马克·吐温（１８３５—１９１０）的《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》①（１８８４， 简称《赫克》）是美国文学中的珍品，也是美国文化中的珍品。十年前（１９８４），美国 文坛为《赫克》出版一百周年举行了广泛的庆祝活动和学术讨论，也出版了一些研究马 克·吐温，特别是他的《赫克》的专著。专门为一位大作家的一本名著而举行如此广泛的纪 念和专门的研究，这在世界文坛上也是少有的盛事。
这是因为《赫克》的意义不一般。美国著名作家海明威说，“一切现代美国文学来自一 本书，即马克·吐温的《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》……这是我们所有书中最好的。一切美国 文学都来自这本书，在它之前，或在它之后，都不曾有过能与之媲美的作品。”②其他的名 家象埃略特、屈里林、巴灵顿、福克纳等，都有类似的评价。经过百余年的历史检验，《赫 克》之为雅俗共赏、老少咸宜的世界名著，殆已成定论。
《赫克》的意义，事实上已变超出文学的领域而成为美国文化的珍品。在２０世纪，电 影、电视等对于人们生活方式、社会风尚、价值观念的形成与变迁，其影响之大，常使世人 为之惊叹。这在美国尤其如此。而回顾美国的电影史，自从第一架活动电影机于１８９５年 发明，百年来却一直偏爱马克·吐温迷人的小说，尤其是《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》。美国 电影界在１９００年便拍了《汤姆·莎耶历险记》的黑白片。１９１７年拍了《赫克与汤 姆》黑白片。１９２０年又拍了《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》黑白片。拍片的公司为著名的派 拉蒙电影公司，导演为著名导演威廉·特蒙特·泰勒。赫克由路维斯·索琪卡勃扮演，“国 王”由汤姆·奥·贝茨扮演，“公爵”由考拉尔·亨佛莱扮演，杰姆由乔治·李特扮演。当 时的《纽约时报》对影片作了好评。
①关于马克·吐温的生平，参阅附录《年表》。
②海明威《非洲的青山》，纽约，１９３５，２２—２３页。
在市场经济国家，观众、票房价值决定电影公司的选题。观众并未满足于看过一次《赫 克》就算了。于是在第一部黑白片以后的十一年，同一个公司再一次拍了《赫克》，全长７ ３分钟。在这以后八年（１９３９），另一家公司，米高梅公司又拍了《赫克》，这一次扮 演赫克的乃著名童星密克·隆尼。同一个公司（米高梅），在２１年后（１９６０），第一 次把《赫克》拍成彩色片，由埃迪·霍格斯扮演赫克。又１４年以后（１９７４）美国艺术 家——读者文摘拍了彩色片《赫克》。从１９２０年到１９７４年，历时半个世纪，同一部 小说《赫克》，在美国拍成黑白片与彩色片，前后达五次。一部文学名著，成为文化上如此 被热爱的珍品，也许还不多吧①。
①贝里·佛伦克《拍成电影的赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》，载《批评家论赫克·芬— —百年纪念评论选１８８４—１９８４》，纽约，１９８４，２７１页。
意味深长的是，马克·吐温的作品，包括《赫克》，不仅成了美国文学与美国文化的珍 品，也为人所喜爱。据一个资料记载，从二十年代的早期到四十年代，在前苏联发行的 马克·吐温的作品，达３，０００，０００册之多①。美国的苏联文学专家第明·勃朗教授 说，“在苏联，每一个小学生都知道《汤姆·莎耶历险记》和《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》 ②。”有意思的是前苏联还把《赫克》拍成电影，那是１９７３年的事。虽然当时还是冷战 的年代，苏联著名的电影制片厂——莫斯科电影制片厂，把《赫克》拍成了电影。导演为著 名导演乔治·纳·丹尼莉娅。赫克由小学四年级学生十一岁的卢马·马第亚诺夫扮演。场景 摄于第聂伯河上和波罗的海地区（原立陶宛）。当地的大河及河上市镇，颇类似密西西比河 上的风光③。
此外至少有两次拍成电视，一次是１９７５年，又一次是１９７８年②。
另外象大不列颠百科全书电影公司在１９６５年把《赫克》拍成三集彩色的教育电影。 １９７５年，ABC电影公司拍了９０分钟的《赫克》彩色片。１９７８年，西克——苏恩名 著出版公司拍了９７分钟的《赫克》彩色片。
①同①３５３—３５４页
②同①
③②《百年纪念评论选》，２７１页。
凡是这些都表明了《赫克》既是美国文学珍品，又是美国文化珍品，并影响及于世界各 国。而且从文化的视角看待文学名著，并非停留于文学本身，或停留于某些考虑而成为 对人们的生活方式、社会风尚、美丑善恶等价值观念的形成与变迁发生强大影响的东西—— 这样的文化审美的观念正逐渐风靡世界。
是什么样的艺术魅力使美国和世界各国的读者如此喜爱《赫克》呢？是它给美国和世界 各国的读者打开了一个独特的富于美国式幽默气质的心灵世界，一个西部开发时期千千万万 普通老百姓进行豪迈拓殖时幽默气质的心灵世界。幽默逗人发笑，幽默蕴含着智慧，幽默乃 机智的闪光。这样的幽默与塞万提斯笔下没落骑士阶级战风车的幽默又不一样，乃是美国 “西进”与“南下”声中千千万万勤劳的老百姓——这些强者在生活中的表现。它启发人笑 着面对人生，面对坎坷曲折，怀着活泼泼的生机，开拓前进，因而是独特的，是美国式的， 平头百姓的。作品迷人的奥秘也许正在于此。
中国千百年来的文学传统以温柔敦厚见长，现代则以热情抒发见长，因而中国读者对 《赫克》中活泼泼的幽默，由于审美习惯反差的原因，感受反倒会特别敏锐，也能得到特别 强烈的审美享受。书一打开，就读到赫克、汤姆等这些孩子结成“强盗帮”，写了血书，效 法罗宾汉这类英雄好汉，敢于“拦路抢劫”，敢于“杀人”。一次得到密报，有西班牙商人 和阿拉伯富翁，要带着二百只大象，六百头骆驼，一千多头驮骡，载满了珍宝，经过附近一 座山岭。这伙“强盗帮”便埋伏在林中，一声令下，冲下山去。可是哪里有什么大象、骆驼 的影子，只是一群教会办的主日学校的小学生在野餐，被他们冲散了。原来“强盗帮”成立 了一个月光景，“既没有抢人，也没有杀人，只是当作那样罢了。”可这“当作那样”的幽 默，既是孩子们的心态的真实写照，又闪耀着当年开拓者的孩子们粗犷、豪迈的心灵世界， 多么使人神往。
儿童如此，密西西比河上的水手，当年这些时代的弄潮儿粗犷的幽默气质，更是被作者 描写得淋漓尽致：赫克从自己的木筏子上跳下水去，泅近一个大木筏，偷偷爬上去，在一片 黑暗中偷听到一个水手在边跳边唱，①“喔——嚯！我是当年从阿肯色州荒野上来的铁下 巴，铜肚子，骑铜马，杀人不偿命的老牌魔王！……一顿早饭要吃十九条鳄鱼，一桶威士忌 酒。有病的日子里，一顿要吃一筐响尾蛇，外加一个死人！我瞧一眼，能叫千年岩石裂成两 半。……”“西进”声中流传于边疆的歌词，何等活灵活现地表现了拓殖者与水手们的豪 迈、粗犷的气概与幽默的气质。
①见《附录》（一）（《在木筏子上》）
从原文欣赏《赫克》的读者，也许可以仔细琢磨一下“国王”口里把那个Bridgewater 公爵（勃里奇华特公爵）念成了Bilge－water公爵，（毕奇华特公爵）有何等魔法般的妙 用。两三个字母之差，“桥下之水公爵”念成了“舱里之水公爵”——桥下的活水清又清， 可船舱里的积水——水手们和水上人家都知道，那是脏又臭。这样的幽默叫人发笑，给人愉 悦，又表现了鄙弃之情，叫人在幽默中潜移默化，得到高尚情操的陶冶。
这种马克·吐温式的、当年美国式的幽默，在世界文学史上曾独领风骚，今天有些人也 许还体会得有所不足，因而重温一下马克·吐温当年独到的见解，可能是有益的，马克·吐 温在写完《赫克》后的一年（１８８５），在其《怎样说故事》这个名篇中说：
我并不自夸懂得一个故事应该讲些什么，我只是能自称懂得一个故事应该怎么个。 因为这么好多好多年来，我几乎每天都和那些讲故事的行家里手在一起。
故事有各种各样，不过其中有一种最难驾驭，——幽默的故事。我主要谈的正是这么一 种故事。幽默的故事是美国的，喜剧的故事是英国的，机智的故事是法国的①。
①克里恩斯·勃洛克斯、R．W．B．路易斯、洛勃特·华伦主编《美国文学：创作与 作家》，纽约，１９７３，卷二，１２０２页。
试读《赫克》，从儿童们的结成“强盗帮”开始，接着写杰姆的迷信与自吹；赫克“爸 爸”的酒疯；赫克假死与逃到河上；赫克失散重聚后对杰姆的作弄；河上巡逻队的盘查和赫 克的妙计；男扮女装；“国王”与“公爵”的洋相；“打冤家”；赫克的告发信与拼着下地 狱；“国王”“公爵”欺侮弱女子与棺材藏银；汤姆导演的效法王公贵族式的地狱。幽默的 插曲，有如夏夜的星星布满天空，读者时而微笑，时而大笑，时而苦笑，人间烦恼为之一 扫，而智慧的闪光，在愉悦中把读者的心胸照亮。
也许有些读者不理解马克·吐温在卷首写的出于虚构的《通令》：“本书作者奉兵工署 长G．G的指示，……任何人如企图从本书的记叙中寻找写作动机，就将对之实行公诉；任 何人如企图从中寻找道德寓意，就将把他放逐；任何人如企图从中寻找一个情节结构，就将 予以枪决。”有的读者或者由于缺乏幽默感，或者对马克·吐温的幽默风格缺少了解，对这 样的《通令》可能感到莫名其妙，感到迷惑。殊不知这正是马克·吐温开宗明义便向读者披 露其情怀：这将是一个幽默的故事。言在此而意在彼，原本是一种幽默的手法。
马克·吐温的幽默，只是为了逗人发笑，为幽默而幽默么？如果真是这样，那还有什么 驰名世界的大作家马克·吐温？千百年来，从古到今，也从来没有过这样为文学而文学的大 作家。反话正说，恰恰是为了点出幽默中一片苦心。
恰恰正是马克·吐温，而不是别人，在《自传》中说，“有人说，一本小说纯粹只是一 部艺术品，如此而已。在小说里，你决不要布道，决不要说教。也许小说是这样，但幽默却 并非如此。幽默绝不可以教训人自居，以布道者自居，可是如果要永远传下去，必须两者兼 而有之。”①
《赫克》之所以“不朽”，正因为它通过对一个１４岁孩子的描写，在幽默逗笑声中酣 畅淋漓地写出了一个民族的生活与灵魂。马克·吐温说得好：“……一个外国人可以复制一 个民族的外貌……任何一个外国人都不能理解它的内在内容——它的灵魂、生活、语言、思 想……只有一个专门家，他具有足以理解人民的灵魂与生活，并把它原原本本地描述出来的 资格——这就是民族小说家。”②
①《马克·吐温自传》，译林出版社，３３０—３３１页。
②《美国作家论文学》，三联，９７—９８页
这是马克·吐温在写《怎样讲小说》这个名篇的同一年写的，也就是写了《赫克》以后 的那一年写的（１８８５）。这篇文章也可以说是夫子自道，是美国文论史上的珍宝，题目 叫做《保尔·布尔热关心我们什么》。美国有些研究者反倒对此不大重视，而前苏联学术界 倒是很重视。认为是马克·吐温文论的另一个名篇，这是对的，并且以这篇文章来照亮有关 《赫克》的探索与研究，那才是正路，而文本主义与庸俗社会学就对此无能为力了。
要找出《赫克》为何不朽，自然并非易事，一部经历了百年的《赫克》批评史，其中有 大量的论争性文章为此而发。意味深长的是一次著名的论争：“《赫克》的伟大在哪里？” 论争的一方为两位名家：美英现代主义奠基人之一、《荒原》的作者T．S．埃略特和新批 评派理论家莱昂纳尔·屈里林；论争的另一方是莱奥·玛克斯等一批后起之秀。屈里林的文 章题目便是《赫克尔贝里·芬的伟大之处》（１９４８），说《赫克》所以是一部伟大的 书，因为它“写的一个（密西西比河之）神——一个有自己的心、自己的意志的那种力量， 对有道德观念的想象力来说，它仿佛蕴含着一个伟大的道德观念，而赫克乃是这河神的仆 人。”《赫克》可说是“与人的卑琐相比，对河之神的美、神秘、力量一曲伟大高尚的颂 歌。”T．S．埃略特对此表示同感（１９５０）说“全书有两个因素，一个是孩子，一个是 大河”，“那个孩子正是大河的精神所寄托的。”两位大师还都为全书结尾写得差而辩解。 莱奥·玛克斯敢于对两位大家的观点提出质疑，说屈里林和埃略特“对大河的作用那种不无 夸张的想象，表现了他们对全书主题所在、中心所在何等忽视。”还说他们对结局的败笔辩 解，那是没有看到，结尾这样写法，使得“全书中最为严肃的寓意成了儿戏。总之，结局成 了一场滑稽戏，而全书的其余的部分则并非如此。”玛克斯指出，两位大师“对全书所写的 对自由的追求何等轻视”。①这场论战启人心智，也在某种程度上暴露了新批评派这种过于 侧重文本、技巧、技法在方上的狭隘性，而新批评派称霸美国文坛达半个世纪，至今仍 影响不小。
具有强大艺术魅力的全书主题——对自由的追求——并非是抽象的，而是充满了时代气 息。可能有些读者对卷首的书名下面写明的话漫不经心。作者在这里特意标明了故事情节发 生的地点与时间。地点：密西西比河流域；时间：４０到４５年前。按照小说末一页所标明 的，全书完稿于１８８４—１８８５年。据此推算，故事写的是１８２６——１８４５年之 事。也就是一般人所说的杰克逊（总统）时代（有人把杰克逊时代界定为从１８２８—１８ ４８年）。
①俱见诺顿版《赫克》的资料，３１０—３４１页
《赫克》的专家安特鲁·杰·霍夫曼在《马克·吐温作品中的主人公及其天地》中? 个问题作了比较深入的研究。他说：“在个性、心态、习惯、价值观念等方面，《赫克》中 的世界真切地反映了那个时代到美国访问过的人所记录下来的杰克逊时代的美国。马克·吐 温对历史真实的描绘通过一幅精彩的画面而表现了出来，其对于时代生活的细节的极端重视 使人惊叹。”“跟我们心目中的杰克逊时代的美国非常吻合”，“赫克是放在现实主义的天 地中加以描绘的”，“这个天地充满历史感，是历史真实的现实主义描写，写的是十九世纪 第二个二十五年的美国。”“那个时代的美国人的理想，他们的希望及其潜在的梦想，可以 从我们传统的英雄赫克的性格中窥见一般。”①
文学不同于历史，但马克·吐温正是捕捉住了他所写的那个时代的“美国民族的生活与 灵魂”，才使得作品具有如此强大的艺术魅力。古往今来，能捕捉住自己民族的灵魂的作 家，能自觉地为此而献身的，也并不很多，而能成为知音的批评家与读者也属难能而可贵。 《赫克》专家普烈乞特在１９４１年写的《美国第一部在本土产生的杰作》中说，“赫克的 童年，乃是一种新的文化的童年。”②旭克雷在１９６０年的《赫克的结构分析》中说， “在全书结尾，赫克摒弃了他所见到的文明，准备作为内在心灵上一个自由的人生活下 去。”③这些恐怕是百年来的批评与研究中相当击中要害的见解。
这一种对“自由的追求”，对一种“新的文化”的追求，正是从下层人民出身的赫克矇 眬而执着的追求，也是马克·吐温从十九世纪美国两股历史大潮——“西进”开发边疆和 “南下”废止南部各州黑奴制中，从伐木者、淘金者、水手的生活与憧憬中捕捉住并提炼熔 铸的。
①霍夫曼《吐温的主人公与吐温的天地》，滨州大学出版社，１９８８，５５页、 ７７—７８页。
②《百年纪念评论选》，７６页。
③同①４００—４０４页。
全书就是从赫克对旧的一套文化的厌恶、反感写起的。意味深长的是开宗明义第一章第 二节（第一节讲的是另一本书的事，故这第二节，实乃全书的第一节），就强调了一句话， 这句话实乃贯串全书，并在全书末了结尾一句又回到这句话上来，照应全书开头的那句话， 把主题点得明明白白。在开头第二节，赫克就讲，“道格拉斯寡妇要领养我做她的干儿子” （这个赫克是一个流浪汉醉鬼的儿子，一个穷孩子），“并且说她要教我学那一套文明的规 矩”（sivilzeme），“我再也受不了了”。后来加上他爸爸的等等原因，终于出走河 上。全书末了一句说，“我看我得比一些人先走一步，前往那个‘地域’去，因为萨莉姨妈 要认我做她的干儿子，要教我学那一套文明的规矩（sivilizeme），这我受不了。我已经受 过一回啦。”这样，赫克在出走河上以后不肯回家，终于往新的“地域”去闯荡天下，进行 新的开拓。这个新的“地域”（准州），有人考证，认为指后来的俄克拉荷马州，当年是印 第安人的地区。笔者认为，这个“地域”不论是实指，或是虚指，都不会仅指去到１８４８ 年前的地区，不会仅指南北战争前的理想，而是隐含着作者完稿时亦即１８８４—１８８５ 年时作者心目中所向往的地方，也就是作者心目中一种新的文化萌发的那种理想。 “sivilizeme”的“sivilize”，乃“civilize”的密苏里人土语的拼音，或译“学做人的 规矩”，或译“教我怎样做人”，译得都有道理。但赫克走出家庭，河上，甚至不惜假 死，所谓虽九死而犹未悔，当然不是一般地耍孩子脾气，而是对旧的一套文明的反感与厌 恶。正如普烈乞待所说，“赫克的童年也就是一种新的文化的童年”。所以连比较保守的文 艺理论家屈里体也承认“《赫克》实乃一部颠覆性的书（asubversiveCbook）。”①
①诺顿版《赫克》资料部分，３１６页。
作品的强大艺术魅力正是由于写的是赫克对家里老的一套古板的文明规矩与教会办的主 日学校桎梏心灵的那一套行为规范的厌恶与反抗。作品写一个十三四岁的穷孩子仿佛调皮捣 蛋，连进出都不走大门，而是从楼上窗口里爬进爬出，抱着避雷针上上下下；实则写他勇于 反抗（假死），勇于开拓，勇于冒险。只身一人，敢于逃上小岛，搭窝棚，生篝火，钓鱼为 生。小小年纪，成了小岛的主人；小小年纪，在大河之上，出生入死，没有叫过一声苦；永 远前进，没有后退过一步。叫美国和世界的读者入迷的正是当年西部拓殖者、淘金者与密西 西比河上水手的孩子们这样对自由的追求，对新的文化的追求！这种开拓的精神，这种创业 精神，这种美国人非常珍惜的个人首创精神，不是美国文明史上新的文化的萌芽又是什么呢？
叫读者入迷的是当年边疆与大河之上平头百姓家的孩子们对人性、人道的追求。“国 王”和“公爵”对河上老百姓的欺骗与讹诈；对弱女子的冷酷欺诈的掠夺，河上世族人家 “打冤家”的愚昧与残酷，由作者以幽默之笔，描叙得淋漓尽致，也可说是丑态百出。而与 此对照的，正是当年边疆拓殖者与河上水手的下一代穷孩子对一种合乎人性、人情、人道的 社会的向往。赫克这个穷孩子对“国王”与“公爵”的鄙弃，以及为了搭救险遭陷害的姑 娘，巧施妙计，把金币藏在棺材里，这样秉性善良、正直、富于同情心而机智的穷孩子赫克 的形象，不正是一种新的文化所孕育的一代么？能不迷人么？
作品的强大艺术魅力当然更表现于当年白种人穷孩子赫克搭救黑奴杰姆的曲折经过与复 杂的心灵历程，这显然是作品的核心部分。它写的正是当年边疆拓殖者与河上水手们的下一 代对社会的追求，也写了对解放黑奴的觉悟过程。这方面的描写可说是震憾人心的重大 主题找到了富于高超技巧技法的艺术形式。整个故事迂回曲折，分三个层次，奔向。作 品从赫克对黑奴杰姆既同情又加以戏弄写起。河上惊涛骇浪中失散后，赫克一度戏弄杰姆， 后来深感惭愧，认识到这么戏弄人“太卑鄙了，恨不得用嘴亲亲他的脚”，“再也不出坏主 意骗他了”（十五章），这是第一步。后来在河上遇巡逻队盘查逃亡黑奴，赫克本来深悔自 己不该帮黑奴逃跑，觉得对不住杰姆的女主人华珍小姐，决心把船划列岸边上岸去告发杰 姆。可巡逻队在河上逼近盘查时，赫克却由不得自己原来的盘算，推说自己船上是个生天花 的白人，巡逻队深怕传染上天花，吓得落荒而逃（十六章），这是第二步。最后，赫克思前 想后，下定了决心，写好了向杰姆的女主人华珍小姐告发杰姆的一封信，还觉得自己写了告 发信后不再负罪了，一身轻快了，深庆自己最后没有弄错了方向，没有“走进了地狱”。可 是他又不禁想到了杰姆的种种好处，刚才写好的那封信拿在手里，全身直发抖，终于把信一 撕，一边说，“那么，好吧，下地狱就下地狱吧。”赫克成了搭救杰姆挣脱奴隶桎梏的一名 战士，一个种族平等与理想的体现者（三十一章），这也是全书所在。
YOU don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly--Tom's Aunt Polly, she is--and Mary, and the Widow Douglas is all told about in that book, which is mostly a true book, with some stretchers, as I said before.
Now the way that the book winds up is this: Tom and me found the money that the robbers hid in the cave, and it made us rich. We got six thousand dollars apiece--all gold. It was an awful sight of money when it was piled up. Well, Judge Thatcher he took it and put it out at interest, and it fetched us a dollar a day apiece all the year round-- more than a body could tell what to do with. The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn't stand it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied. But Tom Sawyer he hunted me up and said he was going to start a band of robbers, and I might join if I would go back to the widow and be respectable. So I went back.
The widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb, and she called me a lot of other names, too, but she never meant no harm by it. She put me in them new clothes again, and I couldn't do nothing but sweat and sweat, and feel all cramped up. Well, then, the old thing commenced again. The widow rung a bell for supper, and you had to come to time. When you got to the table you couldn't go right to eating, but you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble a little over the victuals, though there warn't really anything the matter with them,--that is, nothing only everything was cooked by itself. In a barrel of odds and ends it is different; things get mixed up, and the juice kind of swaps around, and the things go better.
After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn't care no more about him, because I don't take no stock in dead people.
Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn't. She said it was a mean practice and wasn't clean, and I must try to not do it any more. That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it. Here she was a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her, and no use to anybody, being gone, you see, yet finding a power of fault with me for doing a thing that had some good in it. And she took snuff, too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself.
Her sister, Miss Watson, a tolerable slim old maid, with goggles on, had just come to live with her, and took a set at me now with a spelling- book. She worked me middling hard for about an hour, and then the widow made her ease up. I couldn't stood it much longer. Then for an hour it was deadly dull, and I was fidgety. Miss Watson would say, "Don't put your feet up there, Huckleberry;" and "Don't scrunch up like that, Huckleberry--set up straight;" and pretty soon she would say, "Don't gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry--why don't you try to behave?" Then she told me all about the bad place, and I said I wished I was there. She got mad then, but I didn't mean no harm. All I wanted was to go somewheres; all I wanted was a change, I warn't particular. She said it was wicked to say what I said; said she wouldn't say it for the whole world; she was going to live so as to go to the good place. Well, I couldn't see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn't try for it. But I never said so, because it would only make trouble, and wouldn't do no good.
Now she had got a start, and she went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever. So I didn't think much of it. But I never said so. I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there, and she said not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together.
Miss Watson she kept pecking at me, and it got tiresome and lonesome. By and by they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then everybody was off to bed. I went up to my room with a piece of candle, and put it on the table. Then I set down in a chair by the window and tried to think of something cheerful, but it warn't no use. I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead. The stars were shining, and the leaves rustled in the woods ever so mournful; and I heard an owl, away off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead, and a whippowill and a dog crying about somebody that was going to die; and the wind was trying to whisper something to me, and I couldn't make out what it was, and so it made the cold shivers run over me. Then away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about something that's on its mind and can't make itself understood, and so can't rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night grieving. I got so down-hearted and scared I did wish I had some company. Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder, and I flipped it off and it lit in the candle; and before I could budge it was all shriveled up. I didn't need anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck, so I was scared and most shook the clothes off of me. I got up and turned around in my tracks three times and crossed my breast every time; and then I tied up a little lock of my hair with a thread to keep witches away. But I hadn't no confidence. You do that when you've lost a horseshoe that you've found, instead of nailing it up over the door, but I hadn't ever heard anybody say it was any way to keep off bad luck when you'd killed a spider.
I set down again, a-shaking all over, and got out my pipe for a smoke; for the house was all as still as death now, and so the widow wouldn't know. Well, after a long time I heard the clock away off in the town go boom--boom--boom--twelve licks; and all still again--stiller than ever. Pretty soon I heard a twig snap down in the dark amongst the trees-- something was a stirring. I set still and listened. Directly I could just barely hear a "me-yow! me-yow!" down there. That was good! Says I, "me-yow! me-yow!" as soft as I could, and then I put out the light and scrambled out of the window on to the shed. Then I slipped down to the ground and crawled in among the trees, and, sure enough, there was Tom Sawyer waiting for me.
这是因为《赫克》的意义不一般。美国著名作家海明威说，“一切现代美国文学来自一 本书，即马克·吐温的《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》……这是我们所有书中最好的。一切美国 文学都来自这本书，在它之前，或在它之后，都不曾有过能与之媲美的作品。”②其他的名 家象埃略特、屈里林、巴灵顿、福克纳等，都有类似的评价。经过百余年的历史检验，《赫 克》之为雅俗共赏、老少咸宜的世界名著，殆已成定论。
《赫克》的意义，事实上已变超出文学的领域而成为美国文化的珍品。在２０世纪，电 影、电视等对于人们生活方式、社会风尚、价值观念的形成与变迁，其影响之大，常使世人 为之惊叹。这在美国尤其如此。而回顾美国的电影史，自从第一架活动电影机于１８９５年 发明，百年来却一直偏爱马克·吐温迷人的小说，尤其是《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》。美国 电影界在１９００年便拍了《汤姆·莎耶历险记》的黑白片。１９１７年拍了《赫克与汤 姆》黑白片。１９２０年又拍了《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》黑白片。拍片的公司为著名的派 拉蒙电影公司，导演为著名导演威廉·特蒙特·泰勒。赫克由路维斯·索琪卡勃扮演，“国 王”由汤姆·奥·贝茨扮演，“公爵”由考拉尔·亨佛莱扮演，杰姆由乔治·李特扮演。当 时的《纽约时报》对影片作了好评。
①关于马克·吐温的生平，参阅附录《年表》。
②海明威《非洲的青山》，纽约，１９３５，２２—２３页。
在市场经济国家，观众、票房价值决定电影公司的选题。观众并未满足于看过一次《赫 克》就算了。于是在第一部黑白片以后的十一年，同一个公司再一次拍了《赫克》，全长７ ３分钟。在这以后八年（１９３９），另一家公司，米高梅公司又拍了《赫克》，这一次扮 演赫克的乃著名童星密克·隆尼。同一个公司（米高梅），在２１年后（１９６０），第一 次把《赫克》拍成彩色片，由埃迪·霍格斯扮演赫克。又１４年以后（１９７４）美国艺术 家——读者文摘拍了彩色片《赫克》。从１９２０年到１９７４年，历时半个世纪，同一部 小说《赫克》，在美国拍成黑白片与彩色片，前后达五次。一部文学名著，成为文化上如此 被热爱的珍品，也许还不多吧①。
①贝里·佛伦克《拍成电影的赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》，载《批评家论赫克·芬— —百年纪念评论选１８８４—１９８４》，纽约，１９８４，２７１页。
意味深长的是，马克·吐温的作品，包括《赫克》，不仅成了美国文学与美国文化的珍 品，也为人所喜爱。据一个资料记载，从二十年代的早期到四十年代，在前苏联发行的 马克·吐温的作品，达３，０００，０００册之多①。美国的苏联文学专家第明·勃朗教授 说，“在苏联，每一个小学生都知道《汤姆·莎耶历险记》和《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》 ②。”有意思的是前苏联还把《赫克》拍成电影，那是１９７３年的事。虽然当时还是冷战 的年代，苏联著名的电影制片厂——莫斯科电影制片厂，把《赫克》拍成了电影。导演为著 名导演乔治·纳·丹尼莉娅。赫克由小学四年级学生十一岁的卢马·马第亚诺夫扮演。场景 摄于第聂伯河上和波罗的海地区（原立陶宛）。当地的大河及河上市镇，颇类似密西西比河 上的风光③。
此外至少有两次拍成电视，一次是１９７５年，又一次是１９７８年②。
另外象大不列颠百科全书电影公司在１９６５年把《赫克》拍成三集彩色的教育电影。 １９７５年，ABC电影公司拍了９０分钟的《赫克》彩色片。１９７８年，西克——苏恩名 著出版公司拍了９７分钟的《赫克》彩色片。
①同①３５３—３５４页
②同①
③②《百年纪念评论选》，２７１页。
凡是这些都表明了《赫克》既是美国文学珍品，又是美国文化珍品，并影响及于世界各 国。而且从文化的视角看待文学名著，并非停留于文学本身，或停留于某些考虑而成为 对人们的生活方式、社会风尚、美丑善恶等价值观念的形成与变迁发生强大影响的东西—— 这样的文化审美的观念正逐渐风靡世界。
是什么样的艺术魅力使美国和世界各国的读者如此喜爱《赫克》呢？是它给美国和世界 各国的读者打开了一个独特的富于美国式幽默气质的心灵世界，一个西部开发时期千千万万 普通老百姓进行豪迈拓殖时幽默气质的心灵世界。幽默逗人发笑，幽默蕴含着智慧，幽默乃 机智的闪光。这样的幽默与塞万提斯笔下没落骑士阶级战风车的幽默又不一样，乃是美国 “西进”与“南下”声中千千万万勤劳的老百姓——这些强者在生活中的表现。它启发人笑 着面对人生，面对坎坷曲折，怀着活泼泼的生机，开拓前进，因而是独特的，是美国式的， 平头百姓的。作品迷人的奥秘也许正在于此。
中国千百年来的文学传统以温柔敦厚见长，现代则以热情抒发见长，因而中国读者对 《赫克》中活泼泼的幽默，由于审美习惯反差的原因，感受反倒会特别敏锐，也能得到特别 强烈的审美享受。书一打开，就读到赫克、汤姆等这些孩子结成“强盗帮”，写了血书，效 法罗宾汉这类英雄好汉，敢于“拦路抢劫”，敢于“杀人”。一次得到密报，有西班牙商人 和阿拉伯富翁，要带着二百只大象，六百头骆驼，一千多头驮骡，载满了珍宝，经过附近一 座山岭。这伙“强盗帮”便埋伏在林中，一声令下，冲下山去。可是哪里有什么大象、骆驼 的影子，只是一群教会办的主日学校的小学生在野餐，被他们冲散了。原来“强盗帮”成立 了一个月光景，“既没有抢人，也没有杀人，只是当作那样罢了。”可这“当作那样”的幽 默，既是孩子们的心态的真实写照，又闪耀着当年开拓者的孩子们粗犷、豪迈的心灵世界， 多么使人神往。
儿童如此，密西西比河上的水手，当年这些时代的弄潮儿粗犷的幽默气质，更是被作者 描写得淋漓尽致：赫克从自己的木筏子上跳下水去，泅近一个大木筏，偷偷爬上去，在一片 黑暗中偷听到一个水手在边跳边唱，①“喔——嚯！我是当年从阿肯色州荒野上来的铁下 巴，铜肚子，骑铜马，杀人不偿命的老牌魔王！……一顿早饭要吃十九条鳄鱼，一桶威士忌 酒。有病的日子里，一顿要吃一筐响尾蛇，外加一个死人！我瞧一眼，能叫千年岩石裂成两 半。……”“西进”声中流传于边疆的歌词，何等活灵活现地表现了拓殖者与水手们的豪 迈、粗犷的气概与幽默的气质。
①见《附录》（一）（《在木筏子上》）
从原文欣赏《赫克》的读者，也许可以仔细琢磨一下“国王”口里把那个Bridgewater 公爵（勃里奇华特公爵）念成了Bilge－water公爵，（毕奇华特公爵）有何等魔法般的妙 用。两三个字母之差，“桥下之水公爵”念成了“舱里之水公爵”——桥下的活水清又清， 可船舱里的积水——水手们和水上人家都知道，那是脏又臭。这样的幽默叫人发笑，给人愉 悦，又表现了鄙弃之情，叫人在幽默中潜移默化，得到高尚情操的陶冶。
这种马克·吐温式的、当年美国式的幽默，在世界文学史上曾独领风骚，今天有些人也 许还体会得有所不足，因而重温一下马克·吐温当年独到的见解，可能是有益的，马克·吐 温在写完《赫克》后的一年（１８８５），在其《怎样说故事》这个名篇中说：
我并不自夸懂得一个故事应该讲些什么，我只是能自称懂得一个故事应该怎么个。 因为这么好多好多年来，我几乎每天都和那些讲故事的行家里手在一起。
故事有各种各样，不过其中有一种最难驾驭，——幽默的故事。我主要谈的正是这么一 种故事。幽默的故事是美国的，喜剧的故事是英国的，机智的故事是法国的①。
①克里恩斯·勃洛克斯、R．W．B．路易斯、洛勃特·华伦主编《美国文学：创作与 作家》，纽约，１９７３，卷二，１２０２页。
试读《赫克》，从儿童们的结成“强盗帮”开始，接着写杰姆的迷信与自吹；赫克“爸 爸”的酒疯；赫克假死与逃到河上；赫克失散重聚后对杰姆的作弄；河上巡逻队的盘查和赫 克的妙计；男扮女装；“国王”与“公爵”的洋相；“打冤家”；赫克的告发信与拼着下地 狱；“国王”“公爵”欺侮弱女子与棺材藏银；汤姆导演的效法王公贵族式的地狱。幽默的 插曲，有如夏夜的星星布满天空，读者时而微笑，时而大笑，时而苦笑，人间烦恼为之一 扫，而智慧的闪光，在愉悦中把读者的心胸照亮。
也许有些读者不理解马克·吐温在卷首写的出于虚构的《通令》：“本书作者奉兵工署 长G．G的指示，……任何人如企图从本书的记叙中寻找写作动机，就将对之实行公诉；任 何人如企图从中寻找道德寓意，就将把他放逐；任何人如企图从中寻找一个情节结构，就将 予以枪决。”有的读者或者由于缺乏幽默感，或者对马克·吐温的幽默风格缺少了解，对这 样的《通令》可能感到莫名其妙，感到迷惑。殊不知这正是马克·吐温开宗明义便向读者披 露其情怀：这将是一个幽默的故事。言在此而意在彼，原本是一种幽默的手法。
马克·吐温的幽默，只是为了逗人发笑，为幽默而幽默么？如果真是这样，那还有什么 驰名世界的大作家马克·吐温？千百年来，从古到今，也从来没有过这样为文学而文学的大 作家。反话正说，恰恰是为了点出幽默中一片苦心。
恰恰正是马克·吐温，而不是别人，在《自传》中说，“有人说，一本小说纯粹只是一 部艺术品，如此而已。在小说里，你决不要布道，决不要说教。也许小说是这样，但幽默却 并非如此。幽默绝不可以教训人自居，以布道者自居，可是如果要永远传下去，必须两者兼 而有之。”①
《赫克》之所以“不朽”，正因为它通过对一个１４岁孩子的描写，在幽默逗笑声中酣 畅淋漓地写出了一个民族的生活与灵魂。马克·吐温说得好：“……一个外国人可以复制一 个民族的外貌……任何一个外国人都不能理解它的内在内容——它的灵魂、生活、语言、思 想……只有一个专门家，他具有足以理解人民的灵魂与生活，并把它原原本本地描述出来的 资格——这就是民族小说家。”②
①《马克·吐温自传》，译林出版社，３３０—３３１页。
②《美国作家论文学》，三联，９７—９８页
这是马克·吐温在写《怎样讲小说》这个名篇的同一年写的，也就是写了《赫克》以后 的那一年写的（１８８５）。这篇文章也可以说是夫子自道，是美国文论史上的珍宝，题目 叫做《保尔·布尔热关心我们什么》。美国有些研究者反倒对此不大重视，而前苏联学术界 倒是很重视。认为是马克·吐温文论的另一个名篇，这是对的，并且以这篇文章来照亮有关 《赫克》的探索与研究，那才是正路，而文本主义与庸俗社会学就对此无能为力了。
要找出《赫克》为何不朽，自然并非易事，一部经历了百年的《赫克》批评史，其中有 大量的论争性文章为此而发。意味深长的是一次著名的论争：“《赫克》的伟大在哪里？” 论争的一方为两位名家：美英现代主义奠基人之一、《荒原》的作者T．S．埃略特和新批 评派理论家莱昂纳尔·屈里林；论争的另一方是莱奥·玛克斯等一批后起之秀。屈里林的文 章题目便是《赫克尔贝里·芬的伟大之处》（１９４８），说《赫克》所以是一部伟大的 书，因为它“写的一个（密西西比河之）神——一个有自己的心、自己的意志的那种力量， 对有道德观念的想象力来说，它仿佛蕴含着一个伟大的道德观念，而赫克乃是这河神的仆 人。”《赫克》可说是“与人的卑琐相比，对河之神的美、神秘、力量一曲伟大高尚的颂 歌。”T．S．埃略特对此表示同感（１９５０）说“全书有两个因素，一个是孩子，一个是 大河”，“那个孩子正是大河的精神所寄托的。”两位大师还都为全书结尾写得差而辩解。 莱奥·玛克斯敢于对两位大家的观点提出质疑，说屈里林和埃略特“对大河的作用那种不无 夸张的想象，表现了他们对全书主题所在、中心所在何等忽视。”还说他们对结局的败笔辩 解，那是没有看到，结尾这样写法，使得“全书中最为严肃的寓意成了儿戏。总之，结局成 了一场滑稽戏，而全书的其余的部分则并非如此。”玛克斯指出，两位大师“对全书所写的 对自由的追求何等轻视”。①这场论战启人心智，也在某种程度上暴露了新批评派这种过于 侧重文本、技巧、技法在方上的狭隘性，而新批评派称霸美国文坛达半个世纪，至今仍 影响不小。
具有强大艺术魅力的全书主题——对自由的追求——并非是抽象的，而是充满了时代气 息。可能有些读者对卷首的书名下面写明的话漫不经心。作者在这里特意标明了故事情节发 生的地点与时间。地点：密西西比河流域；时间：４０到４５年前。按照小说末一页所标明 的，全书完稿于１８８４—１８８５年。据此推算，故事写的是１８２６——１８４５年之 事。也就是一般人所说的杰克逊（总统）时代（有人把杰克逊时代界定为从１８２８—１８ ４８年）。
①俱见诺顿版《赫克》的资料，３１０—３４１页
《赫克》的专家安特鲁·杰·霍夫曼在《马克·吐温作品中的主人公及其天地》中? 个问题作了比较深入的研究。他说：“在个性、心态、习惯、价值观念等方面，《赫克》中 的世界真切地反映了那个时代到美国访问过的人所记录下来的杰克逊时代的美国。马克·吐 温对历史真实的描绘通过一幅精彩的画面而表现了出来，其对于时代生活的细节的极端重视 使人惊叹。”“跟我们心目中的杰克逊时代的美国非常吻合”，“赫克是放在现实主义的天 地中加以描绘的”，“这个天地充满历史感，是历史真实的现实主义描写，写的是十九世纪 第二个二十五年的美国。”“那个时代的美国人的理想，他们的希望及其潜在的梦想，可以 从我们传统的英雄赫克的性格中窥见一般。”①
文学不同于历史，但马克·吐温正是捕捉住了他所写的那个时代的“美国民族的生活与 灵魂”，才使得作品具有如此强大的艺术魅力。古往今来，能捕捉住自己民族的灵魂的作 家，能自觉地为此而献身的，也并不很多，而能成为知音的批评家与读者也属难能而可贵。 《赫克》专家普烈乞特在１９４１年写的《美国第一部在本土产生的杰作》中说，“赫克的 童年，乃是一种新的文化的童年。”②旭克雷在１９６０年的《赫克的结构分析》中说， “在全书结尾，赫克摒弃了他所见到的文明，准备作为内在心灵上一个自由的人生活下 去。”③这些恐怕是百年来的批评与研究中相当击中要害的见解。
这一种对“自由的追求”，对一种“新的文化”的追求，正是从下层人民出身的赫克矇 眬而执着的追求，也是马克·吐温从十九世纪美国两股历史大潮——“西进”开发边疆和 “南下”废止南部各州黑奴制中，从伐木者、淘金者、水手的生活与憧憬中捕捉住并提炼熔 铸的。
①霍夫曼《吐温的主人公与吐温的天地》，滨州大学出版社，１９８８，５５页、 ７７—７８页。
②《百年纪念评论选》，７６页。
③同①４００—４０４页。
全书就是从赫克对旧的一套文化的厌恶、反感写起的。意味深长的是开宗明义第一章第 二节（第一节讲的是另一本书的事，故这第二节，实乃全书的第一节），就强调了一句话， 这句话实乃贯串全书，并在全书末了结尾一句又回到这句话上来，照应全书开头的那句话， 把主题点得明明白白。在开头第二节，赫克就讲，“道格拉斯寡妇要领养我做她的干儿子” （这个赫克是一个流浪汉醉鬼的儿子，一个穷孩子），“并且说她要教我学那一套文明的规 矩”（sivilzeme），“我再也受不了了”。后来加上他爸爸的等等原因，终于出走河 上。全书末了一句说，“我看我得比一些人先走一步，前往那个‘地域’去，因为萨莉姨妈 要认我做她的干儿子，要教我学那一套文明的规矩（sivilizeme），这我受不了。我已经受 过一回啦。”这样，赫克在出走河上以后不肯回家，终于往新的“地域”去闯荡天下，进行 新的开拓。这个新的“地域”（准州），有人考证，认为指后来的俄克拉荷马州，当年是印 第安人的地区。笔者认为，这个“地域”不论是实指，或是虚指，都不会仅指去到１８４８ 年前的地区，不会仅指南北战争前的理想，而是隐含着作者完稿时亦即１８８４—１８８５ 年时作者心目中所向往的地方，也就是作者心目中一种新的文化萌发的那种理想。 “sivilizeme”的“sivilize”，乃“civilize”的密苏里人土语的拼音，或译“学做人的 规矩”，或译“教我怎样做人”，译得都有道理。但赫克走出家庭，河上，甚至不惜假 死，所谓虽九死而犹未悔，当然不是一般地耍孩子脾气，而是对旧的一套文明的反感与厌 恶。正如普烈乞待所说，“赫克的童年也就是一种新的文化的童年”。所以连比较保守的文 艺理论家屈里体也承认“《赫克》实乃一部颠覆性的书（asubversiveCbook）。”①
①诺顿版《赫克》资料部分，３１６页。
作品的强大艺术魅力正是由于写的是赫克对家里老的一套古板的文明规矩与教会办的主 日学校桎梏心灵的那一套行为规范的厌恶与反抗。作品写一个十三四岁的穷孩子仿佛调皮捣 蛋，连进出都不走大门，而是从楼上窗口里爬进爬出，抱着避雷针上上下下；实则写他勇于 反抗（假死），勇于开拓，勇于冒险。只身一人，敢于逃上小岛，搭窝棚，生篝火，钓鱼为 生。小小年纪，成了小岛的主人；小小年纪，在大河之上，出生入死，没有叫过一声苦；永 远前进，没有后退过一步。叫美国和世界的读者入迷的正是当年西部拓殖者、淘金者与密西 西比河上水手的孩子们这样对自由的追求，对新的文化的追求！这种开拓的精神，这种创业 精神，这种美国人非常珍惜的个人首创精神，不是美国文明史上新的文化的萌芽又是什么呢？
叫读者入迷的是当年边疆与大河之上平头百姓家的孩子们对人性、人道的追求。“国 王”和“公爵”对河上老百姓的欺骗与讹诈；对弱女子的冷酷欺诈的掠夺，河上世族人家 “打冤家”的愚昧与残酷，由作者以幽默之笔，描叙得淋漓尽致，也可说是丑态百出。而与 此对照的，正是当年边疆拓殖者与河上水手的下一代穷孩子对一种合乎人性、人情、人道的 社会的向往。赫克这个穷孩子对“国王”与“公爵”的鄙弃，以及为了搭救险遭陷害的姑 娘，巧施妙计，把金币藏在棺材里，这样秉性善良、正直、富于同情心而机智的穷孩子赫克 的形象，不正是一种新的文化所孕育的一代么？能不迷人么？
作品的强大艺术魅力当然更表现于当年白种人穷孩子赫克搭救黑奴杰姆的曲折经过与复 杂的心灵历程，这显然是作品的核心部分。它写的正是当年边疆拓殖者与河上水手们的下一 代对社会的追求，也写了对解放黑奴的觉悟过程。这方面的描写可说是震憾人心的重大 主题找到了富于高超技巧技法的艺术形式。整个故事迂回曲折，分三个层次，奔向。作 品从赫克对黑奴杰姆既同情又加以戏弄写起。河上惊涛骇浪中失散后，赫克一度戏弄杰姆， 后来深感惭愧，认识到这么戏弄人“太卑鄙了，恨不得用嘴亲亲他的脚”，“再也不出坏主 意骗他了”（十五章），这是第一步。后来在河上遇巡逻队盘查逃亡黑奴，赫克本来深悔自 己不该帮黑奴逃跑，觉得对不住杰姆的女主人华珍小姐，决心把船划列岸边上岸去告发杰 姆。可巡逻队在河上逼近盘查时，赫克却由不得自己原来的盘算，推说自己船上是个生天花 的白人，巡逻队深怕传染上天花，吓得落荒而逃（十六章），这是第二步。最后，赫克思前 想后，下定了决心，写好了向杰姆的女主人华珍小姐告发杰姆的一封信，还觉得自己写了告 发信后不再负罪了，一身轻快了，深庆自己最后没有弄错了方向，没有“走进了地狱”。可 是他又不禁想到了杰姆的种种好处，刚才写好的那封信拿在手里，全身直发抖，终于把信一 撕，一边说，“那么，好吧，下地狱就下地狱吧。”赫克成了搭救杰姆挣脱奴隶桎梏的一名 战士，一个种族平等与理想的体现者（三十一章），这也是全书所在。
YOU don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly--Tom's Aunt Polly, she is--and Mary, and the Widow Douglas is all told about in that book, which is mostly a true book, with some stretchers, as I said before.
Now the way that the book winds up is this: Tom and me found the money that the robbers hid in the cave, and it made us rich. We got six thousand dollars apiece--all gold. It was an awful sight of money when it was piled up. Well, Judge Thatcher he took it and put it out at interest, and it fetched us a dollar a day apiece all the year round-- more than a body could tell what to do with. The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn't stand it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied. But Tom Sawyer he hunted me up and said he was going to start a band of robbers, and I might join if I would go back to the widow and be respectable. So I went back.
The widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb, and she called me a lot of other names, too, but she never meant no harm by it. She put me in them new clothes again, and I couldn't do nothing but sweat and sweat, and feel all cramped up. Well, then, the old thing commenced again. The widow rung a bell for supper, and you had to come to time. When you got to the table you couldn't go right to eating, but you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble a little over the victuals, though there warn't really anything the matter with them,--that is, nothing only everything was cooked by itself. In a barrel of odds and ends it is different; things get mixed up, and the juice kind of swaps around, and the things go better.
After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn't care no more about him, because I don't take no stock in dead people.
Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn't. She said it was a mean practice and wasn't clean, and I must try to not do it any more. That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it. Here she was a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her, and no use to anybody, being gone, you see, yet finding a power of fault with me for doing a thing that had some good in it. And she took snuff, too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself.
Her sister, Miss Watson, a tolerable slim old maid, with goggles on, had just come to live with her, and took a set at me now with a spelling- book. She worked me middling hard for about an hour, and then the widow made her ease up. I couldn't stood it much longer. Then for an hour it was deadly dull, and I was fidgety. Miss Watson would say, "Don't put your feet up there, Huckleberry;" and "Don't scrunch up like that, Huckleberry--set up straight;" and pretty soon she would say, "Don't gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry--why don't you try to behave?" Then she told me all about the bad place, and I said I wished I was there. She got mad then, but I didn't mean no harm. All I wanted was to go somewheres; all I wanted was a change, I warn't particular. She said it was wicked to say what I said; said she wouldn't say it for the whole world; she was going to live so as to go to the good place. Well, I couldn't see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn't try for it. But I never said so, because it would only make trouble, and wouldn't do no good.
Now she had got a start, and she went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever. So I didn't think much of it. But I never said so. I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there, and she said not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together.
Miss Watson she kept pecking at me, and it got tiresome and lonesome. By and by they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then everybody was off to bed. I went up to my room with a piece of candle, and put it on the table. Then I set down in a chair by the window and tried to think of something cheerful, but it warn't no use. I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead. The stars were shining, and the leaves rustled in the woods ever so mournful; and I heard an owl, away off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead, and a whippowill and a dog crying about somebody that was going to die; and the wind was trying to whisper something to me, and I couldn't make out what it was, and so it made the cold shivers run over me. Then away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about something that's on its mind and can't make itself understood, and so can't rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night grieving. I got so down-hearted and scared I did wish I had some company. Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder, and I flipped it off and it lit in the candle; and before I could budge it was all shriveled up. I didn't need anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck, so I was scared and most shook the clothes off of me. I got up and turned around in my tracks three times and crossed my breast every time; and then I tied up a little lock of my hair with a thread to keep witches away. But I hadn't no confidence. You do that when you've lost a horseshoe that you've found, instead of nailing it up over the door, but I hadn't ever heard anybody say it was any way to keep off bad luck when you'd killed a spider.
I set down again, a-shaking all over, and got out my pipe for a smoke; for the house was all as still as death now, and so the widow wouldn't know. Well, after a long time I heard the clock away off in the town go boom--boom--boom--twelve licks; and all still again--stiller than ever. Pretty soon I heard a twig snap down in the dark amongst the trees-- something was a stirring. I set still and listened. Directly I could just barely hear a "me-yow! me-yow!" down there. That was good! Says I, "me-yow! me-yow!" as soft as I could, and then I put out the light and scrambled out of the window on to the shed. Then I slipped down to the ground and crawled in among the trees, and, sure enough, there was Tom Sawyer waiting for me.
这样的描写不仅艺术上是高超的，而且真切地写了一个白人家穷孩子觉悟提高的过程。 它没有写赫克一开始就是个包打天下的废奴主义者。赫克从一般地同情黑奴，又轻视黑奴、 时或戏弄黑奴，到认识到黑人杰姆的高尚人品，为了解救他，我不入地狱谁入地狱，这其间 有个曲折的过程。马克·吐温自己对此有切身的体会。他在《自传》中说，“我做小学生的 时候，并不厌恶黑奴制度，我并不知道那有什么错。我耳朵里没有听到谁责难过它。当地的 牧师教导我们说，那是上帝认可的，说这是一件神圣的事，要是怀疑者心里有疑惑，只要看 一看《圣经》就行了。”①事实上，密苏里当时便是一个政府许可的蓄奴州。并且，在南北 战争以前，认为蓄奴乃理直气壮的人，何止成千上万。《赫克》中所写赫克的爸爸，虽为穷 苦的白人，却认为蓄奴乃天经地义。他自认为比黑人教授还高明，认为黑人竟可以有选举 权，竟可以投票，那还成什么天下。可见当年废奴的斗争是艰苦的，马克·吐温的描写是符 合历史真实的，而符合历史真实又找到了高超的艺术形式的描写，并且每一步洋溢着幽默， 其艺术魅力自然特别强大。这样的写法并且对于一般普普通通的人的审美教育意义也特别真 切。这种描写也表明了，赫克的童年，追求理想的童年，恰恰正是美国历史上一种新的 文化的童年。这样的描写能不迷人么？
①《马克·吐温自传》，译林出版社，第二章。
能认为《赫克》的意义只是旨在实现黑奴解放战争以前那个时代对自由的追求，亦即? 开拓创业、人道、的追求么？当然不是。作品写的是１８２６—１８４５年的事，但写 成于１８８４—１８８５年。在动笔写的７年间（１８７６年、１８７９—１８８０年，１ ８８３年），南北战争已经打过了，黑奴制基本上废止了，在某些意义上，开拓、创业，个 人首创精神结出了累累硕果。重人性、人情、人道的风尚有所进步，的事业有所前进。 但是穷白人赫克对自由的追求、对新的文化的追求实现了么？《赫克》的创作主体马克·吐 温在十九世纪七八十年代创作的心态，只限于对４０—５０年前旧时美国的回忆么？
马克·吐温在完稿时已成长为美国文坛的巨人。他目击了４０—５０年间美国历史的发 展变化。在写《赫克》前两年，便已写出了《镀金时代》。他写出了南北战争后的美国、经 济大发展的美国、发财狂潮旋卷了一切的美国，实际上只是表面上镀了薄薄的一层金，里面 却是包的一堆废铜烂铁，美国社会原来是个腐朽的社会。古往今来，曾有哪一个作家，给自 己生活着的时代起了一个如此深刻而隽永、如此幽默的名字，并且为当时人们所认同，并为 史家所接受呢？在写了《赫克》后的五年（１９００），马克·吐温写了《败坏了赫德莱堡 的人》，写出了“最诚实廉洁的市镇”原来是一群伪君子，在一袋金币面前，便露出了“既 想当娘子，又要立牌坊”的原形。同年，值八国联军侵华，马克·吐温在纽约发表了著名的 演讲：“我也是义和团”，“义和团是爱国的”。又六年，在１９０６年，高尔基为１９０ ５年的来到美国筹募捐款，马克·吐温对高尔基的义举大力支持。由此可见， 主义者的马克·吐温在写赫克对自由的追求孕碌奈幕淖非笫保缘笔钡南质等绾蔚厥? 望。这令人失望的现实，更加深了这个当过报童、排字工人、矿工、水手与领港的作家对真 正符合人志的自由与的期待。事实上，《赫克》中不乏后来称为黑色幽默以至荒诞 派色彩的描写，特别是“国王”和“公爵”登场以后。因此，美国有的评论家称《赫克》为 黑色幽默的先驱，塞林格的《麦田里的守望者》为其嫡传，这是有道理的①。福克纳说， “甚至霍桑和亨利·詹姆斯还不是严格意义上类似马克·吐温、惠特曼和桑德堡那样的美国 的作家。”从《赫克》与后来美国黑色幽默小说的血肉联系，也表明了《赫克》的独特的美 国式小说的风格。
著名作家和评论家，马克·吐温的好友豪威尔斯说，“马克·吐温是美国文学史上的林 肯。”②为什么能这样说呢？新批评派大将克里恩斯·勃格克斯和洛勃特·华伦主编的《美 国文学创作与作家》认为，马克·吐温写赫克，“用的是赫克自己的口语，仿佛粗俗，实乃 神奇”，而不是用的往往刻板的叙述人的语言。用赫克的口语写，使“感情与事件融和”、 “形式与效果一致”，从而创造了马克·吐温的风格。“我们不妨这样理解，林肯解放了黑 奴，马克·吐温解放了作家。”③
①《百年纪念缆垩 罚常梗惨场?
②《美国文学作品选》，麦美司，１９８０年版，卷２，３３２页。
③《美国文学创作与作家》，纽约，卷二，１２７８页。
马克·吐温这种运用作品中人物的个性化口语进行描叙的风格，确是他的卓越贡献，而 异于巴尔扎克、狄更斯、霍桑，并影响及于２０世纪一大批美国作家。纵览《赫克》全书， 从第一句开始，直到结束，始终发自“一个声音”，一个“我”。这个“我”，并非呼是马 克·吐温，不是一般传统的叙述人，而是穷孩子赫克。最终，也是这个“我”出走后不肯回 那个家，不肯受那套文明规矩的束缚，而要继续闯荡天下，开拓前进。这“一个声音”也是 “美国的灵魂”的一种表述，是马克·吐温捕捉住的时代的声音。受到这种“一个声音”的 感动的，何止一个人。曾有这么一个故事。美国著名电影名星莱奥纳尔·巴里摩尔九岁那 年，亦即在１８８８年，也就是《赫克》出版后三年，随父见到了马克·吐温。兴奋之余， 不禁为他朗诵了《赫克》全书末一段赫克的话，即不肯受“那一套文明规矩”的束缚，因而 不肯返回那古板的家庭，而要闯荡江河，开创新的生活的那一段话。巴里摩尔这位著名演员 回忆说，当时马克·吐温“一只手按住了九岁的孩子的胳膊，热泪盈眶。”①马克·吐温美 国式小说的内容与形式的统一，其艺术魅力之强大，这是动人的一例。
①《百年纪念评论选》，３６０页。
马克·吐温这位艺术大师、主义者，和其他历史人物一样，当然有其不足之处。 “有两个马克·吐温”，这是仰慕他的美国著名作家德莱塞的名句。也就是说，有一个不够 深刻的一面的马克·吐温。另外象《赫克》，其结尾是否是败笔，也可商讨。但赫克那种对 自由的追求，对社会的追螅孕碌奈幕淖非螅两袷贡榧笆澜绲亩琳撸诙梁笪? 心灵震撼。有的批评家曾称莎士比亚为“我们同时代的人”，如果我们称马克·吐温为“我 们同时代的人”，不是也非常贴切么？
１９９５．２．１２于南京
赫克尔贝里·芬历险记
（汤姆·莎耶的伙伴）①
地点：密西西比河流域②
时间：四十至四十五年前③
①《汤姆·莎耶历险记》出版于１８７６年，《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》出版于
１８８４年，马克·吐温称前者和后者为“姐妹篇’。学者们几乎一致认为马克·吐温 写《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》时，思想上、艺术上有个飞跃，两书成为“姐妹篇”，但又不 能等同看待。海明威说，“所有现代的美国文学都来自马克·吐温的一本书《赫克尔贝 里·芬历险记》。”
②密西西比河对美国文化的成长发展的重要性，人们常以之与黄河、长江对中国文化生 长、发展的重要性相比。马克·吐温的故乡即在密西西比河上密苏里州的汉尼拔。在马 克·吐温一生中，密西西比河既为十九世纪美国“西进”的重要基地，又为南北双方黑奴制 与反黑奴制派激烈斗争的地区。马克·吐温正是十九世纪美国“西进”与“南下”（“南 北”黑奴制斗争）时代这两股大潮孕育的伟大作家。作家开宗明义，清楚地点明故事发生的 地点在整个的密西西比河流域，意义不同寻常。
③本书出版于１８８４年，作者特别点明故事发生在四十至四十五年前，指写的是１８ ２６年至１８４５年期间的事。作家写的是六十年代黑奴解放战争以前的事，只是描述中饱 和着作家对战后的“镀金时代”，即虚假的繁荣时代的幻灭感与对更高的审美理想的深沉的 追求。
"Who dah?"
He listened some more; then he come tiptoeing down and stood right between us; we could a touched him, nearly. Well, likely it was minutes and minutes that there warn't a sound, and we all there so close together. There was a place on my ankle that got to itching, but I dasn't scratch it; and then my ear begun to itch; and next my back, right between my shoulders. Seemed like I'd die if I couldn't scratch. Well, I've noticed that thing plenty times since. If you are with the quality, or at a funeral, or trying to go to sleep when you ain't sleepy--if you are anywheres where it won't do for you to scratch, why you will itch all over in upwards of a thousand places. Pretty soon Jim says:
"Say, who is you? Whar is you? Dog my cats ef I didn' hear sumf'n. Well, I know what I's gwyne to do: I's gwyne to set down here and listen tell I hears it agin."
So he set down on the ground betwixt me and Tom. He leaned his back up against a tree, and stretched his legs out till one of them most touched one of mine. My nose begun to itch. It itched till the tears come into my eyes. But I dasn't scratch. Then it begun to itch on the inside. Next I got to itching underneath. I didn't know how I was going to set still. This miserableness went on as much as six or seven minutes; but it seemed a sight longer than that. I was itching in eleven different places now. I reckoned I couldn't stand it more'n a minute longer, but I set my teeth hard and got ready to try. Just then Jim begun to breathe heavy; next he begun to snore--and then I was pretty soon comfortable again.
Tom he made a sign to me--kind of a little noise with his mouth--and we went creeping away on our hands and knees. When we was ten foot off Tom whispered to me, and wanted to tie Jim to the tree for fun. But I said no; he might wake and make a disturbance, and then they'd find out I warn't in. Then Tom said he hadn't got candles enough, and he would slip in the kitchen and get some more. I didn't want him to try. I said Jim might wake up and come. But Tom wanted to resk it; so we slid in there and got three candles, and Tom laid five cents on the table for pay. Then we got out, and I was in a sweat to get away; but nothing would do Tom but he must crawl to where Jim was, on his hands and knees, and play something on him. I waited, and it seemed a good while, everything was so still and lonesome.
As soon as Tom was back we cut along the path, around the garden fence, and by and by fetched up on the steep top of the hill the other side of the house. Tom said he slipped Jim's hat off of his head and hung it on a limb right over him, and Jim stirred a little, but he didn't wake. Afterwards Jim said the witches be witched him and put him in a trance, and rode him all over the State, and then set him under the trees again, and hung his hat on a limb to show who done it. And next time Jim told it he said they rode him down to New Orleans; and, after that, every time he told it he spread it more and more, till by and by he said they rode him all over the world, and tired him most to death, and his back was all over saddle-boils. Jim was monstrous proud about it, and he got so he wouldn't hardly notice the other niggers. Niggers would come miles to hear Jim tell about it, and he was more looked up to than any nigger in that country. Strange niggers would stand with their mouths open and look him all over, same as if he was a wonder. Niggers is always talking about witches in the dark by the kitchen fire; but whenever one was talking and letting on to know all about such things, Jim would happen in and say, "Hm! What you know 'bout witches?" and that nigger was corked up and had to take a back seat. Jim always kept that five-center piece round his neck with a string, and said it was a charm the devil give to him with his own hands, and told him he could cure anybody with it and fetch witches whenever he wanted to just by saying something to it; but he never told what it was he said to it. Niggers would come from all around there and give Jim anything they had, just for a sight of that five-center piece; but they wouldn't touch it, because the devil had had his hands on it. Jim was most ruined for a servant, because he got stuck up on account of having seen the devil and been rode by witches.
Well, when Tom and me got to the edge of the hilltop we looked away down into the village and could see three or four lights twinkling, where there was sick folks, maybe; and the stars over us was sparkling ever so fine; and down by the village was the river, a whole mile broad, and awful still and grand. We went down the hill and found Jo Harper and Ben Rogers, and two or three more of the boys, hid in the old tanyard. So we unhitched a skiff and pulled down the river two mile and a half, to the big scar on the hillside, and went ashore.
We went to a clump of bushes, and Tom made everybody swear to keep the secret, and then showed them a hole in the hill, right in the thickest part of the bushes. Then we lit the candles, and crawled in on our hands and knees. We went about two hundred yards, and then the cave opened up. Tom poked about amongst the passages, and pretty soon ducked under a wall where you wouldn't a noticed that there was a hole. We went along a narrow place and got into a kind of room, all damp and sweaty and cold, and there we stopped. Tom says:
"Now, we'll start this band of robbers and call it Tom Sawyer's Gang. Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name in blood."
Everybody was willing. So Tom got out a sheet of paper that he had wrote the oath on, and read it. It swore every boy to stick to the band, and never tell any of the secrets; and if anybody done anything to any boy in the band, whichever boy was ordered to kill that person and his family must do it, and he mustn't eat and he mustn't sleep till he had killed them and hacked a cross in their breasts, which was the sign of the band. And nobody that didn't belong to the band could use that mark, and if he did he must be sued; and if he done it again he must be killed. And if anybody that belonged to the band told the secrets, he must have his throat cut, and then have his carcass burnt up and the ashes scattered all around, and his name blotted off of the list with blood and never mentioned again by the gang, but have a curse put on it and be forgot forever.
Everybody said it was a real beautiful oath, and asked Tom if he got it out of his own head. He said, some of it, but the rest was out of pirate-books and robber-books, and every gang that was high-toned had it.
Some thought it would be good to kill the FAMILIES of boys that told the secrets. Tom said it was a good idea, so he took a pencil and wrote it in. Then Ben Rogers says:
"Here's Huck Finn, he hain't got no family; what you going to do 'bout him?"
"Well, hain't he got a father?" says Tom Sawyer.
"Yes, he's got a father, but you can't never find him these days. He used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard, but he hain't been seen in these parts for a year or more."
They talked it over, and they was going to rule me out, because they said every boy must have a family or somebody to kill, or else it wouldn't be fair and square for the others. Well, nobody could think of anything to do--everybody was stumped, and set still. I was most ready to cry; but all at once I thought of a way, and so I offered them Miss Watson--they could kill her. Everybody said:
"Oh, she'll do. That's all right. Huck can come in."
Then they all stuck a pin in their fingers to get blood to sign with, and I made my mark on the paper.
"Now," says Ben Rogers, "what's the line of business of this Gang?"
"Nothing only robbery and murder," Tom said.
"But who are we going to rob?--houses, or cattle, or--"
"Stuff! stealing cattle and such things ain't robbery; it's burglary," says Tom Sawyer. "We ain't burglars. That ain't no sort of style. We are highwaymen. We stop stages and carriages on the road, with masks on, and kill the people and take their watches and money."
"Must we always kill the people?"
"Oh, certainly. It's best. Some authorities think different, but mostly it's considered best to kill them--except some that you bring to the cave here, and keep them till they're ransomed."
"Ransomed? What's that?"
"I don't know. But that's what they do. I've seen it in books; and so of course that's what we've got to do."
"But how can we do it if we don't know what it is?"
"Why, blame it all, we've GOT to do it. Don't I tell you it's in the books? Do you want to go to doing different from what's in the books, and get things all muddled up?"
"Oh, that's all very fine to SAY, Tom Sawyer, but how in the nation are these fellows going to be ransomed if we don't know how to do it to them? --that's the thing I want to get at. Now, what do you reckon it is?"
"Well, I don't know. But per'aps if we keep them till they're ransomed, it means that we keep them till they're dead."
"Now, that's something LIKE. That'll answer. Why couldn't you said that before? We'll keep them till they're ransomed to death; and a bothersome lot they'll be, too--eating up everything, and always trying to get loose."
"How you talk, Ben Rogers. How can they get loose when there's a guard over them, ready to shoot them down if they move a peg?"
"A guard! Well, that IS good. So somebody's got to set up all night and never get any sleep, just so as to watch them. I think that's foolishness. Why can't a body take a club and ransom them as soon as they get here?"
"Because it ain't in the books so--that's why. Now, Ben Rogers, do you want to do things regular, or don't you?--that's the idea. Don't you reckon that the people that made the books knows what's the correct thing to do? Do you reckon YOU can learn 'em anything? Not by a good deal. No, sir, we'll just go on and ransom them in the regular way."
"All right. I don't mind; but I say it's a fool way, anyhow. Say, do we kill the women, too?"
"Well, Ben Rogers, if I was as ignorant as you I wouldn't let on. Kill the women? No; nobody ever saw anything in the books like that. You fetch them to the cave, and you're always as polite as pie to them; and by and by they fall in love with you, and never want to go home any more."
"Well, if that's the way I'm agreed, but I don't take no stock in it. Mighty soon we'll have the cave so cluttered up with women, and fellows waiting to be ransomed, that there won't be no place for the robbers. But go ahead, I ain't got nothing to say."
Little Tommy Barnes was asleep now, and when they waked him up he was scared, and cried, and said he wanted to go home to his ma, and didn't want to be a robber any more.
So they all made fun of him, and called him cry-baby, and that made him mad, and he said he would go straight and tell all the secrets. But Tom give him five cents to keep quiet, and said we would all go home and meet next week, and rob somebody and kill some people.
Ben Rogers said he couldn't get out much, only Sundays, and so he wanted to begin next Sunday; but all the boys said it would be wicked to do it on Sunday, and that settled the thing. They agreed to get together and fix a day as soon as they could, and then we elected Tom Sawyer first captain and Jo Harper second captain of the Gang, and so started home.
I clumb up the shed and crept into my window just before day was breaking. My new clothes was all greased up and clayey, and I was dog- tired.
①《马克·吐温自传》，译林出版社，第二章。
能认为《赫克》的意义只是旨在实现黑奴解放战争以前那个时代对自由的追求，亦即? 开拓创业、人道、的追求么？当然不是。作品写的是１８２６—１８４５年的事，但写 成于１８８４—１８８５年。在动笔写的７年间（１８７６年、１８７９—１８８０年，１ ８８３年），南北战争已经打过了，黑奴制基本上废止了，在某些意义上，开拓、创业，个 人首创精神结出了累累硕果。重人性、人情、人道的风尚有所进步，的事业有所前进。 但是穷白人赫克对自由的追求、对新的文化的追求实现了么？《赫克》的创作主体马克·吐 温在十九世纪七八十年代创作的心态，只限于对４０—５０年前旧时美国的回忆么？
马克·吐温在完稿时已成长为美国文坛的巨人。他目击了４０—５０年间美国历史的发 展变化。在写《赫克》前两年，便已写出了《镀金时代》。他写出了南北战争后的美国、经 济大发展的美国、发财狂潮旋卷了一切的美国，实际上只是表面上镀了薄薄的一层金，里面 却是包的一堆废铜烂铁，美国社会原来是个腐朽的社会。古往今来，曾有哪一个作家，给自 己生活着的时代起了一个如此深刻而隽永、如此幽默的名字，并且为当时人们所认同，并为 史家所接受呢？在写了《赫克》后的五年（１９００），马克·吐温写了《败坏了赫德莱堡 的人》，写出了“最诚实廉洁的市镇”原来是一群伪君子，在一袋金币面前，便露出了“既 想当娘子，又要立牌坊”的原形。同年，值八国联军侵华，马克·吐温在纽约发表了著名的 演讲：“我也是义和团”，“义和团是爱国的”。又六年，在１９０６年，高尔基为１９０ ５年的来到美国筹募捐款，马克·吐温对高尔基的义举大力支持。由此可见， 主义者的马克·吐温在写赫克对自由的追求孕碌奈幕淖非笫保缘笔钡南质等绾蔚厥? 望。这令人失望的现实，更加深了这个当过报童、排字工人、矿工、水手与领港的作家对真 正符合人志的自由与的期待。事实上，《赫克》中不乏后来称为黑色幽默以至荒诞 派色彩的描写，特别是“国王”和“公爵”登场以后。因此，美国有的评论家称《赫克》为 黑色幽默的先驱，塞林格的《麦田里的守望者》为其嫡传，这是有道理的①。福克纳说， “甚至霍桑和亨利·詹姆斯还不是严格意义上类似马克·吐温、惠特曼和桑德堡那样的美国 的作家。”从《赫克》与后来美国黑色幽默小说的血肉联系，也表明了《赫克》的独特的美 国式小说的风格。
著名作家和评论家，马克·吐温的好友豪威尔斯说，“马克·吐温是美国文学史上的林 肯。”②为什么能这样说呢？新批评派大将克里恩斯·勃格克斯和洛勃特·华伦主编的《美 国文学创作与作家》认为，马克·吐温写赫克，“用的是赫克自己的口语，仿佛粗俗，实乃 神奇”，而不是用的往往刻板的叙述人的语言。用赫克的口语写，使“感情与事件融和”、 “形式与效果一致”，从而创造了马克·吐温的风格。“我们不妨这样理解，林肯解放了黑 奴，马克·吐温解放了作家。”③
①《百年纪念缆垩 罚常梗惨场?
②《美国文学作品选》，麦美司，１９８０年版，卷２，３３２页。
③《美国文学创作与作家》，纽约，卷二，１２７８页。
马克·吐温这种运用作品中人物的个性化口语进行描叙的风格，确是他的卓越贡献，而 异于巴尔扎克、狄更斯、霍桑，并影响及于２０世纪一大批美国作家。纵览《赫克》全书， 从第一句开始，直到结束，始终发自“一个声音”，一个“我”。这个“我”，并非呼是马 克·吐温，不是一般传统的叙述人，而是穷孩子赫克。最终，也是这个“我”出走后不肯回 那个家，不肯受那套文明规矩的束缚，而要继续闯荡天下，开拓前进。这“一个声音”也是 “美国的灵魂”的一种表述，是马克·吐温捕捉住的时代的声音。受到这种“一个声音”的 感动的，何止一个人。曾有这么一个故事。美国著名电影名星莱奥纳尔·巴里摩尔九岁那 年，亦即在１８８８年，也就是《赫克》出版后三年，随父见到了马克·吐温。兴奋之余， 不禁为他朗诵了《赫克》全书末一段赫克的话，即不肯受“那一套文明规矩”的束缚，因而 不肯返回那古板的家庭，而要闯荡江河，开创新的生活的那一段话。巴里摩尔这位著名演员 回忆说，当时马克·吐温“一只手按住了九岁的孩子的胳膊，热泪盈眶。”①马克·吐温美 国式小说的内容与形式的统一，其艺术魅力之强大，这是动人的一例。
①《百年纪念评论选》，３６０页。
马克·吐温这位艺术大师、主义者，和其他历史人物一样，当然有其不足之处。 “有两个马克·吐温”，这是仰慕他的美国著名作家德莱塞的名句。也就是说，有一个不够 深刻的一面的马克·吐温。另外象《赫克》，其结尾是否是败笔，也可商讨。但赫克那种对 自由的追求，对社会的追螅孕碌奈幕淖非螅两袷贡榧笆澜绲亩琳撸诙梁笪? 心灵震撼。有的批评家曾称莎士比亚为“我们同时代的人”，如果我们称马克·吐温为“我 们同时代的人”，不是也非常贴切么？
１９９５．２．１２于南京
赫克尔贝里·芬历险记
（汤姆·莎耶的伙伴）①
地点：密西西比河流域②
时间：四十至四十五年前③
①《汤姆·莎耶历险记》出版于１８７６年，《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》出版于
１８８４年，马克·吐温称前者和后者为“姐妹篇’。学者们几乎一致认为马克·吐温 写《赫克尔贝里·芬历险记》时，思想上、艺术上有个飞跃，两书成为“姐妹篇”，但又不 能等同看待。海明威说，“所有现代的美国文学都来自马克·吐温的一本书《赫克尔贝 里·芬历险记》。”
②密西西比河对美国文化的成长发展的重要性，人们常以之与黄河、长江对中国文化生 长、发展的重要性相比。马克·吐温的故乡即在密西西比河上密苏里州的汉尼拔。在马 克·吐温一生中，密西西比河既为十九世纪美国“西进”的重要基地，又为南北双方黑奴制 与反黑奴制派激烈斗争的地区。马克·吐温正是十九世纪美国“西进”与“南下”（“南 北”黑奴制斗争）时代这两股大潮孕育的伟大作家。作家开宗明义，清楚地点明故事发生的 地点在整个的密西西比河流域，意义不同寻常。
③本书出版于１８８４年，作者特别点明故事发生在四十至四十五年前，指写的是１８ ２６年至１８４５年期间的事。作家写的是六十年代黑奴解放战争以前的事，只是描述中饱 和着作家对战后的“镀金时代”，即虚假的繁荣时代的幻灭感与对更高的审美理想的深沉的 追求。
"Who dah?"
He listened some more; then he come tiptoeing down and stood right between us; we could a touched him, nearly. Well, likely it was minutes and minutes that there warn't a sound, and we all there so close together. There was a place on my ankle that got to itching, but I dasn't scratch it; and then my ear begun to itch; and next my back, right between my shoulders. Seemed like I'd die if I couldn't scratch. Well, I've noticed that thing plenty times since. If you are with the quality, or at a funeral, or trying to go to sleep when you ain't sleepy--if you are anywheres where it won't do for you to scratch, why you will itch all over in upwards of a thousand places. Pretty soon Jim says:
"Say, who is you? Whar is you? Dog my cats ef I didn' hear sumf'n. Well, I know what I's gwyne to do: I's gwyne to set down here and listen tell I hears it agin."
So he set down on the ground betwixt me and Tom. He leaned his back up against a tree, and stretched his legs out till one of them most touched one of mine. My nose begun to itch. It itched till the tears come into my eyes. But I dasn't scratch. Then it begun to itch on the inside. Next I got to itching underneath. I didn't know how I was going to set still. This miserableness went on as much as six or seven minutes; but it seemed a sight longer than that. I was itching in eleven different places now. I reckoned I couldn't stand it more'n a minute longer, but I set my teeth hard and got ready to try. Just then Jim begun to breathe heavy; next he begun to snore--and then I was pretty soon comfortable again.
Tom he made a sign to me--kind of a little noise with his mouth--and we went creeping away on our hands and knees. When we was ten foot off Tom whispered to me, and wanted to tie Jim to the tree for fun. But I said no; he might wake and make a disturbance, and then they'd find out I warn't in. Then Tom said he hadn't got candles enough, and he would slip in the kitchen and get some more. I didn't want him to try. I said Jim might wake up and come. But Tom wanted to resk it; so we slid in there and got three candles, and Tom laid five cents on the table for pay. Then we got out, and I was in a sweat to get away; but nothing would do Tom but he must crawl to where Jim was, on his hands and knees, and play something on him. I waited, and it seemed a good while, everything was so still and lonesome.
As soon as Tom was back we cut along the path, around the garden fence, and by and by fetched up on the steep top of the hill the other side of the house. Tom said he slipped Jim's hat off of his head and hung it on a limb right over him, and Jim stirred a little, but he didn't wake. Afterwards Jim said the witches be witched him and put him in a trance, and rode him all over the State, and then set him under the trees again, and hung his hat on a limb to show who done it. And next time Jim told it he said they rode him down to New Orleans; and, after that, every time he told it he spread it more and more, till by and by he said they rode him all over the world, and tired him most to death, and his back was all over saddle-boils. Jim was monstrous proud about it, and he got so he wouldn't hardly notice the other niggers. Niggers would come miles to hear Jim tell about it, and he was more looked up to than any nigger in that country. Strange niggers would stand with their mouths open and look him all over, same as if he was a wonder. Niggers is always talking about witches in the dark by the kitchen fire; but whenever one was talking and letting on to know all about such things, Jim would happen in and say, "Hm! What you know 'bout witches?" and that nigger was corked up and had to take a back seat. Jim always kept that five-center piece round his neck with a string, and said it was a charm the devil give to him with his own hands, and told him he could cure anybody with it and fetch witches whenever he wanted to just by saying something to it; but he never told what it was he said to it. Niggers would come from all around there and give Jim anything they had, just for a sight of that five-center piece; but they wouldn't touch it, because the devil had had his hands on it. Jim was most ruined for a servant, because he got stuck up on account of having seen the devil and been rode by witches.
Well, when Tom and me got to the edge of the hilltop we looked away down into the village and could see three or four lights twinkling, where there was sick folks, maybe; and the stars over us was sparkling ever so fine; and down by the village was the river, a whole mile broad, and awful still and grand. We went down the hill and found Jo Harper and Ben Rogers, and two or three more of the boys, hid in the old tanyard. So we unhitched a skiff and pulled down the river two mile and a half, to the big scar on the hillside, and went ashore.
We went to a clump of bushes, and Tom made everybody swear to keep the secret, and then showed them a hole in the hill, right in the thickest part of the bushes. Then we lit the candles, and crawled in on our hands and knees. We went about two hundred yards, and then the cave opened up. Tom poked about amongst the passages, and pretty soon ducked under a wall where you wouldn't a noticed that there was a hole. We went along a narrow place and got into a kind of room, all damp and sweaty and cold, and there we stopped. Tom says:
"Now, we'll start this band of robbers and call it Tom Sawyer's Gang. Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name in blood."
Everybody was willing. So Tom got out a sheet of paper that he had wrote the oath on, and read it. It swore every boy to stick to the band, and never tell any of the secrets; and if anybody done anything to any boy in the band, whichever boy was ordered to kill that person and his family must do it, and he mustn't eat and he mustn't sleep till he had killed them and hacked a cross in their breasts, which was the sign of the band. And nobody that didn't belong to the band could use that mark, and if he did he must be sued; and if he done it again he must be killed. And if anybody that belonged to the band told the secrets, he must have his throat cut, and then have his carcass burnt up and the ashes scattered all around, and his name blotted off of the list with blood and never mentioned again by the gang, but have a curse put on it and be forgot forever.
Everybody said it was a real beautiful oath, and asked Tom if he got it out of his own head. He said, some of it, but the rest was out of pirate-books and robber-books, and every gang that was high-toned had it.
Some thought it would be good to kill the FAMILIES of boys that told the secrets. Tom said it was a good idea, so he took a pencil and wrote it in. Then Ben Rogers says:
"Here's Huck Finn, he hain't got no family; what you going to do 'bout him?"
"Well, hain't he got a father?" says Tom Sawyer.
"Yes, he's got a father, but you can't never find him these days. He used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard, but he hain't been seen in these parts for a year or more."
They talked it over, and they was going to rule me out, because they said every boy must have a family or somebody to kill, or else it wouldn't be fair and square for the others. Well, nobody could think of anything to do--everybody was stumped, and set still. I was most ready to cry; but all at once I thought of a way, and so I offered them Miss Watson--they could kill her. Everybody said:
"Oh, she'll do. That's all right. Huck can come in."
Then they all stuck a pin in their fingers to get blood to sign with, and I made my mark on the paper.
"Now," says Ben Rogers, "what's the line of business of this Gang?"
"Nothing only robbery and murder," Tom said.
"But who are we going to rob?--houses, or cattle, or--"
"Stuff! stealing cattle and such things ain't robbery; it's burglary," says Tom Sawyer. "We ain't burglars. That ain't no sort of style. We are highwaymen. We stop stages and carriages on the road, with masks on, and kill the people and take their watches and money."
"Must we always kill the people?"
"Oh, certainly. It's best. Some authorities think different, but mostly it's considered best to kill them--except some that you bring to the cave here, and keep them till they're ransomed."
"Ransomed? What's that?"
"I don't know. But that's what they do. I've seen it in books; and so of course that's what we've got to do."
"But how can we do it if we don't know what it is?"
"Why, blame it all, we've GOT to do it. Don't I tell you it's in the books? Do you want to go to doing different from what's in the books, and get things all muddled up?"
"Oh, that's all very fine to SAY, Tom Sawyer, but how in the nation are these fellows going to be ransomed if we don't know how to do it to them? --that's the thing I want to get at. Now, what do you reckon it is?"
"Well, I don't know. But per'aps if we keep them till they're ransomed, it means that we keep them till they're dead."
"Now, that's something LIKE. That'll answer. Why couldn't you said that before? We'll keep them till they're ransomed to death; and a bothersome lot they'll be, too--eating up everything, and always trying to get loose."
"How you talk, Ben Rogers. How can they get loose when there's a guard over them, ready to shoot them down if they move a peg?"
"A guard! Well, that IS good. So somebody's got to set up all night and never get any sleep, just so as to watch them. I think that's foolishness. Why can't a body take a club and ransom them as soon as they get here?"
"Because it ain't in the books so--that's why. Now, Ben Rogers, do you want to do things regular, or don't you?--that's the idea. Don't you reckon that the people that made the books knows what's the correct thing to do? Do you reckon YOU can learn 'em anything? Not by a good deal. No, sir, we'll just go on and ransom them in the regular way."
"All right. I don't mind; but I say it's a fool way, anyhow. Say, do we kill the women, too?"
"Well, Ben Rogers, if I was as ignorant as you I wouldn't let on. Kill the women? No; nobody ever saw anything in the books like that. You fetch them to the cave, and you're always as polite as pie to them; and by and by they fall in love with you, and never want to go home any more."
"Well, if that's the way I'm agreed, but I don't take no stock in it. Mighty soon we'll have the cave so cluttered up with women, and fellows waiting to be ransomed, that there won't be no place for the robbers. But go ahead, I ain't got nothing to say."
Little Tommy Barnes was asleep now, and when they waked him up he was scared, and cried, and said he wanted to go home to his ma, and didn't want to be a robber any more.
So they all made fun of him, and called him cry-baby, and that made him mad, and he said he would go straight and tell all the secrets. But Tom give him five cents to keep quiet, and said we would all go home and meet next week, and rob somebody and kill some people.
Ben Rogers said he couldn't get out much, only Sundays, and so he wanted to begin next Sunday; but all the boys said it would be wicked to do it on Sunday, and that settled the thing. They agreed to get together and fix a day as soon as they could, and then we elected Tom Sawyer first captain and Jo Harper second captain of the Gang, and so started home.
I clumb up the shed and crept into my window just before day was breaking. My new clothes was all greased up and clayey, and I was dog- tired.