《汤姆·索亚历险记》第十四章 “海盗们”野外乐逍遥

　　WHEN Tom awoke in the morning, he wondered where he was. He sat up and rubbed his eyes and looked around. Then he comprehended. It was the cool gray dawn, and there was a delicious sense of repose and peace in the deep pervading calm and silence of the woods. Not a leaf stirred; not a sound obtruded upon great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stood upon the leaves and grasses. A white layer of ashes covered the fire, and a thin blue breath of smoke rose straight into the air. Joe and Huck still slept.

　　Now, far away in the woods a bird called; another answered; presently the hammering of a woodpecker was heard. Gradually the cool dim gray of the morning whitened, and as gradually sounds multiplied and life manifested itself. The marvel of Nature shaking off sleep and going to work unfolded itself to the musing boy. A little green worm came crawling over a dewy leaf, lifting two-thirds of his body into the air from time to time and "sniffing around," then proceeding again -- for he was measuring, Tom said; and when the worm approached him, of its own accord, he sat as still as a stone, with his hopes rising and falling, by turns, as the creature still came toward him or seemed inclined to go elsewhere; and when at last it considered a painful moment with its curved body in the air and then came decisively down upon Tom's leg and began a journey over him, his whole heart was glad -- for that meant that he was going to have a new suit of clothes -- without the shadow of a doubt a gaudy piratical uniform. Now a procession of ants appeared, from nowhere in particular, and went about their labors; one struggled manfully by with a dead spider five times as big as itself in its arms, and lugged it straight up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbed the dizzy height of a grass blade, and Tom bent down close to it and said:

　　"Lady-bug, lady-bug, fly away home, your house is on fire, your children's alone,"

　　and she took wing and went off to see about it -- which did not surprise the boy, for he knew of old that this insect was credulous about conflagrations, and he had practised upon its simplicity more than once. A tumblebug came next, heaving sturdily at its ball, and Tom touched the creature, to see it shut its legs against its body and pretend to be dead. The birds were fairly rioting by this time. A catbird, the Northern mocker, lit in a tree over Tom's head, and trilled out her imitations of her neighbors in a rapture of enjoyment; then a shrill jay swept down, a flash of blue flame, and stopped on a twig almost within the boy's reach, cocked his head to one side and eyed the strangers with a consuming curiosity; a gray squirrel and a big fellow of the "fox" kind came skurrying along, sitting up at intervals to inspect and chatter at the boys, for the wild things had probably never seen a human being before and scarcely knew whether to be afraid or not. All Nature was wide awake and stirring, now; long lances of sunlight pierced down through the dense foliage far and near, and a few butterflies came fluttering upon the scene.

　　Tom stirred up the other pirates and they all clattered away with a shout, and in a minute or two were stripped and chasing after and tumbling over each other in the shallow limpid water of the white sandbar. They felt no longing for the little village sleeping in the distance beyond the majestic waste of water. A vagrant current or a slight rise in the river had carried off their raft, but this only gratified them, since its going was something like burning the bridge between them and civilization.

　　They came back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted, and ravenous; and they soon had the camp-fire blazing up again. Huck found a spring of clear cold water close by, and the boys made cups of broad oak or hickory leaves, and felt that water, sweetened with such a wildwood charm as that, would be a good enough substitute for coffee. While Joe was slicing bacon for breakfast, Tom and Huck asked him to hold on a minute; they stepped to a promising nook in the river-bank and threw in their lines; almost immediately they had reward. Joe had not had time to get impatient before they were back again with some handsome bass, a couple of sun-perch and a small catfish -- provisions enough for quite a family. They fried the fish with the bacon, and were astonished; for no fish had ever seemed so delicious before. They did not know that the quicker a fresh-water fish is on the fire after he is caught the better he is; and they reflected little upon what a sauce open-air sleeping, open-air exercise, bathing, and a large ingredient of hunger make, too.

　　They lay around in the shade, after breakfast, while Huck had a smoke, and then went off through the woods on an exploring expedition. They tramped gayly along, over decaying logs, through tangled underbrush, among solemn monarchs of the forest, hung from their crowns to the ground with a drooping regalia of grape-vines. Now and then they came upon snug nooks carpeted with grass and jeweled with flowers.

　　They found plenty of things to be delighted with, but nothing to be astonished at. They discovered that the island was about three miles long and a quarter of a mile wide, and that the shore it lay closest to was only separated from it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards wide. They took a swim about every hour, so it was close upon the middle of the afternoon when they got back to camp. They were too hungry to stop to fish, but they fared sumptuously upon cold ham, and then threw themselves down in the shade to talk. But the talk soon began to drag, and then died. The stillness, the solemnity that brooded in the woods, and the sense of loneliness, began to tell upon the spirits of the boys. They fell to thinking. A sort of undefined longing crept upon them. This took dim shape, presently -- it was budding homesickness. Even Finn the Red-Handed was dreaming of his doorsteps and empty hogsheads. But they were all ashamed of their weakness, and none was brave enough to speak his thought.

　　For some time, now, the boys had been dully conscious of a peculiar sound in the distance, just as one sometimes is of the ticking of a clock which he takes no distinct note of. But now this mysterious sound became more pronounced, and forced a recognition. The boys started, glanced at each other, and then each assumed a listening attitude. There was a long silence, profound and unbroken; then a deep, sullen boom came floating down out of the distance.

　　"What is it！" exclaimed Joe, under his breath.

　　"I wonder," said Tom in a whisper.

　　"'Tain't thunder," said Huckleberry, in an awed tone, "becuz thunder --"

　　"Hark！" said Tom. "Listen -- don't talk."

　　They waited a time that seemed an age, and then the same muffled boom troubled the solemn hush.

　　"Let's go and see."

　　They sprang to their feet and hurried to the shore toward the town. They parted the bushes on the bank and peered out over the water. The little steam ferryboat was about a mile below the village, drifting with the current. Her broad deck seemed crowded with people. There were a great many skiffs rowing about or floating with the stream in the neighborhood of the ferryboat, but the boys could not determine what the men in them were doing. presently a great jet of white smoke burst from the ferryboat's side, and as it expanded and rose in a lazy cloud, that same dull throb of sound was borne to the listeners again.

　　"I know now！" exclaimed Tom; "somebody's drownded！"

　　"That's it！" said Huck; "they done that last summer, when Bill Turner got drownded; they shoot a cannon over the water, and that makes him come up to the top. Yes, and they take loaves of bread and put quicksilver in 'em and set 'em afloat, and wherever there's anybody that's drownded, they'll float right there and stop."

　　"Yes, I've heard about that," said Joe. "I wonder what makes the bread do that."

　　"Oh, it ain't the bread, so much," said Tom; "I reckon it's mostly what they SAY over it before they start it out."

　　"But they don't say anything over it," said Huck. "I've seen 'em and they don't."

　　"Well, that's funny," said Tom. "But maybe they say it to themselves. Of course they do. Anybody might know that."

　　The other boys agreed that there was reason in what Tom said, because an ignorant lump of bread, uninstructed by an incantation, could not be expected to act very intelligently when set upon an errand of such gravity.

　　"By jings, I wish I was over there, now," said Joe.

　　"I do too" said Huck "I'd give heaps to know who it is."

　　The boys still listened and watched. presently a revealing thought flashed through Tom's mind, and he exclaimed:

　　"Boys, I know who's drownded -- it's us！"

　　They felt like heroes in an instant. Here was a gorgeous triumph; they were missed; they were mourned; hearts were breaking on their account; tears were being shed; accusing memories of unkindness to these poor lost lads were rising up, and unavailing regrets and remorse were being indulged; and best of all, the departed were the talk of the whole town, and the envy of all the boys, as far as this dazzling notoriety was concerned. This was fine. It was worth while to be a pirate, after all.

　　As twilight drew on, the ferryboat went back to her accustomed business and the skiffs disappeared. The pirates returned to camp. They were jubilant with vanity over their new grandeur and the illustrious trouble they were making. They caught fish, cooked supper and ate it, and then fell to guessing at what the village was thinking and saying about them; and the pictures they drew of the public distress on their account were gratifying to look upon -- from their point of view. But when the shadows of night closed them in, they gradually ceased to talk, and sat gazing into the fire, with their minds evidently wandering elsewhere. The excitement was gone, now, and Tom and Joe could not keep back thoughts of certain persons at home who were not enjoying this fine frolic as much as they were. Misgivings came; they grew troubled and unhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. By and by Joe timidly ventured upon a roundabout "feeler" as to how the others might look upon a return to civilization -- not right now, but --

　　Tom withered him with derision！ Huck, being uncommitted as yet, joined in with Tom, and the waverer quickly "explained," and was glad to get out of the scrape with as little taint of chicken-hearted homesickness clinging to his garments as he could. Mutiny was effectually laid to rest for the moment.

　　As the night deepened, Huck began to nod, and presently to snore. Joe followed next. Tom lay upon his elbow motionless, for some time, watching the two intently. At last he got up cautiously, on his knees, and went searching among the grass and the flickering reflections flung by the camp-fire. He picked up and inspected several large semi-cylinders of the thin white bark of a sycamore, and finally chose two which seemed to suit him. Then he knelt by the fire and painfully wrote something upon each of these with his "red keel"; one he rolled up and put in his jacket pocket, and the other he put in Joe's hat and removed it to a little distance from the owner. And he also put into the hat certain schoolboy treasures of almost inestimable value -- among them a lump of chalk, an India-rubber ball, three fishhooks, and one of that kind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal." Then he tiptoed his way cautiously among the trees till he felt that he was out of hearing, and straightway broke into a keen run in the direction of the sandbar.

　　早晨，汤姆一觉醒来，迷迷糊糊不知身在何方。他坐起来，揉揉眼，向周围看了看。很快他想了起来。此时正值凉爽的、灰蒙蒙的黎明时分，林子里一片静谧，给一种甜蜜的安息与和平的气氛围扰着。树叶儿一动也不动，没有任何声音打扰大自然的酣眠。露珠儿还逗留在树叶和草叶上。一层白色的灰烬盖在那堆火上，一缕淡淡的烟直飘向天空。而乔和哈克都还睡得正香。

　　这时，林子深处有只鸟儿叫了起来，另一只发出应和。随后又听见一只啄木鸟啄树的声音。清淡的晨光渐渐发白，各种声音也随之稠密起来，大地万物，一派生机。大自然从沉睡中醒来，精神抖擞地把一片奇景展现在这惊奇的孩子的眼底。一条小青虫从一片带露的叶子上爬过来，不时地把大半截身子翘在空中，四处鈥溞嵋恍徕�潱�接着又向前爬鈥斺�斕滥匪邓�是在打探。这条小虫自动爬近他身边时，他像一块石头一样凝然不动，满心希望它能爬得再近些。那条小虫一会儿继续向他爬过来，一会儿又好像改变了主意，打算往别处去。他的希望也随之一会儿高涨，一会儿低落。后来，小虫在空中翘起身子，考虑良久，终于爬到汤姆腿上来，在他身上周游，于是他心里充满了欢乐鈥斺�斠蛭�这就表示他将要得到一套新打扮鈥斺�敽廖抟晌剩�是一套光彩夺目的海盗制服。这时，不知道从什么地方来了一大群蚂蚁，正忙着搬运东西；其中一只正用两条前肢抓住一只有自己身体五倍大的死蜘蛛，奋力往前拖，直拖着它爬上了树干。一只背上有棕色斑点的花大姐趴在一片草叶的叶尖，汤姆俯下身子，对它说：鈥溁ù蠼悖�花大姐，快回家，你的家里着火啦，你的娃娃找妈妈。鈥澯谑撬�就拍着翅儿飞走了，回家去看到底怎么了鈥斺�斕滥范源艘坏阋膊桓械狡婀郑�因为他早就知道这种小虫子容易相信火灾的事情，头脑又简单，被捉弄过不止一次了。不久，又有一只金龟子飞过来，不屈不挠地在搬一个粪球；汤姆碰了一下这小东西，看它把腿缩进身体装死。这时很多鸟儿叽叽喳喳闹得更欢了。有一只猫鹊鈥斺�斠恢直狈降难�舌鸟 鈥斺�斣谔滥吠范ド系囊豢么笫魃下湎吕矗�模仿着它附近别的鸟儿的叫声，叫得欢天喜地。随后又有一只樫鸟尖叫着疾飞而下，像一团一闪而过的蓝色火焰，落到一根小树枝上，汤姆几乎一伸手就能够到它。它歪着脑袋，十分好奇地打量着这几位不速之客；还有一只灰色的松鼠和一只狐狸类的大东西匆匆跑来，一会儿坐着观察这几个孩子，一会儿又冲他们叫几声。这些野生动物也许以前从未见过人类，所以它们根本不知道该不该害怕。此时自然界的万物全都醒来，充满了活力。这儿那儿，一道道阳光如长矛一般从茂密的树叶中直刺下来，几只蝴蝶扇着翅膀，在翩翩起舞。

　　汤姆弄醒了另外两个强盗，他们大叫一声，嘻嘻哈哈地跑开了；两分钟以后，他们就脱得赤条条的，跳进白沙滩上那片清澈透底的水里互相追逐，滚抱嬉戏。宽阔的河流对面，远远的地方，就是那个村庄，而他们并不想念。可能是一阵湍流也可能是一股上涨的潮水，冲走了他们的小木筏。他们却为此感到庆幸。因为没有了木筏，就像是烧毁了他们与文明世界间的桥梁，斩断了他们回返的念头。

　　他们回到露营地时，神采奕奕，兴致勃勃，却也饥肠辘辘；不久他们把那篝火又拨旺了。哈克在附近发现了一眼清泉，孩子们就用阔大的橡树叶和胡桃树叶做成杯子，他们觉得这泉水有股子森林的清香，完全可以取代咖啡。乔正在切咸肉片做早餐，汤姆和哈克让他稍候片刻；他们来到河边，相中了一个僻静之处，垂下鱼钩，不长时间就有了收获。还没到让乔等得不耐烦的时候，他们就拿回来几条漂亮的石首鱼，一对鲈鱼和一条小鲶鱼鈥斺�斦庑┯阕愎灰淮蠹胰吮ゲ鸵欢佟Ｋ�们把鱼和咸肉放到一块煮，结果让人惊讶的是：鱼的味道竟然这么鲜美。他们不知道淡水鱼越趁活烧吃，味道越鲜美；另外，他们也没有想到露天睡觉、户外运动、洗澡以及饥饿会使食欲大增。他们并不明白饥者口中尽佳肴的道理。

　　吃罢早饭，他们就往树荫底下随便一倒，哈克抽了一袋烟；然后大家往树林里去，去探险。他们信步走去，一路跨朽木，涉杂林，穿过高大的树木林，这些大树披垂着一根根葡萄藤，好像王冠上垂下来的流苏。他们时不时地遇到一些幽僻的地方，地面长满青草，绽放着鲜花，宛如块块镶着宝石的绿色地毯。

　　他们看到了很多令人欣喜的东西，不过并没有什么稀奇古怪的玩意儿。他们发现这个岛大约有三英里长，四分之一英里宽，离河岸最近的地方只有一条狭窄的水道相隔，不足二百码宽。他们差不多每个钟头就游上一次泳，所以等他们回到宿营地时，已过去了半个下午。他们饿坏了，顾不得停下来捉鱼来吃，对着冷火腿，就是一番狼吞虎咽，吃罢就躺到荫凉下说话。说着说着就断断续续了，终于他们止住了话头。周遭的寂静、森林中的肃穆以及孤独感，慢慢地对这几个孩子的情绪发生了作用。他们开始沉思默想。一种莫名的渴望渐渐爬上他们心头鈥斺�斈鞘窃嚼丛角苛业乃枷缜樾鳌Ａ�赤手大盗费恩都在缅怀他从前睡觉的台阶和那些大空桶。但是他们对这种软弱感到害臊，没有一个人有勇气把心事公诸于众。

　　有一段时间，几个孩子隐隐约约地听到远处有一种奇怪的声响，就像你不特别留神时听到的钟摆的滴嗒滴嗒声。但后来这种神秘的声响越来越大，他们不得不弄清楚。孩子们愣了一下，互相对望一眼，接着像在侧耳细听。过了好久没有声音，只有死一般的寂静；后来，一阵沉闷的隆隆响声从远处滚荡而来。

　　鈥準裁瓷�音！鈥澢切∩�惊呼。

　　鈥溛乙膊磺宄�。鈥澨滥返蜕�说。

　　鈥溎遣皇抢咨�，鈥澒�克贝利说，声音里带有惊恐，鈥溡蛭�雷声鈥斺�斺��

　　鈥溎忝翘�！鈥澨滥匪担�鈥溙�着鈥斺�敱鹂陨�。鈥�

　　他们等了仿佛好多年似的，这时划破寂空才又传来一阵沉闷的隆隆响声。

　　鈥溩撸�去看看。鈥�

　　他们一下子跳起来，赶忙朝镇子方向的岸边跑去。他们拨开河边的灌木丛，偷眼往水面观瞧。那只摆渡用的小蒸汽船在镇子下游大约一英里的地方，顺流而下。宽大的甲板上像是站满了人。另外有好多小船在渡船附近划动，漂来漂去，可孩子们却吃不准船上的人在干什么。后来，渡船边突地冒出来一大股白烟，它似闲云一般弥散升腾开来。与此同时，那种沉闷的声音又灌进他们的耳鼓。

　　鈥溛抑�道了！鈥澨滥泛白牛�鈥溣腥搜退懒耍♀��

　　鈥準钦饷椿厥拢♀�澒�克说，鈥溔ツ晗奶欤�比尔路特纳掉到水里时，他们也就这样子的；他们向水面上打炮，这能让落水的人浮到水面上来。对，他们还用大块面包，灌上水银，放在水面上浮着。无论什么地方有人落人，面包就会径直漂过去，停在出事的地方。鈥�

　　鈥湺裕�我也听人讲过这事，鈥澢撬担�鈥湶恢�道是什么使面包那么灵。鈥�

　　鈥溑叮�大概不是面包自身有那么灵，鈥澨滥匪担�鈥溛夜兰贫喟胧侨嗣鞘孪榷运�念了咒语。鈥�

　　鈥溗�们可不念什么咒语呀，鈥澒�克说，鈥溛仪籽鬯�见，他们不念咒语。鈥�

　　鈥湴Γ�那就怪了，鈥澨滥匪担�鈥湶还�也许他们只是在心里默念。他们肯定念咒，这是明摆着的。鈥�

　　另外，两个孩子认为面包无知无觉，如果没有人给它念咒语，它去干这么重大的事情，决不会干得那么出色。所以他们同意汤姆说的有道理。

　　鈥湴パ剑�现在要是我也在现场就好了。鈥澢撬怠ｂ�溛乙舱饷聪耄�鈥澒�克说。鈥溛仪樵改煤芏喽�西来换，让人家告诉我是谁被淹死了。鈥�

　　几个孩子仍在那儿听着，看着。突然一个念头在汤姆脑海里一闪，他恍然大悟地喊道：

　　鈥溁锇槊牵�我晓得是谁淹死了鈥斺�斁褪窃勖茄剑♀��

　　他们立刻觉得自己宛然成了英雄。这可是个可喜可贺的胜利。由此可见还有人惦记他们，有人哀悼他们，有人为他们伤心断肠，有人为他们痛哭流涕。那些人一想到自己曾经对这几个失踪的苦孩子怎么怎么不好，良心上就会受到谴责，就会愧疚不已，可是悔之晚矣。顶顶重要的是，全镇子的男女老少一定都在谈论这几个淹死的人，而别的孩子见他们如此声名显赫，既羡慕又忌妒。这真不赖。一句话，海盗当得值！

　　天色向晚，渡船又回到镇口摆渡去了，其余的小船也不见了。海盗们也回到了宿营地。他们想到自己新得的荣耀，想到给镇里人惹的响当当的麻烦，感到心满意足高兴极了。他们捉了鱼，做了晚饭吃罢后，就猜想起镇里人会怎么想他们，会怎么说；想象着人们为他们心急火燎的情形，心里十分满意鈥斺�數比徽馐撬�们自己的感觉。可是，当茫茫夜色罩住大地，他们就渐渐停止了谈话，坐在那里，望着火堆，心不在焉。这会儿，兴奋劲儿过去了，汤姆和乔不由自主地想起了家里的某些人对这样过火的玩笑决不会像他们那样觉得开心。一阵恐惧袭上心头。他们不安起来，心情沉重，情不自禁地叹了一两口气。后来乔胆怯地抹着弯儿试探另外两个海盗的意思，想知道他们对回到文明世界去抱什么态度鈥斺�敳还�不是马上就回去，只是鈥斺��

　　汤姆奚落了他一番，给他兜头泼了瓢冷水。尚未加盟的哈克现在站在了汤姆一边。于是那个动摇分子马上为自己鈥湵缁も�潱�极力开脱自己，不想被胆小、想家的毛病损害了自家形象。叛乱总算暂时平定了下来。

　　夜色渐深，哈克打起盹来，不久便鼾声大作。乔也跟着进入了梦乡。汤姆用胳膊肘支着头，定睛看着他俩，很长时间，一动不动。最后，他双膝撑地小翼翼地站起来，在草地里和篝火的闪亮处搜寻。他捡起几块半圆形的梧桐树的白色薄皮，仔细看了看，最后选中两块中意的。然后他就在火堆旁跪下，用他那块红砚石在树皮上吃力地写了几个字；他把一块卷起来，放到上衣口袋里，另一块放在乔的帽子里，他把帽子挪远了一点后又在里面放了些被小学生视为无价之宝的东西鈥斺�斠唤胤郾剩灰桓鱿鹌で颍蝗�个钓鱼钩和一块叫做鈥湸克�晶球鈥澋氖�头。然后他就踮着脚尖，非常谨慎地从树林中溜出去，直到后来他认为别人已经听不见他的脚步，就立刻飞脚向沙滩那边直跑过去。