TUESDAY afternoon came, and waned to the twilight. The village of St. Petersburg still mourned. The lost children had not been found. Public prayers had been offered up for them, and many and many a private prayer that had the petitioner's whole heart in it; but still no good news came from the cave. The majority of the searchers had given up the quest and gone back to their daily avocations, saying that it was plain the children could never be found. Mrs. Thatcher was very ill, and a great part of the time delirious. People said it was heartbreaking to hear her call her child, and raise her head and listen a whole minute at a time, then lay it wearily down again with a moan. Aunt Polly had drooped into a settled melancholy, and her gray hair had grown almost white. The village went to its rest on Tuesday night, sad and forlorn.
Vingué la tarda del dimarts, i anà esvaint-se, fins arribar a l'hora baixa. El poblet de Sant Petersburg encara plorava: els infants perduts no havien estat trobats. Pregàries públiques havien estat ofertes per a ells, i moltes de pregàries privades, on el suplicant posava tot el cor; però tanmateix no venien bones noves de la cova. La majoria dels cercadors havien abandonat l'escorcoll, i tornat a llurs quefers quotidians, dient que evidentment els minyons no serien mai trobats. La senyora Thatcher estava molt malalta, i gairebé tot el temps delirava. La gent deia que trencava el cor de sentir-li cridar la seva filla; i alçava el cap, i escoltava, de vegades un minut sencer, i després tornava a ajeure's aclaparada, amb un gemec. La tia Polly havia caigut en una persistent melangia, i sa testa grisa s'havia tornat blanca, gairebé del tot. El poblet començà son repòs en caure la nit del dimarts, afligit i desvalgut.
Away in the middle of the night a wild peal burst from the village bells, and in a moment the streets were swarming with frantic half-clad people, who shouted, "Turn out! turn out! they're found! they're found!" Tin pans and horns were added to the din, the population massed itself and moved toward the river, met the children coming in an open carriage drawn by shouting citizens, thronged around it, joined its homeward march, and swept magnificently up the main street roaring huzzah after huzzah!
Per allí a mitja nit les campanes del poblet esclataren en un repic desesperat, i en un moment eixamejaren pels carrers gent frenètica, a mig vestir, que cridaven: -Veniu! veniu! Ja els han trobats!- Cassoles de llauna i corns s'uniren a l'aldarull. La gent s'acoblà i anaren cap al riu, i trobaren els infants que venien en un vehicle decobert, arrossegat per homes del poble que cridaven. Els altres s'atapeïren a llur volt, s'uniren a llur marxa cap al poble, i es precipitaren magníficament pel carrer major, braolant visques darrera visques!
The village was illuminated; nobody went to bed again; it was the greatest night the little town had ever seen. During the first half-hour a procession of villagers filed through Judge Thatcher's house, seized the saved ones and kissed them, squeezed Mrs. Thatcher's hand, tried to speak but couldn't--and drifted out raining tears all over the place.
El poble s'il·luminà. Ningú no féu retorn a son llit. Era la nit més assenyalada que el llogarret hagués vist en tota sa vida. Durant la primera mitja hora, una processó d'habitants desfilà per la casa del jutge Thatcher, agafà els nois salvats i els besà, esqueixà la mà de la senyora Thatcher, féu per manera de parlar i no pogué, i sortí plorant a dolls.
Aunt Polly's happiness was complete, and Mrs. Thatcher's nearly so. It would be complete, however, as soon as the messenger dispatched with the great news to the cave should get the word to her husband. Tom lay upon a sofa with an eager auditory about him and told the history of the wonderful adventure, putting in many striking additions to adorn it withal; and closed with a description of how he left Becky and went on an exploring expedition; how he followed two avenues as far as his kite-line would reach; how he followed a third to the fullest stretch of the kite-line, and was about to turn back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; dropped the line and groped toward it, pushed his head and shoulders through a small hole, and saw the broad Mississippi rolling by!
La felicitat de la tia Polly fou completa, i la de la senyora Thatcher si fa no fa. Seria absoluta, però, tot seguit que el missatger tramès amb les grans noves cap al coval hagués pogut assabentar-ne son marit. Tom jeia damunt un sofà, amb un àvid auditori al seu voltant, i digué la història de la prodigiosa aventura, encabint-hi alguns afegitons sensacionals per agençar-la; i acabà amb la descripció de còm deixà Becky i continuà una eixida d'esploració; còm seguí dues avingudes, tan enllà com li permeté el seu cordill d'estar; còm en seguí una altra en tota la llargada del cordill, i estava a punt de entornar-se'n quan llucà una taqueta llunyana que semblava claror de dia, i deixà el cordill, i anà a les palpentes envers ella, i empenyé cap i espatlles enfora d'un trau i veié l'ample Mississipí que el vorejava.
And if it had only happened to be night he would not have seen that speck of daylight and would not have explored that passage any more! He told how he went back for Becky and broke the good news and she told him not to fret her with such stuff, for she was tired, and knew she was going to die, and wanted to. He described how he labored with her and convinced her; and how she almost died for joy when she had groped to where she actually saw the blue speck of daylight; how he pushed his way out at the hole and then helped her out; how they sat there and cried for gladness; how some men came along in a skiff and Tom hailed them and told them their situation and their famished condition; how the men didn't believe the wild tale at first, "because," said they, "you are five miles down the river below the valley the cave is in"--then took them aboard, rowed to a house, gave them supper, made them rest till two or three hours after dark and then brought them home.
I, només que hagués estat de nit, no hauria vist aquella taqueta de claror, i no hi hauria tornat a explorar el passadís! Digué còm es féu enrera en cerca de Becky i li comunicà la bona nova, i ella li digué que no la impacientés amb aquelles poca-soltes, perquè estava atuïda, i sabia que estava per morir, i li venia de grat. Descrigué còm havia maldat amb ella i l'havia convençuda, i còm Becky gairebé morí de joia en haver anat a les palpentes fins a l'indret on veié, talment, la blava taqueta de la llum del dia, i còm ell, d'una embranzida, eixí del forat, i després l'ajudà a ella a fer-ho; còm segueren allí i cridaren d'alegria; còm uns homes passaren en una barca, i Tom els cridà i els digué llur situació i llur famolenc estat; com els homes no cregueren, a la primeria, la bròfega història, «perquè», digueren, «us trobeu cinc milles més avall d'on és la cova», i després els pujaren a la barca, remaren cap a una casa, els donaren sopar, els feren reposar fins a dues o tres hores després de caure la nit, i en acabat els portaren al poble.
Before day-dawn, Judge Thatcher and the handful of searchers with him were tracked out, in the cave, by the twine clews they had strung behind them, and informed of the great news.
Abans que albegés, el jutge Thatcher i el grapat de cercadors que eren amb ell foren descoberts dins la cova, per la pista de fil d'empalomar que havien anat deixant al darrera, i hom els assabentà de les grans noves.
Three days and nights of toil and hunger in the cave were not to be shaken off at once, as Tom and Becky soon discovered. They were bedridden all of Wednesday and Thursday, and seemed to grow more and more tired and worn, all the time. Tom got about, a little, on Thursday, was downtown Friday, and nearly as whole as ever Saturday; but Becky did not leave her room until Sunday, and then she looked as if she had passed through a wasting illness.
De tres dies i nits de tràfec i de fam dintre la cova, hom no se'n podia desempallegar de cop i volta, com Tom i Becky no trigaren a descobrir. Feren llit tot dimecres i dijous, i semblaven esdevenir més atuits i gastats a cada moment. Tom s'aixecà una mica el dijous, anà al poble el divendres, i gairebé estigué del tot refet el dissabte; però Becky no es desencambrà fins el diumenge, i en acabat semblà que hagués sofert una malaltia exhauridora.
Tom learned of Huck's sickness and went to see him on Friday, but could not be admitted to the bedroom; neither could he on Saturday or Sunday. He was admitted daily after that, but was warned to keep still about his adventure and introduce no exciting topic. The Widow Douglas stayed by to see that he obeyed. At home Tom learned of the Cardiff Hill event; also that the "ragged man's" body had eventually been found in the river near the ferry-landing; he had been drowned while trying to escape, perhaps.
Tom s'assabentà de la malaltia de Huck i anà a veure'l el divendres; però no pogué ésser admès a l'alcova, com tampoc el dissabte ni el diumenge. En acabat fou admès diàriament; però li advertiren que no digués un mot de l'aventura i no tragués cap tema de conversa excitant. La vídua Douglas en romania a la vora per veure si obeïa. A casa seva Tom s'enterà de l'esdeveniment de Cardiff Hill, i de còm el cadàver de l'home esparracat havia estat descobert al riu, per atzar, vora l'embarcador: potser s'havia ofegat mentre procurava fugir.
About a fortnight after Tom's rescue from the cave, he started off to visit Huck, who had grown plenty strong enough, now, to hear exciting talk, and Tom had some that would interest him, he thought. Judge Thatcher's house was on Tom's way, and he stopped to see Becky. The Judge and some friends set Tom to talking, and some one asked him ironically if he wouldn't like to go to the cave again. Tom said he thought he wouldn't mind it. The Judge said:
Al cap d'una quinzena de son rescat de la cova, Tom eixí a visitar Huck, que ja havia guanyat prou fortalesa, aleshores, per a sentir una conversa excitant; i Tom en tenia una d'amanida que l'interessaria, a son juí. La casa del jutge Thatcher es trobava en el camí que seguia Tom, i s'hi aturà a veure Becky. El jutge i alguns amics es posaren a enraonar amb Tom, i algú li demanà irònicament si no li plauria de tornar a la cova. Tom digué que sí; que li semblava que ho trobaria tot pla.
El jutge digué:
"Well, there are others just like you, Tom, I've not the least doubt. But we have taken care of that. Nobody will get lost in that cave any more."
-Bé, n'hi ha d'altres com vós, Tom: no en tinc el menor dubte; però ja ens n'hem captingut, d'això. Ningú tornarà a perdre's en aquella cova.
"Why?"
-Per què?
"Because I had its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago, and triple-locked--and I've got the keys."
-Perquè, fa dues setmanes, vaig fer armar amb plaques de ferro, i tancar amb tres panys, la seva portassa; I en tinc les claus.
Tom turned as white as a sheet.
Tom es tornà blanc com el paper.
"What's the matter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!"
-Què passa, minyó? Ei! Veniu, qualsevol! Porteu un vas d'aigua!
The water was brought and thrown into Tom's face.
L'aigua fou servida i tirada a la cara de Tom.
"Ah, now you're all right. What was the matter with you, Tom?"
-Ah! Ja us heu retornat. Què teníeu, Tom?
"Oh, Judge, Injun Joe's in the cave!"
-O jutge! És que Joe l'Indi és a la cova!