第一章

Chapter 1

"TOM! "

“汤姆！”

No answer.

没人答应。

"TOM! "

“汤姆！”

No answer.

又没人答应。

"What's gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM! "

“这孩子怎么啦，我说？你这个汤姆！”

No answer.

还是没有人答应。

The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or never looked through them for so small a thing as a boy; they were her state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for "style, " not service — she could have seen through a pair of stove lids just as well. She looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but still loud enough for the furniture to hear:

老太太拉低了眼镜，从镜片上方朝房间周围看了看，然后又抬高眼镜，从镜片底下张望着。她很少或者说从来没有戴正眼镜来看一个像小男孩儿这么微不足道的东西。这副眼镜相当考究，是她引以为豪的宝贝，可不是为了实用，而是为了 “装饰” ，她即使透过两片炉子盖儿也照样看得一清二楚。她不知所措地愣了会儿，然后虽然不是凶神恶煞地，但嗓门高得哪儿都能听得见，她说：

"Well, I lay if I get hold of you I'll —"

“好，我发誓如果我抓到你，我就——”

She did not finish, for by this time she was bending down and punching under the bed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate the punches with. She resurrected nothing but the cat.

她话没说完，因为这时候她正弯腰拿扫把往床下面杵，每杵一下就需要停下来喘口气。结果她只杵出一只猫来。

"I never did see the beat of that boy! "

“我还从没见过这样的孩子！”

She went to the open door and stood in it and looked out among the tomato vines and "jimpson" weeds that constituted the garden. No Tom. So she lifted up her voice at an angle calculated for distance and shouted:

她走到敞开的门口，站在那儿朝满园子的番茄藤和吉普逊草丛里望了望，想找到汤姆。还是没有。于是，她扯开嗓子朝远处高声喊道：

"Y—o—u—u Tom! "

“汤姆啊，汤姆！”

There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his roundabout and arrest his flight.

这时候，她身后有阵轻微的响动，她一转身刚好抓住了一个小男孩儿的短外套衣角，他这下可跑不掉了。

"There! I might 'a't hought of that closet. What you been doing in there? "

“嘿，在这儿呢！我早就该想到那个壁橱。你躲在那儿干什么呢？”

"Nothing. "

“没干什么。”

"Nothing! Look at your hands. And look at your mouth. What is that truck? "

“没干什么！瞧瞧你那双手。再看看你那张嘴。你浑身上下都是什么啊？”

"I don't know, aunt. "

“我不知道，姨妈。”

"Well, I know. It's jam — that's what it is. Forty times I've said if you didn't let that jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me that switch. "

“啊，我知道了。是果酱——对，没错，就是。我跟你说了得有四十遍了，不要动我的果酱，否则我就扒了你的皮。把鞭子给我。”

The switch hovered in the air — the peril was desperate:

鞭子在空中晃晃悠悠，危险迫在眉睫。

"My! Look behind you, aunt! "

“啊，天哪！瞧你身后，姨妈！”

The old lady whirled round, and snatched her skirts out of danger. The lad fled on the instant, scrambled up the high board fence, and disappeared over it.

老太太以为有危险，急忙撩起裙子转过身。汤姆这小家伙赶紧撒丫子就跑，爬上老高的木栅栏，一转眼就没影儿了。

His aunt Polly stood surprised a moment, and then broke into a gentle laugh.

他的波莉姨妈站在那儿先是一愣，随后轻声笑了起来。

"Hang the boy, can't I never learn anything? Ain't he played me tricks enough like that for me to be looking out for him by this time? But old fools is the biggest fools there is. Can't learn an old dog new tricks, as the saying is. But my goodness, he never plays them alike, two days, and how is a body to know what's coming? He 'pears to know just how long he can torment me before I get my dander up, and he knows if he can make out to put me off for a minute or make me laugh, it's all down again and I can't hit him a lick. I ain't doing my duty by that boy, and that's the Lord's truth, goodness knows. Spare the rod and spoil the child, as the Good Book says. I' m a—laying up sin and suffering for us both, I know. He's full of the Old Scratch, but laws—a—me! He's my own dead sister's boy, poor thing, and I ain't got the heart to lash him, somehow. Every time I let him off, my conscience does hurt me so, and every time I hit him my old heart most breaks. Well—a—well, man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, as the Scripture says, and I reckon it's so. He'll play hooky this evening, and I'll just be obliged to make him work, to—morrow, to punish him. It's mighty hard to make him work Saturdays, when all the boys are having holiday, but he hates work more than he hates anything else, and I've got to do some of my duty by him, or I'll be the ruination of the child. "

“这该死的，我怎么老是不吸取教训？到现在他跟我开这种玩笑也不少了，难道我还不该提防着点吗？老糊涂是最大的糊涂蛋。俗话说得好，老狗学不会新把戏。可是老天哪，他的鬼把戏从来没有两天一样的，谁知道他下回要耍什么花招？他好像对折磨我多长时间才会把我惹毛了如指掌，也知道只要能想个法子哄哄我，逗我笑笑，就会什么事也没有了，我也不会揍他。对那孩子我可是没尽到责任。上帝知道这千真万确。正如《圣经》里所言，孩子不打不成器。我犯了溺爱孩子的罪孽，让我俩都受罪，我知道。他一肚子坏水儿，哎呦！可他是我那死去姐姐的儿子，我总是不忍心揍他。每次我饶了他，我良心上过不去。可每次我打他，我这心都要碎了。哎，罢了罢了，就像《圣经》里说的，人为母生，光阴荏苒，多苦多难。我看这话说得没错。他今天下午要是再逃学，我明天就让他干活儿了，惩罚惩罚他。星期六让他干活恐怕是苛刻了点，所有孩子都放假呢。可他最痛恨的就是干活了。我必须对他尽点责任，要不我就把这孩子给毁了。”

Tom did play hooky, and he had a very good time. He got back home barely in season to help Jim, the small colored boy, saw next day's wood and split the kindlings before supper — at least he was there in time to tell his adventures to Jim while Jim did three fourths of the work. Tom's younger brother (or rather half—brother) Sid was already through with his part of the work (picking up chips), for he was a quiet boy, and had no adventurous, troublesome ways.

汤姆确实逃学了，而且痛痛快快玩儿了一场。他回家时正好赶上帮那小黑孩吉姆的忙，帮他在晚饭前锯第二天用的木头，劈引火用的柴——至少他及时赶到那儿，把他冒险所干的事讲给吉姆听，而活却是吉姆干了四分之三。汤姆的弟弟（确切地说是同母异父的弟弟）希德已干完了他那摊活（捡碎木块），因为他是个好静的孩子，从不干什么冒险的事，也不惹什么麻烦。

While Tom was eating his supper, and stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions that were full of guile, and very deep — for she wanted to trap him into damaging revealments. Like many other simple—hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she loved to contemplate her most transparent devices as marvels of low cunning. Said she:

汤姆吃晚饭的时候，只要有机会就偷糖吃，波莉姨妈这时开始问他话，话里充满诡计，深藏玄机——因为她要给他设点圈套，自己吐出真话来，给他致命性打击。跟其他很多头脑简单的人一样，她自负得很，相信自己天生有耍弄诡秘狡猾手腕的才能，认为自己极易被人识破的伎俩妙得令人惊叹。她说： “汤姆，学校里挺热的，是吧？”

"Tom, it was middling warm in school, warn't it? "

“汤姆，学校里挺热的，是吧？”

"Yes' m. "

“对，姨妈。”

"Powerful warm, warn't it? "

“热得厉害，对吧？”

"Yes' m. "

“是，姨妈。”

"Didn't you want to go in a—swimming, Tom? "

“你是不是想去游泳来着，汤姆？”

A bit of a scare shot through Tom — a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searched Aunt Polly's face, but it told him nothing. So he said:

汤姆忽然觉得有点儿害怕——一丝不安的疑虑袭上心头。他偷看波莉姨妈的脸色，可是没看出个所以然来。于是他说：

"No 'm — well, not very much. "

“没有啊，姨妈——呃，没怎么想去。”

The old lady reached out her hand and felt Tom's shirt, and said:

老太太伸出手，摸了摸汤姆的衬衫，说道：

"But you ain't too warm now, though. " And it flattered her to reflect that she had discovered that the shirt was dry without anybody knowing that that was what she had in her mind. But in spite of her, Tom knew where the wind lay, now. So he forestalled what might be the next move:

“可是你现在不怎么热吧。” 想到她发现衬衣是干的而没人知道她的真正用意是什么，老太太得意洋洋。可不管老太太怎么样，汤姆现在猜透了她的心思。因此他先下手一步，防范老太太的下一招：

"Some of us pumped on our heads — mine's damp yet. See? "

“有些人往我们头上泼水——我的头发还是湿的呢。看见了吧？”

Aunt Polly was vexed to think she had overlooked that bit of circumstantial evidence, and missed a trick. Then she had a new inspiration:

波莉姨妈懊恼不已，她居然没注意到这个明摆着的事实，错过了一次施伎俩的机会。可接着她灵机一动，计上心来：

"Tom, you didn't have to undo your shirt collar where I sewed it, to pump on your head, did you? Unbutton your jacket! "

“汤姆，你往头上浇水的时候，不必拆掉我给你衬衫上缝的领子吧？把上衣的纽扣解开！”

The trouble vanished out of Tom's face. He opened his jacket. His shirt collar was securely sewed.

不安马上从汤姆脸上消失了。他解开上衣，衬衣的领子还是缝得好好的。

"Bother! Well, go 'long with you. I'd made sure you'd played hooky and been a—swimming. But I forgive ye, Tom. I reckon you're a kind of a singed cat, as the saying is — better' n you look. This time. "

“怪了！得了，算了吧。我以为你逃课去游泳了。不过我饶了你，汤姆。我看你就是俗话里说的那种烧焦毛的猫——比外表看起来要好。下不为例。”

She was half sorry her sagacity had miscarried, and half glad that Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once.

她既为自己的计谋落空而遗憾，又为汤姆能有一次如此温顺听话而高兴。

But Sidney said:

可是希德却说：

"Well, now, if I didn't think you sewed his collar with white thread, but it's black. "

“呃，我记得你好像给他缝领子用的是白线，可现在却是黑线。”

"Why, I did sew it with white! Tom! "

“哎呀，我的确用白线缝的！汤姆！”

But Tom did not wait for the rest. As he went out at the door he said:

可汤姆没等听完话就走了。他走出门口的时候说：

"Siddy, I'll lick you for that. "

“希德，为这我可要狠狠揍你一顿。”

In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which were thrust into the lapels of his jacket, and had thread bound about them — one needle carried white thread and the other black. He said:

在一个安全的地方，汤姆仔细看了看别在上衣翻领上的两根大的缝衣针，针上还绕着线，一根绕着白线，另一根绕着黑线。

"She'd never noticed if it hadn't been for Sid. Confound it! sometimes she sews it with white, and sometimes she sews it with black. I wish to geeminy she'd stick to one or t 'other — I can't keep the run of' em. But I bet you I'll lam Sid for that. I'll learn him! "

他说： “如果不是希德，她是永远不会注意到的。真讨厌！有时候她用白线缝，有时候又用黑线。我真希望她总是用白线或者黑线——换来换去我实在记不住。不过，我发誓非揍希德一顿不可。我要好好教训教训他！”

He was not the Model Boy of the village. He knew the model boy very well though — and loathed him.

汤姆不是村里的模范男孩，但他熟知那位模范男孩——并且对他深恶痛绝。

Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore them down and drove them out of his mind for the time — just as men's misfortunes are forgotten in the excitement of new enterprises. This new interest was a valued novelty in whistling, which he had just acquired from a negro, and he was suffering to practise it undisturbed. It consisted in a peculiar birdlike turn, a sort of liquid warble, produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short intervals in the midst of the music — the reader probably remembers how to do it, if he has ever been a boy. Diligence and attention soon gave him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full of harmony and his soul full of gratitude. He felt much as an astronomer feels who has discovered a new planet — no doubt, as far as strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned, the advantage was with the boy, not the astronomer.

不到两分钟，甚至更短时间，他已经把所有烦恼抛到脑后了。并不是因为他的烦恼没有大人们的沉重和难受，而是因为一种更新鲜、更强烈的兴趣暂时压倒并且驱散了心中的烦恼——正如大人们为新奇之事而兴奋的时候，也会忘记自己的不幸一样。这种新鲜的兴趣就是颇有价值的口哨新式吹法，是他刚从一个黑人那儿学到的，现在他正想要不被打扰地专心练习。这口哨声就像某种特别的鸟叫声，一种流畅婉转的啼鸣。吹这个调子时候，舌头断断续续地碰上牙膛——读者如果曾经也是孩子的话，可能还记得怎么吹。孜孜不倦和一心一意使他迅速掌握了要领。他大步流星地沿着大街走着，口中吹着口哨，心里满是感激。那股乐劲儿就像天文学家发现了一颗新的行星一样——毫无疑问，就快乐的强烈、深切和纯粹程度而言，汤姆比天文学家更高兴。

The summer evenings were long. It was not dark, yet. Presently Tom checked his whistle. A stranger was before him — a boy a shade larger than himself. A new—comer of any age or either sex was an impressive curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg. This boy was well dressed, too — well dressed on a weekday. This was simply astounding. His cap was a dainty thing, his close—buttoned blue cloth roundabout was new and natty, and so were his pantaloons. He had shoes on — and it was only Friday. He even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon. He had a citified air about him that ate into Tom's vitals. The more Tom stared at the splendid marvel, the higher he turned up his nose at his finery and the shabbier his own outfit seemed to him to grow. Neither boy spoke. If one moved, the other moved — but only sidewise, in a circle; they kept face to face and eye to eye all the time. Finally Tom said:

夏天的下午很漫长。现在天还没黑。汤姆的口哨声戛然而止。他面前出现了一个陌生人——一个个头比他大点的男孩。在圣彼德堡这个贫穷、破落的小村子里，不管是男的还是女的，老的还是少的，只要是新来的，就能引起人们的极大的好奇心。而且这个男孩穿得很讲究——在平日里还穿得这么讲究。仅这一点就足以让人震惊了。他的帽子很精致，蓝色的上衣扣得紧紧的，又新又整洁，他的裤子也是一样。他还穿着鞋——今天可只是星期五！他甚至还打了条领带，是条颜色鲜亮的丝质领带。他摆出一副城里人的架势，汤姆对此感到很不自在。汤姆越是盯着那身让人叹为观止的行头，对那男孩的漂亮衣服把鼻子翘得越高，越觉得自己的衣服寒酸破旧。两个人都一声不吭。一个挪动一步，另一个也挪一步——可都是斜着步子兜圈子。他俩面对面，眼对眼这样一直相持着。最后还是汤姆先开了腔：

"I can lick you! "

“我能揍你一顿！”

"I'd like to see you try it. "

“我倒想见识见识。”

"Well, I can do it. "

“好啊，我就打给你看。”

"No you can't, either. "

“得了，你不行。”

"Yes I can. "

“我行。”

"No you can't. "

“你就是不行。”

"I can. "

“我就是行。”

"You can't. "

“不行！”

"Can! "

“行！”

"Can't! "

“不行！”

An uncomfortable pause. Then Tom said:

两个人都不自在地停了下来。接着汤姆问道：

"What's your name? "

“你叫什么名字？”

"'Tisn't any of your business, maybe. "

“这也许你就管不着了。”

"Well I 'low I'll make it my business. "

“哼，我就管得着！”

"Well why don't you? "

“好啊，那你就管管看。”

"If you say much, I will. "

“要是你再罗嗦，我就管给你看。”

"Much — much — MUCH. There now. "

“罗嗦——罗嗦——偏要罗嗦。我就罗嗦了，怎么着吧。”

"Oh, you think you're mighty smart, don't you? I could lick you with one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to. "

“哦，你认为你自己很了不起，是不是？如果我想打倒你的话，一只手背在后面都能打过你。”

"Well why don't you do it? You say you can do it. "

“那你为什么不动手啊？你说你能揍我一顿。”

"Well I will, if you fool with me. "

“如果你老是戏弄我的话，我就打给你看。”

"Oh yes — I've seen whole families in the same fix. "

“哈，你这种人我见得多了去了。”

"Smarty! You think you're some, now, don't you? Oh, what a hat! "

“得了吧！你自认为现在是号人物，是吧？哎呦，瞧你那帽子！”

"You can lump that hat if you don't like it. I dare you to knock it off — and anybody that'll take a dare will suck eggs. "

“你要是看不顺眼你就把它摘下来呀，如果你敢碰，我就揍扁你——谁敢谁就等着瞧吧。”

"You're a liar! "

“你吹牛。”

"You're another. "

“你也吹牛。”

"You're a fighting liar and dasn't take it up. "

“你光是讲大话，不敢动手。”

"Aw — take a walk! "

“去，滚你的蛋吧！”

"Say — if you give me much more of your sass I'll take and bounce a rock off 'n your head. "

“告诉你——你要是再骂我的话，我就拿块石头砸碎你的脑袋。”

"Oh, of course you will. "

“那好，你就来砸啊！”

"Well I will. "

“我肯定会的。”

"Well why don't you do it then? What do you keep saying you will for? Why don't you do it? It's because you're afraid. "

“那你干吗不动手啊？为什么老是光说不练呢？怎么不动手啊？因为你害怕了。”

"I ain't afraid. "

“我才不怕呢。”

"You are. "

“你怕。”

"I ain't. "

“我不怕！”

"You are. "

“你就是怕！”

Another pause, and more eyeing and sidling around each other. Presently they were shoulder to shoulder. Tom said:

两个人又暂停了一会儿。接着又眼对眼，相互虎视眈眈地兜着圈子。忽然两个人肩抵着肩了。汤姆说：

"Get away from here! "

“你从这儿滚吧！”

"Go away yourself! "

“你自己滚吧！”

"I won't. "

“我才不滚呢。”

"I won't either. "

“我也不滚。”

So they stood, each with a foot placed at an angle as a brace, and both shoving with might and main, and glowering at each other with hate. But neither could get an advantage. After struggling till both were hot and flushed, each relaxed his strain with watchful caution, and Tom said:

于是他俩站在那儿，都斜着一只脚撑着劲，用尽力气想把对手往后推，两人怒目相视。可谁也没能占上风。他们直到斗得浑身发热，满脸通红，两人稍稍放松，却都小心谨慎地提防着对方。汤姆又说：

"You're a coward and a pup. I'll tell my big brother on you, and he can thrash you with his little finger, and I'll make him do it, too. "

“你是个胆小鬼，是个狗崽子。我要向我大哥告你的状，他只要动动小指头就能把你捏碎，我也会让他揍你的。”

"What do I care for your big brother? I've got a brother that's bigger than he is — and what's more, he can throw him over that fence, too. " (Both brothers were imaginary. )

“我可不怕你什么大哥，我有一个比你大哥还大的大哥——而且我大哥能把你的大哥从那堵篱笆围墙扔过去。” （两个人的所谓的大哥都是虚构的。）

"That's a lie. "

“你骗人。”

"Your saying so don't make it so. "

“你说的也不是真的。”

Tom drew a line in the dust with his big toe, and said: "I dare you to step over that, and I'll lick you till you can't stand up. Anybody that'll take a dare will steal sheep. "

汤姆用大脚趾头在地上的灰土上划了一道线，然后说： “你要是敢跨过这道线，我就把你打趴在地上，直到你站不起来。谁敢，谁就得吃不了兜着走。”

The new boy stepped over promptly, and said: "Now you said you'd do it, now let's see you do it. "

这个新来的男孩毫不犹豫地跨过那道线，说道： “你说你敢打我，现在来看看你怎么打法。”

"Don't you crowd me now; you better look out. "

“你别逼我啊！你最好还是给我小心点。”

"Well, you said you'd do it — why don't you do it? "

“哎，你不是说要打我吗？——你怎么不动手啊？”

"By jingo! for two cents I will do it. "

“得了，你要是给我两分钱，我就动手。”

The new boy took two broad coppers out of his pocket and held them out with derision. Tom struck them to the ground. In an instant both boys were rolling and tumbling in the dirt, gripped together like cats; and for the space of a minute they tugged and tore at each other's hair and clothes, punched and scratched each other's nose, and covered themselves with dust and glory. Presently the confusion took form, and through the fog of battle Tom appeared, seated astride the new boy, and pounding him with his fists.

这个新来的男孩果真从口袋里掏出两个硕大的铜币，嘲弄地摊开手掌。汤姆一把将钱打到地上。两个人立刻在地上的尘土里滚打，像两只猫一样撕扯起来。紧接着又是扯头发，又是揪衣服，拼命地捶打着，抓着对方的鼻子。两个人都弄得浑身是土，却又都威风凛凛。谁胜谁败逐渐见了分晓，汤姆从打斗扬起的尘土中爬起来，骑在那个男孩的身上，攥紧拳头使劲地打那个男孩。

"Holler 'nuff! " said he.

“求饶吧！” 他说。

The boy only struggled to free himself. He was crying — mainly from rage.

那个男孩只想挣脱出来。他号啕大哭——主要是因为气愤。

"Holler 'nuff! " — and the pounding went on.

“求饶吧！” 汤姆还在继续揍他。

At last the stranger got out a smothered " 'Nuff! " and Tom let him up and said:

最后那男孩挤出了 “饶了我” ，汤姆让他站起来，然后说道：

"Now that'll learn you. Better look out who you're fooling with next time. "

“以后给我记着。下次最好看清楚你在作弄谁。”

The new boy went off brushing the dust from his clothes, sobbing, snuffling, and occasionally looking back and shaking his head and threatening what he would do to Tom the "next time he caught him out. " To which Tom responded with jeers, and started off in high feather, and as soon as his back was turned the new boy snatched up a stone, threw it and hit him between the shoulders and then turned tail and ran like an antelope. Tom chased the traitor home, and thus found out where he lived. He then held a position at the gate for some time, daring the enemy to come outside, but the enemy only made faces at him through the window and declined. At last the enemy's mother appeared, and called Tom a bad, vicious, vulgar child, and ordered him away. So he went away; but he said he " 'lowed" tolayfor that boy.

新来的男孩拍拍身上的尘土，哭哭啼啼地走开了。他不时地回过头来，摇晃着脑袋，吓唬汤姆： “下次要是抓住你……” 汤姆对此不屑一顾，趾高气扬地走开了。他的背刚一转过来，那男孩子就抓起一块石头朝他砸过来，正打在汤姆的背心，接着就夹着尾巴，像羚羊似的飞快地跑掉了。汤姆穷追不舍，直追到他家，也因此知道了他家在哪儿。他就站在人家大门口，嚷着叫那男孩出来较量，可是那个死对头只是在窗子里朝他做鬼脸，就是不出去。最后死对头的妈妈出来了，骂汤姆是个邪恶下流的坏孩子，喝斥他赶快滚开。于是汤姆就走了，不过，他临走时说还要寻机再教训教训那混小子一顿。

He got home pretty late that night, and when he climbed cautiously in at the window, he uncovered an ambuscade, in the person of his aunt; and when she saw the state his clothes were in her resolution to turn his Saturday holiday into captivity at hard labor became adamantine in its firmness.

那天晚上他回家很晚。当他小心翼翼地从窗户往里爬时，猛然间发现有埋伏，原来是他的波莉姨妈。她看到他衣服被弄成那副样子，更坚定了让他在周六假期干苦活儿的决心。

Chapter 2