湯姆現在橫下了一條心。他又憂鬱又絶望。他說自個兒成了無親無友、被人拋棄的孩子，沒誰愛他。也許，等那些人發覺把地逼到這般田地時，他們會內疚的。他一直努力着以便不出差錯，好好向上，但人們偏偏又不讓他那樣；既然他們一心要避開他，那就悉聽尊便吧；就讓他們為了將要發生的事來責怪他好了——他們就這德性，隨他們去！話再說回來了，像他這樣一個無親無故的人哪有資格責怪人家呢？是的，是他們逼他鋌而走險的：他要過犯罪的營生，別無選擇。
TOM'S mind was made up now. He was gloomy and desperate. He was a forsaken, friendless boy, he said; nobody loved him; when they found out what they had driven him to, perhaps they would be sorry; he had tried to do right and get along, but they would not let him; since nothing would do them but to be rid of him, let it be so; and let them blame him for the consequences--why shouldn't they? What right had the friendless to complain? Yes, they had forced him to it at last: he would lead a life of crime. There was no choice.
此刻他已快走到草坪巷的盡頭，學校的上課鈴聲隱隱在耳邊震響。一想到自己將永遠、永遠也聽不到這熟悉的聲音，他禁不住啜泣起來——殘酷的事實怎能不令人難受呢，可這是人家逼的呀。既然他們存心要把他投進冰窟，他只有認命的份——但他原諒了他們。想到這裡，他哭得更傷心了。
By this time he was far down Meadow Lane, and the bell for school to "take up" tinkled faintly upon his ear. He sobbed, now, to think he should never, never hear that old familiar sound any more--it was very hard, but it was forced on him; since he was driven out into the cold world, he must submit--but he forgave them. Then the sobs came thick and fast.
恰在此時，他遇到了他的鐵哥們兒喬·哈帕——他兩眼發直，顯然心懷鬼胎。不消說，他倆正是“一條道兒上”的朋友。湯姆用袖子擦了擦眼睛，邊哭邊說自己決意要離開這非人生活的鬼學校和沒有同情心的家人，浪跡天涯，一去不回。最後他說希望喬別忘了他。
Just at this point he met his soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper--hard-eyed, and with evidently a great and dismal purpose in his heart. Plainly here were "two souls with but a single thought." Tom, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, began to blubber out something about a resolution to escape from hard usage and lack of sympathy at home by roaming abroad into the great world never to return; and ended by hoping that Joe would not forget him.
可巧，喬原來也正是特地趕來向湯姆告別，向他提出這樣的請求的。他媽媽因為他偷喝乳酪揍了他一頓，其實他壓根兒沒喝，嘗都沒嘗過，根本不知道那回事。明擺着的，她討厭他了，巴望他走開。既然她這麼想，他除了順從，還能怎麼樣呢？但願她能開開心，永遠不會後悔是自己把可憐的兒子趕出家門，讓他置身冷酷的世界，去受罪，去死。
But it transpired that this was a request which Joe had just been going to make of Tom, and had come to hunt him up for that purpose. His mother had whipped him for drinking some cream which he had never tasted and knew nothing about; it was plain that she was tired of him and wished him to go; if she felt that way, there was nothing for him to do but succumb; he hoped she would be happy, and never regret having driven her poor boy out into the unfeeling world to suffer and die.
兩個孩子一邊傷心地趕路，一邊訂立了一個新盟約，發誓互幫互助，情同手足，永不離分，除非死神硬要來拆散他們，讓他們獲得徹底的解脫。接着，他們就開始擬訂行動計劃。喬提議去當隱士，遠離人群，穴居野外，靠乾麵包維生，等着終於有那麼一天被凍死、餓死、傷心而死。不過，聽罷湯姆一席話後，他也認為干犯罪的勾當並不賴，於是欣然同意去當海盜。
As the two boys walked sorrowing along, they made a new compact to stand by each other and be brothers and never separate till death relieved them of their troubles. Then they began to lay their plans. Joe was for being a hermit, and living on crusts in a remote cave, and dying, some time, of cold and want and grief; but after listening to Tom, he conceded that there were some conspicuous advantages about a life of crime, and so he consented to be a pirate.
在聖彼得堡鎮下游三英里的地方，密西西比河寬約一英里多，那兒有個狹長的、林木叢生的小島。島前有塊很淺的沙灘，這地方是塊秘密碰頭的風水寶地。島上荒無人煙，離對岸很近，緊挨着河岸還有片茂林，人跡罕至。於是他們相中了這個傑克遜島。至于當海盜後，該打劫誰，他們倒一點也沒動腦子。接着，他們找到了哈克貝利·費恩，他馬上就入了伙，因為對他來說，隨遇而安慣了，他反正是無所謂。不久，他們便分了手，約好在他們最喜歡的時刻——半夜，在鎮子上游兩英里遠的河岸上一個僻靜處碰頭。那兒有隻小木筏，他們打算據為己有。每個人都要帶上釣魚的鈎子和綫，以及各自用秘密招術——也就是照強盜們那樣子偷來物什，並以此來裝備自己。天剛擦黑，他們就已經在鎮子裡揚出話來，說人們很快就將“聽到重大新聞”，如此這般以後，他們自是得意不已。凡是得到這種暗示的人，都被——關照“別吭聲，等着瞧”。
Three miles below St. Petersburg, at a point where the Mississippi River was a trifle over a mile wide, there was a long, narrow, wooded island, with a shallow bar at the head of it, and this offered well as a rendezvous. It was not inhabited; it lay far over toward the further shore, abreast a dense and almost wholly unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Island was chosen. Who were to be the subjects of their piracies was a matter that did not occur to them. Then they hunted up Huckleberry Finn, and he joined them promptly, for all careers were one to him; he was indifferent. They presently separated to meet at a lonely spot on the river-bank two miles above the village at the favorite hour--which was midnight. There was a small log raft there which they meant to capture. Each would bring hooks and lines, and such provision as he could steal in the most dark and mysterious way--as became outlaws. And before the afternoon was done, they had all managed to enjoy the sweet glory of spreading the fact that pretty soon the town would "hear something." All who got this vague hint were cautioned to "be mum and wait."
夜半光景，湯姆帶著一隻熟火腿和幾件小東西趕來了。他站在一個小懸崖上的一片又密又矮的樹林裡。從懸崖往下望就能瞧見他們約好的碰頭處。這是個星光燦爛的夜晚，四周一片寂靜。寬闊的河流海洋般靜臥着。湯姆側耳聽了會兒，沒有什麼聲音來攪擾這一片寧靜。於是他就吹了聲口哨，聲音雖然低，可卻清晰可辨。懸崖下立即有人回應。湯姆又吹了兩聲，也得到了同樣的回應。然後他聽到一個警惕的聲音問：
About midnight Tom arrived with a boiled ham and a few trifles, and stopped in a dense undergrowth on a small bluff overlooking the meeting-place. It was starlight, and very still. The mighty river lay like an ocean at rest. Tom listened a moment, but no sound disturbed the quiet. Then he gave a low, distinct whistle. It was answered from under the bluff. Tom whistled twice more; these signals were answered in the same way. Then a guarded voice said:
“來者何人？”
"Who goes there?"
“我乃西班牙海黑衣俠盜，湯姆·索亞。爾等何人？”
"Tom Sawyer, the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main. Name your names."
“赤手大盜哈克·費恩，海上死神喬·哈帕。” 這兩個頭銜是湯姆從他最愛看的書裡，挑出來封給他倆的。
"Huck Finn the Red-Handed, and Joe Harper the Terror of the Seas." Tom had furnished these titles, from his favorite literature.
“好，口令？”
"'Tis well. Give the countersign."
兩個沙啞的聲音，在一片岑寂中，几乎同時，低低地喊出一個可怖的字：
Two hoarse whispers delivered the same awful word simultaneously to the brooding night:
“血！”
"Blood!"
於是湯姆就把他那只火腿，從崖上扔下去，自己也跟着滑下來，這一滑他的衣服和皮肉都掛了彩。其實有一條坦直的小道直通崖下，但走那條太平坦、沒有危險的路反倒讓海盜覺得沒有刺激。
Then Tom tumbled his ham over the bluff and let himself down after it, tearing both skin and clothes to some extent in the effort. There was an easy, comfortable path along the shore under the bluff, but it lacked the advantages of difficulty and danger so valued by a pirate.
海上死神帶來了一大塊鹹豬肉，這几乎累得他精疲力盡。赤手大盜費恩偷來了一隻長柄平底煎鍋，外帶些烤得半乾的煙葉，幾個玉米棒子，準備用來做煙斗。不過除了他自己以外，這幾個海盜沒誰抽菸，也不嚼煙葉。西班牙海黑衣俠盜說，無火不成事。這真是靈機一動，而當時在那一帶，人們几乎還不知道有火柴。他們看見一百碼遠的上游處一隻大木筏上有堆冒煙的火，就溜過去取了火種來。他們故意裝出一臉驚險，不時地說一聲：“噓！”忽然手指壓着嘴唇停下來。他們手握想象中的刀柄前進，陰沉着臉低聲發佈命令，說只要“敵人”膽敢動一動，就“殺無赦”一掃乾淨，這樣“死人是不會說三道四的”。他們明知撐筏人到鎮上商店採購物品或是喝酒找樂去了，但仍然按偷盜的慣例來盜船。
The Terror of the Seas had brought a side of bacon, and had about worn himself out with getting it there. Finn the Red-Handed had stolen a skillet and a quantity of half-cured leaf tobacco, and had also brought a few corn-cobs to make pipes with. But none of the pirates smoked or "chewed" but himself. The Black Avenger of the Spanish Main said it would never do to start without some fire. That was a wise thought; matches were hardly known there in that day. They saw a fire smouldering upon a great raft a hundred yards above, and they went stealthily thither and helped themselves to a chunk. They made an imposing adventure of it, saying, "Hist!" every now and then, and suddenly halting with finger on lip; moving with hands on imaginary dagger-hilts; and giving orders in dismal whispers that if "the foe" stirred, to "let him have it to the hilt," because "dead men tell no tales." They knew well enough that the raftsmen were all down at the village laying in stores or having a spree, but still that was no excuse for their conducting this thing in an unpiratical way.
他們很快就撐舟棄岸，由湯姆任指揮，哈克劃右槳，喬劃前槳。湯姆站在船中間，眉峰緊鎖，抱臂當胸，低沉而又威嚴地發着口令：
They shoved off, presently, Tom in command, Huck at the after oar and Joe at the forward. Tom stood amidships, gloomy-browed, and with folded arms, and gave his orders in a low, stern whisper:
“轉舵向風行駛！”
"Luff, and bring her to the wind!"
“是——是，船長！”
"Aye-aye, sir!"
“把定，照直走！”
"Steady, steady-y-y-y!"
“是，照直走，船長！”
"Steady it is, sir!"
“向外轉一點？”
"Let her go off a point!"
“完畢，船長！”
"Point it is, sir!"
幾個孩子穩穩當當、始終如一地將木筏向中流划過去。這些口令不過是為了擺擺派頭而已，並不表示特別的意思，僅此而已。
As the boys steadily and monotonously drove the raft toward mid-stream it was no doubt understood that these orders were given only for "style," and were not intended to mean anything in particular.
“現在升的是什麼帆？”
"What sail's she carrying?"
“大橫帆、中桅帆、三角帆，船長。”
"Courses, tops'ls, and flying-jib, sir."
“把上桅帆拉起來！升到桅杆頂上，喂，你們六個一齊動手——拉起前中桅的副帆！使點勁，喂！”
"Send the r'yals up! Lay out aloft, there, half a dozen of ye--foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, now!"
“是——是，船長！”
"Aye-aye, sir!"
“拉起第二接桅帆！拉起腳索，轉帆索！喂，夥計們！”
"Shake out that maintogalans'l! Sheets and braces! now my hearties!"
“是——是，船長！”
"Aye-aye, sir!"
“要起大風了——左轉舵！風一來就順風開！左轉，左轉！ 夥計們，加把油！照直——走！”
"Hellum-a-lee--hard a port! Stand by to meet her when she comes! Port, port! Now, men! With a will! Stead-y-y-y!"
“是，照直走，船長！”
"Steady it is, sir!"
木筏駛過了中流，孩子們轉正船頭，緊接着奮力划槳。水流不急，流速不過二三英里，之後的三刻鐘裡，几乎沒誰吭一聲。現在木筏正划過那隱約可見的鎮子。兩三處燈火閃爍，顯示着鎮子的方位，它在星光點點，波光粼粼的河對岸，平靜而安詳地躺着，竟沒有察覺眼皮底下發生着怎樣驚人的一樁大事。黑衣俠盜交叉着雙臂，站在木筏上一動不動。他在“最後再看一眼”，那給了他歡樂又帶來苦悶的地方，並希望“她”此刻能看見他在白浪滔天的大海上，直面險惡和死亡，毫無懼色，一臉冷笑，從容赴死。他稍稍動用了一點想象力，就把傑克遜島移到了一眼望不到的地方，因此他“最後再看一眼”那個鎮子時，雖然有些傷感，卻也不乏慰藉。另外兩個海盜也在和故鄉惜別，他們望了許久，以致差點兒讓急流把木筏衝過那個島去，好在他們及時發現了這一險情並設法阻止了它。凌晨兩點鐘光景，木筏在島子前面二百碼的沙灘上擱淺了。於是他們就在水裡趟來趟去，把帶來的東西都搬到岸上。筏上原有的物件中有塊舊帆，他們用它在矮樹叢裡隱蔽處搭了個帳篷。他們把東西放在帳篷裡，自己卻效仿海盜的做法，天氣晴爽時，就睡在外面。
The raft drew beyond the middle of the river; the boys pointed her head right, and then lay on their oars. The river was not high, so there was not more than a two or three mile current. Hardly a word was said during the next three-quarters of an hour. Now the raft was passing before the distant town. Two or three glimmering lights showed where it lay, peacefully sleeping, beyond the vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconscious of the tremendous event that was happening. The Black Avenger stood still with folded arms, "looking his last" upon the scene of his former joys and his later sufferings, and wishing "she" could see him now, abroad on the wild sea, facing peril and death with dauntless heart, going to his doom with a grim smile on his lips. It was but a small strain on his imagination to remove Jackson's Island beyond eye-shot of the village, and so he "looked his last" with a broken and satisfied heart. The other pirates were looking their last, too; and they all looked so long that they came near letting the current drift them out of the range of the island. But they discovered the danger in time, and made shift to avert it. About two o'clock in the morning the raft grounded on the bar two hundred yards above the head of the island, and they waded back and forth until they had landed their freight. Part of the little raft's belongings consisted of an old sail, and this they spread over a nook in the bushes for a tent to shelter their provisions; but they themselves would sleep in the open air in good weather, as became outlaws.
在距離樹林深處二三十步遠的地方，他們緊挨着一根倒伏于地的大樹幹生起火，架起平底煎鍋燒熟了些鹹肉當晚餐，還把帶來的玉米麵包吃掉了一半。遠離人群，索居荒島，在這麼一片原始森林裡自由自在地野餐，似乎妙趣無窮，他們說不打算回文明世界了。烈焰騰騰，輝耀着他們的臉龐，也照亮了他們用樹幹撐起的那座林中聖殿，還把流光鍍到那些光滑得似油漆過一般的樹葉上和那些綴着花朵的青藤上。
They built a fire against the side of a great log twenty or thirty steps within the sombre depths of the forest, and then cooked some bacon in the frying-pan for supper, and used up half of the corn "pone" stock they had brought. It seemed glorious sport to be feasting in that wild, free way in the virgin forest of an unexplored and uninhabited island, far from the haunts of men, and they said they never would return to civilization. The climbing fire lit up their faces and threw its ruddy glare upon the pillared tree-trunks of their forest temple, and upon the varnished foliage and festooning vines.
幾個孩子吃完最後一塊鬆脆的鹹肉和一些玉米麵包以後，就心滿意足地倒在草地上。他們本來還可以找個更清涼的地方，但如此熱烘烘的篝火，如此浪漫的情調，他們實在難以割捨。
When the last crisp slice of bacon was gone, and the last allowance of corn pone devoured, the boys stretched themselves out on the grass, filled with contentment. They could have found a cooler place, but they would not deny themselves such a romantic feature as the roasting campfire.
“這不是蠻快活的嗎？”喬說。
"Ain't it gay?" said Joe.
“賽過活神仙！”湯姆說，“要是那幫小子能瞧見咱們，他們會怎麼說？”
"It's nuts!" said Tom. "What would the boys say if they could see us?"
“怎麼說？哈，他們會神往得要命——喂，你說對不對，哈克！”
"Say? Well, they'd just die to be here--hey, Hucky!"
“我猜是這樣，”哈克貝利說，“不管怎樣講，我挺喜歡這兒。就這麼生活，我覺得再好也不過了。平常我連頓飽飯也沒吃過——而且這兒也沒誰來欺負你。”
"I reckon so," said Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't want nothing better'n this. I don't ever get enough to eat, gen'ally--and here they can't come and pick at a feller and bullyrag him so."
“我也喜歡這種生活，”湯姆說，“你不必一大早就起床，也不必上學，也不必洗臉，他媽的那些煩心事兒都不必幹了。喬，你要知道，海盜在岸上時，是什麼事都不必干的，可是當個隱士呢，他就老是得做禱告、禱告，這樣他就沒有一丁點兒開心事，始終是孤鬼一個。”
"It's just the life for me," said Tom. "You don't have to get up, mornings, and you don't have to go to school, and wash, and all that blame foolishness. You see a pirate don't have to do anything, Joe, when he's ashore, but a hermit he has to be praying considerable, and then he don't have any fun, anyway, all by himself that way."
“嗯，是呀，是這麼回事，”喬說，“不過你知道，我當初沒怎麼想這事。現在試過以後，我情願當海盜。”
"Oh yes, that's so," said Joe, "but I hadn't thought much about it, you know. I'd a good deal rather be a pirate, now that I've tried it."
“你要知道，”湯姆說，“現在隱士們不大吃香了，不像古時候那樣子，可海盜一直就沒誰敢小瞧過。而且做個隱士，就得找最硬的地方睡覺，頭上纏粗麻布、抹着灰，還得站在外面淋雨，還有——”
"You see," said Tom, "people don't go much on hermits, nowadays, like they used to in old times, but a pirate's always respected. And a hermit's got to sleep on the hardest place he can find, and put sackcloth and ashes on his head, and stand out in the rain, and--"
哈克問：“他們頭上纏粗麻布、抹着灰幹嘛？”
"What does he put sackcloth and ashes on his head for?" inquired Huck.
“我不清楚。不過他們非這麼做不可。隱士就得這樣。你要是隱士，你也得這麼做。”
"I dono. But they've got to do it. Hermits always do. You'd have to do that if you was a hermit."
“我才不幹呢，”哈克說。
"Dern'd if I would," said Huck.
“那你怎麼幹？”
"Well, what would you do?"
“我不知道，反正我不幹。”
"I dono. But I wouldn't do that."
“哼，哈克，你必須這麼做，逃是逃不掉的。”
"Why, Huck, you'd have to. How'd you get around it?"
“嗐，我就是不去受那個罪，我會一走了之。”
"Why, I just wouldn't stand it. I'd run away."
“一走了之！哼，說得真好，那你就成了一個道道地地的懶漢隱士，太丟人現眼了。”
"Run away! Well, you would be a nice old slouch of a hermit. You'd be a disgrace."
赤手大盜正忙着別的事，沒有答話。他剛挖空一隻玉米棒子，現在正忙着把一根蘆桿裝上去作煙斗筒子，又裝上煙葉，用一大塊火紅的炭把煙葉點着，然後吸了一口，噴出一道香噴噴的煙來——此刻他心曠神怡，愜意極了。旁邊的兩個海盜看著他這副十分氣派的痞相，非常羡慕，暗下決心，儘快學會這一招。哈克說：
The Red-Handed made no response, being better employed. He had finished gouging out a cob, and now he fitted a weed stem to it, loaded it with tobacco, and was pressing a coal to the charge and blowing a cloud of fragrant smoke--he was in the full bloom of luxurious contentment. The other pirates envied him this majestic vice, and secretly resolved to acquire it shortly. Presently Huck said:
“海盜一般要幹些什麼？”
"What does pirates have to do?"
湯姆說：
Tom said:
“嘿，他們過的可是神仙日子——把人家的船搶到手再燒掉，搶了錢就埋到他們島上那些陰森森的地方，那地方神出鬼沒。他們還把船上的人通通殺光——蒙上他們的眼睛，讓他們掉到海裡去。”
"Oh, they have just a bully time--take ships and burn them, and get the money and bury it in awful places in their island where there's ghosts and things to watch it, and kill everybody in the ships--make 'em walk a plank."
“他們還把女人帶回島上，”喬說，“他們不殺女人。”
"And they carry the women to the island," said Joe; "they don't kill the women."
“對，”湯姆表示贊同地說，“他們不殺女人——真偉大！那些女人也常常是些漂亮的婦女。”
"No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women--they're too noble. And the women's always beautiful, too.
“他們穿的衣服也總是很講究的！哦，還不止這些！，他們穿金戴銀，”喬興緻勃勃地說。
"And don't they wear the bulliest clothes! Oh no! All gold and silver and di'monds," said Joe, with enthusiasm.
“誰呀？”哈克問。
"Who?" said Huck.
“嗐，那些海盜唄。”
"Why, the pirates."
哈克可憐兮兮地瞟了一眼自己的衣服。
Huck scanned his own clothing forlornly.
“我看憑我這身打扮不配當海盜，”他說，懊喪之情溢於言表。“可我除了這一身再沒有衣服了。”
"I reckon I ain't dressed fitten for a pirate," said he, with a regretful pathos in his voice; "but I ain't got none but these."
不過另外兩個夥伴安慰他說，只要他們行動起來，好衣服很快就會到手。他們對他講，雖然按一般慣例，手面闊的海盜一開始就講究，但他開始時穿著雖破，這也是允許的。
But the other boys told him the fine clothes would come fast enough, after they should have begun their adventures. They made him understand that his poor rags would do to begin with, though it was customary for wealthy pirates to start with a proper wardrobe.
他們的談話漸漸平息了，小流浪漢們困了，上下眼皮打起了架。赤手大盜的煙斗從手中滑到地上，他無憂無慮、精疲力盡地睡着了。海上死神和西班牙黑衣俠盜卻久久不能成眠。既然那兒沒有人強行讓他們跪下大聲地做禱告，他們就躺在地上，只在心裡默默祈禱。其實他們內心根本不想禱什麼告，可他們又怕不這樣會惹上帝發怒，降下晴空霹靂。很快他們也迷迷糊糊起來，——可偏偏又有什麼東西在“搗鬼”，不讓他們睡去。那是良心那個傢伙。他們害怕起來，隱隱約約覺得從家裡逃出來是個錯誤。一想到偷肉的事情，他們更加難受。他們試圖安撫自己的良心，說以往他們也多次偷過糖果和蘋果，可是良心並不買這個帳。最後，他們似乎覺得有一個事實是不容迴避的，那就是偷糖果之類不過是“順陽手牽羊”，而偷鹹肉和火腿等貴重東西就正兒巴經是偷竊了——《聖經》曾就此明文禁止過。所以他們暗下決心，只要還在當海盜，就不能讓偷竊的罪行玷污他們海盜的英名。後來良心同意跟他們和解了，這兩個令人費解而又矛盾重重的海盜才心安理得地睡着了。
Gradually their talk died out and drowsiness began to steal upon the eyelids of the little waifs. The pipe dropped from the fingers of the Red-Handed, and he slept the sleep of the conscience-free and the weary. The Terror of the Seas and the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main had more difficulty in getting to sleep. They said their prayers inwardly, and lying down, since there was nobody there with authority to make them kneel and recite aloud; in truth, they had a mind not to say them at all, but they were afraid to proceed to such lengths as that, lest they might call down a sudden and special thunderbolt from heaven. Then at once they reached and hovered upon the imminent verge of sleep--but an intruder came, now, that would not "down." It was conscience. They began to feel a vague fear that they had been doing wrong to run away; and next they thought of the stolen meat, and then the real torture came. They tried to argue it away by reminding conscience that they had purloined sweetmeats and apples scores of times; but conscience was not to be appeased by such thin plausibilities; it seemed to them, in the end, that there was no getting around the stubborn fact that taking sweetmeats was only "hooking," while taking bacon and hams and such valuables was plain simple stealing--and there was a command against that in the Bible. So they inwardly resolved that so long as they remained in the business, their piracies should not again be sullied with the crime of stealing. Then conscience granted a truce, and these curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefully to sleep.