艾米·洛威尔经典诗歌：Off the Turnpike(2)

　　After a while I got to thinkin' that o' course

　　'Twas some drunken tramp over from Redfield.

学习啦在线学习网 　　That calmed me some,

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

　　From under them laylocks.

　　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,

　　I jest stooped down and grabbed th' hand and give it an awful pull.

　　Then I bumped right down settin' on the ground.

　　Mis' Priest, ther warn't no body come with the hand.

　　No, it ain't cold, it's jest that I can't abear thinkin' of it,

学习啦在线学习网 　　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.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I'd ruther finish now I've begun.

　　Thank you, jest the same.

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

学习啦在线学习网 　　'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.

　　True es I'm settin' here, Mis' Priest,

　　Ther warn't nothin' ther.

　　I peeked an' pryed all about 'em,

　　But ther warn't no man ther

　　Neither livin' nor dead.

　　But the hand was ther all right,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Upside down, the way I'd dropped it,

　　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

学习啦在线学习网 　　I got in t' th' barn, somehow,

学习啦在线学习网 　　An' felt roun' till I got a spade.

　　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.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Then I carried it off be'ind the barn,

学习啦在线学习网 　　Clost to an old apple-tree

　　Where you couldn't see from the house,

学习啦在线学习网 　　An' I buried it,

　　Good an' deep.

学习啦在线学习网 　　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.

　　I did a heap o' gardenin'

学习啦在线学习网 　　That mornin'.

　　I couldn't cut no big sods

学习啦在线学习网 　　Fear Clarence would notice and ask me what I wanted 'em fer,

学习啦在线学习网 　　So I got teeny bits o' turf here and ther,

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

学习啦在线学习网 　　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,

　　An' up and down the fence,

　　Ter find the body that hand come off of.

　　But I couldn't never find nothin'.

　　I'd lay awake nights

学习啦在线学习网 　　Hearin' them laylocks blowin' and whiskin'.

学习啦在线学习网 　　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,

学习啦在线学习网 　　But folks don't rob graveyards hereabouts.

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

学习啦在线学习网 　　I give up seein' people,

学习啦在线学习网 　　I was afeared I'd say somethin'.

学习啦在线学习网 　　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.

　　But I stuck it out,

　　I warn't goin' to be downed

　　By no loose hand, no matter how it come ther

　　But that ain't the worst, Mis' Priest,

　　Not by a long ways.

　　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,

学习啦在线学习网 　　An' I warn't scared no more.

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

学习啦在线学习网 　　I'd kinder got used to th' thought o' that awful night,

　　And I didn't mope much about it.

　　Only I never went out o' doors by moonlight;

　　That stuck.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Well, when Mr. Densmore's offer come,

学习啦在线学习网 　　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.

　　I was foolhardy with the long time that had gone by.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I know'd the place real well,

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

　　I don't know what possessed me, Mis' Priest,

　　But I kinder wanted to know

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

学习啦在线学习网 　　It had sorter bothered me, thinkin' I might ha' imagined it.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I took a mornin' when the sun was real pleasant and warm;

学习啦在线学习网 　　I guessed I wouldn't jump for a few old bones.

　　But I did jump, somethin' wicked.

　　Ther warn't no bones!

学习啦在线学习网 　　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.

学习啦在线学习网 　　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,

学习啦在线学习网 　　But I ain't goin' to end in no county 'sylum

　　If I c'n help it.

学习啦在线学习网 　　The shiv'rin' fits come on me sudden like.

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

　　I've fretted considerable about the 'sylum,

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

　　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.

学习啦在线学习网 　　Don't you stand ther, Mis' Priest,

　　The wind'll blow yer lamp out,

　　An' I c'n see easy, I got aholt o' the gate now.

学习啦在线学习网 　　I ain't a mite tired, thank you.

　　Good-night.