| 目 录 上一节 下一节 
汤姆一直站在那儿默默地观察眼前走过的人，希望能觅到一个称心如意的主人。先生，如果您也和汤姆在相同的处境下，被迫在二百人中挑选一个对你掌有生杀予夺大权的主人，恐怕你也会和他一样，发现能让你满意的主顾简直屈指可数，寥寥无几。汤姆看见各种各样的人，有肥胖、粗鲁的大块头，有干瘪、精瘦的矮个子，有尖嘴猴腮的精明鬼，还有各式各样长得像矮树桩子、一无所长的人。他们按自己的眼光和喜好找到同类人，就像捡柴禾一样漫不经心，扔到火炉里或扔进篮子里。可是，汤姆找不到像圣克莱尔那样的人。 A little before the sale commenced, a short, broad, muscular man, in a checked shirt considerably open at the bosom, and pantaloons much the worse for dirt and wear, elbowed his way through the crowd, like one who is going actively into a business; and, coming up to the group, began to examine them systematically. From the moment that Tom saw him approaching, he felt an immediate and revolting horror at him, that increased as he came near. He was evidently, though short, of gigantic strength. His round, bullet head, large, light-gray eyes, with their shaggy, sandy eyebrows, and stiff, wiry, sun-burned hair, were rather unprepossessing items, it is to be confessed; his large, coarse mouth was distended with tobacco, the juice of which, from time to time, he ejected from him with great decision and explosive force; his hands were immensely large, hairy, sun-burned, freckled, and very dirty, and garnished with long nails, in a very foul condition. This man proceeded to a very free personal examination of the lot. He seized Tom by the jaw, and pulled open his mouth to inspect his teeth; made him strip up his sleeve, to show his muscle; turned him round, made him jump and spring, to show his paces. 拍卖会就要开始前，一个矮小精干的汉子从人群里挤进来。他上身穿一件有格的衬衫，胸口袒露着，下身穿一条又脏又旧的马裤。他那跃跃欲试的样子，似乎满心要做笔生意。他走到黑奴面前，挨个看起来。他走得越近，汤姆越感到恐惧和厌恶。这个人虽然个子矮小，却显得力大无比；他子弹形的脑袋、茶褐色的眉毛、浅灰色的眼睛和焦黄色的粗硬头发都让人感到说不出的可恶。他粗糙的大嘴巴里嚼着烟叶，并以坚强的毅力和巨大的攻势向外喷射出来。他的手奇大无比，又黑又脏，手背上尽是毛茸茸的汗斑。他指甲很长，非常的脏。这汉子大摇大摆地从黑奴前走过去，打量每个人。走到汤姆身边时，他抓住汤姆的下巴，扳开他的嘴查看他的牙齿，又叫他卷起袖子看他的肌肉，还让他转身跳了几跳，试试他的脚力。 "Where was you raised?" he added, briefly, to these investigations." 你在哪儿长大的？"这汉子发问了。 "In Kintuck, Mas'r," said Tom, looking about, as if for deliverance." 金特克，老爷。"汤姆一面回答，一面四处张望，希望这时出现一个救星。 "What have you done?"" 你干过什么活？" 
替东家管理农庄。"汤姆答道。 "Likely story!" said the other, shortly, as he passed on. He paused a moment before Dolph; then spitting a discharge of tobacco-juice on his well-blacked boots, and giving a contemptuous umph, he walked on. Again he stopped before Susan and Emmeline. He put out his heavy, dirty hand, and drew the girl towards him; passed it over her neck and bust, felt her arms, looked at her teeth, and then pushed her back against her mother, whose patient face showed the suffering she had been going through at every motion of the hideous stranger." 说得倒像那么回事！"那汉子简短地说，继续朝前走去。他在阿道夫面前停了一会儿，把一口烟叶吐到他擦得锃亮的皮鞋上，轻蔑地哼一声就过去了。然后，他又在苏珊和埃米琳的面前停住脚，伸出一只又脏又粗的手抓住那姑娘，从颈项一直摸到胸脯，又摸了摸胳膊，检查了她的牙齿，把她向她母亲身边推去。从她母亲的表情可以看出，那面目狰狞的陌生人的举动让她感到非常痛苦。 The girl was frightened, and began to cry. 埃米琳吓得哭出声来。 "Stop that, you minx!" said the salesman; "no whimpering here,--the sale is going to begin." And accordingly the sale begun." 闭嘴，臭丫头，"那黑奴贩子厉声喝道，"不准在这儿哭哭啼啼的，拍卖马上就开始了。"说着，拍卖果真开始了。 Adolph was knocked off, at a good sum, to the young gentlemen who had previously stated his intention of buying him; and the other servants of the St. Clare lot went to various bidders. 刚才那位打算买阿道夫的阔少果真用高价把他买走了。接着，圣克莱尔家其余几个仆人也被买走了。 
轮到你了，伙计！听到没有？"拍卖人冲汤姆嚷道。 Tom stepped upon the block, gave a few anxious looks round; all seemed mingled in a common, indistinct noise,--the clatter of the salesman crying off his qualifications in French and English, the quick fire of French and English bids; and almost in a moment came the final thump of the hammer, and the clear ring on the last syllable of the word _"dollars,"_ as the auctioneer announced his price, and Tom was made over.--He had a master! 汤姆走上台去，战战兢兢地环视了四周，场内一片喧嚣。拍卖人又连珠炮似的用夹杂着法语的英语介绍汤姆的经历，下面接连响起英语和法语的投标呼声。一刹那，只听"咚"的一声，木槌敲了下去，拍卖人叫出了最后的成交价格。当那个"元"字落下去之后，现场交易--汤姆立即被推给新主人。 He was pushed from the block;--the short, bullet-headed man seizing him roughly by the shoulder, pushed him to one side, saying, in a harsh voice, "Stand there, _you!_" 汤姆被推下台来，那个子弹形脑袋粗暴地揪住他的肩膀，把他推到一边，恶声恶气地说："站在那儿别动，听到没有？" Tom hardly realized anything; but still the bidding went on,--ratting, clattering, now French, now English. Down goes the hammer again,--Susan is sold! She goes down from the block, stops, looks wistfully back,--her daughter stretches her hands towards her. She looks with agony in the face of the man who has bought her,--a respectable middle-aged man, of benevolent countenance. 汤姆只觉得脑袋里"嗡"的一片，稀里糊涂的。周围的投标仍在继续着，声浪一阵高过一阵，一会儿英语，一会儿法语。最后又是木槌"咚"的一声，苏珊找到了买主。她走下台来，恋恋不舍地回头望她的女儿，埃米琳向母亲伸出了双臂。苏珊痛苦地看着她的新主人--一个慈祥、体面的中年绅士，她哀求道： "O, Mas'r, please do buy my daughter!"" 求您发发慈悲，把我的女儿也买下来吧。" 
我倒是有意要买，只怕买不起啊！"那中年绅士说着，向台上的姑娘望去。那姑娘正惶恐而羞涩地向四面张望。 The blood flushes painfully in her otherwise colorless cheek, her eye has a feverish fire, and her mother groans to see that she looks more beautiful than she ever saw her before. The auctioneer sees his advantage, and expatiates volubly in mingled French and English, and bids rise in rapid succession. 姑娘苍白的脸上荡起了一阵痛苦的红晕，她的双眼灼灼闪光，显得比任何时候都更加漂亮。她母亲不由得痛苦地哼了一声。拍卖人抓住大好时机，用夹杂着法语的英语，滔滔不绝地大肆渲染一番，人们接二连三地投起标来。 "I'll do anything in reason," said the benevolent-looking gentleman, pressing in and joining with the bids. In a few moments they have run beyond his purse. He is silent; the auctioneer grows warmer; but bids gradually drop off. It lies now between an aristocratic old citizen and our bullet-headed acquaintance. The citizen bids for a few turns, contemptuously measuring his opponent; but the bullet-head has the advantage over him, both in obstinacy and concealed length of purse, and the controversy lasts but a moment; the hammer falls,--he has got the girl, body and soul, unless God help her!" 我尽力而为吧。"中年绅士说，挤进人丛中投标去了。不过一会儿，投标数额超过了他口袋里的钱，他就缄口不言了。拍卖人越叫越起劲，可投标声越来越少了。最后只剩下一位气派的阔佬和子弹形脑袋争相叫价。老先生叫了好几个回合，显然对子弹形脑袋不屑一顾；可是，子弹形脑袋的耐力却非常持久，而且钱包里钱的数量也多些，最后老先生也败下阵来。木槌终于敲了下来--子弹形脑袋从精神到肉体都占有了埃米琳，除非老天爷来救她。 Her master is Mr. Legree, who owns a cotton plantation on the Red river. She is pushed along into the same lot with Tom and two other men, and goes off, weeping as she goes. 她的主人是烈格雷先生，他在红河流域拥有一座棉花庄园。埃米琳被推向汤姆和其他几个仆人一边，她边走边抽泣起来。 The benevolent gentleman is sorry; but, then, the thing happens every day! One sees girls and mothers crying, at these sales, _always!_ it can't be helped, &c.; and he walks off, with his acquisition, in another direction. 那位中年绅士觉得非常抱歉，可是这样的事情天天都在发生啊！在这种大拍卖中，母女分离、抱头痛哭的场面每天都在上演着，好心人想助其一臂之力也是心有余而力不足。于是，中年绅士只得带着他新买的黑奴，向另一个方向走去。 
两天后，纽约那家信奉基督教的B公司的代理律师把拍卖黑奴的款项寄给了该公司。在这张汇票的背面，让他们记下那位伟大的"躲藏房先生"（他们总有一天要向他交代账目的）说过的一句话："当他血债血偿时，不会忘记困苦人的哀求。" "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" --HAB. 1: 13. 你眼清目明，无视奸邪罪恶。为非作歹的，你为何置之不理呢？恶人吞噬比他们公正的，你为何不发一言呢？--《哈巴谷书》第一章第十三节 On the lower part of a small, mean boat, on the Red river, Tom sat,--chains on his wrists, chains on his feet, and a weight heavier than chains lay on his heart. All had faded from his sky,--moon and star; all had passed by him, as the trees and banks were now passing, to return no more. Kentucky home, with wife and children, and indulgent owners; St. Clare home, with all its refinements and splendors; the golden head of Eva, with its saint-like eyes; the proud, gay, handsome, seemingly careless, yet ever-kind St. Clare; hours of ease and indulgent leisure,--all gone! and in place thereof, _what_ remains? 汤姆坐在一艘简陋的小轮船的最底层，这艘船正行驶在红河上。他戴着沉重的脚镣和手铐，但比这更沉重的是他的心情。月亮和星星已从他的天空中坠落了，一切美好的东西都转逝即瞬如过眼云烟，就像此刻岸边的树木和堤坝都匆匆从视野里退去，消失无影。肯塔基的庄园，那里的妻儿和仁慈的主人；豪华气派的圣克莱尔公馆，伊娃盖着金黄色长发的小脑袋和天使般纯洁的眼睛，还有英俊、乐观而自信的圣克莱尔先生，外表那么随便而心地却那么善良。那些美好惬意的时光都如流水东逝。剩下的还有什么呢？
| |
