WHEN I got there it was all still and Sunday-like, and hot and sunshiny; the hands was gone to the fields; and there was them kind of faint dronings of bugs1 and flies in the air that makes it seem so lonesome and like everybody's dead and gone; and if a breeze fans along and quivers the leaves it makes you feel mournful, because you feel like it's spirits whispering -- spirits that's been dead ever so many years -- and you always think they're talking about YOU. As a general thing it makes a body wish HE was dead, too, and done with it all.
Phelps' was one of these little one-horse cotton plantations2, and they all look alike. A rail fence round a two-acre yard; a stile made out of logs sawed off and up-ended in steps, like barrels of a different length, to climb over the fence with, and for the women to stand on when they are going to jump on to a horse; some sickly grass-patches in the big yard, but mostly it was bare and smooth, like an old hat with the nap rubbed off; big double log-house for the white folks -- hewed3 logs, with the chinks stopped up with mud or mortar4, and these mud-stripes been whitewashed5 some time or another; round-log kitchen, with a big broad, open but roofed passage joining it to the house; log smokehouse back of the kitchen; three little log nigger-cabins in a row t'other side the smoke-house; one little hut all by itself away down against the back fence, and some outbuildings down a piece the other side; ashhopper and big kettle to bile soap in by the little hut; bench by the kitchen door, with bucket of water and a gourd6; hound asleep there in the sun; more hounds asleep round about; about three shade trees away off in a corner; some currant bushes and gooseberry bushes in one place by the fence; outside of the fence a garden and a watermelon patch; then the cotton fields begins, and after the fields the woods.
I went around and clumb over the back stile by the ash-hopper, and started for the kitchen. When I got a little ways I heard the dim hum of a spinning-wheel wailing7 along up and sinking along down again; and then I knowed for certain I wished I was dead -- for that IS the lonesomest sound in the whole world.
I went right along, not fixing up any particular plan, but just trusting to Providence8 to put the right words in my mouth when the time come; for I'd noticed that Providence always did put the right words in my mouth if I left it alone.
When I got half-way, first one hound and then another got up and went for me, and of course I stopped and faced them, and kept still. And such another powwow as they made! In a quarter of a minute I was a kind of a hub of a wheel, as you may say -- spokes9 made out of dogs -- circle of fifteen of them packed together around me, with their necks and noses stretched up towards me, a-barking and howling; and more a-coming; you could see them sailing over fences and around corners from everywheres.
A nigger woman come tearing out of the kitchen with a rolling-pin in her hand, singing out, "Begone YOU Tige! you Spot! begone sah!" and she fetched first one and then another of them a clip and sent them howling, and then the rest followed; and the next second half of them come back, wagging their tails around me, and making friends with me. There ain't no harm in a hound, nohow.
And behind the woman comes a little nigger girl and two little nigger boys without anything on but tow-linen shirts, and they hung on to their mother's gown, and peeped out from behind her at me, bashful, the way they always do. And here comes the white woman running from the house, about forty-five or fifty year old, bareheaded, and her spinning-stick in her hand; and behind her comes her little white children, acting10 the same way the little niggers was going. She was smiling all over so she could hardly stand -- and says:
"It's YOU, at last! -- AIN'T it?"
I out with a "Yes'm" before I thought.
She grabbed me and hugged me tight; and then gripped me by both hands and shook and shook; and the tears come in her eyes, and run down over; and she couldn't seem to hug and shake enough, and kept saying, "You don't look as much like your mother as I reckoned you would; but law sakes, I don't care for that, I'm so glad to see you! Dear, dear, it does seem like I could eat you up! Children, it's your cousin Tom! -- tell him howdy."
But they ducked their heads, and put their fingers in their mouths, and hid behind her. So she run on:
"Lize, hurry up and get him a hot breakfast right away -- or did you get your breakfast on the boat?"
I said I had got it on the boat. So then she started for the house, leading me by the hand, and the children tagging after. When we got there she set me down in a split-bottomed chair, and set herself down on a little low stool in front of me, holding both of my hands, and says:
"Now I can have a GOOD look at you; and, laws-ame, I've been hungry for it a many and a many a time, all these long years, and it's come at last! We been expecting you a couple of days and more. What kep' you? -- boat get aground?"
"Yes'm -- she --"
"Don't say yes'm -- say Aunt Sally. Where'd she get aground?"
I didn't rightly know what to say, because I didn't know whether the boat would be coming up the river or down. But I go a good deal on instinct; and my instinct said she would be coming up -- from down towards Orleans. That didn't help me much, though; for I didn't know the names of bars down that way. I see I'd got to invent a bar, or forget the name of the one we got aground on -- or -- Now I struck an idea, and fetched it out:
"It warn't the grounding -- that didn't keep us back but a little. We blowed out a cylinder-head."
"Good gracious! anybody hurt?"
"No'm. Killed a nigger."
"Well, it's lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt. Two years ago last Christmas your uncle Silas was coming up from Newrleans on the old Lally Rook, and she blowed out a cylinder-head and crippled a man. And I think he died afterwards. He was a Baptist. Your uncle Silas knowed a family in Baton11 Rouge12 that knowed his people very well. Yes, I remember now, he DID die. Mortification13 set in, and they had to amputate him. But it didn't save him. Yes, it was mortification -- that was it. He turned blue all over, and died in the hope of a glorious resurrection. They say he was a sight to look at. Your uncle's been up to the town every day to fetch you. And he's gone again, not more'n an hour ago; he'll be back any minute now. You must a met him on the road, didn't you? -- oldish man, with a --"
"No, I didn't see nobody, Aunt Sally. The boat landed just at daylight, and I left my baggage on the wharf-boat and went looking around the town and out a piece in the country, to put in the time and not get here too soon; and so I come down the back way."
"Who'd you give the baggage to?"
"Nobody."
"Why, child, it 'll be stole!"
"Not where I hid it I reckon it won't," I says.
"How'd you get your breakfast so early on the boat?"
It was kinder thin ice, but I says:
"The captain see me standing14 around, and told me I better have something to eat before I went ashore15; so he took me in the texas to the officers' lunch, and give me all I wanted."
I was getting so uneasy I couldn't listen good. I had my mind on the children all the time; I wanted to get them out to one side and pump them a little, and find out who I was. But I couldn't get no show, Mrs. Phelps kept it up and run on so. Pretty soon she made the cold chills streak16 all down my back, because she says:
"But here we're a-running on this way, and you hain't told me a word about Sis, nor any of them. Now I'll rest my works a little, and you start up yourn; just tell me EVERYTHING -- tell me all about 'm all every one of 'm; and how they are, and what they're doing, and what they told you to tell me; and every last thing you can think of."
Well, I see I was up a stump17 -- and up it good. Providence had stood by me this fur all right, but I was hard and tight aground now. I see it warn't a bit of use to try to go ahead -- I'd got to throw up my hand. So I says to myself, here's another place where I got to resk the truth. I opened my mouth to begin; but she grabbed me and hustled18 me in behind the bed, and says:
"Here he comes! Stick your head down lower -- there, that'll do; you can't be seen now. Don't you let on you're here. I'll play a joke on him. Children, don't you say a word."
I see I was in a fix now. But it warn't no use to worry; there warn't nothing to do but just hold still, and try and be ready to stand from under when the lightning struck.
I had just one little glimpse of the old gentleman when he come in; then the bed hid him. Mrs. Phelps she jumps for him, and says:
"Has he come?"
"No," says her husband.
"Good-NESS gracious!" she says, "what in the warld can have become of him?"
"I can't imagine," says the old gentleman; "and I must say it makes me dreadful uneasy."
"Uneasy!" she says; "I'm ready to go distracted! He MUST a come; and you've missed him along the road. I KNOW it's so -- something tells me so."
"Why, Sally, I COULDN'T miss him along the road -- YOU know that."
"But oh, dear, dear, what WILL Sis say! He must a come! You must a missed him. He --"
"Oh, don't distress19 me any more'n I'm already distressed20. I don't know what in the world to make of it. I'm at my wit's end, and I don't mind acknowledging 't I'm right down scared. But there's no hope that he's come; for he COULDN'T come and me miss him. Sally, it's terrible -- just terrible -- something's happened to the boat, sure!"
"Why, Silas! Look yonder! -- up the road! -- ain't that somebody coming?"
He sprung to the window at the head of the bed, and that give Mrs. Phelps the chance she wanted. She stooped down quick at the foot of the bed and give me a pull, and out I come; and when he turned back from the window there she stood, a-beaming and a-smiling like a house afire, and I standing pretty meek21 and sweaty alongside. The old gentleman stared, and says:
"Why, who's that?"
"Who do you reckon 't is?"
"I hain't no idea. Who IS it?"
"It's TOM SAWYER!"
By jings, I most slumped22 through the floor! But there warn't no time to swap23 knives; the old man grabbed me by the hand and shook, and kept on shaking; and all the time how the woman did dance around and laugh and cry; and then how they both did fire off questions about Sid, and Mary, and the rest of the tribe.
But if they was joyful24, it warn't nothing to what I was; for it was like being born again, I was so glad to find out who I was. Well, they froze to me for two hours; and at last, when my chin was so tired it couldn't hardly go any more, I had told them more about my family -- I mean the Sawyer family -- than ever happened to any six Sawyer families. And I explained all about how we blowed out a cylinder-head at the mouth of White River, and it took us three days to fix it. Which was all right, and worked first-rate; because THEY didn't know but what it would take three days to fix it. If I'd a called it a bolthead it would a done just as well.
Now I was feeling pretty comfortable all down one side, and pretty uncomfortable all up the other. Being Tom Sawyer was easy and comfortable, and it stayed easy and comfortable till by and by I hear a steamboat coughing along down the river. Then I says to myself, s'pose Tom Sawyer comes down on that boat? And s'pose he steps in here any minute, and sings out my name before I can throw him a wink25 to keep quiet?
Well, I couldn't HAVE it that way; it wouldn't do at all. I must go up the road and waylay26 him. So I told the folks I reckoned I would go up to the town and fetch down my baggage. The old gentleman was for going along with me, but I said no, I could drive the horse myself, and I druther he wouldn't take no trouble about me.
我赶到那儿的时候，四周静静的，像是星期天，天很热，阳光充足，帮工全下地了。虫子和苍蝇嗡嗡地在空中飞舞，使那个地方更显得寂寞，好像人全死光了一般。如果一阵微风吹过，掀动树枝，它会让你觉得凄凉，因为你会觉得这是幽灵在低语--你还总想着它们在说（你）。总的来说，这情景叫人情愿自己也死掉算了，这样就可以一了百了啦。
斐尔普斯家是个小小的种植园，这种农场都差不多。一道篱笆墙围着两亩大的院子，用锯下来的木桩竖着搭成梯子，就像高矮不齐的木桶，可以拿来翻越围墙，女人上马时也可以当凳子踩。偌大的院子里有几片病恹恹的草地，可大片是光秃秃平展展的，像磨掉了绒毛的旧帽子。双层的大木头房子是给白人住的，用砍得方方正正的原木建成，木头缝儿用泥巴或灰浆堵严，这些泥灰道道不知什么时候还刷过白灰。圆木头做的厨房与那座大房子用带顶棚的走廊相连，走廊两边敞开着，厨房后是熏肉的小木屋。在熏肉的小屋那边，有一排三间的小木棚，是拿来给黑人住的。一间孤零零的小屋靠在后围墙边，另一边有些其他小房子。那间小屋旁边放着一只做肥皂用的浸灰桶和一口锅，厨房门旁边的长凳上，有一桶水跟一把葫芦瓢。狗在太阳下睡着了，一个墙角处长着三棵遮荫大树，靠围墙有个地方生着醋栗子丛。围墙外头是花园和西瓜地，再往外是棉花地，棉花地过去则是树林。
我绕到后面，翻过浸灰桶旁的梯子，向厨房走去。
我一直朝前走，并未确定什么具体计划，且听凭上帝让我能在事到临头时找出合适得体的话来应付吧。因为我注意到，只要我听天由命，上帝总会让我说出合适得体的话。
我走在半路上，那些狗一条一条都站了起来，冲我乱叫，我当然停下脚步，面对着狗，一动不动。你看它们叫得那个凶啊！眼看着我就成了个车轴--车辐条就是那些狗--有15条狗将我团团围住，全伸出脖子仰着鼻子冲我又咬又叫；又跑来好多狗，它们跳过围墙窜出角落，都不知它们打哪儿来。一个黑人妇女拿着擀面杖打厨房奔了出来，嘴里喊着："滚开！虎儿！滚开！花点儿！去去！" 她揍这个一棍，打那个一棒，它们都叫着逃走了，别的狗也跟着跑。过不一会儿，有一半的狗又折了回来，围着我直摇尾巴，跟我亲热。狗可没什么恶意。
那女人身后跟着一个黑人小女孩跟两个小男孩，只穿件麻布衫，拽着他们妈妈的长裙，从她身后偷偷打量我，羞答答的、怯怯的，他们总这样。从屋里又跑来一个白人妇人，大约45或50 岁，光着头，手里握着纺花锤，身后是她的白人孩子，举止跟那几个黑人孩子一个样。面带笑容，笑得都快站不住了，说："真是你呀，终于把你给盼来啦！是不是啊？"我想都没想，脱口便答：" 是啊，您"。
她拉过我，紧紧地抱住，接着又抓住我的手摇啊摇，眼泪都出来了，直往下掉，她好像抱不够摇不完，嘴里不停地说："你长得一点不像你妈，你像我想的那样，不过天哪，我才不管它哪，看到你我真是高兴！哎呀，哎呀，我真恨不得把你吞到肚里去！孩子们，这是你的表哥汤姆！"可是，他们赶紧垂下头，手指头放在嘴里，藏到了她身后。于是，她接着嚷："丽西，赶紧给他准备顿热饭，现在就做。呃，你在船上用过早饭了吗？"我说我在船上吃过了。于是她便牵着我的手进屋里去，孩子们紧跟后面。我们进了屋，她让我在一把木条椅子上坐了下来，她自己坐在我面前一条小矮凳上，抓着我的双手，说道："现在我能仔仔细细看看你啦，我的天哪。我盼呀盼呀盼了多少回，总算是盼来啦！我们一直盼你来，都两天多了。路上有什么事耽搁你啦？船搁浅啦？""是啊，您--它--""别说您，叫莎丽姨妈。它搁浅在哪儿了？"我不知道自己该怎么回答，因为我不知道船是应该打上游来还是下游来。只是我向来是凭直觉，我的直觉告诉我它应该往上游开，从下面奥尔良过来。可这还是没有什么用，因为我不知道那一路浅滩的名字。我看出来我得杜撰个浅滩，否则就得说忘了我们搁浅的那个浅滩的名字了，要不--就--猛地，我有了主意，说道："不是由于搁浅了。那并没有耽误我们多大一会儿。我们船上有个汽缸盖儿炸了。""哎呀天哪！有人伤着吗？""没有，只炸死个黑人。""噢，还算运气，因为有时的确会伤人。两年前圣诞节那天，你赛拉斯姨父乘着那条老船拉里·鲁克号从新奥尔良回来，那船就炸掉一个汽缸盖儿，一个人被炸残了。我记得他后来死了。他是个浸礼会教友。你赛拉斯姨父认识在巴顿·鲁什住的一家人，他们跟那个人一家很熟。对，我想起来了，他是死了。伤口发作，长了毒疮，他们只好给他截肢。但那也没救了他。对了，是毒疮，就为这个。他浑身发青，死的时候还指望着能光荣复活呢。他们说他那模样可真够瞧的。你姨父天天到镇上去接你。今天他又去了，走了还没到一个小时，现在他随时都可能回来。你应该在路上碰上他，你没遇着吗？一个上年纪的人，还..""没有，我谁都没遇着，莎丽姨。船天刚亮靠的岸，我把行李丢在浮码头上，到镇上四处转悠，又朝地里走了走，想打发一下时间，免得来得过早，所以我从后在的路绕过去了。""你把行李给谁了？""没给谁。""哎呀，孩子，那样会被偷走的！""我想我藏的地方大概不会被偷走。" 我说。
"你在船上早饭怎么吃这么早啊？"这一问可险些把我给问住，不过我答道："船长看我在那里转悠，就对我说上岸之前最好吃点东西，因此，他带我到顶舱和船员一起吃饭，我想吃什么就给什么。"我越来越慌，连话也听不清楚。我脑子里一直打着那小孩们的主意。我想把他们拉到外面，逗逗他们，问清他们我是谁。可总不能得逞，斐尔普斯太太一直问个没完，喋喋不休。不久，她叫我后背直打冷颤，因为她说："我们在这儿一个劲儿说个不停，可你还没跟我提到我姐一句话，她家里人你谁也没提到过。现在我得闭嘴歇会儿了，你开始张口说话吧，告诉我所有的事情--告诉我他们大家的所有情况--每一个人，他们身体可好，他们都做些什么，他们都让你告诉我什么，你能想到什么，全都讲给我听听吧。"这回可把我给问倒了，倒得下不了台。上帝总在帮我的忙，一直没出事，但这会儿，我可真搁浅了，死死地困住动不了。我明白我再想朝前对付也没一点用，我非得举手投降不行。所以我对自己说，这回又该我冒着风险讲真话了。我张开嘴正想说，可是，她抓起手硬把我给拖到床后边，她说："他回来啦！你把头低下来，好，这样就行，他看不到你了。别让他知道你在这儿。我跟他开个玩笑。孩子们，都别说。"我明白这下又难办了。可担心没有什么用，又没什么办法可想，只得静静呆着，有电闪雷鸣时沉住气熬过去。
那老先生进屋时，我刚好瞧见他一眼，然后床就挡住他了。斐尔普斯太太走过去问他："他来了吗？""没。" 她丈夫说。
"我的老--天哪！" 她说，" 他究竟会出什么事啊？""我猜不出来，"老先生说，" 说老实话，这令我担心得很。""担心！" 她说，" 我都快急疯啦！他也该来了，你在路上错过他了。我知道确实是这么回事，好像有什么给我报信似的。""嗨，莎丽，我（不可能）在路上错过他，这你知道。""可是，噢，亲爱的，亲爱的，姐会怎么说！他一定来啦！你一定错过他了。他..""嗨，别再让我难受了，我都快难受死了。不知道到底出了什么事，我是没法可想了，我得承认我快被吓坏了。可是说他到了，这根本一点指望也没有！因为他不可能来到，我也不可能错过他。莎丽，这太糟糕了，实在糟糕，肯定是船出了事，没错！""啊，赛拉斯！看那边！大路上！那不有人来了吗？"他向床头窗口那边，这恰好给了斐尔普斯太太机会。她急忙弯下腰，弯到床脚，用力一拽，我出来了。当他从窗口转过身来。她站在那儿，满脸红光，面带笑容，红得好像房子着了火，我胆怯又紧张地站到她身旁。那老先生瞪大了眼睛说："喂，那是谁？""你猜是谁？""我猜不出来。究竟是谁呀？""他是（汤姆·索亚）！"老天，我险些钻到地板缝儿里去。可连换个脑筋也来不及，那老先生抓住我的手摇，不住地摇，那女人不停地跳呀，舞呀，笑呀，叫呀，一直没个完；然后他们俩一齐连珠炮一般提问题，问席德，问玛丽，问全家其他人。
但是，要说他们高兴，那可没法同我的高兴劲儿比，因为这就好像重新出生一样，我真高兴，终于弄明白我是谁了。他们盯着我问了两个小时，最后，我的下巴颌累得几乎再也抬不动了啦，我给他们讲的事比我家的真事还多--我是指索亚家--比六个索亚家里的事都多。
现在，我一方面觉得十分舒服，一方面又觉得十分不舒服。冒充汤姆·索亚轻松又舒服，一直都轻松舒服。后来，我听闻一条轮船顺大河往下，这时我心想，要是汤姆·索亚坐那条船来了呢要是他走进来，随时都有可能，叫出我的名字，而我来不及给他递个眼色让他闭嘴又怎么办？好了，我不会让事情到那种地步，绝对不可以。我必须到路上去迎住他。于是我告诉他们我得到镇上去拿回我的行李。老先生要跟我一同去，我说不用，我自己会赶马车，请他别替我操心
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bugs
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| adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误 | |
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plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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hewed
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| v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的过去式和过去分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟 | |
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mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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whitewashed
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| 粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gourd
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| n.葫芦 | |
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wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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spokes
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| n.（车轮的）辐条( spoke的名词复数 )；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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baton
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| n.乐队用指挥杖 | |
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rouge
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| n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红 | |
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mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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slumped
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| 大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下] | |
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23
swap
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| n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易 | |
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24
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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waylay
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| v.埋伏，伏击 | |
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