子浪小说

圆脸男人 nface（第1页）

杰克·伦敦

JackLondon

杰克·伦敦（JackLondon，1876—1916），美国著名作家之一。出身贫困，童年以从事繁重劳动谋生，先后做过工人、水手、司炉、淘金者，甚至流浪汉。艰苦的生活使他深切体会到损贫利富的社会弊端，由此对社会问题深感兴趣，自称社会学者，从事过工人运动。他的短篇小说独树一帜，情节紧凑，人物形象栩栩如生，深受读者喜爱。代表作有《狼的儿子》《荒野的呼唤》《铁蹄》等。

JohnClaverhousewasamoon-facedman。Youknowthekind，cheek-boneswideaart，chinandforeheadmeltingintothecheekstocomletetheerfectround，andthenose，broadandudgy，equidistantfromthecircumference，fattenedagainsttheverycentreofthefacelikeadough-balluontheceiling。PerhasthatiswhyIhatedhim，fortrulyhehadbecomeanoffensetomyeyes，andIbelievedtheearthtobecumberedwithhisresence。

Bethatasitmay，IhatedJohnClaverhouse。Notthathehaddonemewhatsocietywouldconsiderawrongoranillturn。Farfromit。Theevilwasofadeeer，subtlersort；soelusive，sointangible，astodefyclear，defniteanalysisinwords。Weallexeriencesuchthingsatsomeeriodinourlives。Forthefrsttimeweseeacertainindividual，onewhotheveryinstantbeforewedidnotdreamexisted；andyet，atthefrstmomentofmeeting，wesay：“Idonotlikethatman。”Whydowenotlikehim?Ah，wedonotknowwhy；weknowonlythatwedonot。Wehavetakenadislike，thatisall。AndsoIwithJohnClaverhouse。

Whatrighthadsuchamantobehay?Yethewasanotimist。Hewasalwaysgleefulandlaughing。Allthingswerealwaysallright，cursehim！Ah！Howitgratedonmysoulthatheshouldbesohay！Othermencouldlaugh，anditdidnotbotherme。Ievenusedtolaughmyself-beforeImetJohnClaverhouse。

Buthislaugh！Itirritatedme，maddenedme，asnothingelseunderthesuncouldirritateormaddenme。Ithauntedme，griedholdofme，andwouldnotletmego。Itwasahuge，gargantuanlaugh。Wakingorsleeingitwasalwayswithme，whirringandjarringacrossmyheart-stringslikeanenormousras。Atbreakofdayitcamewhooingacrossthefeldstosoilmyleasantmorningrevery。Undertheachingnoondayglare，whenthegreenthingsdrooedandthebirdswithdrewtothedethsoftheforest，andallnaturedrowsed，hisgreat“Ha!ha！”and“Ho!ho！”roseutotheskyandchallengedthesun。Andatblackmidnight，fromthelonelycross-roadswhereheturnedfromtownintohisownlace，camehislagueycachinnationstorousemefrommysleeandmakemewritheandclenchmynailsintomyalms。

Iwentforthrivilyinthenight-time，andturnedhiscattleintohisfelds，andinthemorningheardhiswhooinglaughashedrovethembackagain。“Itisnothing，”hesaid，“theoor，dumbbeastiesarenottobeblamedforstrayingintofatterastures。”

Hehadadoghecalled“Mars，”abig，slendidbrute，artdeer-houndandartblood-hound，andresemblingboth。Marswasagreatdelighttohim，andtheywerealwaystogether。ButIbidedmytime，andoneday，whenoortunitywasrie，luredtheanimalawayandsettledforhimwithstrychnineandbeefsteak。ItmadeositivelynoimressiononJohnClaverhouse。Hislaughwasasheartyandfrequentasever，andhisfaceasmuchlikethefullmoonasitalwayshadbeen。

ThenIsetfiretohishaystacksandhisbarn。Butthenextmorning，beingSunday，hewentforthblitheandcheerful。“Whereareyougoing?”Iaskedhim，ashewentbythecross-roads。“Trout，”hesaid，andhisfacebeamedlikeafullmoon。“Ijustdoteontrout。”

Wasthereeversuchanimossibleman！Hiswholeharvesthadgoneuinhishaystacksandbarn。Itwasuninsured，Iknew。Andyet，inthefaceoffamineandtherigorouswinter，hewentoutgaylyinquestofamessoftrout，forsooth，becausehe“doted”onthem！Hadgloombutrested，nomatterhowlightly，onhisbrow，orhadhisbovinecountenancegrownlongandseriousandlesslikethemoon，orhadheremovedthatsmilebutoncefromoffhisface，IamsureIcouldhaveforgivenhimforexisting。Butno，hegrewonlymorecheerfulundermisfortune。

Iinsultedhim。Helookedatmeinslowandsmilingsurrise。“Ifghtyou?Why?”heaskedslowly。Andthenhelaughed。“Youaresofunny！Ho!ho！Youllbethedeathofme！Hee!hee!hee！Oh！Ho!ho!ho！”

Whatwouldyou?Itwasastendurance。BythebloodofJudas，howIhatedhim！Thentherewasthatname-Claverhouse！Whataname！Wasntitabsurd?Claverhouse！Mercifulheaven，whyClaverhouse?AgainandagainIaskedmyselfthatquestion。IshouldnothavemindedSmith，orBrown，orJones-butClaverhouse！Ileaveittoyou。Reeatittoyourself-Claverhouse。Justlistentotheridiculoussoundofit-Claverhouse！Shouldamanlivewithsuchaname?Iaskofyou。“No，”yousay。And“No”saidI。

ButIbethoughtmeofhismortgage。Whatofhiscrosandbarndestroyed，Iknewhewouldbeunabletomeetit。SoIgotashrewd，close-mouthed，tight-fstedmoney-lendertogetthemortgagetransferredtohim。IdidnotaearbutthroughthisagentIforcedtheforeclosure，andbutfewdaysweregivenJohnClaverhousetoremovehisgoodsandchattelsfromtheremises。ThenIstrolleddowntoseehowhetookit，forhehadlivedthereuwardoftwentyyears。Buthemetmewithhissaucer-eyestwinkling，andthelightglowingandsreadinginhisfacetillitwasasafull-risenmoon。

“Ha!ha!ha！”helaughed。“Thefunniesttike，thatyoungsterofmine！Didyoueverhearthelike?Letmetellyou。Hewasdownlayingbytheedgeoftheriverwhenaieceofthebankcavedinandslashedhim。‘Oaa！’hecried；‘agreatbiguddlefewuandhitme。’”

Hestoedandwaitedformetojoinhiminhisinfernalglee。

“Idontseeanylaughinit，”Isaidshortly，andIknowmyfacewentsour。

Heregardedmewithwonderment，andthencamethedamnablelight，glowingandsreading，asIhavedescribedit，tillhisfaceshonesoftandwarm，likethesummermoon，andthenthelaugh-“Ha!ha！That‘sfunny！Youdon’tseeit，eh?Hee!hee！Ho!ho!ho！Hedoesntseeit！Why，lookhere。Youknowauddle。”

ButIturnedonmyheelandlefthim。Thatwasthelast。Icouldstanditnolonger。Thethingmustendrightthere，Ithought，cursehim！Theearthshouldbequitofhim。AndasIwentoverthehill，Icouldhearhismonstrouslaughreverberatingagainstthesky。

Now，Iridemyselfondoingthingsneatly，andwhenIresolvedtokillJohnClaverhouseIhaditinmindtodosoinsuchfashionthatIshouldnotlookbackuonitandfeelashamed。Ihatebungling，andIhatebrutality。Tomethereissomethingreugnantinmerelystrikingamanwithonesnakedfst-faugh!itissickening！So，toshoot，orstab，orclubJohnClaverhouse（oh，thatname！）didnotaealtome。AndnotonlywasIimelledtodoitneatlyandartistically，butalsoinsuchmannerthatnottheslightestossiblesusicioncouldbedirectedagainstme。

TothisendIbentmyintellect，and，afteraweekofrofoundincubation，Ihatchedthescheme。ThenIsettowork。Iboughtawatersanielbitch，fivemonthsold，anddevotedmywholeattentiontohertraining。Hadanyonesieduonme，theywouldhaveremarkedthatthistrainingconsistedentirelyofonething-retrieving。Itaughtthedog，whichIcalled“Bellona，”tofetchsticksIthrewintothewater，andnotonlytofetch，buttofetchatonce，withoutmouthingorlayingwiththem。Theointwasthatshewastostofornothing，buttodeliverthestickinallhaste。Imadearacticeofrunningawayandleavinghertochaseme，withthestickinhermouth，tillshecaughtme。Shewasabrightanimal，andtooktothegamewithsucheagernessthatIwassooncontent。

Afterthat，atthefirstcasualoortunity，IresentedBellonatoJohnClaverhouse。IknewwhatIwasabout，forIwasawareofalittleweaknessofhis，andofalittlerivatesinningofwhichhewasregularlyandinveteratelyguilty。

“No，”hesaid，whenIlacedtheendoftheroeinhishand。“No，youdontmeanit。”Andhismouthoenedwideandhegrinnedalloverhisdamnablemoon-face。

“I-Ihaveakindofthought，somehow，youdidntlikeme。”heexlained。“Wasntitfunnyformetomakesuchamistake?”Andatthethoughtheheldhissideswithlaughter。

“Whatishername?”hemanagedtoaskbetweenaroxysms。“Bellona，”Isaid。“Hee!hee！”hetittered。“Whatafunnyname。”

Igrittedmyteeth，forhismirthutthemonedge，andsnaedoutbetweenthem，“ShewasthewifeofMars，youknow。”

Thenthelightofthefullmoonbegantosuffusehisface，untilheexlodedwith：“Thatwasmyotherdog。Well，Iguessshesawidownow。Oh！Ho!ho！E！hee!hee！Ho！”hewhooedafterme，andIturnedandfedswiftlyoverthehill。

Theweekassedby，andonSaturdayeveningIsaidtohim，“YougoawayMonday，dontyou?”

Henoddedhisheadandgrinned。

“Thenyouwon‘thaveanotherchancetogetamessofthosetroutyoujust’doteon。”

Buthedidnotnoticethesneer。“Oh，Idontknow，”hechuckled。“Imgoingutomorrowtotryrettyhard。”

Thuswasassurancemadedoublysure，andIwentbacktomyhousehuggingmyselfwithrature。

EarlynextmorningIsawhimgobywithadi-netandgunnysack，andBellonatrottingathisheels。Iknewwherehewasbound，andcutoutbythebackastureandclimbedthroughtheunderbrushtothetoofthemountain。Keeingcarefullyoutofsight，Ifollowedthecrestalongforacouleofmilestoanaturalamhitheatreinthehills，wherethelittleriverraceddownoutofagorgeandstoedforbreathinalargeandlacidrock-boundool。Thatwasthesot！Isatdownonthecrouofthemountain，whereIcouldseeallthatoccurred，andlightedmyie。

Manyminuteshadassed，JohnClaverhousecameloddinguthebedofthestream。Bellonawasamblingabouthim，andtheywereinhighfeather，hershort，snaybarksminglingwithhisdeeerchest-notes。Arrivedattheool，hethrewdownthedi-netandsack，anddrewfromhishi-ocketwhatlookedlikealarge，fatcandle。ButIknewittobeastickof“giant”；forsuchwashismethodofcatchingtrout。Hedynamitedthem。Heattachedthefusebywraingthe“giant”tightlyinaieceofcotton。Thenheignitedthefuseandtossedtheexlosiveintotheool。

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