目 录 上一节 下一节 
说句实在话，我们这位议员不巧正是位非常慈祥、仁道的人，拒绝一位处于困境中的人更不是他的长项，对他更为不利的是，在这场争论中，他的妻子对他这一点了如指掌，而且，她会毫不犹豫地攻击他最薄弱的部位。于是，他不得不采取一种拖延的办法，这种办法他在遇到类似处境时已使用过多次了，他"啊"了一声，并咳嗽了几次，把手帕拿出来不时擦拭着镜片。博德夫人见丈夫已丧失了保卫自己的领地的能力，也就不忍心再推进她的优势乘胜追击了。 "I should like to see you doing that, John--I really should! Turning a woman out of doors in a snowstorm, for instance; or may be you'd take her up and put her in jail, wouldn't you? You would make a great hand at that!"" 我希望亲眼见你这样做，约翰--我真希望！比如在个暴风雪的天气里把一个女人拒于门外，或者你把她送到监狱去，好吗？如果这样的话，你不久便会变得很善于做这种事的。" "Of course, it would be a very painful duty," began Mr. Bird, in a moderate tone." 当然，履行此项职责是令人倍感痛苦的。"博德先生以温和的语气说。 "Duty, John! don't use that word! You know it isn't a duty--it can't be a duty! If folks want to keep their slaves from running away, let 'em treat 'em well,--that's my doctrine. If I had slaves (as I hope I never shall have), I'd risk their wanting to run away from me, or you either, John. I tell you folks don't run away when they are happy; and when they do run, poor creatures! they suffer enough with cold and hunger and fear, without everybody's turning against them; and, law or no law, I never will, so help me God!"" 职责！约翰，不要用这个词！你知道这不能称为职责--它不是职责！如果人们想阻止他们的奴隶逃跑，那就请好好地对待他们--这就是我的原则。如果我拥有奴隶（但愿永远也没有），我会冒险让他们从你或我身边逃走的。我告诉你吧，人如果感到幸福的话，他们是不会逃跑的；如果他们逃跑，可怜的人儿！他们已经承受了足够的饥寒和恐惧的痛苦，即便不是每个人都轻视敌视他们。而且，不管有没有颁布法令，我还是不会那样去做，所以请上帝帮助我吧！" "Mary! Mary! My dear, let me reason with you."" 玛莉，玛莉，亲爱的，听我给你讲一讲道理。" 
约翰，我讨厌说教，尤其是就这件事进行的说教。你们这些政客非常擅长于在非常简明的事情上绕圈子，实际上呢，你们自己也不相信自己所说的。我了解你，约翰，你和我都不会相信，而且你也不会比我更着急去那样做。" At this critical juncture, old Cudjoe, the black man-of-all-work, put his head in at the door, and wished "Missis would come into the kitchen;" and our senator, tolerably relieved, looked after his little wife with a whimsical mixture of amusement and vexation, and, seating himself in the arm-chair, began to read the papers. 正在这个节骨眼上，黑人管家卡乔在门口露了一下脑袋，希望"太太到厨房来一下"，议员这时才松了口气，以一种哭笑不得的神情眼望着妻子出去，他便坐在扶手椅中拿起一份报纸看了起来。 After a moment, his wife's voice was heard at the door, in a quick, earnest tone,--"John! John! I do wish you'd come here, a moment." 不一会儿，门口传来了博德太太的呼唤，声音短促而急切--"约翰！约翰！我希望你过来一下。" He laid down his paper, and went into the kitchen, and started, quite amazed at the sight that presented itself:--A young and slender woman, with garments torn and frozen, with one shoe gone, and the stocking torn away from the cut and bleeding foot, was laid back in a deadly swoon upon two chairs. There was the impress of the despised race on her face, yet none could help feeling its mournful and pathetic beauty, while its stony sharpness, its cold, fixed, deathly aspect, struck a solemn chill over him. He drew his breath short, and stood in silence. His wife, and their only colored domestic, old Aunt Dinah, were busily engaged in restorative measures; while old Cudjoe had got the boy on his knee, and was busy pulling off his shoes and stockings, and chafing his little cold feet. 他放下手中的报纸去了厨房，他立刻被呈现于眼前的情景所震惊而不禁呆住了--一个身材瘦弱的年轻女子被放在了两张椅子上，已经昏迷了。她衣衫破烂，身体被冻得有些僵冷；她的一只脚光着，袜子也被划破了，脚上仍在流血。在她的脸上，印有一个倍受欺压的人种的记号，但人们还是不禁被她脸上所呈现出的悲惨、凄凉的美所打动。她那张僵硬、冰冷，死人似的脸庞，令博德先生非常害怕。他的呼吸变得紧促起来，只是呆呆地站在那里。博德太太和他们唯一的黑仆蒂娜姨妈都在忙着救治她。老卡乔把小男孩抱起，让他坐在自己的膝盖上，帮他脱掉鞋袜，使劲揉搓着他那双快要冻僵的小脚。 "Sure, now, if she an't a sight to behold!" said old Dinah, compassionately; "'pears like 't was the heat that made her faint. She was tol'able peart when she cum in, and asked if she couldn't warm herself here a spell; and I was just a-askin' her where she cum from, and she fainted right down. Never done much hard work, guess, by the looks of her hands."" 真是太悲惨了！"老蒂娜同情地说："好像因为这里很暖和，所以她才昏迷过去了。她刚进门时还好好的，并问我她是否可以在这儿暖和一下，我刚想问她是从哪儿来的，她就昏倒了。她没干过什么重活，这可以从她那双手上猜出来。" 
可怜的人儿！"博德夫人怜惜地说着，此时那女人缓慢地睁开双眼，一双黑眼睛茫然地看着她，突然，那女人脸上闪过一丝痛苦，她跳了起来并喊道："噢，我的哈里！他们抓住他了吗？" The boy, at this, jumped from Cudjoe's knee, and running to her side put up his arms. "O, he's here! he's here!" she exclaimed. 听到母亲的声音，小男孩从卡乔的膝头上跳了下来，跑到母亲身旁，举起了两只小手。 "O, ma'am!" said she, wildly, to Mrs. Bird, "do protect us! don't let them get him!"" 噢，他在这儿，在这儿！"女人叫喊着。"夫人，"她疯狂地向博德夫人叫喊着，"请你保护我们！别让他们抓到我们！" "Nobody shall hurt you here, poor woman," said Mrs. Bird, encouragingly. "You are safe; don't be afraid."" 可怜的女人，这儿没有人能伤害你们，"博德夫人鼓励他们说，"你们很安全，不要害怕。" "God bless you!" said the woman, covering her face and sobbing; while the little boy, seeing her crying, tried to get into her lap." 上帝保佑你！"女人说着便以手掩面哭了起来，男孩见妈妈哭了，便努力爬到了她的膝头上。 
在博德夫人那无人可以相媲美的温柔的女性的尽心呵护下，可怜的女人此时安静了许多。火炉边的靠椅上，人们帮她搭了个临时的床铺，不一会儿，她便沉沉地睡了。那个孩子显得很疲惫，此时也甜美地睡在母亲的怀中，人们曾出于好心想把孩子从她身边带走，但这种企图由于母亲的忧虑和警觉而被拒绝了，即使在睡梦中，她的胳膊依旧紧紧抱着他，看来即使她已经睡着了，人们还是没能使她放松警惕。 Mr. and Mrs. Bird had gone back to the parlor, where, strange as it may appear, no reference was made, on either side, to the preceding conversation; but Mrs. Bird busied herself with her knitting-work, and Mr. Bird pretended to be reading the paper. 博德夫妇回到起居室。奇怪的是，双方谁也没有再提到刚才的争论。博德夫人忙着她的编织活儿，博德先生则假装看报纸。 "I wonder who and what she is!" said Mr. Bird, at last, as he laid it down." 我正在想她是谁，是干什么的。"最后，博德先生放下手中的报纸说。 "When she wakes up and feels a little rested, we will see," said Mrs. Bird." 当她苏醒过来，休息一会儿后我们就会知道了。"博德夫人回答说。 "I say, wife!" said Mr. Bird after musing in silence over his newspaper." 我说，老伴儿！"博德先生看着报纸沉思了一会儿说道。 
嗯，亲爱的。" "She couldn't wear one of your gowns, could she, by any letting down, or such matter? She seems to be rather larger than you are."" 她穿不了你的衣服，能否把裙子边儿放长些或采取别的方法？看起来她比你高大多了。" A quite perceptible smile glimmered on Mrs. Bird's face, as she answered, "We'll see." 一个不易察觉的微笑在博德夫人脸上快速闪过，她答道："我们会想办法的。" Another pause, and Mr. Bird again broke out, 又停了一会儿，博德先生又说话了。 "I say, wife!"" 我说，老伴儿！" 
嗯，什么事？" "Why, there's that old bombazin cloak, that you keep on purpose to put over me when I take my afternoon's nap; you might as well give her that,--she needs clothes."" 咱们不是有件旧细纹黑衣服吗，是你专为我睡午觉时披的那件，你可以拿去给她穿--她没有衣服可穿。" At this instant, Dinah looked in to say that the woman was awake, and wanted to see Missis. 此时，蒂娜伸进头来说那个女人醒了，想见见夫人。 Mr. and Mrs. Bird went into the kitchen, followed by the two eldest boys, the smaller fry having, by this time, been safely disposed of in bed. 博德夫妇走进了厨房，身后面是两个年龄最大的儿子，那个小孩此时被稳妥地放在了床上。 The woman was now sitting up on the settle, by the fire. She was looking steadily into the blaze, with a calm, heart-broken expression, very different from her former agitated wildness. 那个女人正坐在炉火旁的椅子上。她以一种平静而极端伤心的表情凝视着火焰，这跟刚才的激动和疯狂简直判若两人。
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