15.The-Celebrated-Jumping-Frog-of-Calaveras-County

15.TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCountyBecauseafriendofmineaskedme,Icalledongood-natured,talkativeoldSimonWheelerandaskedhimaboutmyfriend’sfriend,LeonidasW.Smiley.Thisstoryistheresultofthatvisit.IhaveadeepsuspicionthatLeonidasW.Smileydoesn’texist;thatmyfriendfromtheEastneverknewsuchaperson;andthathemadetherequestofmeasajoke.IthinkheimaginedthatofIwenttowheelerandaskedhimaboutSmiley,thenWheelerwouldmakeupastoryandboremetodeathwithsometerriblylong,exasperating,uselesstable.Ifthatwasmyfriend’splan,itsucceeded.我的一个朋友从东部写信给我，我按照他的嘱咐访问了性情随和、唠唠叨叨的老西蒙`维勒，去打听我那位朋友的朋友，利奥尼达斯`斯迈利的下落。我在此说说结果吧。我暗地里有点疑心这个利奥尼达斯`斯迈利是编出来的；也许我的朋友从来不认得这么一个人，他不过揣摩着如果我向老维勒去打听，那大概会使他回想起他那个丢脸的吉姆`斯迈利，他会鼓劲唠叨着什么关于吉姆的该死的往事，又长又乏味，对我又毫无用处，倒把我腻烦提要死。如果我的朋友是出于这个意图，那么他的计划成功了。IfondSimonwheelerdozingcomfortablybythebarroomstoveofthedilapidatedtaverninthedecayedminingcampofAngel’s,andInoticedthathewasfatandbaldheaded.Helookedgentle,andhisfaceshowedhimtobeahappy,peacefulman.Heawakenedandgeetedmeenthusiastically.Itoldhimthatafriendofminehadaskedmetoaskaroundaboutanoldfriendofhisfromchildhood.Myfriend’soldfriendwasnamedLeonidasW.Smiley.IfurtherexplainedthatmyfriendthoughtthatSmileywasayoungministeroftheGospelandthathelivedinAngel’sCamp---oratleastheusedto.ItoldWheelerthatIwouldbeverygratefulifhecouldtellmeanythingaboutSmiley,sinceIwantedtohonormyfriend’srequest.在衰败的矿区安吉尔小镇上那家快要倒塌的酒店里，我发现西蒙`维勒正在酒吧间火炉旁边舒舒服服打盹，我注意到他是个胖子，秃了顶，安详的面容上带着引人欢喜的温和朴质的表情。他惊醒过来，向我问好。我告诉他我的一个朋友委托我打听一位童年的挚友，名叫利奥尼达斯`斯迈利，也就是利奥尼达斯`斯迈利牧师，听说这位年轻的福音传道一度是安吉尔镇上的居民，我又说，如果维勒先生能够告诉我任何关于这位利奥尼达斯`斯迈利牧师的情况，我会十分感激他的，因为我要履行我朋友的托付。SimonWheelerbackedmeintoacornerandblockadedmetherewithhischair.Hethensatdownandproceededtotellmethemostboring,monotonousstoryIhadeverheard.Heneversmiled,heneverfrowned,heneverchangedhisvoicefromthegentle-flowingkeywhichhestartedwith,henevershowedtheslightestamountofenthusiasm.Hisstorywasflatanddull.But,interestingtonote,throughouttheentiretabletheshowedhimselftobeearnestandsincere.Itwasawildtable(asyouwillsoonsee,sinceIamgoingtorepeatitwordforword),butthenevershowedmethathethoughtitwasn’ttrue.Itneveroccurredtohimthatitwasastoryeither.Heregardeditasatrulyimportantmatter,andheclearlyadmireditstwoheroesasmenoftaste,wit,andintelligence.Ilethimtellitinhisownwayandneverinterruptedhimonce.Hereishisstory:西蒙`维勒把我逼到一个角落里，用他的椅子把我封锁在那儿，这才让我坐下，滔滔不绝地絮叨着从下一段开始的单调的情节。他从来不笑，从来不皱眉，从来不改变声调，他的第一句话用的是细水长流的腔调，他从来不露丝毫痕迹让人以为他热中此道；可是在没完没了的絮叨之中却始终流露着一种诚挚感人的语气，直率地向我表明，他想也没有想过他的故事有哪一点显得荒唐或者离奇；在他看来，这个故事倒真是事关重大，其中的两位主角也都是在勾心斗角上出类拔萃的天才人物。对我来说，看到一个人安闲自得地信口编出这样古怪的奇谈，从不露笑，这种景象也是荒廖绝伦的了。我先前说过，我要他告诉我他所了解的利奥尼达斯`斯迈利牧师的情况，他回答如下。我随他按他自己的方式讲下去，一次也没有打断他的话。“ReverendLeonidasW…Hmm,Reverend…Well,therewasafellowhereoncebythenameofJimSmiley,buttoLeonidas…Thatwasbackinthewinterof1849---ormaybeitwasthespringofthe’50s---Idon’trememberexactly,butwhatmakesmethinkitwasoneortheotherofthosetimesisthatthebigflumewasn’tfinishedwhenhefirstcametoAngel’sCamp.Butanyway,hewasthemostcuriousmanyoueversawaboutbetting.Hewouldbetonanythingandeverythinghecould,andifhecouldn’tgetanyonetobetontheotherside,thenhe’dchangesides.Itdidn’tmatterwhichsidehewason,aslongashecouldbet.Ifhehadabetonwithaperson,hewashappy;ifhedidn’t,hewasn’tsatisfieduntilhedid.Andtheinterestingthingisthathewasprettylucky.Healmostalwayswonhisbets,evenwhenhehadchangedsidesonabet.Hewasalwayswaitingandreadyforsomeonetocomealongsohecouldofferhimsomesortofbet.Iftherewasahorserace,he’dbetallhehad,andattheendofithe’deitherbebrokeorhe’dhavealotofmoney.“尊敬的利奥尼达斯…..嗯，尊敬的……从前，这儿有个人，名子叫吉姆.斯迈利，但他不叫利奥尼达斯……那是1849年冬天，也许是1850年春天。我记不准了。不知怎么的，不过我怎么会想到冬天又想到春天呢，因为我记得他初来安吉尔矿区的时候，那道庞大的放水槽还未修成。反正，不管怎么样吧，他是你从来没见过的最古怪的人。总是找到一什么事就来打赌，如果他们找到什么人跟他对赌的话，如果他不能说服对方与其打赌，他就会换另一方。只要对方称意，哪一头都合适，只要他赌上一头，他就称心了。可是他很走运，出奇的走运，多少次总是他赢的。他总是准备好了，单等机会；随便提那个碴，他都没有不能打赌的，正象我刚才给你说的，你可以随便挑哪一头，如果遇到赛马，赛完时你会发现他发了财，或者输得精光；Iftherewasadogfight,he’dbetonit;iftherewasacatfight,he’dbetonit;iftherewasachickenfight,he’dbetonit;why,ifthereweretwobirdssittingonafence,he’dbetyouwhichonewouldflyfirst.Evenifhesawalittlebugonthegroundwalkingalongsomewhere,he’dbetyouhowlongitwouldtakethebugtogetthere(whereveritwasthebugwasgoing),andthenhe’dfollowthatbugalldaytoseeifhewon.LotsofpeoplearestillherewhorememberJim.They’lltellyouwhathewaslike.Itnevermadeabitofdifferencetohim---he’dbetonanything.Onetimethepreacher’swifewassickandweallthoughtshewasgoingtodie.Afewdayslater,thepreachercameoutandtoldushowtheLordhadsmiledonhisgoodwifeandthatshewasgoingtolive.Smileyofferedtobethimdollarthatshewouldn’t.遇到狗打架，他要打赌；遇到猫打架，他要打赌；遇到小鸡打架，他要打赌；哎，即使遇到两只小鸟停在篱笆上，他也要跟你赌哪一只先飞走；甚至如果他看见一个臭虫，开始向哪儿走，他也会跟你打赌要多久它才会走到它要去的地方，如果你答应他，他就会整天跟着这个臭虫，看看究竟他能不能赢。这儿的许多小伙子都见过这个斯迈利，都能跟你谈起他的事情。哎，他这个人，这对他没有什么区别，他什么都要赌。有一回，沃克尔牧师的老婆得重病，躺了好久，我们都想她不久就会死去。几天以后，牧师来了，并告诉我们他的好妻子如何得到上帝的恩泽，身体好起来了。可是，斯迈利竟和他赌上一块钱，说她不会好，怎么也不会好。“Smileyownedahorsewhilehewashere.WeusedtokidJimandcallherthefifteen-minutenag.Becauseshewassoslow,butactuallyshewasn’ttooslow,wejustlikedtokidJim.Heusedtowinmoneybettingonher.Shewassickalot,soinracestheothershorseswouldalwayscatchupandpassher,butthenneartheendoftherace,she’dgetallexciteda