Our readers may not be unwilling to glance back, for a brief interval, at Uncle Tom’s Cabin, on the Kentucky farm, and see what has been transpiring among those whom he had left behind.
我们的读者可能会不情愿地回顾一下，短暂地回到了肯塔基农场的汤姆叔叔的小屋，看看那些他留在身后的人们都发生了些什么。

It was late in the summer afternoon, and the doors and windows of the large parlor all stood open, to invite any stray breeze, that might feel in a good humor, to enter. —
现在是夏日傍晚，大客厅的门窗都敞开着，邀请着任何好心情的微风进来。 —

Mr. Shelby sat in a large hall opening into the room, and running through the whole length of the house, to a balcony on either end. —
谢尔比先生坐在一个大厅里，通向整个房子的一端，两端各有一个阳台。 —

Leisurely tipped back on one chair, with his heels in another, he was enjoying his after-dinner cigar. —
悠闲地往椅子上倚靠着，脚跟踢在另一个椅子上，他正在享受着晚餐后的雪茄。 —

Mrs. Shelby sat in the door, busy about some fine sewing; —
谢尔比夫人坐在门口，忙着做一些精致的缝纫; —

she seemed like one who had something on her mind, which she was seeking an opportunity to introduce.
她看起来像是有心事，正在寻找一个机会来谈论。

“Do you know,” she said, “that Chloe has had a letter from Tom?”
“你知道吗,“她说，”克洛伊收到了汤姆的信?”

“Ah! has she? Tom ’s got some friend there, it seems. How is the old boy?”
“啊，她收到了吗?汤姆在那里似乎有一些朋友。老家伙怎么样?”

“He has been bought by a very fine family, I should think,” said Mrs. Shelby,–“is kindly treated, and has not much to do.”
“我认为他被一个非常好的家庭买走了，”谢尔比太太说，”受到了友好对待，也没什么事可做。”

“Ah! well, I’m glad of it,–very glad,” said Mr. Shelby, heartily. —
“啊!好啊，我很高兴，非常高兴，”谢尔比先生热心地说。 —

“Tom, I suppose, will get reconciled to a Southern residence;–hardly want to come up here again.”
“我想汤姆会对南方的生活适应的;–几乎不会想再回来这里。”

“On the contrary he inquires very anxiously,” said Mrs. Shelby, “when the money for his redemption is to be raised.”
“相反，”谢尔比太太说道，“他非常焦急地询问，他的赎金能什么时候筹集到。”

“I’m sure I don’t know,” said Mr. Shelby. —
“我确实不知道，”谢尔比先生说。 —

“Once get business running wrong, there does seem to be no end to it. —
“一旦生意开始出问题，似乎就没有止境了。 —

It’s like jumping from one bog to another, all through a swamp; —
这就好像是从一个泥潭跳到另一个，一路穿过沼泽; —

borrow of one to pay another, and then borrow of another to pay one,–and these confounded notes falling due before a man has time to smoke a cigar and turn round,–dunning letters and dunning messages,–all scamper and hurry-scurry.”
借钱偿还另一笔债务，然后再借另一笔来偿还前一笔，–这些魔鬼似的账单到期之前连一支雪茄烟的时间都不够，–追债信件和催款信息，–一片匆忙和慌乱。

“It does seem to me, my dear, that something might be done to straighten matters. —
我觉得，亲爱的，可能有些事情可以做来整顿情况。 —

Suppose we sell off all the horses, and sell one of your farms, and pay up square?”
假设我们卖掉所有的马，卖掉你的一块农场，然后清账如何？

“O, ridiculous, Emily! You are the finest woman in Kentucky; —
哦，愚蠢的艾米丽！你是肯塔基州最优秀的女人； —

but still you haven’t sense to know that you don’t understand business; —
但你依然不明白你不懂生意； —

–women never do, and never can.
–女人永远不明白，也永远不可能明白。

“But, at least,” said Mrs. Shelby, “could not you give me some little insight into yours; —
“但至少，”雪莉夫人说，“你不可以给我一点关于你的见解； —

a list of all your debts, at least, and of all that is owed to you, and let me try and see if I can’t help you to economize.”
至少列出所有你的债务清单以及欠你债务的清单，让我试着看看是否能帮你节约开支。”

“O, bother! don’t plague me, Emily!–I can’t tell exactly. —
“哦，烦死了！不要烦我，艾米丽！–我不能准确地告诉你。 —

I know somewhere about what things are likely to be; —
我大概知道哪些东西可能会发生； —

but there’s no trimming and squaring my affairs, as Chloe trims crust off her pies. —
但我的事务无法像克洛伊削派皮那样整理。 —

You don’t know anything about business, I tell you.”
你什么都不懂生意，我告诉你。”

And Mr. Shelby, not knowing any other way of enforcing his ideas, raised his voice,–a mode of arguing very convenient and convincing, when a gentleman is discussing matters of business with his wife.
雪莉先生，不知道如何以其他方式来表达他的想法，提高了声音，–当一个绅士与妻子讨论商务事务时，这是一种非常方便和有说服力的辩论方式。

Mrs. Shelby ceased talking, with something of a sigh. —
雪莉夫人停止了谈话，带着几分叹息。 —

The fact was, that though her husband had stated she was a woman, she had a clear, energetic, practical mind, and a force of character every way superior to that of her husband; —
事实是，尽管她的丈夫说她是一个女人，但她有着清晰、有活力、实际的思维，以及一种在各方面都超过她丈夫的性格力量。 —

so that it would not have been so very absurd a supposition, to have allowed her capable of managing, as Mr. Shelby supposed. —
因此认为她有管理能力并不是一个太荒谬的假设，就像雪尔比先生所认为的那样。 —

Her heart was set on performing her promise to Tom and Aunt Chloe, and she sighed as discouragements thickened around her.
她心里决定要履行对汤姆和克洛伊婶婶的承诺，随着挫折增多，她叹息不已。

“Don’t you think we might in some way contrive to raise that money? —
“你不认为我们可以想办法筹集那笔钱吗？ —

Poor Aunt Chloe! her heart is so set on it!”
可怜的克洛伊！她对此如此执着！”

“I’m sorry, if it is. I think I was premature in promising. —
“如果是的话，我很抱歉。我觉得我承诺得太早了。 —

I’m not sure, now, but it’s the best way to tell Chloe, and let her make up her mind to it. —
我现在不确定，告诉克洛伊是不是最好的办法，让她做决定。 —

Tom’ll have another wife, in a year or two; —
汤姆会再找一个妻子，一两年内； —

and she had better take up with somebody else.”
她最好和别人在一起。”

“Mr. Shelby, I have taught my people that their marriages are as sacred as ours. —
“雪尔比先生，我教导我的人民，他们的婚姻和我们的一样神圣。 —

I never could think of giving Chloe such advice.”
我从未想过给克洛伊这样的建议。”

“It’s a pity, wife, that you have burdened them with a morality above their condition and prospects. —
“妻子，你让他们背负了一种高于他们现状和前景的道德，真是一种遗憾。 —

I always thought so.”
我一直这么认为。”

“It’s only the morality of the Bible, Mr. Shelby.”
“这只是圣经里的道德，雪尔比先生。”

“Well, well, Emily, I don’t pretend to interfere with your religious notions; —
“嗯，好吧，艾米莉，我不打算干涉你的宗教观念； —

only they seem extremely unfitted for people in that condition.”
只是它们似乎对于处境如此窘迫的人们极不适用。”

“They are, indeed,” said Mrs. Shelby, “and that is why, from my soul, I hate the whole thing. —
“他们确实是，”雪比太太说，“这就是为什么，从心底里，我讨厌整件事情。 —

I tell you, my dear, I cannot absolve myself from the promises I make to these helpless creatures. If I can get the money no other way I will take music-scholars; —
我告诉你，亲爱的，我不能从我对这些无助的生灵所作的承诺中抽身。如果我不能以其他方式得到钱，我会接受音乐学生； —

–I could get enough, I know, and earn the money myself.”
“我知道我可以得到足够的，然后自己挣钱。”

“You wouldn’t degrade yourself that way, Emily? I never could consent to it.”
“艾米莉，你不会那样贬低自己吧？我永远不能同意。”

“Degrade! would it degrade me as much as to break my faith with the helpless? No, indeed!”
“贬低！难道比与无助者背弃我的信义更加贬低我吗？不，绝对不是！”

“Well, you are always heroic and transcendental,” said Mr. Shelby, “but I think you had better think before you undertake such a piece of Quixotism.”
“嗯，你总是英勇和超脱的，”雪比先生说，“但我认为在你承担这样的义举之前最好三思。”

Here the conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Aunt Chloe, at the end of the verandah.
正当这时，阿姨克洛伊出现在走廊的尽头。

“If you please, Missis,” said she.
“如果请，夫人，”她说。

“Well, Chloe, what is it?” said her mistress, rising, and going to the end of the balcony.
“克洛伊，怎么了？”她的女主人站起来，走到阳台的尽头。

“If Missis would come and look at dis yer lot o’ poetry.”
“如果夫人能来看看这一窝‘诗歌’。”

Chloe had a particular fancy for calling poultry poetry,–an application of language in which she always persisted, notwithstanding frequent corrections and advisings from the young members of the family.
克洛伊特别喜欢把家禽叫做诗歌，不管家里年轻的家庭成员经常纠正和劝告。

“La sakes!” she would say, “I can’t see; one jis good as turry,–poetry suthin good, any how;” —
“啊，天哪！”她会说，“我看不出区别，一只比一只好，诗歌总是好的，无论如何；” —

and so poetry Chloe continued to call it.
所以克洛伊一直称之为诗歌。

Mrs. Shelby smiled as she saw a prostrate lot of chickens and ducks, over which Chloe stood, with a very grave face of consideration.
雪比太太微笑着看着克洛伊站在一群躺着的小鸡和鸭旁边，面带郑重的考虑。

“I’m a thinkin whether Missis would be a havin a chicken pie o’ dese yer.”
“我在考虑夫人会不会想要用这些来做鸡肉馅饼。”

“Really, Aunt Chloe, I don’t much care;–serve them any way you like.”
“真的，克洛伊阿姨，我不太在乎；–你想怎么样就怎么样吧。”

Chloe stood handling them over abstractedly; —
克洛伊半心半意地处理着这些鸡； —

it was quite evident that the chickens were not what she was thinking of. —
很明显，这些鸡并不是她在想的事情。 —

At last, with the short laugh with which her tribe often introduce a doubtful proposal, she said,
最后，她发出了族人经常用来提出可疑建议的轻笑，她说，

“Laws me, Missis! what should Mas’r and Missis be a troublin theirselves ‘bout de money, and not a usin what’s right in der hands?” —
“天哪，夫人！主爷夫人何必为了钱而烦恼，而不利用手中所拥有的东西呢？” —

and Chloe laughed again.
克洛伊又笑了起来。

“I don’t understand you, Chloe,” said Mrs. Shelby, nothing doubting, from her knowledge of Chloe’s manner, that she had heard every word of the conversation that had passed between her and her husband.
“我不明白你的意思，克洛伊，”雪莉太太说，毫不怀疑地从对克洛伊风格的了解中，认为她已听到她与丈夫之间的对话每一句话。

“Why, laws me, Missis!” said Chloe, laughing again, “other folks hires out der niggers and makes money on ‘em! —
“噢，天哪，夫人！”克洛伊再次笑着说，”其他人雇佣他们的奴隶，然后从中赚钱！ —

Don’t keep sich a tribe eatin ‘em out of house and home.”
别让这些家伙用家里的东西将他们吃穷了。”

“Well, Chloe, who do you propose that we should hire out?”
“好吧，克洛伊，你建议我们应该雇佣谁？”

“Laws! I an’t a proposin nothin; only Sam he said der was one of dese yer perfectioners, dey calls ‘em, in Louisville, said he wanted a good hand at cake and pastry; —
“天哪！我又不建议什么；只是Sam说路易斯维尔有一个叫做蛋糕糕点师的，他说他需要一名擅长烘焙的好手； —

and said he’d give four dollars a week to one, he did.”
他愿意付给一个人每周四美元呢。”

“Well, Chloe.”
“好的，克洛伊。”

“Well, laws, I ’s a thinkin, Missis, it’s time Sally was put along to be doin’ something. —
“噢，天哪，夫人，我在想，是时候让莎莉去做点事情了。 —

Sally ’s been under my care, now, dis some time, and she does most as well as me, considerin; —
莎莉现在由我照料，这段时间了，她做得几乎和我一样好；考虑到… —

and if Missis would only let me go, I would help fetch up de money. —
如果夫人只肯让我去，我可以帮忙筹钱。 —

I an’t afraid to put my cake, nor pies nother, ‘long side no perfectioner’s.
我不怕把我的蛋糕，甚至馅饼和糖果师的放在一起。

“Confectioner’s, Chloe.”
“糖果师,克洛伊。”

“Law sakes, Missis! ‘tan’t no odds;–words is so curis, can’t never get ‘em right!”
“天哪，夫人！这不重要；–词语如此奇怪，永远说不对！”

“But, Chloe, do you want to leave your children?”
“但是，克洛伊，你舍得离开你的孩子吗？”

“Laws, Missis! de boys is big enough to do day’s works; dey does well enough; —
“天哪，夫人！这几个男孩大得可以自己做事情；他们做得足够好；” —

and Sally, she’ll take de baby,–she’s such a peart young un, she won’t take no lookin arter.”
“莎莉就会照看孩子，她这么利索，不需要别人照顾。”

“Louisville is a good way off.”
“路易维尔离这里很远。”

“Law sakes! who’s afeard?–it’s down river, somer near my old man, perhaps?” —
“呀，谁害怕？–沿着河流下去，也许就在我老公附近？” —

said Chloe, speaking the last in the tone of a question, and looking at Mrs. Shelby.
克洛伊说到最后一句话时，语气是疑问的，并看向雪比太太。

“No, Chloe; it’s many a hundred miles off,” said Mrs. Shelby.
“不，克洛伊；路易维尔相隔很远，有好几百英里。”雪比太太说。

Chloe’s countenance fell.
克洛伊的脸色就沮丧下来。

“Never mind; your going there shall bring you nearer, Chloe. Yes, you may go; —
“不要紧；去那里会让你和老公更接近，克洛伊。是的，你可以去； —

and your wages shall every cent of them be laid aside for your husband’s redemption.”
你的工资每一分都会留下来，用于赎回你的丈夫。”

As when a bright sunbeam turns a dark cloud to silver, so Chloe’s dark face brightened immediately,–it really shone.
就像明亮的阳光把黑暗的云彩变成银色一样，克洛伊的脸立刻明亮了起来，真的发光。

“Laws! if Missis isn’t too good! I was thinking of dat ar very thing; —
“天哪！ 如果夫人不太好的话！我正在考虑那件事； —

cause I shouldn’t need no clothes, nor shoes, nor nothin,–I could save every cent. —
因为我不需要衣服、鞋子、或任何东西，我可以省下每一分钱。 —

How many weeks is der in a year, Missis?”
一年有多少周，夫人？

“Fifty-two,” said Mrs. Shelby.
“五十二周，”Shelby夫人说。

“Laws! now, dere is? and four dollars for each on em. Why, how much ’d dat ar be?”
“天哪！ 是吗？每个人四美元。哎呀，那会是多少呀？”

“Two hundred and eight dollars,” said Mrs. Shelby.
“两百零八美元，”Shelby夫人说。

“Why-e!” said Chloe, with an accent of surprise and delight; —
“哎呀！” Chloe惊讶而高兴地说； —

“and how long would it take me to work it out, Missis?”
“我需要多久时间来工作这笔钱，夫人？”

“Some four or five years, Chloe; but, then, you needn’t do it all,–I shall add something to it.”
“Chloe，大约四到五年；不过你不需要全部工作，夫人会给你一些。”

“I wouldn’t hear to Missis’ givin lessons nor nothin. Mas’r’s quite right in dat ar; —
“我不会同意夫人给我上课或任何事情。主人在这件事情上是对的； —

–’t wouldn’t do, no ways. I hope none our family ever be brought to dat ar, while I ’s got hands.”
并不会这样。只要我还有双手，希望我们家族永远不会被迫做那样的事。”

“Don’t fear, Chloe; I’ll take care of the honor of the family,” said Mrs. Shelby, smiling. —
“别担心，Chloe；我会守护家族的荣誉，”Shelby夫人笑着说。 —

“But when do you expect to go?”
“那么你什么时候准备离开？”

“Well, I want spectin nothin; only Sam, he’s a gwine to de river with some colts, and he said I could go long with him; —
“嗯，我没期待什么；只是Sam要带几匹小马去河边，他说我可以跟他一起去； —

so I jes put my things together. If Missis was willin, I’d go with Sam tomorrow morning, if Missis would write my pass, and write me a commendation.”
所以我整理了我的东西。如果夫人愿意的话，明天早晨我就跟Sam一起去，如果夫人能为我写通行证，给我一份推荐书。”

“Well, Chloe, I’ll attend to it, if Mr. Shelby has no objections. I must speak to him.”
“好吧，克洛伊，如果雪比先生没有反对的话，我会处理这件事。我必须和他谈谈。”

Mrs. Shelby went up stairs, and Aunt Chloe, delighted, went out to her cabin, to make her preparation.
雪比太太上楼去了，而兴高采烈的克洛伊走出去去她的小屋准备。

“Law sakes, Mas’r George! ye didn’t know I ’s a gwine to Louisville tomorrow!” —
“我的天哪，乔治先生！你不知道我明天要去路易斯维尔了！” —

she said to George, as entering her cabin, he found her busy in sorting over her baby’s clothes. —
当乔治进入她的小屋时，他发现她正忙着整理她婴儿的衣服时，她对乔治说。 —

“I thought I’d jis look over sis’s things, and get ‘em straightened up. —
“我想看看妹妹的东西，把它们整理好。 —

But I’m gwine, Mas’r George,–gwine to have four dollars a week; —
但是我要去了，乔治先生，–我每周能拿到四美元； —

and Missis is gwine to lay it all up, to buy back my old man agin!”
太太打算积攒起来，再买回我的老公！”

“Whew!” said George, “here’s a stroke of business, to be sure! How are you going?”
“哇！”乔治说，“这真是一桩大买卖！你要怎么去？”

“Domorrow, wid Sam. And now, Mas’r George, I knows you’ll jis sit down and write to my old man, and tell him all about it,–won’t ye?”
“明天，和山姆一起。现在，乔治先生，我知道你会坐下来给我老公写封信，把一切告诉他，–对吧？”

“To be sure,” said George; “Uncle Tom’ll be right glad to hear from us. —
“当然，”乔治说，“汤姆大叔会很高兴听到我们的消息的。 —

I’ll go right in the house, for paper and ink; —
我立刻去屋里拿纸和墨水； —

and then, you know, Aunt Chloe, I can tell about the new colts and all.”
然后，你知道，克洛伊阿姨，我可以和他讲讲新生的小马和一切。”

“Sartin, sartin, Mas’r George; you go ‘long, and I’ll get ye up a bit o’ chicken, or some sich; —
“当然，当然，乔治先生，你去吧，我给你准备点鸡肉，或者类似的东西； —

ye won’t have many more suppers wid yer poor old aunty.”
你不会和可怜的老阿姨一起吃太多晚餐了。”