卡拉维拉县有名的跳蛙 The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County（第1页）
卡拉维拉县有名的跳蛙TheNotoriousJumpingFrogofCalaverasty
马克·吐温MarkT>
马克·吐温（1835—1910），美国杰出的小说家，也是美国文学史上第一个用口语写作的作家，开创了一代文风，被福克纳称为“美国文学之父”。马克·吐温幼年家境贫寒，被迫放弃学业外出谋生。丰富的生活经历对他后期的创作影响很大。19世纪70年代至90年代是他创作的鼎盛时期，其代表作有《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》及其姊妹篇《汤姆·索亚历险记》等。
Inpliaherequestofafriendofmine，whowrotemefromtheEast，IgarrulousoldSimonWheeler，aermyfriend'sfriend，LeonidasW。Smiley，asrequestedtodo，aoappe。IhavealurkingsuspithatLeonidasW。Smileyisamyth;thatmyfriendneverkneersohatheohatifIaskedoldWheelerabouthim，itwouldremindhimofhisinfamousJimSmiley，andhewouldgotoworkahwithsomeexasperatingreminisaslongandastediousasitshouldbeuselesstome。Ifthatwasthedesign，itsucceeded。
IfoundSimfortablybythebarroomstoveofthedilapidatedtaverninthedeinggel's，andIhewasfatandbald-headed，andhadanexpressionofwilenessandsimplihistranquilce。Herousedup，andgavemegoodday。ItoldhimafriendofminehadetomakesomeiacherishedpanionofhisboyhoodnamedLeonidasW。Smiley—Rev。LeonidasW。Smiley，ayouheGospel，whohehadheardwasatoimearesidentofAngel'sCamp。IaddedthatifMr。WheelercouldtellmeanythingaboutthisRev。LeonidasW。Smiley，Iwouldfeelundermanyobligationstohim。
SimonWheelerbatoadblockadedmetherewithhisdthensatdowhemonotonousnarrativewhichfolloh。Heneversmiled，heneverfrowned，henevergedhisventle-flowiowhiedhisierayedtheslightestsuspithusiasm;butallthroughtheintermiivethereranaveinofimpressiveearnessay，whieplainlythat，sofarfromhisimaginingthattherewasanythingridiculousorfunnyabouthisstardeditasareallyimportantmatter，awoheroesasmenoftrageniusihimgooninhisownway，aerruptedhimonce。
"Rev。LeonidasW。H'm，RevereherewasafellerhereohenameofJimSmiley，ierof'49—ormaybeitringof'50—Idon'trecollectexaehow，thoughwhatmakesmethinkitwasoherisbecauseIrememberthebigflumewarn'tfinishedwhep;butaheanaboutalwaysbettingonanythingthatturnedupyoueversee，ifhecouldgetanybodytobetoherside;andifhe'the'dgesides。Anywaythatsuitedtheothermanwouldsuithim—anywayjustso'shegotabet，hewassatisfied。Butstillhewasluonlucky;hemostalwayseoutwinner。Hewasalwaysreadyandlayingforace;there'tbenmehatfeller'doffertobetonit，andtakeanysideyouplease，asIwasjusttellingyou。Iftherewasahorse-race，you'dfindhimflushoryou'dfindhimbustedattheendofit;iftherewasadog-fight，he'dbetonit;iftherewasacat-fight，he'dbetonit;iftherewasa-fight，he'dbetonit;why，iftherewastwobirdssettingonafence，hewouldbetyouwhiewouldflyfirst;orifthere-meeting，hewouldbethereregulartobetonParsonWalker，whichhejudgedtobethebestexhorterabouthere，aoo，andagoodman。Ifheeveraddle-bugstarttogoanywheres，hewouldbetyouhowlongitwouldtakehimtogetto—toingto，andifyoutookhimup，hewouldfollerthatstraddle-bugtoMexicobutwhathewouldfindoutwherehewasboundforandhowloheroad。LotsoftheboysherehasseenthatSmiley，andtellyouabouthim。Why，itnevermadeohim—he'dbetonanythifeller。ParsonWalker'swifelaidverysice，foodwhile，anditseemedasiftheywarn'tgoiheein，andSmileyupandaskedhimhowshewas，andhesaidshewassiderablebetter—thanktheLordforhisinfinitemeringonsosmartthatwiththeblessingofProv'denceshe'dgetwellyet;andSmiley，beforehethought，says，'Well，I'llresktwo-and-ahalfshedon'tanyway。'
"Thish-yerSmileyhadamare—theboyscalledherthefifteethatwasonlyinfun，youknow，becauseofcourseshewasfasterthanthat—aowihorse，forallshewassoslowandalwayshadtheasthma，orthedistemper，ortheethingofthatkiogivehertwoorthreehundredyards'start，andthenpassherunderway;butalwaysatthefagendoftheraceshe'dgetexddesperatelike，aingandstraddlingup，andsgherlegsarouimesintheair，atoohefendkigupmoredustandraisiwithhergandsneezingandblowinghernose—andalwaysfetchupatthestandjustaboutaneckahead，asnearasyoucouldcipheritdown。
"Andhehadalittlesmallbull-pup，thattolookathimyou'dthinkhewarn'tworthatbuttosetaroundandlookorneryandlayforacetostealsomething。Butassoonasmoneyonhimhewasadifferentdog;hisunder-jaw'dbegintostickoutliketheforeboat，ahwouldundshihefurnadadogmighttacklehimandbully-raghim，andbitehim，andthrowhimoverhisshouldertwoorthreetimes，andAndrewJa—whichwasthehepup—AndrewJawouldwhathewassatisfied，andhadedhebetsbeingdoubledaheothersideallthetime，tillthemoney;andthenallofasuddenhewouldgrabthatjestbythejointofhishindlega—notchaw，youuand，butonlyjustgripandhangohrewupthespowasayear。Smileyalwayseoutwipup，tillheharnessedadogodidn'thavenohindlegs，becausethey'dbeensawedoffinacircularsaw，ahinghadgonealh，andthemoney，aomakeasnatchforhispetholt，heseeinaminutehowhe'dbeenimposedon，aherdoghadhiminthedoor，sotospeak，andhepearedsurprised，andtheerdisced-like，anddidn'ttryhefight，ashuckedoutbad。HegiveSmileyalook，asmuchastosayhisheartwasbroke，anditwashisfault，fupadogthathadn'tnohindlegsforhimtotakeholtof，whichendenafight，andthenhelimpedoffapiedlaiddow，wasthatAndrewJadwouldhavemadeanameforhimselfifhe'dlived，forthestuffwasinhimandhehadgenius—Iknowit，becausehehadn'tnoopportuospeakof，anditdon'tstaadogakesuchafightashederthemcesifhehadn'talwaysmakesmefeelsorrywhenIthinkofthatlastfightofhis，aur。
"Well，thish-yerSmileyhadrat-tarriers，anddtomdallthemkindofthings，tillyou'trest，andyou'tfetgforhimtobetonbuthe'dmatchyou。Hefetchedafrogoneday，andtookhimhome，aedtoeducatehim;andsohehingforthreemonthsbutsetinhisbadlearnthatfrogtojump。Ayouhedidlearnhim，too。He'dgivehimalittlepund，aeyou'dseethatfrintheairlikeadoughurno，ormaybeacouple，ifhegotagoodstart，andedownflat-footedandallright，likeaupsoieroffetgflies，ahimiant，thathe'dnailaflyeverytimeasfurashecouldseehim。Smileysaidallafrogwaion，andheostanything—andIbelievehim。Why，I'veseeDaerdowhisfloor—Daerwasthehefrog—andsingout，'Flies，Daniel，flies!'andquickeryoukhe&#straightupandsnakeaflyoffoerthere，andflopdownontheflainassolidasagobofmud，andfalltthesideofhisheadwithhishindfootasiasifhehadn'tnoideahe'dbeendoingahananyfrogmightdo。Youneverseeafrogsomodestandstraightforwardashewas，forallhewassogifted。Aetofairandsquarejumpingonadeadlevel，hecouldgetrouraddlethananyanimalofhisbreedyoueversee。Jumpingonadeadlevelwashisstrongsuit，youuand;aileymoneyonhimaslongashehadared。Smileywasmonstrousproud，abe，forfellersthathadtraveledandbeeneverywheresallsaidhelaidthatevertheysee。
"Well，Smileykeptthebeastiidheusedtofetchhimdown-towimesandlayforabet。Onedayafeller—astrahecamp，hewas—withhisbox，andsays:
"Whatmightitbethatyou'vegotinthebox?"
"AndSmileysays，sorteri-like，'Itmightbeaparrhtbeaary，maybe，butitain't—it'sonlyjustafrog。'
"Aookit，acareful，aroundthiswayandthat，andsays，'H'm—soitis。Well，what'shegoodfor?'
"'Well，'Smileysays，easyandcareless，'he'sgoodenoughforohing，Ishouldjudge—hepanyfrogiy。'
"Thefellertooktheboxagain，andto，particularlook，abailey，andsays，verydeliberate，'Well，'hesays，'Idon'tseenopointsaboutthatfrogthat'sahanany。'
"'Maybeyoudon't，'Smileysays。'Maybeyouuandfrogsandmaybeyoudon'tuhem;maybeyou'vehadexperiendmaybeyouain'tonlyaamature，asitwere。Anyways，I'vegotmyopinion，andI'llreskfortydollarsthathepanyfrogiy。'
"Audiedamihensays，kindersadlike，'Well，I'merhere，andIain'tg;butifIhadafrog，I'dbetyou。'
"AndthenSmileysays，'That'sallright—that'sallright—ifyou'llholdmyboxaminute，I'llgoay。'Aookthebox，andputuphisfortydwithSmiley's，ao>
"Sohesetthereagoodwhilethinkingandthinkingtohimself，ahefrogoutandprizedhismouthopenandtookateaspoonandfilledhimfullofquail-shot—filledhimprettyohisdsethimonthefloor。Smileyhewenttothesedaroundinthemudftime，andfichedafrog，achedhimin，ahisfeller，andsays:
"'Now，ifyou'reready，sethimalongsideofDahhisforepawsjustevenwithDaniel's，andI'llgivetheword。'Thenhesays，'Ohree—git!'andhimaouchedupthefrogsfrombehind，andthenewfroghoppedofflively，butDanielgiveaheave，andhysteduphisshoulders—so—likeaFren，butitwarn'tnouse—he'tbudge;helantedassolidasadheorestirthanifhewasa。Smileywasagooddealsurprised，andhewasdisgustedtoo，buthedidn'thavehematterwas，ofcourse。
"Thefellertookthemoartedaasgoingoutatthedoor，hesorterjerkedhisthumboverhisshoulder—so—atDaniel，andsaysagaie，'Well，'hesays，'Idon'tseenopointsaboutthatfrogthat'sahanany。'
"SmileyhesthisheadandlookingdownatDanielalolasthesays，'Idowoihatfrogthrow'dofffor—Iwohereain'tsomethierwithhim—he'spearstolookmightybaggy，somehow。'Aielbythenapofthenedheftedhim，andsays，'Whyblamemycatsifhedon'tweighfivepounds!'andturnedhimupsidedownaadoublehandfulofshot。Andthewas，ahemaddestmahefrogdownandtookoutafterthatfeller，buthechedhim。And—"
[HereSimonWheelerheardhishefrotuptoseeaurningtomeashemovedaway，hesaid:"Justsetwhereyer，aeasy—Iain'tgoingtobegoneased。"
But，byyourleave，IdidnotthinkthatauatiooryoftheenterprisingvagabondJimSmileywouldbelikelytoaffordmemuatitheRev。LeonidasW。Smiley，andsoIstarteda>
AtthedoorImetthesociableWheelerreturnionholedmeandreenced:
"Well，thish-yerSmileyhadayallerohatdidn'thavenotail，onlyjustashortstumplikeabanana，and—"