CHAPTER I UNCLE TOM AND LITTLE HARRY ARE SOLD

 VERY many years ago, instead of having servants to wait upon them and work for them, people used to have slaves². These slaves were paid no wages. Their masters gave them only food and clothes in return for their work.

 

When any one wanted servants he went to market to buy them, just as nowadays we buy horses and cows, or even tables and chairs.

 

If the poor slaves were bought by kind people they would be quite happy. Then they would work willingly³ for their masters and mistresses⁴, and even love them. But very often cruel people bought slaves. These cruel people used to beat them and be unkind⁵ to them in many other ways.

 

It was very wicked⁶ to buy and sell human beings as if they were cattle⁷. Yet Christian⁸ people did it, and many who were good and kind otherwise thought there was no wrong in being cruel to their poor slaves. 'They are only black people,' they said to themselves. 'Black people do not feel things as we do.' That was not kind, as black people suffer pain just in the same way as white people do.

 

One of the saddest things for the poor slaves was that they could never long be a happy family all together—father, mother, and little brothers and sisters—because at any time the master might sell the father or the mother or one of the children to some one else. When this happened those who were left behind were very sad indeed—more sad than if their dear one had died.

 

Uncle Tom was a slave¹. He was a very faithful⁹ and honest servant, and his master, Mr. Shelby, was kind to him. Uncle Tom's wife was called Aunt Chloe. She was Mr. Shelby's head cook, and a very good one too, she was. Nobody in all the country round could make such delicious pies and cakes as Aunt Chloe.

 

Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe lived together in a pretty little cottage built of wood, quite close to Mr. Shelby's big house.

 

The little cottage was covered with climbing roses, and the garden was full of beautiful bright flowers and lovely fruit trees.

 

Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe lived happily for many years in their little cottage, or cabin¹¹, as it was called. All day Uncle Tom used to work in the fields, while Aunt Chloe was busy in the kitchen at Mr. Shelby's house. When evening came they both went home to their cottage and their children, and were merry together.

 

Mr. Shelby was a good man, and kind to his slaves, but he was not very careful of his money. When he had spent all he had, he did not know what to do to get more. At last he borrowed money from a man called Haley, hoping to be able to pay it back again some day.

 

But that day never came. Haley grew impatient¹², and said, 'If you don't pay what you owe¹⁰ me, I will take your house and lands, and sell them to pay myself back all the money I have lent to you.'

 

So Mr. Shelby sold everything he could spare and gathered money together in every way he could think of, but still there was not enough.

 

Then Haley said, 'Give me that slave of yours called Tom—he is worth a lot of money.'

 

But Mr. Shelby knew that Haley was not a nice man. He knew he did not want Tom for a servant, but only wanted to sell him again, to make more money. So Mr. Shelby said, 'No, I can't do that. I never mean to sell any of my slaves, least of all Tom. He has been with me since he was a little boy.'

 

'Oh very well,' said Haley, 'I shall sell your house and lands, as I said I should.'

 

Mr. Shelby could not bear to think of that, so he agreed to let Haley have Tom. He made him promise, however, not to sell Tom again except to a kind master.

 

'Very well,' said Haley, 'but Tom isn't enough. I must have another slave.'

 

Just at this moment a little boy came dancing into the room where Mr. Shelby and Haley were talking.

 

He was a pretty, merry little fellow, the son of a slave called Eliza, who was Mrs. Shelby's maid¹³.

 

'There now,' said Haley, 'give me that little chap¹⁴, as well as Tom, and we will say no more about the money you owe me.'

 

'I can't,' said Mr. Shelby. 'My wife is very fond of Eliza, and would never hear of having Harry¹⁵ sold.'

 

'Oh, very well,' said Haley once more, 'I must just sell your house.'

 

So again Mr. Shelby gave in, and Haley went away with the promise that next morning Uncle Tom and little Harry should be given to him, to be his slaves.

1 slave   

n.奴隶，附件，卑鄙的人；vi.拼命工作

参考例句：

• Don't be a slave to custom.不要做风俗习惯的奴隶。
• Why should I slave away all my life!我为什么要辛辛苦苦地干一辈子呀！

2 slaves   

n.奴隶( slave的名词复数 )；苦工；完全受（某事物）控制的人；完全依赖（某事物）的人v.奴隶般地工作，做苦工( slave的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Slaves were not emancipated until 1863 in the United States. 美国奴隶直到1863年才获得自由。
• fashionistas who are slaves to the latest trends 被潮流牵着鼻子走的赶时髦者

3 willingly   

adv.愿意地，乐意地

参考例句：

• Love is a sweet tyranny,because the lover endures his torment willingly. 爱情是甜蜜的暴政，情人甘心忍受它的折磨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism. 很多人情愿皈依佛教。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 mistresses   

情妇( mistress的名词复数 )； （尤指旧时雇用仆人的）女主人； 主妇； （尤指私立学校的）女教师

参考例句：

• The game over, the mistresses ordered him to take the guests home. 牌局散了，太太叫他把客人送回家。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The tenderness of lovers can ill brook the least jesting with the names of their mistresses. 情人们一点也受不住旁人拿他们情侣的名字开玩笑。

5 unkind   

adj.不仁慈的，不和善的

参考例句：

• He was never unkind to her.他从未亏待过她。
• Unkindness often reacts on the unkind person.恶人有恶报。

6 wicked   

adj.邪恶的，恶劣的，缺德的；淘气的

参考例句：

• Let everyone know all the wicked things she has done.把她干的坏事给大家抖搂抖搂。
• The wicked must be wiped out.恶人必须除掉。

7 cattle   

n.牛，牲口，畜生

参考例句：

• He has twenty head of cattle on the farm.他在农场养了20头牛。
• On big farms cattle are usually stamped with brands.在大农场，牲畜通常是打烙印的。

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 faithful   

adj.守信的，忠实的，如实的，可靠的

参考例句：

• They promised to be faithful to their ideal for ever.他们保证永远忠于自己的理想。
• We must be honest and faithful to the people.我们对人民必须忠诚老实。

10 owe   

vt./vi.欠（债等）；感激；把……归功于某人

参考例句：

• We still owe one hundred dollars for the car.为这部车我们还欠着100美元。
• We owe it to society to make our country a better place.把国家建设得更美好是我们对社会应尽的责任。

11 cabin   

n.(结构简单的)小木屋；船舱，机舱

参考例句：

• They threw up a new cabin in a couple of hours.在几小时之内他们就建起了一座新的小屋。
• It's very hot in the cabin;let's go on deck.舱室内很热，我们到甲板上去吧。

12 impatient   

adj.不耐烦的，急躁的；热切的，急切的

参考例句：

• He was so impatient that I could hardly hold him back.他是那样急躁，我简直拉不住他。
• With an impatient gesture he thrust the food away from him.他不耐烦地把吃的东西猛地推开。

13 maid   

n.少女，未婚女子，女仆

参考例句：

• I have sent my maid away.我已把我的女仆解雇了。
• A maid in white is walking along the boardwalk.一位白衣少女漫步于海边的木板路上。

14 chap   

n.男人；小伙子；家伙

参考例句：

• This chap can't keep anything to himself.这人肚里藏不住话。
• This chap is quite a smooth character.这人很世故。

15 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。