目 录 上一节 下一节 
我在想，太太喜不喜欢吃鸡肉馅饼。" "Really, Aunt Chloe, I don't much care;--serve them any way you like."" 说实话，我随便--怎么都行。" Chloe stood handling them over abstractedly; it was quite evident that the chickens were not what she was thinking of. At last, with the short laugh with which her tribe often introduce a doubtful proposal, she said, 克鲁伊心不在焉地抚弄着这些小鸡，魂不守舍的神情显而易见。突然，她讪笑一声（黑人在做出没多大把握的建议时通常如此），说道： "Laws me, Missis! what should Mas'r and Missis be a troublin theirselves 'bout de money, and not a usin what's right in der hands?" and Chloe laughed again." 天哪！老爷太太何必费神去筹那笔款子呢？怎么不用手头现成的东西呢？"克鲁伊又笑了。 "I don't understand you, Chloe," said Mrs. Shelby, nothing doubting, from her knowledge of Chloe's manner, that she had heard every word of the conversation that had passed between her and her husband." 我不懂你的意思，克鲁伊。"无可置疑，克鲁伊听到了希尔比夫妇的全部谈话。 
哦，天哪，太太，"克鲁伊又笑了，说，"别人都把黑奴租出去赚钱呢！咱们可别在家里白养着一群人啊！" "Well, Chloe, who do you propose that we should hire out?"" 嗯，克鲁伊，那我该把谁租出去呢？" "Laws! I an't a proposin nothin; only Sam he said der was one of dese yer _perfectioners_, dey calls 'em, in Louisville, said he wanted a good hand at cake and pastry; and said he'd give four dollars a week to one, he did."" 天哪，我可没主意。只是山姆说路易斯威尔有一家蒲垫铺，需要一个做糕饼的能手，还说每周给四块钱的工资呢，他是这么说的。" "Well, Chloe."" 噢，克鲁伊--" "Well, laws, I 's a thinkin, Missis, it's time Sally was put along to be doin' something. Sally 's been under my care, now, dis some time, and she does most as well as me, considerin; and if Missis would only let me go, I would help fetch up de money. I an't afraid to put my cake, nor pies nother, 'long side no _perfectioner's_." 噢，天哪。我想，太太，萨莉可以单独做点事了，萨莉在我手下学着做也有段日子了。说实话，她的手艺和我的也差不离了，如果太太您肯让我出去做的话，我就能赚够那笔钱。我做的糕点不管放在哪一家蒲垫铺都不会让太太丢脸的。" 
是糕点铺，克鲁伊。" "Law sakes, Missis! 'tan't no odds;--words is so curis, can't never get 'em right!"" 天哪，太太，反正也差不多，字眼总是那么别扭，我总爱出错。" "But, Chloe, do you want to leave your children?"" 可是，克鲁伊，你舍得离开孩子们吗？" "Laws, Missis! de boys is big enough to do day's works; dey does well enough; and Sally, she'll take de baby,--she's such a peart young un, she won't take no lookin arter."" 天哪，太太，两个男孩子都长大了，能干活，还干得不赖呢。萨莉可帮着照顾我的小女娃，这娃娃精神好着咧，也不用老是照看。" "Louisville is a good way off."" 路易斯威尔离这儿可不近呢！" 
天哪，谁在乎这个呢？它在河的下游，离我家老头子不远吧？"克鲁伊望着希尔比太太问道。 "No, Chloe; it's many a hundred miles off," said Mrs. Shelby." 不，它们还相隔好几百英里呢。"希尔比太太答道。 Chloe's countenance fell. 克鲁伊的脸色立刻黯淡了。 "Never mind; your going there shall bring you nearer, Chloe. Yes, you may go; and your wages shall every cent of them be laid aside for your husband's redemption."" 别难过，到了那儿，你离他总比这儿近吧？""克鲁伊，你尽管去吧，你挣的每个子儿我都原封不动收起来做你丈夫的赎金。" As when a bright sunbeam turns a dark cloud to silver, so Chloe's dark face brightened immediately,--it really shone. 克鲁伊的黑脸立即满面生辉，熠熠闪光，犹如一朵乌云在明媚阳光的照耀下变成银白色。 
天哪，太太，您真是太好了。我刚才还琢磨着这事呢。我自己什么都不缺，衣服、鞋都有，每一厘都能省下来。一年有多少个礼拜，太太？" "Fifty-two," said Mrs. Shelby." 五十二个。"希尔比太太回答说。 "Laws! now, dere is? and four dollars for each on em. Why, how much 'd dat ar be?"" 天哪！这是真的吗？一礼拜四块钱，一年多少呀？" "Two hundred and eight dollars," said Mrs. Shelby." 二百零八块。"希尔比太太答道。 "Why-e!" said Chloe, with an accent of surprise and delight; "and how long would it take me to work it out, Missis?"" 噢！"克鲁伊惊喜地叹道，接着问，"我要多久能筹足这笔钱，太太？" 
大概要三四年吧。不过，克鲁伊，也不必你一个人等呀，我们也可以添补些。" "I wouldn't hear to Missis' givin lessons nor nothin. Mas'r's quite right in dat ar;--'t wouldn't do, no ways. I hope none our family ever be brought to dat ar, while I 's got hands."" 我可不愿听到太太们说去教什么课，老爷说的对，这不行。只要我有一双手，我们家的人就不会到那种地步。" "Don't fear, Chloe; I'll take care of the honor of the family," said Mrs. Shelby, smiling. "But when do you expect to go?"" 别担心，克鲁伊，我会顾全家里的面子的。" "Well, I want spectin nothin; only Sam, he's a gwine to de river with some colts, and he said I could go long with him; so I jes put my things together. If Missis was willin, I'd go with Sam tomorrow morning, if Missis would write my pass, and write me a commendation."" 哦，我原本没什么打算，山姆要把几匹马赶到河边去，他叫我和他一块走，我这就去收拾一下东西。如果太太没意见的话，那我明儿一早就走了。对了，还得麻烦太太写一张通行证和一封推荐信。" "Well, Chloe, I'll attend to it, if Mr. Shelby has no objections. I must speak to him."" 噢，克鲁伊，如果希尔比先生不反对，我一定会把事情办妥。我这就去和他商量商量。" 
希尔比太太上楼去了，克鲁伊大婶欢天喜地地回屋去准备。 "Law sakes, Mas'r George! ye didn't know I 's a gwine to Louisville tomorrow!" she said to George, as entering her cabin, he found her busy in sorting over her baby's clothes. "I thought I'd jis look over sis's things, and get 'em straightened up. But I'm gwine, Mas'r George,--gwine to have four dollars a week; and Missis is gwine to lay it all up, to buy back my old man agin!" 乔治走进克鲁伊大婶的小屋时，她正忙着整理孩子们的衣服。"天哪，乔治少爷，你大概还不知道吧，我明天就要到路易斯威尔去了。"克鲁伊招呼说："我想了想，还是把妹妹的东西收拾一下，把一切弄得整整齐齐。我可要走了，乔治少爷。每个礼拜四块钱呢，太太答应要把它们攒起来赎我家老头子。" "Whew!" said George, "here's a stroke of business, to be sure! How are you going?"" 唷，"乔治说道，"这可是桩好差事呢！可你怎么去呢？" "Tomorrow, wid Sam. And now, Mas'r George, I knows you'll jis sit down and write to my old man, and tell him all about it,--won't ye?"" 明天我和山姆一块走。乔治少爷，现在您能坐下来写封信给我家老头子吗？对，把这事儿告诉他。" "To be sure," said George; "Uncle Tom'll be right glad to hear from us. I'll go right in the house, for paper and ink; and then, you know, Aunt Chloe, I can tell about the new colts and all."" 那当然，"乔治说，"汤姆叔叔收到我们的信不知会高兴成什么样子呢！我去房间拿纸和墨水。然后呢，克鲁伊大婶，你看我们还可以把新添马匹的一揽子事儿也告诉他。" 
现在就写，开始吧，乔治少爷。你在这儿写信，我去弄点鸡肉和别的菜。唉，你和你可怜的老婶子一起吃饭的机会可不多了。" Life passes, with us all, a day at a time; so it passed with our friend Tom, till two years were gone. Though parted from all his soul held dear, and though often yearning for what lay beyond, still was he never positively and consciously miserable; for, so well is the harp of human feeling strung, that nothing but a crash that breaks every string can wholly mar its harmony; and, on looking back to seasons which in review appear to us as those of deprivation and trial, we can remember that each hour, as it glided, brought its diversions and alleviations, so that, though not happy wholly, we were not, either, wholly miserable. 生命在一天天逝去，对汤姆也不例外。转眼两年过去，尽管他思念着远方的一切，但也从未感到过异常痛苦，因为人的情感就如一架装备完善的竖琴，只有"崩"一声弦都断了，才可能彻底打破和谐之音。当我们追忆那些充满贫困忧愁的日子时，总忘不了每一刻悄然流去的光阴曾带给我们的那些安慰和乐趣，因此，即使我们不是十分快乐，也不至于特别痛苦。
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