馬剋·吐溫（１８３５—１９１０）的《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》①（１８８４， 簡稱《赫剋》）是美國文學中的珍品，也是美國文化中的珍品。十年前（１９８４），美國 文壇為《赫剋》出版一百周年舉行了廣泛的慶祝活動和學術討論，也出版了一些研究馬 ·吐溫，特別是他的《赫剋》的專著。專門為一位大作傢的一本名著而舉行如此廣泛的紀 念和專門的研究，這在世界文壇上也是少有的盛事。
這是因為《赫剋》的意義不一般。美國著名作傢海明威說，“一切現代美國文學來自一 本書，即馬剋·吐溫的《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》……這是我們所有書中最好的。一切美國 文學都來自這本書，在它之前，或在它之後，都不曾有過能與之媲美的作品。”②其他的名 傢象埃略特、屈裏林、巴靈頓、福剋納等，都有類似的評價。經過百餘年的歷史檢驗，《赫 剋》之為雅俗共賞、老少咸宜的世界名著，殆已成定論。
《赫剋》的意義，事實上已變超出文學的領域而成為美國文化的珍品。在２０世紀，電 影、電視等對於人們生活方式、社會風尚、價值觀念的形成與變遷，其影響之大，常使世人 為之驚嘆。這在美國尤其如此。而回顧美國的電影史，自從第一架活動電影機於１８９５年 發明，百年來卻一直偏愛馬剋·吐溫迷人的小說，尤其是《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》。美國 電影界在１９００年便拍了《湯姆·莎耶歷險記》的黑白片。１９１７年拍了《赫剋與湯 姆》黑白片。１９２０年又拍了《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》黑白片。拍片的公司為著名的派 拉蒙電影公司，導演為著名導演威廉·特蒙特·泰勒。赫剋由路維斯·索琪卡勃扮演，“國 王”由湯姆·奧·貝茨扮演，“公爵”由考拉爾·亨佛萊扮演，傑姆由喬治·李特扮演。當 時的《紐約時報》對影片作了好評。
①關於馬剋·吐溫的生平，參閱附錄《年表》。
②海明威《非洲的青山》，紐約，１９３５，２２—２３頁。
在市場經濟國傢，觀衆、票房價值决定電影公司的選題。觀衆並未滿足於看過一次《赫 剋》就算了。於是在第一部黑白片以後的十一年，同一個公司再一次拍了《赫剋》，全長７ ３分鐘。在這以後八年（１９３９），另一傢公司，米高梅公司又拍了《赫剋》，這一次扮 演赫剋的乃著名童星密剋·隆尼。同一個公司（米高梅），在２１年後（１９６０），第一 次把《赫剋》拍成彩色片，由埃迪·霍格斯扮演赫剋。又１４年以後（１９７４）美國藝術 傢——讀者文摘拍了彩色片《赫剋》。從１９２０年到１９７４年，歷時半個世紀，同一部 小說《赫剋》，在美國拍成黑白片與彩色片，前後達五次。一部文學名著，成為文化上如此 被熱愛的珍品，也許還不多吧①。
①貝裏·佛倫剋《拍成電影的赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》，載《批評傢論赫剋·芬— —百年紀念評論選１８８４—１９８４》，紐約，１９８４，２７１頁。
意味深長的是，馬剋·吐溫的作品，包括《赫剋》，不僅成了美國文學與美國文化的珍 品，也為人所喜愛。據一個資料記載，從二十年代的早期到四十年代，在前蘇聯發行的 馬剋·吐溫的作品，達３，０００，０００册之多①。美國的蘇聯文學專傢第明·勃朗教授 說，“在蘇聯，每一個小學生都知道《湯姆·莎耶歷險記》和《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》 ②。”有意思的是前蘇聯還把《赫剋》拍成電影，那是１９７３年的事。雖然當時還是冷戰 的年代，蘇聯著名的電影製片廠——莫斯科電影製片廠，把《赫剋》拍成了電影。導演為著 名導演喬治·納·丹尼莉婭。赫剋由小學四年級學生十一歲的盧馬·馬第亞諾夫扮演。場景 攝於第聶伯河上和波羅的海地區（原立陶宛）。當地的大河及河上市鎮，頗類似密西西比河 上的風光③。
此外至少有兩次拍成電視，一次是１９７５年，又一次是１９７８年②。
另外象大不列顛百科全書電影公司在１９６５年把《赫剋》拍成三集彩色的教育電影。 １９７５年，ABC電影公司拍了９０分鐘的《赫剋》彩色片。１９７８年，西剋——蘇恩名 著出版公司拍了９７分鐘的《赫剋》彩色片。
①同①３５３—３５４頁
②同①
③②《百年紀念評論選》，２７１頁。
凡是這些都表明了《赫剋》既是美國文學珍品，又是美國文化珍品，並影響及於世界各 國。而且從文化的視角看待文學名著，並非停留於文學本身，或停留於某些考慮而成為 對人們的生活方式、社會風尚、美醜善惡等價值觀念的形成與變遷發生強大影響的東西—— 這樣的文化審美的觀念正逐漸風靡世界。
是什麽樣的藝術魅力使美國和世界各國的讀者如此喜愛《赫剋》呢？是它給美國和世界 各國的讀者打開了一個獨特的富於美國式幽默氣質的心靈世界，一個西部開發時期千千萬萬 普通老百姓進行豪邁拓殖時幽默氣質的心靈世界。幽默逗人發笑，幽默藴含着智慧，幽默乃 機智的閃光。這樣的幽默與塞萬提斯筆下沒落騎士階級戰風車的幽默又不一樣，乃是美國 “西進”與“南下”聲中千千萬萬勤勞的老百姓——這些強者在生活中的表現。它啓發人笑 着面對人生，面對坎坷麯折，懷着活潑潑的生機，開拓前進，因而是獨特的，是美國式的， 平頭百姓的。作品迷人的奧秘也許正在於此。
中國千百年來的文學傳統以溫柔敦厚見長，現代則以熱情抒發見長，因而中國讀者對 《赫剋》中活潑潑的幽默，由於審美習慣反差的原因，感受反倒會特別敏銳，也能得到特別 強烈的審美享受。書一打開，就讀到赫剋、湯姆等這些孩子結成“強盜幫”，寫了血書，效 法羅賓漢這類英雄好漢，敢於“攔路搶劫”，敢於“殺人”。一次得到密報，有西班牙商人 和阿拉伯富翁，要帶着二百衹大象，六百頭駱駝，一千多頭馱騾，載滿了珍寶，經過附近一 座山嶺。這夥“強盜幫”便埋伏在林中，一聲令下，衝下山去。可是哪裏有什麽大象、駱駝 的影子，衹是一群教會辦的主日學校的小學生在野餐，被他們衝散了。原來“強盜幫”成立 了一個月光景，“既沒有搶人，也沒有殺人，衹是當作那樣罷了。”可這“當作那樣”的幽 默，既是孩子們的心態的真實寫照，又閃耀着當年開拓者的孩子們粗獷、豪邁的心靈世界， 多麽使人神往。
兒童如此，密西西比河上的水手，當年這些時代的弄潮兒粗獷的幽默氣質，更是被作者 描寫得淋漓盡致：赫剋從自己的木筏子上跳下水去，泅近一個大木筏，偷偷爬上去，在一片 黑暗中偷聽到一個水手在邊跳邊唱，①“喔——嚯！我是當年從阿肯色州荒野上來的鐵下 巴，銅肚子，騎銅馬，殺人不償命的老牌魔王！……一頓早飯要吃十九條鰐魚，一桶威士忌 酒。有病的日子裏，一頓要吃一筐響尾蛇，外加一個死人！我瞧一眼，能叫千年岩石裂成兩 半。……”“西進”聲中流傳於邊疆的歌詞，何等活靈活現地表現了拓殖者與水手們的豪 邁、粗獷的氣概與幽默的氣質。
①見《附錄》（一）（《在木筏子上》）
從原文欣賞《赫剋》的讀者，也許可以仔細琢磨一下“國王”口裏把那個Bridgewater 公爵（勃裏奇華特公爵）念成了Bilge－water公爵，（畢奇華特公爵）有何等魔法般的妙 用。兩三個字母之差，“橋下之水公爵”念成了“艙裏之水公爵”——橋下的活水清又清， 可船艙裏的積水——水手們和水上人傢都知道，那是髒又臭。這樣的幽默叫人發笑，給人愉 悅，又表現了鄙棄之情，叫人在幽默中潛移默化，得到高尚情操的陶冶。
這種馬剋·吐溫式的、當年美國式的幽默，在世界文學史上曾獨領風騷，今天有些人也 許還體會得有所不足，因而重溫一下馬剋·吐溫當年獨到的見解，可能是有益的，馬剋·吐 溫在寫完《赫剋》後的一年（１８８５），在其《怎樣說故事》這個名篇中說：
我並不自誇懂得一個故事應該講些什麽，我衹是能自稱懂得一個故事應該怎麽個。 因為這麽好多好多年來，我幾乎每天都和那些講故事的行傢裏手在一起。
故事有各種各樣，不過其中有一種最難駕馭，——幽默的故事。我主要談的正是這麽一 種故事。幽默的故事是美國的，喜劇的故事是英國的，機智的故事是法國的①。
①剋裏恩斯·勃洛剋斯、R．W．B．路易斯、洛勃特·華倫主編《美國文學：創作與 作傢》，紐約，１９７３，捲二，１２０２頁。
試讀《赫剋》，從兒童們的結成“強盜幫”開始，接着寫傑姆的迷信與自吹；赫剋“爸 爸”的酒瘋；赫剋假死與逃到河上；赫剋失散重聚後對傑姆的作弄；河上巡邏隊的盤查和赫 剋的妙計；男扮女裝；“國王”與“公爵”的洋相；“打冤傢”；赫剋的告發信與拼着下地 獄；“國王”“公爵”欺侮弱女子與棺材藏銀；湯姆導演的效法王公貴族式的地獄。幽默的 插麯，有如夏夜的星星布滿天空，讀者時而微笑，時而大笑，時而苦笑，人間煩惱為之一 掃，而智慧的閃光，在愉悅中把讀者的心胸照亮。
也許有些讀者不理解馬剋·吐溫在捲首寫的出於虛構的《通令》：“本書作者奉兵工署 長G．G的指示，……任何人如企圖從本書的記敘中尋找寫作動機，就將對之實行公訴；任 何人如企圖從中尋找道德寓意，就將把他放逐；任何人如企圖從中尋找一個情節結構，就將 予以槍决。”有的讀者或者由於缺乏幽默感，或者對馬剋·吐溫的幽默風格缺少瞭解，對這 樣的《通令》可能感到莫名其妙，感到迷惑。殊不知這正是馬剋·吐溫開宗明義便嚮讀者披 露其情懷：這將是一個幽默的故事。言在此而意在彼，原本是一種幽默的手法。
馬剋·吐溫的幽默，衹是為了逗人發笑，為幽默而幽默麽？如果真是這樣，那還有什麽 馳名世界的大作傢馬剋·吐溫？千百年來，從古到今，也從來沒有過這樣為文學而文學的大 作傢。反話正說，恰恰是為了點出幽默中一片苦心。
恰恰正是馬剋·吐溫，而不是別人，在《自傳》中說，“有人說，一本小說純粹衹是一 部藝術品，如此而已。在小說裏，你决不要布道，决不要說教。也許小說是這樣，但幽默卻 並非如此。幽默絶不可以教訓人自居，以布道者自居，可是如果要永遠傳下去，必須兩者兼 而有之。”①
《赫剋》之所以“不朽”，正因為它通過對一個１４歲孩子的描寫，在幽默逗笑聲中酣 暢淋漓地寫出了一個民族的生活與靈魂。馬剋·吐溫說得好：“……一個外國人可以復製一 個民族的外貌……任何一個外國人都不能理解它的內在內容——它的靈魂、生活、語言、思 想……衹有一個專門傢，他具有足以理解人民的靈魂與生活，並把它原原本本地描述出來的 資格——這就是民族小說傢。”②
①《馬剋·吐溫自傳》，譯林出版社，３３０—３３１頁。
②《美國作傢論文學》，三聯，９７—９８頁
這是馬剋·吐溫在寫《怎樣講小說》這個名篇的同一年寫的，也就是寫了《赫剋》以後 的那一年寫的（１８８５）。這篇文章也可以說是夫子自道，是美國文論史上的珍寶，題目 叫做《保爾·布爾熱關心我們什麽》。美國有些研究者反倒對此不大重視，而前蘇聯學術界 倒是很重視。認為是馬剋·吐溫文論的另一個名篇，這是對的，並且以這篇文章來照亮有關 《赫剋》的探索與研究，那纔是正路，而文本主義與庸俗社會學就對此無能為力了。
要找出《赫剋》為何不朽，自然並非易事，一部經歷了百年的《赫剋》批評史，其中有 大量的論爭性文章為此而發。意味深長的是一次著名的論爭：“《赫剋》的偉大在哪裏？” 論爭的一方為兩位名傢：美英現代主義奠基人之一、《荒原》的作者T．S．埃略特和新批 評派理論傢萊昂納爾·屈裏林；論爭的另一方是萊奧·瑪剋斯等一批後起之秀。屈裏林的文 章題目便是《赫剋爾貝裏·芬的偉大之處》（１９４８），說《赫剋》所以是一部偉大的 書，因為它“寫的一個（密西西比河之）神——一個有自己的心、自己的意志的那種力量， 對有道德觀念的想象力來說，它仿佛藴含着一個偉大的道德觀念，而赫剋乃是這河神的僕 人。”《赫剋》可說是“與人的卑瑣相比，對河之神的美、神秘、力量一麯偉大高尚的頌 歌。”T．S．埃略特對此表示同感（１９５０）說“全書有兩個因素，一個是孩子，一個是 大河”，“那個孩子正是大河的精神所寄托的。”兩位大師還都為全書結尾寫得差而辯解。 萊奧·瑪剋斯敢於對兩位大傢的觀點提出質疑，說屈裏林和埃略特“對大河的作用那種不無 誇張的想象，表現了他們對全書主題所在、中心所在何等忽視。”還說他們對結局的敗筆辯 解，那是沒有看到，結尾這樣寫法，使得“全書中最為嚴肅的寓意成了兒戲。總之，結局成 了一場滑稽戲，而全書的其餘的部分則並非如此。”瑪剋斯指出，兩位大師“對全書所寫的 對自由的追求何等輕視”。①這場論戰啓人心智，也在某種程度上暴露了新批評派這種過於 側重文本、技巧、技法在方上的狹隘性，而新批評派稱霸美國文壇達半個世紀，至今仍 影響不小。
具有強大藝術魅力的全書主題——對自由的追求——並非是抽象的，而是充滿了時代氣 息。可能有些讀者對捲首的書名下面寫明的話漫不經心。作者在這裏特意標明了故事情節發 生的地點與時間。地點：密西西比河流域；時間：４０到４５年前。按照小說末一頁所標明 的，全書完稿於１８８４—１８８５年。據此推算，故事寫的是１８２６——１８４５年之 事。也就是一般人所說的傑剋遜（總統）時代（有人把傑剋遜時代界定為從１８２８—１８ ４８年）。
①俱見諾頓版《赫剋》的資料，３１０—３４１頁
《赫剋》的專傢安特魯·傑·霍夫曼在《馬剋·吐溫作品中的主人公及其天地》中? 個問題作了比較深入的研究。他說：“在個性、心態、習慣、價值觀念等方面，《赫剋》中 的世界真切地反映了那個時代到美國訪問過的人所記錄下來的傑剋遜時代的美國。馬剋·吐 溫對歷史真實的描繪通過一幅精彩的畫面而表現了出來，其對於時代生活的細節的極端重視 使人驚嘆。”“跟我們心目中的傑剋遜時代的美國非常吻合”，“赫剋是放在現實主義的天 地中加以描繪的”，“這個天地充滿歷史感，是歷史真實的現實主義描寫，寫的是十九世紀 第二個二十五年的美國。”“那個時代的美國人的理想，他們的希望及其潛在的夢想，可以 從我們傳統的英雄赫剋的性格中窺見一般。”①
文學不同於歷史，但馬剋·吐溫正是捕捉住了他所寫的那個時代的“美國民族的生活與 靈魂”，纔使得作品具有如此強大的藝術魅力。古往今來，能捕捉住自己民族的靈魂的作 傢，能自覺地為此而獻身的，也並不很多，而能成為知音的批評傢與讀者也屬難能而可貴。 《赫剋》專傢普烈乞特在１９４１年寫的《美國第一部在本土産生的傑作》中說，“赫剋的 童年，乃是一種新的文化的童年。”②旭剋雷在１９６０年的《赫剋的結構分析》中說， “在全書結尾，赫剋摒棄了他所見到的文明，準備作為內在心靈上一個自由的人生活下 去。”③這些恐怕是百年來的批評與研究中相當擊中要害的見解。
這一種對“自由的追求”，對一種“新的文化”的追求，正是從下層人民出身的赫剋矇 矓而執着的追求，也是馬剋·吐溫從十九世紀美國兩股歷史大潮——“西進”開發邊疆和 “南下”廢止南部各州黑奴製中，從伐木者、淘金者、水手的生活與憧憬中捕捉住並提煉熔 鑄的。
①霍夫曼《吐溫的主人公與吐溫的天地》，濱州大學出版社，１９８８，５５頁、 ７７—７８頁。
②《百年紀念評論選》，７６頁。
③同①４００—４０４頁。
全書就是從赫剋對舊的一套文化的厭惡、反感寫起的。意味深長的是開宗明義第一章第 二節（第一節講的是另一本書的事，故這第二節，實乃全書的第一節），就強調了一句話， 這句話實乃貫串全書，並在全書末了結尾一句又回到這句話上來，照應全書開頭的那句話， 把主題點得明明白白。在開頭第二節，赫剋就講，“道格拉斯寡婦要領養我做她的幹兒子” （這個赫剋是一個流浪漢醉鬼的兒子，一個窮孩子），“並且說她要教我學那一套文明的規 矩”（sivilzeme），“我再也受不瞭瞭”。後來加上他爸爸的等等原因，終於出走河 上。全書末了一句說，“我看我得比一些人先走一步，前往那個‘地域’去，因為薩莉姨媽 要認我做她的幹兒子，要教我學那一套文明的規矩（sivilizeme），這我受不了。我已經受 過一回啦。”這樣，赫剋在出走河上以後不肯回傢，終於往新的“地域”去闖蕩天下，進行 新的開拓。這個新的“地域”（準州），有人考證，認為指後來的俄剋拉荷馬州，當年是印 第安人的地區。筆者認為，這個“地域”不論是實指，或是虛指，都不會僅指去到１８４８ 年前的地區，不會僅指南北戰爭前的理想，而是隱含着作者完稿時亦即１８８４—１８８５ 年時作者心目中所嚮往的地方，也就是作者心目中一種新的文化萌發的那種理想。 “sivilizeme”的“sivilize”，乃“civilize”的密蘇裏人土語的拼音，或譯“學做人的 規矩”，或譯“教我怎樣做人”，譯得都有道理。但赫剋走出家庭，河上，甚至不惜假 死，所謂雖九死而猶未悔，當然不是一般地耍孩子脾氣，而是對舊的一套文明的反感與厭 惡。正如普烈乞待所說，“赫剋的童年也就是一種新的文化的童年”。所以連比較保守的文 藝理論傢屈裏體也承認“《赫剋》實乃一部顛覆性的書（asubversiveCbook）。”①
①諾頓版《赫剋》資料部分，３１６頁。
作品的強大藝術魅力正是由於寫的是赫剋對傢裏老的一套古板的文明規矩與教會辦的主 日學校桎梏心靈的那一套行為規範的厭惡與反抗。作品寫一個十三四歲的窮孩子仿佛調皮搗 蛋，連進出都不走大門，而是從樓上窗口裏爬進爬出，抱着避雷針上上下下；實則寫他勇於 反抗（假死），勇於開拓，勇於冒險。衹身一人，敢於逃上小島，搭窩棚，生篝火，釣魚為 生。小小年紀，成了小島的主人；小小年紀，在大河之上，出生入死，沒有叫過一聲苦；永 遠前進，沒有後退過一步。叫美國和世界的讀者入迷的正是當年西部拓殖者、淘金者與密西 西比河上水手的孩子們這樣對自由的追求，對新的文化的追求！這種開拓的精神，這種創業 精神，這種美國人非常珍惜的個人首創精神，不是美國文明史上新的文化的萌芽又是什麽呢？
叫讀者入迷的是當年邊疆與大河之上平頭百姓傢的孩子們對人性、人道的追求。“國 王”和“公爵”對河上老百姓的欺騙與訛詐；對弱女子的冷酷欺詐的掠奪，河上世族人傢 “打冤傢”的愚昧與殘酷，由作者以幽默之筆，描敘得淋漓盡致，也可說是醜態百出。而與 此對照的，正是當年邊疆拓殖者與河上水手的下一代窮孩子對一種合乎人性、人情、人道的 社會的嚮往。赫剋這個窮孩子對“國王”與“公爵”的鄙棄，以及為了搭救險遭陷害的姑 娘，巧施妙計，把金幣藏在棺材裏，這樣秉性善良、正直、富於同情心而機智的窮孩子赫剋 的形象，不正是一種新的文化所孕育的一代麽？能不迷人麽？
作品的強大藝術魅力當然更表現於當年白種人窮孩子赫剋搭救黑奴傑姆的麯折經過與復 雜的心靈歷程，這顯然是作品的核心部分。它寫的正是當年邊疆拓殖者與河上水手們的下一 代對社會的追求，也寫了對解放黑奴的覺悟過程。這方面的描寫可說是震憾人心的重大 主題找到了富於高超技巧技法的藝術形式。整個故事迂回麯折，分三個層次，奔嚮。作 品從赫剋對黑奴傑姆既同情又加以戲弄寫起。河上驚濤駭浪中失散後，赫剋一度戲弄傑姆， 後來深感慚愧，認識到這麽戲弄人“太卑鄙了，恨不得用嘴親親他的腳”，“再也不出壞主 意騙他了”（十五章），這是第一步。後來在河上遇巡邏隊盤查逃亡黑奴，赫剋本來深悔自 己不該幫黑奴逃跑，覺得對不住傑姆的女主人華珍小姐，决心把船劃列岸邊上岸去告發傑 姆。可巡邏隊在河上逼近盤查時，赫剋卻由不得自己原來的盤算，推說自己船上是個生天花 的白人，巡邏隊深怕傳染上天花，嚇得落荒而逃（十六章），這是第二步。最後，赫剋思前 想後，下定了决心，寫好了嚮傑姆的女主人華珍小姐告發傑姆的一封信，還覺得自己寫了告 發信後不再負罪了，一身輕快了，深慶自己最後沒有弄錯了方向，沒有“走進了地獄”。可 是他又不禁想到了傑姆的種種好處，剛纔寫好的那封信拿在手裏，全身直發抖，終於把信一 撕，一邊說，“那麽，好吧，下地獄就下地獄吧。”赫剋成了搭救傑姆掙脫奴隸桎梏的一名 戰士，一個種族平等與理想的體現者（三十一章），這也是全書所在。
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.
這是因為《赫剋》的意義不一般。美國著名作傢海明威說，“一切現代美國文學來自一 本書，即馬剋·吐溫的《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》……這是我們所有書中最好的。一切美國 文學都來自這本書，在它之前，或在它之後，都不曾有過能與之媲美的作品。”②其他的名 傢象埃略特、屈裏林、巴靈頓、福剋納等，都有類似的評價。經過百餘年的歷史檢驗，《赫 剋》之為雅俗共賞、老少咸宜的世界名著，殆已成定論。
《赫剋》的意義，事實上已變超出文學的領域而成為美國文化的珍品。在２０世紀，電 影、電視等對於人們生活方式、社會風尚、價值觀念的形成與變遷，其影響之大，常使世人 為之驚嘆。這在美國尤其如此。而回顧美國的電影史，自從第一架活動電影機於１８９５年 發明，百年來卻一直偏愛馬剋·吐溫迷人的小說，尤其是《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》。美國 電影界在１９００年便拍了《湯姆·莎耶歷險記》的黑白片。１９１７年拍了《赫剋與湯 姆》黑白片。１９２０年又拍了《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》黑白片。拍片的公司為著名的派 拉蒙電影公司，導演為著名導演威廉·特蒙特·泰勒。赫剋由路維斯·索琪卡勃扮演，“國 王”由湯姆·奧·貝茨扮演，“公爵”由考拉爾·亨佛萊扮演，傑姆由喬治·李特扮演。當 時的《紐約時報》對影片作了好評。
①關於馬剋·吐溫的生平，參閱附錄《年表》。
②海明威《非洲的青山》，紐約，１９３５，２２—２３頁。
在市場經濟國傢，觀衆、票房價值决定電影公司的選題。觀衆並未滿足於看過一次《赫 剋》就算了。於是在第一部黑白片以後的十一年，同一個公司再一次拍了《赫剋》，全長７ ３分鐘。在這以後八年（１９３９），另一傢公司，米高梅公司又拍了《赫剋》，這一次扮 演赫剋的乃著名童星密剋·隆尼。同一個公司（米高梅），在２１年後（１９６０），第一 次把《赫剋》拍成彩色片，由埃迪·霍格斯扮演赫剋。又１４年以後（１９７４）美國藝術 傢——讀者文摘拍了彩色片《赫剋》。從１９２０年到１９７４年，歷時半個世紀，同一部 小說《赫剋》，在美國拍成黑白片與彩色片，前後達五次。一部文學名著，成為文化上如此 被熱愛的珍品，也許還不多吧①。
①貝裏·佛倫剋《拍成電影的赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》，載《批評傢論赫剋·芬— —百年紀念評論選１８８４—１９８４》，紐約，１９８４，２７１頁。
意味深長的是，馬剋·吐溫的作品，包括《赫剋》，不僅成了美國文學與美國文化的珍 品，也為人所喜愛。據一個資料記載，從二十年代的早期到四十年代，在前蘇聯發行的 馬剋·吐溫的作品，達３，０００，０００册之多①。美國的蘇聯文學專傢第明·勃朗教授 說，“在蘇聯，每一個小學生都知道《湯姆·莎耶歷險記》和《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》 ②。”有意思的是前蘇聯還把《赫剋》拍成電影，那是１９７３年的事。雖然當時還是冷戰 的年代，蘇聯著名的電影製片廠——莫斯科電影製片廠，把《赫剋》拍成了電影。導演為著 名導演喬治·納·丹尼莉婭。赫剋由小學四年級學生十一歲的盧馬·馬第亞諾夫扮演。場景 攝於第聶伯河上和波羅的海地區（原立陶宛）。當地的大河及河上市鎮，頗類似密西西比河 上的風光③。
此外至少有兩次拍成電視，一次是１９７５年，又一次是１９７８年②。
另外象大不列顛百科全書電影公司在１９６５年把《赫剋》拍成三集彩色的教育電影。 １９７５年，ABC電影公司拍了９０分鐘的《赫剋》彩色片。１９７８年，西剋——蘇恩名 著出版公司拍了９７分鐘的《赫剋》彩色片。
①同①３５３—３５４頁
②同①
③②《百年紀念評論選》，２７１頁。
凡是這些都表明了《赫剋》既是美國文學珍品，又是美國文化珍品，並影響及於世界各 國。而且從文化的視角看待文學名著，並非停留於文學本身，或停留於某些考慮而成為 對人們的生活方式、社會風尚、美醜善惡等價值觀念的形成與變遷發生強大影響的東西—— 這樣的文化審美的觀念正逐漸風靡世界。
是什麽樣的藝術魅力使美國和世界各國的讀者如此喜愛《赫剋》呢？是它給美國和世界 各國的讀者打開了一個獨特的富於美國式幽默氣質的心靈世界，一個西部開發時期千千萬萬 普通老百姓進行豪邁拓殖時幽默氣質的心靈世界。幽默逗人發笑，幽默藴含着智慧，幽默乃 機智的閃光。這樣的幽默與塞萬提斯筆下沒落騎士階級戰風車的幽默又不一樣，乃是美國 “西進”與“南下”聲中千千萬萬勤勞的老百姓——這些強者在生活中的表現。它啓發人笑 着面對人生，面對坎坷麯折，懷着活潑潑的生機，開拓前進，因而是獨特的，是美國式的， 平頭百姓的。作品迷人的奧秘也許正在於此。
中國千百年來的文學傳統以溫柔敦厚見長，現代則以熱情抒發見長，因而中國讀者對 《赫剋》中活潑潑的幽默，由於審美習慣反差的原因，感受反倒會特別敏銳，也能得到特別 強烈的審美享受。書一打開，就讀到赫剋、湯姆等這些孩子結成“強盜幫”，寫了血書，效 法羅賓漢這類英雄好漢，敢於“攔路搶劫”，敢於“殺人”。一次得到密報，有西班牙商人 和阿拉伯富翁，要帶着二百衹大象，六百頭駱駝，一千多頭馱騾，載滿了珍寶，經過附近一 座山嶺。這夥“強盜幫”便埋伏在林中，一聲令下，衝下山去。可是哪裏有什麽大象、駱駝 的影子，衹是一群教會辦的主日學校的小學生在野餐，被他們衝散了。原來“強盜幫”成立 了一個月光景，“既沒有搶人，也沒有殺人，衹是當作那樣罷了。”可這“當作那樣”的幽 默，既是孩子們的心態的真實寫照，又閃耀着當年開拓者的孩子們粗獷、豪邁的心靈世界， 多麽使人神往。
兒童如此，密西西比河上的水手，當年這些時代的弄潮兒粗獷的幽默氣質，更是被作者 描寫得淋漓盡致：赫剋從自己的木筏子上跳下水去，泅近一個大木筏，偷偷爬上去，在一片 黑暗中偷聽到一個水手在邊跳邊唱，①“喔——嚯！我是當年從阿肯色州荒野上來的鐵下 巴，銅肚子，騎銅馬，殺人不償命的老牌魔王！……一頓早飯要吃十九條鰐魚，一桶威士忌 酒。有病的日子裏，一頓要吃一筐響尾蛇，外加一個死人！我瞧一眼，能叫千年岩石裂成兩 半。……”“西進”聲中流傳於邊疆的歌詞，何等活靈活現地表現了拓殖者與水手們的豪 邁、粗獷的氣概與幽默的氣質。
①見《附錄》（一）（《在木筏子上》）
從原文欣賞《赫剋》的讀者，也許可以仔細琢磨一下“國王”口裏把那個Bridgewater 公爵（勃裏奇華特公爵）念成了Bilge－water公爵，（畢奇華特公爵）有何等魔法般的妙 用。兩三個字母之差，“橋下之水公爵”念成了“艙裏之水公爵”——橋下的活水清又清， 可船艙裏的積水——水手們和水上人傢都知道，那是髒又臭。這樣的幽默叫人發笑，給人愉 悅，又表現了鄙棄之情，叫人在幽默中潛移默化，得到高尚情操的陶冶。
這種馬剋·吐溫式的、當年美國式的幽默，在世界文學史上曾獨領風騷，今天有些人也 許還體會得有所不足，因而重溫一下馬剋·吐溫當年獨到的見解，可能是有益的，馬剋·吐 溫在寫完《赫剋》後的一年（１８８５），在其《怎樣說故事》這個名篇中說：
我並不自誇懂得一個故事應該講些什麽，我衹是能自稱懂得一個故事應該怎麽個。 因為這麽好多好多年來，我幾乎每天都和那些講故事的行傢裏手在一起。
故事有各種各樣，不過其中有一種最難駕馭，——幽默的故事。我主要談的正是這麽一 種故事。幽默的故事是美國的，喜劇的故事是英國的，機智的故事是法國的①。
①剋裏恩斯·勃洛剋斯、R．W．B．路易斯、洛勃特·華倫主編《美國文學：創作與 作傢》，紐約，１９７３，捲二，１２０２頁。
試讀《赫剋》，從兒童們的結成“強盜幫”開始，接着寫傑姆的迷信與自吹；赫剋“爸 爸”的酒瘋；赫剋假死與逃到河上；赫剋失散重聚後對傑姆的作弄；河上巡邏隊的盤查和赫 剋的妙計；男扮女裝；“國王”與“公爵”的洋相；“打冤傢”；赫剋的告發信與拼着下地 獄；“國王”“公爵”欺侮弱女子與棺材藏銀；湯姆導演的效法王公貴族式的地獄。幽默的 插麯，有如夏夜的星星布滿天空，讀者時而微笑，時而大笑，時而苦笑，人間煩惱為之一 掃，而智慧的閃光，在愉悅中把讀者的心胸照亮。
也許有些讀者不理解馬剋·吐溫在捲首寫的出於虛構的《通令》：“本書作者奉兵工署 長G．G的指示，……任何人如企圖從本書的記敘中尋找寫作動機，就將對之實行公訴；任 何人如企圖從中尋找道德寓意，就將把他放逐；任何人如企圖從中尋找一個情節結構，就將 予以槍决。”有的讀者或者由於缺乏幽默感，或者對馬剋·吐溫的幽默風格缺少瞭解，對這 樣的《通令》可能感到莫名其妙，感到迷惑。殊不知這正是馬剋·吐溫開宗明義便嚮讀者披 露其情懷：這將是一個幽默的故事。言在此而意在彼，原本是一種幽默的手法。
馬剋·吐溫的幽默，衹是為了逗人發笑，為幽默而幽默麽？如果真是這樣，那還有什麽 馳名世界的大作傢馬剋·吐溫？千百年來，從古到今，也從來沒有過這樣為文學而文學的大 作傢。反話正說，恰恰是為了點出幽默中一片苦心。
恰恰正是馬剋·吐溫，而不是別人，在《自傳》中說，“有人說，一本小說純粹衹是一 部藝術品，如此而已。在小說裏，你决不要布道，决不要說教。也許小說是這樣，但幽默卻 並非如此。幽默絶不可以教訓人自居，以布道者自居，可是如果要永遠傳下去，必須兩者兼 而有之。”①
《赫剋》之所以“不朽”，正因為它通過對一個１４歲孩子的描寫，在幽默逗笑聲中酣 暢淋漓地寫出了一個民族的生活與靈魂。馬剋·吐溫說得好：“……一個外國人可以復製一 個民族的外貌……任何一個外國人都不能理解它的內在內容——它的靈魂、生活、語言、思 想……衹有一個專門傢，他具有足以理解人民的靈魂與生活，並把它原原本本地描述出來的 資格——這就是民族小說傢。”②
①《馬剋·吐溫自傳》，譯林出版社，３３０—３３１頁。
②《美國作傢論文學》，三聯，９７—９８頁
這是馬剋·吐溫在寫《怎樣講小說》這個名篇的同一年寫的，也就是寫了《赫剋》以後 的那一年寫的（１８８５）。這篇文章也可以說是夫子自道，是美國文論史上的珍寶，題目 叫做《保爾·布爾熱關心我們什麽》。美國有些研究者反倒對此不大重視，而前蘇聯學術界 倒是很重視。認為是馬剋·吐溫文論的另一個名篇，這是對的，並且以這篇文章來照亮有關 《赫剋》的探索與研究，那纔是正路，而文本主義與庸俗社會學就對此無能為力了。
要找出《赫剋》為何不朽，自然並非易事，一部經歷了百年的《赫剋》批評史，其中有 大量的論爭性文章為此而發。意味深長的是一次著名的論爭：“《赫剋》的偉大在哪裏？” 論爭的一方為兩位名傢：美英現代主義奠基人之一、《荒原》的作者T．S．埃略特和新批 評派理論傢萊昂納爾·屈裏林；論爭的另一方是萊奧·瑪剋斯等一批後起之秀。屈裏林的文 章題目便是《赫剋爾貝裏·芬的偉大之處》（１９４８），說《赫剋》所以是一部偉大的 書，因為它“寫的一個（密西西比河之）神——一個有自己的心、自己的意志的那種力量， 對有道德觀念的想象力來說，它仿佛藴含着一個偉大的道德觀念，而赫剋乃是這河神的僕 人。”《赫剋》可說是“與人的卑瑣相比，對河之神的美、神秘、力量一麯偉大高尚的頌 歌。”T．S．埃略特對此表示同感（１９５０）說“全書有兩個因素，一個是孩子，一個是 大河”，“那個孩子正是大河的精神所寄托的。”兩位大師還都為全書結尾寫得差而辯解。 萊奧·瑪剋斯敢於對兩位大傢的觀點提出質疑，說屈裏林和埃略特“對大河的作用那種不無 誇張的想象，表現了他們對全書主題所在、中心所在何等忽視。”還說他們對結局的敗筆辯 解，那是沒有看到，結尾這樣寫法，使得“全書中最為嚴肅的寓意成了兒戲。總之，結局成 了一場滑稽戲，而全書的其餘的部分則並非如此。”瑪剋斯指出，兩位大師“對全書所寫的 對自由的追求何等輕視”。①這場論戰啓人心智，也在某種程度上暴露了新批評派這種過於 側重文本、技巧、技法在方上的狹隘性，而新批評派稱霸美國文壇達半個世紀，至今仍 影響不小。
具有強大藝術魅力的全書主題——對自由的追求——並非是抽象的，而是充滿了時代氣 息。可能有些讀者對捲首的書名下面寫明的話漫不經心。作者在這裏特意標明了故事情節發 生的地點與時間。地點：密西西比河流域；時間：４０到４５年前。按照小說末一頁所標明 的，全書完稿於１８８４—１８８５年。據此推算，故事寫的是１８２６——１８４５年之 事。也就是一般人所說的傑剋遜（總統）時代（有人把傑剋遜時代界定為從１８２８—１８ ４８年）。
①俱見諾頓版《赫剋》的資料，３１０—３４１頁
《赫剋》的專傢安特魯·傑·霍夫曼在《馬剋·吐溫作品中的主人公及其天地》中? 個問題作了比較深入的研究。他說：“在個性、心態、習慣、價值觀念等方面，《赫剋》中 的世界真切地反映了那個時代到美國訪問過的人所記錄下來的傑剋遜時代的美國。馬剋·吐 溫對歷史真實的描繪通過一幅精彩的畫面而表現了出來，其對於時代生活的細節的極端重視 使人驚嘆。”“跟我們心目中的傑剋遜時代的美國非常吻合”，“赫剋是放在現實主義的天 地中加以描繪的”，“這個天地充滿歷史感，是歷史真實的現實主義描寫，寫的是十九世紀 第二個二十五年的美國。”“那個時代的美國人的理想，他們的希望及其潛在的夢想，可以 從我們傳統的英雄赫剋的性格中窺見一般。”①
文學不同於歷史，但馬剋·吐溫正是捕捉住了他所寫的那個時代的“美國民族的生活與 靈魂”，纔使得作品具有如此強大的藝術魅力。古往今來，能捕捉住自己民族的靈魂的作 傢，能自覺地為此而獻身的，也並不很多，而能成為知音的批評傢與讀者也屬難能而可貴。 《赫剋》專傢普烈乞特在１９４１年寫的《美國第一部在本土産生的傑作》中說，“赫剋的 童年，乃是一種新的文化的童年。”②旭剋雷在１９６０年的《赫剋的結構分析》中說， “在全書結尾，赫剋摒棄了他所見到的文明，準備作為內在心靈上一個自由的人生活下 去。”③這些恐怕是百年來的批評與研究中相當擊中要害的見解。
這一種對“自由的追求”，對一種“新的文化”的追求，正是從下層人民出身的赫剋矇 矓而執着的追求，也是馬剋·吐溫從十九世紀美國兩股歷史大潮——“西進”開發邊疆和 “南下”廢止南部各州黑奴製中，從伐木者、淘金者、水手的生活與憧憬中捕捉住並提煉熔 鑄的。
①霍夫曼《吐溫的主人公與吐溫的天地》，濱州大學出版社，１９８８，５５頁、 ７７—７８頁。
②《百年紀念評論選》，７６頁。
③同①４００—４０４頁。
全書就是從赫剋對舊的一套文化的厭惡、反感寫起的。意味深長的是開宗明義第一章第 二節（第一節講的是另一本書的事，故這第二節，實乃全書的第一節），就強調了一句話， 這句話實乃貫串全書，並在全書末了結尾一句又回到這句話上來，照應全書開頭的那句話， 把主題點得明明白白。在開頭第二節，赫剋就講，“道格拉斯寡婦要領養我做她的幹兒子” （這個赫剋是一個流浪漢醉鬼的兒子，一個窮孩子），“並且說她要教我學那一套文明的規 矩”（sivilzeme），“我再也受不瞭瞭”。後來加上他爸爸的等等原因，終於出走河 上。全書末了一句說，“我看我得比一些人先走一步，前往那個‘地域’去，因為薩莉姨媽 要認我做她的幹兒子，要教我學那一套文明的規矩（sivilizeme），這我受不了。我已經受 過一回啦。”這樣，赫剋在出走河上以後不肯回傢，終於往新的“地域”去闖蕩天下，進行 新的開拓。這個新的“地域”（準州），有人考證，認為指後來的俄剋拉荷馬州，當年是印 第安人的地區。筆者認為，這個“地域”不論是實指，或是虛指，都不會僅指去到１８４８ 年前的地區，不會僅指南北戰爭前的理想，而是隱含着作者完稿時亦即１８８４—１８８５ 年時作者心目中所嚮往的地方，也就是作者心目中一種新的文化萌發的那種理想。 “sivilizeme”的“sivilize”，乃“civilize”的密蘇裏人土語的拼音，或譯“學做人的 規矩”，或譯“教我怎樣做人”，譯得都有道理。但赫剋走出家庭，河上，甚至不惜假 死，所謂雖九死而猶未悔，當然不是一般地耍孩子脾氣，而是對舊的一套文明的反感與厭 惡。正如普烈乞待所說，“赫剋的童年也就是一種新的文化的童年”。所以連比較保守的文 藝理論傢屈裏體也承認“《赫剋》實乃一部顛覆性的書（asubversiveCbook）。”①
①諾頓版《赫剋》資料部分，３１６頁。
作品的強大藝術魅力正是由於寫的是赫剋對傢裏老的一套古板的文明規矩與教會辦的主 日學校桎梏心靈的那一套行為規範的厭惡與反抗。作品寫一個十三四歲的窮孩子仿佛調皮搗 蛋，連進出都不走大門，而是從樓上窗口裏爬進爬出，抱着避雷針上上下下；實則寫他勇於 反抗（假死），勇於開拓，勇於冒險。衹身一人，敢於逃上小島，搭窩棚，生篝火，釣魚為 生。小小年紀，成了小島的主人；小小年紀，在大河之上，出生入死，沒有叫過一聲苦；永 遠前進，沒有後退過一步。叫美國和世界的讀者入迷的正是當年西部拓殖者、淘金者與密西 西比河上水手的孩子們這樣對自由的追求，對新的文化的追求！這種開拓的精神，這種創業 精神，這種美國人非常珍惜的個人首創精神，不是美國文明史上新的文化的萌芽又是什麽呢？
叫讀者入迷的是當年邊疆與大河之上平頭百姓傢的孩子們對人性、人道的追求。“國 王”和“公爵”對河上老百姓的欺騙與訛詐；對弱女子的冷酷欺詐的掠奪，河上世族人傢 “打冤傢”的愚昧與殘酷，由作者以幽默之筆，描敘得淋漓盡致，也可說是醜態百出。而與 此對照的，正是當年邊疆拓殖者與河上水手的下一代窮孩子對一種合乎人性、人情、人道的 社會的嚮往。赫剋這個窮孩子對“國王”與“公爵”的鄙棄，以及為了搭救險遭陷害的姑 娘，巧施妙計，把金幣藏在棺材裏，這樣秉性善良、正直、富於同情心而機智的窮孩子赫剋 的形象，不正是一種新的文化所孕育的一代麽？能不迷人麽？
作品的強大藝術魅力當然更表現於當年白種人窮孩子赫剋搭救黑奴傑姆的麯折經過與復 雜的心靈歷程，這顯然是作品的核心部分。它寫的正是當年邊疆拓殖者與河上水手們的下一 代對社會的追求，也寫了對解放黑奴的覺悟過程。這方面的描寫可說是震憾人心的重大 主題找到了富於高超技巧技法的藝術形式。整個故事迂回麯折，分三個層次，奔嚮。作 品從赫剋對黑奴傑姆既同情又加以戲弄寫起。河上驚濤駭浪中失散後，赫剋一度戲弄傑姆， 後來深感慚愧，認識到這麽戲弄人“太卑鄙了，恨不得用嘴親親他的腳”，“再也不出壞主 意騙他了”（十五章），這是第一步。後來在河上遇巡邏隊盤查逃亡黑奴，赫剋本來深悔自 己不該幫黑奴逃跑，覺得對不住傑姆的女主人華珍小姐，决心把船劃列岸邊上岸去告發傑 姆。可巡邏隊在河上逼近盤查時，赫剋卻由不得自己原來的盤算，推說自己船上是個生天花 的白人，巡邏隊深怕傳染上天花，嚇得落荒而逃（十六章），這是第二步。最後，赫剋思前 想後，下定了决心，寫好了嚮傑姆的女主人華珍小姐告發傑姆的一封信，還覺得自己寫了告 發信後不再負罪了，一身輕快了，深慶自己最後沒有弄錯了方向，沒有“走進了地獄”。可 是他又不禁想到了傑姆的種種好處，剛纔寫好的那封信拿在手裏，全身直發抖，終於把信一 撕，一邊說，“那麽，好吧，下地獄就下地獄吧。”赫剋成了搭救傑姆掙脫奴隸桎梏的一名 戰士，一個種族平等與理想的體現者（三十一章），這也是全書所在。
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.
這樣的描寫不僅藝術上是高超的，而且真切地寫了一個白人傢窮孩子覺悟提高的過程。 它沒有寫赫剋一開始就是個包打天下的廢奴主義者。赫剋從一般地同情黑奴，又輕視黑奴、 時或戲弄黑奴，到認識到黑人傑姆的高尚人品，為瞭解救他，我不入地獄誰入地獄，這其間 有個麯折的過程。馬剋·吐溫自己對此有切身的體會。他在《自傳》中說，“我做小學生的 時候，並不厭惡黑奴制度，我並不知道那有什麽錯。我耳朵裏沒有聽到誰責難過它。當地的 牧師教導我們說，那是上帝認可的，說這是一件神聖的事，要是懷疑者心裏有疑惑，衹要看 一看《聖經》就行了。”①事實上，密蘇裏當時便是一個政府許可的蓄奴州。並且，在南北 戰爭以前，認為蓄奴乃理直氣壯的人，何止成千上萬。《赫剋》中所寫赫剋的爸爸，雖為窮 苦的白人，卻認為蓄奴乃天經地義。他自認為比黑人教授還高明，認為黑人竟可以有選舉 權，竟可以投票，那還成什麽天下。可見當年廢奴的鬥爭是艱苦的，馬剋·吐溫的描寫是符 合歷史真實的，而符合歷史真實又找到了高超的藝術形式的描寫，並且每一步洋溢着幽默， 其藝術魅力自然特別強大。這樣的寫法並且對於一般普普通通的人的審美教育意義也特別真 切。這種描寫也表明了，赫剋的童年，追求理想的童年，恰恰正是美國歷史上一種新的 文化的童年。這樣的描寫能不迷人麽？
①《馬剋·吐溫自傳》，譯林出版社，第二章。
能認為《赫剋》的意義衹是旨在實現黑奴解放戰爭以前那個時代對自由的追求，亦即? 開拓創業、人道、的追求麽？當然不是。作品寫的是１８２６—１８４５年的事，但寫 成於１８８４—１８８５年。在動筆寫的７年間（１８７６年、１８７９—１８８０年，１ ８８３年），南北戰爭已經打過了，黑奴製基本上廢止了，在某些意義上，開拓、創業，個 人首創精神結出了纍纍碩果。重人性、人情、人道的風尚有所進步，的事業有所前進。 但是窮白人赫剋對自由的追求、對新的文化的追求實現了麽？《赫剋》的創作主體馬剋·吐 溫在十九世紀七八十年代創作的心態，衹限於對４０—５０年前舊時美國的回憶麽？
馬剋·吐溫在完稿時已成長為美國文壇的巨人。他目擊了４０—５０年間美國歷史的發 展變化。在寫《赫剋》前兩年，便已寫出了《鍍金時代》。他寫出了南北戰爭後的美國、經 濟大發展的美國、發財狂潮旋捲了一切的美國，實際上衹是表面上鍍了薄薄的一層金，裏面 卻是包的一堆廢銅爛鐵，美國社會原來是個腐朽的社會。古往今來，曾有哪一個作傢，給自 己生活着的時代起了一個如此深刻而雋永、如此幽默的名字，並且為當時人們所認同，並為 史傢所接受呢？在寫了《赫剋》後的五年（１９００），馬剋·吐溫寫了《敗壞了赫德萊堡 的人》，寫出了“最誠實廉潔的市鎮”原來是一群偽君子，在一袋金幣面前，便露出了“既 想當娘子，又要立牌坊”的原形。同年，值八國聯軍侵華，馬剋·吐溫在紐約發表了著名的 演講：“我也是義和團”，“義和團是愛國的”。又六年，在１９０６年，高爾基為１９０ ５年的來到美國籌募捐款，馬剋·吐溫對高爾基的義舉大力支持。由此可見， 主義者的馬剋·吐溫在寫赫剋對自由的追求孕碌奈幕淖非笫保緣筆鋇南質等綰蔚厥? 望。這令人失望的現實，更加深了這個當過報童、排字工人、礦工、水手與領港的作傢對真 正符合人志的自由與的期待。事實上，《赫剋》中不乏後來稱為黑色幽默以至荒誕 派色彩的描寫，特別是“國王”和“公爵”登場以後。因此，美國有的評論傢稱《赫剋》為 黑色幽默的先驅，塞林格的《麥田裏的守望者》為其嫡傳，這是有道理的①。福剋納說， “甚至霍桑和亨利·詹姆斯還不是嚴格意義上類似馬剋·吐溫、惠特曼和桑德堡那樣的美國 的作傢。”從《赫剋》與後來美國黑色幽默小說的血肉聯繫，也表明了《赫剋》的獨特的美 國式小說的風格。
著名作傢和評論傢，馬剋·吐溫的好友豪威爾斯說，“馬剋·吐溫是美國文學史上的林 肯。”②為什麽能這樣說呢？新批評派大將剋裏恩斯·勃格剋斯和洛勃特·華倫主編的《美 國文學創作與作傢》認為，馬剋·吐溫寫赫剋，“用的是赫剋自己的口語，仿佛粗俗，實乃 神奇”，而不是用的往往刻板的敘述人的語言。用赫剋的口語寫，使“感情與事件融和”、 “形式與效果一致”，從而創造了馬剋·吐溫的風格。“我們不妨這樣理解，林肯解放了黑 奴，馬剋·吐溫解放了作傢。”③
①《百年紀念纜堊 罰常梗慘場?
②《美國文學作品選》，麥美司，１９８０年版，捲２，３３２頁。
③《美國文學創作與作傢》，紐約，捲二，１２７８頁。
馬剋·吐溫這種運用作品中人物的個性化口語進行描敘的風格，確是他的卓越貢獻，而 異於巴爾紮剋、狄更斯、霍桑，並影響及於２０世紀一大批美國作傢。縱覽《赫剋》全書， 從第一句開始，直到結束，始終發自“一個聲音”，一個“我”。這個“我”，並非呼是馬 ·吐溫，不是一般傳統的敘述人，而是窮孩子赫剋。最終，也是這個“我”出走後不肯回 那個傢，不肯受那套文明規矩的束縛，而要繼續闖蕩天下，開拓前進。這“一個聲音”也是 “美國的靈魂”的一種表述，是馬剋·吐溫捕捉住的時代的聲音。受到這種“一個聲音”的 感動的，何止一個人。曾有這麽一個故事。美國著名電影名星萊奧納爾·巴裏摩爾九歲那 年，亦即在１８８８年，也就是《赫剋》出版後三年，隨父見到了馬剋·吐溫。興奮之餘， 不禁為他朗誦了《赫剋》全書末一段赫剋的話，即不肯受“那一套文明規矩”的束縛，因而 不肯返回那古板的家庭，而要闖蕩江河，開創新的生活的那一段話。巴裏摩爾這位著名演員 回憶說，當時馬剋·吐溫“一隻手按住了九歲的孩子的胳膊，熱淚盈眶。”①馬剋·吐溫美 國式小說的內容與形式的統一，其藝術魅力之強大，這是動人的一例。
①《百年紀念評論選》，３６０頁。
馬剋·吐溫這位藝術大師、主義者，和其他歷史人物一樣，當然有其不足之處。 “有兩個馬剋·吐溫”，這是仰慕他的美國著名作傢德萊塞的名句。也就是說，有一個不夠 深刻的一面的馬剋·吐溫。另外象《赫剋》，其結尾是否是敗筆，也可商討。但赫剋那種對 自由的追求，對社會的追螅孕碌奈幕淖非螅兩袷貢榧笆瀾緄畝琳擼詼梁笪? 心靈震撼。有的批評傢曾稱莎士比亞為“我們同時代的人”，如果我們稱馬剋·吐溫為“我 們同時代的人”，不是也非常貼切麽？
１９９５．２．１２於南京
赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記
（湯姆·莎耶的夥伴）①
地點：密西西比河流域②
時間：四十至四十五年前③
①《湯姆·莎耶歷險記》出版於１８７６年，《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》出版於
１８８４年，馬剋·吐溫稱前者和後者為“姐妹篇’。學者們幾乎一致認為馬剋·吐溫 寫《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》時，思想上、藝術上有個飛躍，兩書成為“姐妹篇”，但又不 能等同看待。海明威說，“所有現代的美國文學都來自馬剋·吐溫的一本書《赫剋爾貝 ·芬歷險記》。”
②密西西比河對美國文化的成長發展的重要性，人們常以之與黃河、長江對中國文化生 長、發展的重要性相比。馬剋·吐溫的故鄉即在密西西比河上密蘇裏州的漢尼拔。在馬 ·吐溫一生中，密西西比河既為十九世紀美國“西進”的重要基地，又為南北雙方黑奴製 與反黑奴製派激烈鬥爭的地區。馬剋·吐溫正是十九世紀美國“西進”與“南下”（“南 北”黑奴製鬥爭）時代這兩股大潮孕育的偉大作傢。作傢開宗明義，清楚地點明故事發生的 地點在整個的密西西比河流域，意義不同尋常。
③本書出版於１８８４年，作者特別點明故事發生在四十至四十五年前，指寫的是１８ ２６年至１８４５年期間的事。作傢寫的是六十年代黑奴解放戰爭以前的事，衹是描述中飽 和着作傢對戰後的“鍍金時代”，即虛假的繁榮時代的幻滅感與對更高的審美理想的深沉的 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《馬剋·吐溫自傳》，譯林出版社，第二章。
能認為《赫剋》的意義衹是旨在實現黑奴解放戰爭以前那個時代對自由的追求，亦即? 開拓創業、人道、的追求麽？當然不是。作品寫的是１８２６—１８４５年的事，但寫 成於１８８４—１８８５年。在動筆寫的７年間（１８７６年、１８７９—１８８０年，１ ８８３年），南北戰爭已經打過了，黑奴製基本上廢止了，在某些意義上，開拓、創業，個 人首創精神結出了纍纍碩果。重人性、人情、人道的風尚有所進步，的事業有所前進。 但是窮白人赫剋對自由的追求、對新的文化的追求實現了麽？《赫剋》的創作主體馬剋·吐 溫在十九世紀七八十年代創作的心態，衹限於對４０—５０年前舊時美國的回憶麽？
馬剋·吐溫在完稿時已成長為美國文壇的巨人。他目擊了４０—５０年間美國歷史的發 展變化。在寫《赫剋》前兩年，便已寫出了《鍍金時代》。他寫出了南北戰爭後的美國、經 濟大發展的美國、發財狂潮旋捲了一切的美國，實際上衹是表面上鍍了薄薄的一層金，裏面 卻是包的一堆廢銅爛鐵，美國社會原來是個腐朽的社會。古往今來，曾有哪一個作傢，給自 己生活着的時代起了一個如此深刻而雋永、如此幽默的名字，並且為當時人們所認同，並為 史傢所接受呢？在寫了《赫剋》後的五年（１９００），馬剋·吐溫寫了《敗壞了赫德萊堡 的人》，寫出了“最誠實廉潔的市鎮”原來是一群偽君子，在一袋金幣面前，便露出了“既 想當娘子，又要立牌坊”的原形。同年，值八國聯軍侵華，馬剋·吐溫在紐約發表了著名的 演講：“我也是義和團”，“義和團是愛國的”。又六年，在１９０６年，高爾基為１９０ ５年的來到美國籌募捐款，馬剋·吐溫對高爾基的義舉大力支持。由此可見， 主義者的馬剋·吐溫在寫赫剋對自由的追求孕碌奈幕淖非笫保緣筆鋇南質等綰蔚厥? 望。這令人失望的現實，更加深了這個當過報童、排字工人、礦工、水手與領港的作傢對真 正符合人志的自由與的期待。事實上，《赫剋》中不乏後來稱為黑色幽默以至荒誕 派色彩的描寫，特別是“國王”和“公爵”登場以後。因此，美國有的評論傢稱《赫剋》為 黑色幽默的先驅，塞林格的《麥田裏的守望者》為其嫡傳，這是有道理的①。福剋納說， “甚至霍桑和亨利·詹姆斯還不是嚴格意義上類似馬剋·吐溫、惠特曼和桑德堡那樣的美國 的作傢。”從《赫剋》與後來美國黑色幽默小說的血肉聯繫，也表明了《赫剋》的獨特的美 國式小說的風格。
著名作傢和評論傢，馬剋·吐溫的好友豪威爾斯說，“馬剋·吐溫是美國文學史上的林 肯。”②為什麽能這樣說呢？新批評派大將剋裏恩斯·勃格剋斯和洛勃特·華倫主編的《美 國文學創作與作傢》認為，馬剋·吐溫寫赫剋，“用的是赫剋自己的口語，仿佛粗俗，實乃 神奇”，而不是用的往往刻板的敘述人的語言。用赫剋的口語寫，使“感情與事件融和”、 “形式與效果一致”，從而創造了馬剋·吐溫的風格。“我們不妨這樣理解，林肯解放了黑 奴，馬剋·吐溫解放了作傢。”③
①《百年紀念纜堊 罰常梗慘場?
②《美國文學作品選》，麥美司，１９８０年版，捲２，３３２頁。
③《美國文學創作與作傢》，紐約，捲二，１２７８頁。
馬剋·吐溫這種運用作品中人物的個性化口語進行描敘的風格，確是他的卓越貢獻，而 異於巴爾紮剋、狄更斯、霍桑，並影響及於２０世紀一大批美國作傢。縱覽《赫剋》全書， 從第一句開始，直到結束，始終發自“一個聲音”，一個“我”。這個“我”，並非呼是馬 ·吐溫，不是一般傳統的敘述人，而是窮孩子赫剋。最終，也是這個“我”出走後不肯回 那個傢，不肯受那套文明規矩的束縛，而要繼續闖蕩天下，開拓前進。這“一個聲音”也是 “美國的靈魂”的一種表述，是馬剋·吐溫捕捉住的時代的聲音。受到這種“一個聲音”的 感動的，何止一個人。曾有這麽一個故事。美國著名電影名星萊奧納爾·巴裏摩爾九歲那 年，亦即在１８８８年，也就是《赫剋》出版後三年，隨父見到了馬剋·吐溫。興奮之餘， 不禁為他朗誦了《赫剋》全書末一段赫剋的話，即不肯受“那一套文明規矩”的束縛，因而 不肯返回那古板的家庭，而要闖蕩江河，開創新的生活的那一段話。巴裏摩爾這位著名演員 回憶說，當時馬剋·吐溫“一隻手按住了九歲的孩子的胳膊，熱淚盈眶。”①馬剋·吐溫美 國式小說的內容與形式的統一，其藝術魅力之強大，這是動人的一例。
①《百年紀念評論選》，３６０頁。
馬剋·吐溫這位藝術大師、主義者，和其他歷史人物一樣，當然有其不足之處。 “有兩個馬剋·吐溫”，這是仰慕他的美國著名作傢德萊塞的名句。也就是說，有一個不夠 深刻的一面的馬剋·吐溫。另外象《赫剋》，其結尾是否是敗筆，也可商討。但赫剋那種對 自由的追求，對社會的追螅孕碌奈幕淖非螅兩袷貢榧笆瀾緄畝琳擼詼梁笪? 心靈震撼。有的批評傢曾稱莎士比亞為“我們同時代的人”，如果我們稱馬剋·吐溫為“我 們同時代的人”，不是也非常貼切麽？
１９９５．２．１２於南京
赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記
（湯姆·莎耶的夥伴）①
地點：密西西比河流域②
時間：四十至四十五年前③
①《湯姆·莎耶歷險記》出版於１８７６年，《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》出版於
１８８４年，馬剋·吐溫稱前者和後者為“姐妹篇’。學者們幾乎一致認為馬剋·吐溫 寫《赫剋爾貝裏·芬歷險記》時，思想上、藝術上有個飛躍，兩書成為“姐妹篇”，但又不 能等同看待。海明威說，“所有現代的美國文學都來自馬剋·吐溫的一本書《赫剋爾貝 ·芬歷險記》。”
②密西西比河對美國文化的成長發展的重要性，人們常以之與黃河、長江對中國文化生 長、發展的重要性相比。馬剋·吐溫的故鄉即在密西西比河上密蘇裏州的漢尼拔。在馬 ·吐溫一生中，密西西比河既為十九世紀美國“西進”的重要基地，又為南北雙方黑奴製 與反黑奴製派激烈鬥爭的地區。馬剋·吐溫正是十九世紀美國“西進”與“南下”（“南 北”黑奴製鬥爭）時代這兩股大潮孕育的偉大作傢。作傢開宗明義，清楚地點明故事發生的 地點在整個的密西西比河流域，意義不同尋常。
③本書出版於１８８４年，作者特別點明故事發生在四十至四十五年前，指寫的是１８ ２６年至１８４５年期間的事。作傢寫的是六十年代黑奴解放戰爭以前的事，衹是描述中飽 和着作傢對戰後的“鍍金時代”，即虛假的繁榮時代的幻滅感與對更高的審美理想的深沉的 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.