【英文原著类】tomsawyerabroad(汤姆·索亚

TOMSAWYERABROAD1TOMSAWYERABROADTOMSAWYERABROAD2CHAPTERI.TOMSEEKSNEWADVENTURESDOyoureckonTomSawyerwassatisfiedafterallthemadventures?Imeantheadventureswehaddowntheriver,andthetimewesetthedarkyJimfreeandTomgotshotintheleg.No,hewasn't.Itonlyjustp'isonedhimformore.Thatwasalltheeffectithad.Yousee,whenwethreecamebackuptheriveringlory,asyoumaysay,fromthatlongtravel,andthevillagereceiveduswithatorchlightprocessionandspeeches,andeverybodyhurrah'dandshouted,itmadeusheroes,andthatwaswhatTomSawyerhadalwaysbeenhankeringtobe.ForawhileheWASsatisfied.Everybodymademuchofhim,andhetilteduphisnoseandsteppedaroundthetownasthoughheownedit.SomecalledhimTomSawyertheTraveler,andthatjustswelledhimupfittobust.YouseehelaidovermeandJimconsiderable,becauseweonlywentdowntheriveronaraftandcamebackbythesteamboat,butTomwentbythesteamboatbothways.TheboysenviedmeandJimagooddeal,butland!theyjustknuckledtothedirtbeforeTOM.Well,Idon'tknow;maybehemighthavebeensatisfiedifithadn'tbeenforoldNatParsons,whichwaspostmaster,andpowerfullongandslim,andkindo'good-heartedandsilly,andbald-headed,onaccountofhisage,andaboutthetalkiestoldcreturIeversee.Forasmuchasthirtyyearshe'dbeentheonlymaninthevillagethathadareputation--Imeanareputationforbeingatraveler,andofcoursehewasmortalproudofit,anditwasreckonedthatinthecourseofthatthirtyyearshehadtoldaboutthatjourneyoveramilliontimesandenjoyediteverytime.Andnowcomesalongaboynotquitefifteen,andsetseverybodyadmiringandgawkingoverHIStravels,anditjustgivethepooroldmanthehighstrikes.ItmadehimsicktolistentoTom,andtohearthepeoplesayMyland!Didyouever!Mygoodnesssakesalive!andallsuchthings;buthecouldn'tpullawayfromit,anymorethanaflythat'sgotitshindlegfastinthemolasses.AndalwayswhenTomcometoarest,thepooroldcreturwouldchipinonHISsameoldtravelsandworkthemforalltheyTOMSAWYERABROAD3wereworth;buttheywereprettyfaded,anddidn'tgoformuch,anditwaspitifultosee.AndthenTomwouldtakeanotherinnings,andthentheoldmanagain--andsoon,andsoon,foranhourandmore,eachtryingtobeatouttheother.Yousee,Parsons'travelshappenedlikethis:Whenhefirstgottobepostmasterandwasgreeninthebusi-ness,therecomealetterforsomebodyhedidn'tknow,andtherewasn'tanysuchpersoninthevillage.Well,hedidn'tknowwhattodo,norhowtoact,andtheretheletterstayedandstayed,weekinandweekout,tillthebaresightofitgavehimaconniption.Thepostagewasn'tpaidonit,andthatwasanotherthingtoworryabout.Therewasn'tanywaytocollectthattencents,andhereckon'dthegov'mentwouldholdhimrespon-sibleforitandmaybeturnhimoutbesides,whentheyfoundhehadn'tcollectedit.Well,atlasthecouldn'tstanditanylonger.Hecouldn'tsleepnights,hecouldn'teat,hewasthinneddowntoashadder,yetheda'sn'taskanybody'sadvice,fortheverypersonheaskedforadvicemightgobackonhimandletthegov'mentknowabouttheletter.Hehadtheletterburiedunderthefloor,butthatdidnogood;ifhehappenedtoseeapersonstandingovertheplaceit'dgivehimthecoldshivers,andloadedhimupwithsuspicions,andhewouldsitupthatnighttillthetownwasstillanddark,andthenhewouldsneakthereandgetitoutandburyitinanotherplace.Ofcourse,peoplegottoavoidinghimandshakingtheirheadsandwhispering,because,thewayhewaslookingandacting,theyjudgedhehadkilledsomebodyordonesomethingterrible,theydidn'tknowwhat,andifhehadbeenastrangertheywould'velynchedhim.Well,asIwassaying,itgotsohecouldn'tstanditanylonger;sohemadeuphismindtopulloutforWashington,andjustgotothePresidentoftheUnitedStatesandmakeacleanbreastofthewholething,notkeepingbackanatom,andthenfetchtheletteroutandlayitbeforethewholegov'ment,andsay,Now,theresheis--dowithmewhatyou'reamindto;thoughasheavenismyjudgeIamaninnocentmanandnotdeservingofthefullpenaltiesofthelawandleavingbehindmeafamilythatmuststarveandyethadn'thadathingtodowithit,whichisthewholetruthandIcansweartoit.TOMSAWYERABROAD4Sohedidit.Hehadalittleweebitofsteamboat-ing,andsomestage-coaching,butalltherestofthewaywashorseback,andittookhimthreeweekstogettoWashington.Hesawlotsoflandandlotsofvil-lagesandfourcities.Hewasgone'mosteightweeks,andthereneverwassuchaproudmaninthevillageashewhenhegotback.Histravelsmadehimthegreatestmaninallthatregion,andthemosttalkedabout;andpeoplecomefromasmuchasthirtymilesbackinthecountry,andfromoverintheIllinoisbottoms,too,justtolookathim--andtherethey'dstandandgawk,andhe'dgabble.Youneverseeanythinglikeit.Well,therewasn'tanywaynowtosettlewhichwasthegreatesttraveler;somesaiditwasNat,somesaiditwasTom.EverybodyallowedthatNathadseenthemostlongitude,buttheyhadtogiveinthatwhat-everTomwasshortinlongitudehehadmadeupinlatitudeandclimate.Itwasaboutastand-off;sobothofthemhadtowhoopuptheirdangerousadventures,andtrytogetaheadTHATway.Thatbullet-woundinTom'slegwasatoughthingforNatParsonstobuckagainst,buthebuckedthebesthecould;andatadisadvantage,too,forTomdidn'tsetstillashe'dorterdone,tobefair,butalwaysgotupandsaunteredaroundandworkedhislimpwhileNatwaspaintinguptheadventurethatHEhadinWashington;forTomneverletgothatlimpwhenhisleggotwell,butprac-ticeditnightsathome,andkeptitgoodasnewrightalong.Nat'sadventurewaslikethis;Idon'tknowhowtrueitis;maybehegotitoutofapaper,orsome-where,butIwillsaythisforhim,thatheDIDknowhow