The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

湯姆.索亞歷險記

   CHAPTER XXIV

   第二十四章

   TOM was a glittering hero once more--the pet of the old, the envy of the young. His name even went into immortal print, for the village paper magnified him. There were some that believed he would be President, yet, if he escaped hanging.

   湯姆又一次成為眾人矚目的英雄——長輩們寵愛他,同伴們羡慕他。他的名字見了報,獲得了永生,鎮上的報紙大肆宣揚了他的事蹟。有些人相信,只要他不被絞死,將來總有一天會當總統。

   As usual, the fickle, unreasoning world took Muff Potter to its bosom and fondled him as lavishly as it had abused him before. But that sort of conduct is to the world's credit; therefore it is not well to find fault with it.

   那些喜怒無常、沒有腦子的人們,又像往常一樣,把莫夫·波特當作老夥計,對他非常親密友好,那股熱情勁兒就和當初他們起勁地凌辱他一樣。但這種行為畢竟還是人類的美德,因此,我們還是不要去吹毛求疵吧。

   Tom's days were days of splendor and exultation to him, but his nights were seasons of horror. Injun Joe infested all his dreams, and always with doom in his eye. Hardly any temptation could persuade the boy to stir abroad after nightfall. Poor Huck was in the same state of wretchedness and terror, for Tom had told the whole story to the lawyer the night before the great day of the trial, and Huck was sore afraid that his share in the business might leak out, yet, notwithstanding Injun Joe's flight had saved him the suffering of testifying in court. The poor fellow had got the attorney to promise secrecy, but what of that? Since Tom's harassed conscience had managed to drive him to the lawyer's house by night and wring a dread tale from lips that had been sealed with the dismalest and most formidable of oaths, Huck's confidence in the human race was wellnigh obliterated.

   湯姆白天過得神氣十足,得意洋洋,可晚上全是在恐怖之中度過的。印第安·喬老是出現在他的夢裡,而且目露凶光。天黑以後,無論多麼大的誘惑也無法吸引這個孩子再走出家門。可憐的哈克也處于同樣的不幸與恐怖之中。湯姆在開庭審理這個案子的頭一天,已經把全部事實經過告訴了律師。雖然印第安·喬的逃跑使他免于出庭作證,但是,他還是極度害怕,害怕自己與這個案子有牽連的事會泄露出去。可憐的小傢伙已經讓律師向他保證,要替他保守秘密,可那又有什麼用?湯姆的嘴原本已被可怕而莊嚴的誓詞封住了,後來由於受到良心的折磨,他便在夜晚去律師家,把那可怕的經歷抖露了出來。既然這樣,哈克對人類的信任就几乎蕩然無存了。

   Daily Muff Potter's gratitude made Tom glad he had spoken; but nightly he wished he had sealed up his tongue.

   在白天,莫夫·波特的感謝使湯姆很高興自己能說出事實真相;可是,一到晚上,他就懊悔自己未能封住舌頭,守口如瓶。

   Half the time Tom was afraid Injun Joe would never be captured; the other half he was afraid he would be. He felt sure he never could draw a safe breath again until that man was dead and he had seen the corpse.

   有一段時間,湯姆惟恐印第安·喬永遠逍遙法外;另一半時間,他又害怕他被捕。他深深感到,除非等這個人死了,讓他親眼看見他那具屍體,否則,他將永無寧日。

   Rewards had been offered, the country had been scoured, but no Injun Joe was found. One of those omniscient and aweinspiring marvels, a detective, came up from St. Louis, moused around, shook his head, looked wise, and made that sort of astounding success which members of that craft usually achieve. That is to say, he "found a clew." But you can't hang a "clew" for murder, and so after that detective had got through and gone home, Tom felt just as insecure as he was before.

   法院懸出賞,整個地區都搜遍了,可就是沒揪住印第安·喬。從聖路易斯那些神通廣大、令人敬畏的非凡人物中,派來了一名偵探。他四處調查,搖頭晃腦,看起來頗為不凡,還像他的同行們一樣,取得了驚人的進展。那就是說,他“找到了線索”。但是,你總不能把“線索”當作殺人犯拉來絞死。 所以在這位偵探完成任務回去之後,湯姆覺得和從前一樣,沒有安全感。

   The slow days drifted on, and each left behind it a slightly lightened weight of apprehension.

   漫長的日子一天、一天地熬過來,每過一天,這種恐懼的心理負擔就相應地稍稍減輕一點。