The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

湯姆.索亞歷險記

   CHAPTER XVIII

   第十八章

   THAT was Tom's great secret--the scheme to return home with his brother pirates and attend their own funerals. They had paddled over to the Missouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village; they had slept in the woods at the edge of the town till nearly daylight, and had then crept through back lanes and alleys and finished their sleep in the gallery of the church among a chaos of invalided benches.

   這就是湯姆最大的秘密計劃——和他的海盜幫兄弟們一同回家,出席自己的葬禮。星期六黃昏的時候,他們坐在一塊大木頭上,順流而漂,漂到密蘇里河的另一邊,在離小鎮下游五六英里的地方上了岸。他們在鎮外的樹林子裡睡了一覺,醒來時,天已快亮。然後他們悄悄地穿過僻靜的衚衕和小巷,溜進教堂的長廊。那兒堆滿了亂七八糟的破凳子。他們又接着睡,一覺睡到了大天亮。

   At breakfast, Monday morning, Aunt Polly and Mary were very loving to Tom, and very attentive to his wants. There was an unusual amount of talk. In the course of it Aunt Polly said:

   星期一早晨吃早飯的時候,波莉姨媽和瑪麗對湯姆非常親近。他要什麼都滿足他,大家的話也比平常多得多。談話中,波莉姨媽說:

   "Well, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, Tom, to keep everybody suffering 'most a week so you boys had a good time, but it is a pity you could be so hard-hearted as to let me suffer so. If you could come over on a log to go to your funeral, you could have come over and give me a hint some way that you warn't dead, but only run off."

   “喂,湯姆,要我說你這個玩笑開得很好,你們幾個為了開開心卻讓我們大家受了几乎一個星期的罪。你不該那麼狠心,讓我也跟着吃苦頭。你既然能夠坐在大木頭上來參加自己的葬禮,那你為什麼就不能給我點暗示,說明你是出走而不是死了呢?”

   "Yes, you could have done that, Tom," said Mary; "and I believe you would if you had thought of it."

   “是呀,湯姆,姨媽說得對,”瑪麗接上說,“我想你要是想到這一點,你一定會那樣做的。”

   "Would you, Tom?" said Aunt Polly, her face lighting wistfully. "Say, now, would you, if you'd thought of it?"

   “你會不會,湯姆?”波莉姨媽問,臉上一副渴望的神情。

   "I--well, I don't know. 'Twould 'a' spoiled everything."

   “你說呀,要是你想到了,你會不會那樣做呢?”

   "Tom, I hoped you loved me that much," said Aunt Polly, with a grieved tone that discomforted the boy. "It would have been something if you'd cared enough to think of it, even if you didn't do it."

   “我——呃,我說不准,要是那樣的話,會壞事的。”“湯姆,我原來以為你很把我放在心上。”波莉姨媽說,她那悲傷的語調使湯姆深感不安。“你以前要是還想到這一點,就算沒辦到,那也是很不錯的了。”

   "Now, auntie, that ain't any harm," pleaded Mary; "it's only Tom's giddy way--he is always in such a rush that he never thinks of anything."

   “哦,姨媽,別這麼想,那沒什麼關係,”瑪麗向着湯姆對姨媽說,“湯姆就是這樣子,毛手毛腳的,做事總是匆匆忙忙,從不考慮什麼後果。”

   "More's the pity. Sid would have thought. And Sid would have come and done it, too. Tom, you'll look back, some day, when it's too late, and wish you'd cared a little more for me when it would have cost you so little."

   “那就更不應該。要是換了希德,那就不一樣了,他會來告訴我的。湯姆,有朝一日當你回想往事的時候,你會後悔的:後悔當初不該這樣不把我放在心上。這事對你是無所謂。”

   "Now, auntie, you know I do care for you," said Tom.

   “噢,姨媽,你曉得我真地愛你的。”湯姆說。

   "I'd know it better if you acted more like it."

   “你要是不光這麼說,而且還能做到,我就會更相信你了。”

   "I wish now I'd thought," said Tom, with a repentant tone; "but I dreamt about you, anyway. That's something, ain't it?"

   “現在我希望當時真地那麼想過,”湯姆後悔地說,“不過我在夢裡夢見過你呀,這不也夠可以的嗎,對不對?”

   "It ain't much--a cat does that much--but it's better than nothing. What did you dream?"

   “這算什麼——連貓也會夢見我的——不過話說回來了,這總比沒夢見過我的好。你夢見我什麼了?”

   "Why, Wednesday night I dreamt that you was sitting over there by the bed, and Sid was sitting by the woodbox, and Mary next to him."

   “噢,是這樣的,星期三夜裡,我夢見你坐在那個床邊,希德靠木箱坐著,瑪麗離他不遠。”

   "Well, so we did. So we always do. I'm glad your dreams could take even that much trouble about us."

   “沒錯,我們當時是那樣坐的。我們常是這樣坐法。我很高興你在夢裡也為我們這麼操心。”

   "And I dreamt that Joe Harper's mother was here."

   “我還夢見喬·哈帕的媽媽也在這裡。”

   "Why, she was here! Did you dream any more?"

   “噯呀,她是來過!還有呢?”

   "Oh, lots. But it's so dim, now."

   “噢,多着呢,不過現在記不大清楚了。”

   "Well, try to recollect--can't you?"

   “那麼,儘量回想一下行不行?”

   "Somehow it seems to me that the wind--the wind blowed the--the--"

   “我記得好像風——風吹滅了——吹滅了——”

   "Try harder, Tom! The wind did blow something. Come!"

   “好好想一想,湯姆!風的確吹滅了什麼東西,說呀!”

   Tom pressed his fingers on his forehead an anxious minute, and then said:

   湯姆把手指放在腦門上,一副很着急的樣子。他想了一會說:

   "I've got it now! I've got it now! It blowed the candle!"

   “我想起來了!風吹滅了蠟燭!”

   "Mercy on us! Go on, Tom--go on!"

   “我的天哪!太對了!接著說,湯姆——再接著說!”

   "And it seems to me that you said, 'Why, I believe that that door--'"

   “我記得好像你說了,嗐,我想那門……”

   "Go on, Tom!"

   “往下說,湯姆!”

   "Just let me study a moment--just a moment. Oh, yes--you said you believed the door was open."

   “讓我稍微回想一下——彆著急。哦,對了,你說你想門是開着的。”

   "As I'm sitting here, I did! Didn't I, Mary! Go on!"

   “我當時就像現在這樣坐在這兒,我確實說過!對吧,瑪麗!湯姆往下說!”

   "And then--and then--well I won't be certain, but it seems like as if you made Sid go and--and--"

   “後來……後來……後來發生的事,我有點吃不準。不過我彷彿記得你讓希德去……去……。”

   "Well? Well? What did I make him do, Tom? What did I make him do?"

   “去哪兒?說呀?湯姆,我讓他去幹什麼?他去幹什麼?”

   "You made him--you--Oh, you made him shut it."

   “你讓他……你……哦,你讓他去關上門。”

   "Well, for the land's sake! I never heard the beat of that in all my days! Don't tell me there ain't anything in dreams, any more. Sereny Harper shall know of this before I'm an hour older. I'd like to see her get around this with her rubbage 'bout superstition. Go on, Tom!"

   “啊,我的天哪!我活了大半輩子都沒聽說有這樣的怪事!現在我明白了夢不全是假的。我這就去跟賽倫尼·哈帕(喬的母親)講,讓她來解釋解釋這個。她一貫不相信迷信,這回看她還有什麼說的。再接着往下說,湯姆!”

   "Oh, it's all getting just as bright as day, now. Next you said I warn't bad, only mischeevous and harum-scarum, and not any more responsible than--than--I think it was a colt, or something."

   “哦,現在全想起來了。後來,你說我不壞,不過是淘氣罷了。有點浮躁,冒冒失失的。你還說我是個毛頭孩子(我想你是這麼說的),沒一點壞心眼兒。”

   "And so it was! Well, goodness gracious! Go on, Tom!"

   “一字不差!哦,天哪!接着講,湯姆!”

   "And then you began to cry."

   “接着你就哭了。”

   "So I did. So I did. Not the first time, neither. And then--"

   “我是哭了。我哭了,那已經是常事了。那後來呢?”

   "Then Mrs. Harper she began to cry, and said Joe was just the same, and she wished she hadn't whipped him for taking cream when she'd throwed it out her own self--"

   “後來哈帕夫人也哭了起來。她說喬也是和我一樣的孩子,她後悔不該為乳酪的事,用鞭子抽打他。其實是她自己把乳酪倒掉了——”

   "Tom! The sperrit was upon you! You was a prophesying--that's what you was doing! Land alive, go on, Tom!"

   “湯姆,你真神了!你的夢就是預言!”

   "Then Sid he said--he said--"

   “後來希德他說——他說……”

   "I don't think I said anything," said Sid.

   “我記得我當時好像沒說什麼。”希德說。

   "Yes you did, Sid," said Mary.

   “不,希德,你說了。”瑪麗說。

   "Shut your heads and let Tom go on! What did he say, Tom?"

   “你倆住嘴,讓湯姆往下說!他說什麼了,湯姆?”

   "He said--I think he said he hoped I was better off where I was gone to, but if I'd been better sometimes--"

   “他說——我覺得他是這樣說的:他希望我在另一個世界裡,過得更舒服些,不過要是我從前某些方面表現得更好些……”

   "There, d'you hear that! It was his very words!"

   “瞧,你們聽見了吧!當時他正是這麼說的!”

   "And you shut him up sharp."

   “還有,你讓他閉嘴。”

   "I lay I did! There must 'a' been an angel there. There was an angel there, somewheres!"

   “我的確這樣講了!這事一定有個高手在幫你的忙。一定有個高手在暗地裡幫你的忙!”

   "And Mrs. Harper told about Joe scaring her with a firecracker, and you told about Peter and the Pain-killer--"

   “哈帕夫人還把喬放爆竹嚇着她的事講了一遍,你就講了彼得和止痛藥……”

   "Just as true as I live!"

   “真是千真萬確!”

   "And then there was a whole lot of talk 'bout dragging the river for us, and 'bout having the funeral Sunday, and then you and old Miss Harper hugged and cried, and she went."

   “後來你們還談論了很多事情,講了到河裡打撈我們,講了星期日舉行喪禮,後來你和哈帕夫人抱在一起哭了一場,最後她離開走了。”

   "It happened just so! It happened just so, as sure as I'm a-sitting in these very tracks. Tom, you couldn't told it more like if you'd 'a' seen it! And then what? Go on, Tom!"

   “事情經過確實如此!確實如此,就像我現在坐在這裡一樣,一點也不差。湯姆,即使親眼見過的人,說的也不過如此了!那麼後來呢?繼續說,湯姆!”

   "Then I thought you prayed for me--and I could see you and hear every word you said. And you went to bed, and I was so sorry that I took and wrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,' and put it on the table by the candle; and then you looked so good, laying there asleep, that I thought I went and leaned over and kissed you on the lips."

   “我記得後來你為我做了祈禱——我能看見,還能聽見你所說的每個字。你上床睡覺了,我感到非常難過,於是拿出一塊梧桐樹皮,在上面寫道:‘我們沒有死,只是去當海盜了。’還把它放在桌子上的蠟燭旁邊;後來你躺在那兒睡着了,看上去沒有什麼異樣。我走過去,彎下腰來,吻了你的嘴唇。”

   "Did you, Tom, did you! I just forgive you everything for that!" And she seized the boy in a crushing embrace that made him feel like the guiltiest of villains.

   “是嗎,湯姆,是嗎!為了這一點,我會原諒你一切過錯的!”於是她一把摟住這個小傢伙,這一摟反而使他感到自己就像一個罪惡深重的小混蛋。

   "It was very kind, even though it was only a--dream," Sid soliloquized just audibly.

   “雖然這只是一個——夢,倒也不錯。”希德自言自語,聲音小得剛好能聽見。

   "Shut up, Sid! A body does just the same in a dream as he'd do if he was awake. Here's a big Milum apple I've been saving for you, Tom, if you was ever found again--now go 'long to school. I'm thankful to the good God and Father of us all I've got you back, that's long-suffering and merciful to them that believe on Him and keep His word, though goodness knows I'm unworthy of it, but if only the worthy ones got His blessings and had His hand to help them over the rough places, there's few enough would smile here or ever enter into His rest when the long night comes. Go 'long Sid, Mary, Tom--take yourselves off--you've hendered me long enough."

   “閉上嘴,希德!一個人夢有所思,日有所為。湯姆,這是我特意為你留的大蘋果,打算要是能找到你,就給你吃——現在去上學吧。你終於回來了,我感謝仁慈的聖父。凡是相信他,聽他話的人,上帝一定會對他們大發慈悲。不過天知道我是不配的。不過要是只有配受他愛護的人才能得到他的保佑,由他幫助渡過災難,那就沒有幾個人能在臨死前,能從容微笑,或是到主那裡去安息了。走吧,希德、瑪麗,還有湯姆——快走吧——你們耽誤了我很長時間。”

   The children left for school, and the old lady to call on Mrs. Harper and vanquish her realism with Tom's marvellous dream. Sid had better judgment than to utter the thought that was in his mind as he left the house. It was this: "Pretty thin--as long a dream as that, without any mistakes in it!"

   孩子們動身上學去了,老太太就去我哈帕太太,想以湯姆那個活生生的夢來說服哈帕太太,夢有時也能成真。希德離開家的時候,對湯姆所講的心中已有了數。不過,他並沒有說出來,那就是:“這不可信——那麼長的一個夢,居然沒有一點差錯!”

   What a hero Tom was become, now! He did not go skipping and prancing, but moved with a dignified swagger as became a pirate who felt that the public eye was on him. And indeed it was; he tried not to seem to see the looks or hear the remarks as he passed along, but they were food and drink to him. Smaller boys than himself flocked at his heels, as proud to be seen with him, and tolerated by him, as if he had been the drummer at the head of a procession or the elephant leading a menagerie into town. Boys of his own size pretended not to know he had been away at all; but they were consuming with envy, nevertheless. They would have given anything to have that swarthy sun-tanned skin of his, and his glittering notoriety; and Tom would not have parted with either for a circus.

   瞧,湯姆現在可神氣了,他成了英雄。他一改往日的蹦蹦跳跳,走路時,腰板挺直,儼然一副受人注目的海盜相。是的,他從人群中走過時,既不看他們一眼,也不理睬他們說什麼,把他們全不當一回事,小傢伙們成群結隊跟在他身後,並以此為榮。湯姆也不介意,彷彿自己成了遊行隊伍中的鼓手或是進城表演的馬戲團中的领頭那樣受人注目。與他同齡的夥伴們表面上裝着根本不知道他曾走失過那回事,但心裡卻忌妒得要命。他們要是也能像這個鬼東西那樣,皮膚被曬得黝黑,又如此受人仰目,那死也眠目,但就是拿馬戲團來換,湯姆一樣也不願讓給他們。

   At school the children made so much of him and of Joe, and delivered such eloquent admiration from their eyes, that the two heroes were not long in becoming insufferably "stuck-up." They began to tell their adventures to hungry listeners--but they only began; it was not a thing likely to have an end, with imaginations like theirs to furnish material. And finally, when they got out their pipes and went serenely puffing around, the very summit of glory was reached.

   在學校裡從孩子們羡慕的眼神裡可以看出湯姆和喬簡直被人給捧上了天。不久,這兩位“英雄”就開始翹尾巴,別人只好強忍着。於是他倆就向那些如饑似渴的“聽眾”講起了他們冒險的經歷。可剛一開頭,他們就不往下講,因為他們富於想象力,不時添油加醋,你想故事能有結束的時候嗎?到後來,他們拿出煙斗,不急不忙地抽着煙,四處踱着步。這時,他們的神氣勁達得了登峰造極的地步。

   Tom decided that he could be independent of Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He would live for glory. Now that he was distinguished, maybe she would be wanting to "make up." Well, let her--she should see that he could be as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived. Tom pretended not to see her. He moved away and joined a group of boys and girls and began to talk. Soon he observed that she was tripping gayly back and forth with flushed face and dancing eyes, pretending to be busy chasing schoolmates, and screaming with laughter when she made a capture; but he noticed that she always made her captures in his vicinity, and that she seemed to cast a conscious eye in his direction at such times, too. It gratified all the vicious vanity that was in him; and so, instead of winning him, it only "set him up" the more and made him the more diligent to avoid betraying that he knew she was about. Presently she gave over skylarking, and moved irresolutely about, sighing once or twice and glancing furtively and wistfully toward Tom. Then she observed that now Tom was talking more particularly to Amy Lawrence than to any one else. She felt a sharp pang and grew disturbed and uneasy at once. She tried to go away, but her feet were treacherous, and carried her to the group instead. She said to a girl almost at Tom's elbow--with sham vivacity:

   湯姆橫下一條心,沒有貝基·撒切爾他也行。只要有榮耀就有一切,他願為榮耀而活着。既然現在他出了名,或許她會要求重新和好。不過,那是她的事,她會發現他現在根本不在乎了。不久,她來了。湯姆裝着沒看見她,跑到另一群男女孩子們中間說起話來。他很快發現她臉通紅,來回走個不停,四處張望,好像是在追逐同學們,追上一個就笑着大叫一聲,樂樂呵呵的。可是他還注意到她總在他的附近抓人,每抓到一個,都好像有意向他這邊瞟上一眼。湯姆那不可告人的虛榮心全得到了滿足,這下他更覺得自己是個人物了,因此對她越是不動聲色,視而不見。她不再嘻戲了,只是猶猶豫豫地走來走去。她嘆了一口氣,悶悶不樂地看著湯姆,見他只和艾美·勞倫斯一人講話,不理睬別的人。她立即感到極度悲傷,變得煩躁不安。她想走開,可兩腳不聽使喚,身不由己地來到了同學們一邊。她裝着滿不在乎的樣子對離湯姆十分近的那個女孩說:

   "Why, Mary Austin! you bad girl, why didn't you come to Sunday-school?"

   “喲,是瑪麗·奧斯汀呀!你這個壞傢伙,幹嗎沒去主日學校?”

   "I did come--didn't you see me?"

   “我去了——你沒見我去嗎?”

   "Why, no! Did you? Where did you sit?"

   “不錯,沒看見。你去了?那你坐在什麼地方?”

   "I was in Miss Peters' class, where I always go. I saw you."

   “我一慣在彼得小姐那一班。不過,我當時倒看見你在那兒。”

   "Did you? Why, it's funny I didn't see you. I wanted to tell you about the picnic."

   “是嗎?真有趣,我居然沒看見你。我原想告訴你野餐的事情。”

   "Oh, that's jolly. Who's going to give it?"

   “啊,太捧了。誰來操辦呢?”

   "My ma's going to let me have one."

   “我媽打算讓我來。”

   "Oh, goody; I hope she'll let me come."

   “噢,好極了,我希望她會讓我參加。”

   "Well, she will. The picnic's for me. She'll let anybody come that I want, and I want you."

   “嗯,她會的。野餐是為我舉辦的。我愛叫誰,她都願意。我愛叫你來,她當然願意嘍。”

   "That's ever so nice. When is it going to be?"

   “棒極了。什麼時候辦呀?”

   "By and by. Maybe about vacation."

   “要不了多久,也許放假就辦。”

   "Oh, won't it be fun! You going to have all the girls and boys?"

   “好,這太有意思了!你打算請所有的男女同學嗎?”

   "Yes, every one that's friends to me--or wants to be"; and she glanced ever so furtively at Tom, but he talked right along to Amy Lawrence about the terrible storm on the island, and how the lightning tore the great sycamore tree "all to flinders" while he was "standing within three feet of it."

   “對,凡是我的朋友,我都請。還有想和我交朋友的人,我也請。”說完,她偷偷瞥了一眼湯姆,可是他正跟艾美·勞倫斯講島上那場可怕的暴風雨的故事:當時一道閃電劃破長空,把那棵大梧桐樹“劈成碎片”,而他自己站得離那棵大梧桐樹還“不到三英呎遠”。

   "Oh, may I come?" said Grace Miller.

   “喂,我能參加嗎?”格雷賽·米勒說。

   "Yes."

   “能。”

   "And me?" said Sally Rogers.

   “還有我吶?”莎麗·羅傑問。

   "Yes."

   “你也能。”

   "And me, too?" said Susy Harper. "And Joe?"

   “我也能嗎?”蘇賽·哈帕問道,“喬呢?”

   "Yes."

   “都能去。”

   And so on, with clapping of joyful hands till all the group had begged for invitations but Tom and Amy. Then Tom turned coolly away, still talking, and took Amy with him. Becky's lips trembled and the tears came to her eyes; she hid these signs with a forced gayety and went on chattering, but the life had gone out of the picnic, now, and out of everything else; she got away as soon as she could and hid herself and had what her sex call "a good cry." Then she sat moody, with wounded pride, till the bell rang. She roused up, now, with a vindictive cast in her eye, and gave her plaited tails a shake and said she knew what she'd do.

   就這樣,除湯姆和艾美以外,所有的孩子都高興地拍着手,要求貝基請他們參加野餐。湯姆冷冰冰地轉身帶著艾美走了,邊走邊和她談着。見到這情景,貝基氣得嘴唇發抖,淚往上湧。她強裝笑臉,不讓別人看出有什麼異樣來,繼續聊着。可是野餐的事現在失去了意義,一切都黯然失色。她馬上跑開,找了一個無人的地方,照她們的說法“痛哭了一場”。由於自尊心受到了傷害,她悶悶不樂地坐在那裡,一直坐到上課鈴響,這時,她站起身來,瞪大眼睛,一副復仇的樣子,把辮子往後一甩說:有他好看的。

   At recess Tom continued his flirtation with Amy with jubilant self-satisfaction. And he kept drifting about to find Becky and lacerate her with the performance. At last he spied her, but there was a sudden falling of his mercury. She was sitting cosily on a little bench behind the schoolhouse looking at a picture-book with Alfred Temple--and so absorbed were they, and their heads so close together over the book, that they did not seem to be conscious of anything in the world besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He began to hate himself for throwing away the chance Becky had offered for a reconciliation. He called himself a fool, and all the hard names he could think of. He wanted to cry with vexation. Amy chatted happily along, as they walked, for her heart was singing, but Tom's tongue had lost its function. He did not hear what Amy was saying, and whenever she paused expectantly he could only stammer an awkward assent, which was as often misplaced as otherwise. He kept drifting to the rear of the schoolhouse, again and again, to sear his eyeballs with the hateful spectacle there. He could not help it. And it maddened him to see, as he thought he saw, that Becky Thatcher never once suspected that he was even in the land of the living. But she did see, nevertheless; and she knew she was winning her fight, too, and was glad to see him suffer as she had suffered.

   課間休息的時候,湯姆繼續和艾美逗樂,一副得意洋洋、心滿意足的樣子。他走來竄去想讓貝基看見,以此來激怒她,傷她的心。最後,他終於在教室後面找到她。可他卻像泄了氣的皮球似的,情緒一落千丈。原來,貝基正舒舒服服地坐在一條小板凳上和阿爾費雷德·鄧波兒一起在看畫書。他們看得聚精會神,頭也湊得很近,彷彿世上只有他倆存在。嫉妒的火焰在湯姆身上燃燒起來。他開始憎恨自己,罵自己是個傻瓜,白白放棄了貝基給他言歸於好的機會。凡是能罵自己的話,他都派上了用場。他又急又氣,直想放聲大哭一場。而艾美此時卻很開心,邊走邊快快活活地聊着。湯姆一句也聽不進去,只是默默無語地往前走。艾美有時停下來,等他答話,他很尷尬,答得總是前言不對後語,不管問他什麼,回答都是是的,是的。他忍不住一次又一次地走到教室後面,看見那可恨的一幕,氣得他眼球都要掉了出來。更讓他發瘋的是貝基·撒切爾根本就沒有把他放在眼裡,不知道世上還有他這個大活寶(他是這麼想的)。實際上貝基已發現他來了,她知道這次較量中自己贏了,見現在輪到湯姆受罪,她十分高興。

   Amy's happy prattle became intolerable. Tom hinted at things he had to attend to; things that must be done; and time was fleeting. But in vain--the girl chirped on. Tom thought, "Oh, hang her, ain't I ever going to get rid of her?" At last he must be attending to those things--and she said artlessly that she would be "around" when school let out. And he hastened away, hating her for it.

   艾美興高采烈地嘰嘰喳喳說個不停,湯姆感到無法忍受。他暗示自己有事要辦,而且時間不等人,必須馬上就去做;可那個姑娘根本沒明白過來,還是照講不停。湯姆想:“哎,該死的,怎麼老是纏着我不放。”到後來他非走不可了,可她仍是糊里糊塗,還說什麼她會來“等他”。於是湯姆只得匆匆地悻悻離去。

   "Any other boy!" Tom thought, grating his teeth. "Any boy in the whole town but that Saint Louis smarty that thinks he dresses so fine and is aristocracy! Oh, all right, I licked you the first day you ever saw this town, mister, and I'll lick you again! You just wait till I catch you out! I'll just take and--"

   湯姆咬牙切齒地想:“要是城裡別的孩子那也就算了,可偏碰上聖路易斯來的這個自以為聰明的花花公子。那又怎麼樣,你剛一踏上這塊土地,我不就揍了你一頓嗎?只要讓我逮住,你還得挨揍,那我可就……”

   And he went through the motions of thrashing an imaginary boy--pummelling the air, and kicking and gouging. "Oh, you do, do you? You holler 'nough, do you? Now, then, let that learn you!" And so the imaginary flogging was finished to his satisfaction.

   於是他拳打腳踢,平空亂舞一通,彷彿正在打那個孩子,挖他的眼睛。“我揍你,我揍你,不叫求饒!我要讓你記住這個教訓。”這場想象的打鬥以對方失敗而告終,湯姆感到心滿意足。

   Tom fled home at noon. His conscience could not endure any more of Amy's grateful happiness, and his jealousy could bear no more of the other distress. Becky resumed her picture inspections with Alfred, but as the minutes dragged along and no Tom came to suffer, her triumph began to cloud and she lost interest; gravity and absentmindedness followed, and then melancholy; two or three times she pricked up her ear at a footstep, but it was a false hope; no Tom came. At last she grew entirely miserable and wished she hadn't carried it so far. When poor Alfred, seeing that he was losing her, he did not know how, kept exclaiming: "Oh, here's a jolly one! look at this!" she lost patience at last, and said, "Oh, don't bother me! I don't care for them!" and burst into tears, and got up and walked away.

   中午時分,湯姆溜回家。有兩件事讓他很頭疼:一是艾美的歡樂,他受不了她的糾纏;二是教室後面的那一幕,嫉妒讓他再也不能經受別的打擊了。貝基繼續和阿爾費雷德看畫書,時間一分一秒地過去,她想看湯姆的笑話,可湯姆卻沒有來,她那得意的心裡不免蒙上一層陰影,於是她不再沾沾自喜了,繼之而來的是心情沉重。她不能集中思想,到後來又變得心情憂鬱。可是希望總是落空,湯姆並沒有來。最後她傷心極了,後悔自己把事情做過了頭。那個可憐的阿爾弗雷德見她心不在焉就不停地大聲說道:“喂,你看這一張真有趣!” 這回,她終於耐不住性子了,說: “哼,別煩我了!我不喜歡這些東西!”說完,她突然大哭起來,站起身扭頭就走。

   Alfred dropped alongside and was going to try to comfort her, but she said:

   阿爾弗雷德跟在她身邊想安慰她,可是她卻說:

   "Go away and leave me alone, can't you! I hate you!"

   “滾開,別管我!我討厭你!”

   So the boy halted, wondering what he could have done--for she had said she would look at pictures all through the nooning--and she walked on, crying. Then Alfred went musing into the deserted schoolhouse. He was humiliated and angry. He easily guessed his way to the truth--the girl had simply made a convenience of him to vent her spite upon Tom Sawyer. He was far from hating Tom the less when this thought occurred to him. He wished there was some way to get that boy into trouble without much risk to himself. Tom's spelling-book fell under his eye. Here was his opportunity. He gratefully opened to the lesson for the afternoon and poured ink upon the page.

   於是這孩子便止住了腳步,納悶自己是不是做錯了什麼——因為事先說好了整個中午休息時,她都要和他一塊兒看畫書的——可是現在她卻哭着走了。他苦思冥想來到了空蕩蕩的教室,感到受了羞辱,非常惱火。很快,他琢磨出了事情的緣由;原來他成了這個女孩子對湯姆·索亞發泄私憤的工具。想到這一點,他越發痛恨湯姆。他希望能找個辦法既能讓這傢伙吃苦頭又不連累自己。這時,湯姆的拼音課本躍入他的眼帘。報復的機會來了,他樂滋滋地把書翻到當天下午要學的那一課,然後把墨水潑在了上面。

   Becky, glancing in at a window behind him at the moment, saw the act, and moved on, without discovering herself. She started homeward, now, intending to find Tom and tell him; Tom would be thankful and their troubles would be healed. Before she was half way home, however, she had changed her mind. The thought of Tom's treatment of her when she was talking about her picnic came scorching back and filled her with shame. She resolved to let him get whipped on the damaged spelling-book's account, and to hate him forever, into the bargain.

   阿爾弗雷德的這一舉動被站在他身後窗戶外面的貝基發現了,她馬上不露聲色地走開。她打算回家把這事告訴湯姆,他一定會感激她,然後盡釋前嫌,重歸於好。可到了半道上,她又改變了主意。一想起湯姆在她說野餐時的那副神氣樣,她心裡陣陣灼熱,感到無地自容。她下定決心,一來讓湯姆因此受鞭笞;二來永遠恨他。