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呸！"汤姆说，"难道我不明白吗？别再和我说这些让我难受的道理了，现在我都快要出离气愤了。"说着，汤姆把剩下的半杯白兰地全喝完了。 "I say," said Haley, and leaning back in his chair and gesturing impressively, "I'll say this now, I al'ays meant to drive my trade so as to make money on 't _fust and foremost_, as much as any man; but, then, trade an't everything, and money an't everything, 'cause we 's all got souls. I don't care, now, who hears me say it,--and I think a cussed sight on it,--so I may as well come out with it. I b'lieve in religion, and one of these days, when I've got matters tight and snug, I calculates to tend to my soul and them ar matters; and so what's the use of doin' any more wickedness than 's re'lly necessary?--it don't seem to me it's 't all prudent."" 我说，"赫利说着，身子斜靠在椅子上，使劲挥了一下手，"我要承认，我做这种生意全都是为了赚钱。但钱不能代表一切，我们也不是说除了做奴隶生意外不能做别的生意。我们全都有灵魂，不管谁听到我说这些话，我都不在乎。现在不如我把事情都讲个明白吧。我是个信教的人，我也想有朝一日能过上舒服的生活，我想拯救一下自己的灵魂。如果不是万不得已，我为什么还要做坏事呢？现在做事情还是要谨慎一点。" "Tend to yer soul!" repeated Tom, contemptuously; "take a bright lookout to find a soul in you,--save yourself any care on that score. If the devil sifts you through a hair sieve, he won't find one."" 拯救你的灵魂！"汤姆轻蔑地反复说着，"如果想在你身上找到灵魂，那还真是麻烦事，你还是省点事吧。即使魔鬼用筛头发的筛子把你筛个遍儿，他也不会找到灵魂的。" "Why, Tom, you're cross," said Haley; "why can't ye take it pleasant, now, when a feller's talking for your good?"" 汤姆，你怎么生气了，"赫利说，"你为什么不泰然听之呢？我说的话都是为了你好。" "Stop that ar jaw o' yourn, there," said Tom, gruffly. "I can stand most any talk o' yourn but your pious talk,--that kills me right up. After all, what's the odds between me and you? 'Tan't that you care one bit more, or have a bit more feelin'--it's clean, sheer, dog meanness, wanting to cheat the devil and save your own skin; don't I see through it? And your `gettin' religion,' as you call it, arter all, is too p'isin mean for any crittur;--run up a bill with the devil all your life, and then sneak out when pay time comes! Bob!"" 别再说下去了，"汤姆气愤地说，"我可以听信你的大多数话，但你老说什么灵魂真让人受不了，这样会杀死我的。毕竟，我们之间有什么差别呢？难道你的良心比我好吗？你的感情比我善良吗？这些话都是那样的卑鄙！你想欺骗魔鬼，拯救你的灵魂，难道我还不明白你的心思吗？你说什么自己信仰宗教，那全都是鬼话，是骗人的。你这辈子已经欠了魔鬼那么多债，现在要算帐了，你却想溜走，没门。" 
哎，算了，先生们，我说我们这不像谈生意，"马科斯说，"人们可以从不同的角度来看待同一事物。赫利先生是个好人，无疑他富有正义感，有良心。汤姆，你有你的处世之道，而且也很不错。但你知道争吵无助于问题的解决。让我们步入正题吧。赫利先生，你说的是什么事情？你想让我们去抓那女人，是吗？" "The gal's no matter of mine,--she's Shelby's; it's only the boy. I was a fool for buying the monkey!"" 那女人不关我的事，她还属于希尔比，我要抓那个小孩，买了那个小猴子，真是傻到家了。" "You're generally a fool!" said Tom, gruffly." 你本来就傻到家了！"汤姆气愤地说。 "Come, now, Loker, none of your huffs," said Marks, licking his lips; "you see, Mr. Haley 's a puttin' us in a way of a good job, I reckon; just hold still--these yer arrangements is my forte. This yer gal, Mr. Haley, how is she? what is she?"" 算了，洛科，别再气愤了，"马科斯说着，舔了舔自己的嘴唇，"你看，赫利先生不是让我们有了一份好工作去做吗？你还是在那儿坐着吧，我可是善于谈生意。我说赫利先生，那女人长相怎样？她是做什么工作的？" "Wal! white and handsome--well brought up. I'd a gin Shelby eight hundred or a thousand, and then made well on her."" 哇！她皮肤很白，长得非常迷人，而且受过良好的教育。我曾打算付给希尔比八百或一千块钱把她买过来，也好从她身上发一笔财。" 
白色的皮肤，长相迷人，还受过良好的教育！"马科斯那犀利的眼睛、鼻子和嘴无一不因为惊讶而活跃起来，"听着，洛科，诱人的开场白。我们甚至可以在这儿做一笔自己的生意。我们同意帮你抓他们。当然那孩子归赫利先生所有，我们把那女人带到奥尔良去赚一笔。难道这不诱人吗？" Tom, whose great heavy mouth had stood ajar during this communication, now suddenly snapped it together, as a big dog closes on a piece of meat, and seemed to be digesting the idea at his leisure. 汤姆大而厚的嘴巴在谈话中一直大张着，此时却突然闭上了，就像一条大狗咬住了一块肉似的，看起来他在悠闲地咀嚼着这桩生意。 "Ye see," said Marks to Haley, stirring his punch as he did so, "ye see, we has justices convenient at all p'ints along shore, that does up any little jobs in our line quite reasonable. Tom, he does the knockin' down and that ar; and I come in all dressed up--shining boots--everything first chop, when the swearin' 's to be done. You oughter see, now," said Marks, in a glow of professional pride, "how I can tone it off. One day, I'm Mr. Twickem, from New Orleans; 'nother day, I'm just come from my plantation on Pearl river, where I works seven hundred niggers; then, again, I come out a distant relation of Henry Clay, or some old cock in Kentuck. Talents is different, you know. Now, Tom's roarer when there's any thumping or fighting to be done; but at lying he an't good, Tom an't,--ye see it don't come natural to him; but, Lord, if thar's a feller in the country that can swear to anything and everything, and put in all the circumstances and flourishes with a long face, and carry 't through better 'n I can, why, I'd like to see him, that's all! I b'lieve my heart, I could get along and snake through, even if justices were more particular than they is. Sometimes I rather wish they was more particular; 't would be a heap more relishin' if they was,--more fun, yer know."" 你知道，"马科斯对赫利说，"我们得到了沿途各个码头法院提供便利的许可，他们常帮我们做些琐碎的事，当然我们也花些钱。汤姆负责打架动手之类的事，我则穿戴齐整地站出来用发誓来圆场，我把皮鞋擦得锃亮，身上穿戴的都是最好的衣物。你要明白，"马科斯说，脸上透露出一种职业的自豪，"我很善于处理这方面的事。今天，我是从新奥尔良来的特卡姆先生，明天，我则成了一个珍珠河边的庄园主，拥有七百个奴隶。说不定哪天我又摇身一变成了亨瑞·克莱先生或者肯塔基的一个老资格的人的亲信。你知道，人的天份各不相同。如果需要打架之类的人，汤姆因为嗓门大而当选；但汤姆不善于撒谎和动嘴，你知道，对他来说那不是他生下来就擅长的。如果这个国家有这样一个人，无论做什么事，他都能一本正经地向上天发誓，无论遇到什么情况，他都可以把它吹得神乎其神，并能出色漂亮地把事情处理好，那我真想早日见到他。事情就是这样的。我对自己充满自信，即使某些部门比它们看起来更难缠，我也可以把它摆平并蒙混过关。有时，我甚至希望它们再难缠些，再给我找些麻烦，你知道，只有那样，事情才更加趣味盎然。" Tom Loker, who, as we have made it appear, was a man of slow thoughts and movements, here interrupted Marks by bringing his heavy fist down on the table, so as to make all ring again, _"It'll do!"_ he said. 洛科，那个我们已让他上场的人，那个反应慢、动作迟钝的家伙，这时突然用拳重重地打在桌子上，打断了马科斯的话，桌子上的东西都被震得响了起来，"你说得已经够多了！"他说。 "Lord bless ye, Tom, ye needn't break all the glasses!" said Marks; "save your fist for time o' need."" 上帝保佑，汤姆，你不必把所有的杯子都打碎，"马科斯说，"收起你的拳头，等到需要时再把它拿出来吧。" 
但是先生们，难道我不能从中分得一杯羹吗？"赫利问道。 "An't it enough we catch the boy for ye?" said Loker. "What do ye want?"" 我们帮你抓回那个孩子，这还不够吗？"洛科说，"你还想要什么？" "Wal," said Haley, "if I gives you the job, it's worth something,--say ten per cent. on the profits, expenses paid."" 嗯，"赫利说，"我交给你们这份工作，它是有利可图的，我看除花销外，你们要付我百分之十的利润。" "Now," said Loker, with a tremendous oath, and striking the table with his heavy fist, "don't I know _you_, Dan Haley? Don't you think to come it over me! Suppose Marks and I have taken up the catchin' trade, jest to 'commodate gentlemen like you, and get nothin' for ourselves?--Not by a long chalk! we'll have the gal out and out, and you keep quiet, or, ye see, we'll have both,--what's to hinder? Han't you show'd us the game? It's as free to us as you, I hope. If you or Shelby wants to chase us, look where the partridges was last year; if you find them or us, you're quite welcome."" 我还不了解你丹·赫利吗？"洛科狠狠地骂道，并使劲用拳头敲着桌子，"你不要指望跟我玩花招，你认为我和马科斯干抓逃跑的黑奴的生意，只是为取悦像你这样的绅士们吗？难道我们不为自己谋得些利益吗？事情并非如此！那女人归我们，你就老实点吧，你知道，如果我们想要那两个人，谁敢有异议？你不是告诉我们猎物的情况了吗，我想，你和我们都可以追捕他们。如果你和希尔比想抓我们，还是去找我们去年追丢的松鸡吧。如果你发现他们或追上我们，我们会很欢迎的。" "O, wal, certainly, jest let it go at that," said Haley, alarmed; "you catch the boy for the job;--you allers did trade _far_ with me, Tom, and was up to yer word."" 噢，当然，就按你们说的吧，"赫利警觉地说，"你们只管抓孩子，汤姆，以前我们都是公平交易的，大家要遵守诺言。" 
你知道的，"汤姆说，"我不会像你那样猫哭耗子--假慈悲。即便跟魔鬼做生意，我也不会失信。我说到就一定做到。丹·赫利，你对我是很了解的。" "Jes so, jes so,--I said so, Tom," said Haley; "and if you'd only promise to have the boy for me in a week, at any point you'll name, that's all I want."" 是的，是的，汤姆，我也是那样说的，"赫利说，"只要你帮我在一周内抓到那孩子，你可以随便指定我们的见面地点，这是我所要求你做到的。" "But it an't all I want, by a long jump," said Tom. "Ye don't think I did business with you, down in Natchez, for nothing, Haley; I've learned to hold an eel, when I catch him. You've got to fork over fifty dollars, flat down, or this child don't start a peg. I know yer."" 但这并不是我要求的全部，"汤姆说，"你这次别再指望我为你白白干活了，赫利，就像上次在纳特切斯一样。当抓到泥鳅时，我已学会把它牢牢抓住不放手。直说吧，你必须先付给我们五十美元，否则你别想得到那孩子。我是太了解你了。"
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