One morning, while Miss Ophelia was busy in some of her domestic cares, St. Clare’s voice was heard, calling her at the foot of the stairs.
有一天早晨，当奥菲利亚小姐忙着做一些家务时，圣克莱尔的声音从楼梯脚下响起。

“Come down here, Cousin, I’ve something to show you.”
“Cousin，下来，我有东西要给你看。”

“What is it?” said Miss Ophelia, coming down, with her sewing in her hand.
“是什么？”奥菲利亚小姐拿着手里的针线下来问道。

“I’ve made a purchase for your department,–see here,” said St. Clare; —
“我为你的部门买了东西，看这里，”圣克莱尔说着； —

and, with the word, he pulled along a little negro girl, about eight or nine years of age.
说着，他拉来了一个黑人女孩，大约八九岁。

She was one of the blackest of her race; and her round shining eyes, glittering as glass beads, moved with quick and restless glances over everything in the room. —
她是她种族中最黑的之一；她那双圆圆的闪亮的眼睛如同玻璃珠一般，快速而不安地在房间里的一切上扫视着。 —

Her mouth, half open with astonishment at the wonders of the new Mas’r’s parlor, displayed a white and brilliant set of teeth. —
她的嘴半张着，对新主人的客厅中的奇迹感到惊讶，露出一口洁白而灿烂的牙齿。 —

Her woolly hair was braided in sundry little tails, which stuck out in every direction. —
她的卷发编成了几根小辫子，四处乱糟糟地伸出来。 —

The expression of her face was an odd mixture of shrewdness and cunning, over which was oddly drawn, like a kind of veil, an expression of the most doleful gravity and solemnity. —
她脸上的表情是一种狡猾和狡诈的奇怪混合，而在上面奇怪地拉出了一种幽深忧郁和庄严的表情。 —

She was dressed in a single filthy, ragged garment, made of bagging; —
她穿着一件由麻袋制成的肮脏破烂的衣服； —

and stood with her hands demurely folded before her. —
双手虔诚地交叉在胸前。 —

Altogether, there was something odd and goblin-like about her appearance,–something, as Miss Ophelia afterwards said, “so heathenish,” as to inspire that good lady with utter dismay; —
总的来说，她的外表有些古怪和妖怪般，正如后来奥菲利亚小姐所说，“那么异教徒般”，令那位好心的女士感到彻底的惊慌； —

and turning to St. Clare, she said,
然后转向圣克莱尔，她说，

“Augustine, what in the world have you brought that thing here for?”
“奥古斯丁，你到底为什么把那个东西带到这里来？”

“For you to educate, to be sure, and train in the way she should go. —
“当然是让你教育，指导她应该走的路。” —

I thought she was rather a funny specimen in the Jim Arow line. —
我认为她是吉姆·阿罗系列中相当滑稽的一个标本。 —

Here, Topsy,” he added, giving a whistle, as a man would to call the attention of a dog, “give us a song, now, and show us some of your dancing.”
“这边，托普西，”他补充道，吹了一个口哨，就像叫狗一样，”现在给我们唱首歌，跳个舞给我们看看吧。

The black, glassy eyes glittered with a kind of wicked drollery, and the thing struck up, in a clear shrill voice, an odd negro melody, to which she kept time with her hands and feet, spinning round, clapping her hands, knocking her knees together, in a wild, fantastic sort of time, and producing in her throat all those odd guttural sounds which distinguish the native music of her race; —
那双黑而发亮的眼睛闪着一种邪恶的诙谐，奇怪的黑人旋律响起，她用手脚配合节奏，转身、鼓掌、踢腿，在一种狂野、奇幻的节奏里，发出那些奇怪的喉音，这些音符使得她的音乐跟她的种族特征明显地相区别开来； —

and finally, turning a summerset or two, and giving a prolonged closing note, as odd and unearthly as that of a steam-whistle, she came suddenly down on the carpet, and stood with her hands folded, and a most sanctimonious expression of meekness and solemnity over her face, only broken by the cunning glances which she shot askance from the corners of her eyes.
最后，翻了几个筋斗，发出一声持续很长的收尾音符，就像蒸汽哨那样奇怪和超自然，她突然落到地毯上，双手交叉，脸上浮现出一副最崇敬庄严的神情，只有从眼角投来的狡诈目光打破了那种庄严；

Miss Ophelia stood silent, perfectly paralyzed with amazement. —
奥菲利亚小姐站在那里，完全被惊讶所震慑。 —

St. Clare, like a mischievous fellow as he was, appeared to enjoy her astonishment; —
圣克莱尔，像个调皮的家伙一样，似乎很享受她的惊讶； —

and, addressing the child again, said,
并且，再次对孩子说：

“Topsy, this is your new mistress. I’m going to give you up to her; —
“托普西，这是你的新主人。我要把你交给她； —

see now that you behave yourself.”
记住要行为端正。”

“Yes, Mas’r,” said Topsy, with sanctimonious gravity, her wicked eyes twinkling as she spoke.
“是的，主人，”托普西说，神圣的严肃，说话时那双邪恶的眼睛闪着光。

“You’re going to be good, Topsy, you understand,” said St. Clare.
“你要听话，托普西，你懂吗，”圣克莱尔说。

“O yes, Mas’r,” said Topsy, with another twinkle, her hands still devoutly folded.
“哦，是的，主人，”托普西说，又一次眨眼，双手依旧虔诚地交叉。

“Now, Augustine, what upon earth is this for?” said Miss Ophelia. —
“奥古斯丁，这到底是为了什么？”奥菲利亚说。 —

“Your house is so full of these little plagues, now, that a body can’t set down their foot without treading on ‘em. —
“你家里现在满是这些小麻烦，一个人连脚都放不下，就要踩到它们。 —

I get up in the morning, and find one asleep behind the door, and see one black head poking out from under the table, one lying on the door-mat,–and they are mopping and mowing and grinning between all the railings, and tumbling over the kitchen floor! —
我早上起来，发现有一个躺在门后睡觉，看见一个黑头从桌子下探出来，一个躺在地垫上，它们在扶手间擦来擦去、咧嘴咧嘴、笑得合不拢嘴，并且在厨房地板上滚来滚去！” —

What on earth did you want to bring this one for?”
你到底为什么要带她来？

“For you to educate–didn’t I tell you? You’re always preaching about educating. —
为了让你教育她–难道我没告诉过你吗？你总是在说要教育。 —

I thought I would make you a present of a fresh-caught specimen, and let you try your hand on her, and bring her up in the way she should go.”
我想送你一只新捕捉的标本，让你试试手，将她培养成应该培养的方式。

“I don’t want her, I am sure;–I have more to do with ‘em now than I want to.”
我肯定不要她；–现在我有更多事情要处理比我想要的。

“That’s you Christians, all over!–you’ll get up a society, and get some poor missionary to spend all his days among just such heathen. —
这就是你们基督徒的一贯作风！你们会成立一个协会，让一些可怜的传教士花费他们所有的时光在这些异教徒身上。 —

But let me see one of you that would take one into your house with you, and take the labor of their conversion on yourselves! —
但让我看看你们中哪一个会把他们带进你的家庭，把他们的改变负责在你们自己身上！ —

No; when it comes to that, they are dirty and disagreeable, and it’s too much care, and so on.”
不；一旦涉及到这一点，他们就变得肮脏和令人讨厌，那太需要照顾了，等等。

“Augustine, you know I didn’t think of it in that light,” said Miss Ophelia, evidently softening. —
奥古斯丁，你知道我没那么想的，”奥菲利娅小姐说，显然软化了。 —

“Well, it might be a real missionary work,” said she, looking rather more favorably on the ahild.
“嗯，这可能是一项真正的传教工作，”她说，对这个孩子看得更有好感。

St. Clare had touched the right string. Miss Ophelia’s conscientiousness was ever on the alert. —
圣克莱猜对了奥菲利娅感觉。她的良知总是警惕的。 —

“But,” she added, “I really didn’t see the need of buying this one; —
“不过，”她补充道，“我真的看不出购买这一个的必要； —

–there are enough now, in your house, to take all my time and skill.”
–现在，你家里已经有足够多的人，花费我所有的时间和技巧。”

“Well, then, Cousin,” said St. Clare, drawing her aside, “I ought to beg your pardon for my good-for-nothing speeches. —
“嗯，那么，表妹，”圣克莱说，把她拉到一旁，“我应该为我那些无用的话来向你道歉。 —

You are so good, after all, that there’s no sense in them. —
你总是那么善良，所以对这些话没有意义。 —

Why, the fact is, this concern belonged to a couple of drunken creatures that keep a low restaurant that I have to pass by every day, and I was tired of hearing her screaming, and them beating and swearing at her. —
事实是，这个可怜孩子原属于两个常常喝醉的家伙，他们经营一个低档餐馆，我每天都要经过那里，我受够了听到她尖叫，还有他们骂骂咧咧地打她。 —

She looked bright and funny, too, as if something might be made of her; —
她看起来聪明而有趣，好像她可能会有所作为； —

–so I bought her, and I’ll give her to you. —
所以我买了她，我会把她送给你。 —

Try, now, and give her a good orthodox New England bringing up, and see what it’ll make of her. —
来试试吧，给她一个好的传统新英格兰教养，看看她会变成什么样。 —

You know I haven’t any gift that way; but I’d like you to try.”
你知道我的才能并不在这方面；但我希望你能试试看。”

“Well, I’ll do what I can,” said Miss Ophelia; —
“好吧，我会尽力的，”奥菲利亚小姐说； —

and she approached her new subject very much as a person might be supposed to approach a black spider, supposing them to have benevolent designs toward it.
她走近她的新学生，就像一个人可能接近一只黑蜘蛛，假设他们对它抱有仁慈的设计。

“She’s dreadfully dirty, and half naked,” she said.
“她又脏又半裸，”她说。

“Well, take her down stairs, and make some of them clean and clothe her up.”
“好吧，把她带下楼去，让一些人把她洗干净，给她穿上衣服。

Miss Ophelia carried her to the kitchen regions.
奥菲利亚小姐把她带到厨房区域。

“Don’t see what Mas’r St. Clare wants of ‘nother nigger!” —
“不明白圣克莱尔先生还要一个奴隶做什么！” —

said Dinah, surveying the new arrival with no friendly air. —
黛娜说道，怀着不友好的神态审视着新来的人。 —

“Won’t have her around under my feet, I know!”
“我知道主人不需要另一个奴隶在我的脚下！”

“Pah!” said Rosa and Jane, with supreme disgust; “let her keep out of our way! —
“哼！”罗莎和简纳愤怒地说；”让她远离我们的视线！ —

What in the world Mas’r wanted another of these low niggers for, I can’t see!”
我完全不明白主人为什么要再要这样的低贱的奴隶！”

“You go long! No more nigger dan you be, Miss Rosa,” said Dinah, who felt this last remark a reflection on herself. —
“你走开！罗莎小姐，你不再比我更像奴隶，”黛娜说道，感到最后一句话对她是一种侮辱。 —

“You seem to tink yourself white folks. You an’t nerry one, black nor white, I’d like to be one or turrer.”
“你似乎自认为是白人。你一个也不是，黑人也不是，我更愿意成为这两者之一。”

Miss Ophelia saw that there was nobody in the camp that would undertake to oversee the cleansing and dressing of the new arrival; —
奥费莉亚小姐看到营地里没有人愿意负责清洁和换洗新来的孩子； —

and so she was forced to do it herself, with some very ungracious and reluctant assistance from Jane.
所以她不得不亲自做，只有简勉为其提供了一些不情愿的帮助。

It is not for ears polite to hear the particulars of the first toilet of a neglected, abused child. —
一个被忽视、虐待的孩子第一次整理卫生，实在不是一个有教养的耳朵该听的细节。 —

In fact, in this world, multitudes must live and die in a state that it would be too great a shock to the nerves of their fellow-mortals even to hear described. —
事实上，在这个世界上，许多人必须生活和死去在一个状态中，即使描述给他们的同胞听到，也会给神经带来太大的冲击。 —

Miss Ophelia had a good, strong, practical deal of resolution; —
奥费莉亚小姐有着坚强、实用的决心； —

and she went through all the disgusting details with heroic thoroughness, though, it must be confessed, with no very gracious air,–for endurance was the utmost to which her principles could bring her. —
尽管并不十分慈祥，但她以英勇的彻底度度过了这一切恶心的细节–因为忍耐是她的原则所能带来的极限。 —

When she saw, on the back and shoulders of the child, great welts and calloused spots, ineffaceable marks of the system under which she had grown up thus far, her heart became pitiful within her.
当她看到孩子的背和肩膀上有着深深的伤痕和老茧斑，那是她迄今为止成长的体系无法消除的印记，她的心变得既怜悯又痛苦。

“See there!” said Jane, pointing to the marks, “don’t that show she’s a limb? —
“看那里！”简指着那些伤痕说, “这不是她作的吗？ —

We’ll have fine works with her, I reckon. I hate these nigger young uns! —
我们将和她闹翻天，我猜。我讨厌这些黑人小鬼！ —

so disgusting! I wonder that Mas’r would buy her!”
太令人恶心了！我想Master为什么会买她！”

The “young un” alluded to heard all these comments with the subdued and doleful air which seemed habitual to her, only scanning, with a keen and furtive glance of her flickering eyes, the ornaments which Jane wore in her ears. —
所谓的”小鬼”听到所有这些评论，只是低声、悲伤地看着简耳朵上戴的装饰品，这似乎已经成为她的习惯。 —

When arrayed at last in a suit of decent and whole clothing, her hair cropped short to her head, Miss Ophelia, with some satisfaction, said she looked more Christian-like than she did, and in her own mind began to mature some plans for her instruction.
穿上一套整洁而完整的衣服，头发短短剪平后，奥费莉亚小姐得意地说她看起来比以前更像一个基督徒，并在心里开始为她的教育制定一些计划。

Sitting down before her, she began to question her.
坐在她面前，她开始询问她。

“How old are you, Topsy?”
“Topsy，你几岁了？”

“Dun no, Missis,” said the image, with a grin that showed all her teeth.
“我不知道，夫人，”那个形象说，露出了所有的牙齿，露齿一笑。

“Don’t know how old you are? Didn’t anybody ever tell you? Who was your mother?”
“不知道你多大？没人告诉过你吗？你的母亲是谁？”

“Never had none!” said the child, with another grin.
“从来没有，”那个孩子说，又一次露齿一笑。

“Never had any mother? What do you mean? Where were you born?”
“从来没有母亲？你是什么意思？你在哪里出生的？”

“Never was born!” persisted Topsy, with another grin, that looked so goblin-like, that, if Miss Ophelia had been at all nervous, she might have fancied that she had got hold of some sooty gnome drom the land of Diablerie; —
“我从来没有出生过！”Topsy坚持说，露出了另一种鬼怪般的笑容，如果奥菲莉亚夫人有一点神经紧张的话，她可能会认为自己碰到了来自魔界的煤黑色小妖精； —

but Miss Ophelia was not nervous, but plain and business-like, and she said, with some sternness,
但奥菲莉亚夫人并不紧张，而是朴实而有条理，她严厉地说，

“You mustn’t answer me in that way, child; I’m not playing with you. —
“孩子，你不能这样回答我；我不是在和你玩。 —

Tell me where you were born, and who your father and mother were.”
告诉我你在哪里出生的，你的父亲和母亲是谁。”

“Never was born,” reiterated the creature, more emphatically; —
“我从来没有出生过，”那个生灵更加强调地重复说； —

“never had no father nor mother, nor nothin’. —
“没有父亲也没有母亲，什么都没有。 —

I was raised by a speculator, with lots of others. —
我是由一个投机商抚养大的，还有很多其他孩子。 —

Old Aunt Sue used to take car on us.”
老苏阿姨过去照顾我们。”

The child was evidently sincere, and Jane, breaking into a short laugh, said,
这个孩子显然是真诚的，简破口大笑道，

“Laws, Missis, there’s heaps of ‘em. Speculators buys ‘em up cheap, when they’s little, and gets ‘em raised for market.”
“天啊，夫人，有很多呢。投机商会在他们还小的时候以便宜价买下他们，然后把他们养育起来准备出售。”

“How long have you lived with your master and mistress?”
“你跟你的主人和女主人住了多久了？”

“Dun no, Missis.”
“不知道，女士。”

“Is it a year, or more, or less?”
“是一年，还是更长，还是更短？”

“Dun no, Missis.”
“不知道，女士。”

“Laws, Missis, those low negroes,–they can’t tell; —
“天哪，女士，那些低劣的黑人，–他们不懂； —

they don’t know anything about time,” said Jane; —
他们对时间毫无概念，”简说； —

“they don’t know what a year is; they don’t know their own ages.
“他们不知道一年是什么意思；他们甚至不知道自己的年龄。

“Have you ever heard anything about God, Topsy?”
“托普西，你曾经听说过上帝吗？”

The child looked bewildered, but grinned as usual.
那个孩子看起来困惑不解，但像往常一样咧着嘴笑了。

“Do you know who made you?”
“你知道谁造了你吗？”

“Nobody, as I knows on,” said the child, with a short laugh.
“没人知道，我想是我长出来的。没人造我，” 孩子笑着说。

The idea appeared to amuse her considerably; for her eyes twinkled, and she added,
这个想法似乎让她觉得很有趣；她眼睛闪闪发光，接着说，

“I spect I grow’d. Don’t think nobody never made me.”
“我想我是长出来的。我想没人造我。”

“Do you know how to sew?” said Miss Ophelia, who thought she would turn her inquiries to something more tangible.
“你会缝纫吗？” 奥菲利亚小姐觉得自己该转换话题问些更实际的事情。

“No, Missis.”
“会，夫人。”

“What can you do?–what did you do for your master and mistress?”
“你会做什么？–你为主人和夫人做些什么？”

“Fetch water, and wash dishes, and rub knives, and wait on folks.”
“打水、洗碗、擦刀具、伺候人。”

“Were they good to you?”
“他们对你好吗？”

“Spect they was,” said the child, scanning Miss Ophelia cunningly.
“我想他们应该是的，” 孩子狡黠地盯着奥菲利亚小姐。

Miss Ophelia rose from this encouraging colloquy; St. Clare was leaning over the back of her chair.
奥菲利亚小姐离开了这次令人鼓舞的交谈；圣克莱正靠在她椅子的背后。

“You find virgin soil there, Cousin; put in your own ideas,–you won’t find many to pull up.”
“你在那里找到了土壤，表姐；灌输你自己的想法，你不会找到很多人来反对你的。”

Miss Ophelia’s ideas of education, like all her other ideas, were very set and definite; —
奥菲利亚小姐的教育观念，就像她的其他所有观念一样，非常固定明确； —

and of the kind that prevailed in New England a century ago, and which are still preserved in some very retired and unsophisticated parts, where there are no railroads. —
就像一个世纪以前在新英格兰盛行的教育观念一样，这种观念在一些非常僻静和不拘于世俗的地方仍然被保留着，那里没有铁路。 —

As nearly as could be expressed, they could be comprised in very few words: —
用尽可能简练的话来表达，它们可以被总结为很少的几个词： —

to teach them to mind when they were spoken to; to teach them the catechism, sewing, and reading; —
教导他们听别人讲话；教他们信经、缝纫和阅读； —

and to whip them if they told lies. And though, of course, in the flood of light that is now poured on education, these are left far away in the rear, yet it is an undisputed fact that our grandmothers raised some tolerably fair men and women under this regime, as many of us can remember and testify. —
并且如果他们撒谎就打他们。尽管现在教育领域光芒四射，这些方法早已被淘汰，但不可否认的是在这种教育体系下，我们的祖母们培养出了一些相当不错的男人和女人，许多人可以回忆和证实这一点。 —

At all events, Miss Ophelia knew of nothing else to do; —
不管怎样，奥非丽亚小姐当时没想到其他对策； —

and, therefore, applied her mind to her heathen with the best diligence she could command.
因此，她全身心地投入到教导这个野蛮小鬼的工作中。

The child was announced and considered in the family as Miss Ophelia’s girl; —
大家把这个孩子当作奥非丽亚小姐的女儿； —

and, as she was looked upon with no gracious eye in the kitchen, Miss Ophelia resolved to confine her sphere of operation and instruction chiefly to her own chamber. —
鉴于厨房里的人对她并不友好，奥非丽亚决定将她的行为和教导范围主要限定在自己的房间里。 —

With a self-sacrifice which some of our readers will appreciate, she resolved, instead of comfortably making her own bed, sweeping and dusting her own chamber,–which she had hitherto done, in utter scorn of all offers of help from the chambermaid of the establishment,–to condemn herself to the martyrdom of instructing Topsy to perform these operations,–ah, woe the day! —
她下定决心要牺牲自己，而不是舒舒服服地整理自己的床铺，清扫并打扫自己的房间–她之前总是不屑于接受旅馆房间女佣的帮助–,而是选择自我折磨地教导托普希来执行这些工作–啊，可悲的一天！ —

Did any of our readers ever do the same, they will appreciate the amount of her self-sacrifice.
如果我们的读者中有人有过类似经历的话，他们会理解她的牺牲。

Miss Ophelia began with Topsy by taking her into her chamber, the first morning, and solemnly commencing a course of instruction in the art and mystery of bed-making.
第一个早上，奥菲莉娅小姐带着托普希进入她的房间，庄重地开始了一系列关于整理床铺的艺术和技巧的教学。

Behold, then, Topsy, washed and shorn of all the little braided tails wherein her heart had delighted, arrayed in a clean gown, with well-starched apron, standing reverently before Miss Ophelia, with an expression of solemnity well befitting a funeral.
看哪，托普希被洗净，剪短了所有让她喜出望外的小辫子，穿着一身干净的连衣裙，系好了整洁的围裙，庄重地站在奥菲莉娅小姐面前，一副适合出席葬礼的庄重表情。

“Now, Topsy, I’m going to show you just how my bed is to be made. —
“好了，托普希，我要教你我是如何整理床铺的。 —

I am very particular about my bed. You must learn exactly how to do it.”
我对床铺的整洁非常讲究。你必须学会如何准确地去做.”

“Yes, ma’am,” says Topsy, with a deep sigh, and a face of woful earnestness.
“是的，夫人，”托普希深深地叹了口气，一脸哀伤的认真表情。

“Now, Topsy, look here;–this is the hem of the sheet,–this is the right side of the sheet, and this is the wrong; —
“现在，托普希，看这里；–这是床单的边缘，–这是床单的右面，这是反面； —

–will you remember?”
–你会记住吗?”

“Yes, ma’am,” says Topsy, with another sigh.
“是的，夫人，”托普希又叹了口气。

“Well, now, the under sheet you must bring over the bolster,–so–and tuck it clear down under the mattress nice and smooth,–so,–do you see?”
“现在，床单要盖在枕头上，–这样–并且要把它拉到床垫下面，整整齐齐地用力把它塞在床垫下面，–这样，–你看到了吗？”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Topsy, with profound attention.
“是的，夫人，”托普希专心致志地回答。

“But the upper sheet,” said Miss Ophelia, “must be brought down in this way, and tucked under firm and smooth at the foot,–so,–the narrow hem at the foot.”
“但是上面的床单，”奥菲莉娅小姐说道，”要这样摊开，然后在脚底处紧紧平整地塞好，–这样–脚底处有窄边.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Topsy, as before;–but we will add, what Miss Ophelia did not see, that, during the time when the good lady’s back was turned in the zeal of her manipulations, the young disciple had contrived to snatch a pair of gloves and a ribbon, which she had adroitly slipped into her sleeves, and stood with her hands dutifully folded, as before.
“是的，夫人，”托普希答道；–但我们要补充的是，奥菲莉娅小姐没有看到的是，在她专心进行操作时，这位年轻的学徒成功地偷偷拿走了一双手套和一根丝带，巧妙地藏在了衣袖里，然后双手恭敬地叠在了一起。

“Now, Topsy, let’s see you do this,” said Miss Ophelia, pulling off the clothes, and seating herself.
“现在，托普希，让我们看看你做这个,“奥菲莉娅小姐说着，拿掉了床单，坐下来。

Topsy, with great gravity and adroitness, went through the exercise completely to Miss Ophelia’s satisfaction; —
Topsy以极大的严肃和灵巧完成了这个练习，使得Ophelia小姐非常满意； —

smoothing the sheets, patting out every wrinkle, and exhibiting, through the whole process, a gravity and seriousness with which her instructress was greatly edified. —
她整理床单，拍平每一个褶皱，在整个过程中展现出一种严肃和认真，让她的指导者感到非常满意。 —

By an unlucky slip, however, a fluttering fragment of the ribbon hung out of one of her sleeves, just as she was finishing, and caught Miss Ophelia’s attention. —
然而，不幸的是，当她快要完成时，一块飘忽不定的丝带碎片从她的袖子中掉了出来，引起了Ophelia小姐的注意。 —

Instantly, she pounced upon it. “What’s this? —
瞬间，她扑过去。“这是什么？ —

You naughty, wicked child,–you’ve been stealing this!”
你这个顽皮、坏孩子，–这是你偷的！”

The ribbon was pulled out of Topsy’s own sleeve, yet was she not in the least disconcerted; —
丝带从Topsy自己的袖子里被拽了出来，然而她丝毫不感到困惑； —

she only looked at it with an air of the most surprised and unconscious innocence.
她只是带着最惊讶和无意识的天真表情看着它。

“Laws! why, that ar’s Miss Feely’s ribbon, an’t it? How could it a got caught in my sleeve?
“天哪！噢，这是Feely小姐的丝带，不是吗？它怎么会被卡在我的袖子里呢？

“Topsy, you naughty girl, don’t you tell me a lie,–you stole that ribbon!”
“Topsy，你这个顽皮的女孩，别跟我说谎，–你偷了那条丝带！”

“Missis, I declar for ’t, I didn’t;–never seed it till dis yer blessed minnit.”
“夫人，我发誓，我没偷；–直到这一刻我才看到的。”

“Topsy,” said Miss Ophelia, “don’t you now it’s wicked to tell lies?”
“Topsy，你知道说谎是邪恶的吗？”

“I never tell no lies, Miss Feely,” said Topsy, with virtuous gravity; —
“Feely小姐，我从来不说谎”，Topsy认真地说; —

“it’s jist the truth I’ve been a tellin now, and an’t nothin else.”
“我现在说的只是真相，没有别的。”

“Topsy, I shall have to whip you, if you tell lies so.”
“Topsy，如果你说谎，我就要打你。”

“Laws, Missis, if you’s to whip all day, couldn’t say no other way,” said Topsy, beginning to blubber. —
“天呐，夫人，就算你整天打我，我也没法说别的办法”，Topsy开始抽泣。 —

“I never seed dat ar,–it must a got caught in my sleeve. —
“我从没见过那个，–肯定是被卷进了我的袖子里。 —

Miss Feeley must have left it on the bed, and it got caught in the clothes, and so got in my sleeve.”
“费利小姐一定是把它留在床上，然后被衣服卷住，所以进了我的袖子。

Miss Ophelia was so indignant at the barefaced lie, that she caught the child and shook her.
“奥菲利亚小姐对这无耻的谎言感到如此愤怒，以至于抓住了这个孩子并摇了摇。

“Don’t you tell me that again!”
“不要再告诉我那个谎言了！

The shake brought the glove on to the floor, from the other sleeve.
这次摇动使另一个袖子里的手套掉到了地板上。

“There, you!” said Miss Ophelia, “will you tell me now, you didn’t steal the ribbon?”
“瞧，你！”奥菲利亚小姐说，“现在你会告诉我，你没有偷那条丝带了吗？

Topsy now confessed to the gloves, but still persisted in denying the ribbon.
乌普西现在承认了手套，但仍然否认丝带。

“Now, Topsy,” said Miss Ophelia, “if you’ll confess all about it, I won’t whip you this time.” —
“现在，乌普西，”奥菲利亚小姐说，“如果你把一切都告诉我，这一次我不会打你。” —

Thus adjured, Topsy confessed to the ribbon and gloves, with woful protestations of penitence.
得到这样的保证，乌普西承认了丝带和手套，忏悔地表示愿意。

“Well, now, tell me. I know you must have taken other things since you have been in the house, for I let you run about all day yesterday. —
“好吧，告诉我。我知道你在家里一定还拿走了其他东西，因为昨天整天我让你四处跑。 —

Now, tell me if you took anything, and I shan’t whip you.”
现在，告诉我你还拿了什么，我就不打你。”

“Laws, Miscis! I took Miss Eva’s red thing she wars on her neck.”
“天啊，女士！我拿了嘛嘛她脖子上戴的那个红的东西。

“You did, you naughty child!–Well, what else?”
“你这个坏孩子！–好的，还拿了什么？”

“I took Rosa’s yer-rings,–them red ones.”
“我拿了罗莎的耳环，–那些红色的。”

“Go bring them to me this minute, both of ‘em.”
“现在立刻把它们都给我拿过来。”

“Laws, Missis! I can’t,–they ’s burnt up!”
“法律，夫人！我不行，–它们被烧毁了！”

“Burnt up!–what a story! Go get ‘em, or I’ll whip you.”
“烧毁了！–什么鬼话！去找出它们，否则我就要鞭打你。”

Topsy, with loud protestations, and tears, and groans, declared that she could not. —
托普希着声的抗议、哭泣和呻吟，声称她 不能。 —

“They ’s burnt up,–they was.”
“它们被烧毁了，–就是这样。”

“What did you burn ‘em for?” said Miss Ophelia.
“你为什么要把它们烧掉？”奥菲利亚小姐说。

“Cause I ’s wicked,–I is. I ’s mighty wicked, any how. I can’t help it.”
“因为我邪恶，–真的。我非常邪恶，无论如何。我控制不了。”

Just at this moment, Eva came innocently into the room, with the identical coral necklace on her neck.
就在这时，伊娃天真地走进房间，脖子上戴着那条珊瑚项链。

“Why, Eva, where did you get your necklace?” said Miss Ophelia.
“伊娃，你那条项链是哪里来的？”奥菲利亚小姐说。

“Get it? Why, I’ve had it on all day,” said Eva.
“哪里来的？哦，我整天都戴着它。”伊娃说。

“Did you have it on yesterday?”
“昨天你也戴着吗？”

“Yes; and what is funny, Aunty, I had it on all night. I forgot to take it off when I went to bed.”
“是的；有趣的是，阿姨，我睡觉时也忘记摘下来了。”

Miss Ophelia looked perfectly bewildered; —
奥菲利亚小姐看起来完全困惑； —

the more so, as Rosa, at that instant, came into the room, with a basket of newly-ironed linen poised on her head, and the coral ear-drops shaking in her ears!
越发是因为在那个时刻，罗莎进来了，头上顶着一筐新熨好的亚麻布，珊瑚耳坠在她的耳朵里摇晃！

“I’m sure I can’t tell anything what to do with such a child!” she said, in despair. —
“我真的不知道怎么处理这么一个孩子！”她绝望地说。 —

“What in the world did you tell me you took those things for, Topsy?”
“你到底为什么告诉我你拿那些东西做什么，托普希？”

“Why, Missis said I must ‘fess; and I couldn’t think of nothin’ else to ‘fess,” said Topsy, rubbing her eyes.
“为什么，小姐说我必须坦白；我想不出其他事情来坦白呀，”托普西擦着眼睛说。

“But, of course, I didn’t want you to confess things you didn’t do,” said Miss Ophelia; —
“但是，当然，我不希望你坦白你没做过的事情，”奥菲利亚小姐说； —

“that’s telling a lie, just as much as the other.”
“那就是撒谎，和那些一样多。”

“Laws, now, is it?” said Topsy, with an air of innocent wonder.
“天哪，是吗？”托普西一脸无辜地说。

“La, there an’t any such thing as truth in that limb,” said Rosa, looking indignantly at Topsy. “If I was Mas’r St. Clare, I’d whip her till the blood run. —
“啊，那个家伙里没有真话，”罗莎愤怒地看着托普西说道。”如果我是圣克莱先生，我就会打她到流血。我会的，我可不手软！” —

I would,–I’d let her catch it!”
“不，不，罗莎，”伊娃说，她有时候带着一种命令的气势；

“No, no Rosa,” said Eva, with an air of command, which the child could assume at times; —
“你不能这样说，罗莎。我可受不了听到这种话。” —

“you mustn’t talk so, Rosa. I can’t bear to hear it.”
“天哪，伊娃小姐，你真好，你一点都不懂得怎么对待黑奴。”

“La sakes! Miss Eva, you ’s so good, you don’t know nothing how to get along with niggers. —
“没有别的方法，只能好好地打他们，我告诉你。” —

There’s no way but to cut ‘em well up, I tell ye.”
“罗莎！”伊娃说，”别再说那种话了！”

“Rosa!” said Eva, “hush! Don’t you say another word of that sort!” —
孩子的眼睛闪闪发光，脸颊泛红。 —

and the eye of the child flashed, and her cheek deepened its color.
罗莎瞬间变得懦弱。

Rosa was cowed in a moment.
“伊娃小姐身上有圣克莱家族的血统，那是显而易见的。

“Miss Eva has got the St. Clare blood in her, that’s plain. —
她说话，就像她爸爸一样，”她经过房间时说。 —

She can speak, for all the world, just like her papa,” she said, as she passed out of the room.
她可以模仿他们家的讲话风格了”。

Eva stood looking at Topsy.
爱娃站在那里看着托普西。

There stood the two children representatives of the two extremes of society. —
两个孩子站在那里，代表着社会的两个极端。 —

The fair, high-bred child, with her golden head, her deep eyes, her spiritual, noble brow, and prince-like movements; —
这个金发、深眼、精神高贵的孩子，她那王子般的举止； —

and her black, keen, subtle, cringing, yet acute neighbor. —
以及她那黑发锐利而巧妙、卑屈却敏锐的邻居。 —

They stood the representatives of their races. —
他们代表着各自种族。 —

The Saxon, born of ages of cultivation, command, education, physical and moral eminence; —
盎格鲁撒克逊，源自成就、指挥、教育、体力和道德卓越的岁月； —

the Afric, born of ages of oppression, submission, ignorance, toil and vice!
非洲人，源自压迫、屈服、无知、劳动和邪恶的岁月！

Something, perhaps, of such thoughts struggled through Eva’s mind. —
这种想法或许在爱娃的脑海中挣扎过。 —

But a child’s thoughts are rather dim, undefined instincts; —
但孩子的想法多半是朦胧的、模糊的本能； —

and in Eva’s noble nature many such were yearning and working, for which she had no power of utterance. —
在爱娃高贵的天性中，有很多这样的东西正渴望着、努力着，但却无法表达。 —

When Miss Ophelia expatiated on Topsy’s naughty, wicked conduct, the child looked perplexed and sorrowful, but said, sweetly.
当奥菲莉娅夫人讲述托普西的无礼、恶劣行为时，这个孩子看起来困惑而悲伤，但却甜蜜地说道。

“Poor Topsy, why need you steal? You’re going to be taken good care of now. —
“可怜的托普西，你为什么需要偷呢？现在你会被照顾得很好的。 —

I’m sure I’d rather give you anything of mine, than have you steal it.”
我相信我宁愿把我的东西给你，也不愿看到你去偷它。”

It was the first word of kindness the child had ever heard in her life; —
这是这个孩子一生中听到的第一个友善的词； —

and the sweet tone and manner struck strangely on the wild, rude heart, and a sparkle of something like a tear shone in the keen, round, glittering eye; —
这甜美的语调和举止奇怪地触动了这颗粗野、粗鲁的心，而这颗圆润发亮的眼里闪烁着类似于泪水的东西。 —

but it was followed by the short laugh and habitual grin. No! —
但随后是短暂的笑声和习惯性的笑容。不！ —

the ear that has never heard anything but abuse is strangely incredulous of anything so heavenly as kindness; —
那只听惯了虐待的耳朵对善意这种天籁之音感到难以置信； —

and Topsy only thought Eva’s speech something funny and inexplicable,–she did not believe it.
托普希觉得伊娃的话有点有趣和莫名其妙，她不相信。

But what was to be done with Topsy? Miss Ophelia found the case a puzzler; —
但托普希怎么办呢？奥菲利亚小姐觉得这个案子颇费脑筋； —

her rules for bringing up didn’t seem to apply. She thought she would take time to think of it; —
她平时用来教养孩子的方法似乎不适用。她想给自己一点时间来考虑； —

and, by the way of gaining time, and in hopes of some indefinite moral virtues supposed to be inherent in dark closets, Miss Ophelia shut Topsy up in one till she had arranged her ideas further on the subject.
为了争取时间，同时希望黑暗衣橱里的某些虚无的道德品质能起作用，奥菲利亚将托普希关了起来，直到她进一步整理了自己关于这个问题的想法。

“I don’t see,” said Miss Ophelia to St. Clare, “how I’m going to manage that child, without whipping her.”
“我不知道，”奥菲利亚对圣克莱尔说，”怎样才能管好那个孩子，如果不打她的话。”

“Well, whip her, then, to your heart’s content; I’ll give you full power to do what you like.”
“那么就打她吧，尽情地打；我给你完全的权力来做你喜欢的事。”

“Children always have to be whipped,” said Miss Ophelia; —
“孩子们总是要挨打的，”奥菲利亚说； —

“I never heard of bringing them up without.”
“我从来没听说过不打孩子的教养方法。”

“O, well, certainly,” said St. Clare; “do as you think best. Only I’ll make one suggestion: —
“哦，好吧，当然，”圣克莱尔说；”你按自己的想法办吧。只是我有一个建议： —

I’ve seen this child whipped with a poker, knocked down with the shovel or tongs, whichever came handiest, &c. —
我看过有人拿铁钩棒打这个孩子，用铁铲或钳子打倒她，随手拿什么就用什么，等等。 —

; and, seeing that she is used to that style of operation, I think your whippings will have to be pretty energetic, to make much impression.”
；看到她习惯这种方式，我觉得你的打击必须相当有力才能产生多少效果。”

“What is to be done with her, then?” said Miss Ophelia.
“那她怎么办呢？”奥菲利亚说。

“You have started a serious question,” said St. Clare; “I wish you’d answer it. —
“你提出了一个严肃的问题，”圣克莱尔说；”我希望你能回答它。 —

What is to be done with a human being that can be governed only by the lash,–that fails,–it’s a very common state of things down here!”
一个只能通过鞭笞来驱使的人，应该怎么处理–失败了，这种情况在这里很常见！

“I’m sure I don’t know; I never saw such a child as this.”
“我真的不知道；我从来没见过这样的孩子。”

“Such children are very common among us, and such men and women, too. —
这种孩子在我们中间很常见，而且这样的男人和女人也很常见。 —

How are they to be governed?” said St. Clare.
“他们应该怎么管呢？”圣克莱尔说。

“I’m sure it’s more than I can say,” said Miss Ophelia.
“我真的不知道，”奥菲利娅小姐说。

“Or I either,” said St. Clare. “The horrid cruelties and outrages that once and a while find their way into the papers,–such cases as Prue’s, for example,–what do they come from? —
“我也是，”圣克莱尔说。“那些时不时会登上报纸的可怕的残暴和暴行，比如普鲁的案例，是怎么回事呢？” —

In many cases, it is a gradual hardening process on both sides,–the owner growing more and more cruel, as the servant more and more callous. —
在许多情况下，这是双方逐渐变得麻木的结果–主人变得越来越残忍，仆人变得越来越冷漠。 —

Whipping and abuse are like laudanum; you have to double the dose as the sensibilities decline. —
鞭打和虐待就像鸦片；随着感官减退，你必须加量。 —

I saw this very early when I became an owner; —
当我成为一个主人时，我就早早看到了这一点； —

and I resolved never to begin, because I did not know when I should stop,–and I resolved, at least, to protect my own moral nature. —
我决定永不开始，因为我不知道何时会停止–至少我决定保护自己的道德品性。 —

The consequence is, that my servants act like spoiled children; —
结果就是，我的仆人们表现得像被宠坏的孩子； —

but I think that better than for us both to be brutalized together. —
但我认为这比我们两个都变得野蛮要好。 —

You have talked a great deal about our responsibilities in educating, Cousin. —
“你一直在谈论我们在教育方面的责任，表姐。 —

I really wanted you to try with one child, who is a specimen of thousands among us.”
我真的希望你对一个孩子试试，他是我们中成千上万的一个典型。”

“It is your system makes such children,” said Miss Ophelia.
“是你的体制造就了这样的孩子，”奥菲利娅小姐说。

“I know it; but they are made,–they exist,–and what is to be done with them?”
“我知道，但它们被制造出来了，存在着，那么应该怎么处理它们呢？”

“Well, I can’t say I thank you for the experiment. —
“嗯，我不能说我感谢你的实验。” —

But, then, as it appears to be a duty, I shall persevere and try, and do the best I can,” said Miss Ophelia; —
“但是，既然这看起来是一个责任，我会坚持并尽力而为，”奥菲利亚小姐说； —

and Miss Ophelia, after this, did labor, with a commendable degree of zeal and energy, on her new subject. —
之后，奥菲利亚小姐对这个新的对象展现出了赞许的热情和精力。 —

She instituted regular hours and employments for her, and undertook to teach her to read and sew.
她为她制定了固定的时间和任务，并试图教她读书和缝纫。

In the former art, the child was quick enough. —
孩子学习字母的速度很快。 —

She learned her letters as if by magic, and was very soon able to read plain reading; —
她像变魔术一样学会了字母，很快就能够阅读简单的文章； —

but the sewing was a more difficult matter. —
但是缝纫则是一个更加困难的事情。 —

The creature was as lithe as a cat, and as active as a monkey, and the confinement of sewing was her abomination; —
这个小家伙像猫一样灵活，像猴子一样活泼，缝纫的束缚让她憎恶； —

so she broke her needles, threw them slyly out of the window, or down in chinks of the walls; —
所以她会打断绣针，悄悄把它们扔出窗户或扔进墙缝里； —

she tangled, broke, and dirtied her thread, or, with a sly movement, would throw a spool away altogether. —
她搞乱、打断并弄脏线，或者偷偷地把线轴扔掉。 —

Her motions were almost as quick as those of a practised conjurer, and her command of her face quite as great; —
她的动作几乎像训练有素的魔术师，她对自己面部表情的控制力也很强； —

and though Miss Ophelia could not help feeling that so many accidents could not possibly happen in succession, yet she could not, without a watchfulness which would leave her no time for anything else, detect her.
尽管奥菲利亚小姐感觉到这么多意外不太可能连续发生，但她无法在不时刻警惕的情况下发现她。

Topsy was soon a noted character in the establishment. —
托普西很快就成了这间住宅的一个引人注目的角色。 —

Her talent for every species of drollery, grimace, and mimicry,–for dancing, tumbling, climbing, singing, whistling, imitating every sound that hit her fancy,–seemed inexhaustible. —
她的各种滑稽表演、扮鬼脸、模仿一切，跳舞、翻筋斗、爬山、唱歌、吹口哨，模仿一切触动她的幻想的声音的才能似乎是无穷无尽的。 —

In her play-hours, she invariably had every child in the establishment at her heels, open-mouthed with admiration and wonder,–not excepting Miss Eva, who appeared to be fascinated by her wild diablerie, as a dove is sometimes charmed by a glittering serpent. —
在她的玩耍时间里，她总是被学校里的每个孩子追随，他们充满敬佩和惊叹，包括伊娃小姐在内，她似乎被她狂野的恶作剧所吸引，就像鸽子有时会被闪闪发光的蛇吸引一样。 —

Miss Ophelia was uneasy that Eva should fancy Topsy’s society so much, and implored St. Clare to forbid it.
奥菲利亚小姐对伊娃和拖皮的亲近感到不安，恳求圣克莱禁止他们交往。

“Poh! let the child alone,” said St. Clare. “Topsy will do her good.”
“噢！放任孩子吧，”圣克莱说。“拖皮会对她有好处。”

“But so depraved a child,–are you not afraid she will teach her some mischief?”
“可是这么堕落的孩子，你不担心她会教她一些坏事吗？”

“She can’t teach her mischief; she might teach it to some children, but evil rolls off Eva’s mind like dew off a cabbage-leaf,–not a drop sinks in.”
“她教不坏她；她可能会教给一些孩子，但邪恶从无不进入伊娃的头脑，就像露水从甘蓝叶子上滑落一样——一滴也不渗透。”

“Don’t be too sure,” said Miss Ophelia. “I know I’d never let a child of mine play with Topsy.”
“不要太有把握，”奥菲利亚小姐说。“我知道我从来不会让我的孩子和拖皮玩耍。”

“Well, your children needn’t,” said St. Clare, “but mine may; —
“噢，你的孩子不需要，”圣克莱说，“但我的可以；如果伊娃会被惯坏的话，多年前就已经发生了。” —

if Eva could have been spoiled, it would have been done years ago.”
拖皮最初被上级仆役们鄙视和蔑视。

Topsy was at first despised and contemned by the upper servants. —
他们很快发现理由改变了。 —

They soon found reason to alter their opinion. —
很快就发现，谁曾经对拖皮不敬，谁就很快会遇到一些不方便的事故； —

It was very soon discovered that whoever cast an indignity on Topsy was sure to meet with some inconvenient accident shortly after; —
——不管是耳环还是某个珍贵的小饰品都会失踪，或者一件衣物会突然发现完全被毁，或者当穿着盛装时不小心跌入一桶热水中，或者在全副武装的时候，肮脏的洗涤水会莫名其妙地从上方倾泻而下； —

–either a pair of ear-rings or some cherished trinket would be missing, or an article of dress would be suddenly found utterly ruined, or the person would stumble accidently into a pail of hot water, or a libation of dirty slop would unaccountably deluge them from above when in full gala dress; —
——在所有这些情况下，进行调查时，总找不到任何人承认对拖皮的侮辱。 —

-and on all these occasions, when investigation was made, there was nobody found to stand sponsor for the indignity. —
拖皮被传唤，一遍又一遍地被带到所有家庭法庭面前； —

Topsy was cited, and had up before all the domestic judicatories, time and again; —
但她总是以最具益处的天真与庄严的表现来维持她的调查。 —

but always sustained her examinations with most edifying innocence and gravity of appearance. —
在所有这些情况下，当进行调查时总是找不到任何人承认对拖皮的侮辱。 —

Nobody in the world ever doubted who did the things; —
世界上没有人怀疑过谁做了这些事情; —

but not a scrap of any direct evidence could be found to establish the suppositions, and Miss Ophelia was too just to feel at liberty to proceed to any length without it.
但是没有任何直接证据能够证明这些假设，奥菲利亚小姐也有不能不依据这些假设采取行动的正当理由。

The mischiefs done were always so nicely timed, also, as further to shelter the aggressor. —
这些恶作剧总是被安排得如此巧妙，以便保护施加者。 —

Thus, the times for revenge on Rosa and Jane, the two chamber maids, were always chosen in those seasons when (as not unfrequently happened) they were in disgrace with their mistress, when any complaint from them would of course meet with no sympathy. —
因此，对罗莎和简两位女仆的报复总是选择在她们与雇主有争执（这种情况经常发生）的时候进行，这时她们的任何投诉当然不会得到同情。 —

In short, Topsy soon made the household understand the propriety of letting her alone; —
总之，托普西让家里的人明白最好让她独自一人; —

and she was let alone, accordingly.
因此她也被放任不管。

Topsy was smart and energetic in all manual operations, learning everything that was taught her with surprising quickness. —
托普西在所有体力活动上都聪明而充满活力，学习一切都非常迅速。 —

With a few lessons, she had learned to do the proprieties of Miss Ophelia’s chamber in a way with which even that particular lady could find no fault. —
只需几课，她就学会了以一种甚至那位特别女士也找不出毛病的方式做奥菲利亚小姐房间的事务。 —

Mortal hands could not lay spread smoother, adjust pillows more accurately, sweep and dust and arrange more perfectly, than Topsy, when she chose,–but she didn’t very often choose. —
世上没有什么人工密集操作能比托普西更顺畅地执行，更准确地调整枕头，扫地，擦尘，整理，当她选择的时候–但她并不经常选择。 —

If Miss Ophelia, after three or four days of careful patient supervision, was so sanguine as to suppose that Topsy had at last fallen into her way, could do without over-looking, and so go off and busy herself about something else, Topsy would hold a perfect carnival of confusion, for some one or two hours. —
如果奥菲利亚小姐经过三四天的仔细耐心的监督后，如此乐观地认为托普西最终已经按照她的要求做事，可以不再过多看管，然后离开忙于其他事情，托普西就会在一两个小时内大肆捣乱。 —

Instead of making the bed, she would amuse herself with pulling off the pillowcases, butting her woolly head among the pillows, till it would sometimes be grotesquely ornamented with feathers sticking out in various directions; —
她不去整理床铺，却自己娱乐地摘下枕套，将她的羊毛头插入枕头之间，有时会奇异地装饰着羽毛朝各个方向突出。 —

she would climb the posts, and hang head downward from the tops; —
她会爬上床柱，从顶部倒挂下来; —

flourish the sheets and spreads all over the apartment; —
在房间里把被子和床单扔得到处都是; —

dress the bolster up in Miss Ophelia’s night-clothes, and enact various performances with that,–singing and whistling, and making grimaces at herself in the looking-glass; —
用奥菲利亚小姐的睡衣装饰抱枕，并演绎各种表演–唱歌、吹口哨，对着镜子做鬼脸; —

in short, as Miss Ophelia phrased it, “raising Cain” generally.
总之，正如奥菲利亚小姐所描述的那样，“惹麻烦”普遍存在。

On one occasion, Miss Ophelia found Topsy with her very best scarlet India Canton crape shawl wound round her head for a turban, going on with her rehearsals before the glass in great style,–Miss Ophelia having, with carelessness most unheard-of in her, left the key for once in her drawer.
有一次，奥菲利亚小姐发现托普西将她最好的一条深红色印度广顺纺绸头巾缠在头上，摆出华丽的姿势，在镜子前排练，–奥菲利亚小姐竟然疏忽大意，竟然把抽屉的钥匙就这么留在那儿。

“Topsy!” she would say, when at the end of all patience, “what does make you act so?”
“托普西！”当她实在忍无可忍的时候，她会说，“你为什么要这样做呢？”

“Dunno, Missis,–I spects cause I ’s so wicked!”
“不知道，夫人，–我想可能是因为我太邪恶了！”

“I don’t know anything what I shall do with you, Topsy.”
“我真不知道该怎么办才好，托普西。”

“Law, Missis, you must whip me; my old Missis allers whipped me. —
“天哪，夫人，你一定要鞭打我；我以前的夫人总是鞭打我。 —

I an’t used to workin’ unless I gets whipped.”
我没有被鞭打就不知道如何工作。”

“Why, Topsy, I don’t want to whip you. You can do well, if you’ve a mind to; —
“托普西，我不想打你。如果你愿意的话，你是可以表现得很好的； —

what is the reason you won’t?”
你为什么不这样做呢？”

“Laws, Missis, I ’s used to whippin’; I spects it’s good for me.”
“天哪，夫人，我以前就习惯了被鞭打；我想这对我挺有好处的。”

Miss Ophelia tried the recipe, and Topsy invariably made a terrible commotion, screaming, groaning and imploring, though half an hour afterwards, when roosted on some projection of the balcony, and surrounded by a flock of admiring “young uns,” she would express the utmost contempt of the whole affair.
奥菲利亚小姐试过这个法子，而托普西总是制造出惊人的喧嚷声，尖叫、呻吟和恳求，尽管半个小时后，她就会站在阳台的某个突出部分上，被一群羡慕的“孩子们”围绕着，对整件事情表示最强烈的蔑视。

“Law, Miss Feely whip!–wouldn’t kill a skeeter, her whippins. —
“天哪，菲利夫人打人！–根本打不死一个蚊子，她的鞭打。 —

Oughter see how old Mas’r made the flesh fly; —
你应该看看老爷是怎么让血肉飞溅的； —

old Mas’r know’d how!”
老爷知道怎么做！”

Topsy always made great capital of her own sins and enormities, evidently considering them as something peculiarly distinguishing.
托普西总是把她自己的罪行和滔天罪恶说得天花乱坠，显然认为这是什么特别独特的东西。

“Law, you niggers,” she would say to some of her auditors, “does you know you ’s all sinners? —
“天哪，你们黑奴们，”她会对一些听众说，“你们都知道自己都是罪人！ —

Well, you is–everybody is. White folks is sinners too,–Miss Feely says so; —
嗯，你是–每个人都是。费利小姐说白人也是罪人； —

but I spects niggers is the biggest ones; but lor! ye an’t any on ye up to me. —
但我想黑人可能是最大的；但是哟！你们没有一个能比得上我。 —

I ’s so awful wicked there can’t nobody do nothin’ with me. —
我是如此邪恶，没有人能控制我。 —

I used to keep old Missis a swarin’ at me half de time. —
我过去总是把老夫人惹得气愤不已。 —

I spects I ’s the wickedest critter in the world;” —
我想我是世界上最邪恶的动物； —

and Topsy would cut a summerset, and come up brisk and shining on to a higher perch, and evidently plume herself on the distinction.
托普希望翻跟头，然后精力充沛地爬到更高的地方，显然为自己的不同而自豪。

Miss Ophelia busied herself very earnestly on Sundays, teaching Topsy the catechism. —
奥菲莉亚小姐在星期天非常认真地教导托普希背教理。 —

Topsy had an uncommon verbal memory, and committed with a fluency that greatly encouraged her instructress.
托普希有非凡的语言记忆力，她背得又快又流利，这让她的老师感到非常鼓舞。

“What good do you expect it is going to do her?” said St. Clare.
“你觉得她背这个对她有什么好处呢？”圣克莱问道。

“Why, it always has done children good. It’s what children always have to learn, you know,” said Miss Ophelia.
“为什么，对孩子们总是有好处的。你知道的，这是孩子们总是要学的，”奥菲莉亚说。

“Understand it or not,” said St. Clare.
“无论懂不懂，”圣克莱说。

“O, children never understand it at the time; but, after they are grown up, it’ll come to them.”
“哦，孩子们起初都不懂；但等他们长大了，就会懂了。”

“Mine hasn’t come to me yet,” said St. Clare, “though I’ll bear testimony that you put it into me pretty thoroughly when I was a boy.”’
“我的还没懂呢，”圣克莱说，”虽然我要承认小时候你对我教得非常彻底。”

“Ah, you were always good at learning, Augustine. —
“啊，你总是学得很好，奥古斯丁。 —

I used to have great hopes of you,” said Miss Ophelia.
我曾经对你寄予很大的希望，”奥菲莉亚说。

“Well, haven’t you now?” said St. Clare.
“嗯，难道你现在不是吗？”圣克莱尔说。

“I wish you were as good as you were when you were a boy, Augustine.”
“我希望你能像小时候一样好，奥古斯丁。”

“So do I, that’s a fact, Cousin,” said St. Clare. “Well, go ahead and catechize Topsy; —
“事实如此，表兄啊，”圣克莱尔说。“好了，继续审问托普西吧； —

may be you’ll make out something yet.”
也许你还能弄清楚些什么。”

Topsy, who had stood like a black statue during this discussion, with hands decently folded, now, at a signal from Miss Ophelia, went on:
托普西在这次讨论中一直像一尊黑色雕像站着，双手端庄地交叠，现在，在奥菲利亚小姐的信号下，继续说道：

“Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the state wherein they were created.”
“我们的第一代祖先，被留给了他们自己意志的自由，从被创造时的状态中堕落了。”

Topsy’s eyes twinkled, and she looked inquiringly.
托普西的眼睛闪烁着，她满脸疑惑地看着。

“What is it, Topsy?” said Miss Ophelia.
“怎么了，托普西？”奥菲利亚小姐说。

“Please, Missis, was dat ar state Kintuck?”
“请，女士，那个状态是金塔克吗？”托普西说。

“What state, Topsy?”
“什么状态，托普西？”

“Dat state dey fell out of. I used to hear Mas’r tell how we came down from Kintuck.”
“他们从中掉下来的那个状态。我曾听过爸爸说我们是从金塔克来的。”

St. Clare laughed.
圣克莱尔笑了。

“You’ll have to give her a meaning, or she’ll make one,” said he. —
“你得给她解释一下，否则她会自己想出来的，”他说。 —

“There seems to be a theory of emigration suggested there.”
“似乎那边暗示了一种移民理论。”

“O! Augustine, be still,” said Miss Ophelia; “how can I do anything, if you will be laughing?”
“哦！奥古斯丁，别吵了，”奥菲利亚小姐说，“如果你老笑，我怎么能做事？”

“Well, I won’t disturb the exercises again, on my honor;” —
“好吧，我发誓不再打扰你们练习；” —

and St. Clare took his paper into the parlor, and sat down, till Topsy had finished her recitations. They were all very well, only that now and then she would oddly transpose some important words, and persist in the mistake, in spite of every effort to the contrary; —
圣克莱把纸拿进客厅坐下，等着Topsy念完她的台词。她的表现都不错，只是偶尔会把一些重要的词奇怪地颠倒，尽管努力更正，却还是坚持错误； —

and St. Clare, after all his promises of goodness, took a wicked pleasure in these mistakes, calling Topsy to him whenever he had a mind to amuse himself, and getting her to repeat the offending passages, in spite of Miss Ophelia’s remonstrances.
圣克莱尽管立誓要善待她，却对这些错误感到开心，每当他想逗乐自己时，就叫Topsy过来，让她重复那些有问题的段落，完全不理欧菲利亚的抗议。

“How do you think I can do anything with the child, if you will go on so, Augustine?” she would say.
“奥古斯丁，如果你这样下去，你觉得我怎么能管好这个孩子？”她会说。

“Well, it is too bad,–I won’t again; but I do like to hear the droll little image stumble over those big words!”
“哦，这太糟糕了，我不会再这样了；但我真的喜欢听这个可爱的小家伙在那些大词汇上蹒跚学步！”

“But you confirm her in the wrong way.”
“但你这样做肯定会使她固执错误。”

“What’s the odds? One word is as good as another to her.”
“有什么关系？对她来说，一字之差没有影响。”

“You wanted me to bring her up right; and you ought to remember she is a reasonable creature, and be careful of your influence over her.”
“你让我教她正确，你应该记得她是个理智的生物，要注意你对她的影响。”

“O, dismal! so I ought; but, as Topsy herself says, `I ’s so wicked!‘”
“哦不，太悲哀了！我该这样做，但正如Topsy自己说的，‘我这么邪恶！’”

In very much this way Topsy’s training proceeded, for a year or two,–Miss Ophelia worrying herself, from day to day, with her, as a kind of chronic plague, to whose inflictions she became, in time, as accustomed, as persons sometimes do to the neuralgia or sick headache.
就这样，Topsy的训练持续了一两年，欧菲利亚每天都被她操心，渐渐地把她当成了一种常见的折磨，就像人们有时对神经痛或偏头痛习以为常一样。

St. Clare took the same kind of amusement in the child that a man might in the tricks of a parrot or a pointer. —
圣克莱对这个孩子的欢乐和一个人可能对鹦鹉或指示犬的把戏一样。 —

Topsy, whenever her sins brought her into disgrace in other quarters, always took refuge behind his chair; —
每当Topsy因为犯错在其他地方受到责备时，总会躲到他的椅子后面； —

and St. Clare, in one way or other, would make peace for her. —
圣克莱总会以一种方式为她和解。 —

From him she got many a stray picayune, which she laid out in nuts and candies, and distributed, with careless generosity, to all the children in the family; —
她总是从他那里得到一些零星的小钱，她会把它用在坚果和糖果上，并慷慨地分发给家里所有的孩子； —

for Topsy, to do her justice, was good-natured and liberal, and only spiteful in self-defence. —
因为说实话，Topsy性情善良而慷慨，在自卫时才会恶毒。 —

She is fairly introduced into our corps be ballet, and will figure, from time to time, in her turn, with other performers.
她被相当地引入我们的芭蕾舞团，并会适时与其他演员一起登台表演。