艾米·洛威尔经典诗歌：Off the Turnpike(2)

学习啦在线学习网 　　After a while I got to thinkin' that o' course

　　'Twas some drunken tramp over from Redfield.

　　That calmed me some,

　　An' I commenced to think I'd better git him out

学习啦在线学习网 　　From under them laylocks.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I planned to drag him in t' th' barn

学习啦在线学习网 　　An' lock him in ther till Clarence come in th' mornin'.

　　I got so mad thinkin' o' that all-fired brazen tramp

　　Asleep in my laylocks,

学习啦在线学习网 　　I jest stooped down and grabbed th' hand and give it an awful pull.

　　Then I bumped right down settin' on the ground.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Mis' Priest, ther warn't no body come with the hand.

学习啦在线学习网 　　No, it ain't cold, it's jest that I can't abear thinkin' of it,

　　Ev'n now.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I'll take a sip o' tea.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Thank you, Mis' Priest, that's better.

　　I'd ruther finish now I've begun.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Thank you, jest the same.

　　I dropped the hand's ef it'd be'n red hot

　　'Stead o' ice cold.

　　Fer a minit or two I jest laid on that grass

学习啦在线学习网 　　Pantin'.

　　Then I up and run to them laylocks

学习啦在线学习网 　　An' pulled 'em every which way.

学习啦在线学习网 　　True es I'm settin' here, Mis' Priest,

　　Ther warn't nothin' ther.

　　I peeked an' pryed all about 'em,

学习啦在线学习网 　　But ther warn't no man ther

学习啦在线学习网 　　Neither livin' nor dead.

学习啦在线学习网 　　But the hand was ther all right,

　　Upside down, the way I'd dropped it,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And glist'nin' fit to dazzle yer.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I don't know how I done it,

　　An' I don't know why I done it,

学习啦在线学习网 　　But I wanted to git that dret'ful hand out o' sight

　　I got in t' th' barn, somehow,

　　An' felt roun' till I got a spade.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I couldn't stop fer a lantern,

　　Besides, the moonlight was bright enough in all conscience.

　　Then I scooped that awful thing up in th' spade.

　　I had a sight o' trouble doin' it.

学习啦在线学习网 　　It slid off, and tipped over, and I couldn't bear

学习啦在线学习网 　　Ev'n to touch it with my foot to prop it,

　　But I done it somehow.

　　Then I carried it off be'ind the barn,

　　Clost to an old apple-tree

　　Where you couldn't see from the house,

　　An' I buried it,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Good an' deep.

　　I don't rec'lect nothin' more o' that night.

　　Clarence woke me up in th' mornin',

学习啦在线学习网 　　Hollerin' fer me to come down and set th' milk.

学习啦在线学习网 　　When he'd gone,

　　I stole roun' to the apple-tree

学习啦在线学习网 　　And seed the earth all new turned

　　Where I left it in my hurry.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I did a heap o' gardenin'

学习啦在线学习网 　　That mornin'.

　　I couldn't cut no big sods

　　Fear Clarence would notice and ask me what I wanted 'em fer,

　　So I got teeny bits o' turf here and ther,

　　And no one couldn't tell ther'd be'n any diggin'

　　When I got through.

　　They was awful days after that, Mis' Priest,

学习啦在线学习网 　　I used ter go every mornin' and poke about them bushes,

学习啦在线学习网 　　An' up and down the fence,

　　Ter find the body that hand come off of.

学习啦在线学习网 　　But I couldn't never find nothin'.

　　I'd lay awake nights

　　Hearin' them laylocks blowin' and whiskin'.

　　At last I had Clarence cut 'em down

学习啦在线学习网 　　An' make a big bonfire of 'em.

　　I told him the smell made me sick,

　　An' that warn't no lie,

　　I can't abear the smell on 'em now;

　　An' no wonder, es you say.

　　I fretted somethin' awful 'bout that hand

　　I wondered, could it be Hiram's,

　　But folks don't rob graveyards hereabouts.

　　Besides, Hiram's hands warn't that awful, starin' white.

　　I give up seein' people,

　　I was afeared I'd say somethin'.

　　You know what folks thought o' me

　　Better'n I do, I dessay,

　　But mebbe now you'll see I couldn't do nothin' diff'rent.

学习啦在线学习网 　　But I stuck it out,

　　I warn't goin' to be downed

　　By no loose hand, no matter how it come ther

学习啦在线学习网 　　But that ain't the worst, Mis' Priest,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Not by a long ways.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Two year ago, Mr. Densmore made me an offer for Cherry's Orchard.

　　Well, I'd got used to th' thought o' bein' sort o' blighted,

　　An' I warn't scared no more.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Lived down my fear, I guess.

　　I'd kinder got used to th' thought o' that awful night,

学习啦在线学习网 　　And I didn't mope much about it.

　　Only I never went out o' doors by moonlight;

　　That stuck.

　　Well, when Mr. Densmore's offer come,

　　I started thinkin' 'bout the place

　　An' all the things that had gone on ther.

　　Thinks I, I guess I'll go and see where I put the hand.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I was foolhardy with the long time that had gone by.

　　I know'd the place real well,

　　Fer I'd put it right in between two o' the apple roots.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I don't know what possessed me, Mis' Priest,

学习啦在线学习网 　　But I kinder wanted to know

学习啦在线学习网 　　That the hand had been flesh and bone, anyway.

　　It had sorter bothered me, thinkin' I might ha' imagined it.

　　I took a mornin' when the sun was real pleasant and warm;

　　I guessed I wouldn't jump for a few old bones.

　　But I did jump, somethin' wicked.

　　Ther warn't no bones!

　　Ther warn't nothin'!

　　Not ev'n the gold ring I'd minded bein' on the little finger.

　　I don't know ef ther ever was anythin'.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I've worried myself sick over it.

　　I be'n diggin' and diggin' day in and day out

　　Till Clarence ketched me at it.

　　Oh, I know'd real well what you all thought,

学习啦在线学习网 　　An' I ain't sayin' you're not right,

　　But I ain't goin' to end in no county 'sylum

　　If I c'n help it.

　　The shiv'rin' fits come on me sudden like.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I know 'em, don't you trouble.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I've fretted considerable about the 'sylum,

　　I guess I be'n frettin' all the time I ain't be'n diggin'.

学习啦在线学习网 　　But anyhow I can't dig to Chicago, can I?

　　Thank you, Mis' Priest,

　　I'm better now. I only dropped in in passin'.

　　I'll jest be steppin' along down to French's.

学习啦在线学习网 　　No, I won't be seein' nobody in the mornin',

　　It's a pretty early start.

　　Don't you stand ther, Mis' Priest,

学习啦在线学习网 　　The wind'll blow yer lamp out,

学习啦在线学习网 　　An' I c'n see easy, I got aholt o' the gate now.

　　I ain't a mite tired, thank you.

　　Good-night.