El matí del dilluns trobà Tom Sawyer tot dissortat. El matí del dilluns sempre el trobava així, perquè començava una altra setmana de sofriment aclaparador a l'escola. Generalment ell inaugurava aquell dia tot desitjant que no hagués sobrevingut la festa, que feia molt més odiós el retorn al captiveri i les cadenes.
MONDAY morning found Tom Sawyer miserable. Monday morning always found him so--because it began another week's slow suffering in school. He generally began that day with wishing he had had no intervening holiday, it made the going into captivity and fetters again so much more odious.
Tom jeia reflexionant. Al cap de poc se li acudí que desitjaria d'estar malalt: aleshores podria romandre a casa sense anar a escola. Veu's aquí una vaga possibilitat. Escrutà el seu organisme: no tenia cap xacra. I començà de bell nou l'investigació. Aquesta vegada li semblà que podia descobrir símptomes de còlic i començà d'encoratjar-los amb extraordinària esperança. Però s'afebliren, i al cap de poca estona desaparegueren del tot. Tornà a reflexionar. De cop i volta descobrí quelcom: una de les seves dents de dalt se sentia baldera. Això era una bona cosa, i estava a punt de començar els gemecs com a engegament, com ell deia, quan se li acudí que, si compareixia al tribunal amb aquest argument, la seva tia li arrencaria aquella peça, i això li faria mal. Pensà, doncs, que servaria la dent com a reserva, ara per ara, i cercaria altra cosa. No se li acudí res per una estoneta, i després es recordà d'haver sentit com parlava el doctor d'una certa cosa que obligà a estar-se al llit a un pacient per espai de dues o tres setmanes i havia amenaçat de fer-li perdre un dit. El minyó, doncs, tragué afanyosament el dit malalt del peu, enfora del llençol, i l'aixecà en l'aire per a la seva inspecció. Però no coneixia els símptomes necessaris. Tanmateix, però, semblava que valia la pena d'arriscar-s'hi: així és que començà de gemegar amb considerable braó.
Tom lay thinking. Presently it occurred to him that he wished he was sick; then he could stay home from school. Here was a vague possibility. He canvassed his system. No ailment was found, and he investigated again. This time he thought he could detect colicky symptoms, and he began to encourage them with considerable hope. But they soon grew feeble, and presently died wholly away. He reflected further. Suddenly he discovered something. One of his upper front teeth was loose. This was lucky; he was about to begin to groan, as a "starter," as he called it, when it occurred to him that if he came into court with that argument, his aunt would pull it out, and that would hurt. So he thought he would hold the tooth in reserve for the present, and seek further. Nothing offered for some little time, and then he remembered hearing the doctor tell about a certain thing that laid up a patient for two or three weeks and threatened to make him lose a finger. So the boy eagerly drew his sore toe from under the sheet and held it up for inspection. But now he did not know the necessary symptoms. However, it seemed well worth while to chance it, so he fell to groaning with considerable spirit.
Però Sid seguia dormint, sense atalaiar-se'n.
But Sid slept on unconscious.
Tom gemegà més fort, i s'imaginà que començava de fer-li mal el dit del peu.
Tom groaned louder, and fancied that he began to feel pain in the toe.
Fou infructuós, pel que feia a Sid.
No result from Sid.
Tom bufava ja de tant escarrassar-se. Descansà una mica, i després s'inflà, i produí un seguit d'admirables gemecs.
Tom was panting with his exertions by this time. He took a rest and then swelled himself up and fetched a succession of admirable groans.
Sid roncava.
Sid snored on.
Tom s'exasperà. Digué: -Sid, Sid!- i va sacsejar-lo. Aquest procediment reeixí, i Tom començà sos gemecs altra vegada. Sid badallà, s'estirà, després s'aixecà damunt el colze amb un esbufec, i es posà a mirar Tom de fit a fit. Tom seguí gemegant. Sid digué:
Tom was aggravated. He said, "Sid, Sid!" and shook him. This course worked well, and Tom began to groan again. Sid yawned, stretched, then brought himself up on his elbow with a snort, and began to stare at Tom. Tom went on groaning. Sid said:
-Tom! Digues, Tom!
Cap resposta.
-Ei, Tom! Tom! què passa, Tom?- I el sacsejà i li mirà el rostre, afanyosament.
"Tom! Say, Tom!" [No response.] "Here, Tom! TOM! What is the matter, Tom?" And he shook him and looked in his face anxiously.
Tom féu, tot planyívol:
Tom moaned out:
-Oh! No, Sid: no m'empentegeu.
"Oh, don't, Sid. Don't joggle me."
-Vejam: què passa, Tom? Cridaré la tieta.
"Why, what's the matter, Tom? I must call auntie."
-No: tant se val. D'aquí a una estona potser haurà passat. No crideu ningú.
"No--never mind. It'll be over by and by, maybe. Don't call anybody."
-Però si cal! No gemegueu així, Tom: és una cosa que esgarrifa. Quant de temps fa que dura, això?
"But I must! Don't groan so, Tom, it's awful. How long you been this way?"
-Hores... Uui! Oh! No us bellugueu així. Em matareu!
"Hours. Ouch! Oh, don't stir so, Sid, you'll kill me."
-Tom: per què no m'heu despertat més d'hora? Oh! Tom, no feu això! Em posa els cabells drets, de sentir-vos! Tom: què teniu?
"Tom, why didn't you wake me sooner? Oh, Tom, don't! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you. Tom, what is the matter?"
"I forgive you everything, Sid. [Groan.] Everything you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"
"Oh, Tom, you ain't dying, are you? Don't, Tom--oh, don't. Maybe--"
-Sid, us ho perdono tot. (Gemec.) Totes les males passades que m'hagueu fet en tota la vida. I doneu, Sid, el marc de finestra vell i el meu gat borni a aquesta noia nova que ha vingut al poble, i digueu-li...
"I forgive everybody, Sid. [Groan.] Tell 'em so, Sid. And Sid, you give my window-sash and my cat with one eye to that new girl that's come to town, and tell her--"
Però Sid havia arrapissat sos vestits i apretat a córrer. Tom sofria de bo de bo, ara: tan bellament treballava la seva imaginació: així és que sos gemecs havien assolit un to perfectament genuí.
But Sid had snatched his clothes and gone. Tom was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely was his imagination working, and so his groans had gathered quite a genuine tone.
Sid corregué escales avall i digué:
Sid flew downstairs and said:
-Oh! Tieta Polly! Veniu! Tom està a les acaballes!
"Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom's dying!"
-A les acaballes!
"Dying!"
-Sí, senyora. No perdeu temps: veniu de pressa!
"Yes'm. Don't wait--come quick!"
-Romansos! No ho crec.
"Rubbage! I don't believe it!"
Però tanmateix volà escales amunt, amb Sid i Maria a sos talons. I la cara se li esblaimà, aiximateix, i sos llavis tremolaren. En arribar al costat del llit, digué, entre el panteix:
But she fled upstairs, nevertheless, with Sid and Mary at her heels. And her face grew white, too, and her lip trembled. When she reached the bedside she gasped out:
-Tom! Tom! Què us passa?
"You, Tom! Tom, what's the matter with you?"
-Oh! Tieta! Estic...
"Oh, auntie, I'm--"
-Què us passa? Què us passa, minyó?
"What's the matter with you--what is the matter with you, child?"
-Oh! tieta! El meu dit malalt em fa qui sap el mal!
"Oh, auntie, my sore toe's mortified!"
La vella senyora s'enfonsà en una cadira i rigué una mica, després plorà una mica, i després féu totes dues coses alhora. Això la retornà, i digué:
The old lady sank down into a chair and laughed a little, then cried a little, then did both together. This restored her and she said:
-Tom, quin espant m'havíeu dat! Prou ximpleries, ara, i salteu-me d'aquí.
"Tom, what a turn you did give me. Now you shut up that nonsense and climb out of this."
Els gemecs pararen, i s'esvaí el mal que sentia el dit del peu. El noi s'adonà de quedar una mica com un babau, i digué:
The groans ceased and the pain vanished from the toe. The boy felt a little foolish, and he said:
-Tia Polly, semblava adolorit, i feia tant de mal, que ni em recordava de la meva dent.
"Aunt Polly, it seemed mortified, and it hurt so I never minded my tooth at all."
-La vostra dent: oi? Què hi teniu, a la dent?
"Your tooth, indeed! What's the matter with your tooth?"
-En tinc una de baldera, i em fa veure la padrina.
"One of them's loose, and it aches perfectly awful."
-Vejam, vejam: no torneu a començar la gemegor. Obriu la boca. Bé, teniu la dent baldera; però d'això ningú se'n mor. Mary, aneu-me a cercar un fil de seda i una brasa de la cuina.
"There, there, now, don't begin that groaning again. Open your mouth. Well--your tooth is loose, but you're not going to die about that. Mary, get me a silk thread, and a chunk of fire out of the kitchen."
Tom digué:
Tom said:
-Oh! tieta! No l'arrenqueu, si us plau: ja no em fa gens de mal. No, tieta, si us plau. Ja no vull quedar-me a casa per no anar a l'escola.
"Oh, please, auntie, don't pull it out. It don't hurt any more. I wish I may never stir if it does. Please don't, auntie. I don't want to stay home from school."
-Ah! Ja no voleu, ja no voleu? De manera que tot aquest terrabastall era perquè us pensàveu romandre a casa, i fer campana, i anar a pescar? Tom, Tom! Jo us estimo tant, i vós sembleu cercar totes les maneres de ferir mon pobre cor vellet amb vostra ànima endiastrada! En aquell instant els instruments dentaris eren a punt. La vella senyora apretà fort l'un cap del fil de seda, amb un nus, a la dent de Tom, i lligà l'altre a una post del llit. Després agafà la brasa, i sobtadament la llençà gairebé a la cara del noi. La dent penjà aleshores, tot gronxant-se, de la post del llit.
"Oh, you don't, don't you? So all this row was because you thought you'd get to stay home from school and go a-fishing? Tom, Tom, I love you so, and you seem to try every way you can to break my old heart with your outrageousness." By this time the dental instruments were ready. The old lady made one end of the silk thread fast to Tom's tooth with a loop and tied the other to the bedpost. Then she seized the chunk of fire and suddenly thrust it almost into the boy's face. The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now.
Però totes les calamitats tenen llurs compensacions. En adreçar-se Tom a l'escola, després del desdejuni, fou l'enveja de tots els minyons que trobà, perquè el forat de la seva línia superior de dents li permetia d'expectorar d'una manera nova i admirable. Arreplegà tot un seguici de xicots interessats per aquell espectacle; i un d'ells, a qui havia calgut tallar el dit i que havia estat un centre de fascinació i homenatge fins aleshores, es trobà ara, de cop i volta, sense cap partidari, i tonsurat de la seva glòria. Son cor n'era feixuc, i digué, amb un menyspreu que no sentia, que no valia res l'escupir com Tom Sawyer. Però un altre minyó digué: -És que són verdes!- I ell hagué de fer-se fonedís, heroi descavalcat.
But all trials bring their compensations. As Tom wended to school after breakfast, he was the envy of every boy he met because the gap in his upper row of teeth enabled him to expectorate in a new and admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested in the exhibition; and one that had cut his finger and had been a centre of fascination and homage up to this time, now found himself suddenly without an adherent, and shorn of his glory. His heart was heavy, and he said with a disdain which he did not feel that it wasn't anything to spit like Tom Sawyer; but another boy said, "Sour grapes!" and he wandered away a dismantled hero.
Tom no trigà gaire estona a topar el jovenívol pària del llogarret, Huckleberry Finn, fill de l'embriac del poble. Huckleberry era coralment odiat i temut de totes les mares del poble, perquè estava en vaga, i no coneixia llei, i era ordinari, i dolent... i perquè tots llurs infants l'admiraven en tanta de manera, i es delectaven en sa prohibida companyia, i haurien volgut tenir la gosadia d'ésser com ell. Tom era com la resta dels nois respectables, pel que feia a envejar a Huckleberry sa joiosa condició de bandejat; i tenia ordes terminants de no jugar-hi: així és que hi jugava cada vegada que n'hi venia a tomb l'avinentesa. Huckleberry anava sempre abillat amb robes sobreres d'homes de tota alçada, les quals es trobaven en perpètua floridera i plenes de voleiadissos parracs. Son capell era una vasta ruïna amb una ampla mitja-lluna escapçada de les seves ales; sa casaca, quan en duia, gairebé li arribava als talons, i tenia els botons del darrera molt més avall de l'esquena; només un elàstic li sostenia els pantalons; el seient de sos pantalons s'abombava qui-sap-lo avall i no contenia res; la part baixa i serrellosa dels pantalons s'arrossegava pel fang quan no era arremangada.
Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village, Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunkard. Huckleberry was cordially hated and dreaded by all the mothers of the town, because he was idle and lawless and vulgar and bad--and because all their children admired him so, and delighted in his forbidden society, and wished they dared to be like him. Tom was like the rest of the respectable boys, in that he envied Huckleberry his gaudy outcast condition, and was under strict orders not to play with him. So he played with him every time he got a chance. Huckleberry was always dressed in the cast-off clothes of full-grown men, and they were in perennial bloom and fluttering with rags. His hat was a vast ruin with a wide crescent lopped out of its brim; his coat, when he wore one, hung nearly to his heels and had the rearward buttons far down the back; but one suspender supported his trousers; the seat of the trousers bagged low and contained nothing, the fringed legs dragged in the dirt when not rolled up.
Huckleberry anava i venia al seu grat. Dormia als llindars de les portes quan feia bon temps, i en bótes buides quan plovia; no havia d'anar a l'escola ni a la capella, ni reconèixer ningú per senyor, ni obeir a ningú: podia anar a pescar o a nedar, quan i on li plagués, i romandre-hi tanta d'estona com li fos escaient. Ningú li prohibia de tenir batusses; podia vetllar fins a l'hora que li semblés bé; era sempre el primer noi que anava amb els peus nus en primavera, i el darrer en tornar a adoptar el cuiro en la tardor; mai no s'havia de rentar o posar-se roba neta; podia renegar prodigiosament. En una paraula, aquell noi tenia tot allò que dóna preu a la vida. Així pensava tot minyó atuït, empantanegat i respectable de Sant Petersburg.
Huckleberry came and went, at his own free will. He slept on doorsteps in fine weather and in empty hogsheads in wet; he did not have to go to school or to church, or call any being master or obey anybody; he could go fishing or swimming when and where he chose, and stay as long as it suited him; nobody forbade him to fight; he could sit up as late as he pleased; he was always the first boy that went barefoot in the spring and the last to resume leather in the fall; he never had to wash, nor put on clean clothes; he could swear wonderfully. In a word, everything that goes to make life precious that boy had. So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg.
Tom saludà el romàntic bandejat:
Tom hailed the romantic outcast:
-Hola, Huckleberry!
"Hello, Huckleberry!"
-Hola, noi! I mireu que us en sembla.
"Hello yourself, and see how you like it."
-Què és això que porteu?
"What's that you got?"
-Un gat mort.
"Dead cat."
-Deixeu-me'l veure, Huck. Manoi! Està d'allò més enravenat. On l'heu pogut haver?
"Lemme see him, Huck. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'd you get him?"
-L'he comprat a un noi.
"Bought him off'n a boy."
-Què n'heu donat?
"What did you give?"
-N'he dat un bitllet blau i una bufeta que havia pescat a l'escorxador.
"I give a blue ticket and a bladder that I got at the slaughter-house."
-On heu pescat el bitllet blau?
"Where'd you get the blue ticket?"
-El vaig comprar a Ben Rogers, fa dues setmanes, per un bastonet d'empènyer cèrcols.
"Bought it off'n Ben Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stick."
-Escolteu... per què serveixen el gats morts, Huck?
"Say--what is dead cats good for, Huck?"
-Per què serveixen? Per a guarir-hi berrugues.
"Good for? Cure warts with."
-Sí? Voleu dir? Jo conec un remei que és millor.
"No! Is that so? I know something that's better."
-I ca! M'hi jugaria qualsevol cosa que no. Quín és?
"I bet you don't. What is it?"
-Ves, aigua d'esca.
"Why, spunk-water."
-Aigua d'esca! No en daria una fulla de bruc, de l'aigua d'esca.
"Spunk-water! I wouldn't give a dern for spunk-water."
-No la daríeu: oi? Ho heu provat mai?
"You wouldn't, wouldn't you? D'you ever try it?"
-No, jo no. Però Bob Tanner sí.
"No, I hain't. But Bob Tanner did."
-Qui us ho ha dit?
"Who told you so!"
-Ves, ell ho digué a Jeff Thatcher, i Jeff ho digué a Johnny Baker, i Johnny ho digué a Jim Hollis, i Jim ho digué a Ben Rogers, i Ben ho digué a un negre, i el negre m'ho digué a mí. Ja ho veieu!
"Why, he told Jeff Thatcher, and Jeff told Johnny Baker, and Johnny told Jim Hollis, and Jim told Ben Rogers, and Ben told a nigger, and the nigger told me. There now!"
-Bé, i què vol dir? Tots diuen mentida. Tots, si més no, fora del negre: a ell no el conec. Però mai no he vist un negre que no digués mentides. Romansos! Ara digueu-me còm ho va fer Bob Tanner, Huck.
"Well, what of it? They'll all lie. Leastways all but the nigger. I don't know him. But I never see a nigger that wouldn't lie. Shucks! Now you tell me how Bob Tanner done it, Huck."
-Ves, va agafar la mà i va ficar-la dins un socot on hi havia aigua de pluja.
"Why, he took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump where the rain-water was."
-De dia?
"In the daytime?"
-Oi.
"Certainly."
-Amb la cara cap al socot?
"With his face to the stump?"
-Sí. Tanmateix, jo bé ho penso.
"Yes. Least I reckon so."
-Digué alguna cosa?
"Did he say anything?"
-No ho crec, no ho sé.
"I don't reckon he did. I don't know."
-Ah! Mireu que és prou. Voler guarir berrugues amb aigua d'esca d'una manera tan bajana i poca solta! És clar que així no fa profit. Cal que us en aneu al mig del bosc, on sabeu que hi ha un socot amb aigua d'esca; i al punt de la mitja nit us aculeu contra el socot i hi apreteu la mà i dieu:
"Aha! Talk about trying to cure warts with spunk-water such a blame fool way as that! Why, that ain't a-going to do any good. You got to go all by yourself, to the middle of the woods, where you know there's a spunk-water stump, and just as it's midnight you back up against the stump and jam your hand in and say:
«Gra d'ordi, gra d'ordi, segó de menja indiana, aigua d'esca, aigua d'esca, empassa't aquestes berrugues!»
'Barley-corn, barley-corn, injun-meal shorts, Spunk-water, spunk-water, swaller these warts,'
i després us en aneu de pressa, dotze passes, amb els ulls closos, i després giravolteu tres vegades a l'entorn del socot, i us en aneu a casa sense parlar amb ningú. Perquè; si parleu, l'encís se'n va a cân Pistraus.
and then walk away quick, eleven steps, with your eyes shut, and then turn around three times and walk home without speaking to anybody. Because if you speak the charm's busted."
-Bé, això sembla un bon estil de fer-ho; però no és pas així com va fer-ho Bob Tanner.
"Well, that sounds like a good way; but that ain't the way Bob Tanner done."
-És clar que no, ja us hi podeu jugar qualsevol cosa; perquè és el noi que té més berrugues de tot el poble, i no en tindria ni una si sabés com haver-se-les amb l'aigua d'esca. M'he tret milers de berrugues de les mans d'aquesta manera, Huck. Jugo en tanta de manera amb les granotes, que sempre arreplego una pila, pila, pila de berrugues. De vegades me les trec amb una fava.
"No, sir, you can bet he didn't, becuz he's the wartiest boy in this town; and he wouldn't have a wart on him if he'd knowed how to work spunk-water. I've took off thousands of warts off of my hands that way, Huck. I play with frogs so much that I've always got considerable many warts. Sometimes I take 'em off with a bean."
-Sí, les faves serveixen. Ja ho he fet, això.
"Yes, bean's good. I've done that."
-Ho heu fet? I de quina manera ho feu, vós?
"Have you? What's your way?"
-Agafeu la fava i la partiu, i talleu la berruga de manera que en surti una mica de sang, i en acabat poseu la sang damunt un tros de la fava. I aneu, i feu un clot, i ho enterreu al volt de la mitja nit en una cruïlla, quan és lluna nova, i en acabat cremeu la resta de la fava. Compreneu? El tros de fava que té al damunt la sang anirà xuclant i xuclant, fent per manera d'haver el tros que manca, i això ajuda a la sang a xuclar la berruga, i ella no triga a escapolir-se.
"You take and split the bean, and cut the wart so as to get some blood, and then you put the blood on one piece of the bean and take and dig a hole and bury it 'bout midnight at the crossroads in the dark of the moon, and then you burn up the rest of the bean. You see that piece that's got the blood on it will keep drawing and drawing, trying to fetch the other piece to it, and so that helps the blood to draw the wart, and pretty soon off she comes."
-Sí, això és, Huck, això és: encara que si dieu, quan feu la colgada, «fava, endins; berruga, vés: vés-te'n i no em carreguis més!» és millor. Així és com ho fa Joe Harper, i ha estat a prop de Coonville, i gairebé per tot. Però, digueu: Còm ho feu per guarir-les amb un gat mort?
"Yes, that's it, Huck--that's it; though when you're burying it if you say 'Down bean; off wart; come no more to bother me!' it's better. That's the way Joe Harper does, and he's been nearly to Coonville and most everywheres. But say--how do you cure 'em with dead cats?"
-Ves, agafeu el gat i us en aneu i entreu al cementiri, tard, al volt de la mitja nit, i aneu on algun dolent hagi estat enterrat; i quan serà mitja nit un dimoni vindrà, o potser dos o tres, però no els podreu llucar: només podreu sentir una cosa com el vent, o bé podreu sentir-los enraonar; i quan se'n duran aquell company, els tirareu el gat al darrera i direu: «El dimoni segueix el cos mort, el gat segueix el dimoni, les berrugues segueixen el gat, i jo ja estic sense!» Això convenç qualsevol berruga.
"Why, you take your cat and go and get in the grave-yard 'long about midnight when somebody that was wicked has been buried; and when it's midnight a devil will come, or maybe two or three, but you can't see 'em, you can only hear something like the wind, or maybe hear 'em talk; and when they're taking that feller away, you heave your cat after 'em and say, 'Devil follow corpse, cat follow devil, warts follow cat, I'm done with ye!' That'll fetch any wart."
-Sembla bona cosa. Ho heu provat mai, Huck?
"Sounds right. D'you ever try it, Huck?"
-No, però la vella Hopkins m'ho digué.
"No, but old Mother Hopkins told me."
-Bé, doncs: em penso que deu ser veritat, perquè diuen que és bruixa.
"Well, I reckon it's so, then. Becuz they say she's a witch."
-Diuen! O Tom! Jo sé que ho és. Ella va embruixar mon pare. El meu pare ho diu ell mateix. Un dia feia camí, i va veure que ella l'estava embruixant; així és que va agafar un roc, i, si ella no s'hagués fet escàpola, l'hauria bé ensopegada. Doncs bé: aquella mateixa nit va anar de corcoll dins un cobert on jeia embriagat, i es va petar el braç.
"Say! Why, Tom, I know she is. She witched pap. Pap says so his own self. He come along one day, and he see she was a-witching him, so he took up a rock, and if she hadn't dodged, he'd a got her. Well, that very night he rolled off'n a shed wher' he was a layin drunk, and broke his arm."
-Això esparvera. I còm ho va conèixer que ella l'embruixava?
"Why, that's awful. How did he know she was a-witching him?"
-Senyor! Bé prou que us ho dirà, mon pare. Mon pare diu que, quan us miren d'allò més enravenades, és que us embruixen, sobretot si remuguen. Perquè quan remuguen diuen el Parenostre a la inversa.
"Lord, pap can tell, easy. Pap says when they keep looking at you right stiddy, they're a-witching you. Specially if they mumble. Becuz when they mumble they're saying the Lord's Prayer backards."
-Digueu, Huck: quan hi anireu a fer la provatura del gat?
"Say, Hucky, when you going to try the cat?"
-Aquesta nit. Em penso que aquesta nit aniran a cercar l'ànima del vell Hoss Williams.
"To-night. I reckon they'll come after old Hoss Williams to-night."
-Però si l'enterraren dissabte, Huck. Voleu dir que no se'l van endur dissabte a la nit?
"But they buried him Saturday. Didn't they get him Saturday night?"
-I ara! Què dieu! Llurs encisos no podien pas reeixir fins a la mitja nit, i aleshores ja és diumenge. Als dimonis no els agrada gaire que el diumenge els esquitxi, em penso.
"Why, how you talk! How could their charms work till midnight?--and then it's Sunday. Devils don't slosh around much of a Sunday, I don't reckon."
-No se m'hauria acudit. És veritat. Voldreu que hi vagi amb vós?
"I never thought of that. That's so. Lemme go with you?"
-És clar... Si no teniu por.
"Of course--if you ain't afeard."
-Por! No és fàcil. Que miolareu per avisar-me?
"Afeard! 'Tain't likely. Will you meow?"
-Sí, i vós feu un miol de resposta, si us vaga. La darrera vegada vaig estar-me miolant per allí fins que el vell Hays va començar a engegar-me rocs, tot dient: -Gat del diastre!- així és que li vaig tirar una rajola per la finestra; però moixoni!
"Yes--and you meow back, if you get a chance. Last time, you kep' me a-meowing around till old Hays went to throwing rocks at me and says 'Dern that cat!' and so I hove a brick through his window--but don't you tell."
-Ben segur. Aquella nit no vaig poder miolar perquè la meva tia em sotjava; però aquesta vegada miolaré. Escolteu, Huck: què és això?
"I won't. I couldn't meow that night, becuz auntie was watching me, but I'll meow this time. Say--what's that?"
-No és més que una paparra.
"Nothing but a tick."
-On l'heu arreplegada?
"Where'd you get him?"
-Al bosc.
"Out in the woods."
-Què en voleu?
"What'll you take for him?"
-No ho sé. No la vull pas vendre.
"I don't know. I don't want to sell him."
-Molt bé. És una paparra d'allò més petita, per això.
"All right. It's a mighty small tick, anyway."
-Oh! És de bon fer el rebaixar una paparra que no us pertany. Jo n'estic satisfet. És prou bona per a mi.
"Oh, anybody can run a tick down that don't belong to them. I'm satisfied with it. It's a good enough tick for me."
-Uix! N'hi ha una mala fi, de paparres. En podria tenir un miler, si volgués.
"Sho, there's ticks a plenty. I could have a thousand of 'em if I wanted to."
-Bé, doncs; per què no les teniu? Perquè massa sabeu que això són brocs. És una paparra ben primerenca, trobo. És la primera que he vist aquest any.
"Well, why don't you? Becuz you know mighty well you can't. This is a pretty early tick, I reckon. It's the first one I've seen this year."
-Escolteu, Huck: us la barato per la meva dent.
"Say, Huck--I'll give you my tooth for him."
-Deixeu-me-la veure.
"Less see it."
Tom es va treure un tros de paper i va desenrotllar-lo curosament. Huckleberry li pegà una mirada afanyosa. La temptació era ben forta. A la fi digué:
Tom got out a bit of paper and carefully unrolled it. Huckleberry viewed it wistfully. The temptation was very strong. At last he said:
-És de bo de bo?
"Is it genuwyne?"
Tom aixecà sos llavis i mostrà el forat.
Tom lifted his lip and showed the vacancy.
-Vaja, molt bé- digué Huckleberry; -tracte és tracte.
"Well, all right," said Huckleberry, "it's a trade."
Tom ficà la paparra dins la capsa de pistons que havia estat darrerament presó de l'escarabat, i els minyons es separaren, tot sentint-se cadascú més ric que no pas abans.
Tom enclosed the tick in the percussion-cap box that had lately been the pinchbug's prison, and the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before.
En arribar Tom al petit bastiment isolat de l'escola, hi entrà bruscament, a grans passos, com si hagués vingut amb honrada celeritat. Plantà son capell al penjador, i es precipità a son seient amb una abrivada aqueferadíssima. El mestre, entronitzat a l'altura, damunt sa gran cadira de braços i de cul estellat, feia una bacaina, a la non-non de la bonior soporífera de l'escola. La interrupció el desvetllà.
When Tom reached the little isolated frame school-house, he strode in briskly, with the manner of one who had come with all honest speed. He hung his hat on a peg and flung himself into his seat with business-like alacrity. The master, throned on high in his great splint-bottom arm-chair, was dozing, lulled by the drowsy hum of study. The interruption roused him.
-Tomàs Sawyer!
"Thomas Sawyer!"
Tom sabia que el seu nom, pronunciat tot sencer, era averany de mal temps.
Tom knew that when his name was pronounced in full, it meant trouble.
-Senyor!
"Sir!"
-Munteu aquí. Digueu-me còm és que heu tornat a venir tard, com teniu per costum.
"Come up here. Now, sir, why are you late again, as usual?"
Tom estigué a punt de cercar aixopluc sota una mentida; però aleshores veié dues llargues trenes de cabell groguís penjant damunt una esquena, i les reconegué, en virtut d'aquella elèctrica simpatia de l'amor; i al costat d'aquella personeta hi havia l'únic lloc vacant de la banda de les noies. Tot seguit digué:
Tom was about to take refuge in a lie, when he saw two long tails of yellow hair hanging down a back that he recognized by the electric sympathy of love; and by that form was the only vacant place on the girls' side of the school-house. He instantly said:
-M'HE ATURAT A PARLAR AMB HUCKLEBERRY FINN!
"I stopped to talk with Huckleberry Finn!"
El mestre sentí que se li aturava el pols, i restà amb els ulls encantats, sense esma. La bonior de l'escola cessà; els alumnes es preguntaren si aquell minyó insensat havia perdut el seny. El mestre digué:
The master's pulse stood still, and he stared helplessly. The buzz of study ceased. The pupils wondered if this foolhardy boy had lost his mind. The master said:
-Heu fet... què?
"You--you did what?"
-M'he aturat a parlar amb Huckleberry Finn.
"Stopped to talk with Huckleberry Finn."
Les paraules no havien estat mal enteses.
There was no mistaking the words.
-Tomàs Sawyer, aquesta és la confessió més astoradora que mai hagi sentit. La simple fèrula és poc per aquest delicte. Traieu-vos el gec.
"Thomas Sawyer, this is the most astounding confession I have ever listened to. No mere ferule will answer for this offence. Take off your jacket."
El braç del mestre maldà fins a cansar-se, i el dipòsit de regles minvà notablement. Aleshores vingué aquella orde:
The master's arm performed until it was tired and the stock of switches notably diminished. Then the order followed:
-Ara aneu i seieu amb les noies! I que això us serveixi d'escarment.
"Now, sir, go and sit with the girls! And let this be a warning to you."
Les rialletes que es mobilitzaren pels àmbits de la cambra semblà que avergonyissin el noi; però, de fet, aquesta resulta la causà més aviat l'adorativa temença envers la seva ídola inconeguda i el goig paorós que li proporcionava la seva sort enlairada. S'assegué a l'extrem del banc de pi, i la noia se'n retirà una mica, amb un moviment de cap. Contactes de colzes i llambregades i murmuris atravessaren la cambra; però Tom seia tot quiet, amb els braços damunt el pupitre llarg i baix que tenia al davant, i semblava que estudiés en son llibre.
The titter that rippled around the room appeared to abash the boy, but in reality that result was caused rather more by his worshipful awe of his unknown idol and the dread pleasure that lay in his high good fortune. He sat down upon the end of the pine bench and the girl hitched herself away from him with a toss of her head. Nudges and winks and whispers traversed the room, but Tom sat still, with his arms upon the long, low desk before him, and seemed to study his book.
De mica en mica l'atenció dels altres el deixà de banda, i l'acostumat murmuri de l'escola surà una vegada més per l'aire ensopit. Al cap de poc el minyó començà de fer lliscar furtives llambregades envers la noia. Ella ho reparà, li féu una llengota, i li girà el cap per espai d'un minut. Quan ella tornà a mirar-lo amb tota cautela, hi havia un préssec davant d'ella: ella l'empenyé cap enfora. Tom tornà a acostar-lo dolçament: ella l'empenyé de bell nou, però amb menys animositat. Tom pacientment, va tornar-lo a son lloc: aleshores ella deixà que hi romangués. Tom escritotejà a la seva pissarra: «Preneu-lo, si us plau; en tinc més». La noia pegà llambregada a aquelles paraules, però no féu cap senyal. Aleshores el noi començà a dibuixar alguna cosa a la pissarra, tot amagant la seva obra amb la mà esquerra. Per algun temps la noia refusà de pendre'n coneixement; però la seva humana curiositat no trigà a manifestar-se per indicis tot just perceptibles: El minyó seguia treballant, aparentment, sense dar-se'n compte. La noia féu una mena d'intent que no la comprometés, per a veure-ho; però el minyó no revelà que en tingués esment. A la fi ella va caure, i murmurà amb certa vacil·lació:
By and by attention ceased from him, and the accustomed school murmur rose upon the dull air once more. Presently the boy began to steal furtive glances at the girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave him the back of her head for the space of a minute. When she cautiously faced around again, a peach lay before her. She thrust it away. Tom gently put it back. She thrust it away again, but with less animosity. Tom patiently returned it to its place. Then she let it remain. Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it--I got more." The girl glanced at the words, but made no sign. Now the boy began to draw something on the slate, hiding his work with his left hand. For a time the girl refused to notice; but her human curiosity presently began to manifest itself by hardly perceptible signs. The boy worked on, apparently unconscious. The girl made a sort of non-committal attempt to see, but the boy did not betray that he was aware of it. At last she gave in and hesitatingly whispered:
-Deixeu-m'ho veure.
"Let me see it."
Tom descobrí en part una trista caricatura d'una casa, amb una teulada de dues pendents i un tirabuixó de fum que sortia de la xemeneia. Aleshores l'interès de la noia començà d'ésser fortament atret per aquella obra, i oblidà tota cosa del món. Quan fou acabada, la contemplà un moment i després zumzejà:
Tom partly uncovered a dismal caricature of a house with two gable ends to it and a corkscrew of smoke issuing from the chimney. Then the girl's interest began to fasten itself upon the work and she forgot everything else. When it was finished, she gazed a moment, then whispered:
-Que és bonic! Feu un home.
"It's nice--make a man."
L'artista erigí un home en el carrer de davant: semblava una grua. Aquell home hauria pogut caminar per damunt la casa: però la noia no era hipercrítica: restà satisfeta del monstre, i zumzejà:
The artist erected a man in the front yard, that resembled a derrick. He could have stepped over the house; but the girl was not hypercritical; she was satisfied with the monster, and whispered:
-És un bell home. Ara feu-me a mi tot caminant.
"It's a beautiful man--now make me coming along."
Tom dibuixà un rellotge d'arena que tenia al damunt una lluna al ple i com a extremitats unes tiges; i armà els dits estesos amb un ventall meravellós. La noia digué:
Tom drew an hour-glass with a full moon and straw limbs to it and armed the spreading fingers with a portentous fan. The girl said:
-Que bonic és! Em plauria de saber dibuixar.
"It's ever so nice--I wish I could draw."
-És de bon fer. Ja us n'ensenyaré.
"It's easy," whispered Tom, "I'll learn you."
-Oh! De bo de bo? Quan?
"Oh, will you? When?"
-A migdia. Que aneu a casa, a dinar?
"At noon. Do you go home to dinner?"
-Em quedaré, si voleu.
"I'll stay if you will."
-Molt bé: pacte fet.
-Còm us dieu?
"Good--that's a whack. What's your name?"
-Becky Thatcher.
-I vós, còm us dieu? Ja ho sé: Tomàs Sawyer.
"Becky Thatcher. What's yours? Oh, I know. It's Thomas Sawyer."
-Aquest és el nom d'apallissar-me. Em dic Tom, quan so bon minyó. Em direu Tom: veritat?
"That's the name they lick me by. I'm Tom when I'm good. You call me Tom, will you?"
-Sí.
"Yes."
Aleshores Tom començà d'escritotejar quelcom damunt la pissarra, tot amagant les paraules a la noia; però ella no es retreia, aquesta vegada, i demanà de veure-ho. Tom digué:
Now Tom began to scrawl something on the slate, hiding the words from the girl. But she was not backward this time. She begged to see. Tom said:
-Oh! No és res.
"Oh, it ain't anything."
-Sí, que és.
"Yes it is."
-Que no: tant us fa.
"No it ain't. You don't want to see."
-Que sí, que em fa. Deixeu-m'ho veure.
"Yes I do, indeed I do. Please let me."
-Ho diríeu.
"You'll tell."
-No ho diré: en bona fe, fe i refè, que no.
"No I won't--deed and deed and double deed won't."
-No ho direu a ningú, a ningú? Per tota la vida?
"You won't tell anybody at all? Ever, as long as you live?"
-No, no ho diré a ningú. Ara deixeu-m'ho veure.
"No, I won't ever tell anybody. Now let me."
-Oh! Tant us fa, a VÓS!
"Oh, you don't want to see!"
-Ja que em tracteu així, ho veuré, Tom.- I posà sa mà menuda damunt la d'ell, i hi hagué una mica de baralla. Tom feia veure que es resistia de bo de bo; però deixà que la seva mà llisqués gradualment fins que aquests mots foren descoberts: «Us amo!»
"Now that you treat me so, I will see." And she put her small hand upon his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom pretending to resist in earnest but letting his hand slip by degrees till these words were revealed: "I love you."
-Oh! Dolent!- I li donà un cop ben fort a la mà. Però tanmateix va enrojolar-se i va semblar complaguda.
"Oh, you bad thing!" And she hit his hand a smart rap, but reddened and looked pleased, nevertheless.
En aquell mateix moment el minyó sentí una lenta grapa fatal que es cloïa damunt la seva orella i un uniforme impuls enlairador. D'aquesta manera fou conduït a través de la cambra i dipositat en el seu seient, sota un foc copiós de rialles de tota l'escola. Després el mestre romangué al damunt d'ell uns quants moments paorosos, i finalment se n'anà cap a la seva reial cadira, sense dir cap paraula. Però, baldament a Tom li cogués l'orella, el seu cor era ple de gaubança.
Just at this juncture the boy felt a slow, fateful grip closing on his ear, and a steady lifting impulse. In that wise he was borne across the house and deposited in his own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from the whole school. Then the master stood over him during a few awful moments, and finally moved away to his throne without saying a word. But although Tom's ear tingled, his heart was jubilant.
En apaivagar-se l'escola, Tom féu un honrat esforç per estudiar, però l'avalot que tenia a dintre seu era massa gran. Successivament ocupà son lloc a la classe de lectura, i hi féu qui-sap-les matusseries; després a la classe de geografia, i convertí els llacs en muntanyes, les muntanyes en rius i els rius en continents, fins a tornar al caos; després a la classe de confegir, i el feren anar de corcoll una sèrie de noms senzillament infantívols; fins que s'aixecà i reté la medalla de peltre que havia portat amb ostentació uns quants mesos.
As the school quieted down Tom made an honest effort to study, but the turmoil within him was too great. In turn he took his place in the reading class and made a botch of it; then in the geography class and turned lakes into mountains, mountains into rivers, and rivers into continents, till chaos was come again; then in the spelling class, and got "turned down," by a succession of mere baby words, till he brought up at the foot and yielded up the pewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months.