Generally a man in trouble went first to Vinegar Atts, after which he poured his tale into the ear of Skeeter Butts. Each of these modern solons gave the troubled one some expert advice; then the preacher and the barkeeper got together and held a consultation4, in which, as in a consultation of physicians, the diagnosis5 of each was confirmed, but the treatment was changed.
This time it was Shin Bone in trouble. Shin was the proprietor of a hot-cat eating-house, which made him and his wife very popular in the community, for there seems to be a natural affinity6 between a colored person and a piece of fried catfish7.
“Whut ails8 yo’ mind, Shin?” Vinegar asked as Shin sat down on the cabin porch, dropping his old wool hat at his feet.
“I’s in deep troubles,” Shin said sorrowfully.
“A nigger’s trouble is like de rainbow—’tain’t got no end,” Vinegar philosophized. “But I don’t turn no nigger friend down because his troubles won’t terminate. I’s willin’ to he’p you fer any amount up to one dollar.”
“’Tain’t money troubles,” Shin said. “My bizzness is doin’ fine, but I ain’t gittin’ along so powerful good in my fambly.”
“You ain’t got no fambly, excusin’ Whiffle an’ yo’ baby,” Vinegar observed.
“De baby is all right,” Shin explained; “but Whiffle ain’t doin’ so well.”
Vinegar sat for a while in an expectant attitude, waiting for Shin to go on with the narration9; but Shin found it hard to tell what he had come to say. He made several abortive10 efforts to get his mouth to going which got no further than a wretched silence and made him look like an idiot.
“Well?” Vinegar bellowed11. “Why don’t you say somepin? You ack like one of dese here deef an’ dumb mutes celebratin’ de Fo’th of July wis noiseless powder.”
“My ailment12 is dis,” Shin said desperately13, speaking the words in a rush, as if in a hurry to get the confession14 over. “My wife, Whiffle, is payin’ entirely15 too much attention to yuther nigger men.”
Vinegar drew a corncob pipe from his pocket and took a long time to light it, while his attention seemed to be concentrated upon a row of dead trees whose snaggy branches were visible on the Little Mocassin Ridge16, four miles away.
Shin fidgeted and twiddled his thumbs. Finally he reached down at his feet for his wool hat, and began to gnaw17 at its brim, as if he were starving to death. He had chewed nearly around the circuit of the brim before Vinegar took his eyes off the old dead trees; and even then Vinegar merely looked at him and said nothing.
“Yes, suh,” Shin continued, finding it easier to talk now that he had made a start. “I always believed dat Whiffle wus jes’ as good frien’ to me as a wife nachelly gits to be, but now I done changed my mind.”
“Who is de man whut runs atter her?” Vinegar asked.
“I don’t know, an’ I cain’t find out,” Shin responded. “Of co’se, no nigger man ain’t gwine come to see her when I’m hangin’ aroun’. Whoever is courtin’ Whiffle comes to de back door of de resteraw when I’m out in town somewhar.”
“Mebbe it’s some of her kinnery dat has sneaked18 back to town an’ ain’t hankerin’ to be perceived, especially by de police.”
“It couldn’t be none like dat,” Shin replied. “Whiffle ain’t got but one kinfolks, an’ dat wus her brudder. Dat brudder is plumb19 absent fer good an’ all. You knows whut happened to him, don’t you?”
“Naw, suh,” Vinegar answered, scraping his head with the palm of his hand to stir his recollection.
“It come to pass at our weddin’,” Shin told him. “Atter we got hitched20, a passel of niggers moseyed over to our house to wish us a fussless married life an’ git a sasser of ice-cream an’ cake. Us soon gobbled up our vittles, an’ I gib her brudder, Pewter Boone, a ten-dollar bill to go git some more eats. He went.”
“Well?” Vinegar snapped. “Go on wid de story.”
“Dat’s all,” Shin responded. “As I tole you, Pewter went. He tuck my ten dollars an’ jes’ nachelly abandoned me. He ain’t never come back, an’ I’m got a hunch21 dat he’s gwine till yit.”
“I don’t remember when dat nigger lived in Tickfall at all,” Vinegar said.
“He didn’t live here,” Shin said impatiently. “He got his raisin’ in N’Awleens. Jes’ dropped in day o’ the weddin’ an’ then dropped out before I even took time to get a good look at him. But dat Pewter nigger ain’t got nothin’ to do wid dis. Us is done side-tracked an’ got off de subjeck.”
“Whut does you want me to do?” Vinegar asked.
“Keep yo’ eye out fer me, an’ find out who dat nigger is whut hangs aroun’ Whiffle.”
“Naw, suh,” Vinegar said promptly22. “I don’t monkey wid no love scrapes. I’m a exput in givin’ religious advices, but I ain’t no mattermony-fixer. I declines.”
“Who muss I take my troubles to?” Shin asked desperately.
“Tell yo’ sorrers to de barkeep,” Vinegar chuckled23. “You knows as well as I do dat Skeeter Butts is de exput mattermony-fixer of dis town.”
Shin placed his hat on his head and stood up.
“Dat wus right,” Vinegar applauded. “I loves to git fusters on eve’y scandal in town.”
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收听单词发音
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1
pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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2
butts
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| 笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂 | |
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3
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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4
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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5
diagnosis
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| n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断 | |
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6
affinity
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| n.亲和力，密切关系 | |
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7
catfish
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| n.鲶鱼 | |
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8
ails
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| v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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9
narration
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| n.讲述，叙述；故事；记叙体 | |
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10
abortive
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| adj.不成功的，发育不全的 | |
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11
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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12
ailment
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| n.疾病，小病 | |
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13
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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14
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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15
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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17
gnaw
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| v.不断地啃、咬；使苦恼，折磨 | |
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18
sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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19
plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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20
hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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21
hunch
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| n.预感，直觉 | |
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22
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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23
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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