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你想见我，是吗？"博德夫人温和地问道，"希望你现在感觉舒服一些了，可怜的人儿！" A long-drawn, shivering sigh was the only answer; but she lifted her dark eyes, and fixed them on her with such a forlorn and imploring expression, that the tears came into the little woman's eyes. 那女人发出一声颤抖的叹息，那是她所做的唯一的答复，她抬起那双乌黑发亮的眼睛，以一种凄惨而惶恐的目光看着博德夫人，一汪泪水在眼眶中打着转儿。 "You needn't be afraid of anything; we are friends here, poor woman! Tell me where you came from, and what you want," said she." 不要怕，可怜的人儿。在这个地方我们都是朋友，告诉我你是从哪儿来的，你需要什么东西。"博德先生说。 "I came from Kentucky," said the woman." 我从肯塔基来。"女人说。 "When?" said Mr. Bird, taking up the interogatory." 什么时候来到这儿的？"博德先生继续问道。 
今天晚上。" "How did you come?"" 你怎么来的？" "I crossed on the ice."" 我从冰上过来的。" "Crossed on the ice!" said every one present." 从冰上过来的？！"大家齐声问道。 "Yes," said the woman, slowly, "I did. God helping me, I crossed on the ice; for they were behind me--right behind--and there was no other way!"" 是的，"女人缓声说，"我确实是从冰上过来的。上帝暗中助我从冰上过来，他们紧跟在身后追赶我，我没有别的路可走了。" 
老天爷，"卡乔惊讶地说，"那些冰都是断开的，漂在水面上。" "I know it was--I know it!" said she, wildly; "but I did it! I wouldn't have thought I could,--I didn't think I should get over, but I didn't care! I could but die, if I didn't. The Lord helped me; nobody knows how much the Lord can help 'em, till they try," said the woman, with a flashing eye." 我知道的，我知道的，"她急切地说，"我竟然过来了，我没有想到我能过来--我还以为自己过不来了。但我没考虑那么多！因为如果我不这样做的话，那就只有死路一条。上帝暗中帮助了我，你如果没有尝试过，你就不会知道上帝给予的帮助会有多么大。"说着，女人的眼中不禁泪光闪闪。 "Were you a slave?" said Mr. Bird." 你是奴隶吗？"博德先生问。 "Yes, sir; I belonged to a man in Kentucky."" 先生，我是奴隶，我的主人住在肯塔基。" "Was he unkind to you?"" 难道是他对你不好？" 
不，先生！他是个好主人。" "And was your mistress unkind to you?"" 那么是你的女主人对你不好吗？" "No, sir--no! my mistress was always good to me."" 不是的，先生，不是，我的女主人对我非常好。" "What could induce you to leave a good home, then, and run away, and go through such dangers?"" 那你为什么要离开这么好的家庭，而甘愿跑出来冒险呢？" The woman looked up at Mrs. Bird, with a keen, scrutinizing glance, and it did not escape her that she was dressed in deep mourning. 女人抬起了头，仔细打量了博德夫人一眼，她看到博德夫人正在服丧。 
夫人，"她突然问，"你失去了孩子吗？" The question was unexpected, and it was thrust on a new wound; for it was only a month since a darling child of the family had been laid in the grave. 这个意外的问题正好触到了夫人的痛处。就在一个月前，博德家埋葬了一个可爱的孩子。 Mr. Bird turned around and walked to the window, and Mrs. Bird burst into tears; but, recovering her voice, she said,"Why do you ask that? I have lost a little one." 博德先生转身走到了窗子前，博德夫人则禁不住哭出来。过了一会，他们才恢复了常态。夫人说："你为什么问这种问题，我确实是刚失去一个孩子。" "Then you will feel for me. I have lost two, one after another,--left 'em buried there when I came away; and I had only this one left. I never slept a night without him; he was all I had. He was my comfort and pride, day and night; and, ma'am, they were going to take him away from me,--to _sell_ him,--sell him down south, ma'am, to go all alone,--a baby that had never been away from his mother in his life! I couldn't stand it, ma'am. I knew I never should be good for anything, if they did; and when I knew the papers the papers were signed, and he was sold, I took him and came off in the night; and they chased me,--the man that bought him, and some of Mas'r's folks,--and they were coming down right behind me, and I heard 'em. I jumped right on to the ice; and how I got across, I don't know,--but, first I knew, a man was helping me up the bank."" 那样的话你会理解我的。我接连失去了两个孩子，我把他们留在了那边的坟墓里，现在我只有这个孩子了。每天晚上，我都会带他一起睡觉，他是我的全部，也是我的慰藉和骄傲；亲爱的夫人，他们想把他夺走，从我身边把他卖到南方去，夫人，就让他，这个从没离开过母亲的孩子去？夫人，我知道我不能承受这个的，如果他们这样做，我知道我就完了；我知道他们签订了契约，我知道他被卖给别的人了，于是我连夜带着他逃跑了，那个买他的人还有我的主人的人，他们都在我身后追赶我，我能听到他们的声音。我一下子跳到了冰筏上，我也不知道自己是怎么从河上过来的，事后我知道的第一件事是有人把我拉上了堤岸。" The woman did not sob nor weep. She had gone to a place where tears are dry; but every one around her was, in some way characteristic of themselves, showing signs of hearty sympathy. 女人既没有哭泣也没有流眼泪，她的眼泪已经全都流完了，身旁的人们也以各自独特的方式表示了对她的遭遇的同情。 
两个小男孩在自己的口袋里翻来翻去地找寻手帕，但妈妈早已知道口袋里肯定没有手帕，事实正是如此，他们只好扑到妈妈的怀中，大声哭了起来，鼻涕、眼泪弄得妈妈全身都是--博德夫人用手帕遮挡着脸；老蒂娜诚实、黑亮的脸庞上眼泪横流，她热情地高声喊着："上帝，请可怜一下我们吧！"--老蒂娜拉长着脸，并用衣袖使劲揉着眼睛，不时激动地高声呼喊着那句话。作为一名政府高级官员，我们当然不能期望我们的议员先生也大声哭出声来，就像大家所做的那样。他只是背对大家，凝神望向窗外，似乎仍在忙着清一清喉咙或擦一擦眼镜片，如果人们留心注意的话，他擤鼻子的动作都会让人们有所怀疑。 "How came you to tell me you had a kind master?" he suddenly exclaimed, gulping down very resolutely some kind of rising in his throat, and turning suddenly round upon the woman." 你怎么会说你的主人很仁慈呢？"他突然转身问道，他使劲吞咽着，好像嗓子里有什么东西要冒出来。 "Because he _was_ a kind master; I'll say that of him, any way;--and my mistress was kind; but they couldn't help themselves. They were owing money; and there was some way, I can't tell how, that a man had a hold on them, and they were obliged to give him his will. I listened, and heard him telling mistress that, and she begging and pleading for me,--and he told her he couldn't help himself, and that the papers were all drawn;--and then it was I took him and left my home, and came away. I knew 't was no use of my trying to live, if they did it; for 't 'pears like this child is all I have."" 因为他的确很仁慈，不管怎么样，我都会这样评价他--我也有一位很好的女主人；但因为他们欠别人钱，所以他们无可选择；也说不清为什么，有人莫名其妙地把他们控制了，他们必须要满足他的要求。我偷偷听了他们的谈话，听到他在和女主人说话，而女主人在为我向他哀求，他告诉女主人，他已别无选择，他已经签了契约--然后，我就带着孩子从家中跑了出来。我知道如果他们夺走我的孩子，我也活不下去了，因为对于我来说，孩子就是一切。" "Have you no husband?"" 你没有丈夫吗？" "Yes, but he belongs to another man. His master is real hard to him, and won't let him come to see me, hardly ever; and he's grown harder and harder upon us, and he threatens to sell him down south;--it's like I'll never see _him_ again!"" 我有丈夫，但他另有主人。那个人对他很厉害，不允许他来看我，对我们也不好，他还说要把我丈夫卖到南方去--也许我再也见不到他了。" 
如果让一个只会观察事物表面现象的人来判断的话，这女人一定是一个冷漠无情的人，因为她说话时语气是那样平静；但她那双乌黑发亮的双眸以及从中透露出的藏于内心的悲伤却向我们说明，事实并不是这样的。 "And where do you mean to go, my poor woman?" said Mrs. Bird." 可怜的女人，你打算到哪里去呢？"博德夫人问道。
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