The Adventures of Tom Sawyer《汤姆索亚历险记》英文原版 第五章

The Adventuresof Tom Sawyerby MarkTwainCHAPTER VABOUThall-past tenthe crackedbell of the smallchurch began to ring,andpresently thepeople beganto gatherfor themorning sermon.The Sunday-school childrendistributed themselvesabout the house andoccupied pewswiththeir parents,so as to beunder supervision.Aunt Pollycame,and Tomand SidandMary satwith her-Tom beingplaced next the aisle,in orderthat hemight beasfar awayfrom theopen windowand theseductive outsidesummer scenesaspossible.The crowdfiled upthe aisles:the agedand needypostmaster,who hadseenbetter days;the mayorand hiswife for they hada mayorthere,among other一unnecessaries;the justiceof thepeace;the widowDouglass,fair,smart,and forty,a generous,good-hearted souland well-to-do,her hillmansion the only palaceinthe town,and the most hospitableand muchthemostlavish in the matteroffestivities thatSt.Petersburg couldboast;the bentand venerableMajor andMrs.Ward;lawyer Riverson,the newnotable froma distance;nextthe belle of thevillage,followed bya troopof lawn-clad andribbon-decked youngheart-breakers;then allthe youngclerks intown in a bodyfor they had stoodin一the vestibulesucking theircaneheads,a circlingwall ofoiled andsimperingadmirers,till thelast girlhad runtheir gantlet;and lastof allcame theModel Boy,Willie Mufferson,taking asheedful careof hismother as if shewere cutglass.He alwaysbrought hismother tochurch,and was the prideof allthe matrons.The boysall hatedhim,he wasso good.And besides,he had been nthrownup tothemso much.His whitehandkerchief washanging out of hispocket behind,asusual onSundays accidentally.Tom hadno handkerchief,and helooked upon一boys whohad assnobs.The congregationbeing fullyassembled,now,thebellrang oncemore,to warnlaggardsand stragglers,and thena solemnhush fellupon thechurch whichwasonly brokenby thetittering andwhispering of the choirin thegallery.The choiralwaystittered andwhispered allthrough service.There wasonce achurch choirthat was notill-bred,but Ihave forgottenwhere it was,now.It was a greatmanyyears ago,and Ican scarcelyremember anythingabout it,but Ithink it was insomeforeign country.The ministergave outthe hymn,and readit throughwith arelish,in apeculiarstyle whichwas muchadmired inthat partof thecountry.His voicebegan onamedium keyand climbedsteadily uptill itreached acertain point,where itborewith strongemphasis uponthe topmostword and then plungeddown as if fromaspring-board:Shall Ibe car-ri-ed toethe skies,on flowryBEDS ofease,Whilst othersfight towin the prize,and sailthro BLOODYseasHe wasregarded asa wonderfulreader.At churchsociables he was alwayscalledupon toread poetry;and whenhe wasthrough,the ladieswould liftuptheir handsand letthem fallhelplessly in their laps,and walltheir eyes,andshake theirheads,as muchas tosay,Words cannotexpress it;it istoo beautiful,TOO beautifulfor thismortal earth/1After thehymn hadbeen sung,the Rev.Mr.Sprague turnedhimself intoabulletin-board,and readoff noticesof meetingsand societiesand thingstill itseemedthat thelist wouldstretch outto thecrack ofdoom aqueer customwhich一is stillkept upin America,even incities,away herein thisage of abundantnewspapers.Often,the lessthere isto justifya traditionalcustom,the harderit istoget ridof it.And nowthe ministerprayed.A good,generous prayerit was,and wentintodetails:it pleadedfor thechurch,and thelittle childrenof thechurch;for theotherchurches of the village;for thevillage itself;for thecounty;for theState;for theState officers;for the United States;for thechurches of theUnitedStates;for Congress;for thePresident;for theofficers of the Government;for poorsailors,tossed bystormy seas;fortheoppressed millionsgroaning underthe heelofEuropean monarchiesand Orientaldespotisms;for suchas havethe lightandthe goodtidings,and yethave noteyes tosee norears tohear withal;for theheatheninthefar islandsof thesea;and closedwith asupplication thatthe wordshe was aboutto speakmight findgrace andfavor,and beas seedsown infertileground,yielding intime agrateful harvestof good.Amen.There was a rustlingof dresses,and thestanding congregationsat down.The boywhosehistory thisbook relatesdid notenjoy the prayer,he onlyendured it-if heevendid thatmuch.He wasrestive allthrough it;he kepttally of the detailsof theprayer,unconsciously forhe wasnot listening,but heknew theground ofold,一and theclergymans regularroute overit——and whena littletrifle ofnewmatter wasinterlarded,his eardetected itand hiswhole natureresented it;heconsidered additionsunfair,and scoundrelly.In themidst oftheprayera flyhadlit onthe backofthepew in front ofhim andtortured hisspirit bycalmly rubbingitshands together,embracing itshead withits arms,and polishingit sovigorouslythat itseemed toalmost partcompany withthe body,and theslenderthread ofa neckwas exposedto view;scraping itswings withits hindlegs andsmoothing them toits bodyas iftheyhadbeen coattails;going throughits wholetoiletas tranquillyasif it knewitwasperfectly safe.As indeeditwas;for assorelyas Tomshands itchedto grabfor itthey did not darehe believedhis soul一would beinstantly destroyedif hedid sucha thingwhile theprayer wasgoing on.But withthe closingsentence hishand beganto curveand stealforward;and theinstantthe Amenwas outthe flywas aprisoner ofwar.His auntdetected theactand madehim letit go.The ministergave outhis textand dronedalong monotonouslythrough anargument thatwasso prosythat manya headby andby beganto nodand yetit一was anargumentthatdealt inlimitless fireand brimstoneand thinnedthepredestined electdown toa companyso smallastobe hardlyworth thesaving.Tom countedthe pagesofthe sermon;after churchhe alwaysknew howmanypages therehadbeen,but heseldom knewanything elseabout thediscourse.However,this timehe wasreally interestedfor a little while.The ministermade agrand and movingpicture ofthe assemblingtogether ofthe worldshosts atthemillennium when the lionand thelamb shouldlie downtogether andalittlechildshould leadthem.But thepathos,the lesson,the moralofthegreat spectaclewerelost uponthe boy;heonlythought ofthe conspicuousnessoftheprincipalcharacter before the on-looking nations;his facelit withthe thought,and hesaidto himself that hewished hecould bethat child,ifitwas atame lion.Now helapsed intosuffering again,asthedry argumentwas resumed.Presentlyhe bethoughthim ofa treasurehe hadand gotit out.It wasa largeblack beetlewithformidable jawsa pinchbugjhe calledit.It wasinapercussion-cap box.一The firstthingthe beetle didwas totake himby thefinger.A naturalfillipfollowed,the beetlewent flounderinginto the aisle and lit on its back,and thehurtfinger wentinto theboys mouth.The beetlelay thereworking itshelplesslegs,unable toturn over.Tom eyedit,and longedfor it;but itwas safeout ofhisreach.Other peopleuninterested inthesermonfound reliefinthe beetle,and theyeyedit too.Presently avagrant poodledog cameidling along,sad atheart,lazywith thesummer softnessand thequiet,weary ofcaptivity,sighing forchange.He spiedthebeetle;the droopingtail liftedand wagged.He surveyedtheprize;walked aroundit;smelt atit froma safedistance;walked aroundit again;grewbolder,and tooka closersmell;then liftedhis lipand madea gingerlysnatch atit,just missingit;made another,and another;begantoenjoy thediversion;subsidedto hisstomach withthebeetlebetween hispaws,and continuedhis experiments;grew wearyat last,and thenindifferent andabsent-minded.His headnodded,and littleby littlehis chindescended andtouched theenemy,who seizedit.There wasa sharpyelp,a flirtofthepoodles head,and thebeetle fella coupleofyards away,andliton itsback oncemore.The neighboringspectators shookwitha gentleinward joy,several faceswent behindfans andhandkerchiefs,and Tomwasentirely happy.The doglooked foolish,and probablyfelt so;but there wasresentment inhis heart,too,andacraving forrevenge.So hewent to the beetleandbegan awary attackonitagain;jumping atit fromevery pointofacircle,lighting with his fore-paws withinan inchofthecreature,making evenclosersnatches atit with his teeth,and jerkinghis headtill hisears flappedagain.But hegrewtired oncemore,after awhile;tried toamuse himselfwith afly butfoundno relief;followed anant around,withhisnose closetothefloor,and quicklyweariedof that;yawned,sighed,forgot thebeetle entirely,and satdown onit.Then therewasawild yelpof agonyand thepoodle wentsailing uptheaisle;theyelps continued,and sodid the dog;he crossedthehouseinfrontofthealtar;heflew downthe otheraisle;he crossedbeforethedoors;he clamoredup thehome-stretch;his anguishgrew withhis progress,till presentlyhewasbut awoollycomet movingin itsorbit withthe gleamand thespeed oflight.At lastthefrantic sufferersheered fromits course,and spranginto itsmasters lap;he flungitoutofthe window,and thevoice ofdistress quicklythinned awayand diedinthe distance.By thistime thewhole churchwas red-faced andsuffocating withsuppressedlaughter,andthesermon hadcome toa deadstandstill.The discoursewasresumed presently,but itwent lameand halting,all possibilityof impressivenessbeingat anend;for eventhe gravestsentiments wereconstantly beingreceivedwith asmothered burstof unholymirth,under coverof someremote pew-back,asifthe poorparson hadsaid ararely facetiousthing.It wasa genuinerelief tothewhole congregationwhentheordeal wasover andthe benedictionpronounced.TomSawyerwent homequite cheerful,thinking tohimselfthattherewassomesatisfaction aboutdivine servicewhen therewasabit ofvariety init.He hadbutone marringthought;hewaswilling thatthedogshould playwithhispinchbug,but hedidnotthink itwas uprightin himto carryit off.。