第 7 节
作者:片片      更新:2024-04-07 21:07      字数:9322
  upon his feet like a cat。  He him had accomplished in the art of to
  gobble the flies (gober des mouches); and him there exercised continually
  so well that a fly at the most far that she appeared was a fly lost。
  Smiley had custom to say that all which lacked to a frog it was the
  education; but with the education she could do nearly alland I him
  believe。  Tenez; I him have seen pose Daniel Webster there upon this
  plankDaniel Webster was the name of the frogand to him sing; 〃Some
  flies; Daniel; some fifes!〃in a flash of the eye Daniel 30
  had bounded and seized a fly here upon the counter; then jumped anew at
  the earth; where he rested truly to himself scratch the head with his
  behind foot; as if he no had not the least idea of his superiority。
  Never you not have seen frog as modest; as natural; sweet as she was。
  And when he himself agitated to jump purely and simply upon plain earth;
  she does more ground in one jump than any beast of his species than you
  can know。  To jump plain…this was his strong。  When he himself agitated
  for that; Smiley multiplied the bets upon her as long as there to him
  remained a red。  It must to know; Smiley was monstrously proud of his
  frog; and he of it was right; for some men who were traveled; who had all
  seen; said that they to him would be injurious to him compare; to another
  frog。  Smiley guarded Daniel in a little box latticed which he carried
  bytimes to the village for some bet。
  One day an individual stranger at the camp him arrested with his box and
  him said:
  〃What is this that you have them shut up there within?〃
  Smiley said; with an air indifferent:
  〃That could be a paroquet; or a syringe (ou un serin); but this no is
  nothing of such; it not is but a frog。〃
  The individual it took; it regarded with care; it turned from one side
  and from the other; then he said:
  〃Tiens! in effect!At what is she good?〃
  〃My God!〃 respond Smiley; always with an air disengaged; 〃she is good for
  one thing; to my notice (A mon avis);she can better in jumping (elle pent
  battre en sautant) all frogs of the county of Calaveras。〃
  The individual retook the box; it examined of new longly; and it rendered
  to Smiley in saying with an air deliberate:
  〃Eh bien! I no saw not that that frog had nothing of better than each
  frog。〃  (Je ne vois pas que cette grenouille ait rien de mieux qu'aucune
  grenouille。) 'If that isn't grammar gone to seed; then I count myself no
  judge。M。  T。'
  〃Possible that you not it saw not;〃 said Smiley; 〃possible that youyou
  comprehend frogs; possible that you not you there comprehend nothing;
  possible that you had of the experience; and possible that you not be but
  an amateur。  Of all manner (De toute maniere) I bet forty dollars that
  she better in jumping no matter which frog of the county of Calaveras。〃
  The individual reflected a second; and said like sad:
  〃I not am but a stranger here; I no have not a frog; but if I of it had
  one; I would embrace the bet。〃
  〃Strong well!〃 respond Smiley; 〃nothing of more facility。  If you will
  hold my box a minute; I go you to search a frog (j'irai vous chercher)。〃
  Behold; then; the individual; who guards the box; who puts his forty
  dollars upon those of Smiley; and who attends (et qui attend)。  He
  attended enough long times; reflecting all solely。  And figure you that
  he takes Daniel; him opens the mouth by force and with a teaspoon him
  fills with shot of the hunt; even him fills just to the chin; then he him
  puts by the earth。  Smiley during these times was at slopping in a swamp。
  Finally he trapped (attrape) a frog; him carried to that individual; and
  said:
  〃Now if you be ready; put him all against Daniel with their before feet
  upon the same line; and I give the signal〃then he added: 〃One; two;
  threeadvance!〃
  Him and the individual touched their frogs by behind; and the frog new
  put to jump smartly; but Daniel himself lifted ponderously; exalted the
  shoulders thus; like a Frenchmanto what good?  he not could budge; he
  is planted solid like a church he not advance no more than if one him had
  put at the anchor。
  Smiley was surprised and disgusted; but he no himself doubted not of the
  turn being intended (mais il ne se doutait pas du tour; bien entendu)。
  The individual empocketed the silver; himself with it went; and of it
  himself in going is it that he no gives not a jerk of thumb over the
  shoulderlike thatat the poor Daniel; in saying with his air
  deliberate(L'individu empoche l'argent; s'en va et en s'en allant est…
  ce qu'il ne donne pas un coup d pouce par…dessus l'epaule; comme ga; au
  pauvre Daniel; en disant de son air delibere):
  〃Eh bien! I no see not that that frog has nothin of better than another。〃
  Smiley himself scratched longtimes the head; the eyes fixed upon Daniel;
  until that which at last he said:
  〃I me demand how the devil it makes itself that this beast has refused。
  Is it that she had something?  One would believe that she is stuffed。〃
  He grasped Daniel by the skin of the neck; him lifted and said:
  〃The wolf me bite if he no weigh not five pounds:〃
  He him reversed and the unhappy belched two handfuls of shot (et le
  malheureux; etc。)。  When Smiley recognized how it was; he was like mad。
  He deposited his frog by the earth and ran after that individual; but he
  not him caught never。
  Such is the jumping Frog; to the distorted French eye。  I claim that I
  never put together such an odious mixture of bad grammar and delirium
  tremens in my life。  And what has a poor foreigner like me done; to be
  abused and misrepresented like this?  When I say; 〃Well; I don't see no
  pints about that frog that's any better'n any other frog;〃 is it kind;
  is it just; for this Frenchman to try to make it appear that I said; 〃Eh
  bien! I no saw not that that frog had nothing of better than each frog〃?
  I have no heart to write more。  I never felt so about anything before。
  HARTFORD; March; 1875;
  JOURNALISM IN TENNESSEE 'Written about 1871。'
  The editor of the Memphis Avalanche swoops thus mildly down upon a
  correspondent who posted him as a Radical: 〃While he was writing
  the first word; the middle; dotting his i's; crossing his t's; and
  punching his period; he knew he was concocting a sentence that was
  saturated with infamy and reeking with falsehood。〃Exchange。
  I was told by the physician that a Southern climate would improve my
  health; and so I went down to Tennessee; and got a berth on the Morning
  Glory and Johnson County War…Whoop as associate editor。  When I went on
  duty I found the chief editor sitting tilted back in a three…legged chair
  with his feet on a pine table。  There was another pine table in the room
  and another afflicted chair; and both were half buried under newspapers
  and scraps and sheets of manuscript。  There was a wooden box of sand;
  sprinkled with cigar stubs and 〃old soldiers;〃 and a stove with a door
  hanging by its upper hinge。  The chief editor had a long…tailed black
  cloth frock…coat on; and white linen pants。  His boots were small and
  neatly blacked。  He wore a ruffled shirt; a large seal…ring; a standing
  collar of obsolete pattern; and a checkered neckerchief with the ends
  hanging down。  Date of costume about 1848。  He was smoking a cigar; and
  trying to think of a word; and in pawing his hair he had rumpled his
  locks a good deal。  He was scowling fearfully; and I judged that he was
  concocting a particularly knotty editorial。  He told me to take the
  exchanges and skim through them and write up the 〃Spirit of the Tennessee
  Press;〃 condensing into the article all of their contents that seemed of
  interest。
  I wrote as follows:
  SPIRIT OF THE TENNESSEE PRESS
  The editors of the Semi…Weekly Earthquake evidently labor under a
  misapprehension with regard to the Dallyhack railroad。  It is not
  the object of the company to leave Buzzardville off to one side。
  On the contrary; they consider it one of the most important points
  along the line; and consequently can have no desire to slight it。
  The gentlemen of the Earthquake will; of course; take pleasure in
  making the correction。
  John W。 Blossom; Esq。; the able editor of the Higginsville
  Thunderbolt and Battle Cry of Freedom; arrived in the city
  yesterday。  He is stopping at the Van Buren House。
  We observe that our contemporary of the Mud Springs Morning Howl has
  fallen into the error of supposing that the election of Van Werter
  is not an established fact; but he will have discovered his mistake
  before this reminder reaches him; no doubt。  He was doubtless misled
  by incomplete election returns。
  It is pleasant to note that the city of Blathersville is endeavoring
  to contract with some New York gentlemen to pave its well…nigh
  impassable streets with the Nicholson pavement。  The Daily Hurrah
  urges the measure with ability; and seems confident of ultimate
  success。
  I passed my manuscript over to the chief editor for acceptance;
  alteration; or destruction。  He glanced at it and his face clouded。  He
  ran his eye down the pages; and his countenance grew portentous。  It was
  easy to see