名著·汤姆叔叔的小屋 - 第117节


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  你在这儿做什么?"桑巴走近汤姆,打趣地在汤姆腰间戳了一下,"想心事吗,伙计?"

   "I am to be sold at the auction, tomorrow!" said Tom, quietly."

  明天我就要被卖了!"汤姆低声说。

   "Sold at auction,--haw! haw! boys, an't this yer fun? I wish't I was gwine that ar way!--tell ye, wouldn't I make em laugh? But how is it,--dis yer whole lot gwine tomorrow?" said Sambo, laying his hand freely on Adolph's shoulder."

  要被卖了--哈哈!大伙说好笑不好笑?我还求之不得呢!瞧,我把他们都逗乐了吧?怎么,你们这群人明天都得卖了,嗯?"桑巴说着,一只手随意地搭在阿道夫的肩膀上。

   "Please to let me alone!" said Adolph, fiercely, straightening himself up, with extreme disgust."

  请别碰我!"阿道夫怒气冲冲地说道,不屑一顾地站起身来。

   "Law, now, boys! dis yer's one o' yer white niggers,--kind o' cream color, ye know, scented!" said he, coming up to Adolph and snuffing. "O Lor! he'd do for a tobaccer-shop; they could keep him to scent snuff! Lor, he'd keep a whole shope agwine,--he would!""

  天哪!伙计们快看,这可是块白黑炭呢一带点奶油色,还喷了香水呢!"他故意走到阿道夫身边用鼻子嗅了嗅。"嗯,卖到烟草店倒是恰到好处,可以当香精去熏鼻烟!天哪,简直够开一家香烟铺呢,我敢打赌!"

  我说,你走开点,行不行?"阿道夫气愤地说。

   "Lor, now, how touchy we is,--we white niggers! Look at us now!" and Sambo gave a ludicrous imitation of Adolph's manner; "here's de airs and graces. We's been in a good family, I specs.""

  哟,火气倒是不小呀!当然啦,我是白黑炭嘛!看看我。"桑巴刻意地去模仿阿道夫的派头,样子非常滑稽。"多气派,多文雅!我猜你是大户人家出来的吧!"

   "Yes," said Adolph; "I had a master that could have bought you all for old truck!""

  算你说对了!要是我主人还在世,可以把你们这堆破铜烂铁全收购下来。"

   "Laws, now, only think," said Sambo, "the gentlemens that we is!""

  啧啧,瞧瞧,"桑巴说,"多阔气啊!"

   "I belonged to the St. Clare family," said Adolph, proudly."

  我是圣克莱尔家的人。"阿道夫骄傲地说。

  哎呀,是吗?你们家可真他妈的走运,这回可把你赶走了,我看他们准是把你和瓶瓶罐罐一起踢掉的!"

   Adolph, enraged at this taunt, flew furiously at his adversary, swearing and striking on every side of him. The rest laughed and shouted, and the uproar brought the keeper to the door.

  阿道夫受了这番冷嘲热讽,不由得满腔怒火,他当即气势汹汹地朝桑巴扑过去,一面破口大骂,一面挥拳乱打。人们吵吵嚷嚷的,哄笑不止。老板闻声过来了。

   "What now, boys? Order,--order!" he said, coming in and flourishing a large whip."

  怎么啦,伙计们?别闹--别闹。"他说着,挥着一根粗皮鞭向屋里走来。

   All fled in different directions, except Sambo, who, presuming on the favor which the keeper had to him as a licensed wag, stood his ground, ducking his head with a facetious grin, whenever the master made a dive at him.

  大伙纷纷避让,只有桑巴,这个特许的小丑,仗着老板的青睐,没有动。老板每次对他举鞭相向时,他总是能嬉皮笑脸地躲闪过去。

   "Lor, Mas'r, 'tan't us,--we 's reglar stiddy,--it's these yer new hands; they 's real aggravatin',--kinder pickin' at us, all time!""

  哎哟,我的老爷,这可不关我们的事,我们一向都规规矩矩的。都是这些新来的人,他们和我们过不去,真够讨厌的!"

  老板听了,转过身来,不分青红皂白就朝汤姆和阿道夫甩过来几鞭子,又端了几脚。然后,他让大家安心睡觉,说完,就走出了屋子。

   While this scene was going on in the men's sleeping-room, the reader may be curious to take a peep at the corresponding apartment allotted to the women. Stretched out in various attitudes over the floor, he may see numberless sleeping forms of every shade of complexion, from the purest ebony to white, and of all years, from childhood to old age, lying now asleep. Here is a fine bright girl, of ten years, whose mother was sold out yesterday, and who tonight cried herself to sleep when nobody was looking at her. Here, a worn old negress, whose thin arms and callous fingers tell of hard toil, waiting to be sold tomorrow, as a cast-off article, for what can be got for her; and some forty or fifty others, with heads variously enveloped in blankets or articles of clothing, lie stretched around them. But, in a corner, sitting apart from the rest, are two females of a more interesting appearance than common. One of these is a respectably-dressed mulatto woman between forty and fifty, with soft eyes and a gentle and pleasing physiognomy. She has on her head a high-raised turban, made of a gay red Madras handkerchief, of the first quality, her dress is neatly fitted, and of good material, showing that she has been provided for with a careful hand. By her side, and nestling closely to her, is a young girl of fifteen,--her daughter. She is a quadroon, as may be seen from her fairer complexion, though her likeness to her mother is quite discernible. She has the same soft, dark eye, with longer lashes, and her curling hair is of a luxuriant brown. She also is dressed with great neatness, and her white, delicate hands betray very little acquaintance with servile toil. These two are to be sold tomorrow, in the same lot with the St. Clare servants; and the gentleman to whom they belong, and to whom the money for their sale is to be transmitted, is a member of a Christian church in New York, who will receive the money, and go thereafter to the sacrament of his Lord and theirs, and think no more of it.

  男奴室里发生这种事的时候,女奴房间里又是什么情况呢?隔壁的女寝室里,地板上睡着数不清的女人,她们睡的姿势各不相同,肤色的黑白程度也不一致,年龄有老有少。她们此刻都睡着了。这儿有一个十岁左右、聪明伶俐的小姑娘,她的母亲刚被卖掉,今晚在没人注意的情况下,偷偷地流着泪睡着了。那儿有一个瘦弱的老婆婆,瘦削的胳膊和长有老茧的指头,说明她一生操劳。现在,她正等候明天的拍卖。老板准备拿她当剩余货卖出去,能卖多少是多少。她们周围躺着四五十个女人,用毯子或衣服蒙着脑袋。可是,在一个角落里,有两个女人坐着,她们与别人不在一起,相貌也颇不寻常。年纪大的是一个四五十岁上下的第一代混血女人,衣着得体,慈眉善目,头上梳着一个高髻,用一块上好的马得拉斯红衣帕包着;身上的衣裳剪裁合适,衣料也不错,显然,她以前的主人待她很不错。一个约摸十五岁的姑娘偎依在她身边,应该是她的女儿,她皮肤白皙,是个第二代混血种;和她母亲一样,她的眼睛也是乌黑而温柔,只是眉毛比她的母亲长一些,头上的卷发呈浓艳的深棕色,衣着整洁,两只手白白嫩嫩的,显然没干过什么重活。明天,她们母女俩将和圣克莱尔家的仆人一起被拍卖出去。她们的主人是纽约某基督会的教徒,母女俩拍卖所得的那笔钱都将汇到他那里去。他收到汇款之后,将照常去参加他的救主(这也是她们的救主啊!)的圣餐礼拜,然后把此事忘得一干二净。

   These two, whom we shall call Susan and Emmeline, had been the personal attendants of an amiable and pious lady of New Orleans, by whom they had been carefully and piously instructed and trained. They had been taught to read and write, diligently instructed in the truths of religion, and their lot had been as happy an one as in their condition it was possible to be. But the only son of their protectress had the management of her property; and, by carelessness and extravagance involved it to a large amount, and at last failed. One of the largest creditors was the respectable firm of B. & Co., in New York. B. & Co. wrote to their lawyer in New Orleans, who attached the real estate (these two articles and a lot of plantation hands formed the most valuable part of it), and wrote word to that effect to New York. Brother B., being, as we have said, a Christian man, and a resident in a free State, felt some uneasiness on the subject. He didn't like trading in slaves and souls of men,--of course, he didn't; but, then, there were thirty thousand dollars in the case, and that was rather too much money to be lost for a principle; and so, after much considering, and asking advice from those that he knew would advise to suit him, Brother B. wrote to his lawyer to dispose of the business in the way that seemed to him the most

  我们姑且把这母女俩叫做苏珊和埃米琳。她们从前的主人是新奥尔良的一位和蔼可亲、心地善良的夫人,她们做贴身女仆。在这位文雅虔诚的夫人的调教下,她们也接受了虔诚的宗教训练和正规的文化教育,因此变得很有教养。以她们的地位而言,这种境遇已经算是非常走运了。然而,这位女恩人的产业是她的独生子掌管的,他的挥金如土、马虎大意最终导致债台高筑,破产是无可避免了。他最大的债权人是纽约颇负盛名的B公司,B公司写信通知了该公司新奥尔良的代理律师,那律师就依法没收了他家全部的不动产资财,其中最值钱的就属这两个黑奴和一大批农奴,并向纽约方面报告了情况。正如我们前面所说的,B教友是一位基督徒,又是自由州的居民,因而对此事难免惴惴不安;毫无疑问,他不喜欢贩卖奴隶和人的灵魂,不过,这其中牵涉三万块钱呢。为了一个信念而丢失三万块钱,这也太不划算了。所以,B教友经过再三思量、多方商讨之后,终于决定写信给他的律师,嘱咐他尽量慎重,采用可行的办法来处理此事,并汇款给他。

   suitable, and remit the proceeds.

  

   The day after the letter arrived in New Orleans, Susan and Emmeline were attached, and sent to the depot to await a general auction on the following morning; and as they glimmer faintly upon us in the moonlight which steals through the grated window, we may listen to their conversation. Both are weeping, but each quietly, that the other may not hear.

  这封信到了新奥尔良的第二天,苏珊和埃米琳就被依法扣留,押送到这所黑奴交易所等待拍卖。这时,月光正透过铁窗,静静地洒在屋里,母女俩的身影隐约可见,她们的低语依稀可闻。她们暗暗流泪,都不想让对方知道。

  妈妈,您把头靠在我怀里,看能不能睡一会儿。"小女孩故作镇定。

   "I haven't any heart to sleep, Em; I can't; it's the last night we may be together!""

  我哪有心思睡觉,埃米琳!恐怕这是我们分别前的最后一宿了!"

   "O, mother, don't say so! perhaps we shall get sold together,--who knows?""

  噢,妈妈,您千万别说这个,或许会有人把我们一起买走,谁知道呢?"

   "If 't was anybody's else case, I should say so, too, Em," said the woman; "but I'm so feard of losin' you that I don't see anything but the danger.""

  如果是别人,我也会这么说的。可是,埃米琳,正因为你是我的女儿,所以我总是会往最坏的方面想。"

   "Why, mother, the man said we were both likely, and would sell well.""

  哦,妈妈,老板说我们看起来都很体面,说不定很容易脱手。"

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名著·汤姆叔叔的小屋 - 第117节