目 录 上一节 下一节 
汤姆对其他人充满了同情和怜悯的心理。在他看来,痛苦对他已经显得不那么重要了,他热切地渴望上帝给予自己那份难能可贵的幸福与安宁和那些可怜人一块分享,希望可以带给他们点点安宁和幸运。这种机会在他身边不是很多,但在去地里干活和从地里返回的途中,以及干活的同时,他总是寻找合适机会,尽可能地援助那些病弱、疲惫不堪的可怜人。起初他这种看似愚昧的做法很让那帮人费解,长期遭受暴力欺凌已使他们变得麻木不仁。但汤姆没有因他们的迟钝丝毫动摇自己的意志,他将这种做法持续了一天又一天,一个月又一个月,终于有一天,他们那些麻木不仁,昏睡已久的头脑开始复苏了,有了一点反应。很自然地,他的沉默寡言、乐于助人对他们产生了一种很深的感染力,他总是那么无私,那么谦让,每当碰上好日子有东西分发下来的时候,他总是去得最迟,拿得最少,还总是不忘把自己那份少得可怜的食物分给其他的可怜人;在寒冷的冬天,夜里,他会无私地将自己那床破毯子铺到因患病而冻得发抖的妇女身上;在地里干活时,他会冒着挨打的风险,把自己的棉花塞到不足分量的人的篮子里;尽管他一样会受到那位暴君的惩罚,他却从来不诅咒痛骂,这是他与其他人不相同的地方。当农忙季节过去以后,他们终于获取了片刻的安宁,有权任意支配属于他们快乐的周末了。时常,很多人就会聚在一块,围着汤姆听他讲上帝的福音,念一段赞美诗。他们总是特别高兴能在那儿聚会,然后一起听他讲道,一起祈祷,一起祝愿。但烈格雷坚决制止他们这种做法。因此他多次捣乱聚会,企图打消他们这种念头。他在心里面时时都在诅咒他们。所以,一有好的音讯,他们只能悄悄地从一个人那儿传到另一个人那儿。这些被世人遗忘的可怜人,他们的生命只是一条通往茫茫无归途的黑暗旅程。因而,在听说有慈悲的天主和幸福的天国时,他们掩不住从心底发出一阵窃喜。传教士们曾经说过,不论在世界上的哪一个民族,都不会像非洲人那样虔诚那么热切地崇拜上帝。其基础是毫无依靠和毫无援助的前提条件,这一原理恰恰是非洲人与生俱来的本性,其它的民族很难有这种理念。人们时常发现,在这些难民当中,只要有一颗随意洒落的真理的种子,它们都会生根发芽,很好地发展下去,其昌盛程度会令那些有名望的文明人侧目,自惭形秽。 The poor mulatto woman, whose simple faith had been well-nigh crushed and overwhelmed, by the avalanche of cruelty and wrong which had fallen upon her, felt her soul raised up by the hymns and passages of Holy Writ, which this lowly missionary breathed into her ear in intervals, as they were going to and returning from work; and even the half-crazed and wandering mind of Cassy was soothed and calmed by his simple and unobtrusive influences. 至于那个不幸的混血女人,强加在她身上残酷的迫害和灾难,几乎彻底涡灭了她本能的善良和希望。在他们干完地里的活回来的途中,她意外地听见了一位地位卑微的传教士在唱赞美诗,朗诵《圣经》上的一些段落,刹那间她觉得体内注入了一种兴奋剂,精神一下就振作起来了。卡西似乎处于半沉睡半疯癫的状态,感染他那和善谦逊的态度,她也受到了深深的影响,觉得日趋不平衡的心理暂时得到了抚慰,所以她的情绪变得比以前平静多了。 Stung to madness and despair by the crushing agonies of a life, Cassy had often resolved in her soul an hour of retribution, when her hand should avenge on her oppressor all the injustice and cruelty to which she had been witness, or which _she_ had in her own person suffered. 卡西一生遭受了无数次厄运,她历经的痛苦折磨使她几近疯狂、绝望之际。她时常暗自在心里下决心,一定要用自己的智慧亲手杀死那恶棍,让他备受折磨,像他惨不忍睹地伤害他人和推残自己一样。 One night, after all in Tom's cabin were sunk in sleep, he was suddenly aroused by seeing her face at the hole between the logs, that served for a window. She made a silent gesture for him to come out. 有一天晚上,大家都已熟睡,汤姆却突然惊醒了过来。他四周打量着沉睡中的人们,无意中透过圆木头板中那当作窗户使用的小洞眼时,他惊呆了,这时他看见了一双闪烁着狂野和复仇火焰的眼睛,那是卡西,她瞧他做了个手势,示意他出来。 Tom came out the door. It was between one and two o'clock at night,--broad, calm, still moonlight. Tom remarked, as the light of the moon fell upon Cassy's large, black eyes, that there was a wild and peculiar glare in them, unlike their wonted fixed despair. 汤姆走出了房问。这是午夜一两点钟左右,月光如水般照在卡西那双清彻透明的大眼睛上,周围万籁俱静。汤姆发现现在的卡西与平时有着截然不同的表情,凝滞绝望的眼神不见了,取而代之的是里面闪烁着兴奋而奇异的光芒。 
到这边来!汤姆,我有话要跟你说。"她用自己的那双小手紧紧地攥着汤姆的臂膀,用力地拉着他向前走。那双小手仿佛是钢筋铁骨铸成的,有使不完的劲。 "What, Misse Cassy?" said Tom, anxiously." 卡西太太,你到底有什么话要说啊!"汤姆奇怪地问道。 "Tom, wouldn't you like your liberty?"" 我问你,你想重获自由吗?" "I shall have it, Misse, in God's time," said Tom. "Ay, but you may have it tonight," said Cassy, with a flash of sudden energy. "Come on."" 太太,当上帝要让我自由的时候我就自由了。""汤姆,可是今天晚上你就有机会自由了,"卡西陡然提高了声音,继续说道,"跟我来吧!" Tom hesitated. 汤姆犹豫了。 
快点走啊!快点!"她那双黑白分明的大眼睛,闪烁着希冀的光芒。用兴奋的口气说,"他现在睡得像条死猪呢?一下子绝对醒不过来。我往他的白兰地酒里倒了些安眠药,药力已经起效。我真后悔没有多放几颗进去,要不就不用来叫你了。可现在,干完这些以后,我的手臂已经开始发软,快跟我来,后门没有锁,那儿放着把斧头,因为他的房门开着。来,快点,跟着我!" I'd a done it myself, only my arms are so weak. Come along!"" 太太,你不能这么做。"汤姆坚决地停住了自己的脚步,拼命地拉着她的手,不让她继续往前走。 "Not for ten thousand worlds, Misse!" said Tom, firmly, stopping and holding her back, as she was pressing forward."But think of all these poor creatures," said Cassy. "We might set them all free, and go somewhere in the swamps, and find an island, and live by ourselves; I've heard of its being done. Any life is better than this."" 不为自己想,也替那些可怜人想想呀!"卡西生气地说,"我们乘着黑夜,把他们都放走。然后我们藏到那块沼泽地里去,只要躲过这一关,我们便可安全地迁往一座美丽的小岛,大家在一块过着幸幸福福的生活。以前,我听谁说有人这么干过,我真希望能过那种幸福的生活。" "No!" said Tom, firmly. "No! good never comes of wickedness. I'd sooner chop my right hand off!"" 不行,我们绝对不能这么做,那会遭报应的。"汤姆肯定地说,"我宁愿在这受苦受难,宁可砍断自己的右手也不干这种事情。" "Then _I_ shall do it," said Cassy, turning." 你不干,那就看我的吧!"卡西转身想走。 
噢!卡西太太,求您看在上帝赐你生命的份上,别去出卖自己的灵魂吧!"汤姆跪在地上诚恳地说,"一旦你把灵魂交给了罪恶的魔鬼,你就可能带来罪恶呀!上帝赋予我们善良的本性,并没有叫我们去报仇,我们必须忍受暂时的苦难,等待上帝给予我们好的安排!" "Wait!" said Cassy. "Haven't I waited?--waited till my head is dizzy and my heart sick? What has he made me suffer? What has he made hundreds of poor creatures suffer? Isn't he wringing the life-blood out of you? I'm called on; they call me! His time's come, and I'll have his heart's blood!"" 等待!我已经等待够了。"卡西痛苦地喊道,"难道我不曾等待吗?从我踏入这个庄园开始,我就一直在忍受,在受折磨中等待。可他根本没有丝毫回心转意的念头,每天都有许多可怜人要受到他的迫害。日复一日,年复一年,这种无休止的摧残只会榨干你的血汗直到你在痛苦中死去。上帝他不会怪罪我,如果他真要怪罪的话,我责无旁贷。至于他,我一定会要了他的命。" "No, no, no!" said Tom, holding her small hands, which were clenched with spasmodic violence. "No, ye poor, lost soul, that ye mustn't do. The dear, blessed Lord never shed no blood but his own, and that he poured out for us when we was enemies. Lord, help us to follow his steps, and love our enemies."" 不能,不能这么做呀!"汤姆使劲地拉住他的手,由于太用力,那双手被攥得一阵痉挛。汤姆继续说道:"你千万不能这么做呀!你这忘了归途的小羊羔。仁慈的上帝宁可让自己流血流泪,也不让他人受罪。即使对待他的敌人,他也依然如此。上帝!请睁眼看看我们吧!给我们援手,让我们瞧着你走的那条路去爱别人,也爱我们的敌人吧!" "Love!" said Cassy, with a fierce glare; "love _such_ enemies! It isn't in flesh and blood."" 爱,去爱我们的敌人!有感情的人类肯定无法做到。"卡西斩钉截铁地说。 "No, Misse, it isn't," said Tom, looking up; "but _He_ gives it to us, and that's the victory. When we can love and pray over all and through all, the battle's past, and the victory's come,--glory be to God!" And, with streaming eyes and choking voice, the black man looked up to heaven." 你说的对,太太!是的,有感情的人类很难做到这一点,但上帝赋予我们博大的爱心--包括万物,那就等于胜利。"汤姆稍微抬起了头继续说道,"不论我们在任何时候,只要想到如何去善待别人,超越时空地去爱、去感化、去祈祷时,矛盾和战争也就无处可存,胜利就要来到,功绩归于我们万能的上帝!"说完这些,汤姆的眼睛潮湿了,他哽咽地抬头望着夜空。 
啊!非洲!你是最后一次被上帝召唤的民族呀!你这次给召去被戴上荆刺的帽子,要受烤打摧残,去滴血滴汗,担起受折磨的十字架的民族啊!这一切都是你的功劳啊!当基督的国王来到人类的时候,你会因为这些与他一起为君的。
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