yer. You was so strong only a silver bullet could kill yer, you told ‘em. Blimey, wasn’t that swank for yer—and plain, fat-’eaded luck? JONES—(proudly) I got brains and I uses ‘em quick. Dat ain’t luck. SMITHERS—Yer know they wasn’t ‘ardly likely to get no silver bullets. And it was luck ‘e didn’t ‘it you that time. JONES—(laughing) And dere all dem fool, bush niggers was kneelin’ down and bumpin’ deir heads on de ground like I was a miracle out o’ de Bible Oh Lawd, from dat time on I has dem all eatin’ out of my hand. I cracks de whip and dey jumps through. SMITHERS—(with a sniff) Yankee bluff done it. JONES—Ain’t a man’s talkin’ big what makes him big-long as he makes folks believe it? Sho’, I talks large when I ain’t got nothin’ to back it up, but I ain’t talkin’ wild just de same. I knows I kin fool ‘em—I knows it—and dat’s backin’ enough fo’ my game. And ain’t I got to learn deir lingo and teach some of dem English befo’ I kin talk to ‘em? Ain’t dat wuk? You ain’t never learned ary word er it, Smithers, in do ten years you been heah, dough you’ knows it’s money in yo’ pocket tradin’ wid ‘em if you does. But you’se too shiftless to take de trouble. SMITHERS—(flushing) Never mind about me. What’s this I’ve ‘eard about yer really ‘avin’ a silver bullet moulded for yourself? JONES—It’s playin’ out my bluff. I has de silver bullet moulded and I tells ‘em when do time comes I kills myself wid it. I tells ‘em dat’s ‘cause I’m de on’y man in de world big enuff to git me. No use’n deir tryin’. And dey falls down and bumps deir heads. (He laughs.) I does dat so’s I kin take a walk in peace widout no jealous nigger gunnin’ at me from behind de trees. SMITHERS—(astonished) Then you ‘ad it made—’onest? JONES—Sho’ did. Heah she he. (He takes out his revolver, breaks it, and takes the silver bullet out of one chamber.) Five lead an’ dis silver baby at de last. Don’t she shine pretty? (He holds it in his hand, looking at it admiringly, as if strangely fascinated.) SMITHERS—Let me see. (reaches out his hand for it) JONES—(harshly) Keep yo’ hands whar dey b’long, white man. (He replaces it in the chamber and puts the revolver back on his hip.) SMITHERS—(snarling) Gawd Nimey! Mink I’m a bleedin’ thief, you would. JONES—No, ‘tain’t dat. I knows you ‘se scared to steal from me. On’y I ain’t ‘lowin’ nary body to touch dis baby. She’s my rabbit’s
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只离我十英尺远，可没打中，而我却把那个家伙打死了，你听清楚了没有？ 斯密泽斯：于是你就对人家说你会施魔法，铅子弹杀你不死。你告诉他们，你太强壮了，除非用一颗银子弹才能把你打死。老天爷，你可真会说大话——那可纯属撞大运了，对不对？ 琼斯：(骄傲地)我有头脑，而且脑筋转得快。这不算运气。 斯密泽斯：你知道他们无论如何也弄不到银子弹。他那回没打中你，算你运气。 琼斯：(笑)可那些傻黑鬼都跪在地上，磕起响头来，好像我是圣经里的一桩奇迹。哦，老天爷，从那时起，他们就任凭我摆布了。我只要一抽响鞭子，他们就胆战心惊。 斯密泽斯：(哼一下)美国佬干的那种吓唬人的把戏。 琼斯：一个人形象高大不就靠吹牛吹出来的吗？——只要他能让人们相信就行啦。当然，只要我有把握我就吹牛，可我又不乱吹。我知道我能唬住他们——这点我一清二楚——这就足够我耍这套把戏了。而且我还得学他们的土语，教他们英语，才能跟他们打交道，对不对？这不都是活儿吗？你已经到这儿十年了，可你从没学过一句土话，斯密泽斯，你要知道只要你学上点，那就等于你在跟他们打交道时现钱装在口袋里一样。可你太松劲，懒得费那个劲儿。 斯密泽斯：(脸红耳赤)甭管我。我听说你真的给自己定制了一颗银子弹，这是怎么回事？ 琼斯：这还是个花招，我已经定制好一颗银子弹，我告诉他们，到时候我自己会用它来打死自己。我跟他们这么说是因为全世界只有我一个人强大得足以打死自己。他们用不着白费劲儿。后来他们就又都趴在地上磕起响头来了。(他大笑起来)我这么干就可以消消停停去溜个弯儿，用不着担心哪个嫉妒的黑家伙在树丛后面用枪朝我瞄准了。 斯密泽斯：(惊讶地)那么，你定做了一颗——是真的吗？ 琼斯：当然做了。就在这儿。(他拿起自己的手枪，打开来，从弹膛里把那颗银子弹拿出来)五颗铅制的，最末一颗是这颗银制的宝贝。你瞧它亮得多可爱？(银子弹在他手心上，他欣赏地瞧着它，好像给迷住了) 斯密泽斯：给我看看。(伸手去拿) 琼斯：(严厉地)收回你的手，白人。(他把按颗foot. SMITHERS—(sneering) A bloomin’ charm, wot? (venomously) Well, you’ll need all the bloody charms you ‘as before long, s’ ‘elp me! JONES—(judicially) Oh, I’se good for six months yit ‘fore dey gits sick o’ my game. Den, when I sees trouble comin’, I makes my getaway. SMITHERS—Ho! You got it all planned, ain’t yer? JONES—I ain’t no fool. I knows dis Emperor’s time is sho’t. Dat why I make hay when de sun shine. Was you thinkin’ I’se aimin’ to hold down dis job for life? No, suh! What good is gittin’ money if you stays back in dis raggedy country? I wants action when I spends. And when I sees dese niggers gittin’ up deir nerve to tu’n me out, and I’se got all de money in sight, I resigns on de spot and beats it quick. SMITHERS—Where to? JONES—None o’ yo’ business. SMITHERS—Not back to the bloody States, I’ll lay my oath. JONES—(suspiciously) Why don’t I? (then with an easy laugh) You mean ‘count of dat story ‘bout me breakin’ from jail back dere? Dat’s all talk. SMITHERS—(skeptically) Ho, yes! JONES—(sharply) You ain’t ‘sinuatin’ I’se a liar, is you? SMITHERS—(hastily) No, Gawd strike me! I was only thinkin’ o’ the bloody lies you told the blacks ‘ere about killin’ white men in the States. JONES—(angered) How come dey’re lies? SMITHERS—You’d ‘ave been in jail, if you ‘ad, wouldn’t yer then? (with venom) And from what I’ve ‘eard, it ain’t ‘ealthy for a black to kill a white man in the States. They burns ‘em in oil, don’t they? JONES—(with cool deadliness) You mean lynchin’ ‘d scare me? Well, I tells you, Smithers, maybe I does kill one white man back dere, Maybe I does. And maybe I kills another right heah ‘fore long if he don’t look out. SMITHERS—(trying to force a laugh) I was on’y spoofin’ yer. Can’t yer take a joke? And you was just sayin’ you’d never ken in jail. JONES—(in the same tone—slightly boastful) Maybe I goes to jail dere for gettin’ in an argument wid razors ovah a crap game. Maybe I
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银子弹放回弹膛，把手枪插回腰后枪套里) 斯密泽斯：(咆哮地)老天爷！你把我当成个惯贼了吧，你会的。 琼斯：没有，不是这样的。我知道你不敢偷我的东西。可我不准任何人碰我这个宝贝。这是我的心肝儿。 斯密泽斯：(轻蔑地)一个鬼魔法，对不？(恶狠狠地)哼，呆不了多久，你就用得上这套鬼魔法啦，我敢断言！ 琼斯：(公事公办地)哼！这至少还能保证灵验六个月，然后他们才会厌倦我这套把戏。到那时，我一看见要出麻烦就溜之乎也。 斯密泽斯：嗬！一切都安排好了，是不是？ 琼斯：我可不是傻瓜。我早就知道这种当皇上的日子不长了。所以我才趁热打铁，抓紧时机。你以为我打算一辈子保持这个位置吗？才不是呐，先生！如果你打算在这个破烂地方呆下去的话，要钱又有什么用。我一旦要花钱，就要行动啦。等我看出这些黑家伙长足了但要把我撵走，等我把所有见得到的钱都搂到之后，我马上就退位，拔腿溜走。 斯密泽斯：上哪儿？ 琼斯：这你管不着。 斯密泽斯：我敢打赌，不敢回美国去吧。 琼斯：(多疑地)我为什么不敢？(又轻松地一笑)你的意思是说因为我在那儿越过狱那件事吗？那都是一派胡言。 斯密泽斯：(怀疑地)哦，是嘛？ 琼斯：(机警地)你这是想绕圈子说我是个骗子吧，对不对？ 斯密泽斯：(急忙地)没有，要是那样，老天劈了我！我只是想，你对这儿的黑人瞎说你怎样在美国杀白人。 琼斯：(恼火地)那怎么是瞎说呢？ 斯密泽斯：你要是杀过白人就会进监狱，对不对？(恶毒地)据我所闻，在美国黑人杀白人可不是闹着玩儿的事。他们会用汽油把黑人活活烧死，对不对？ 琼斯：(阴沉沉的冷静)你这是想用私刑处死来吓唬我吗？哼，告诉你说，斯密泽斯，也许我在那边确实杀死过一个白人。也许我就是干了。也许过不了多久我在这儿还要多宰一个，如果那家伙不留点神的话。 斯密泽斯：(强挤出笑容)我不过是逗逗你罢了。你连个玩笑都接受不了吗？你刚才说你从来就没进过监狱。 琼斯：(同样的声调——稍带吹嘘)也许我进那边的监狱是因为掷色子赌博跟人拼起刀子来。也许那个黑人因此而死掉了，我就被gits twenty years when dat colored man die. Maybe I gits in ‘nother argument wid de prison guard was overseer ovah us when we’re wukin’ de roads. Maybe he hits me wid a whip and I splits his head wid a shovel and runs away and files de chain off my leg and gits away safe. Maybe I does all dat an’ maybe I don’t. It’s a story I tells you so’s you knows I’se de kind of man dat if you evah repeats one words of it, I ends yo’ stealin’ on dis yearth mighty damn quick! SMITHERS—(terrified) Think I’d peach on yer? Not me! Ain’t I always been yer friend? JONES—(suddenly relaxing) Sho’ you has—and you better be. SMITHERS—(recovering his composure—and with it his malice) And just to show yer I’m yer friend, I’ll tell yer that bit o’ news I was goin’ to. JONES—Go ahead! Shoot de piece. Must be bad news from de happy way you look. SMITHERS—(warningly) Maybe it’s gettin’ time for you to resign—with that bloomin’ silver bullet, wot? (He finishes with a mocking grin.) JONES—(puzzled) What’s dat you say? Talk plain. SMITHERS—Ain’t noticed any of the guards or servants about the place today, I ‘aven’t. JONES—(carelessly) Dey’re all out in de garden sleepin’ under de trees. When I sleeps, dey sneaks a sleep, too, and I pretends I never suspicions it. All I got to do is to ring de bell and dey come flyin’, makin’ a bluff dey was wukin’ all de time. SMITHERS—(in the same mocking tone) Ring the bell now an’ you’ll bloody well see what I means. JONES—(startled to alertness, but preserving the same careless tone) Sho’ I rings. (He reaches below the throne and pulls out a big, common dinner bell which is painted the same vivid scarlet as the throne. He rings this vigorously—then stops to listen. Then he goes to both doors, rings again, and looks out.) SMITHERS—(watching him with malicious satisfaction, after a pause—mockingly) The bloody ship is sinkin’ an’ the bleedin’ rats ‘as slung their ‘ooks. JONES—(in a sudden fit of anger flings the bell clattering into a corner) Low-flung, woods’ niggers! (then catching Smither’s eye on him, he controls himself and suddenly bursts into a low chuckling laugh.) Reckon I overplays my hand dis once! A man can’t take de pot on a bob-tailed flush all de time. Was I sayin’ I’d sit in six months
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判处了二十年徒刑。也许我们在修筑道路时，我又跟那个当工头的狱卒争吵起来。也许他用鞭子抽我，我就用铁楸把他脑袋劈成两半了，然后用锉刀把我的脚镣锯开，平平安安地逃跑了。这些事也许我都干了，也许没干。这就是我要告诉你的故事，好让你知道我是个什么样的人，你要是胆敢把我的话往外说出去一句，我就马上干掉你这条狗命！ 斯密泽斯：(害怕地)你认为我会告发你吗？决不会的！我一直不是你的朋友吗？ 琼斯：(突然放松下来)你过去当然是——现在最好还是。 斯密泽斯：(恢复常态——包括他的狡黠)为了表示我是你的朋友，跟你说，我正打算告诉你一点消息。 琼斯：那就说吧！快说出来。从你这份高兴样儿看得出来，准是坏消息。 斯密泽斯：(告诫地)也许现在 是你该退位的时候啦——该用那颗光彩的银子弹，不是吗？(他嘲弄地笑一下) 琼斯：(惶惑不解)你在说什么？讲清楚点。 斯密泽斯：今天在这儿我可没见到一名卫士或仆从呀。 琼斯：(无所谓地)他们都到花园树底下睡觉去了。我一睡着，他们也都溜出去睡一觉，我假装从来没怀疑过这件事。我只消摇一下铃，他们就会飞快跑来支应，装出一副他们一直在干活儿的样子。 斯密泽斯：(继续带着嘲弄的强调)那你现在摇摇铃看，然后你就会明白我的意思啦。 琼斯：(惊恐地警惕起来，可还保持那种无所谓的声调)我当然要摇铃的。(他伸手到宝座下面，掏出一个挺大个儿、涂着跟宝座一样鲜艳的猩红色的普通吃饭铃铛。他使劲摇一阵铃铛——接着停下来听听动静。然后他走到那另个门口，又摇一阵铃，往外窥视。) 斯密泽斯：(幸灾乐祸地观望着他，稍停——嘲弄地)这条鬼船正在下沉，那些贼耗子都逃走了。 琼斯：(大发雷霆地把铃铛扔到一个角落里)下贱的土黑鬼！(这时他发现斯密泽斯正在望着他，便控制住自己，接着突然迸发出一阵低沉的咯咯笑声)我这次大概玩过火了！人不能把截短了尾巴的飞禽总扣在锅底下。我刚才不是说再执政六个月吗？嗯！我现在改变主意啦。此时此刻就兑现，辞去皇帝这个差使。 斯密泽斯：(真诚地羡慕)老天爷，你真可是冷静的家伙，没错儿。 mo’? Well, I’se changed my mind den. I cashes in and resigns de job 琼斯：大惊小怪也白搭。我一旦知道戏法儿变of Emperor right dis minute. SMITHERS—(with real admiration) Blimey, but you’re a cool bird, and no mistake. JONES—No use’n fussin’. When I knows de game’s up I kisses it goodbye widout no long waits. Dey’ve all run off to de hills, ain’t dey? SMITHERS—Yes—every bleedin’ man jack of ‘em. JONES—Den de revolution is at de post. And de Emperor better git his feet smokin’ up de trail. (He starts for the door in rear.) SMITHERS—Goin’ out to look for your ‘orse? Yer won’t find any. They steals the ‘orses first thing. Mine was gone when I went for ‘im this mornin’. That’s wot first give me a suspicion of wot was up. JONES—(alarmed for a second, scratches his head, then philosophically) Well, den I hoofs it. Feet, do yo’ duty! (He pulls out a gold watch and looks at it.) Three-thuty. Sundown’s at six-thuty or dereabouts. (Puts his watch back—with cool confidence) I got plenty o’ time to make it easy. SMITHERS—Don’t be so bloomin’ sure of it. They’ll be after you ‘ot and ‘eavy. Ole Lem is at the bottom o’ this business an’ ‘e ‘ates you like ‘ell. ‘E’d rather do for you than eat ‘is dinner, ‘e would! JONES—(scornfully) Dat fool no-count nigger! Does you think I’se scared o’ him? I stands him on his thick head more’n once befo’ dis, and I does it again if he come in my way—(fiercely) And dis time I leave him a dead nigger fo’ sho’! SMITHERS—You’ll ‘ave to cut through the big forest—an’ these blacks ‘ere can sniff and follow a trail in the dark like ‘ounds. You’d ‘ave to ‘ustle to get through that forest in twelve hours even if you knew all the bloomin’ trails like a native. JONES—(with indignant scorn) Look-a-heah, white man! Does you think I’se a natural bo’n fool? Give me credit fo’ havih’ some sense, fo’ Lawd’s sake! Don’t you s’pose I’se looked ahead and made sho’ of all de chances? I’se gone out in dat big forest, pretendin’ to hunt, so many times dat I knows it high an’ low like a book. I could go through on dem trails wid my eyes shut. (with great contempt) Think dese ig’nerent bush niggers dat ain’t got brains enuff to know deir own names even can catch Brutus Jones? Huh, I s’pects not! Not on yo’ life! why, man, de white men went after me wid bloodhounds where I come from an’ I jes’ laughs at ‘em. It’s a shame to fool dese black trash around heah, dey’re so easy. You watch me, man’. I’ll make dem look sick, I will. I’ll be ‘cross de plain to de edge of de forest by time dark comes. Once in de woods in de night, dey got a swell chance o’
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完了，就一点也不留恋地跟它吻别。他们都跑进山里去了，对不对？ 斯密泽斯：对——连一个鬼魂也没留下。 琼斯：这么说来，革命已经闹起来了。当皇上的最好还是赶快一溜烟从森林小道逃走吧。(他朝后门走去) 斯密泽斯：去找你的马？一匹也找不到了。他们头一件事就是把马全部都偷走了。今天早上我去找我的马，就发现没有了。这才叫我开始怀疑事情有点不对头了。 琼斯：(惊讶一下，抓抓头皮，然后达观地)那我就步行呗。腿呀，执行你的职责吧！(他掏出一块金怀表，看一眼)三点半。日落是六点半左右。(把表放回衣服口袋里——不慌不忙，十分自信)不着急，我有的是时间。 斯密泽斯：你可别那么有把握。他们会紧追紧赶你，不会放走你的。老兰姆是这件事的起因。他恨你恨得要命。他宁可不吃饭也要宰了你，他会这样干的。 琼斯：(轻蔑地)那个傻瓜是个没用的黑鬼！你以为我怕他吗？我以前踩在他哪个笨脑壳上不止一次了，我要是再碰上他，还会那么干——(恶狠狠地)这次我住准会让他当个死黑鬼，错不了。 斯密泽斯：那你就得抄近路穿过那一大片森林——可这里的黑人都能像猎狗那样嗅闻，在黑暗里追踪。你尽管像本地土生土长的人那样熟悉所有那些崎岖小路，也得加紧正在十二小时之内穿过那片森林。 琼斯：(气愤而轻蔑地)听我说，白人！你以为我是天生的蠢货吗？看在上帝面上，夸夸我多少有点头脑吧！你难道不认为我有远见，善于把握机会吗？我多次进入那片大森林假装在打猎，却把森林里的高高低低了解得一清二楚。我闭着眼睛也能穿过它。(极为轻蔑地)想想看，这些无知到连自己名字也不知道的土黑子能抓住布鲁斯特·琼斯吗？哼，我想是不会的！要他命也办不到！呃，老兄，当初在我来到那个地方，那些白人领着猎狗追捕我，而我只是嘲笑他们。在这儿哄骗这些黑废物真叫人害臊，他们太容易让人糊弄了。老兄，等着瞧吧。我要让他们个个显得十分懊丧，我会办到的。等天一檫黑，我就穿过这块平地到森林边上去。等晚上一进入森林，他们就很难找到我这个宝贝啦！明天一大早，我就到了森林那边，那儿的海岸码头停放着一艘法国炮艇。我上了船，它就会把我送到findin’ dis baby! Dawn tomorrow I’ll be out at de oder side and on de coast whar dat French gunboat is stayin’. She picks me up, take me to the Martinique when she go dar, and dere I is safe wid a mighty big bankroll in my jeans. It’s easy as rollin’ off a log. SMITHERS—(maliciously) But s’posin’ somethin’ ‘appens wrong an’ they do nab yer? JONES—(decisively) Dey don’t—dat’s de answer. SMITHERS—But, just for argyment’s sake—what’d you do? JONES—(frowning) I’se got five lead bullets in dis gun good enuff fo’ common bush niggers—and after dat I got de silver bullet left to cheat ‘em out o’ gittin’ me. SMITHERS—(jeeringly) Ho, I was fergettin’ that silver bullet. You’ll bump yourself orf in style, won’t yer? Blimey! JONES—(gloomily) You kin bet yo’ whole roll on one thing, white man. Dis baby plays out his string to de end and when he quits, he quits wid a bang de way he ought. Silver bullet ain’t none too good for him when he go, dat’s a fac’ I—(then shaking off his nervousness—with a confident laugh) Sho’! what is I talkin’ about? Ain’t come to dat yit and I never will—not wid trash niggers like dese yere. (boastfully) Silver bullet bring me luck anyway. I kin outguess, outrun, outfight, an’ outplay de whole lot o’ dem all ovah de board any time o’ de day er night! You watch me! (From the distant hills comes the faint, steady thump of a tom-tom, low and vibrating. It starts at a rate exactly corresponding to normal pulse beat—72 to the minute—and continues at a gradually accelerated rate from this point uninterruptedly to the very end of the play. Jones starts at the sound. A strange look of apprehension creeps into his face for a moment as he listens. Then he asks, with an attempt to regain his most casual manner.) What’s dat drum beatin’ fo’? SMITHERS—(with a mean grin) For you. That means the bleedin’ ceremony ‘as started. I’ve ‘eard it before and I knows. JONES—Cer’mony? What cer’mony? SMITHERS—The blacks is ‘oldin’ a bloody meetin’, ‘avin’ a war dance, gettin’ their courage worked up b’fore they starts after you. JONES—Let dem! Dey’ll sho’ need it! SMITHERS—And they’re there ‘oldin’ their ‘eathen religious service—makin’ no end of devil spells and charms to ‘elp ‘em against your silver bullet. (He guffaws loudly.) Blimey, but they’re balmy as ‘ell! JONES—(a tiny bit awed and shaken in spite of himself) Huh! Takes
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它要驶往的马提尼克㈠，到那儿之后，我的牛仔裤兜里塞满了大把大把大票面的钞票，那就安全无虑啦。这就跟滚动开一根圆木一样容易。 斯密泽斯：(恶意地)可要是不那么顺当，他们真把你抓住怎么办？ 琼斯：(明确地)他们住不着——这就是答案。 斯密泽斯：不过，咱们只是闲拌嘴——如果发生那种情况，你该怎么办呢？ 琼斯：(皱着眉)我这把手枪里有五颗铅弹足以对付一般土黑子——然后我可以用那颗银子弹来骗骗他们，让他们住不着我。 斯密泽斯：(揶揄地)哦，我忘记了那颗银子弹。你会很有气派地把自己崩掉，对不对？老天爷！ 琼斯：(无精打采地)你可以把你的一整卷钞票下赌注押在一件事情上，白人。我这个人奉陪到底；我要是不想干了，也会按照应有的办法砰的一响一了百了地离去。他既然要走，银子弹对他倒蛮合适，这倒是个事实！(接着摆脱紧张不安的情绪——怀有信心地笑笑)确实如此！可我这是在胡扯什么呢？还没到哪个份儿上呢，永远也到不了——至少不会落到这儿的黑废物手里。(吹嘘地)不管怎么着，银子弹总给我带来好运气。不管白天还是黑夜，什么时候我都能智胜他们所有的人，逃脱他们的追逐，战胜他们，打败他们，你等着瞧吧！(从远处山峦传来微弱而坚定的咚咚击鼓声，低沉而有节奏。开始时，节拍同正常的脉搏跳动相一致——每分钟七十二跳——随后逐渐加快速度，一直不停地到全剧终了。琼斯闻声惊起。他听着，脸上一时显出一种古怪的忧虑表情。接着他又尽力恢复惯常那种无所谓的神态，问道)为什么敲鼓啊？ 斯密泽斯：(狡黠地一笑)为你嘛，这就是说，流血的仪式已经开始了。这我过去听说过，略知一二。 琼斯：仪式？什么仪式？ 斯密泽斯：那帮黑人在开始追捕你之前，正在召开一个血淋淋的会，跳一种战舞，鼓舞士气。 琼斯：让他们干吧！他们确实需要这样壮壮胆！ 斯密泽斯：他们正在那儿举行他们那种邪教仪式，没完没了地念咒施魔法，好帮助他们顶住你那颗银子弹(他狂笑起来)。老天爷，他们可也真够愚蠢的！ 琼斯：(不禁有点畏惧，微微发抖)哼，这也只能吓吓胆小鬼罢了！