。这时一只游荡的狮子狗懒洋洋地走过来，心情郁闷，暖洋洋的太阳晒得它直发懒，它被圈在屋里待腻了，很想出来透透气。它一眼发现了这只甲虫，耷拉着的尾巴立即竖起来，晃动着。它瞧了瞧这个家伙，围着它转了一圈，远远地闻了闻，又围着它走了一圈，胆子渐渐大了起来，靠近点又闻了闻。狗张开嘴，小心翼翼地想把它咬住，可是却没咬住。于是它试了一回，又试了一回，渐渐地觉得这小东西挺让它开心的，便把肚子贴着地，把虫子夹在两脚中间，继续捉弄它。最后它终于厌烦了，变得漠不关心，心不在焉。它开始打起了瞌睡，下巴一点一点往下低，刚一碰到甲虫，甲虫就把它给咬住了。狮子狗尖叫一声，猛然摇了一下头，于是甲虫飞出了一两码，又摔得仰面朝天。邻座看热闹的人心里不由得开心地偷笑，有些人用扇子和手绢遮住了脸，汤姆别提多高兴了。那只狗看起来傻乎乎的，也许它自己也这么觉得吧，可是它耿耿于怀，打算报复一番。于是，它又走近甲虫，开始小心地攻击它，后来又围着圈攻击它，前爪离甲虫还不到一英尺远，又靠上去用牙齿去咬它，脑袋晃悠着，耳朵扇悠着。可是，过了一会儿，它又觉得没趣儿了。它本想拿只苍蝇来寻开心，可是还是不能解闷，鼻子贴着地面，跟着一只蚂蚁走，不一会又觉得没劲打了呵欠，叹了口气，把那只甲虫忘得一干二净，一屁股坐在了上面。

Then there was a wild yelp of agony and the poodle went sailing up the aisle; the yelps continued, and so did the dog; he crossed the house in front of the altar; he flew down the other aisle; he crossed before the doors; he clamored up the home-stretch; his anguish grew with his progress, till presently he was but a woolly comet moving in its orbit with the gleam and the speed of light. At last the frantic sufferer sheered from its course, and sprang into its master's lap; he flung it out of the window, and the voice of distress quickly thinned away and died in the distance.

就听到一声痛苦的惨叫，这狗在过道上飞奔起来。它不停地叫，不停地跑，从圣坛前面跑过去，跑到了另一边的过道上。它又从大门那儿跑出去，跑到门边上的最后一段跑道，它越跑越是痛得难受，后来就成了一个毛茸茸的彗星，用光速和光一般的亮度在轨道上跑着。最后这只痛得发疯的狮子狗偏了轨，跳到主人的怀里，主人一把抓住它，把它扔到窗户外，痛苦的叫声很快地小下来，最后消失在远方。

By this time the whole church was red-faced and suffocating with suppressed laughter, and the sermon had come to a dead standstill. The discourse was resumed presently, but it went lame and halting, all possibility of impressiveness being at an end; for even the gravest sentiments were constantly being received with a smothered burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew back, as if the poor parson had said a rarely facetious thing. It was a genuine relief to the whole congregation when the ordeal was over and the benediction pronounced.

这时候，教堂里所有的人都因为克制住自己不笑憋得满脸通红，喘不过气来，布道声戛然止住，一片寂静。接着牧师又开始讲道，犹犹豫豫而且时念时停，不可能再引起什么注意了，因为即使是最严肃的内容也总是被远处座位背后忍不住失敬的笑声打断，好像这个可怜的人刚刚说了什么可笑的事情。整个集会结束了，牧师给大家祝福，全场终于松了口气。

Tom Sawyer went home quite cheerful, thinking to himself that there was some satisfaction about divine service when there was a bit of variety in it. He had but one marring thought; he was willing that the dog should play with his pinch bug, but he did not think it was upright in him to carry it off.

汤姆·索亚兴高采烈地回了家。他心里想，做礼拜时再加上点花样，倒挺有趣的。美中不足的是：他愿意让那只狗和大钳甲虫玩耍，可是它竟然带着甲虫跑了，这未免太不够意思了。

Chapter 6

第六章

MONDAY morning found Tom Sawyer miserable . Monday morning always found him so — because it began another week's slow suffering in school. He generally began that day with wishing he had had no intervening holiday, it made the going into captivity and fetters again so much more odious.

星期一早晨，汤姆·索亚不怎么舒服。周一早上他一般都这样，因为一个在学校漫长而难熬的星期又开始了。他在这一天总是想要是没有这个休息日夹在中间倒也好些，有了那一天，再让他回到学校这个监牢里，更让他深恶痛绝。

Tom lay thinking. Presently it occurred to him that he wished he was sick; then he could stay home from school. Here was a vague possibility. He canvassed his system. No ailment was found, and he investigated again. This time he thought he could detect colicky symptoms, and he began to encourage them with considerable hope. But they soon grew feeble, and presently died wholly away. He reflected further. Suddenly he discovered something. One of his upper front teeth was loose. This was lucky; he was about to begin to groan, as a "starter," as he called it, when it occurred to him that if he came into court with that argument, his aunt would pull it out, and that would hurt. So he thought he would hold the tooth in reserve for the present, and seek further. Nothing offered for some little time, and then he remembered hearing the doctor tell about a certain thing that laid up a patient for two or three weeks and threatened to make him lose a finger. So the boy eagerly drew his sore toe from under the sheet and held it up for inspection. But now he did not know the necessary symptoms. However, it seemed well worth while to chance it, so he fell to groaning with considerable spirit.

汤姆躺在那想着。忽然他想到，要是生病了该多好啊。这样，他就能待在家里不去上学了。这个嘛，还是有点可能的。他把自己浑身上下仔细地检查了一下。没什么毛病啊，他又看了看。这次他想找到肚子疼的症状，真希望肚子马上疼起来。可疼痛感越来越弱，马上就一点也不疼了。于是他又动起脑筋来。突然，他发现目标了。他的上排门牙有一颗松动了。他真是太幸运了。他刚要开始叫唤，用他的话说这叫“开场白”，这时他猛然想起如果真是跟姨妈这么说的话，他姨妈就会当真把这颗牙拔出来，那会疼死的。所以他打算把这颗牙当做备用理由，再找找别的毛病。找了一段时间，他没找到什么毛病，后来他想起曾听医生说过有一种病能让病人躺两三个星期，甚至可能让他失去一根手指。汤姆迫不及待地把他那只肿痛的脚趾头从被子里拽出来，举起来仔细看了看。可他不知道这种病到底有什么症状。可是还是值得试试的，所以他就跟真事儿似地开始叫唤起来。

But Sid slept on unconscious.

可是希德还是睡着，一点反应都没有。

Tom groaned louder, and fancied that he began to feel pain in the toe.

汤姆叫唤得更大声了，而且有了幻觉，脚趾头真的开始疼了。

No result from Sid.

希德还是没什么反应。

Tom was panting with his exertions by this time. He took a rest and then swelled himself up and fetched a succession of admirable groans.

这次他太卖劲了，累地喘着粗气。他歇了一会，重新鼓起劲头，叫唤得可真是像。

Sid snored on. Tom was aggravated. He said, "Sid, Sid!" and shook him. This course worked well, and Tom began to groan again. Sid yawned, stretched, then brought himself up on his elbow with a snort, and began to stare at Tom. Tom went on groaning. Sid said: "Tom! Say, Tom!" (No response.) "Here, Tom! Tom! What is the matter, Tom?" And he shook him and looked in his face anxiously.

希德还在打着呼噜。汤姆来火了。他喊道：“希德，希德！”边喊边推推他。这招果然奏效，汤姆又开始叫唤起来。希德打着呵欠，伸伸懒腰，用胳膊肘撑起了身子，擤了擤鼻子，然后盯着汤姆看。汤姆继续叫唤着。希德就问：“汤姆！嘿，汤姆！”（汤姆没搭腔。）“怎么啦，汤姆！汤姆！你怎么啦，汤姆？”他推了推汤姆，焦急地看着他的脸。

Tom moaned out: "Oh, don't, Sid. Don't joggle me."

汤姆叫唤着说：“啊，希德，别，别，别推我。”

"Why, what's the matter, Tom? I must call auntie."“嘿，汤姆，你怎么啦？我得去叫姨妈来。”

"No — never mind. It'll be over by and by, maybe. Don't call anybody."“不——不要紧。这慢慢就会好的，也许是吧。谁也不用叫。”

"But I must! Don't groan so, Tom, it's awful. How long you been this way?"“我一定要去叫！不要再这样叫唤了，怪让人糁的慌的。你这么难受有多久了？”

"Hours. Ouch! Oh, don't stir so, Sid, you'll kill me."“好几个小时了，哎唷！希德，不要推我，你想要我的命啊！”

"Tom, why didn't you wake me sooner? Oh, Tom, don't! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you. Tom, what is the matter?"“汤姆，你为什么不早点把我叫醒了啊？哦，汤姆，不要叫唤了！听你这么叫我身上都起鸡皮疙瘩。汤姆，哪儿不舒服？”

"I forgive you everything, Sid. (Groan.) Everything you've ever done to me. When I'm gone —"“希德，我什么事情都原谅你。(呻吟。)你对我做的所有的事。我死了以后……”

"Oh, Tom, you ain't dying, are you? Don't, Tom — oh, don't. Maybe —"“喔，汤姆，你不会死的，对吧？别这样，汤姆——啊，别这样。也许……”

"I forgive everybody, Sid. (Groan.) Tell 'em so, Sid. And Sid, you give my window sash and my cat with one eye to that new girl that's come to town, and tell her —"“希德，我原谅所有的人。（呻吟。）希德，请你转告他们吧。希德，你把我那个窗户框子和那只独眼小猫给那个新搬来的姑娘吧，你对她说……”

But Sid had snatched his clothes and gone. Tom was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely was his imagination working, and so his groans had gathered quite a genuine tone.

可是希德早就抓起衣服跑出去了。现在汤姆真的是很难受极了，他的想象力太到位了，叫唤得就像真的一样。

Sid flew downstairs and said:

希德飞奔下楼梯，一边跑一边喊：

"Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom's dying!"“波莉姨妈，快来呀！汤姆要死了！”

"Dying!"“要死了！”

"Yes'm.“是啊。

Don't wait — come quick!"

来不及了，快来！”

"Rubbage! I don't believe it!"“胡说！我不信。”

But she fled upstairs, nevertheless, with Sid and Mary at her heels. And her face grew white, too, and her lip trembled. When she reached the bedside she gasped out:

可是她还是赶快地跑上楼去，希德和玛丽紧跟在后面。这时她脸色也白了，嘴唇直发抖。来到床边后，她喘着气问：

"You, Tom! Tom, what's the matter with you?"“你，汤姆！汤姆，你哪里不舒服啊？”

"Oh, auntie, I'm —"“哦，姨妈，我——”

"What's the matter with you — what is the matter with you, child?"“你哪里不舒服——孩子，你到底怎么啦？”

"Oh, auntie, my sore toe's mortified!"“哦，姨妈，我那只肿痛的脚趾头发炎了！”

The old lady sank down into a chair and laughed a little, then cried a little, then did both together. This restored her and she said:

老太太一屁股坐在椅子上，笑了笑，哭了哭，然后又哭又笑。等到她缓过劲来了，便说：

"Tom, what a turn you did give me. Now you shut up that nonsense and climb out of this."“汤姆，你真的把我吓坏了。好了，闭上嘴巴，别再胡扯八道了，快起床吧。”

The groans ceased and the pain vanished from the toe. The boy felt a little foolish, and he said:

呻吟声停了，脚趾也立刻不疼了。这孩子觉得自己显得有点傻，于是他说：

"Aunt Polly, it seemed mortified, and it hurt so I never minded my tooth at all."“波莉姨妈，脚趾头一发炎，痛得我把牙齿的事也给忘了。”

"Your tooth, indeed! What's the matter with your tooth?"“你的牙齿，怪了！牙齿又怎么啦？”

"One of them's loose, and it aches perfectly awful."“有一颗牙松动了，而且疼得的确挺难受的。”

"There, there, now, don't begin that groaning again. Open your mouth. Well — your tooth is loose, but you're not going to die about that. Mary, get me a silk thread, and a chunk of fire out of the kitchen."“得了，得了，你可别再叫唤了。张开嘴，嗯——你的一颗牙齿确实松了，不过你绝不会痛死的。玛丽，拿根丝线给我，再到厨房去弄块烧红的火炭来。”

Tom said:

汤姆说：

"Oh, please, auntie, don't pull it out. It don't hurt any more. I wish I may never stir if it does. Please don't, auntie. I don't want to stay home from school."“啊，姨妈，别拔了。现在牙不痛了。要是再痛，我也不叫唤了。姨妈，请您别拔啦。我不想待在家里逃学了。”

"Oh, you don't, don't you? So all this row was because you thought you'd get to stay home from school and go a-fishing? Tom, Tom, I love you so, and you seem to try every way you can to break my old heart with your outrageousness." By this time the dental instruments were ready. The old lady made one end of the silk thread fast to Tom's tooth with a loop and tied the other to the bedpost. Then she seized the chunk of fire and suddenly thrust it almost into the boy's face. The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now.“哦，你不逃学了，是吗？原来你这么大叫大闹，为的就是你以为这样就可以待在家里，不去上学去钓鱼呀？汤姆呀，汤姆，我这么心疼你，可是你好像尽捣乱，不让我省心。”这时候，拔牙的工具已经准备好了。老太太把丝线的一头打了活结，牢牢地系在汤姆的那颗牙上，另一头系在床柱上。然后她拿起那块烧红的火炭一扔，差点砸他脸上。那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。

But all trials bring their compensations. As Tom wended to school after breakfast, he was the envy of every boy he met because the gap in his upper row of teeth enabled him to expectorate in a new and admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested in the exhibition; and one that had cut his finger and had been a centre of fascination and homage up to this time, now found himself suddenly without an adherent, and shorn of his glory. His heart was heavy, and he said with a disdain which he did not feel that it wasn't anything to spit like Tom Sawyer; but another boy said, "Sour grapes!" and he wandered away a dismantled hero.

可是有所失就有所得。当汤姆吃过早饭去上学的时候，在路上遇到的每个孩子都羡慕他，因为他上排牙齿的缺口能让他用一种新的方法吐唾沫，所有孩子都羡慕得不行。一大群孩子们跟在他后面，对他这种表演很感兴趣。有一个割破手指的孩子，大家都敬佩他，围着他转，现在忽然没有人追随他了，也没了风头。他心里闷闷不乐，却满瞧不起地说，像汤姆·索亚那样吐唾沫那算什么啊，可是他心里并不真的这么认为。另外有个孩子说：“酸葡萄！”于是汤姆成了一位落荒而逃的英雄。

Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village, Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunkard. Huckleberry was cordially hated and dreaded by all the mothers of the town, because he was idle and lawless and vulgar and bad — and because all their children admired him so, and delighted in his forbidden society, and wished they dared to be like him. Tom was like the rest of the respectable boys, in that he envied Huckleberry his gaudy outcast condition, and was under strict orders not to play with him. So he played with him every time he got a chance. Huckleberry was always dressed in the cast-off clothes of full-grown men, and they were in perennial bloom and fluttering with rags. His hat was a vast ruin with a wide crescent lopped out of its brim; his coat, when he wore one, hung nearly to his heels and had the rearward buttons far down the back; but one suspender supported his trousers; the seat of the trousers bagged low and contained nothing, the fringed legs dragged in the dirt when not rolled up.

不久汤姆遇到了村子里的坏孩子哈克贝利·费恩，他是本镇一个酒鬼的儿子。全镇所有的母亲们对哈克贝利都深恶痛绝而又很怕他：他游手好闲，什么违法的事都干，而且既下流又没教养——所有的孩子都特别羡慕他这样。虽然大人们都不允许他们和他接触，他们却都愿意和他玩儿，还希望自己也敢学他那样。和其他许多体面的孩子们一样，汤姆很羡慕哈克贝利那种逍遥自在的流浪儿生活，可是姨妈也严厉地告诉过他不许和哈克贝利玩儿。所以，他一有机会就和他混在一起。哈克贝利经常穿着大人们扔了的旧衣服，总是满身开花，破布乱飘。他的帽子很大很破，一块月牙形的突出耷拉在帽子沿儿。他要是穿着上装的话，那上装就差不多拖到他的脚后跟，他一直把衣服后面的扣子扣到屁股，裤子却只有一根带子在那儿吊着，裤裆像个空口袋似地耷拉得很低，里面什么都没有。裤腿没有卷起的时候，毛了边的下半截就在灰土里拖来拖去。

Huckleberry came and went, at his own free will. He slept on doorsteps in fine weather and in empty hogsheads in wet; he did not have to go to school or to church, or call any being master or obey anybody; he could go fishing or swimming when and where he chose, and stay as long as it suited him; nobody forbade him to fight; he could sit up as late as he pleased; he was always the first boy that went barefoot in the spring and the last to resume leather in the fall; he never had to wash, nor put on clean clothes; he could swear wonderfully. In a word, everything that goes to make life precious that boy had. So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg.

哈克贝利想来就来，想走就走。天气好的时候他就在台阶上睡觉，下雨时，就睡到大空桶里。他不用去上学也不必去做礼拜，不必叫谁老师，也不用听谁的话；他想什么时候去钓鱼就去钓鱼，想游泳就去游泳，地方随便挑，而且想待多长间就待多长时间；也没有人管住他打架；晚上他乐意熬夜到什么时候就熬到什么时候；春天他总是第一个光着脚，到了秋天却是最后一个穿上鞋；他从来不用洗脸，也不用穿干净衣服；他可以随便骂人，而且特别会骂。总而言之，他有了一切能让生活有滋有味的事情。圣彼得堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

Tom hailed the romantic outcast:

汤姆向那个浪漫的流浪儿打着招呼：

"Hello, Huckleberry!"“你好啊，哈克贝利！”

"Hello yourself, and see how you like it."“你也好啊，看看喜不喜欢这玩意儿。”

"What's that you got?"“你得了什么宝贝？”

"Dead cat."“一只死猫。”

"Lemme see him, Huck. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'd the adventures of tom sawyer you get him?"“哈克，让我瞅瞅。嗐，这家伙硬硬的。你从哪弄来的？”

"Bought him off 'n a boy."“从一个孩子那儿买来的。”

"What did you give?"“拿什么买的？”

"I give a blue ticket and a bladder that I got at the slaughterhouse."“我给他一张蓝色票和一只从屠宰厂那儿弄来的尿泡。”

"Where'd you get the blue ticket?"“你的蓝票是从哪儿弄来的？”

"Bought it off 'n Ben Rogers two weeks ago for a hoopstick."“两星期前用一根推铁环的棍子和贝恩·罗杰换的。”

"Say — what is dead cats good for, Huck?"“我说——哈克，死猫能有什么用？”

"Good for? Cure warts with."“有什么用？可以治疣子。”

"No! Is that so? I know something that's better."“不会吧！真能治吗？我知道有更好的办法。”

"I bet you don't. What is it?"“我敢打赌你不知道。是什么方子？”

"Why, spunk-water."“不就是仙水吗。”

"Spunk-water! I wouldn't give a dern for spunk-water."“仙水！我一点都看不上仙水。”

"You wouldn't, wouldn't you? D'you ever try it?"“你看不上，是不是？你试过吗？”

"No, I hain't. But Bob Tanner did."“没有试过。可是鲍勃·唐纳试过。”

"Who told you so!"“你怎么知道的？”

"Why, he told Jeff Thatcher, and Jeff told Johnny Baker, and Johnny told Jim Hollis, and Jim told Ben Rogers, and Ben told a nigger, and the nigger told me. There now!"“噢，他告诉杰夫·撒切尔，杰夫又告诉江尼·贝克，江尼又告诉吉姆·赫利斯，吉姆又告诉本·罗杰，罗杰又告诉了一个黑人，那黑人又告诉了我。这不，我就知道了。”

"Well, what of it? They'll all lie. Leastways all but the nigger. I don't know him. But I never see a nigger that wouldn't lie. Shucks! Now you tell me how Bob Tanner done it, Huck."“得，你知道又有什么？他们都在撒谎，那个黑人可能除外。我不认识他，不过我从来也没见过有哪个黑人不撒谎的。呸！那么哈克你说说鲍勃·唐纳怎么试的吧。”

"Why, he took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump where the rain water was."“噢，他把手伸进一个烂了的老树桩里面，还有雨水呢。”

"In the daytime?"“在白天干的吗？”

"Certainly."“那还用说。”

"With his face to the stump?"“脸对着树桩吗？”

"Yes. Least I reckon so."“对呀。至少我是这么合计的。”

"Did he say anything?"“他没说什么？”

"I don't reckon he did. I don't know."“我估计没有。我不清楚。”

"Aha! Talk about trying to cure warts with spunk-water such a blame fool way as that! Why, that ain't a-going to do any good. You got to go all by yourself, to the middle of the woods, where you know there's a spunkwater stump, and just as it's midnight you back up against the stump and jam your hand in and say:“啊！怎么能用那笨办法治疣子啊！哎，那不灵。你必须自己走到树林中间，找到那个有仙水的树桩，等到正好半夜的时候，你背对着树桩，把手塞进去，嘴里要念：‘

Barley-corn, barley-corn, injun-meal shorts, Spunk-water, spunk-water, swaller these warts,'

麦粒麦粒，还有玉米粉，仙水仙水，治好这疣子。’

and then walk away quick, eleven steps, with your eyes shut, and then turn around three times and walk home without speaking to anybody. Because if you speak the charm's busted."

念完之后，就闭着眼睛，立刻走开，走十一步，然后转三圈，不要和任何人讲话径直回家。如果你一讲话，那符咒就不灵了。”

"Well, that sounds like a good way; but that ain't the way Bob Tanner done."“哼，这办法听起来倒是不错；不过鲍勃·唐纳不是这样做的。”

"No, sir, you can bet he didn't, becuz he's the wartiest boy in this town; and he wouldn't have a wart on him if he'd knowed how to work spunk-water. I've took off thousands of warts off of my hands that way, Huck. I play with frogs so much that I've always got considerable many warts. Sometimes I take 'em off with a bean."“嘿，伙计，他当然没有这样做，所以他是这个镇上疣子长得最多的一个。他要是晓得怎么使用仙水，那他身上就会一个疣子都没有了。哈克，用那个办法我已经治好手上无数个疣子。我老爱玩癞蛤蟆，所以我老是长出许许多多的疣子。有时候我就拿蚕豆来治它们。”

"Yes, bean's good. I've done that."“是啊，蚕豆挺管用的。我也这样治过。”

"Have you? What's your way?"“是吗？你是怎么做的？”

"You take and split the bean, and cut the wart so as to get some blood, and then you put the blood on one piece of the bean and take and dig a hole and bury it 'bout midnight at the crossroads in the dark of the moon, and then you burn up the rest of the bean. You see that piece that's got the blood on it will keep drawing and drawing, trying to fetch the other piece to it, and so that helps the blood to draw the wart, and pretty soon off she comes."“你把蚕豆分成两瓣，把疣子弄破弄出点血来，然后把血弄在一片蚕豆上，趁着半夜三更没有月亮的时候，找个岔路口，挖个坑把这片蚕豆埋到地下，再把另外半片烧掉。你看有血的那半片蚕豆不停地在吸啊吸啊，想把另外那半片吸过去，这样的话加快血吸疣子的速度，过不了多久，疣子就掉了。”

"Yes, that's it, Huck — that's it; though when you're burying it if you say 'Down bean; off wart; come no more to bother me!' it's better. That's the way Joe Harper does, and he's been nearly to Coonville and most everywheres. But say — how do you cure 'em with dead cats?"“对对对没错，哈克，就是这么干的。当然你埋蚕豆的时候，你要说：‘埋下蚕豆，消掉疣子，不要再来烦我！’这会更好些的。乔·哈帕就是这样做的，他差不多到过康维尔，还有许多别的地儿呢。可是话说回来，用死猫怎么治疣子呢？”

"Why, you take your cat and go and get in the graveyard 'long about midnight when somebody that was wicked has been buried; and when it's midnight a devil will come, or maybe two or three, but you can't see 'em, you can only hear something like the wind, or maybe hear 'em talk; and when they're taking that feller away, you heave your cat after 'em and say, 'Devil follow corpse, cat follow devil, warts follow cat, I'm done with ye!' That'll fetch any wart."“唉，你拿着死猫等半夜有坏蛋被埋时，到坟地去。半夜的时候魔鬼就来了，可能三两成群，不过你看不见他们，只能听到风一样的声音，或者能听见他们说话。他们带那坏蛋到阴曹地府去时，你往他们后面扔死猫还要念道：‘鬼跟尸跑，猫跟鬼跑，疣子跟着猫，我和疣子一刀两断了！’这样保管什么疣子都治好。”

"Sounds right. D'you ever try it, Huck?"“这听起来倒是蛮有道理。哈克，你试过没有？”

"No, but old Mother Hopkins told me."“没有。不过霍普金斯老太婆跟我说过。”

"Well, I reckon it's so, then. Becuz they say she's a witch."“是啊，她可能说过。因为人们说她是个巫婆。”

"Say! Why, Tom, I know she is. She witched pap. Pap says so his own self. He come along one day, and he sees she was a-witching him, so he took up a rock, and if she hadn't dodged, he'd a got her. Well, that very night he rolled off 'n a shed wher' he was a-layin' drunk, and broke his arm."“可不是吗，汤姆，我知道她是。她迷惑过我爹。这是我爹亲口说的。有一天，他走过来，见她要迷惑他，就捡起一块大石头，要不是她躲闪得及时，就砸中她了。可是也就在当天夜里，他喝醉了酒，躺在一个小木屋顶上，不知怎么就摔下来，摔断了一只胳膊。”

"Why, that's awful. How did he know she was a-witching him?"“哎呀，真倒霉。你爹是怎么知道她要迷惑他的呢？”

"Lord, pap can tell, easy. Pap says when they keep looking at you right stiddy, they're a-witching you. Specially if they mumble. Becuz when they mumble they're saying the Lord's Prayer backwards."“哦，天哪！我爹一眼就看出来了。我爹说她们死死地盯着你时，她们就是在迷惑你了，尤其是嘴里还念念叨叨的时候。因为她们念叨的时候她们把圣经的祷文倒过来念。”

"Say, Hucky, when you going to try the cat?"“嘿，我说哈克，你打算什么时候去试着用这猫治疣子？”

"Tonight. I reckon they'll come after old Hoss Williams tonight."“今天夜里。我猜鬼会去抓霍斯·威廉斯这老家伙。”

"But they buried him Saturday. Didn't they get him Saturday night?"“可他们周六已经把他埋了。他们星期六夜里没来把他弄走吗？”

"Why, how you talk! How could their charms work till midnight? — and then it's Sunday. Devils don't slosh around much of a Sunday, I don't reckon."“嘿，你说什么呢！半夜之后念咒怎么管用啊？午夜一过那可就是星期天了。星期天鬼是不怎么四处游荡的，我觉得是。”

"I never thought of that. That's so. Lemme go with you?"“我从来没有想到这一点。是这么回事呀。让我和你一起去，好吗？”

"Of course — if you ain't afeard."“当然好了——只要你不害怕就行。”

"Afeard! Tain't likely. Will you meow?"“害怕！不可能的事。你来学猫叫好吗？”

"Yes — and you meow back, if you get a chance. Last time, you kep' me a-meowing around till old Hays went to throwing rocks at me and says 'Dern that cat!' and so I hove a brick through his window — but don't you tell."“好。如果我叫了，你也冲我叫一声，看时机合适的时候。上一回，你让我老在那学猫咪呜咪呜的，后来黑斯这老头就冲我扔石头，还说‘去他妈的贱猫！’所以我就朝他家扔了砖头。你可别跟别人说啊。”

"I won't. I couldn't meow that night, becuz auntie was watching me, but I'll meow this time. Say — what's that?"“我不会说的。那天晚上我学不了猫叫，姨妈一直在盯着我。不过这回我会叫的。嘿，那是什么？”

"Nothing but a tick."“只是个扁虱罢了。”

"Where'd you get him?"“在哪搞到的？”

"Out in the woods."“在外面的树林里。”

"What'll you take for him?"“拿什么东西跟你换，你才干？”

"I don't know. I don't want to sell him."“我不知道。我不想把它卖掉。”

"All right. It's a mighty small tick, anyway."“那好吧。反正这扁虱挺小的。”

"Oh, anybody can run a tick down that don't belong to them. I'm satisfied with it. It's a good enough tick for me."“哦，吃不到葡萄就说葡萄酸。我倒觉得它挺好的。这玩意儿我觉得够好的了。”

"Sho, there's ticks a-plenty. I could have a thousand of 'em if I wanted to."“哼，扁虱多得是。我要是想要的话，一千个我也能搞到。”

"Well, why don't you? Becuz you know mighty well you can't. This is a pretty early tick, I reckon. It's the first one I've seen this year."“喂，得了吧，因为你自己知道你搞不到。这可是个挺早出来的扁虱，是我今年见到的头一个。”

"Say, Huck — I'll give you my tooth for him."“那么，哈克，我用我的牙齿跟你换扁虱吧。”

"Less see it."“让我瞧瞧。”

Tom got out a bit of paper and carefully unrolled it. Huckleberry viewed it wistfully. The temptation was very strong. At last he said:

汤姆拿出一个小纸包，小心翼翼地打开它。哈克贝利牙直痒痒。这诱惑太大了。最后，他说：

"Is it genuwyne?"“这是真牙齿吗？”

Tom lifted his lip and showed the vacancy.

汤姆翻起嘴唇，给他看了看牙齿留下的洞。

"Well, all right," said Huckleberry, "it's a trade."“哼，那好吧。”哈克贝利说，“换就换吧。”

Tom enclosed the tick in the percussion-cap box that had lately been the pinch bug's prison, and the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before.

汤姆把扁虱装进前几天囚禁大钳甲虫的那个雷管筒子里后，两人就分道扬镳了，都觉得自己赚了一笔。

When Tom reached the little isolated frame schoolhouse, he strode in briskly, with the manner of one who had come with all honest speed. He hung his hat on a peg and flung himself into his seat with businesslike alacrity. The master, throned on high in his great splint-bottom armchair, was dozing, lulled by the drowsy hum of study. The interruption roused him.

汤姆来到那座孤零零的小木框校舍的时候，轻松愉快地大步流星走进教室，好像真是赶时间来上学的。他把帽子挂在钉子上，一本正经地三步并作两步地坐到他的座位上。老师正高高地坐在他那把大细藤条扶手椅上，正在读书的催眠声中打着盹。汤姆进来的动静把他吵醒了。

"Thomas Sawyer!"“托马斯·索亚！”

Tom knew that when his name was pronounced in full, it meant trouble.

汤姆知道老师要是叫他全名，那就有麻烦了。

"Sir!"“到，老师！”

"Come up here. Now, sir, why are you late again, as usual?"“过来，我问你。好家伙，你怎么老是迟到啊？”

Tom was about to take refuge in a lie, when he saw two long tails of yellow hair hanging down a back that he recognized by the electric sympathy of love; and by that form was the only vacant place on the girls' side of the schoolhouse. He instantly said:

汤姆正要撒个谎躲避过去，这时他看到一个人的背上垂下两条长长的金黄色辫子，一股爱情的暖流涌遍全身。她的旁边正好有个空位子。他立刻说：

"I STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINN!"“我在路上和哈克贝利·费恩聊天来着！”

The master's pulse stood still, and he stared helplessly. The buzz of study ceased. The pupils wondered if this foolhardy boy had lost his mind. The master said:

老师气得脉搏都要停止跳动了，他无可奈何地盯着汤姆。乱哄哄的读书声也停止了。学生们都很纳闷，这个莽撞的家伙是不是脑子里哪根弦儿搭错了。老师说：

"You — you did what?"“你，你干了什么？”

"Stopped to talk with Huckleberry Finn."“路上和哈克贝利·费恩讲话耽搁了。”

There was no mistaking the words.

他说得一清二楚。

"Thomas Sawyer, this is the most astounding confession I have ever listened to. No mere ferule will answer for this offence. Take off your jacket."“托马斯·索亚，这可是我听到的最让我瞠目结舌的交代了。光是戒尺不足以惩罚你犯的错误。把上衣脱掉！”

The master's arm performed until it was tired and the stock of switches notably diminished. Then the order followed: "Now, sir, go and sit with the girls! And let this be a warning to you."

直到老师的胳臂发酸，戒尺明显都磨损了，他才住手。接着下了道命令：“去吧！去和姑娘们坐在一块，这对你算是一次警告。”

The titter that rippled around the room appeared to abash the boy, but in reality that result was caused rather more by his worshipful awe of his unknown idol and the dread pleasure that lay in his high good fortune. He sat down upon the end of the pine bench and the girl hitched herself away from him with a toss of her head. Nudges and winks and whispers traversed the room, but Tom sat still, with his arms upon the long, low desk before him, and seemed to study his book.

教室里到处都是窃窃私语声，似乎是这让汤姆害臊脸红。但实际上，他脸红更是因为崇拜敬畏那位素不相识的偶像，还有幸能和她同桌。他在松木板凳的一头坐下来，那女孩子甩了甩头，往另一边挪了挪。大家相互推推胳膊，眨眨眼睛，咬咬耳朵。可是汤姆还是坐得端正，两只胳膊放在面前既长又矮的书桌上，好像在看书学习。

By and by attention ceased from him, and the accustomed school murmur rose upon the dull air once more. Presently the boy began to steal furtive glances at the girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave him the back of her head for the space of a minute. When she cautiously faced around again, a peach lay before her. She thrust it away. Tom gently put it back. She thrust it away again, but with less animosity. Tom patiently returned it to its place. Then she let it remain. Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it — I got more." The girl glanced at the words, but made no sign. Now the boy began to draw something on the slate, hiding his work with his left hand. For a time the girl refused to notice; but her human curiosity presently began to manifest itself by hardly perceptible signs. The boy worked on, apparently unconscious. The girl made a sort of noncommittal attempt to see, but the boy did not betray that he was aware of it. At last she gave in and hesitatingly whispered:

渐渐地，大家的注意力不再集中在汤姆身上，沉闷的空气里又嗡嗡地响起了低沉的读书声。后来，汤姆偷偷看了那女孩几眼。女孩发现了汤姆的举动，“朝他做了鬼脸”之后得有一分钟，她都是用后脑勺冲着他。等她小心翼翼地转过脸来时，有一个桃子摆在了她的面前。她把桃子推开，汤姆又轻轻地把它放回去。她又把桃子推开，不过没那么大敌意了。汤姆耐心地把它又放回原处。这次女孩就让桃子待在那儿了。汤姆在他的写字板上写了几个字：“请你收下吧，我多得是哩。”那女孩瞥了瞥这些字，也没什么表示。现在汤姆开始在写字板上画画，用左手挡着。有好一阵子，那女孩坚决不去看他作画，可是本能的好奇心开始让她做出几乎察觉不到的举动，去看他的画。汤姆继续画着，好像没注意到女孩的举动。那女孩想看但只是试探了一下，可汤姆没表现出他已经察觉了。最后她让了步，犹犹豫豫小声说道：

"Let me see it."“让我看看吧。”

Tom partly uncovered a dismal caricature of a house with two gable ends to it and a corkscrew of smoke issuing from the chimney. Then the girl's interest began to fasten itself upon the work and she forgot everything else. When it was finished, she gazed a moment, then whispered:

汤姆稍稍挪开左手，石板上画的是座房子，画得既不好又模模糊糊，两个山墙头，还有一缕炊烟从烟囱里袅袅升起。可是姑娘的兴趣开始被牢牢吸引住了，她把其他什么都忘了。汤姆画完了，她盯着看了一会，然后悄悄跟他说：

"It's nice — make a man."“画得真好——再画一个人上去。”

The artist erected a man in the front yard, that resembled a derrick. He could have stepped over the house; but the girl was not hypercritical; she was satisfied with the monster, and whispered:

于是，这位“画家”就在前院里画了一个人，形状有点像起重机。比例太不协调了，好像那个人一大步就可以跨过房子。可是这姑娘并不那么斤斤计较。她觉得这个大怪物挺好的。她低声说：

"It's a beautiful man — now make me coming along."“这个人画得真好看。现在再画我正在走过来吧。”

Tom drew an hourglass with a full moon and straw limbs to it and armed the spreading fingers with a portentous fan. The girl said:

汤姆就画了个水漏或沙漏，加上一轮满月，四肢像草扎似的，张开的手指拿着一把大得可怕的扇子。姑娘说：

"It's ever so nice — I wish I could draw."“画得太好了。真希望我也会画啊。”

"It's easy," whispered Tom, "I'll learn you."“这容易，”汤姆低声说道，“我教你。”

"Oh, will you? When?"“哦，是吗？什么时候啊？”

"At noon. Do you go home to dinner?"“中午。你回家吃饭吗？”

"I'll stay if you will."“如果你教我我就不回了。”

"Good — that's a whack. What's your name?"“太好了——听起来不错。你叫什么名字？”

"Becky Thatcher. What's yours? Oh, I know. It's Thomas Sawyer."“贝基·撒切尔，你呢？哦，我知道。你叫托马斯·索亚。”

"That's the name they lick me by. I'm Tom when I'm good. You call me Tom, will you?"“他们揍我时，就叫我这个名字。我表现好的时候叫做汤姆。你叫我汤姆，好吗？”

"Yes."“好啊。”

Now Tom began to scrawl something on the slate, hiding the words from the girl. But she was not backward this time. She begged to see. Tom said:

这时候汤姆开始在写字板上画着什么，挡着不让女孩看见写的字。可这回女孩不再退缩了。她请求汤姆给她看。汤姆说：

"Oh, it ain't anything."“啊，没什么好看的。”

"Yes it is."“不，一定有好看的。”

"No it ain't. You don't want to see."“真的没什么好看的。再说，你也不会爱看这个。”

"Yes I do, indeed I do. Please let me."“我要看，我真的要看。请让我看一看。”

"You'll tell."“你会说出去的。”

"No I won't — deed and deed and double deed I won't."“不会，决不会，百分之一百二十地不会。”

"You won't tell anybody at all? Ever, as long as you live?"“跟任何人你都不会说吗？永远不说，一辈子不说？”

"No, I won't ever tell anybody. Now let me."“是的，我不会告诉任何人，现在让我看吧。”

"Oh, you don't want to see!"“啊，你真想看吗！”

"Now that you treat me so, I will see." And she put her small hand upon his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom pretending to resist in earnest but letting his hand slip by degrees till these words were revealed: "I love you."“既然你这样待我，我就一定要看！”于是她把小手儿按在他手上，两个人争了一会儿，汤姆假装拼命捂着不让她看的样子，可是手渐渐移开，最后露出了三个字：“我爱你。”

"Oh, you bad thing!" And she hit his hand a smart rap, but reddened and looked pleased, nevertheless.“啊，你坏蛋！”她用力打了他的手，脸虽然红了，可是看起来还挺高兴的。

Just at this juncture the boy felt a slow, fateful grip closing on his ear, and a steady lifting impulse. In that vise he was borne across the house and deposited in his own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from the whole school. Then the master stood over him during a few awful moments, and finally moved away to his throne without saying a word. But although Tom's ear tingled, his heart was jubilant.

就在这时，汤姆觉得有人正慢慢使劲抓着他的耳朵，逐渐向上提。就这样，在一片尖刻的咯咯笑声中他被钳着耳朵，从教室这边拉到那边自己的座位上。接着老师在他身旁站了一会，教室里大气都不敢出，终究什么都没说回到了自己的宝座上。汤姆虽然耳朵疼得要命，可心里美滋滋的。

As the school quieted down Tom made an honest effort to study, but the turmoil within him was too great. In turn he took his place in the reading class and made a botch of it; then in the geography class and turned lakes into mountains, mountains into rivers, and rivers into continents, till chaos was come again; then in the spelling class, and got "turned down," by a succession of mere baby words, till he brought up at the foot and yielded up the pewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months.

班里静下来时，汤姆动起真格来要好好学习，可心里怎么也踏实不下来。结果上朗读课时候弄得乱七八糟的。而在地理课上，他把山脉当成湖泊，湖泊当成河流，河流当成大陆，天地又重回混沌状态了。上拼写课时，一连串最简单的字弄得他“翻了船”，结果成绩在全班垫了底，他只好把那枚白锡奖章退给了老师，那奖章让他风光了好几个月呢。

Chapter 7

第七章

THE harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered. So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up. It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come. The air was utterly dead. There was not a breath stirring. It was the sleepiest of sleepy days. The drowsing murmur of the five and twenty studying scholars soothed the soul like the spell that is in the murmur of bees. Away off in the flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill lifted its soft green sides through a shimmering veil of heat, tinted with the purple of distance; a few birds floated on lazy wing high in the air; no other living thing was visible but some cows, and they were asleep. Tom's heart ached to be free, or else to have something of interest to do to pass the dreary time. His hand wandered into his pocket and his face lit up with a glow of gratitude that was prayer, though he did not know it. Then furtively the percussion-cap box came out. He released the tick and put him on the long flat desk. The creature probably glowed with a gratitude that amounted to prayer, too, at this moment, but it was premature; for when he started thankfully to travel off, Tom turned him aside with a pin and made him take a new direction.

汤姆越想集中注意力看书，脑子就越分神。所以最后他叹了口气，打了个哈欠，放弃了。在他看来，中午放学时间总是不到。空气死一般寂静，连呼吸的气息都没有。这是最让人犯困的日子啊。教室里二十五位学生在用功，读书声就像是一群蜜蜂的嗡嗡叫声，让人更觉得安神了。远处赤日炎炎下，卡第夫山从一层薄薄的热浪中升起它那嫩绿的身子，远远的还有一点紫色，几只鸟儿懒洋洋地在天上翱翔。视野里除了一些牛以外没有其他活物了，而且它们都睡着了。汤姆心里恨不得马上去撒欢呢，或者干点其他有意思的事，打发无聊的时间。他摸了摸兜，脸上立刻露出感激的神色，尽管他自己根本没意识到。他悄悄地拿出那个雷管筒子，把扁虱放在那又长又平的桌子上。这小东西大概也正感激汤姆呢，不过高兴得太早了。它刚要满怀感激地逃走，汤姆用大头针扎了它一下，让它改变了方向。

Tom's bosom friend sat next him, suffering just as Tom had been, and now he was deeply and gratefully interested in this entertainment in an instant. This bosom friend was Joe Harper. The two boys were sworn friends all the week, and embattled enemies on Saturdays. Joe took a pin out of his lapel and began to assist in exercising the prisoner. The sport grew in interest momently. Soon Tom said that they were interfering with each other, and neither getting the fullest benefit of the tick. So he put Joe's slate on the desk and drew a line down the middle of it from top to bottom.

汤姆的知心好友就坐在他旁边，一直就跟汤姆一样忍着无聊的课堂。这个玩意儿立刻吸引了他，真是感激有这么个小玩意儿。这个好朋友就是乔·哈帕。这两个朋友平日里是好得没得说，可到了星期六就成了对阵的敌人。乔从衣服的翻领上取下别针，开始帮着操练这个小俘虏。这样玩儿马上有意思多了。不一会汤姆说他们互相干扰，谁也不能玩儿得尽兴。他把乔的写字板放到桌子上，在写字板正中间从上到下划了一条直线。

"Now," said he, "as long as he is on your side you can stir him up and I'll let him alone; but if you let him get away and get on my side, you're to leave him alone as long as I can keep him from crossing over."

他说：“现在只要扁虱在你那边，你就能动它，我绝对不碰。如果你让它跑到我这边了，你就不能动手，只要我能让它一直在我这边，不越界。”

"All right, go ahead; start him up."“行，开始吧。让它走。”

The tick escaped from Tom, presently, and crossed the equator. Joe harassed him a while, and then he got away and crossed back again. This change of base occurred often. While one boy was worrying the tick with absorbing interest, the other would look on with interest as strong, the two heads bowed together over the slate, and the two souls dead to all things else. At last luck seemed to settle with Joe. The tick tried this, that, and the other course, and got as excited and as anxious as the boys themselves, but time and again just as he would have victory in his very grasp, so to speak, and Tom's fingers would be twitching to begin, Joe's pin would deftly head him off, and keep possession. At last Tom could stand it no longer. The temptation was too strong. So he reached out and lent a hand with his pin. Joe was angry in a moment. Said he:

很快，扁虱就从汤姆这边逃走了，穿过了界线。乔玩了一阵，它就又跑回汤姆那边。这样扁虱经常来回两边跑，所以一个孩子饶有兴趣地玩弄虫子的时候，另一个也看着，兴致头丝毫不减，两个脑袋在写字板上挤在一起，早把周围的事抛到九霄云外了。不过最后乔更幸运。那扁虱这儿走走，那儿走走，然后又换一边走走。它就跟那两个孩子一样兴奋和着急。可是一次又一次，正当它好像是有把握可以获得胜利，汤姆也活动手指准备开始玩儿了，乔就会用大头针灵巧地拨弄它一下，虫子还是在他这边。最后汤姆实在是忍无可忍，诱惑实在太大了。他伸出手去，用别针拨了一下。乔马上不干了。他说：

"Tom, you let him alone."“汤姆，你别动它。”

"I only just want to stir him up a little, Joe."“我只是想稍微动动它，乔。”

"No, sir, it ain't fair; you just let him alone."“不行，这不公平，你不准动它。”

"Blame it, I ain't going to stir him much."“去你的，我又不是使劲拨它。”

"Let him alone, I tell you."“告诉你，别去动它。”

"I won't!"“我不愿意！”

"You shall — he's on my side of the line."“你得愿意——它在我这边。”

"Look here, Joe Harper, whose is that tick?"“听着，乔·哈帕，这扁虱是谁的？”

"I don't care whose tick he is — he's on my side of the line, and you shan't touch him."“我不管是谁的——它在我这边，你就不能动它。”

"Well, I'll just bet I will, though. He's my tick and I'll do what I blame please with him, or die!"“哼，我就动，怎么着？他是我的，我爱怎么动就怎么动，要不然我跟你玩命！”

A tremendous whack came down on Tom's shoulders, and its duplicate on Joe's; and for the space of two minutes the dust continued to fly from the two jackets and the whole school to enjoy it. The boys had been too absorbed to notice the hush that had stolen upon the school a while before when the master came tiptoeing down the room and stood over them. He had contemplated a good part of the performance before he contributed his bit of variety to it.

汤姆的肩膀上重重挨了一击，乔也一样。有两分钟的功夫，他俩的上衣灰尘直冒，全校的同学们也看起了热闹。两个人争抢得太投入了，根本没注意到教室里突然安静了下来。因为不久之前老师踮着脚走了进来，站在他们跟前。原来在这之前，老师已经看他俩的表演好一阵了。

When school broke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher, and whispered in her ear:

中午放学的时候，汤姆跑去找贝基·撒切尔，小声跟她说：

"Put on your bonnet and let on you're going home; and when you get to the corner, give the rest of 'em the slip, and turn down through the lane and come back. I'll go the other way and come it over 'em the same way."“你把帽子戴上就假装要回家。走到拐角时，就单溜，然后从那巷子再绕回来。我走另一条路，也这样把他们甩开。”

So the one went off with one group of scholars, and the other with another. In a little while the two met at the bottom of the lane, and when they reached the school they had it all to themselves. Then they sat together, with a slate before them, and Tom gave Becky the pencil and held her hand in his, guiding it, and so created another surprising house. When the interest in art began to wane, the two fell to talking. Tom was swimming in bliss. He said:

两个人各自跟着一群同学走了。一会儿之后，他们在巷子尽头会合。回来之后学校只有他们两个人。于是他们坐在一起，面前放着一块写字板，汤姆给贝基一支铅笔，握着她的手教她画画，又画出了一个令人惊叹的房子。画烦了之后，他们俩就开始聊天。汤姆沉浸在幸福之中。他说：

"Do you love rats?"“你喜欢老鼠吗？”

"No! I hate them!"“不！我讨厌老鼠！”

"Well, I do, too — live ones. But I mean dead ones, to swing round your head with a string."“哼，我也讨厌——活老鼠。可我是说死老鼠，用一根线拴着，在头上甩来甩去地玩。”

"No, I don't care for rats much, anyway. What I like is chewing gum."“不，不管怎么样，我不大喜欢老鼠。我所喜欢的是口香糖。”

"Oh, I should say so! I wish I had some now."“啊，我也是。要是现在有就好了。”

"Do you? I've got some. I'll let you chew it awhile, but you must give it back to me."“是吗？我倒有几个。我让你嚼一会儿，不过你要还给我。”

That was agreeable, so they chewed it turn about, and dangled their legs against the bench in excess of contentment.

商量好之后，他俩轮流嚼着口香糖，他们坐在长凳上晃着腿，别提多高兴了。

"Was you ever at a circus?" said Tom.“你看过马戏吗？”汤姆问。

"Yes, and my pa's going to take me again some time, if I'm good."“看过，我爸说如果我表现好，以后还要带我去呢。”

"I been to the circus three or four times — lots of times. Church ain't shucks to a circus. There's things going on at a circus all the time. I'm going to be a clown in a circus when I grow up."“我看过三四次马戏——看过好多次。做礼拜和看马戏相比，算不了什么。看马戏的时候总有好多有意思的事。我打算长大后到马戏团当小丑。”

"Oh, are you! That will be nice. They're so lovely, all spotted up."“啊，真的吗！那倒不错。小丑特别可爱，满身都是点点。”

"Yes, that's so. And they get slathers of money — most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say, Becky, was you ever engaged?"“是，没错。他们能赚大把大把的钞票——差不多一天赚一块，本·罗杰斯说的。嘿，贝基，你订过婚吗？”

"What's that?"“订婚是什么？”

"Why, engaged to be married."“哦，订婚就是快要结婚了。”

"No."“没有。”

"Would you like to?"“你愿意订婚吗？”

"I reckon so. I don't know. What is it like?"“我想是愿意的。我不知道。订婚究竟是怎么回事？”

"Like? Why it ain't like anything. You only just tell a boy you won't ever have anybody but him, ever ever ever, and then you kiss and that's all. Anybody can do it."“怎么回事？也不是怎么回事。你就是告诉一个男孩除了他，永远不和其他人好，永远永远永远。然后接吻，就这样。谁都能干。”

"Kiss? What do you kiss for?"“接吻？接吻干什么？”

"Why, that, you know, is to — well, they always do that."“哎，那，你知道，就是——嘿，人家都是那样做的。”

"Everybody?"“人人都这样？”

"Why, yes, everybody that's in love with each other. Do you remember what I wrote on the slate?"“哎，对，彼此相爱的人都这样。你还记得我在写字板上写的字吗？”

"Ye-yes."“记——记得。”

"What was it?"“写的是什么？”

"I shan't tell you."“我不告诉你。”

"Shall I tell you?"“那我告诉你。”

"Ye — yes — but some other time."“好——好吧——还是以后再说吧。”

"No, now."“不，现在说。”

"No, not now — tomorrow."“不行，现在不能说——明天再说吧。”

"Oh, no, now. Please, Becky — I'll whisper it, I'll whisper it ever so easy."“不，不行，就现在说。求求你，贝基——我小声说，我轻轻地说。”

Becky hesitating, Tom took silence for consent, and passed his arm about her waist and whispered the tale ever so softly, with his mouth close to her ear. And then he added: "Now you whisper it to me — just the same."

贝基正在犹豫，汤姆认为她不说话就是默许了，于是用胳膊搂住她的腰，嘴靠近她的耳朵，轻声细语地讲了那句话。接着他又说：“你现在把刚才那句话跟我说一遍——跟我刚才一样。”

She resisted, for a while, and then said:

她先没答应，然后说：

"You turn your face away so you can't see, and then I will. But you mustn't ever tell anybody — will you, Tom? Now you won't, will you?"“你把脸转过去，你看不见我我再说。但是你千万不要对别人说，好吗？汤姆，你不对别人说吧！”

"No, indeed, indeed I won't. Now, Becky."“不说，我保证，保证不说。来吧，贝基。”

He turned his face away. She bent timidly around till her breath stirred his curls and whispered, "I — love — you!"

他把脸转过去。她怯生生地弯下腰，一直到汤姆的头发都被她的呼吸吹动了，才悄悄地说：“我——爱——你！”

Then she sprang away and ran around and around the desks and benches, with Tom after her, and took refuge in a corner at last, with her little white apron to her face. Tom clasped her about her neck and pleaded:

然后，她就跑开了，围着桌子椅子一圈圈地跑着，汤姆在她后面追，最后她在教室的角落里停了下来，用白色围裙遮住脸。汤姆一把抱紧她的脖子，求她：

"Now, Becky, it's all done — all over but the kiss. Don't you be afraid of that — it ain't anything at all. Please, Becky." And he tugged at her apron and the hands.“好了，贝基，现在一切都做了——就差接吻了。不要害怕——没什么大不了的。求你了，贝基。”他使劲拉她的围裙和手。

By and by she gave up, and let her hands drop; her face, all glowing with the struggle, came up and submitted. Tom kissed the red lips and said:

渐渐地她让了步，她把手放下来。刚才一阵折腾使她的脸都红了，她抬起头，顺从了汤姆。汤姆吻了她红红的嘴唇，说道：

"Now it's all done, Becky. And always after this, you know, you ain't ever to love anybody but me, and you ain't ever to marry anybody but me, ever never and forever. Will you?"“好了，贝基，该做的都做了。要知道，从今往后除了我以外不许爱别人，只能嫁给我不能和别人结婚，永远、永远不变，好吗？”

"No, I'll never love anybody but you, Tom, and I'll never marry anybody but you — and you ain't to ever marry anybody but me, either."“好的。汤姆，我只跟你相爱，不爱别人，我只嫁给你，不和别人结婚——你也一样除了我不能娶别人。”

"Certainly. Of course. That's part of it. And always coming to school or when we're going home, you're to walk with me, when there ain't anybody looking — and you choose me and I choose you at parties, because that's the way you do when you're engaged."“对对，当然。还有，平时我们在上学或放学的时候，要是没有别人在场的话，你就和我一块走——开舞会的时候，你选我做伴，我选你做伴，因为订了婚的人都是这样的。”

"It's so nice. I never heard of it before."“真是太有意思了。我以前还从没听说过。”

"Oh, it's ever so gay! Why, me and Amy Lawrence —"“啊，这才有趣哪！嘿，我和艾美·劳伦斯——”

The big eyes told Tom his blunder and he stopped, confused.

贝基睁大了的两只眼睛让汤姆意识到自己已铸成了大错，于是他住了口，有点不知所措的样子。

"Oh, Tom! Then I ain't the first you've ever been engaged to!"“啊，汤姆！我不是头一个和你订婚的呀！”

The child began to cry. Tom said:

这小女孩开始哭了起来。汤姆说：

"Oh, don't cry, Becky, I don't care for her any more."“哦，贝基，不要哭，我已经不再喜欢她了。”

"Yes, you do, Tom — you know you do."“哼，你喜欢她，汤姆——你心里有数。”

Tom tried to put his arm about her neck, but she pushed him away and turned her face to the wall, and went on crying. Tom tried again, with soothing words in his mouth, and was repulsed again. Then his pride was up, and he strode away and went outside. He stood about, restless and uneasy, for a while, glancing at the door, every now and then, hoping she would repent and come to find him. But she did not. Then he began to feel badly and fear that he was in the wrong. It was a hard struggle with him to make new advances, now, but he nerved himself to it and entered. She was still standing back there in the corner, sobbing, with her face to the wall. Tom's heart smote him. He went to her and stood a moment, not knowing exactly how to proceed. Then he said hesitatingly:

汤姆想伸出胳膊去搂她的脖子，可是被她推开了。她转脸对着墙，继续哭着。汤姆又试了一次，嘴里还讲着好话，可是她还是不理他。这一下伤了他的面子，于是他大步流星，来到外面。他在附近站了一会儿，心乱如麻，十分着急，不时地朝门口瞅一瞅，希望她会后悔，出来找他。可是她没有。这样他渐渐觉得不对劲，害怕自己真的犯了错。这时候经过了一番激烈的思想斗争，他鼓起勇气，走进教室去认错。她还站在教室后面的拐角处，脸冲着墙，哭啊哭的。汤姆的良心上过不去了。他走到她身旁站了一会，不知道说什么好。然后他犹豫地说：

"Becky, I — I don't care for anybody but you."“贝基，我不喜欢别人，只喜欢你。”

No reply — but sobs.

没有应声——只有抽泣。

"Becky" — pleadingly. "Becky, won't you say something?"“贝基，”——汤姆恳求道，“贝基，你说话好不好？”

More sobs.

贝基抽泣得更厉害。

Tom got out his chiefest jewel, a brass knob from the top of an andiron, and passed it around her so that she could see it, and said:

汤姆把他最珍贵的宝贝，一个壁炉柴架顶上的铜把手，拿出来从她背后绕过去给她看，说：

"Please, Becky, won't you take it?"“求求你了，贝基，拿着这个好不好？”

She struck it to the floor. Then Tom marched out of the house and over the hills and far away, to return to school no more that day. Presently Becky began to suspect. She ran to the door; he was not in sight; she flew around to the play yard; he was not there. Then she called:

她一把将铜把手打翻在地。于是汤姆大步流星走出教室，翻过小山，走得很远了。他那天不打算再回学校了。很快贝基心里开始七上八下。她跑到门口，没有看见他。她又飞奔到操场，他也不在。于是，她就喊：

"Tom! Come back, Tom!"“汤姆！回来吧，汤姆！”

She listened intently, but there was no answer. She had no companions but silence and loneliness. So she sat down to cry again and upbraid herself; and by this time the scholars began to gather again, and she had to hide her griefs and still her broken heart and take up the cross of a long, dreary, aching afternoon, with none among the strangers about her to exchange sorrows with.

她定神听了听，可是没有回答。伴随她的只有寂寞和孤独。她坐下又哭起来，边哭边埋怨自己。这时候同学们又陆陆续续地来上学了，她只得藏起自己的悲伤和心碎。周围的陌生人中，没有人替她分忧解愁。她只好熬过那漫长，乏味，痛苦不堪的下午。

Chapter 8

第八章

TOM dodged hither and thither through lanes until he was well out of the track of returning scholars, and then fell into a moody jog. He crossed a small "branch" two or three times, because of a prevailing juvenile superstition that to cross water baffled pursuit. Half an hour later he was disappearing behind the Douglas mansion on the summit of Cardiff Hill, and the schoolhouse was hardly distinguishable away off in the valley behind him. He entered a dense wood, picked his pathless way to the center of it, and sat down on a mossy spot under a spreading oak. There was not even a zephyr stirring; the dead noonday heat had even stilled the songs of the birds; nature lay in a trance that was broken by no sound but the occasional far-off hammering of a woodpecker, and this seemed to render the pervading silence and sense of loneliness the more profound. The boy's soul was steeped in melancholy; his feelings were in happy accord with his surroundings. He sat long with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, meditating. It seemed to him that life was but a trouble, at best, and he more than half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to lie and slumber and dream forever and ever, with the wind whispering through the trees and caressing the grass and the flowers over the grave, and nothing to bother and grieve about, ever any more. If he only had a clean Sunday-school record he could be willing to go, and be done with it all. Now as to this girl. What had he done? Nothing. He had meant the best in the world, and been treated like a dog — like a very dog. She would be sorry some day — maybe when it was too late. Ah, if he could only die temporarily!

汤姆东躲西闪地穿过几条巷子，直到他已经完全不在同学们返校的路线上，然后就开始闷闷不乐地慢跑起来。他横渡了一条小的“支流”两到三次，因为一个盛行的幼稚迷信认为横渡水域可以迷惑追赶的人。半小时后，他渐渐消失在卡第夫山顶上道格拉斯宅邸的后面，而学校校舍远远地落在他身后的山谷里，也几乎分辨不出来了。他走进一片茂密的树林，特意挑没人走过的地方，来到了林子的中心，后坐在一棵枝干伸展的橡树下满是青苔的地方。那里连一丝清风都没有，静止的午间热气甚至让鸟儿都停止了歌唱，大自然处于一种昏睡的状态，只是偶尔被远处啄木鸟发出的敲打声打破，而这却似乎使得蔓延的寂静和孤独感越发深了。这个男孩的灵魂已经深深浸入忧郁之中，他的感觉也同周围的环境十分协调。他久久地坐着，两肘撑在膝盖上，手托着下巴，沉思着。似乎对于他来说，生活充其量只是个困境。他越来越羡慕吉米·赫杰斯，这么快就解脱了。那样一定很安宁吧，他想，就躺着在那睡觉、做梦一直到永远，听风沙沙地穿过树林，吻着坟头的草和花，什么也不用去烦恼和悲伤，永远也不用。要是他有一个没有处罚记录的主日学校档案，他就可以欣然离去，结束一切了。至于那个女孩，他干了什么呢？什么也没干。他本怀着世上最大的善心，可是却被她用待狗的方式对待——简直就是把他当成一只狗。她会后悔的，总有一天——可能当一切都太晚的时候。啊，如果他能就暂时地死一下就好了！

But the elastic heart of youth cannot be compressed into one constrained shape long at a time. Tom presently began to drift insensibly back into the concerns of this life again. What if he turned his back, now, and disappeared mysteriously? What if he went away — ever so far away, into unknown countries beyond the seas — and never came back any more! How would she feel then! The idea of being a clown recurred to him now, only to fill him with disgust. For frivolity and jokes and spotted tights were an offense, when they intruded themselves upon a spirit that was exalted into the vague august realm of the romantic. No, he would be a soldier, and return after long years, all warworn and illustrious. No — better still, he would join the Indians, and hunt buffaloes and go on the warpath in the mountain ranges and the trackless great plains of the Far West, and away in the future come back a great chief, bristling with feathers, hideous with paint, and prance into Sunday school, some drowsy summer morning, with a bloodcurdling war whoop, and sear the eyeballs of all his companions with unappeasable envy. But now, there was something gaudier even than this. He would be a pirate! That was it! Now his future lay plain before him, and glowing with unimaginable splendor. How his name would fill the world, and make people shudder! How gloriously he would go plowing the dancing seas, in his long, low, black-hulled racer, the Spirit of the Storm, with his grisly flag flying at the fore!

但是轻松灵活的年轻人的心是不可能一下子被长时间塞进一个压抑的状态的。汤姆马上又开始不知不觉地游离回对此生的担心之中了。要是他转过身，就现在，然后神秘地消失，那会怎样呢？要是他离开这——从未有过的远远地离开，到不知名的、海那头的国家去——再也不回来，那会怎样呢！她到那时候又会怎么想！那个关于自己是个小丑的念头在他面前重现，但仅仅让他充满了厌恶感。因为轻浮、玩笑、带圆点的紧身衣是种冒犯，它们打扰了汤姆的情绪，它正慢慢升入隐约而神圣的浪漫王国的领地。不，他要当一名士兵，在很久很久之后回来，带着满身的伤痕并且无比的光荣。不，比这更好的是，他会加入印第安人的队伍，然后猎捕野牛，踏上绵延山间的征战之路和西部人迹罕至的平原。将来当他回来时已经是一个酋长，头上插着的羽毛根根竖立，涂着油彩的脸很狰狞，然后他昂然阔步走进主日学校，在个令人瞌睡的夏天早晨，来声令人毛骨悚然的战时嚎叫，让他的伙伴们的眼珠因为不可抑制的羡慕而烧灼。但现在，还有比这更华丽精彩的呢。他要当一个海盗！就是这样！现在他的未来在他眼前展现，闪着不可想象的华丽光晕。他的名字全世界都会知道，让人们颤抖。多光荣啊，他将在翻滚海上乘风破浪，乘着他那又长又矮、船体漆黑的快艇“风暴神”，而他那骇人的旗子将在船头飘扬。

And at the zenith of his fame, how he would suddenly appear at the old village and stalk into church, brown and weather-beaten, in his black velvet doublet and trunks, his great jackboots, his crimson sash, his belt bristling with horse pistols, his crime-rusted cutlass at his side, his slouch hat with waving plumes, his black flag unfurled, with the skull and crossbones on it, and hear with swelling ecstasy the whisperings, "It's Tom Sawyer the Pirate! — the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main!"

然后当他名声大震时，他会突然出现在这古老的村子，大步走进教堂。他晒得黝黑，饱经风霜，穿着一套黑丝绒衣裤，脚蹬一双肥大长筒靴，佩着他的猩红肩带，腰带上别着马枪，旁边挂着杀人杀到生锈的短剑。他的垂边帽子上飘着羽毛，他的黑旗招展着，上面有着骷髅头和交叉的白骨。然后当他听到别人悄声低语：“这就是海盗汤姆·索亚——西班牙主海面上的黑衣复仇者！”时，会不禁狂喜。

Yes, it was settled; his career was determined. He would run away from home and enter upon it. He would start the very next morning. Therefore he must now begin to get ready. He would collect his resources together. He went to a rotten log near at hand and began to dig under one end of it with his Barlow knife. He soon struck wood that sounded hollow. He put his hand there and uttered this incantation impressively:

对，就这么定了，他的职业确定了。他要离家出走，然后去过这种生活。他在第二天就要开始行动。因此他必须现在就作准备。他将带上他所有的家当。他走到近在手边的一棵烂树干那，然后开始用他的巴露折刀在它一头开挖起来。他不一会就触到了木头，听起来空洞洞的。他把手放在那，有模有样地念着如下咒语：

"What hasn't come here, come! What's here, stay here!"“还没有来这儿的，快来！已经在这儿的，留在这！”

Then he scraped away the dirt, and exposed a pine shingle. He took it up and disclosed a shapely little treasure house whose bottom and sides were of shingles. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishment was boundless! He scratched his head with a perplexed air, and said:

接着他刮去泥土，露出一块松木瓦块。他把它拿起来，露出一个均匀好看的小宝箱来，它底部和四面都是松木瓦块制的。里面躺着一个弹子。汤姆大为惊讶！他挠着头，带着一种困惑的神情说：

"Well, that beats anything!"“嘿，这太奇怪了！”

Then he tossed the marble away pettishly, and stood of tom sawyer cogitating. The truth was, that a superstition of his had failed, here, which he and all his comrades had always looked upon as infallible. If you buried a marble with certain necessary incantations, and left it alone a fortnight, and then opened the place with the incantation he had just used, you would find that all the marbles you had ever lost had gathered themselves together there, meantime, no matter how widely they had been separated. But now, this thing had actually and unquestionably failed. Tom's whole structure of faith was shaken to its foundations. He had many a time heard of this thing succeeding, but never of its failing before. It did not occur to him that he had tried it several times before, himself, but could never find the hiding places afterward. He puzzled over the matter some time, and finally decided that some witch had interfered and broken the charm. He thought he would satisfy himself on that point; so he searched around till he found a small sandy spot with a little funnel-shaped depression in it. He laid himself down and put his mouth close to this depression and called:

然后他生气地扔掉那个弹子，站在那儿汤姆索亚式地仔细思考着。事实是，他的一个迷信在这里失灵了，可他和他所有的伙伴一向都认为它是万无一失的啊。如果在你埋下一个弹子时念上必要的咒语，放它在那两周后再用他刚说过的咒语去挖弹子，你会发现：所有你原来丢失的弹子这时都已经聚到这个地方了，不管它们散落在多远的地方。可是现在，它却真的、毫无疑问地失败了。汤姆的整个信仰体系从根基上被动摇了。他以前多次听说过它成功，却从没听说过它失灵。他没意识到，他以前已经亲自尝试过很多次了，但从没能够在事后找到埋藏的地点。他在这事上困惑了好一阵子，最后认定是某个巫婆捣了乱，破了咒语。他觉得自己可以满足于这样解释。于是他在周围搜寻直到找到一小块中间有个小漏斗形凹陷的沙地。他趴地上，嘴紧贴着凹陷处喊道：

"Doodlebug, doodlebug, tell me what I want to know! Doodlebug, doodlebug, tell me what I want to know!"“小甲虫，小甲虫，告诉我我想知道的事！小甲虫，小甲虫，告诉我我想知道的事！”

The sand began to work, and presently a small black bug appeared for a second and then darted under again in a fright.

沙子开始动起来，出现了一只黑色小甲虫，可过一秒，又被吓得缩了回去。

"He dasn't tell! So it was a witch that done it. I just knowed it."“它不说！所以这事是个巫婆做的我就知道是这样。”

He well knew the futility of trying to contend against witches, so he gave up discouraged. But it occurred to him that he might as well have the marble he had just thrown away, and therefore he went and made a patient search for it. But he could not find it. Now he went back to his treasure house and carefully placed himself just as he had been standing when he tossed the marble away; then he took another marble from his pocket and tossed it in the same way, saying:

他十分清楚试图和巫婆斗只将是徒劳，于是他备受打击地放弃了。但是他忽然又意识到他最好还是留着刚才扔掉的那颗石子，于是他跑去耐心地寻找它。可是他没能找到。现在，他已经回到他的小宝箱旁，小心翼翼地让自己站在刚才扔弹子的地方。接着他从口袋里又掏出一个弹子，用同样的方式扔出去，嘴里还说道：

"Brother, go find your brother!"“老兄，去找你的兄弟吧！”

He watched where it stopped, and went there and looked. But it must have fallen short or gone too far; so he tried twice more. The last repetition was successful. The two marbles lay within a foot of each other.

他看到它落在什么地方，接着走过去查看。但是弹子一定是扔得太近或太远，所以他又试了两回。最后一次成功了。两个弹子躺在距彼此不到一英尺的地方。

Just here the blast of a toy tin trumpet came faintly down the green aisles of the forest. Tom flung off his jacket and trousers, turned a suspender into a belt, raked away some brush behind the rotten log, disclosing a rude bow and arrow, a lath sword and a tin trumpet, and in a moment had seized these things and bounded away, barelegged, with fluttering shirt. He presently halted under a great elm, blew an answering blast, and then began to tiptoe and look warily out, this way and that. He said cautiously — to an imaginary company:

就在这时，一阵锡皮玩具喇叭发出的声音隐隐约约从森林里的绿色林荫道上传来。汤姆迅速地脱掉夹克和裤子，把背带改成腰带，拨开一些朽木后面的灌木丛，找出一副简陋的弓箭，一把木片的剑和一只锡皮喇叭。片刻之间他就抓着这些东西跳出去了，赤着脚，衣衫飘动。他不久就在一颗大榆树底下停下来，吹了一声喇叭作为回应，然后开始踮着脚警觉地向外望，这边看看，那边看看。他谨慎地——对想象中的同伴说：

"Hold, my merry men! Keep hid till I blow."“稳住，我的兄弟们！藏着直到我吹号。”

Now appeared Joe Harper, as airily clad and elaborately armed as Tom. Tom called:

这时，乔·哈帕出现了，穿得很凉快、带着精细复杂的装备——和汤姆一样。汤姆喊道：

"Hold! Who comes here into Sherwood Forest without my pass?"“站住！来的是什么人，不经我的许可竟敢闯进谢伍德森林？”

"Guy of Guisborne wants no man's pass. Who art thou that — that —"“我是皇家卫士戈次勃恩的兄弟，自然不用许可。你是何人，竟敢——竟敢……”

"Dares to hold such language," said Tom, prompting — for they talked "by the book," from memory.“竟敢口出狂言，”汤姆提示着哈帕说，因为他们在按“那本书”说话，所以得全靠记忆背出来。

"Who art thou that dares to hold such language?"“你是何人，竟敢口出狂言？”

"I, indeed! I am Robin Hood, as thy caitiff carcase soon shall know."“我，实际上，我乃罗宾汉是也，你这卑鄙的匹夫马上就会知道我的厉害。”

"Then art thou indeed that famous outlaw? Right gladly will I dispute with thee the passes of the merry wood. Have at thee!"“这么说来，你真的是那位有名的绿林好汉喽？现在我很乐意与你较量较量，看看这林中乐土归谁所有。接招！”

They took their lath swords, dumped their other traps on the ground, struck a fencing attitude, foot to foot, and began a grave, careful combat, "two up and two down." Presently Tom said:

他们拿起各自的木片剑，把身上其他的东西都扔到地上，做出一个击剑的姿势，脚对脚，然后开始了一场严肃而小心翼翼的战斗，叫做“两上两下”。随即，汤姆说：

"Now, if you've got the hang, go it lively!"“听着，你要是懂得剑法，我们就痛痛快快地比一比吧！”

So they "went it lively," panting and perspiring with the work. By and by Tom shouted:

于是他们就“痛痛快快地比”，弄得气喘吁吁、汗流浃背。不久后，汤姆嚷道：

"Fall! fall! Why don't you fall?"“倒下！倒下！你怎么不倒下呀？”

"I shan't! Why don't you fall yourself ? You're getting the worst of it."“我不干！你自己怎么不倒下呀？你招架不住了。”

"Why, that ain't anything. I can't fall; that ain't the way it is in the book. The book says, 'Then with one backhanded stroke he slew poor Guy of Guisborne.' You're to turn around and let me hit you in the back."“嘿，那不算什么。我不能倒，这可不是书上说的那样。书上说，‘接着反手一剑，他就把可怜的戈次勃恩的兄弟刺死了。’你应该转过身去，让我一剑刺中你的后背才对。”

There was no getting around the authorities, so Joe turned, received the whack and fell.

因为没办法推翻书的权威，于是乔只好转过身去，挨了重重的一击，倒在地上。

"Now," said Joe, getting up, "you got to let me kill you. That's fair."“听着，”乔说着从地上爬起来，“你得让我把你杀掉，那才公平。”

"Why, I can't do that, it ain't in the book."“嘿，那怎么行呢？书上又没这么说。”

"Well, it's blamed mean — that's all."“得了，你真是小气的不得了——不玩了。”

"Well, say, Joe, you can be Friar Tuck or Much the miller's son, and lam me with a quarterstaff; or I'll be the Sheriff of Nottingham and you be Robin Hood a little while and kill me."“喂，我说乔，你可以扮演达克修士或是磨坊主的儿子马奇，拿一根铁头木棍打我一顿，或者我来扮诺丁汉的行政司法官，你扮一会儿罗宾汉，把我杀死也行。”

This was satisfactory, and so these adventures were carried out. Then Tom became Robin Hood again, and was allowed by the treacherous nun to bleed his strength away through his neglected wound. And at last Joe, representing a whole tribe of weeping outlaws, dragged him sadly forth, gave his bow into his feeble hands, and Tom said, "Where this arrow falls, there bury poor Robin Hood under the greenwood tree." Then he shot the arrow and fell back and would have died, but he lit on a nettle and sprang up too gaily for a corpse.

这主意倒令人满意，于是这些冒险展开了。后来汤姆又一次扮演罗宾汉，他让那个阴险的尼姑给害了，失血太多，耗尽了精力。最后，乔扮演了一伙哭哭啼啼绿林好汉，悲伤地拖着他前进，把他的弓递到他那双软弱无力的手里，然后汤姆就说了：“这箭落下的地方，埋着可怜的绿林中的罗宾汉。”然后他射出那支箭，身体往后一仰，应该是要死了，可他倒在荨麻上，接着弹起来起来，对于一具死尸来说那样子过于快活了。

The boys dressed themselves, hid their accouterments, and went off grieving that there were no outlaws any more, and wondering what modern civilization could claim to have done to compensate for their loss. They said they would rather be outlaws a year in Sherwood Forest than President of the United States forever.

两个孩子穿戴好衣帽，藏起他们的装备，离开时因为现在已经没有绿林好汉而伤心，并且很想知道现代文明中有什么是称得上能够弥补这一缺陷的。他们说宁可在谢伍德森林里当一年绿林好汉，也不愿意永远当美国总统。

Chapter 9

第九章

AT half past nine, that night, Tom and Sid were sent to bed, as usual. They said their prayers, and Sid was soon asleep. Tom lay awake and waited, in restless impatience. When it seemed to him that it must be nearly daylight, he heard the clock strike ten! This was despair. He would have tossed and fidgeted, as his nerves demanded, but he was afraid he might wake Sid. So he lay still, and stared up into the dark. Everything was dismally still. By and by, out of the stillness, little, scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasize themselves. The ticking of the clock began to bring itself into notice. Old beams began to crack mysteriously. The stairs creaked faintly. Evidently spirits were abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now the tiresome chirping of a cricket that no human ingenuity could locate, began. Next the ghastly ticking of a deathwatch in the wall at the bed's head made Tom shudder — it meant that somebody's days were numbered. Then the howl of a far-off dog rose on the night air, and was answered by a fainter howl from a remoter distance. Tom was in an agony. At last he was satisfied that time had ceased and eternity begun; he began to doze, in spite of himself; the clock chimed eleven, but he did not hear it. And then there came, mingling with his half-formed dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling. The raising of a neighboring window disturbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!" and the crash of an empty bottle against the back of his aunt's woodshed brought him wide awake, and a single minute later he was dressed and out of the window and creeping along the roof of the "ell" on all fours. He "meow'd" with caution once or twice, as he went; then jumped to the roof of the woodshed and thence to the ground. Huckleberry Finn was there, with his dead cat. The boys moved off and disappeared in the gloom. At the end of half an hour they were wading through the tall grass of the graveyard.

9点半钟那天晚上，汤姆和希德被吩咐上床睡觉，一如往常。他们做完祷告，希德很快就睡着了。汤姆躺在那醒着，等着，十分不耐烦。当他觉得天似乎快要亮时，才听到钟敲十下！这太让人失望了。他很想翻翻身，动一动，顺应下神经的需要，可是他害怕自己也许会吵醒希德，于是他直直地躺着，向上看着黑暗的地方。一切都静得令人沮丧。渐渐的 ，在那一片寂静中，小小的，几乎听不出来的动静渐渐地大了起来。渐渐可以注意到时钟的滴答声。老旧的屋梁也开始神秘地发出裂开的声响。楼梯在微微地吱嘎作响。很明显，鬼怪们出来了。一阵均匀的、沉闷的鼾声从波莉姨妈卧室里传来。这时一阵令人心烦的蟋蟀叫声开始了。即使是人最灵敏的感官也不能发觉它在什么地方。接着床头的墙里一只小蛀虫发出一阵恐怖的踢踏声，使汤姆吓得发抖——这意味着某个人的日子不多了。然后，远处一只狗的叫声升起在夜晚的空气中，并被一阵微弱的更远处的狗叫声呼应着。汤姆在极度的痛苦之中。最后，他满足于时间的停止，永恒的开始。他开始不知不觉地打起盹来，钟敲了十一下，他也没有听见。后来伴着他快做成的梦，外面传来一阵非常凄惨的猫儿叫春声。附近一个窗户被打开的声音惊动了他。一声“滚！你这恶棍！”的骂声和一只空瓶子砸到他的姨妈的木棚小屋背面的声音使他完全清醒过来，一分钟之内，他便穿好了衣服，从窗户出来，爬行在那个“厢房”的屋顶上。他一边小心地“咪呜”了一两次，一边爬着；然后跳上了木棚小屋的屋顶，再跳到地上。哈克贝利·费恩早已等候在那里，手里拿着他那只死猫。两个男孩走开了，一起消失在黑暗中。半小时之后，他俩就穿行在坟地里的深草丛中。

It was a graveyard of the old-fashioned Western kind. It was on a hill, about a mile and a half from the village. It had a crazy board fence around it, which leaned inward in places, and outward the rest of the time, but stood upright nowhere. Grass and weeds grew rank over the whole cemetery. All the old graves were sunken in, there was not a tombstone on the place; round-topped, worm-eaten boards staggered over the graves, leaning for support and finding none. "Sacred to the memory of " So-and-So had been painted on them once, but it could no longer have been read, on the most of them, now, even if there had been light.

这是一个老式的西部坟地，它坐落在一个小山上，离村子大约一点五英里。它周围有一道歪歪斜斜的木板栅栏，有些地方往里倒，剩下的往外斜，总之，没有一个地方是笔直的。杂草长满了整个墓地，所有的旧坟都塌陷下去，坟上连一块墓碑都没有。圆顶的、虫蛀的木牌子歪插在坟墓上，倾斜着像在找支柱，却找不到。“纪念某某”之类的字样曾经写在这些牌子上，但是大多数上的字就算现在有亮光已看不清了。

A faint wind moaned through the trees, and Tom feared it might be the spirits of the dead, complaining at being disturbed. The boys talked little, and only under their breath, for the time and the place and the pervading solemnity and silence oppressed their spirits. They found the sharp new heap they were seeking, and ensconced themselves within the protection of three great elms that grew in a bunch within a few feet of the grave.

一阵微风呼呼地吹过树林，但汤姆怕那可能是死人的鬼魂在抱怨被打扰。两个孩子没怎么说话，就是说也只敢悄悄地说，因为此时此地，到处是一片肃穆和寂静，使他们很压抑。他们找到了要找的那座新隆起的坟，然后藏身于三棵长成一捆的大榆树下，离坟只有几英尺远。

Then they waited in silence for what seemed a long time. The hooting of a distant owl was all the sound that troubled the dead stillness. Tom's reflections grew oppressive. He must force some talk. So he said in a whisper:

他们静静地等了似乎很长一段时间，远处猫头鹰的叫声是唯一搅动了那死般寂静的声音。汤姆越来越抑郁，他必须制造些谈话，于是他低声问道：

"Hucky, do you believe the dead people like it for us to be here?"“哈奇，你认为死人会愿意我们到这儿来吗？”

Huckleberry whispered:

哈克贝利低声说：

"I wisht I knowed. It's awful solemn like, ain't it?"“我要是知道就好了。这里肃静得吓人，是不是？”

"I bet it is."“是啊。”

There was a considerable pause, while the boys canvassed this matter inwardly. Then Tom whispered:

然后是一阵停顿，男孩们各自都在心里细想着这件事。接着汤姆悄悄地说：

"Say, Hucky — do you reckon Hoss Williams hears us talking?"“喂，我说哈奇——你猜霍斯·威廉斯听得见我们讲话吗？”

"O' course he does. Least his sperrit does."“他当然听得见。至少他的阴魂能听见。”

Tom, after a pause:

汤姆停了一会才说：

"I wish I'd said Mister Williams. But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls him Hoss."“我刚才提到他时，要是带上了‘先生’二字就好了。不过我并不是故意不尊敬他。别人都叫他霍斯。”

"A body can't be too partic'lar how they talk 'bout these-yer dead people, Tom."“议论这几年才死的人时要特别小心才行啊，汤姆。”

This was a damper, and conversation died again.

这句话犹如一盆冷水，而谈话也中断了。

Presently Tom seized his comrade's arm and said:

不一会，汤姆抓住哈克的胳膊说道：

"Sh!"“嘘！”

"What is it, Tom?" And the two clung together with beating hearts.“怎么啦，汤姆？”他们俩紧紧靠在一起，心怦怦直跳。

"Sh! There 'tis again! Didn't you hear it?"“嘘！又来了！你没有听见吗？”

"I —"“我——”

"There! Now you hear it."“听！现在听见了吧。”

"Lord, Tom, they're coming! They're coming, sure. What'll we do?"“天啊，汤姆，他们来了，他们来了，真的！我们怎么办啊？”

"I dono. Think they'll see us?"“我不知道。你觉得他们会看见我们吗？”

"Oh, Tom, they can see in the dark, same as cats. I wisht I hadn't come."“哦，汤姆，他们在黑暗中看得见，就像猫一样。我真希望我没有来这。”

"Oh, don't be afeard. I don't believe they'll bother us. We ain't doing any harm. If we keep perfectly still, maybe they won't notice us at all."“啊，不要害怕。我想他们不会来找我们的麻烦。我们又没惹他们。如果我们一动也不动，也许他们根本不会发现我们。”

"I'll try to, Tom, but Lord, I'm all of a shiver."“我会试着不动的，汤姆，可是天啊，我浑身直发抖哩。”

"Listen!"“听！”

The boys bent their heads together and scarcely breathed. A muffled sound of voices floated up from the far end of the graveyard.

两个孩子低着头靠在一起，屏住呼吸。一阵低沉的说话声从远远的坟地那边传来。

"Look! See there!" whispered Tom. "What is it?"“瞧！瞧那！”汤姆小声说，“那是什么？”

"It's devil-fire. Oh, Tom, this is awful."“是鬼火。哦，汤姆，这太吓人了。”

Some vague figures approached through the gloom, swinging an old-fashioned tin lantern that freckled the ground with innumerable little spangles of light. Presently Huckleberry whispered with a shudder:

几个模模糊糊的影子穿过黑暗走过来，摇晃着一盏老式锡制灯笼，地上被照得光点斑斑。哈克马上颤抖地说：

"It's the devils, sure enough. Three of 'em! Lordy, Tom, we're goners! Can you pray?"“鬼来了，一定是的，一共有三个！天啊，汤姆，我们死定了！你还能祷告吗？”

"I'll try, but don't you be afeard. They ain't going to hurt us. Now I lay me down to sleep, I —'"“我来试试，不过你别怕。他们不会害我们的。‘现在我躺下睡觉，我——’”

"Sh!"“嘘！”

"What is it, Huck?"“怎么啦，哈克？”

"They're humans! One of 'em is, anyway. One of 'em's old Muff Potter's voice."“他们是人！有一个是的，不管怎样。有一个有莫夫·波特老头的声音。”

"No — 'tain't so, is it?"“不——不是他的声音，对吧？”

"I bet I know it. Don't you stir nor budge. He ain't sharp enough to notice us. Drunk, the same as usual, likely — blamed old rip!"“我敢打赌我认得那声音，你别移也别动。他没那么机敏，不会看见我们的。喝醉了，和往常一样，这很有可能——这个该死无用的老东西！”

"All right, I'll keep still. Now they're stuck. Can't find it. Here they come again. Now they're hot. Cold again. Hot again. Red hot! They're p'inted right, this time. Say, Huck, I know another o' them voices; it's Injun Joe."“好吧，我一定保持安静。现在他们不走了。找不到他们了。瞧他们又来了。现在他们来劲了。又泄气了。又来劲了。劲头十足！他们这回找对了方向。喂，哈克，我听出了另一个人的声音，那是印第安·乔。”

"That's so — that murderin' half-breed! I'd druther they was devils a dern sight. What kin they be up to?"“不错，是那个杀人不眨眼的杂种！我倒情愿他们都是鬼，鬼都比他们好得多。他们能打什么坏主意呢？

The whisper died wholly out, now, for the three men had reached the grave and stood within a few feet of the boys' hiding place.

耳语渐渐地停止了，因为这时那三个人来到坟边站着，离孩子们藏身之处还不到几英尺。

"Here it is," said the third voice; and the owner of it held the lantern up and revealed the face of young Dr. Robinson.“到了。”第三个声音说，声音的主人举起灯笼，灯光下现出了年轻的医生鲁宾逊的面孔。

Potter and Injun Joe were carrying a handbarrow with a rope and a couple of shovels on it. They cast down their load and began to open the grave. The doctor put the lantern at the head of the grave and came and sat down with his back against one of the elm trees. He was so close the boys could have touched him.

波特和印第安·乔推着一个手推车，车上有一根绳子和两把铁锹。他们把车上的东西卸下来，开始挖墓。医生把灯笼放在坟头上，走过来坐下，倚着榆树中的一棵。他离得那样近，两个孩子伸手就能碰到他。

"Hurry, men!" he said in a low voice; "the moon might come out at any moment."“挖快点，伙计们！”他低声说，“月亮随时都可能出来。”

They growled a response and went on digging. For some time there was no noise but the grating sound of the shovels discharging their freight of mould and gravel. It was very monotonous. Finally a spade struck upon the coffin with a dull woody accent, and within another minute or two the men had hoisted it out on the ground. They pried off the lid with their shovels, got out the body and dumped it rudely on the ground. The moon drifted from behind the clouds and exposed the pallid face. The barrow was got ready and the corpse placed on it, covered with a blanket, and bound to its place with the rope. Potter took out a large spring-knife and cut off the dangling end of the rope and then said:

他们吼着回应了一声后继续挖掘着。有一段时间，只有他们那嚓嚓地抛卸满锹的泥土和石子的声音。那声音非常单调。终于有一把铁锹碰到了棺材，发出了低沉的木头声音。一两分钟后，那两个人就把棺材抬出来放在地上了。他们用铁锹撬开棺盖，把尸体弄出来，粗鲁地把它扔到地上。月亮从云朵后面浮现出来，照亮了尸体苍白的脸。推车准备好后，尸体被放了上去，还盖上毯子，用绳子捆好。波特拿出一把大弹簧刀，割断车上垂下来的绳头，说：

"Now the cussed thing's ready, Sawbones, and you'll just out with another five, or here she stays."“这该死的东西现在弄好了，医生，你得再拿五块钱，要不然它得留在这。”

"That's the talk!" said Injun Joe . "Look here, what does this mean?" said the doctor. "You required your pay in advance, and I've paid you."“就是这个意思！”印第安·乔说。“喂，我说，这是什么意思？”医生问道，“你们要求先给钱，我已经给你们了。”

"Yes, and you done more than that," said Injun Joe, approaching the doctor, who was now standing. "Five years ago you drove me away from your father's kitchen one night, when I come to ask for something to eat, and you said I warn't there for any good; and when I swore I'd get even with you if it took a hundred years, your father had me jailed for a vagrant. Did you think I'd forget? The Injun blood ain't in me for nothing. And now I've got you, and you got to settle, you know!"“不错，不过还远不止这些。”印第安·乔边说，走近站着的医生。“五年前的一个晚上，我到你父亲的厨房讨点吃的，你把我给赶了出来，你还说我到厨房去肯定不怀好意；打那时起，我发誓：我要和你讨回这一账，即便要花上一百年的功夫。你父亲还把我关进牢房，就因为我是无业游民。你以为我会忘吗？我身上印第安人的血也不是白流的，现在你落到我手里，你得为此付出代价，知道吧！”

He was threatening the doctor, with his fist in his face, by this time. The doctor struck out suddenly and stretched the ruffian on the ground. Potter dropped his knife, and exclaimed:

这时，他已经开始威胁医生，在他面前挥舞着拳头。医生突然猛击一拳，将这个恶棍打翻在地，波特扔掉刀，大声喊道：

"Here, now, don't you hit my pard!" and the next moment he had grappled with the doctor and the two were struggling with might and main, trampling the grass and tearing the ground with their heels. Injun Joe sprang to his feet, his eyes flaming with passion, snatched up Potter's knife, and went creeping, catlike and stooping, round and round about the combatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once the doctor flung himself free, seized the heavy headboard of Williams' grave and felled Potter to the earth with it — and in the same instant the half-breed saw his chance and drove the knife to the hilt in the young man's breast. He reeled and fell partly upon Potter, flooding him with his blood, and in the same moment the clouds blotted out the dreadful spectacle and the two frightened boys went speeding away in the dark.“嘿，你不准打我的朋友！”紧接着，他和医生扭打在一起。两个人全力挣扎，踩踏着地上的草，鞋跟把土都踢起来了。印第安·乔迅速地从地上跳起来，眼里燃烧着怒火，抓起波特扔在地上的那把刀，悄悄地、像猫似的、弯着腰在两个打架的人周围转来转去，寻找着机会。突然医生一下子挣脱出来，抓起威廉斯坟上那块重重的墓碑，一下子把波特打倒在地。与此同时，这个杂种看到了机会，把刀子一下子全捅进了年轻医生的胸膛。医生晃了晃就倒在波特身上，溅了波特一身血。同时乌云遮住了这可怕的惨相，那两个吓坏了的孩子在黑暗中飞速跑掉了。

Presently, when the moon emerged again, Injun Joe was standing over the two forms, contemplating them. The doctor murmured inarticulately, gave a long gasp or two and was still. The half-breed muttered:

不久，当月亮又露出了面，印第安·乔站在那两人的躯壳旁，凝视着他们。医生口齿不清地嘟哝着，长长地喘了一两口气，然后就不动了。那个杂种嘟哝着：

"That score is settled — damn you."“那笔账就算扯平了——去死吧你。”

Then he robbed the body. After which he put the fatal knife in Potter's open right hand, and sat down on the dismantled coffin. Three — four — five minutes passed, and then Potter began to stir and moan. His hand closed upon the knife; he raised it, glanced at it, and let it fall, with a shudder. Then he sat up, pushing the body from him, and gazed at it, and then around him, confusedly. His eyes met Joe's.

接着他又抢走了尸体身上的东西，之后他将那把杀人的刀放在波特张开的右手里，坐在撬开的棺材上。三——四——五分钟过去了，这时波特才开始动弹，并且呻吟起来。他的手握住了那把刀，他将它举起来，瞥了一眼，刀落到了地上，他打了个冷战。接着他坐起身来，推开压着他的尸体，盯着它看了一会，又往周围望了望，十分迷惑。他的目光碰到了乔的目光。

"Lord, how is this, Joe?" he said.“天啊，这是怎么回事，乔？”他说。

"It's a dirty business," said Joe, without moving.“这事糟糕透了，”乔说，动也不动。

"What did you do it for?"“你干吗要这样干？”

"I! I never done it!"“我！我可没干这事。”

"Look here! That kind of talk won't wash."“听着！那种话也改变不了事实。”

Potter trembled and grew white.

波特吓得直抖，脸色变得苍白。

"I thought I'd got sober. I'd no business to drink tonight. But it's in my head yet — worse'n when we started here. I'm all in a muddle; can't recollect anything of it, hardly. Tell me, Joe — honest, now, old feller — did I do it? Joe, I never meant to — 'pon my soul and honor, I never meant to, Joe. Tell me how it was, Joe. Oh, it's awful — and him so young and promising."“我认为我会醒酒。今晚我本不想喝酒，可是酒劲还在脑子里，比我们来这儿的时候还厉害。我整个人都昏昏沉沉的，回忆不起来任何事情。告诉我，乔，伙计，说老实话，是我干的吗？乔，我根本不想那样干。以我的灵魂和名誉发誓，我根本不想那样干，乔。告诉我这是怎么回事？乔？哦，这太可怕了——他这么年轻、有前途。”

"Why, you two was scuffling, and he fetched you one with the headboard and you fell flat; and then up you come, all reeling and staggering like, and snatched the knife and jammed it into him, just as he fetched you another awful clip — and here you've laid, as dead as a wedge till now."“嘿，就是你俩扭打起来了，他用墓碑牌子砸了你一下，你就被砸趴下了。接着你爬起来，晃晃悠悠地站不稳，你一把夺过这把刀，一下子捅进他的身体而他又给了你狠狠的一击，于是你就躺在这儿，像块木楔子，一直到现在。”

"Oh, I didn't know what I was a-doing. I wish I may die this minute if I did. It was all on account of the whisky; and the excitement, I reckon. I never used a weepon in my life before, Joe. I've fought, but never with weepons. They'll all say that. Joe, don't tell! Say you won't tell, Joe — that's a good feller. I always liked you, Joe, and stood up for you, too. Don't you remember? You won't tell, will you, Joe?" And the poor creature dropped on his knees before the stolid murderer, and clasped his appealing hands.“啊，我一点也不知道我都干了些什么。我真希望这一分钟就死掉。这都是因为威士忌在作怪，加上那冲动劲儿，我猜。我从来都没有用过凶器啊，乔。我跟人打过架，可是从来没使过凶器。人们都知道这个。乔，这事你可别说出去！乔，你说你不会说出去，这才够意思啊。我一直都喜欢你，乔，也总是站在你一边的。你难道忘记了吗？你不会讲出去的，对不对，乔？”于是这个可怜的家伙跪倒在那个残忍的凶手面前，双手合掌，祈求他。

"No, you've always been fair and square with me, Muff Potter, and I won't go back on you. There, now, that's as fair as a man can say."“对。你一向待我不错，莫夫·波特，我不会对不起你的。怎么样，我这样说算是公平合理吧。”

"Oh, Joe, you're an angel. I'll bless you for this the longest day I live." And Potter began to cry.“啊，乔，你真善良得像个天使。我要祝福你一辈子。”接着波特开始哭起来。

"Come, now, that's enough of that. This ain't any time for blubbering. You be off yonder way and I'll go this. Move, now, and don't leave any tracks behind you."“哦，得了，不要再说了。现在不是哭鼻子的时候。你从那边走，我从这边走现在就动身，别留下任何脚印。”

Potter started on a trot that quickly increased to a run. The half-breed stood looking after him. He muttered:

波特开始还是小跑，很快就大跑起来。那个杂种站在那儿，看着他的背影，他咕哝道：

"If he's as much stunned with the lick and fuddled with the rum as he had the look of being, he won't think of the knife till he's gone so far he'll be afraid to come back after it to such a place by himself — chicken heart!"“要他真的被击昏，被朗姆酒弄醉得像他表现出来的那样，那么除非他跑到很远，八成是想不起来这把刀的事了。而他一个人是不敢再回到这里来取刀的——这个胆小鬼。”

Two or three minutes later the murdered man, the blanketed corpse, the lidless coffin, and the open grave were under no inspection but the moon's.

两三分钟后，只有月光照着那个被杀害的人，用毯子裹着的尸体，那个没有盖上盖子的棺材，还有那座挖开的坟墓。

The stillness was complete again, too.

一切又恢复了平静。

试读结束[说明：试读内容隐藏了图片]

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