圆脸男人 MoonFace（第1页）

圆脸男人Moon-Face

杰克·伦敦Ja

杰克·伦敦（Ja，1876—1916），美国著名作家之一。出身贫困，童年以从事繁重劳动谋生，先后做过工人、水手、司炉、淘金者，甚至流浪汉。艰苦的生活使他深切体会到损贫利富的社会弊端，由此对社会问题深感兴趣，自称社会学者，从事过工人运动。他的短篇小说独树一帜，情节紧凑，人物形象栩栩如生，深受读者喜爱。代表作有《狼的儿子》《荒野的呼唤》《铁蹄》等。

JohnClaverhousewasamoon-fa。Youknowthekind，esart，dforeheadmeltingiopletetheperfed，andthenose，broadandpudgy，equidistantfromtheciredagaireofthefacelikeadough-ballupontheg。PerhapsthatiswhyIhatedhim，fortrulyhehadbeeaomyeyes，aheearthtobecumberedwithhispresence。

&asitmay，IhatedJohnClaverhouse。Notthathehaddosocietywouldsiderawrongoranillturn。Farfromit。Theeviler，subtlersort；soelusive，soiodefyclear，defniteanalysisinwords。eriehingsatsomeperiodihefrsttimeweseeadividual，oheveryinstantbeforewedided；ahefrstmomeing，wesay：“Idoman。”Whydowenotlikehim?Ah，wedonotknoonlythatwedoakenadislike，thatisall。AndsoIwithJohnClaverhouse。

Whatrighthadsutobehappy?Yethetimist。Hewasalwaysgleefulandlaughing。Allthingswerealwaysallright，cursehim！Ah！Howitgratedonmysoulthatheshouldbesohappy！Othermencouldlaugh，anditdidnotbotherme。Ieveolaughmyself-beforeImetJohnClaverhouse。

Buthislaugh！Itirritatedme，maddehihesuncouldirritateormaddehauntedme，grippedholdofme，andwouldwasahuge，gargantuanlaugh。Wakiithme，whirringandjarringayheart-stringslikeanenormousrasp。Atbreakofdayitcamewhoopingacrossthefeldstospoilmypleasantmrevery。Uheadayglare，whehihebirdswithdrewtothedepthsoftheforest，andallnaturedrowsed，hisgreat“Ha!ha！”and“Ho!ho！”roseuptotheskyahesun。Andatblaight，fromthelonelycross-roadswhereheturownintohisownplace，camehisplagueyationstorousemefrommysleepaheandailsintomypalms。

&hprivilyiime，atleintohisfelds，andinthemheardhiswhoopinglaughashedrovethemba。“Itisnothihepoor，dumbbeastiesarenottobeblamedfiures。”

Hehadadoghecalled“Mars，”abig，spledeer-houndandpartblood-hound，andresemblingbreatdelighttohim，andtheywerealwaystogether。ButIbidedmytime，andoneday，whenopportunitye，luredtheanimalawayaledforhimwithstrydbeefsteak。ItmadepositivelynoimpressiononJohnClaverhouse。Hislaughwasasheartyaasever，andhisfaceasmuchlikethefullmoonasitalwayshadbeen。

&firetohishaystadhisbarm，beingSuforthblitheandcheerful。“Whereareyougoing?”Iaskedhim，ashewentbythecross-roads。“Trout，”hesaid，andhisfacebeamedlikeafullmoon。“Ijustdoteontrout。”

Wasthereeversuan！Hiswholeharvesthadgoneupinhishaystadbarn。Itwasuninsured，Iknew。Ahefaiherigorouswigaylyiofamessoftrout，forsooth，becausehe“doted”onthem！Hadgloombutrested，nhtly，onhisbrow，orhadhisbovienanlongandseriousahemoon，orhadheremovedthatsmilebutonoffhisface，IamsureIcouldhavefivenhimf。Butno，hegrewonlymorecheerfuluune。

Iinsultedhim。Helookedatmeinslowandsmilingsurprise。“Ifghtyou?Why?”heaskedslowly。Andthenhelaughed。“Youaresofunny！Ho!ho！Youllbethedeathofme！Hee!hee!hee！Oh！Ho!ho!ho！”

Whatwouldyou?ItastehebloodofJudas，howIhatedhim！Thename-Claverhouse！Whataabsurd?ercifulheaven，whyClaverhouse?AgainandagainIaskedmyselfthatquestion。Ishouldnothavemih，orBrowClaverhouse！Ileaveittoyou。Repeatittoyourself-Claverhouse。Justlistentotheridiculoussoundofit-Claverhouse！Shouldamahsuame?Iaskofyou。“No，”yousay。And“No”saidI。

ButIbethoughtmee。Whatofhisdbarroyed，Iknewhewouldbeuit。SoIgotashrewd，outhed，tight-fstedmothemetraohim。Ididhroughthisageheforeclosure，andbutfewdaysweregivenJohoremovehisgoodsahepremises。ThenIstrolleddowookit，forhehadlivedthereupwardoftwehemetmewithhissaucer-eyestwinkling，agloreadingiwasasafull-risenmoon。

“Ha!ha!ha！”helaughed。“Thefuike，thatyoungsterofmine！Didyoueverhearthelike?Letmetellyou。Helayingbytheedgeoftheriverieceofthebankandsplashedhim。‘Opapa！’hecried；‘agreatbigpuddlefewupandhitme。’”

&oppedandwaitedformetojoinhiminhisinfernalglee。

“Idontseeanylaughinit，”Isaidshortly，andIknowmyfatsour。

Heregardedmewithwohehedam，gloreading，asIhavedescribedit，tillhisfaesoftandwarm，likethesummermoohelaugh-“Ha!ha！That‘sfunny！Youdo，eh?Hee!hee！Ho!ho!ho！Hedoes！Why，lookhere。Youknouddle。”

ButIturnedonmyheelahatwasthelast。Idithithere，Ithought，cursehim！Theearthshouldbequitofhim。Ahehill，Icouldhearhismhreverberatingagainstthesky。

Now，Ipridemyselfondoingthily，andwheokillJohnClaverhouseIhaditinmindtodosoinsuthatIshouldnotlookbaitandfeelashamed。Ihatebungling，ay。Tomethereissrikingamanwitho-faugh!itissig！So，toshoot，orstab，orClaverhouse（oh，thatappealtome。Andnotonlyelledtodoitlyandartistically，butalsoinsuerthatestpossiblesuspicouldbedirestme。

Tothiseelled，afteraweekofprofoundin，Ihatchedthescheme。Thehtaach，fivemonthsold，aedmywholeattenti。Hadanyonespiedupoheywouldhaveremarkedthatthistrainingsistedentirelyofohiaughtthedog，whichIcalled“BelloicksIthrewier，andnototofetwiththem。Thepointwasthatshef，buttodeliverthestiallhaste。Imadeapractiingawayandleaviochaseme，withthestihermouth，tillshecaughtme。Shewasabrightanimal，andtooktothegamewithsuessthatIwassoo。

&，atthefirstcasualopportunity，IpreseoJohnClaverhouse。IkIwasabout，forIwasawareofalittleweaknessofhis，andofalittleprivatesinningofwhichhewasregularlyaelyguilty。

“No，”hesaid，wheheendoftheropeinhishand。“No，youdo。”Andhismouthopenedwideandhegrinnedalloverhisdamnablemoon-face。

“I-Ihaveakindofthought，somehow，youdidntlikeme。”heexplaiitfuomakesuchamistake?”Aheheldhissideswithlaughter。

“Whatishername?”hemaoaskbetweenparoxysms。“Bellona，”Isaid。“Hee!hee！”hetittered。“Whatafunnyname。”

Igrittedmyteeth，forhismirthputthemonedge，aweenthem，“ShewasthewifeofMars，youknow。”

&helightofthefullmooosuffusehisfatilheexplodedwith：“Thatwasmy。Well，Iguessshesa。Oh！Ho!ho！E！hee!hee！Ho！”hewhoopedafterme，andIturlyoverthehill。

Theweekpassedby，andonSaturdayeveningIsaidtohim，“YougoawayMonday，dontyou?”

Henoddedhisheadandgrinned。

“Thenyouwoheressofthosetroutyoujust’doteon。”

Buthedidhesneer。“Oh，Idontknow，”hechuckled。“Imgoinguptomorrowtotryprettyhard。”

Thuswasassurancemadedoublysure，aomyhousehuggihrapture。

&mIsawhimgoby-andgunnysadBellathisheels。Ikneasbound，andcutoutbythebackpastureahroughtheuothetopofthemountain。Keepiofsight，Ifollowedthegforailestoanaturalamphitheatreinthehills，wherethelittleriverraouteandstoppedforbreathinalargeandplacidrodpool。Thatot！Isatdownontheountain，whereIcouldseeallthatocdlightedmypipe。