A Curious dream: Containing a moral By mark Twain Night before last I had a singular dream. I seemed to be sitting on a doorstep(in no particular city perhaps) ruminating, and the time of night appeared to be about twelve or one o'clock. The weather was balmy and delicious. There was no human sound in the air, not even a footstep. There was no sound of any kind to emphasize the dead stillness, except the occasional hollow bark ing of a dog in the distance and the fainter answer of a further dog2. Presently up the street I heard a bony clack-clacking and guessed it was the castanets of a serenading party. In a minute more a tall skeleton, hooded, and half clad in a tattered and moldy shrouds, whose shreds were flapping aboutt the ribby? latticework of its person, swung by me with a stately stride and disappeared in the gray gloom of the starlight. It had a broken and worm-eaten coffin on its shoulder and a bundle of something in its hand i knew what the clack-clack ing was then; it was this party's joints working together, and hi elbows knocking against his sides as he walked. I may say I was surprised. Before I could collect my thoughts and enter upon any speculations as to what this apparition might portend, I heard another one coming for I recognized his clack-clack. He had two-thirds of a coffin on his shoulder and some foot and head boards under his arm9.I mightily wanted, to peer under his hood and speak to him, but when he turned and smiled upon me with his cavernous sockets and his projecting grin as he went by, I thought I would not detain him. He was hardly gone when I heard the clacking again, and another one issued from the shadowy half-light. This one was bend ing under a heavy gravestone 2, and dragging a shabby coffin after him by a string. When he got to me he gave me a steady look for a moment or two, and then rounded to and backed me. sa Ease this down for a fellow, will you? I eased the gravestone down till it rested on the ground and in doing so noticed that it bore the name of "John Baxter Copmanhurst, "with"May, 1839, "as the date of his death. Deceased sat wearily down by me, and wiped his os frontis3 with his major maxillary--chiefly from former habit I judged, for I could not see that he balmy and delicious:天气温和宜人。 There was no sound of any kind to emphasize the dead stillness, except the occasional hollow barking of a do in the distance and the fainter answer of a further dog:没有任何声音来衬托这死一般的寂静,除了几声空洞的 狗吠和更远处隐约应和着的狗叫 3cack- clacking:吧嗒吧嗒的碰击声, 4 castanets:响板(西班牙人常用的舞蹈伴奏乐器,多为硬木或象牙制成,套在拇指上合击发声) 5 half clad in a tattered and moldy shroud:半裹在破烂发霉的裹尸布里。 6 flap about:悬挂在身体 7riby:肋骨凸显的,瘦骨嶙峋的。 party:[]人 9 some foot and head boards under his arm:腋下夹着头脚的棺材板 cavernous sockets:空洞无物的眼窝。 I1 issued:出现 12 bending under a heavy gravestone:弯腰扛着一个沉重的墓碑。 13 os frontis:根据上下文,应指前额骨
A Curious Dream: Containing a Moral By Mark Twain Night before last I had a singular dream. I seemed to be sitting on a doorstep (in no particular city perhaps) ruminating, and the time of night appeared to be about twelve or one o'clock. The weather was balmy and delicious1 . There was no human sound in the air, not even a footstep. There was no sound of any kind to emphasize the dead stillness, except the occasional hollow barking of a dog in the distance and the fainter answer of a further dog2 . Presently up the street I heard a bony clack-clacking3 , and guessed it was the castanets4 of a serenading party. In a minute more a tall skeleton, hooded, and half clad in a tattered and moldy shroud5 , whose shreds were flapping about6 the ribby7 latticework of its person, swung by me with a stately stride and disappeared in the gray gloom of the starlight. It had a broken and worm-eaten coffin on its shoulder and a bundle of something in its hand. I knew what the clack-clacking was then; it was this party's 8 joints working together, and his elbows knocking against his sides as he walked. I may say I was surprised. Before I could collect my thoughts and enter upon any speculations as to what this apparition might portend, I heard another one coming for I recognized his clack-clack. He had two-thirds of a coffin on his shoulder and some foot and head boards under his arm9 . I mightily wanted, to peer under his hood and speak to him, but when he turned and smiled upon me with his cavernous sockets10 and his projecting grin as he went by, I thought I would not detain him. He was hardly gone when I heard the clacking again, and another one issued11 from the shadowy half-light. This one was bending under a heavy gravestone12, and dragging a shabby coffin after him by a string. When he got to me he gave me a steady look for a moment or two, and then rounded to and backed up to me, saying: "Ease this down for a fellow, will you?" I eased the gravestone down till it rested on the ground, and in doing so noticed that it bore the name of "John Baxter Copmanhurst," with "May, 1839," as the date of his death. Deceased sat wearily down by me, and wiped his os frontis13 with his major maxillary--chiefly from former habit I judged, for I could not see that he 1 balmy and delicious: 天气温和宜人。 2 There was no sound of any kind to emphasize the dead stillness, except the occasional hollow barking of a dog in the distance and the fainter answer of a further dog：没有任何声音来衬托这死一般的寂静，除了几声空洞的 狗吠和更远处隐约应和着的狗叫。 3 clack-clacking：吧嗒吧嗒的碰击声。 4 castanets：响板（西班牙人常用的舞蹈伴奏乐器，多为硬木或象牙制成，套在拇指上合击发声）。 5 half clad in a tattered and moldy shroud：半裹在破烂发霉的裹尸布里。 6 flap about：悬挂在身体周围。 7 ribby：肋骨凸显的，瘦骨嶙峋的。 8 party：[口] 人。 9 some foot and head boards under his arm：腋下夹着头脚的棺材板。 10 cavernous sockets：空洞无物的眼窝。 11 issued：出现。 12 bending under a heavy gravestone：弯腰扛着一个沉重的墓碑。 13 os frontis：根据上下文，应指前额骨
brought away any perspiration It is too bad, too bad, "said he, drawing the remnant of the shroud about him 14and leaning his jaw pensively on his hand. Then he put his left foot up on his knee and fell to scratching his anklebone absently with a rusty nail which he got out of his coffin What is too bad. friend? Oh, everything, everything. I almost wish I never had died You surprise me. Why do you say this? Has anything gone wrong? What is the matter? "Matter! Look at this shroud-rags. Look at this gravestone, all battered up. Look at that disgraceful old coffin. All a man's property going to ruin and destruction before his eyes, and ask him if anything is wrong? Fire and brimstone! Calm yourself, calm yourself, "I said. "It is too bad-it is certainly too bad,but then I had not supposed that you would much mind such matters situated as you are "Well, my dear sir, I do mind them. My pride is hurt, and my comfort is impaired--destroyed, I might say. I will state my case--I will put it to you in such a ay that you can comprehend it, if you will let me, said the poor skeleton, tilting the hood of his shroud back, as if he were clearing for action, and thus unconsciously giving himself a jaunty and festive air very much at variance with 6 the grave character of his position in life--so to speak--and in prominent contrast with his distressful mood saId I reside in the shameful old graveyard a block or two above you here, in this street--there,now, I just expected that cartilage would let go! 8--third rib from the bottom, friend, hitch the end of it to my spine with a string, if you have got such thing about you, though a bit of silver wire is a deal pleasanter, and more durable and becoming, if one keeps it polished--to think of shredd ing out and going to pieces in this way, just on account of the ind ifference and neglect of one's posterity! " --and the poor ghost grated his teeth in a way that gave me a wrench and a shiver --for the effect is mightily increased by the absence of muffling flesh and cuticle 20 " I reside in that old graveyard, and have for these thirty years; and I tell you things are changed since i first laid this old tired frame there. and turned over and stretched out for a long sleep, with a delicious sense upon me of being done with-i bother, and grief, ad anxiety, and doubt, and fear, forever and ever, and listening with comfortable and increasing satisfaction to the sexton, s work, from the startling clatter of his first spadeful on my coffin till it dulled away 22 to the faint patting that shaped the roof of 14 drawing the remnant of the shroud about him:把身上的布又裹了裹 1 Fire and brimstone: brimstone指地狱之火的燃料, fire and brimstone指地狱般的灾难 16 so much at variance with:与..格格不入。 proceed:请讲。 18 I just expected that cartilage would let go!!你瞧,我这块软骨都快掉下来了! l9 grated his teeth:(恨恨地)把牙齿咬得咯咯响。 20 for the effect is mightily increased by the absence of muffling flesh and cuticle:因为没有血肉和皮肤捂住, 这声音的效果更加强烈 with a delicious sense upon me of being done with:心想终于可以摆脱烦恼、悲伤了 2 dull away:声音渐渐沉闷消失
brought away any perspiration. "It is too bad, too bad," said he, drawing the remnant of the shroud about him 14and leaning his jaw pensively on his hand. Then he put his left foot up on his knee and fell to scratching his anklebone absently with a rusty nail which he got out of his coffin. "What is too bad, friend?" "Oh, everything, everything. I almost wish I never had died." "You surprise me. Why do you say this? Has anything gone wrong? What is the matter?" "Matter! Look at this shroud-rags. Look at this gravestone, all battered up. Look at that disgraceful old coffin. All a man's property going to ruin and destruction before his eyes, and ask him if anything is wrong? Fire and brimstone!" 15 "Calm yourself, calm yourself," I said. "It is too bad-it is certainly too bad, but then I had not supposed that you would much mind such matters situated as you are." "Well, my dear sir, I do mind them. My pride is hurt, and my comfort is impaired--destroyed, I might say. I will state my case--I will put it to you in such a way that you can comprehend it, if you will let me," said the poor skeleton, tilting the hood of his shroud back, as if he were clearing for action, and thus unconsciously giving himself a jaunty and festive air very much at variance with16 the grave character of his position in life--so to speak--and in prominent contrast with his distressful mood. "Proceed,"17 said I. "I reside in the shameful old graveyard a block or two above you here, in this street--there, now, I just expected that cartilage would let go!18 - -third rib from the bottom, friend, hitch the end of it to my spine with a string, if you have got such a thing about you, though a bit of silver wire is a deal pleasanter, and more durable and becoming, if one keeps it polished--to think of shredding out and going to pieces in this way, just on account of the indifference and neglect of one's posterity!"--and the poor ghost grated his teeth19 in a way that gave me a wrench and a shiver --for the effect is mightily increased by the absence of muffling flesh and cuticle20. "I reside in that old graveyard, and have for these thirty years; and I tell you things are changed since I first laid this old tired frame there, and turned over, and stretched out for a long sleep, with a delicious sense upon me of being done with21 bother, and grief, and anxiety, and doubt, and fear, forever and ever, and listening with comfortable and increasing satisfaction to the sexton's work, from the startling clatter of his first spadeful on my coffin till it dulled away22 to the faint patting that shaped the roof of 14 drawing the remnant of the shroud about him：把身上的布又裹了裹。 15 Fire and brimstone：brimstone 指地狱之火的燃料，fire and brimstone 指地狱般的灾难。 16 so much at variance with：与…格格不入。 17 proceed：请讲。 18 I just expected that cartilage would let go! 你瞧，我这块软骨都快掉下来了！ 19 grated his teeth：（恨恨地）把牙齿咬得咯咯响。 20 for the effect is mightily increased by the absence of muffling flesh and cuticle：因为没有血肉和皮肤捂住， 这声音的效果更加强烈。 21 with a delicious sense upon me of being done with：心想终于可以摆脱烦恼、悲伤了。 22 dull away：声音渐渐沉闷消失
my new home-delicious! My I wish you could try it to-night! "and out of my reverie deceased fetched me a rattling slap with a bony hand Yes, sir, thirty years ago I laid me down there, and was happy. For it was out in the country then--out in the breezy, flowery, grand old woods, and the lazy winds gossiped with the leaves, and the squirrels capered24 over us and around us, and the ing things visited us, and the birds filled the tranquil solitude with music. Ah, it was worth ten years of a man's life to be dead then! Everything was pleasant. I was in a good neighborhood, for all the dead people that lived near me belonged to the best families in the city. Our posterity appeared to think the world of us5. They kept our graves in the very best cond ition; the fences were always in faultless repair, head-boards were kept painted or whitewashed, and were replaced with new ones as soon as they began to look rusty or decayed; monuments were kept upright, railings intact and bright, the rose-bushes and shrubbery trimmed, trained, and free from blemish, the walks clean and smooth and graveled26. But that day is gone by. Our descendants have forgotten us. My grandson lives in a stately house built with money made by these old hands of mine27, and I sleep in a neglected grave with invading vermin that gnaw my shroud to build them nests withal28! I and friends that lie with me founded and secured the prosperity of this fine city, and the stately bantling 29of our loves leaves us to rot in a dilapidated cemetery which neighbors curse and strangers scoff at. See the difference between the old time and this --for instance: Our graves are all caved in 0 now our head-boards have rotted away and tumbled down our railings reel this way and that, with one foot in the air, after a fashion of unseemly levity; our monuments lean wearily, and our gravestones bow their heads discouraged there be no adornments any more--no roses, nor shrubs, nor graveled walks, nor anything that is a comfort to the eye, and even the paintless old board fence that did make a show of holding us sacred from companionship with beasts and the defilement of heedless feet ,, has tottered till it overhangs the street, and only advertises the presence of our dismal resting-place and invites yet more derision to it And now we cannot hide our poverty and tatters in the friendly woods, for the city has stretched its withering 33 arms abroad and taken us in and all that remains of the cheer of our old home is the cluster of lugubrious forest trees that stand bored and weary of a city life, with their feet in our coffins, looking into the hazy distance and wishing they were there. I tell you it is disgraceful! You begin to comprehend--you begin to see how it is. While our descendants are living sumptuously on our money, right around us in the city, we have to fight 23 deceased:死者。 a4 capered:蹦蹦跳跳,雀跃 23 Our posterity appeared to think the world of us:我们的后代对我们十分敬重。 26 graveled:用沙砾铺好 27 My grandson lives in a stately house built with money made by these old hands of mine:我的孙子住在用我勤 苦赚来的钱筑起的豪华房子里 28 build them nests withal:虫子想用我的裹尸布给自己做窝 小杂种,娃娃们。 cave in:塌陷,倒坍 3 railings reel this way and that:护栏东倒西歪 32 the defilement of heedless feet:(保护我们的墓碑)不被莽撞的动物践踏 3 withering:咄咄逼人的,破坏性的
my new home-delicious! My! I wish you could try it to-night!" and out of my reverie deceased23 fetched me a rattling slap with a bony hand. "Yes, sir, thirty years ago I laid me down there, and was happy. For it was out in the country then--out in the breezy, flowery, grand old woods, and the lazy winds gossiped with the leaves, and the squirrels capered24 over us and around us, and the creeping things visited us, and the birds filled the tranquil solitude with music. Ah, it was worth ten years of a man's life to be dead then! Everything was pleasant. I was in a good neighborhood, for all the dead people that lived near me belonged to the best families in the city. Our posterity appeared to think the world of us25. They kept our graves in the very best condition; the fences were always in faultless repair, head-boards were kept painted or whitewashed, and were replaced with new ones as soon as they began to look rusty or decayed; monuments were kept upright, railings intact and bright, the rose-bushes and shrubbery trimmed, trained, and free from blemish, the walks clean and smooth and graveled26. But that day is gone by. Our descendants have forgotten us. My grandson lives in a stately house built with money made by these old hands of mine27, and I sleep in a neglected grave with invading vermin that gnaw my shroud to build them nests withal28! I and friends that lie with me founded and secured the prosperity of this fine city, and the stately bantling 29of our loves leaves us to rot in a dilapidated cemetery which neighbors curse and strangers scoff at. See the difference between the old time and this --for instance: Our graves are all caved in30 now; our head-boards have rotted away and tumbled down; our railings reel this way and that31, with one foot in the air, after a fashion of unseemly levity; our monuments lean wearily, and our gravestones bow their heads discouraged; there be no adornments any more--no roses, nor shrubs, nor graveled walks, nor anything that is a comfort to the eye; and even the paintless old board fence that did make a show of holding us sacred from companionship with beasts and the defilement of heedless feet32, has tottered till it overhangs the street, and only advertises the presence of our dismal resting-place and invites yet more derision to it. And now we cannot hide our poverty and tatters in the friendly woods, for the city has stretched its withering33 arms abroad and taken us in, and all that remains of the cheer of our old home is the cluster of lugubrious forest trees that stand, bored and weary of a city life, with their feet in our coffins, looking into the hazy distance and wishing they were there. I tell you it is disgraceful! "You begin to comprehend--you begin to see how it is. While our descendants are living sumptuously on our money, right around us in the city, we have to fight 23 deceased：死者。 24 capered：蹦蹦跳跳，雀跃。 25 Our posterity appeared to think the world of us：我们的后代对我们十分敬重。 26 graveled：用沙砾铺好。 27 My grandson lives in a stately house built with money made by these old hands of mine：我的孙子住在用我勤 苦赚来的钱筑起的豪华房子里 28 build them nests withal：虫子想用我的裹尸布给自己做窝 29 bantling：小杂种，娃娃们。 30 cave in：塌陷，倒坍。 31 railings reel this way and that：护栏东倒西歪。 32 the defilement of heedless feet：（保护我们的墓碑）不被莽撞的动物践踏 33 withering：咄咄逼人的，破坏性的
hard to keep skull and bones together. Bless you, there isn't a grave in our cemetery that doesn't leak not one. Every time it rains in the night we have to climb out and roost in the trees and sometimes we are wakened suddenly by the chilly water trickling down the back of our necks. Then I tell you there is a general heaving up of old graves and kicking over of old monuments, and scampering of old skeletons for might have seen as many as fifteen of us roosting on one limb, with our joint s rattle the trees! 34Bless me, if you had gone along there some such nights after twelve y drearily and the wind wheezing through our ribs! Many a time we have perched there for three or four dreary hours, and then come down, stiff and chilled through and drowsy, and borrowed each other's skulls to bail out our graves with35--if you will glance up in my mouth now as I tilt my head back, you can see that my head-piece is half full of old dry sed iment how top-heavy b and stupid it makes me sometimes! Yes sir, many a time if you had happened to come along just before the dawn you'd have caught us bailing out the graves and hanging our shrouds on the fence to dry. Why, I had an elegant shroud stolen from there one morning--think a party by the name of Smith took it, that resides in a plebeian graveyard over yonder--I think so because the first time I ever saw him he hadn,'t anything on but a check shirt, and the last time I saw him, which was at a soc ial gathering in the new cemetery, he was the best-dressed corpse in the company--and it is a significant fact that he left when he saw me, and presently an old woman from here missed her coffin--she generally took it with her when she went anywhere, because she was liable to take cold and bring on the spasmod ic rheumatism that originally killed her if she exposed herself to the night air much. She was named Hotchkiss--Anna Matilda Hotchkiss--you might know her? She has two upper front teeth, is tall, but a good deal inclined to stoop, one rib on the left side gone, has one shred of rusty hair hanging from the left side of her head, and one little tufts just above and a little forward of her right ear, has her underjaw wired on one side where it had worked loose, small bone of left forearm gone--lost in a fight has a kind of swagger in her gait 9 and a ' 40 way of going with her arms akimbo and her nostrils in the air has been pretty free and easy, and is all damaged and battered up till she looks like a queensware crate in ruins42--maybe you God forbid! 43 I involuntarily ejaculated, for somehow I was not looking for that form of question, and it caught me a little off my guard. But I hastened to make amends for my rudeness, and say, "I simply meant I had not had the honor--for I would not deliberately speak discourteously of a friend of yours. You were say ing that 34 Then I tell you there is a general heaving up of old graves and kicking over of old monuments, and scampering of old skeletons for the trees!这时候没有一个老骷髅不忙着掀起坟头,踢翻墓碑,奔向大树 3 borrowed each other's skulls to bail out our graves with:借彼此的头盖骨把坟墓里的水舀干 3top- heavy:头重脚轻的。 3 bring on the spasmodic rheumatism:痉挛性风湿病发作 38tuf:一绺毛发 has a kind of swagger in her gait:步态盛气凌人 40 gallus:勇敢的,调皮的 4 her arms akimbo:双手叉腰 42 a queensware crate in ruins:一片废墟里装女王陶的板条箱 43 God forbid:哦但愿不会!
hard to keep skull and bones together. Bless you, there isn't a grave in our cemetery that doesn't leak not one. Every time it rains in the night we have to climb out and roost in the trees and sometimes we are wakened suddenly by the chilly water trickling down the back of our necks. Then I tell you there is a general heaving up of old graves and kicking over of old monuments, and scampering of old skeletons for the trees! 34Bless me, if you had gone along there some such nights after twelve you might have seen as many as fifteen of us roosting on one limb, with our joints rattling drearily and the wind wheezing through our ribs! Many a time we have perched there for three or four dreary hours, and then come down, stiff and chilled through and drowsy, and borrowed each other's skulls to bail out our graves with35 --if you will glance up in my mouth now as I tilt my head back, you can see that my head-piece is half full of old dry sediment how top-heavy36 and stupid it makes me sometimes! Yes, sir, many a time if you had happened to come along just before the dawn you'd have caught us bailing out the graves and hanging our shrouds on the fence to dry. Why, I had an elegant shroud stolen from there one morning--think a party by the name of Smith took it, that resides in a plebeian graveyard over yonder--I think so because the first time I ever saw him he hadn't anything on but a check shirt, and the last time I saw him, which was at a social gathering in the new cemetery, he was the best-dressed corpse in the company--and it is a significant fact that he left when he saw me; and presently an old woman from here missed her coffin--she generally took it with her when she went anywhere, because she was liable to take cold and bring on the spasmodic rheumatism37 that originally killed her if she exposed herself to the night air much. She was named Hotchkiss--Anna Matilda Hotchkiss--you might know her? She has two upper front teeth, is tall, but a good deal inclined to stoop, one rib on the left side gone, has one shred of rusty hair hanging from the left side of her head, and one little tuft38 just above and a little forward of her right ear, has her underjaw wired on one side where it had worked loose, small bone of left forearm gone--lost in a fight has a kind of swagger in her gait39 and a 'gallus'40 way of going with: her arms akimbo41 and her nostrils in the air has been pretty free and easy, and is all damaged and battered up till she looks like a queensware crate in ruins42 --maybe you have met her?" "God forbid!"43 I involuntarily ejaculated, for somehow I was not looking for that form of question, and it caught me a little off my guard. But I hastened to make amends for my rudeness, and say, "I simply meant I had not had the honor--for I would not deliberately speak discourteously of a friend of yours. You were saying that 34 Then I tell you there is a general heaving up of old graves and kicking over of old monuments, and scampering of old skeletons for the trees! 这时候没有一个老骷髅不忙着掀起坟头，踢翻墓碑,奔向大树 35 borrowed each other's skulls to bail out our graves with：借彼此的头盖骨把坟墓里的水舀干 36 top-heavy：头重脚轻的。 37 bring on the spasmodic rheumatism：痉挛性风湿病发作。 38 tuft：一绺毛发 39 has a kind of swagger in her gait：步态盛气凌人 40 gallus：勇敢的，调皮的。 41 her arms akimbo：双手叉腰。 42 a queensware crate in ruins：一片废墟里装女王陶的板条箱。 43 God forbid：哦但愿不会！
you were robbed--and it was a shame, too--but it appears by what is left of the shroud you have on that it was a costly one in its day. How did-" A most ghastly expression began to develop among the decayed features and shriveled integuments of my guest's face44, and I was beginning to grow uneasy and distressed, when he told me he was only working up a deep, sly smile, with a wink in it, to suggest that about the time he acquired his present garment a ghost in a neighboring cemetery missed one. This reassured me, but I begged him to confine himself to speech thenceforth, because his facial expression was uncertain. Even with the most elaborate care it was liable to miss fire. Smiling should especially be avoided. What he might honestly consider a shining success was likely to strike me in a very different light. I said I liked to see a skeleton cheerful, even decorously playful, but I did not think smiling was a skeleton's best hold Yes, friend, said the poor skeleton, "the facts are just as I have given them to you. Two of these old graveyards--the one that I resided in and one further along have been deliberately neglected by our descendants of to-day until there is no occupying them any longer. Aside from the osteolog ical+8 discomfort of it--and that is no light matter this rainy weather-the present state of things is ruinous to property. We have got to move or be content to see our effects wasted away and utterly destroyed Now, you will hardly believe it, but it is true, nevertheless, that there isn 't a single coffin in good repair among all my acquaintance--now that is an absolute fact. I do not refer to low people who come in a pine box mounted on an express-wagon", but I am talking about your high-toned silver-mounted burial-case, your monumental sort, that travel under black plumes at the head of a procession 0 and have choice of cemetery lots--I mean folks like the Jarvises, and the Bledsoe and Burlings, and such. They are all about ruined. The most substantial 5I people in our set2, they were. And now look at them--utterly used up and poverty-stricken. One of the Bledsoe actually traded his monument to a late barkeeper for some fresh shavings to put under his head. I tell you it speaks volumes, for there is nothing a corpse takes so much pride in as his monument. He loves to read the inscription. He comes after a while to believe what it says himself, and then you may see him sitting on the fence night after night enjoying it. Epitaphs are cheap, and they do a poor chap a world of good after he is dead, especially if he had hard luck while he was alive. I wish they were used more. Now I don't complain, but confidentially i do think it was a little shabby in my descendants to give me nothing but this old slab of a gravestone--and all the more that there isn't a compliment on it. It used to have GONE TO HIS JUST REWARDS on it, and I was proud when I first saw it, but by and by I noticed that whenever an old 4 A most ghastly expression began to develop among the decayed features and shriveled integuments of my guest's face:一种极其可怖的表情在这位来客腐败萎缩的脸上浮现出来 45 miss fire:无济于事,达不到预期效果 46 strike me in a very different light:(微笑)给我带来完全不一样的感受 47 best hold:最拿手的表情。 48 osteological:骨骼学的 a pine box mounted wagon:装在四轮货车上运来的松木棺材 s0 at the head of a procession:棺木后紧跟着大批人马 substantial:富有的 s2 In our set:在我们这个圈子、阶层里 53 shavings:刨花(垫在头下面) s4 GONE TO HIS JUST REWARD:死得其所
you were robbed--and it was a shame, too--but it appears by what is left of the shroud you have on that it was a costly one in its day. How did--" A most ghastly expression began to develop among the decayed features and shriveled integuments of my guest's face 44, and I was beginning to grow uneasy and distressed, when he told me he was only working up a deep, sly smile, with a wink in it, to suggest that about the time he acquired his present garment a ghost in a neighboring cemetery missed one. This reassured me, but I begged him to confine himself to speech thenceforth, because his facial expression was uncertain. Even with the most elaborate care it was liable to miss fire 45. Smiling should especially be avoided. What he might honestly consider a shining success was likely to strike me in a very different light46. I said I liked to see a skeleton cheerful, even decorously playful, but I did not think smiling was a skeleton's best hold47 . "Yes, friend," said the poor skeleton, "the facts are just as I have given them to you. Two of these old graveyards--the one that I resided in and one further along have been deliberately neglected by our descendants of to-day until there is no occupying them any longer. Aside from the osteological48 discomfort of it--and that is no light matter this rainy weather--the present state of things is ruinous to property. We have got to move or be content to see our effects wasted away and utterly destroyed. "Now, you will hardly believe it, but it is true, nevertheless, that there isn't a single coffin in good repair among all my acquaintance--now that is an absolute fact. I do not refer to low people who come in a pine box mounted on an express-wagon49, but I am talking about your high-toned, silver-mounted burial-case, your monumental sort, that travel under black plumes at the head of a procession50 and have choice of cemetery lots-- I mean folks like the Jarvises, and the Bledsoes and Burlings, and such. They are all about ruined. The most substantial 51 people in our set52, they were. And now look at them--utterly used up and poverty-stricken. One of the Bledsoes actually traded his monument to a late barkeeper for some fresh shavings53 to put under his head. I tell you it speaks volumes, for there is nothing a corpse takes so much pride in as his monument. He loves to read the inscription. He comes after a while to believe what it says himself, and then you may see him sitting on the fence night after night enjoying it. Epitaphs are cheap, and they do a poor chap a world of good after he is dead, especially if he had hard luck while he was alive. I wish they were used more. Now I don't complain, but confidentially I do think it was a little shabby in my descendants to give me nothing but this old slab of a gravestone--and all the more that there isn't a compliment on it. It used to have: 'GONE TO HIS JUST REWARD'54 "on it, and I was proud when I first saw it, but by and by I noticed that whenever an old 44 A most ghastly expression began to develop among the decayed features and shriveled integuments of my guest's face：一种极其可怖的表情在这位来客腐败萎缩的脸上浮现出来 45 miss fire：无济于事，达不到预期效果。 46 strike me in a very different light：（微笑）给我带来完全不一样的感受。 47 best hold：最拿手的表情。 48 osteological：骨骼学的 49 a pine box mounted on an express-wagon：装在四轮货车上运来的松木棺材 50 at the head of a procession：棺木后紧跟着大批人马 51 substantial: 富有的 52 in our set：在我们这个圈子、阶层里 53 shavings：刨花（垫在头下面） 54 GONE TO HIS JUST REWARD：死得其所
friend of mine came along he would hook his chin on the railing and pull a long face and read along down till he came to that, and then he would chuckle to himself and walk off, looking satisfied and comfortable. So I scratched it offs to get rid of those fools. But a dead man al ways takes a deal of pride in his monument Yonder goes half a dozen of the Jarvises now, with the family monument along. And Smithers and some hired specters went by with his awhile ago Hello, Higgins, good-by, old friend! That's Meredith Higgins--died in 44-- belongs to our set in the cemetery--fine old family-great-grand mother was an Injunm6--I am on the most familiar terms with him he didn,'t hear me was the reason he didn't answer me. And I am sorry, too, because I would have liked to introduce youYou would admire him. He is the most disjointed, sway-backed, and generally distorted old skeleton you ever saw, but he is full of fun When he laughs it sounds like rasping two stones together, and he al ways starts it off with a cheery screech like raking a nail across a window-pane Hey, Jones! That is old Columbus Jones--shroud cost four hundred dollars entire trousseau, including monument, twenty-seven hundred. This was in the spring of 26. It was enormous styleb for those days. Dead people came all the way from the Alleghanies to see his things-the party that occupied the grave next to mine remembers it well Now do you see that individual going along with a piece of a head-board under his arm,one leg-bone below his knee gone, and not a thing in the world on? That is Barstow Dalhousie, and next to Columbus Jones he was the most sumptuously outfitted person that ever entered our cemetery. We are all leaving. We cannot tolerate the treatment we are receiving at the hands of our descendants. They open new cemeteries, but they leave us to our ignominy. They mend the streets but they never mend anything that is about us or belongs to us. Look at that coffin of mine--yet I tell you in its day it was a piece of furniture that would have attracted attention in any drawing-room in this city. You may have it if you want it--l can,'t afford to repair it. Put a new bottom in her, and part of a new top, and a bit of fresh lining along the left side, and you'll find her about as comfortable as any receptacle of her species you ever tried. No thanks no, dont mention it you have been civil to me, and I would give you all the property I have got before I would seem ungrateful. Now this winding-sheet is a kind of a sweet thing in its way, if you would like to--No? Well, just as you say, but I wished to be fair and liberal there's nothing mean about me. Good-by friend, I must be going I may have a good way to go to-night--don't know. I only know one thing for certain, and that is that I am on the emigrant trail now, and I'll never sleep in that crazy cemetery again. I will travel till I fiend respectable quarters, if I have to hoof it2 to New jersey All the boys are going. It was decided in public conclave, last night, to emigrate, and by the time the sun rises there won't be a bone left in our old habitations. Such cemeteries may suit my urviving friends, but they do not suit the remains that have the honor to make opinion is the general opinion. If you doubt it, go and see how the departing ghosts upset things before they started. They were almost riotous in their demonstrations of distaste. Hello, here are 5s scratched it off:把墓碑上那行字(死得其所)刮去 s6 Injun:美国印第安人 57 on the most familiar terms with him:我与他最熟悉 38 the most disjointed,sway- backed, and generally distor ted old skeleton:身体十分扭曲的骷髅,骨架散乱、脊 背凹陷 a cheery screech like raking a nail across a window-pane:像铁钉划过窗玻璃一样欢快的尖叫声 60 trousseau:嫁妆 6 enormous style for those days:在那时候可是相当气派。 62 hoof it to:步行到 63 conclave:秘密商议
friend of mine came along he would hook his chin on the railing and pull a long face and read along down till he came to that, and then he would chuckle to himself and walk off, looking satisfied and comfortable. So I scratched it off55 to get rid of those fools. But a dead man always takes a deal of pride in his monument. Yonder goes half a dozen of the Jarvises now, with the family monument along. And Smithers and some hired specters went by with his awhile ago. Hello, Higgins, good-by, old friend! That's Meredith Higgins--died in '44-- belongs to our set in the cemetery--fine old family--great-grand mother was an Injun56 --I am on the most familiar terms with him57 he didn't hear me was the reason he didn't answer me. And I am sorry, too, because I would have liked to introduce you. You would admire him. He is the most disjointed, sway-backed, and generally distorted old skeleton58 you ever saw, but he is full of fun. When he laughs it sounds like rasping two stones together, and he always starts it off with a cheery screech like raking a nail across a window-pane59. Hey, Jones! That is old Columbus Jones--shroud cost four hundred dollars entire trousseau60, including monument, twenty-seven hundred. This was in the spring of '26. It was enormous style61 for those days. Dead people came all the way from the Alleghanies to see his things--the party that occupied the grave next to mine remembers it well. Now do you see that individual going along with a piece of a head-board under his arm, one leg-bone below his knee gone, and not a thing in the world on? That is Barstow Dalhousie, and next to Columbus Jones he was the most sumptuously outfitted person that ever entered our cemetery. We are all leaving. We cannot tolerate the treatment we are receiving at the hands of our descendants. They open new cemeteries, but they leave us to our ignominy. They mend the streets, but they never mend anything that is about us or belongs to us. Look at that coffin of mine--yet I tell you in its day it was a piece of furniture that would have attracted attention in any drawing-room in this city. You may have it if you want it--I can't afford to repair it. Put a new bottom in her, and part of a new top, and a bit of fresh lining along the left side, and you'll find her about as comfortable as any receptacle of her species you ever tried. No thanks no, don't mention it you have been civil to me, and I would give you all the property I have got before I would seem ungrateful. Now this winding-sheet is a kind of a sweet thing in its way, if you would like to--No? Well, just as you say, but I wished to be fair and liberal there's nothing mean about me. Good-by, friend, I must be going. I may have a good way to go to-night --don't know. I only know one thing for certain, and that is that I am on the emigrant trail now, and I'll never sleep in that crazy old cemetery again. I will travel till I fiend respectable quarters, if I have to hoof it62 to New Jersey. All the boys are going. It was decided in public conclave63, last night, to emigrate, and by the time the sun rises there won't be a bone left in our old habitations. Such cemeteries may suit my surviving friends, but they do not suit the remains that have the honor to make these remarks. My opinion is the general opinion. If you doubt it, go and see how the departing ghosts upset things before they started. They were almost riotous in their demonstrations of distaste. Hello, here are 55 scratched it off：把墓碑上那行字（死得其所）刮去 56 Injun： 美国印第安人 57 on the most familiar terms with him：我与他最熟悉 58 the most disjointed, sway-backed, and generally distorted old skeleton：身体十分扭曲的骷髅，骨架散乱、脊 背凹陷 59 a cheery screech like raking a nail across a window-pane：像铁钉划过窗玻璃一样欢快的尖叫声 60 trousseau：嫁妆。 61 enormous style for those days：在那时候可是相当气派。 62 hoof it to：步行到。 63 conclave：秘密商议
some of the Bledsoes, and if you will give me a lift with this tombstone I guess I will join company and jog along with them--mighty respectable old family, the bledsoe, and used to al ways come out in Six-horse hearses and all that sort of thing fifty years ago when I walked these streets in daylight. Good-by, friend And with his gravestone on his shoulder he joined the grisly procession, dragging his damaged coffin after him, for notwithstanding he pressed it upon me so earnestly, I utterly refused his hospitality. I suppose that for as much as two hours these sad outcasts went clacking by, laden with their dismal effects4, and all that time I sat pitying them. One or two of the youngest and least dilapidated among them inquired about midnight trains on the railways, but the rest seemed unacquainted with that mode of travel, and merely asked about common public roads to various towns and cities, some of which are not on the map now, and vanished from it and from the earth as much as thirty years ago, and some few of them never had existed anywhere but on maps, and these towns and cities, and about the reputation the citizens bore as to reverence for the dlay ies in private ones in real-estate agencies at that. And they asked about the condition of the emeter This whole matter interested me deeply, and likewise compelled my sympathy for these homeless ones. And it all seeming real, and I not knowing it was a dream, I mentioned to one shrouded wanderer an idea that had entered my head to publish an account of this curious and very sorrowful exodus, but said also that I could not describe it truthfully, and just as it occurred without seeming to trifle with a grave subject and exhibit an irreverence for the dead that would shock and distress their surviving friends 5. But this bland and stately remnant of a former citizen leaned him far over my gate and whispered in my ear, and said Do not let that disturb you. The community that can stand such graveyards as those we are emigrating from can stand anything a body can say about the neglected and forsaken dead that lie At that very moment a cock crowed, and the weird procession vanished and left not a shred or a bone behind. I awoke, and found myself lying with my head out of the bed and"sagging downward considerably--a position favorable to dreaming dreams with morals in them, maybe but not poetry NOTE-The reader is assured that if the cemeteries in his town are kept in good order, this Dream is not leveled at67 his town at all, but is leveled particularly and venomously at the next town 读《一个古怪的梦》有感 深夜,我在陌生城市一角思考着,一片死寂中传来了骇人的骨骼相碰声。及至声音到我 跟前,竟是一队骷髅抬着棺材墓碑行进。机缘巧合,我从一具叫科普曼赫斯特的骷髅那里了 解到这些骷髅的故事。与我讲话的这具骷髅死于1839年,距今已有三十年。他所在的墓地 埋着的都是生前地位显赫的人,那墓地曾经十分气派。然而好景不长,到了孙子这一辈,骷 6 dismal effects:少的可怜的财物 It said also that I could not describe it truthfully, and just as it occurred, without seeming to trifle with a grave subject and exhibit an irreverence for the dead that would shock and distress their surviving friends:同时我也说, 如果如实描述这件事,恐怕难免会有将这个严肃的话题视同儿戏的嫌疑,并显得对死者不够尊敬,以至于 让他们活着的后代感到震惊与悲伤 66 remnant of a former citizen:这位前公民的遗骨 67 leveled at:针对
some of the Bledsoes, and if you will give me a lift with this tombstone I guess I will join company and jog along with them--mighty respectable old family, the Bledsoes, and used to always come out in six-horse hearses and all that sort of thing fifty years ago when I walked these streets in daylight. Good-by, friend." And with his gravestone on his shoulder he joined the grisly procession, dragging his damaged coffin after him, for notwithstanding he pressed it upon me so earnestly, I utterly refused his hospitality. I suppose that for as much as two hours these sad outcasts went clacking by, laden with their dismal effects64, and all that time I sat pitying them. One or two of the youngest and least dilapidated among them inquired about midnight trains on the railways, but the rest seemed unacquainted with that mode of travel, and merely asked about common public roads to various towns and cities, some of which are not on the map now, and vanished from it and from the earth as much as thirty years ago, and some few of them never had existed anywhere but on maps, and private ones in real-estate agencies at that. And they asked about the condition of the cemeteries in these towns and cities, and about the reputation the citizens bore as to reverence for the dead. This whole matter interested me deeply, and likewise compelled my sympathy for these homeless ones. And it all seeming real, and I not knowing it was a dream, I mentioned to one shrouded wanderer an idea that had entered my head to publish an account of this curious and very sorrowful exodus, but said also that I could not describe it truthfully, and just as it occurred, without seeming to trifle with a grave subject and exhibit an irreverence for the dead that would shock and distress their surviving friends65. But this bland and stately remnant of a former citizen66 leaned him far over my gate and whispered in my ear, and said: "Do not let that disturb you. The community that can stand such graveyards as those we are emigrating from can stand anything a body can say about the neglected and forsaken dead that lie in them." At that very moment a cock crowed, and the weird procession vanished and left not a shred or a bone behind. I awoke, and found myself lying with my head out of the bed and "sagging" downward considerably--a position favorable to dreaming dreams with morals in them, maybe, but not poetry. NOTE.--The reader is assured that if the cemeteries in his town are kept in good order, this Dream is not leveled at67 his town at all, but is leveled particularly and venomously at the next town. 读《一个古怪的梦》有感 深夜，我在陌生城市一角思考着，一片死寂中传来了骇人的骨骼相碰声。及至声音到我 跟前，竟是一队骷髅抬着棺材墓碑行进。机缘巧合，我从一具叫科普曼赫斯特的骷髅那里了 解到这些骷髅的故事。与我讲话的这具骷髅死于 1839 年，距今已有三十年。他所在的墓地 埋着的都是生前地位显赫的人，那墓地曾经十分气派。然而好景不长，到了孙子这一辈，骷 64 dismal effects：少的可怜的财物。 65 but said also that I could not describe it truthfully, and just as it occurred, without seeming to trifle with a grave subject and exhibit an irreverence for the dead that would shock and distress their surviving friends：同时我也说， 如果如实描述这件事，恐怕难免会有将这个严肃的话题视同儿戏的嫌疑，并显得对死者不够尊敬，以至于 让他们活着的后代感到震惊与悲伤。 66 remnant of a former citizen：这位前公民的遗骨 67 leveled at：针对
髅们渐渐被遗忘。墓地的情形每况愈下,他们不得不动迁,去寻找一个城市,那里的人们会 懂得维护墓地的庄重尊严 这篇小说出自马克吐温1875出版的小说集《素描新与旧》( Sketches New and0ld), 根据小说内容可以推测大约创作于1870年。集子里这种颇显诡异的小说不止一篇,马克吐 温似乎很喜欢用这种亦真亦假的方式来表达对现实世界的态度。他一再强调自己有着过人的 记录梦的本领,不过如此翔实的描述恐怕少不了作者醒来之后的重新加工。其中很多细节生 动得让人几乎相信这不是一个梦,为了邻区的 Smith偷了自己的好袍子时骷髅大发雷霆,这 似乎真的是一个会在路上偶遇的老愤青 第一次读时,除了直觉到贯穿始终的森森然之感外,也不禁对这些荣华逝去的骷髅们产 生同情。即使已经消解成一具具骨架,这些骷髅的生活也曾经算得上奢侈,如今却被遗忘在 逐渐衰败的墓场,实在令人扼腕叹息。骷髅们在雨夜中逃窜的惨象,雨停后借着别人的头盖 骨舀干坟墓的情形读来既让人忍俊不禁,又深感凄楚。看起来,这个故事就是为了指责这些 不孝的后人们。他们尽情享受着先人打下的江山,留逝去的人在残破的墓地里不得安宁,实 在该被万人所指 然而再回味这个梦,这具骷髅语气中透露出的对下层人民墓地的不屑引起了我的注意 固然,这些身份高贵的骷髅死后的遭遇令人同情,但那些“装在松木棺材里用货车运来的 普通人的遗骨受到的待遇更加不堪,却不值得同情吗?从科普曼赫斯特的语气中,只能捕捉 到他的鄙夷,好像在说下等人的墓地再衰颓也是理所当然,他们生前便是低人一等,死后自 然也不值得尊敬和维护,那些简陋的墓地就该任由雨打风吹去。 富人活着的时候享尽荣华富贵,死后还要考究墓碑上的赞美之词;他们生前鄙夷穷人, 死了还要将这份优越感带进坟墓,真是令人发笑。马克吐温作为倾听者在描述这些细节的时 候并没有作出评价,似乎对此还十分认同,但读者同样能够感受到马克吐温对这些所谓上层 阶级的讽刺,对当时席卷社会的拜金主义的批判
髅们渐渐被遗忘。墓地的情形每况愈下，他们不得不动迁，去寻找一个城市，那里的人们会 懂得维护墓地的庄重尊严。 这篇小说出自马克吐温 1875 出版的小说集《素描新与旧》（Sketches New and Old）， 根据小说内容可以推测大约创作于 1870 年。集子里这种颇显诡异的小说不止一篇，马克吐 温似乎很喜欢用这种亦真亦假的方式来表达对现实世界的态度。他一再强调自己有着过人的 记录梦的本领，不过如此翔实的描述恐怕少不了作者醒来之后的重新加工。其中很多细节生 动得让人几乎相信这不是一个梦，为了邻区的 Smith 偷了自己的好袍子时骷髅大发雷霆，这 似乎真的是一个会在路上偶遇的老愤青。 第一次读时，除了直觉到贯穿始终的森森然之感外，也不禁对这些荣华逝去的骷髅们产 生同情。即使已经消解成一具具骨架，这些骷髅的生活也曾经算得上奢侈，如今却被遗忘在 逐渐衰败的墓场，实在令人扼腕叹息。骷髅们在雨夜中逃窜的惨象，雨停后借着别人的头盖 骨舀干坟墓的情形读来既让人忍俊不禁，又深感凄楚。看起来，这个故事就是为了指责这些 不孝的后人们。他们尽情享受着先人打下的江山，留逝去的人在残破的墓地里不得安宁，实 在该被万人所指。 然而再回味这个梦，这具骷髅语气中透露出的对下层人民墓地的不屑引起了我的注意。 固然，这些身份高贵的骷髅死后的遭遇令人同情，但那些“装在松木棺材里用货车运来的” 普通人的遗骨受到的待遇更加不堪，却不值得同情吗？从科普曼赫斯特的语气中，只能捕捉 到他的鄙夷，好像在说下等人的墓地再衰颓也是理所当然，他们生前便是低人一等，死后自 然也不值得尊敬和维护，那些简陋的墓地就该任由雨打风吹去。 富人活着的时候享尽荣华富贵，死后还要考究墓碑上的赞美之词；他们生前鄙夷穷人， 死了还要将这份优越感带进坟墓，真是令人发笑。马克吐温作为倾听者在描述这些细节的时 候并没有作出评价，似乎对此还十分认同，但读者同样能够感受到马克吐温对这些所谓上层 阶级的讽刺，对当时席卷社会的拜金主义的批判
