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奴隶制度给人类带来莫大的灾难，但最痛苦的又莫过于这一种：天赋悲悯情怀和情感丰富的黑人，先有幸在好的主人家里受到良好的教养和文明的熏陶，已培养了高洁的品性和高尚情怀，却不幸转而落到最粗野暴戾的主人手里。这就好比是原先摆在华丽的大客厅里的桌椅，因磨损破旧被扔到某个肮脏的小旅馆的酒吧间里或某个低俗不堪的龌龊场所。但这两者有关键的不同之处，那就是桌椅是死的而人是活的。人是有感情的动物，尽管在"法律上被视为、被确认为和被裁决为奴隶"，但奴隶仍然是有灵有肉的人，他们的情感、记忆、希望、爱好、恐惧和企盼都是无法抹煞的。 Mr. Simon Legree, Tom's master, had purchased slaves at one place and another, in New Orleans, to the number of eight, and driven them, handcuffed, in couples of two and two, down to the good steamer Pirate, which lay at the levee, ready for a trip up the Red river. 汤姆的主人西蒙·烈格雷在新奥尔良市的几个拍卖所一共买了八个奴隶，把他们两两相铐，押送到码头边的"海盗号"轮船上。这艘船即将启航，逆流而上驶向红河的上游地区。 Having got them fairly on board, and the boat being off, he came round, with that air of efficiency which ever characterized him, to take a review of them. Stopping opposite to Tom, who had been attired for sale in his best broadcloth suit, with well-starched linen and shining boots, he briefly expressed himself as follows:"Stand up."Tom stood up."Take off that stock!" and, as Tom, encumbered by his fetters, proceeded to do it, he assisted him, by pulling it, with no gentle hand, from his neck, and putting it in his pocket. 奴隶们都上船之后，船就要起锚了。西蒙以其特有的干练，把奴隶们巡视一番。他走到汤姆面前时停下了脚步。汤姆还穿着拍卖时穿的那身衣服，上好的呢子制服和洗得笔挺的衬衫，脚上是擦得锃亮的皮靴。西蒙简洁地命令道："站起来！"汤姆站了起来。"把硬领巾解下来！"汤姆依从地去解领巾，但戴着手铐不方便，西蒙便粗鲁地将硬领巾从他领子上一把扯下来，揣进了自己的口袋里。 Legree now turned to Tom's trunk, which, previous to this, he had been ransacking, and, taking from it a pair of old pantaloons and dilapidated coat, which Tom had been wont to put on about his stable-work, he said, liberating Tom's hands from the handcuffs, and pointing to a recess in among the boxes, 烈格雷刚才已在汤姆的箱子里翻了很久，这时他拿出汤姆平时在马厩里穿的那身--一件旧外衣和一条破裤子。他解开汤姆的手铐，指着货箱中的一个凹处说： "You go there, and put these on."" 去，上那儿换上这身衣服。" 
汤姆照办了。不多一会儿，他换好衣服回来了。 "Take off your boots," said Mr. Legree." 给我把靴子也脱下来。"烈格雷先生继续吩咐道。 Tom did so. 汤姆又奉命脱下靴子。 "There," said the former, throwing him a pair of coarse, stout shoes, such as were common among the slaves, "put these on."" 喂，"烈格雷扔过来一双结实的粗鞋，黑奴们平常穿的那种，"把这个换上。" In Tom's hurried exchange, he had not forgotten to transfer his cherished Bible to his pocket. It was well he did so; for Mr. Legree, having refitted Tom's handcuffs, proceeded deliberately to investigate the contents of his pockets. He drew out a silk handkerchief, and put it into his own pocket. Several little trifles, which Tom had treasured, chiefly because they had amused Eva, he looked upon with a contemptuous grunt, and tossed them over his shoulder into the river. 汤姆在匆忙间换衣服时，并没有忘记把心爱的《圣经》掏出来，放在旧衣服的口袋里。这样做确实有先见之明，因为烈格雷先生给汤姆重新戴上手铐之后，马上翻检起汤姆换下来的衣服。他在那衣服口袋里摸出一条丝绸手帕，顺手放进了自己的口袋里；他又翻出来几件小玩意儿，那是汤姆在伊娃死后珍藏着的，他看了看，不屑地哼了一声，随便一扬手，那些小玩意儿便从他肩头划过，落在了河里。 
汤姆在匆促之间却忘了把那本卫理公会的赞美诗集取出来，现在落到了烈格雷手里，他随手翻了翻。 Humph! pious, to be sure. So, what's yer name,--you belong to the church, eh?"" 嗬，想不到你还挺虔诚的嘛！你叫什么来着？你是个基督徒？" "Yes, Mas'r," said Tom, firmly." 是的，主人。"汤姆坚定地回答说。 "Well, I'll soon have _that_ out of you. I have none o' yer bawling, praying, singing niggers on my place; so remember. Now, mind yourself," he said, with a stamp and a fierce glance of his gray eye, directed at Tom, "_I'm_ your church now! You understand,--you've got to be as _I_ say."" 哦，是吗？不过用不了多久，我就会让你忘掉它们。我可不想让一群黑鬼在我的庄园里嚎叫，祷告或唱什么赞美诗。记住了没有？你给我老实点，"说到这里，他跺一下脚，灰眼睛恶狼似地瞪着汤姆，"从现在开始，我就是你的上帝！你给我听着，我让你朝东你就朝东，让你往西你就往西！" Something within the silent black man answered _No!_ and, as if repeated by an invisible voice, came the words of an old prophetic scroll, as Eva had often read them to him,--"Fear not! for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by name. Thou art MINE!" 汤姆沉默着，但他的心里呐喊着："不！"同时，有个声音在冥冥中一遍遍说着伊娃生前常念给他听的一本古老的预言中的一段话："你不要害怕，因为我曾救了你，并以我的名义召唤你，你是属于我的！" 
但西蒙·烈格雷什么也听不到，这声音他永远也无法听到。他只是向汤姆吹胡子瞪眼的，最后也无奈离开了。他把汤姆的箱子提到了前甲板上，箱子里全是汤姆收拾的干净衣裳，很快，一群水手拥了过来，他们一面嘲笑说黑奴不配有这么多衣裳来摆绅士派头，一面你一件我一件地买下所有的衣物，甚至连空箱子都有人买下了。当他们一哄而散时，都觉得此事非常滑稽，尤其是看到汤姆干净、整洁的装束时，更是大笑不止。拍卖空箱子也一时传为笑谈。 This little affair being over, Simon sauntered up again to his property. 这笔交易结束之后，西蒙又慢慢地踱了回来。 "Now, Tom, I've relieved you of any extra baggage, you see. Take mighty good care of them clothes. It'll be long enough 'fore you get more. I go in for making niggers careful; one suit has to do for one year, on my place."" 汤姆，你瞧，你那些杂七杂八的废物我已经帮你清理掉了。你身上的这套衣服可得省着穿，爱惜点，换套衣服得过好久呢！我完全赞成这个主意，让你们黑鬼穿衣服仔细点，一年只有一套衣服！" Simon next walked up to the place where Emmeline was sitting, chained to another woman. 接着，他又来到埃米琳身边，她和另外一个妇女被铐在一起。 "Well, my dear," he said, chucking her under the chin, "keep up your spirits."" 得了，小宝贝，给我开心点！"他摸着埃米琳的下巴说。 
这姑娘极不情愿地看着西蒙，眼神里流露出惊恐和厌恶，这并没逃过西蒙的眼睛，他眉毛拧成一团，恶狠狠地说： "None o' your shines, gal! you's got to keep a pleasant face, when I speak to ye,--d'ye hear? And you, you old yellow poco moonshine!" he said, giving a shove to the mulatto woman to whom Emmeline was chained, "don't you carry that sort of face! You's got to look chipper, I tell ye!"" 你这个丫头片子，别跟我来这套，你听见没有？跟我讲话时，不许哭丧着脸，听到没？还有你，你这个黄脸婆！"他使劲推了一下和埃米琳铐在一起的混血女人，"别板着个脸，让我看你这副臭嘴脸！告诉你，你得给我摆出笑眯眯的样子。" "I say, all on ye," he said retreating a pace or two back, "look at me,--look at me,--look me right in the eye,--_straight_, now!" said he, stamping his foot at every pause." 我说，你们都给我听着，"烈格雷往后退了一两步，吼道，"看着我，都看着我！都看着我的眼睛，你们都看仔细了！就现在！"他说话时，每停顿一下就跺一下脚。 As by a fascination, every eye was now directed to the glaring greenish-gray eye of Simon. 大家像中了邪一样，齐唰唰地望着那双露着凶光，满含杀机的眼睛。 "Now," said he, doubling his great, heavy fist into something resembling a blacksmith's hammer, "d'ye see this fist? Heft it!" he said, bringing it down on Tom's hand. "Look at these yer bones! Well, I tell ye this yer fist has got as hard as iron _knocking down niggers_. I never see the nigger, yet, I couldn't bring down with one crack," said he, bringing his fist down so near to the face of Tom that he winked and drew back. "I don't keep none o' yer cussed overseers; I does my own overseeing; and I tell you things _is_ seen to. You's every one on ye got to toe the mark, I tell ye; quick,--straight,--the moment I speak. That's the way to keep in with me. Ye won't find no soft spot in me, nowhere. So, now, mind yerselves; for I don't show no mercy!"" 你们瞧瞧，"他攥紧了自己又大又结实的拳头，那拳头看上去像铁匠的大锤，"看清这拳头了吧？掂掂它有多重？"他把拳头放在汤姆的手上。"瞧这身骨头！哼，实话告诉你们，这拳头和铁一样硬，都是揍黑鬼练出来的。迄今为止，还没有哪个黑鬼挨我一拳不趴下的呢。"他挥了挥拳头，差点儿打到汤姆的脸上。汤姆不由眨了眨眼，向后退了一步。"我从来不需要什么该死的监工，我自己就是监工。你们全都得给我现规矩矩的，干活要麻利，叫你们干什么马上就动，这样才合我的意。你们可别指望我什么时候心肠软，没有的事！你们自个儿当心点，我可不发什么慈悲。" 
两个女人不由得倒抽一口凉气，其他人也愁容满面地坐在那里，大气不敢出。西蒙说完这些，就转身向船上的小酒吧间走去，准备在那儿喝上几盅。 "That's the way I begin with my niggers," he said, to a gentlemanly man, who had stood by him during his speech. "It's my system to begin strong,--just let 'em know what to expect."" 我就这么干，先给他们一个下马威。"西蒙对一个绅士模样的人说，这人一直站在他身边听他高谈阔论。"我一开始就采取强硬措施，让他们思想上警惕点。"
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