The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

湯姆.索亞歷險記

   CHAPTER VI

   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,湯姆·索亞很難受。這個時候湯姆向來是很難受的——因為又一個漫長而難熬的星期開始了。他在這一天總是想要是沒有這個休息日夾在中間倒也好些,有了那一天,他感到再到學校裡去猶如去坐牢、去受罪,這使他覺得十分厭惡。

   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.

   湯姆躺在那想著。突然一個念頭在腦子裡一閃,他希望他生病;這樣,他就能待在家裡不去上學了。這倒是有可能。他把自己渾身上下仔細地檢查了一下,沒有發現什麼毛病。他又查找了一番,這次他以為可以找出肚子疼的理由,並且滿心希望地讓疼痛發作。可是不久他就泄了氣,根本沒有一點疼痛的跡象。於是他又動起腦筋來,突然,他發現目標了。他的上排門牙有一顆鬆了勁。他真是太運氣了;他正打算開始呻吟,用他的話說這叫“開場白”,這時他猛然想起如果他提出這個理由來應付的話,他姨媽就會當真把這顆牙拔出來,那將偷鷄不成反蝕一把米。所以他想暫時先留着這顆牙,再另找毛病。找了一段時間,他沒找到什麼毛病,後來他想起曾聽醫生說過有一種病能讓病人躺兩三個星期,而且弄不好會爛掉一隻手指頭。於是這孩子急忙把他那只腫痛的腳趾頭從被子裡搬出來,舉起來仔細察看。可是,他又不清楚那種病有些什麼病症。不管怎麼說,試還是值得一試的,於是他煞有介事地開始呻吟起來。

   But Sid slept on unconscious.

   可是希德仍然睡着,一點反應都沒有。湯姆呻吟得更響了,而且感到他的腳真地痛起來。

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

   希德還是一動不動。

   No result from Sid.

   湯姆因為呻吟得太吃力,累得喘着粗氣。他停了一會,重新鼓起勁頭,發出一連串絶妙的呻吟聲。

   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.

   希德還在酣睡。

   Sid snored on.

   湯姆來火了。他喊道:“希德,希德!”邊喊邊推推他。這一招果然很有效,於是湯姆又開始呻吟起來。希德打着呵欠,伸伸懶腰,用胳膊肘支起身子時又噴了一下鼻子,然後瞪起雙眼看著湯姆。湯姆還在叫喚,希德就問:

   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:

   “湯姆!嘿,湯姆!”(湯姆沒搭腔。)“怎麼啦,湯姆!湯姆!你怎麼啦,湯姆?”他推了推湯姆,焦急地看著他的臉。

   "Tom! Say, Tom!" [No response.] "Here, Tom! TOM! What is the matter, Tom?" And he shook him and looked in his face anxiously.

   湯姆呻吟着說:

   Tom moaned out:

   “啊,希德,不要這樣,不要推我。”

   "Oh, don't, Sid. Don't joggle me."

   “嘿,湯姆,你怎麼啦?我得去叫姨媽來。”

   "Why, what's the matter, Tom? I must call auntie."

   “不——不要緊。這也許慢慢會過去的,不用叫任何人來。”

   "No--never mind. It'll be over by and by, maybe. Don't call anybody."

   “我一定要去叫!不要再這樣叫喚了,怪讓人害怕的。你這麼難受有多久了?”

   "But I must! Don't groan so, Tom, it's awful. How long you been this way?"

   “好幾個小時了,哎唷!希德,不要推我,你想要我的命啊!”

   "Hours. Ouch! Oh, don't stir so, Sid, you'll kill me."

   “湯姆,你為什麼不早點叫醒我?哦,湯姆,不要叫喚了!

   "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?"

   聽你這麼叫我身上都起鷄皮疙瘩。湯姆,哪兒不舒服?”

   "I forgive you everything, Sid. [Groan.] Everything you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"

   “希德,我什麼事情都原諒你(呻吟)。你對我所幹的一切事情我都不怪罪你。我死了以後……”

   "Oh, Tom, you ain't dying, are you? Don't, Tom--oh, don't. Maybe--"

   “喔,湯姆,你不會死的,別這樣,湯姆——啊,別這樣。也許……”

   "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,我原諒所有的人(呻吟)。希德,請你轉告他們吧。希德,你把我那個窗戶框子和那只獨眼小貓給那個新搬來的姑娘吧,你對她說……”

   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。這時候湯姆真地感到很難受了,沒想到想象力竟起了這麼大的作用,於是他的呻吟聲就裝得像真的一樣了。

   Sid flew downstairs and said:

   希德飛快地跑下樓,邊跑邊喊道:

   "Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom's dying!"

   “波莉姨媽,快來呀!湯姆要死了!”

   "Dying!"

   “要死了?!”

   "Yes'm. Don't wait--come quick!"

   “是的,姨媽。來不及了,快上來!”

   "Rubbage! I don't believe it!"

   “瞎講!我不相信!”

   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:

   可是她還是趕快地跑上樓去,希德和瑪麗緊跟在後面。這時她臉色也白了,嘴唇直顫動。來到床邊後,她喘着氣問:

   "You, Tom! Tom, what's the matter with you?"

   “是你,湯姆!湯姆,你哪裡不舒服啊?”

   "Oh, auntie, I'm--"

   “哦,姨媽,我——”

   "What's the matter with you--what is the matter with you, child?"

   “你哪裡不舒服——孩子,你到底怎麼啦?”

   "Oh, auntie, my sore toe's mortified!"

   “哦,姨媽,我那只腫痛的腳趾頭發炎了!”

   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,笑了一會,又哭了一陣,然後又連哭帶笑。等到她終於恢復了常態,她說:

   "Tom, what a turn you did give me. Now you shut up that nonsense and climb out of this."

   “湯姆,你真地把我嚇壞了。好了,閉上嘴巴,別再胡扯八道了,快起床吧。”

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

   呻吟聲停了,腳趾的疼痛也立刻消失了。這孩子覺得有點不好意思,於是他說:

   "Aunt Polly, it seemed mortified, and it hurt so I never minded my tooth at all."

   “波莉姨媽,腳趾頭看著真像是發炎了,痛得我把牙齒的事忘得一乾二淨。”

   "Your tooth, indeed! What's the matter with your tooth?"

   “你的牙齒,真是怪事!牙齒又怎麼啦?”

   "One of them's loose, and it aches perfectly awful."

   “有一顆牙鬆動了,而且的確痛得難受。”

   "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,你可別再叫喚了。張開嘴,不錯——你的一顆牙齒真地鬆動了,不過你絶不會痛死的。瑪麗,拿根絲線給我,再到廚房去弄塊燒紅的火炭來。”

   Tom said:

   湯姆說:

   "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,姨媽,請你手下留情。現在牙不痛了。要是再痛,我也不叫喚了。姨媽,請您別拔啦。我不想獃在家裡逃學了。”

   "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,你不逃學了,是嗎?原來你這麼大叫大閙,為的就是你以為這樣就可以獃在家裡,不去上學去釣魚呀?湯姆呀,湯姆,我這麼愛你,可是你好像盡耍花招來氣我,想斷送我這條老命呀。”這時候,拔牙的準備已經做好了。老太太把絲線的一頭打了活結,牢牢地系在湯姆的那顆牙上,另一頭系在床柱上。然後她拿起那塊燒紅的火炭,猛地朝湯姆臉面伸過去,差點碰到他的臉。結果,那顆牙就晃來晃去弔在床柱上了。

   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。當湯姆吃過早飯去上學的時候,在路上遇到的每個孩子都羡慕他,因為他上排牙齒的缺口能夠使他用一種新的方法吐唾沫。一大群孩子們跟在他後面,對他這種表演很感興趣。有一個割破手指的孩子,大家都敬佩他,圍着他轉,現在忽然沒有人追隨他了,不免大失光彩。他的心情很沉重,可是他卻鄙夷地說,像湯姆·索亞那樣吐唾沫,算不了什麼稀罕,可是他心裡並不真地這麼認為,另外有個孩子說:“酸葡萄!”於是他就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.

   不久湯姆遇到了村子裡壞孩子哈克貝利·費恩,他是本鎮一個酒鬼的兒子。全鎮所有的母親們對哈克貝利都深惡痛絶而又十分畏懼:他游手好閒、無法無天,而且既下流又沒教養——再加上所有的孩子卻又都非常羡慕他。雖然大人們都不允許他們和他接觸,他們卻樂於和他玩耍,還希望自己也敢學他那樣。和其他許多體面的孩子們一樣,湯姆很羡慕哈克貝利那種逍遙自在的流浪兒生活,可是也被嚴厲地告知:不許和他玩。所以,他每每一有機會就和他混在一起。哈克貝利經常穿著大人們丟棄不要的舊衣服,總是滿身開花,破布亂飄。他的帽子很大很破,邊上有一塊月牙形的帽邊子耷拉著。他要是穿著上裝的話,那上裝就差不多拖到他的腳後跟,背後的兩排並齊的扣子一直扣到屁股;褲子卻只有一根吊帶;褲子襠部像個空空的口袋似地垂得很低。褲腿沒有捲起的時候,毛了邊的下半截就在灰土裡拖來拖去。

   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.

   哈克貝利來去很自由,全憑自己高興。天氣晴朗的時候,他就睡在門口台階上;下雨時,就睡到大空桶裡。他不用去上學也不必去做禮拜,不必叫誰老師,也不用服從誰;他可以隨時隨地去釣魚,去游泳,而且想獃多長間就獃多長時間;也沒有人管住他打架;晚上他高興熬夜到什麼時候就熬到什麼時候;春天他總是第一個光着腳,到了秋天卻是最後一個穿上鞋;他從來不用洗臉,也不用穿乾淨衣服;他可以隨便罵人,而且特別會罵。總而言之,一切充分享受生活的事情,這孩子都擁有了。聖彼德堡鎮的那些受折磨、受拘束的體面孩子們個個都是這麼想的。

   Tom hailed the romantic outcast:

   湯姆向那個浪漫的流浪兒招呼道:

   "Hello, Huckleberry!"

   “你好啊,哈克貝利!”

   "Hello yourself, and see how you like it."

   “你也好啊,喜歡這玩意吧。”

   "What's that you got?"

   “你得了什麼寶貝?”

   "Dead cat."

   “一隻死貓。”

   "Lemme see him, Huck. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'd you get him?"

   “哈克,讓我瞅瞅。嗐,這傢伙倒是硬幫幫的,你從哪弄來的?”

   "Bought him off'n a boy."

   “從一個孩子那兒買來的。”

   "What did you give?"

   “拿什麼換的?”

   "I give a blue ticket and a bladder that I got at the slaughter-house."

   “我給他一張藍色票和一隻從屠宰廠那兒弄來的尿泡。”

   "Where'd you get the blue ticket?"

   “你的藍票是從哪兒弄來的?”

   "Bought it off'n Ben Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stick."

   “兩星期前用一根推鐵環的棍子和貝恩·羅傑換的。”

   "Say--what is dead cats good for, Huck?"

   “我說——哈克,死貓能有什麼用?”

   "Good for? Cure warts with."

   “有什麼用?可以治疣子。”

   "No! Is that so? I know something that's better."

   “不會吧!你說能治嗎?我知道有個更好的藥方子。”

   "I bet you don't. What is it?"

   “我敢打賭你不知道。是什麼方子?”

   "Why, spunk-water."

   “不就是仙水嗎。”

   "Spunk-water! I wouldn't give a dern for spunk-water."

   “仙水!我看仙水一文錢不值?”

   "You wouldn't, wouldn't you? D'you ever try it?"

   “你說一文錢不值,是不是?你試過嗎?”

   "No, I hain't. But Bob Tanner did."

   “沒有試過。可是鮑勃·唐納試過。”

   "Who told you so!"

   “你怎麼知道的?”

   "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,他告訴傑夫·撒切爾,傑夫又告訴江尼·貝克,江尼又告訴吉姆·赫利斯,吉姆又告訴本·羅傑,羅傑又告訴了一個黑人,那黑人又告訴了我。這不,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,你知道又有什麼?他們都在撒謊,那個黑人可能除外。我不認識他,不過我從來也沒見過有哪個黑人不撒謊的。呸!那麼哈克你說說鮑勃·唐納怎麼試的吧。”

   "Why, he took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump where the rain-water was."

   “噢,他的手伸進一個腐爛的老樹樁子裡去蘸裡面的雨水。”

   "In the daytime?"

   “在白天干的嗎?”

   "Certainly."

   “那還用說。”

   "With his face to the stump?"

   “臉對著樹樁嗎?”

   "Yes. Least I reckon so."

   “對呀。至少我是這麼合計的。”

   "Did he say anything?"

   “他沒說什麼?”

   "I don't reckon he did. I don't know."

   “我估計沒有。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 spunk-water stump, and just as it's midnight you back up against the stump and jam your hand in and say:

   “啊!用那樣糊塗蛋的方法還談什麼仙水治疣子!哎,那根本就行不通。你必須獨自一個人到樹林中間,找到那個有仙水的樹樁,等到正值半夜時分,你背對著樹樁,把手塞進去,嘴裡要念:

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

   ‘麥粒麥粒,還有玉米粉,仙水仙水,治好這疣子。’

   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."

   唸完之後,就閉着眼睛,立刻走開,走十一步,然後轉三圈,不要和任何人講話徑直回家。如果你一講話,那符咒就不靈了。”

   "Well, that sounds like a good way; but that ain't the way Bob Tanner done."

   “哼,這聽起來倒像是好辦法;不過鮑勃·唐納不是這樣做的。”

   "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,尊敬的夥計,他當然沒有這樣做,所以他是這個鎮上疣子長得最多的一個。他要是曉得怎麼使用仙水,那他身上就會一個疣子都沒有了。哈克,用那個辦法我已經治好手上無數個疣子。我老愛玩青蛙,所以我老是長出許許多多的疣子。有時候我就拿蠶豆來治它們。”

   "Yes, bean's good. I've done that."

   “是的,蠶豆是不錯。我也這樣治過。”

   "Have you? What's your way?"

   “是嗎?你是怎麼做的?”

   "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."

   “拿一個蠶豆把它掰成兩片,再把疣子弄破,弄出點血來,然後你把血塗在蠶豆的一片上,趁着半夜三更沒有月亮的時候,找個岔路口,挖個坑把這片蠶豆埋到地下,再把另外半片燒掉。你看有血的那半片蠶豆不停地在吸啊吸啊,想把另外那半片吸過去,這樣有助于用血去吸疣子,過不多久,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?"

   “對,就是這樣幹的,哈克——就是這樣。當然你埋蠶豆的時候,你要說:‘埋下蠶豆,消掉疣子,不要再來煩我!’這會更好些的。喬·哈帕就是這樣做的,他差不多到過康維爾,還有許多別的地方哩。可是話說回來,用死貓怎麼治疣子呢?”

   "Why, you take your cat and go and get in the grave-yard '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,你拿着死貓等半夜壞蛋被埋時,到墳地去;魔鬼都是半夜行動,說不准三兩成群,不過你看不見他們,但能聽到他們走路的聲音,或許還能聽到他們的談話。他們帶那壞蛋到陰曹地府時,你往他們後面扔死貓還要念道:‘鬼跟屍跑, 貓跟鬼跑,疣子跟着貓,我和疣子一刀兩斷了!’這樣保管什麼疣子都治好。”

   "Sounds right. D'you ever try it, Huck?"

   “這聽起來倒是蠻有道理。哈克,你試過沒有?”

   "No, but old Mother Hopkins told me."

   “沒有。不過霍普金斯老太婆跟我說過。”

   "Well, I reckon it's so, then. Becuz they say she's a witch."

   “是啊,她可能說過。因為人們說她是個巫婆。”

   "Say! Why, Tom, I know she is. She witched pap. Pap says so his own self. He come along one day, and he see 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."

   “可不是嗎,湯姆,這我知道。她迷惑過我爹。這是我爹親口說的。有一天,他走過來,見她要迷惑他,就撿起一塊大石頭,要不是她躲閃得及時,他就砸中她了。可是也就在當天夜裡,他喝醉了酒,躺在一個小木屋頂上,不知怎麼就摔下來,摔斷了一隻胳膊。”

   "Why, that's awful. How did he know she was a-witching him?"

   “哎呀,真不幸。他是怎麼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 backards."

   “哦,我的老天爺!我爹一眼就看出來了。我爹說她們直勾勾地盯着你時,就是要迷惑你,特別是當嘴裡還唸著咒時,就更不用說了。這時,她們把聖經的禱文倒過來念。”

   "Say, Hucky, when you going to try the cat?"

   “嘿,我說哈克,你打算什麼時候去試着用這貓治疣子?”

   "To-night. I reckon they'll come after old Hoss Williams to-night."

   “今天夜裡。我猜他們會去弄霍斯·威廉斯這老傢伙。”

   "But they buried him Saturday. Didn't they get him Saturday night?"

   “可是他不是星期六被埋了嗎?他們星期六夜裡沒來把他弄走嗎?”

   "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,瞧你說的!他們的咒語午夜後怎麼能起作用呢?午夜一過那可就是星期天了。我猜想,真是星期天鬼是不怎麼四處遊蕩的。”

   "I never thought of that. That's so. Lemme go with you?"

   “我從來沒有想到這一點。是這麼回事呀。讓我和你一起去,好嗎?”

   "Of course--if you ain't afeard."

   “當然好了——只要你不害怕就行。”

   "Afeard! 'Tain't likely. Will you meow?"

   “害怕!那還不至于。你來學貓叫好嗎?”

   "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,你也回應一聲。上一回,你讓我老在那學貓咪嗚咪嗚的,後來黑斯這老頭就衝我扔石頭,還說‘去他媽的瘟貓!’所以我拿磚頭砸了他家窗戶。不過,你不要講出去。”

   "I won't. I couldn't meow that night, becuz auntie was watching me, but I'll meow this time. Say--what's that?"

   “我不會說的。那天晚上我姨媽一直在盯住我,我怎麼能學貓叫呢。但是這一回我會咪嗚的。嘿,那是什麼?”

   "Nothing but a tick."

   “只是個扁虱罷了。”

   "Where'd you get him?"

   “在哪搞到的?”

   "Out in the woods."

   “在外面的樹林裡。”

   "What'll you take for him?"

   “拿什麼東西跟你換它,你才幹?”

   "I don't know. I don't want to sell him."

   “我不知道。我不想把它賣掉。”

   "All right. It's a mighty small tick, anyway."

   “那就算了。你瞧你這只扁虱,這麼小哩。”

   "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,吃不到葡萄就說葡萄酸。我對它倒是挺滿意的。對我來說,這扁虱夠好的了。”

   "Sho, there's ticks a plenty. I could have a thousand of 'em if I wanted to."

   “哼,扁虱多得是。我要是想要的話,一千個我也能搞到。”

   "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,那你搞來給我看看呀。你是抓不到的。我認為這是個較早的扁虱,是我今年見到的頭一個。”

   "Say, Huck--I'll give you my tooth for him."

   “那麼,哈克,我用我的牙齒跟你換扁虱吧。”

   "Less see it."

   “讓我瞧瞧。”

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

   湯姆拿出一個小紙包,小心翼翼地打開它。哈克貝利望眼欲穿。這誘惑大大了。最後,他說:

   "Is it genuwyne?"

   “這是真牙齒嗎?”

   Tom lifted his lip and showed the vacancy.

   湯姆翻起嘴唇,給他看缺口。

   "Well, all right," said Huckleberry, "it's a trade."

   “哼,那好吧。”哈克貝利說,“換就換吧。”

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

   湯姆把扁虱裝進前幾天囚禁大鉗甲蟲的那個雷管筒子裡後,他們就分手了,各自都感覺比以前富有了許多。

   When Tom reached the little isolated frame school-house, 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 business-like alacrity. The master, throned on high in his great splint-bottom arm-chair, was dozing, lulled by the drowsy hum of study. The interruption roused him.

   湯姆來到那座孤零零的小木框校舍的時候,他邁着輕鬆愉快的步伐,好像是老老實實來上學的樣子,大步走進教室。他把帽子掛在釘子上,一本正經地邊忙邊坐到他的座位上。他的老師正高高地坐在他那把大細籐條扶手椅上,聽著催眠的讀書聲,正打着盹。湯姆進來把他吵醒了。

   "Thomas Sawyer!"

   “托馬斯·索亞!”

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

   湯姆曉得老師要是叫他全名,那麻煩事就來了。

   "Sir!"

   “到,老師!”

   "Come up here. Now, sir, why are you late again, as usual?"

   “過來,我問你。好傢伙,你為什麼遲到了,總是這樣?”

   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 school-house. He instantly said:

   湯姆正要撒個謊來矇混過關,這時他看到一個人的背上垂下兩條長長的金黃色辮子,他為之一驚。一股愛情的暖流使他立刻認出了那女孩子。女生坐的那一邊,正好只有她身旁空着一個位子。他立刻說:

   "I stopped to talk with Huckleberry Finn!"

   “我路上和哈克貝利·費恩講話耽擱了!”

   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:

   老師氣得脈搏都要停止跳動了,他無可奈何地瞪着眼睛望着湯姆。亂哄哄的讀書聲也停止了。學生們都很納悶,這個莽撞的傢伙是不是腦子有毛病。老師說:

   "You--you did what?"

   “你,你幹了什麼?”

   "Stopped to talk with Huckleberry Finn."

   “路上和哈克貝利·費恩講話耽擱了。”

   There was no mistaking the words.

   他說得一清二楚。

   "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."

   “托馬斯·索亞,這可是我聽到的最叫人吃驚的坦白交待了。你犯了這樣大的錯誤,光用戒尺不能解決問題。把上衣脫掉!”

   The master's arm performed until it was tired and the stock of switches notably diminished. Then the order followed:

   老師直打得胳膊發累,戒鞭有明顯磨損時才住手。之後他命令道:

   "Now, sir, go and sit with the girls! And let this be a warning to you."

   “去吧!去和姑娘們坐在一塊,這對你算是一次警告。”

   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.

   教室裡到處都是竊竊私語聲,似乎是這讓湯姆臉紅。但實際上,他臉紅是因為崇拜那位素不相識的女孩,還有幸能和她同桌。他在松木板凳的一頭坐下來,那女孩子一仰頭,身子往另一頭移了移。大家相互推推胳膊,眨眨眼睛,低聲耳語。但是湯姆卻正襟危坐,兩隻胳膊放在既長又矮的書桌上,好像在看書學習。

   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 non-committal attempt to see, but the boy did not betray that he was aware of it. At last she gave in and hesitatingly whispered:

   漸漸地,大家的注意力不再集中在湯姆身上,學校裡慣有的低沉的讀書聲重新在那沉悶的空氣中響起。這時湯姆偷偷地瞥了那女孩幾次。她注意到了,“朝他做了鬼臉”之後有一分鐘光景,她都用後腦勺衝著他。等她慢慢地轉過臉來時,有一個桃子擺在了她的面前。她把桃子推開,湯姆又輕輕地把它放回去。她又把桃子推開,不過這次態度緩和了些。湯姆耐心地把它又放回原處。這一回她沒有再拒絶了。湯姆在他的寫字板上寫了幾個字:“請你收下吧,我多得是哩。”那女孩瞥了瞥這些字,仍是一動也不動。於是湯姆就用左手擋住寫字板,開始在上面畫着圖畫。有好一陣子,那女孩堅決不去看他作畫,可是在好奇心的驅使下,她開始動搖了。湯姆繼續畫着,好像不知道那回事。那女孩想看,但態度不明朗,可是這男孩還是不動聲色,裝作沒看見。最後她讓了步,猶猶豫豫小聲說道:

   "Let me see it."

   “讓我看看吧。”

   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:

   湯姆略微挪開左手,石板上畫的是座房子,畫得既不好又模模糊糊,兩個山牆頭,還有一縷炊煙從煙囪裡裊裊升起。可是姑娘的興趣被吸引住了,於是,她把一切都拋到了九霄雲外。畫畫好的時候,她盯着看了一會,然後低聲說:

   "It's nice--make a man."

   “畫得真好——再畫一個人上去。”

   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:

   於是,這位“畫家”就在前院裡畫了一個人,他拔地而起,那形狀有點像一架人字起重機,他一大步就可以跨過房子。可是這姑娘並不在乎這一點。她對這個大怪物很滿意。她低聲說:

   "It's a beautiful man--now make me coming along."

   “這個人畫得真好看,再畫就畫我,畫成正走過來的樣子。”

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

   湯姆就畫了個水漏或沙漏(均可作計時器用),加上一輪滿月,四肢像草扎似的,硬梆梆的,張開的手指拿着一把大得可怕的扇子。 姑娘說:

   "It's ever so nice--I wish I could draw."

   “畫得太好了。我要是會畫就好了。”

   "It's easy," whispered Tom, "I'll learn you."

   “這容易,”湯姆低聲說道,“跟我學。”

   "Oh, will you? When?"

   “啊,你願意嗎?什麼時候教我?”

   "At noon. Do you go home to dinner?"

   “中午。你回家吃午飯嗎?”

   "I'll stay if you will."

   “如果你教我,我就留在這裡。”

   "Good--that's a whack. What's your name?"

   “好,那太好不過了。你叫什麼名字?”

   "Becky Thatcher. What's yours? Oh, I know. It's Thomas Sawyer."

   “貝基·撒切爾,你叫什麼?哦,我知道,你叫托馬斯·索亞。”

   "That's the name they lick me by. I'm Tom when I'm good. You call me Tom, will you?"

   “他們揍我時,就叫我這個名字。我表現好的時候叫做湯姆。你叫我湯姆,好嗎?”

   "Yes."

   “好的。”

   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:

   這時候,湯姆又在寫字板上寫着什麼字,還用手擋住不讓那姑娘看見。這一回她不像以前了。她請求湯姆給她看。湯姆說:

   "Oh, it ain't anything."

   “啊,沒什麼好看的。”

   "Yes it is."

   “不,一定有好看的。”

   "No it ain't. You don't want to see."

   “真的沒什麼好看的。再說,你也不愛看這個。”

   "Yes I do, indeed I do. Please let me."

   “我要看,我真的要看。請讓我看一看。”

   "You'll tell."

   “你會說出去的。”

   "No I won't--deed and deed and double deed won't."

   “不會,決不會,百分之一百二十地不會。”

   "You won't tell anybody at all? Ever, as long as you live?"

   “跟任何人你都不會說嗎?永遠不說,一輩子不說?”

   "No, I won't ever tell anybody. Now let me."

   “是的,我不會告訴任何人,現在讓我看吧。”

   "Oh, you don't want to see!"

   “啊,你真想看嗎!”

   "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."

   “既然你這樣待我,我就一定要看!”於是她把小手兒按在他手上,兩個人爭了一會兒,湯姆假裝拚命捂着不讓她看的樣子,可是手漸漸移開,露出了三個字:“我愛你。”

   "Oh, you bad thing!" And she hit his hand a smart rap, but reddened and looked pleased, nevertheless.

   “啊,你壞蛋!”她用力打了他的手,臉雖然紅了,但心裡卻樂滋滋的。

   Just at this juncture the boy felt a slow, fateful grip closing on his ear, and a steady lifting impulse. In that wise 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.

   就在這時,湯姆覺得有人慢慢地抓住他的耳雜,漸漸往上提起。這一抓非同小同,讓湯姆掙脫不掉。就這樣,在一片尖刻的咯咯笑聲中他被鉗着耳雜,從教室這邊拉到那邊自己的座位上。接着老師在他身旁站了一會,教室裡肅然起敬,然後他則一言不發,回到了自己的寶座上。湯姆雖然感到耳朵很疼,但心裡卻是甜蜜蜜的。

   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.

   班裡靜下來時,湯姆動起真格來要好好學習,可是內心卻不能平靜下來。結果朗讀時,他讀得別彆扭扭;而在地理課上,他把湖泊當成山脈,一切都被他“恢復”到了原始混沌狀態;上拼寫課時,一連串最簡單的字弄得他“翻了船”,結果成績在全班墊了底,他只好把戴在身上、風光了好幾個月的那枚獎章退給了老師。