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孩子不打不成器，"奥菲利亚小姐坚持说，"我还没见过哪个小孩儿不打就能教育好的。" "O, well, certainly," said St. Clare; "do as you think best. Only I'll make one suggestion: I've seen this child whipped with a poker, knocked down with the shovel or tongs, whichever came handiest, &c.; and, seeing that she is used to that style of operation, I think your whippings will have to be pretty energetic, to make much impression."" 哦，那是自然的，"圣克莱尔说，"你想如何处置就如何处置吧。不过，我倒有个建议，我看过她的主人用拨火棍揍她，有时用铁鍬或火钳把她打到地上，总之怎么顺手怎么打。想想看，她对这样肯定习以为常，如果你不揍得更狠一点，恐怕难以奏效。" "What is to be done with her, then?" said Miss Ophelia." 那该拿她怎么办呢？"奥菲利亚小姐说。 "You have started a serious question," said St. Clare; "I wish you'd answer it. What is to be done with a human being that can be governed only by the lash,--_that_ fails,--it's a very common state of things down here!"" 你提出了一个严肃的问题，"圣克莱尔说，"在南方，鞭子对仆人失去效用，这太平常了，托普西就是一个。我希望你自己去找答案，该怎么对付这孩子？" "I'm sure I don't know; I never saw such a child as this."" 我实在没辙，从来就没见过她那样的孩子。" 
这些孩子比比皆是，大人也是如此，你该用什么办法来管教他们呢？"圣克莱尔说。 "I'm sure it's more than I can say," said Miss Ophelia." 我不知道，也管不了。"奥菲利亚小姐说。 "Or I either," said St. Clare. "The horrid cruelties and outrages that once and a while find their way into the papers,--such cases as Prue's, for example,--what do they come from? In many cases, it is a gradual hardening process on both sides,--the owner growing more and more cruel, as the servant more and more callous. Whipping and abuse are like laudanum; you have to double the dose as the sensibilities decline. I saw this very early when I became an owner; and I resolved never to begin, because I did not know when I should stop,--and I resolved, at least, to protect my own moral nature. The consequence is, that my servants act like spoiled children; but I think that better than for us both to be brutalized together. You have talked a great deal about our responsibilities in educating, Cousin. I really wanted you to _try_ with one child, who is a specimen of thousands among us."" 我也不知道，也管不了啊，"圣克莱尔说，"报上有时登载的那些骇人听闻的事件，比如普吕事件，是如何发生的呢？恐怕好多是由于双方的心肠都逐渐变硬的结果--奴隶主变得越来越残忍，奴隶们则变得越来越麻木。鞭子和责骂就像鸦片烟一样，使人的感觉越来越迟钝。想要引起与先前同样程度的刺激，只能加大剂量。刚做奴隶主时，我便明白了这个道理，拿定主意决不开这个头，至少也要保住我的天性。结果呢，这群奴隶像宠坏了的孩子。不过，我仍然坚持认为这总比暴戾要来得好些。姐姐，你一直在我面前大谈教育他们的责任，现在我就给你一个孩子，让你亲自试验。这孩子只是千万个这类孩子中的一个。" "It is your system makes such children," said Miss Ophelia." 这种孩子是你们现行制度的产物。"奥菲利亚小姐说。 "I know it; but they are _made_,--they exist,--and what _is_ to be done with them?"" 这我明白，可已经造成了，不是吗？现在的问题就是该拿他们怎么办？" 
啊，我并不感谢你把她送过来让我做这个试验，可是我已经答应了，就会说到做到，尽力而为。"奥菲利亚小姐说。这之后，她果然为教化这个小门徒投人了极大的心力和热情，简直令人赞叹。她给托普西规定了每天的作息时间，要完成的事务的项目，并着手教她识字，练针线活。 In the former art, the child was quick enough. She learned her letters as if by magic, and was very soon able to read plain reading; but the sewing was a more difficult matter. The creature was as lithe as a cat, and as active as a monkey, and the confinement of sewing was her abomination; so she broke her needles, threw them slyly out of the window, or down in chinks of the walls; she tangled, broke, and dirtied her thread, or, with a sly movement, would throw a spool away altogether. Her motions were almost as quick as those of a practised conjurer, and her command of her face quite as great; and though Miss Ophelia could not help feeling that so many accidents could not possibly happen in succession, yet she could not, without a watchfulness which would leave her no time for anything else, detect her. 这小姑娘识字速度出人意料的快，不但学会了字母，还会阅读简易读物了。只是，做针线活对她来说是件麻烦事，这小女孩像猫一样灵活，像猴子一样好动，安安静静地做针线活对她是个束缚。因此，这小家伙不是把针折断，偷偷扔到窗外或塞进墙缝里，就是趁人不注意把毛线缠得一团糟，揉断或弄脏，甚至把满满的一轴子线团给扔掉。她的动作敏捷得像魔术师，而控制面部表情的本领也丝毫不逊于魔术师。就这样，虽然奥菲利亚也知道这样接二连三地发生意外情况是不可能的，但也看不出什么破绽--除非她整天啥也不干，只监视托普西的行动。 Topsy was soon a noted character in the establishment. Her talent for every species of drollery, grimace, and mimicry,--for dancing, tumbling, climbing, singing, whistling, imitating every sound that hit her fancy,--seemed inexhaustible. In her play-hours, she invariably had every child in the establishment at her heels, open-mouthed with admiration and wonder,--not excepting Miss Eva, who appeared to be fascinated by her wild diablerie, as a dove is sometimes charmed by a glittering serpent. Miss Ophelia was uneasy that Eva should fancy Topsy's society so much, and implored St. Clare to forbid it. 托普西很快成了全家的知名人物。她变着法儿找乐，扮鬼脸，惟妙惟肖地模仿各色人物的神态。她会翻跟斗，跳舞，唱歌，爬高，吹口哨，耍口技，她这方面的天资简直多得令人咋舌。做游戏的时候，全家的孩子都成群结队地跟着她，一个个都欢呼雀跃，对她佩服之至--就连伊娃也不例外。看得出来，她对托普西的戏法着了迷，就像一只鸽子被一条花花绿绿，色彩斑驳的大蛇所吸引了。奥菲利亚小姐看到伊娃和托普西成天玩在一块儿，心里有些惴惴不安，便去找圣克莱尔，提醒他尽早防范。 "Poh! let the child alone," said St. Clare. "Topsy will do her good."" 哎，随她去吧，"圣克莱尔说，"托普西不会妨碍她的。" "But so depraved a child,--are you not afraid she will teach her some mischief?"" 可是，这小东西精灵透顶，会把伊娃给带坏的。" 
不会的。她也许会带坏别的孩子，但不会是伊娃。坏东西落到伊娃心里，就像水珠落在菜叶上，一下子就滑落了，不会渗透进去。" "Don't be too sure," said Miss Ophelia. "I know I'd never let a child of mine play with Topsy."" 别那么肯定，"奥菲利亚小姐说，"我决不让自己的孩子和托普西在一块玩。" "Well, your children needn't," said St. Clare, "but mine may; if Eva could have been spoiled, it would have been done years ago."" 好吧，你的孩子不和托普西一块玩，"圣克莱尔说，"可我的孩子会和托普西一块玩；要是伊娃会学坏的话，早就学坏了。" Topsy was at first despised and contemned by the upper servants. They soon found reason to alter their opinion. It was very soon discovered that whoever cast an indignity on Topsy was sure to meet with some inconvenient accident shortly after;--either a pair of ear-rings or some cherished trinket would be missing, or an article of dress would be suddenly found utterly ruined, or the person would stumble accidently into a pail of hot water, or a libation of dirty slop would unaccountably deluge them from above when in full gala dress;-and on all these occasions, when investigation was made, there was nobody found to stand sponsor for the indignity. Topsy was cited, and had up before all the domestic judicatories, time and again; but always sustained her examinations with most edifying innocence and gravity of appearance. Nobody in the world ever doubted who did the things; but not a scrap of any direct evidence could be found to establish the suppositions, and Miss Ophelia was too just to feel at liberty to proceed to any length without it. 起初，圣克莱尔家的所有上等仆人都瞧不起托普西，但不久就改变了看法。他们发现，要是谁欺负了托普西，不久便有一桩不大不小的倒霉事落到头上--要么是一副耳环或别的什么心爱的玩意儿不翼而飞，要么是一件衣裳忽然糟蹋得不成样子；或者，会意外地碰翻一桶热水；或者，当穿上漂亮衣服时，偏偏一盆污水从天而降，淋个正着。而且，事后你没法查出谁是肇事者。托普西多次被法庭审判传讯过，但每次都顶住了责问，表现出一副无辜、严肃而让人信服的神态。其实这些恶作剧是谁干的，大家心里都明镜似的一清二楚，但又找不出蛛丝马迹可以证明。再说，奥菲利亚小姐是非常公正的，没有证据决不轻易处理。 The mischiefs done were always so nicely timed, also, as further to shelter the aggressor. Thus, the times for revenge on Rosa and Jane, the two chamber maids, were always chosen in those seasons when (as not unfrequently happened) they were in disgrace with their mistress, when any complaint from them would of course meet with no sympathy. In short, Topsy soon made the household understand the propriety of letting her alone; and she was let alone, accordingly. 还有就是，这些恶作剧的时间总选得十分巧妙，这就进一步掩盖了肇事者。譬如，报复罗莎和简这两个使女的时间总选在她们失宠的时候（这种情况经常发生）。这种时候，她们的申诉在主人那里得不到同情。总之，圣克莱尔家的仆人们不久便明白了，最好不要去招惹托普西，否则没好果子吃。 
托普西干起活来灵巧、利索，精力充沛，什么东西托普西都是一学就会，速度奇快。只教了几次，她便学会了如何把奥菲利亚小姐的卧室收拾得妥妥当当，竟让十分讲究的奥菲利亚也觉得十分满意，无可挑剔。要是托普西乐意（当然她不会常那样干），她会把被单铺得平平整整，枕头放得讲讲究究，地扫得干干净净，屋子收拾得尽善尽美，无人可比。如果奥菲利亚小姐经过三四天耐心细致的督促，认为托普西终于走上正轨而丢下她去忙别的事务时，托普西便会放纵地嬉闹、玩耍上一两个钟头。她不理床铺，自个儿扯下床套取乐，把长满卷毛的脑袋往枕头上直撞，撞得满头粘满了羽毛，活像个丑八怪。她还会顺着床杆爬上去，再从上往下来一个倒挂金钩。她还抓住被单，满屋子飞舞，给长枕头套上奥菲利亚小姐的睡袍，并用它作各式各样的表演，又是唱歌又是吹口哨，还不时冲着镜子扮鬼脸。总之，托普西就像奥菲利亚所说的，是个"骚乱制造者"。
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