目 录 上一节 下一节 
今天早晨老爷没按计划出门,我很高兴。"汤姆说,"如果他按计划出门了,那会比卖掉我更让我伤心。他远离这里对他来说也许很自然,但我会感到很难受的。他还是个婴儿时,我就认识他了,我是看着他长大成人的。我走之前已经见过老爷的面了。主人也是别无选择,他的选择是正确的,我觉得我们应顺从上帝的安排。但我很担心,我怕以后事情会变得很糟。我们不能让老爷也像我一样到处去察看,处理农庄的事务。孩子们心肠都很好,但你们做事很粗心,这使我难以安心离去。" The bell here rang, and Tom was summoned to the parlor. 铃响了,汤姆被叫进大厅。 "Tom," said his master, kindly, "I want you to notice that I give this gentleman bonds to forfeit a thousand dollars if you are not on the spot when he wants you; he's going today to look after his other business, and you can have the day to yourself. Go anywhere you like, boy."" 汤姆,"主人和蔼地说,"我想让你明白,我和这位先生订了个协议,他来要人时,如果你不在,我就要付给他一千美元。今天他忙着做别的事,所以今天你是自由的,你可以去你想去的地方,汤姆。" "Thank you, Mas'r," said Tom." 谢谢你,老爷。"汤姆说。 "And mind yourself," said the trader, "and don't come it over your master with any o' yer nigger tricks; for I'll take every cent out of him, if you an't thar. If he'd hear to me, he wouldn't trust any on ye--slippery as eels!"" 你要当心点,"奴隶贩子说,"不要和主人玩你们这些黑鬼的小聪明了。如果我找不到你,我会让他变得身无分文。如果他相信我,就不应该相信你们,你们比泥鳅还要滑。" 
老爷,"汤姆说,他直直地站在那儿,"老太太第一次把你交给我时,我八岁,你只有几个月大。太太说,'汤姆,这是小主人,好好照看他。'老爷,现在我只想问你一句,自从我信仰基督教以来,我是否失信于你?我是否反对过你?" Mr. Shelby was fairly overcome, and the tears rose to his eyes. 希尔比先生感动得泪水在眼眶中打转。 "My good boy," said he, "the Lord knows you say but the truth; and if I was able to help it, all the world shouldn't buy you."" 好孩子,"他说,"上帝知道你说的都是真话。如果我可以选择的话,就算整个世界也别想买走你。" "And sure as I am a Christian woman," said Mrs. Shelby, "you shall be redeemed as soon as I can any bring together means. Sir," she said to Haley, "take good account of who you sell him to, and let me know."" 我以女基督徒的名义发誓,"希尔比太太说,"只要攒够钱,我就赎你回来。"她对赫利说,"请留意他是被谁买走的,到时通知我。" "Lor, yes, for that matter," said the trader, "I may bring him up in a year, not much the wuss for wear, and trade him back."" 这事很容易做到,"奴隶贩子说,"也许我会在一年后把他买回来卖给你,他不会少几根头发的。" 
我会再次和你做生意,并让你多赚一点钱。"希尔比太太说。 "Of course," said the trader, "all 's equal with me; li'ves trade 'em up as down, so I does a good business. All I want is a livin', you know, ma'am; that's all any on us wants, I, s'pose."" 当然可以,"奴隶贩子说,"对我来说,怎么样都不亏。我既往南也往北卖奴隶,所以我生意兴隆。你知道,太太,我只想生存,我想那是我们所期望得到的。" Mr. and Mrs. Shelby both felt annoyed and degraded by the familiar impudence of the trader, and yet both saw the absolute necessity of putting a constraint on their feelings. The more hopelessly sordid and insensible he appeared, the greater became Mrs. Shelby's dread of his succeeding in recapturing Eliza and her child, and of course the greater her motive for detaining him by every female artifice. She therefore graciously smiled, assented, chatted familiarly, and did all she could to make time pass imperceptibly. 对于奴隶贩子的厚颜无耻,希尔比夫妇均感到既愤怒又丢人,但他们都明白此时控制自己的感情是很必要的。他的表现越卑鄙,希尔比太太越是担心他抓到艾莉查和她的孩子哈里,因此她更决心以妇女特有的计谋和他周旋。她优雅地笑着,随意附和着奴隶贩子的观点,并亲切地和他交谈,总之她尽了全力来使时间不被人注意地逝去。 At two o'clock Sam and Andy brought the horses up to the posts, apparently greatly refreshed and invigorated by the scamper of the morning. 两点钟时,山姆和艾迪把马拴在了树桩上,显然上午的追逐使他们更加精神焕发,仿佛浑身有使不完的劲。 Sam was there new oiled from dinner, with an abundance of zealous and ready officiousness. As Haley approached, he was boasting, in flourishing style, to Andy, of the evident and eminent success of the operation, now that he had "farly come to it." 吃完饭后,山姆又是精神焕发,显得是那样的热情殷勤。当赫利走过来时,他正活跃地向莫迪吹嘘说他已"做好了一切准备",这次一定会成功。 
我想你们的主人不会养狗吧。"赫利上马时若有所思地说。 "Heaps on 'em," said Sam, triumphantly; "thar's Bruno--he's a roarer! and, besides that, 'bout every nigger of us keeps a pup of some natur or uther."" 有很多狗,"山姆得意地说,"它叫布鲁诺,叫声响亮。另外,每个黑人都养着一条各具特色的狗。" "Poh!" said Haley,--and he said something else, too, with regard to the said dogs, at which Sam muttered," 呸!"赫利骂道,对刚才所提到的狗,赫利又骂了几句话。对此,山姆低声嘀咕道: "I don't see no use cussin' on 'em, no way."" 我不明白他骂狗有什么用。" "But your master don't keep no dogs (I pretty much know he don't) for trackin' out niggers."" 你们主人有没有喂养专门追捕逃跑的人的狗?我相信他没有养。" 
山姆明白了赫利所说话的意思,但他还是装出一副傻傻的样子。 "Our dogs all smells round considable sharp. I spect they's the kind, though they han't never had no practice. They 's _far_ dogs, though, at most anything, if you'd get 'em started. Here, Bruno," he called, whistling to the lumbering Newfoundland, who came pitching tumultuously toward them." 我们养的狗嗅觉都很灵敏,我想它们属于你说的那种狗,尽管它们从来没被用来追捕过逃犯。如果你使用它们,它们就会跑得远。过来,布鲁诺。"他吹口哨叫着那只纽芬兰狗。它懒懒地晃着身子朝他跑了过来。 "You go hang!" said Haley, getting up. "Come, tumble up now."" 你去死吧!"说着,赫利便骑上马,"快点,上马。" Sam tumbled up accordingly, dexterously contriving to tickle Andy as he did so, which occasioned Andy to split out into a laugh, greatly to Haley's indignation, who made a cut at him with his riding-whip. 山姆顺从地上了马,他逗着艾迪,这使得艾迪不停地笑着。赫利忍无可忍,便用马鞭狠劲抽了他一下。 "I 's 'stonished at yer, Andy," said Sam, with awful gravity. "This yer's a seris bisness, Andy. Yer mustn't be a makin' game. This yer an't no way to help Mas'r."" 艾迪,我真是很吃惊,"山姆认真地说,"这事很严重,艾迪。你不要不重视它,那样就不能帮老爷的忙了。" 
我想一直向前走直到河边,"赫利说,语气很坚定。当他们快走出农庄时,他说,"我知道你们的办事之道,你们经常往地下钻。" "Sartin," said Sam, "dat's de idee. Mas'r Haley hits de thing right in de middle. Now, der's two roads to de river,--de dirt road and der pike,--which Mas'r mean to take?"Andy looked up innocently at Sam, surprised at hearing this new geographical fact, but instantly confirmed what he said, by a vehement reiteration." 当然,"山姆说,"事实是这样的。赫利老爷说得很对。喏,到河边去有两条路,老爷打算走土路呢,还是大路呢?"艾迪看着山姆,心中感到很奇怪,因为他听到了关于地理方面的新知识。但很快他就重复着山姆问的问题,以证实山姆说的是真实的情况。 "Cause," said Sam, "I'd rather be 'clined to 'magine that Lizy 'd take de dirt road, bein' it's the least travelled."" 当然了,我认为莉兹走的是土路,因为很少有人走那条路。"山姆说。 Haley, notwithstanding that he was a very old bird, and naturally inclined to be suspicious of chaff, was rather brought up by this view of the case. 赫利自认为自己不是一只省油的灯,也不会轻意相信那些玩笑话,但听了山姆说的话以后,他也不得不先停下来仔细考虑一下。 "If yer warn't both on yer such cussed liars, now!" he said, contemplatively as he pondered a moment." 你们不是说假话才怪呢!"仔细考虑后,赫利沉声说。 
赫利说话时那种若有所思的表情让艾迪觉得可笑,于是他就放慢马速落在了后面,心里乐得简直要从马上掉下来;但山姆却没露声色,他的脸阴沉沉的,看着很伤心。
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