目 录 上一节 下一节 
喂！"桑博奸笑地走到混血女人的身边，扔给她一小袋玉米，"你他妈的叫什么名字呀！" "Lucy," said the woman." 露西，"那女人胆怯地回答。 "Wal, Lucy, yo my woman now. Yo grind dis yer corn, and get _my_ supper baked, ye har?"" 很好，露西，从现在开始，你就是我的女人了，你把这袋玉米磨了，再烙饼送来给我吃。听到了没有？" "I'll kick yo, then!" said Sambo, raising his foot threateningly." 我可要狠狠地教训你了，他抬起了脚。"桑博威胁她。 "Ye may kill me, if ye choose,--the sooner the better! Wish't I was dead!" said she." 要踢要打随你的便！杀死我都成，越快越好！现在我和死人又有什么区别呢？动手吧！"女人喊道。 
我说桑博，难道你想制造麻烦把这些干活的人全都打伤打死吗？我要告诉主人去。"昆博说。他刚才凶狠狠地赶走了两三个疲惫不堪正等着磨面的女人，现在自己正在磨坊里干得欢呢。 "And, I'll tell him ye won't let the women come to the mills, yo old nigger!" said Sambo. "Yo jes keep to yo own row."" 我才要向主人告状呢！你以为自己是个什么好东西？我要告诉他，你不让那些女人磨面，"桑博反驳道，"你这死驴子，少管我的事！" Tom was hungry with his day's journey, and almost faint for want of food. 汤姆赶了一天的路，早已精疲力尽，饿得发慌，因而迫切地希望能得到属于自己的那份粮食。 "Thar, yo!" said Quimbo, throwing down a coarse bag, which contained a peck of corn; "thar, nigger, grab, take car on 't,--yo won't get no more, _dis_ yer week."" 喂！给你！"桑博也扔给了他一只粗布袋，里面装着瘦细的玉米粒。"接着，黑鬼！小心保管好你的粮食，这可是你一星期的粮食哟！" Tom waited till a late hour, to get a place at the mills; and then, moved by the utter weariness of two women, whom he saw trying to grind their corn there, he ground for them, put together the decaying brands of the fire, where many had baked cakes before them, and then went about getting his own supper. It was a new kind of work there,--a deed of charity, small as it was; but it woke an answering touch in their hearts,--an expression of womanly kindness came over their hard faces; they mixed his cake for him, and tended its baking; and Tom sat down by the light of the fire, and drew out his Bible,--for he had need for comfort. 汤姆等了好长时间，到很晚的时候，他才在磨坊里占了一个空位。磨完之后，他看了那边有两个疲惫不堪的妇女正费力地磨着她们的玉米，不禁同情起她们，便走过去帮助她们磨了起来。干完之后，他将快要熄灭的炭火挑了挑--刚刚有很多人在这火上烙了他们的饼，接着汤姆便开始做起自己的晚餐。汤姆刚刚替那两个妇女磨面，在这个地方可算得上新鲜事，尽管这是不及一提的小事，但它却感动了她们。她们粗糙的脸上浮起了一丝笑容。她们为他擀好面，又替他烙了饼。汤姆坐在火边，拿起了《圣经》，想要从里面得到自己需要的慰藉。 
那是什么书啊？"其中一个女人问。 "A Bible," said Tom." 《圣经》。"汤姆自豪地回答。 "Good Lord! han't seen un since I was in Kentuck."" 天啦！从我离开肯塔基以后，我就没再见到过《圣经》了，已经有好长时间了。" "Was you raised in Kentuck?" said Tom, with interest." 你在肯塔基长大的吗？你以前也读过《圣经》吗？"汤姆很感兴趣地问。 "Yes, and well raised, too; never 'spected to come to dis yer!" said the woman, sighing." 是的，而且我还很有教养呢。我从未想到自己会落到今天这种地步。"那女人感叹道。 
那究竟是本什么样的书啊？我不明白。"另一个女人问道。 "Why, the Bible."" 噢，我的天主--仁慈的上帝，《圣经》嘛！" "Laws a me! what's dat?" said the woman." 天啦！《圣经》是什么东西呀？"那女人又问。 "Do tell! you never hearn on 't?" said the other woman. "I used to har Missis a readin' on 't, sometimes, in Kentuck; but, laws o' me! we don't har nothin' here but crackin' and swarin'."" 看你说的！你难道就从未听说过吗？"女人答道。"在肯塔基的时候，我有时会听到女主人念《圣经》；可在这鬼地方，天啦！除了干活，除了听到打人、骂人的声音，我还能听到什么呢？" "Read a piece, anyways!" said the first woman, curiously, seeing Tom attentively poring over it." 你给我念一段，好吗？"另一个女人看到汤姆如此专注的神情，不由好奇地恳求道。 
汤姆经不住她们的再三央求便开始念了起来，"世间一切受苦难的人们，请到我这里来，我会替你们消除苦难得到安息的。" "Them's good words, enough," said the woman; "who says 'em?"" 这话说得真是太好了，"那女人又问，"可这究竟是谁说出来的呢？" "The Lord," said Tom." 上帝。"汤姆回答道。 "I jest wish I know'd whar to find Him," said the woman. "I would go; 'pears like I never should get rested again. My flesh is fairly sore, and I tremble all over, every day, and Sambo's allers a jawin' at me, 'cause I doesn't pick faster; and nights it's most midnight 'fore I can get my supper; and den 'pears like I don't turn over and shut my eyes, 'fore I hear de horn blow to get up, and at it agin in de mornin'. If I knew whar de Lor was, I'd tell him."" 我真想知道在哪能够找到他，请求他让我消除苦难，"那女人又说道，"我真想去见他；看来这辈子我是不能得到安息了。每天在地里干活被累得腰酸背痛，浑身上下直打哆嗦；可桑博还是天天骂我，说我摘棉花动作太慢，笨得像猪。我每天干完活到半夜才能吃上晚饭。还没来得及躺下打个盹儿，催命的起床号就响了，又得去干那永远都干不完的活。要是我知道上帝在哪，我要去向他倾诉我的苦难。" "He's here, he's everywhere," said Tom." 他就在这儿，上帝是无处不在的。"汤姆肯定地说道。 
噢，我的傻瓜！你可千万别相信这个，我知道他根本就不在这里。"那女人又说，"唉，想这些有啥用呢？我们还是回去抓紧时间休息一会儿吧。" The women went off to their cabins, and Tom sat alone, by the smouldering fire, that flickered up redly in his face. 两个女人前后跟着回到她们的小屋去了，汤姆独自一个人坐在冒烟的柴火旁边，摇曳不定的火光照在他的脸上，他的脸被染得通红。 The silver, fair-browed moon rose in the purple sky, and looked down, calm and silent, as God looks on the scene of misery and oppression,--looked calmly on the lone black man, as he sat, with his arms folded, and his Bible on his knee. 深蓝色的天空，月亮爬得更高了。皎洁的月光默默地把点点银辉洒向大地；此时上帝也正在目睹着人间这苦难与不幸，目睹着他们惨遭欺压凌辱。月光照在这个孤单的人身上，他正端坐在那儿，环抱着双臂，膝盖上摊放着他的《圣经》。 "Is God HERE?" Ah, how is it possible for the untaught heart to keep its faith, unswerving, in the face of dire misrule, and palpable, unrebuked injustice? In that simple heart waged a fierce conflict; the crushing sense of wrong, the foreshadowing, of a whole life of future misery, the wreck of all past hopes, mournfully tossing in the soul's sight, like dead corpses of wife, and child, and friend, rising from the dark wave, and surging in the face of the half-drowned mariner! Ah, was it easy _here_ to believe and hold fast the great password of Christian faith, that "God IS, and is the REWARDER of them that diligently seek Him"?" 上帝真的在这吗？"唉，一个从未受教育的人，怎么可能在这残暴的苛政面前，在这无情的世道面前，在这露骨却无人责怪的不仁的行为面前，始终如故地坚持着自己的信仰呢？汤姆淳朴的心灵中不自觉地经历着一场剧烈的挣扎和搏斗。那种撕心裂肺的农奴感觉，终身难逃受苦的兆头，昨日一切希望的幻灭……所有这些都在他的心头涌现。这正如一位即将溺亡的水手，眼睁睁地看着自己的妻子、女儿和朋友的尸体在水面上时隐时现。难道此时人们还能大谈什么坚定地信仰上帝吗？这不明明是违背常理强人所难吗？难道在这种异常的遭遇下，还能坚信并忠诚于基督教的"信有上帝，且信他定会赏赐给那些苦苦寻觅乞求他的人"的说法吗？ Tom rose, disconsolate, and stumbled into the cabin that had been allotted to him. The floor was already strewn with weary sleepers, and the foul air of the place almost repelled him; but the heavy night-dews were chill, and his limbs weary, and, wrapping about him a tattered blanket, which formed his only bed-clothing, he stretched himself in the straw and fell asleep. 汤姆闷闷不乐地站了起来，步伐不稳地走进了指定安排给他的那间小屋。地上已经横七竖八地躺了许多疲惫困乏的人。屋子里那污浊的空气令汤姆作呕，但屋子外面风寒露重，他也困乏极了，便只好紧紧裹上那唯一一条用来御寒的破毯子，和衣倒在稻草堆上睡觉。 
梦中，他看见了一位仁慈的老人，听到了一种柔和的声音。他梦见自己正坐在庞恰特雷恩湖边公园的长满青苔的长椅上，而伊娃却垂着那双严肃而美丽的大眼睛，为他读《圣经》。她念道： "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and the rivers they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee; for I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour."" 你从水中经过，我必与你同行；你淌水过河，水必不漫过你；你从烈火中行过，必不被烧；因为我是耶和华你仁慈的上帝，是以色列的圣者你的救世主。"
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