The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered. —
汤姆越是努力专注于书本，他的思绪就越会游离不定。 —

So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up. —
最后，他叹了口气，打了个哈欠，放弃了努力。 —

It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come. The air was utterly dead. —
对他来说，午休似乎永远也不会到来。空气十分死寂。 —

There was not a breath stirring. It was the sleepiest of sleepy days. —
没有一丝风起。这是最慵懒的一天。 —

The drowsing murmur of the five and twenty studying scholars soothed the soul like the spell that is in the murmur of bees. —
刷课的二十五个学生发出的呢喃声如同蜜蜂的嗡鸣一样，舒缓了心灵。 —

Away off in the flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill lifted its soft green sides through a shimmering veil of heat, tinted with the purple of distance; —
在炎热的阳光下，卡迪夫山通过一层波光粼粼的热气中，展示出它柔软的绿色山腰，掩映着远处的紫色； —

a few birds floated on lazy wing high in the air; —
几只鸟懒洋洋地在高处飞翔； —

no other living thing was visible but some cows, and they were asleep. —
除了几头沉睡中的牛外，其他生物都看不见。 —

Tom’s heart ached to be free, or else to have something of interest to do to pass the dreary time. —
汤姆渴望自由，或者有什么有趣的事情可以消磨这无聊的时光。 —

His hand wandered into his pocket and his face lit up with a glow of gratitude that was prayer, though he did not know it. —
他的手在口袋里瞎摸，他的脸亮起来，感激的光芒是一种祈祷，尽管他并不知道。 —

Then furtively the percussion-cap box came out. —
然后，暗中拿出了火帽盒。 —

He released the tick and put him on the long flat desk. —
他放开了虱子，把它放在了长而平坦的桌子上。 —

The creature probably glowed with a gratitude that amounted to prayer, too, at this moment, but it was premature: —
这个生物可能发出了一种近乎祈祷的感激之情，但现在来看还为时过早： —

for when he started thankfully to travel off, Tom turned him aside with a pin and made him take a new direction.
因为当它感激地准备离开时，汤姆用一根针把它引开，让它改变了方向。

Tom’s bosom friend sat next him, suffering just as Tom had been, and now he was deeply and gratefully interested in this entertainment in an instant. —
汤姆的胸膛朋友坐在他旁边，和汤姆一样受折磨，此刻他以深深的感激和兴趣看着这场娱乐。 —

This bosom friend was Joe Harper. The two boys were sworn friends all the week, and embattled enemies on Saturdays. —
这个胸膛朋友就是乔·哈珀。这两个男孩整个星期都是铁杆朋友，然而在周六他们就是战斗中的敌人。 —

Joe took a pin out of his lapel and began to assist in exercising the prisoner. —
乔从他的纽扣孔中取出一根针，开始帮助实施对囚犯的折磨。 —

The sport grew in interest momently. Soon Tom said that they were interfering with each other, and neither getting the fullest benefit of the tick. —
这个游戏的兴趣越来越浓。很快，汤姆说他们互相干扰了，都没能充分享受到搔痒带来的快感。 —

So he put Joe’s slate on the desk and drew a line down the middle of it from top to bottom.
所以他把乔的黑板放在桌子上，并从上到下画一条中线。

“Now,” said he, “as long as he is on your side you can stir him up and I’ll let him alone; —
“现在，”他说，“只要虱子在你这边，你就可以激动它，我就让它安静； —

but if you let him get away and get on my side, you’re to leave him alone as long as I can keep him from crossing over.”
但是如果你让他逃脱并站到我的一边，只要我能阻止他过来，你就得离他远点。

“All right, go ahead; start him up.”
“好吧，开始吧。”

The tick escaped from Tom, presently, and crossed the equator. —
刻在汤姆的肚子上的虱子最后逃出来，穿过了赤道。 —

Joe harassed him awhile, and then he got away and crossed back again. —
乔骚扰了一会儿，然后虱子躲开逃回了过来。 —

This change of base occurred often. While one boy was worrying the tick with absorbing interest, the other would look on with interest as strong, the two heads bowed together over the slate, and the two souls dead to all things else. —
这种变换的基地经常发生。一个男孩全神贯注地担心着虱子，另一个男孩会和着同样的兴趣看着，两个头凑在一起低着头盯着石板，两个灵魂对其他一切都无动于衷。 —

At last luck seemed to settle and abide with Joe. The tick tried this, that, and the other course, and got as excited and as anxious as the boys themselves, but time and again just as he would have victory in his very grasp, so to speak, and Tom’s fingers would be twitching to begin, Joe’s pin would deftly head him off, and keep possession. —
最后，运气似乎与乔常驻。虱子尝试了这样，那样，又激动又焦虑，但每一次，就在他即将获胜时，可以说，汤姆的手指着急地想要开始，乔的针巧妙地将虱子引开并保持控制。 —

At last Tom could stand it no longer. The temptation was too strong. —
最后，汤姆再也忍不住了，诱惑力太大了。 —

So he reached out and lent a hand with his pin. —
于是他伸手用他的图针来帮助。 —

Joe was angry in a moment. Said he:
乔一瞬间感到愤怒。他说：

“Tom, you let him alone.”
“汤姆，你别管他。”

“I only just want to stir him up a little, Joe.”
“我只是想把他惹火点而已，乔。”

“No, sir, it ain’t fair; you just let him alone.”
“不行，先生，这不公平；你别管他。”

“Blame it, I ain’t going to stir him much.”
“见鬼，我才不会激怒他呢。”

“Let him alone, I tell you.”
“你让他一个人吧，我告诉你。”

“I won’t!”
“我不会！”

“You shall—he’s on my side of the line.”
“你必须让他——他在我那一边。”

“Look here, Joe Harper, whose is that tick?”
“喂，乔·哈珀，那是谁的虱子？”

“I don’t care whose tick he is—he’s on my side of the line, and you sha’n’t touch him.”
“我不在乎是谁的虱子——他在我那一边，你不许碰他。”

“Well, I’ll just bet I will, though. He’s my tick and I’ll do what I blame please with him, or die!”
“哼，我就打赌我会碰的。他是我的虱子，我爱咋地就咋地，否则我就死！”

A tremendous whack came down on Tom’s shoulders, and its duplicate on Joe’s; —
一声巨响响起，汤姆的肩膀上挨了一下，乔的肩膀上也挨了一下； —

and for the space of two minutes the dust continued to fly from the two jackets and the whole school to enjoy it. —
接着，整个教室都飞起了灰尘，持续了两分钟，全校的人都享受着这一切。 —

The boys had been too absorbed to notice the hush that had stolen upon the school awhile before when the master came tiptoeing down the room and stood over them. —
男孩们过于专注，没有注意到一阵寂静已经悄然降临在学校上方，当校长踮着脚尖走进教室，站在他们身边。 —

He had contemplated a good part of the performance before he contributed his bit of variety to it.
在他出色地表演之前，他曾考虑了很多。

When school broke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher, and whispered in her ear:
当中午放学时，汤姆飞快地跑到了贝基·撒切尔的身边，悄悄对她说：

“Put on your bonnet and let on you’re going home; —
“戴上你的帽子，假装你要回家了， —

and when you get to the corner, give the rest of ’em the slip, and turn down through the lane and come back. —
当你走到拐角处时，把其他人一个个甩掉，然后拐进小巷子，绕回来。 —

I’ll go the other way and come it over ’em the same way.”
我会走另一条路，以同样的方式迷惑他们。”

So the one went off with one group of scholars, and the other with another. —
于是一个人跟着一群学生走了，另一个人跟着另一群学生走了。 —

In a little while the two met at the bottom of the lane, and when they reached the school they had it all to themselves. —
不一会儿，两人在小巷子的尽头相遇，然后一起走到学校，发现整个学校只有他们两个人。 —

Then they sat together, with a slate before them, and Tom gave Becky the pencil and held her hand in his, guiding it, and so created another surprising house. —
之后他们坐在一起，面前摆着一块写着字的板子，汤姆把铅笔递给贝基，握着她的手，引导着她，创造出另外一个令人惊讶的房子。 —

When the interest in art began to wane, the two fell to talking. —
当艺术兴趣渐渐消退时，他们开始聊天。 —

Tom was swimming in bliss. He said:
汤姆正陶醉在幸福之中。他说：

“Do you love rats?”
“你喜欢老鼠吗？”

“No! I hate them!”
“不！我讨厌它们！”

“Well, I do, too—live ones. But I mean dead ones, to swing round your head with a string.”
“嗯，我也这么想—活的时候。但我是指死的，用绳子在你头上晃来晃去。”

“No, I don’t care for rats much, anyway. What I like is chewing-gum.”
“不，我也不太喜欢老鼠。我喜欢的是口香糖。”

“Oh, I should say so! I wish I had some now.”
“噢，是吗！我现在真希望有一些。”

“Do you? I’ve got some. I’ll let you chew it awhile, but you must give it back to me.”
“你是吗？我有一些。我让你嚼一会儿，但你必须还给我。”

That was agreeable, so they chewed it turn about, and dangled their legs against the bench in excess of contentment.
于是他们轮流嚼着口香糖，在长椅上荡着双脚，无比满足。

“Was you ever at a circus?” said Tom.
“你去过马戏团吗？”汤姆问道。

“Yes, and my pa’s going to take me again some time, if I’m good.”
“去过，我爸爸说以后还会带我去，如果我乖的话。”

“I been to the circus three or four times—lots of times. Church ain’t shucks to a circus. —
“我去过马戏团三四次，非常多次。相比之下，去教堂才是小事。” —

There’s things going on at a circus all the time. —
“马戏团里一直有很多好玩的东西。” —

I’m going to be a clown in a circus when I grow up.”
“长大了，我要当一个马戏团里的小丑。”

“Oh, are you! That will be nice. They’re so lovely, all spotted up.”
“哦，是吗！那太棒了。他们都是那么可爱，到处都有斑点。”

“Yes, that’s so. And they get slathers of money—most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. —
“是啊，没错。他们还可以赚到很多钱，本·罗杰斯说他们每天能赚将近一美元。” —

Say, Becky, was you ever engaged?”
“嘿，贝基，你有过订婚的经历吗？”

“What’s that?”
“那是什么意思？”

“Why, engaged to be married.”
“为什么，打算结婚了呀。”

“No.”
“不。”

“Would you like to?”
“你想要吗？”

“I reckon so. I don’t know. What is it like?”
“我想是吧。我不知道。那是什么感觉？”

“Like? Why it ain’t like anything. You only just tell a boy you won’t ever have anybody but him, ever ever ever, and then you kiss and that’s all. —
“感觉？哪有什么感觉。你只是告诉一个男孩，你除了他再也不会有任何人了，永远永远永远，然后你亲吻，就这样。 —

Anybody can do it.”
谁都可以做到。”

“Kiss? What do you kiss for?”
“亲吻？为什么要亲吻？”

“Why, that, you know, is to—well, they always do that.”
“哦，那个，你知道的，就是为了……他们总是那样做。”

“Everybody?”
“每个人都那样吗？”

“Why, yes, everybody that’s in love with each other. —
“哦，对，每对相爱的人都那样做。 —

Do you remember what I wrote on the slate?”
你还记得我在小黑板上写了什么吗？”

“Ye—yes.”
“记得，记得。”

“What was it?”
“是什么？”

“I sha’n’t tell you.”
“我不告诉你。”

“Shall I tell you?”
“那我告诉你？”

“Ye—yes—but some other time.”
“嗯 - 嗯 - 但以后再说吧。”

“No, now.”
“不，现在。”

“No, not now—to-morrow.”
“不，不是现在 - 明天吧。”

“Oh, no, now. Please, Becky—I’ll whisper it, I’ll whisper it ever so easy.”
“哦不，现在。拜托，贝基 - 我会轻声说的，我会非常轻声地说的。”

Becky hesitating, Tom took silence for consent, and passed his arm about her waist and whispered the tale ever so softly, with his mouth close to her ear. And then he added:
贝基犹豫了一下，汤姆把沉默当作了同意，伸出手臂环绕着她的腰，靠近她的耳朵轻声低语着。然后他补充道：

“Now you whisper it to me—just the same.”
“现在你对我轻声说 - 完全一样。”

She resisted, for a while, and then said:
她抗拒了一会儿，然后说：

“You turn your face away so you can’t see, and then I will. —
“你把脸转开，这样你就看不见，然后我会说。 —

But you mustn’t ever tell anybody—will you, Tom? —
但你不能告诉任何人 - 你会，对吧，汤姆？ —

Now you won’t, will you?”
现在你不会，对吧？”

“No, indeed, indeed I won’t. Now, Becky.”
“不，真的，我不会。现在，贝基。”

He turned his face away. She bent timidly around till her breath stirred his curls and whispered, “I—love—you!”
他把脸转开。她小心翼翼地靠近，直到她的呼吸掠过他的卷发，低声说道：” 我 - 爱 - 你！”

Then she sprang away and ran around and around the desks and benches, with Tom after her, and took refuge in a corner at last, with her little white apron to her face. —
然后她跑开，围着桌子和长凳转了一圈又一圈，汤姆紧随其后，最后躲到了角落里，用小白围裙捂住了脸。 —

Tom clasped her about her neck and pleaded:
汤姆抱住她的脖子，恳求道：

“Now, Becky, it’s all done—all over but the kiss. —
“现在，贝基，一切都结束了，只剩下一个吻了。 —

Don’t you be afraid of that—it ain’t anything at all. —
不要害怕，这根本没有什么。 —

Please, Becky.” And he tugged at her apron and the hands.
请贝基。”他拽着她的围裙和手。

By and by she gave up, and let her hands drop; —
她最终放弃了，让手松开了； —

her face, all glowing with the struggle, came up and submitted. —
她满脸红晕地挣扎着，抬起头屈服了。 —

Tom kissed the red lips and said:
汤姆亲吻了她的红唇说：

“Now it’s all done, Becky. And always after this, you know, you ain’t ever to love anybody but me, and you ain’t ever to marry anybody but me, ever never and forever. Will you?”
“现在一切都结束了，贝基。以后你知道，你不能爱别人，除了我，你不能嫁给别人，永远永远都不能。你愿意吗？”

“No, I’ll never love anybody but you, Tom, and I’ll never marry anybody but you—and you ain’t to ever marry anybody but me, either.”
“不，我永远只会爱你，汤姆，我永远只会嫁给你，而你也只能娶我。”

“Certainly. Of course. That’s part of it. —
“当然。那是_其中的一部分。 —

And always coming to school or when we’re going home, you’re to walk with me, when there ain’t anybody looking—and you choose me and I choose you at parties, because that’s the way you do when you’re engaged.”
每天上学或回家的时候，没有人看着的时候，你要和我一起走，当我们订婚了，你要选择我，而我也要选择你。”

“It’s so nice. I never heard of it before.”
“太好了。我以前从没听说过这种事。”

“Oh, it’s ever so gay! Why, me and Amy Lawrence—”
“哦，这真是太快乐了！我和艾米·劳伦斯——”

The big eyes told Tom his blunder and he stopped, confused.
大大的眼睛告诉汤姆他的错误，他停下了，感到困惑。

“Oh, Tom! Then I ain’t the first you’ve ever been engaged to!”
“哦，汤姆！那么我不是你第一个订婚的人！”

The child began to cry. Tom said:
孩子开始哭了。汤姆说：

“Oh, don’t cry, Becky, I don’t care for her any more.”
“哦，别哭，贝基，我不再喜欢她了。”

“Yes, you do, Tom—you know you do.”
“是的，你喜欢的，汤姆——你知道你喜欢的。”

Tom tried to put his arm about her neck, but she pushed him away and turned her face to the wall, and went on crying. —
汤姆试图把手臂放在她的脖子上，但她推开了他，转过身去，继续哭泣。 —

Tom tried again, with soothing words in his mouth, and was repulsed again. —
汤姆再次尝试着用安慰的话语，结果被拒绝了。 —

Then his pride was up, and he strode away and went outside. —
于是他的傲气上来了，他大步走出去。 —

He stood about, restless and uneasy, for a while, glancing at the door, every now and then, hoping she would repent and come to find him. —
他站在那里，不安和焦躁了一会儿，不时地瞥着门，希望她会后悔过来找他。 —

But she did not. Then he began to feel badly and fear that he was in the wrong. —
但她没有。然后他开始感到难过，担心自己错了。 —

It was a hard struggle with him to make new advances, now, but he nerved himself to it and entered. —
他现在要做出新的努力已经很困难了，但他鼓起勇气进去了。 —

She was still standing back there in the corner, sobbing, with her face to the wall. —
她依然站在那个角落里，面朝着墙壁抽泣。 —

Tom’s heart smote him. He went to her and stood a moment, not knowing exactly how to proceed. —
汤姆的心被击中了。他走向她，站了一会儿，不知道该怎么办。 —

Then he said hesitatingly:
然后他犹豫地说道：

“Becky, I—I don’t care for anybody but you.”
“贝琪，我——我只在乎你一个人。”

No reply—but sobs.
没有回答，只有啜泣声。

“Becky”—pleadingly. “Becky, won’t you say something?”
“贝琪”——恳求地。“贝琪，你能不能说些什么？”

More sobs.
更多的哭泣声。

Tom got out his chiefest jewel, a brass knob from the top of an andiron, and passed it around her so that she could see it, and said:
汤姆拿出了他最珍贵的珠宝，一个铜柄顶部的金属钮子，并把它放在她身边，让她能够看到，并说道：

“Please, Becky, won’t you take it?”
“贝基，请你收下它好吗？”

She struck it to the floor. Then Tom marched out of the house and over the hills and far away, to return to school no more that day. —
她把它摔到了地板上。然后汤姆走出房子，穿过山丘，一直走到远离学校的地方，再也没有回来。 —

Presently Becky began to suspect. She ran to the door; he was not in sight; —
贝基开始怀疑。她跑到门口，发现他已经不在视线范围内； —

she flew around to the play-yard; he was not there. Then she called:
她飞快地跑到游玩场；他也不在那里。于是她喊道：

“Tom! Come back, Tom!”
“汤姆！回来，汤姆！”

She listened intently, but there was no answer. —
她仔细倾听，但没有回答。 —

She had no companions but silence and loneliness. —
她只有寂静和孤独作伴。 —

So she sat down to cry again and upbraid herself; —
于是她又坐下来哭泣，责备自己； —

and by this time the scholars began to gather again, and she had to hide her griefs and still her broken heart and take up the cross of a long, dreary, aching afternoon, with none among the strangers about her to exchange sorrows with.
这时候学生们又开始聚集，她不得不隐藏自己的悲痛，安抚破碎的心灵，度过漫长而痛苦的下午，身边没有任何陌生人可以分享悲伤。