远大前程.docx
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远大前程
1:
Pipmeetsastranger
MyfirstnamewasPhilip,butwhenIwasasmallchildIcouldonlymanagetosayPip.SoPipwaswhatevery-bodycalledme.IlivedinasmallvillageinEssexwithmysister,whowasovertwentyyearsolderthanme,andmarriedtoJoeGargery,thevillageblacksmith.MyparentshaddiedwhenIwasababy,soIcouldnotrememberthematall,butquiteoftenIusedtovisitthechurchyard,abutamilefromthevillage,tolookattheirnamesontheirgravestones.
Myfirstmemoryisofsittingonagravestoneinthatchurch-yardonecold,grey,Decemberafternoon,lookingoutatthedark,flat,wildmarshesdividedbytheblacklineoftheRiverThames,andlisteningtotherushingsoundoftheseainthedistance.
“Don'tsayaword!
”criedaterriblevoice,asamanjumpedupfromamongthegravesandcaughtholdofme.“IfyoushoutI'llcutyourthroat!
”Hewasabigman,dressedallingrey,withanironchainonhisleg.Hisclotheswerewetandtorn.Helookedexhausted,andhungry,andveryfierce.Ihadneverbeensofrightenedinmywholelife.
“Oh!
Don'tcutmythroat,sir!
”Ibeggedinterror.
“Tellmeyourname,boy!
Quick!
”hesaid,stillholdingme.“Andshowmewhereyoulive!
”
“Myname'sPip,sir.AndIliveinthevillageoverthere.“
Hepickedmeupandturnedmeupside-down.Nothingfelloutofmypocketexceptapieceofoldbread.Heateitintwobites,likeadog,andputmebackonthegravestone.
“Sowhereareyourfatherandmother?
”heasked.
“There,sir,“Ianswered,pointingtotheirgraves.
“What!
”hecried,andwasabouttorun,whenhesawwhereIwaspointing.“Oh!
”hesaid.“Isee.They'redead.Well,whodoyoulivewith,ifIletyoulive,whichIhaven'tdecidedyet?
”
“Withmysister,sir,wifeofJoeGargery,theblacksmith.“
Blacksmith,yousay?
Andhelookeddownathisleg.Thenheheldmebybotharmsandstaredfiercelydownintomyeyes.
“Nowlookhere.Youbringmeafile.Youknowwhatthatis?
Andyoubringmesomefood.Ifyoudon't,orifyoutellanyoneaboutme,I'llcutyourheartout.“
“IpromiseI'lldoit,sir,“Ianswered.Iwasbadlyfrightendedandmywholebodywastrembling.
“Yousee,“hecontinued,smilingunpleasantly,“Itravelwithayoungman,afriendofmine,whoroastsboys”heartsandeatsthem.He'llfindyou,whereveryouare,andhe'llhaveyourheart.Sobringthefileandthefoodtothatwoodenshelteroverthere,earlytomorrowmorning,ifyouwanttokeepyourheart,thatisRemember,youpromised!
”
Iwatchedhimturnandwalkwithdifficultyacrossthemarshes,thechainhangingclumsilyaroundhisleg.ThenIranhomeasfastasIcould.
Mysister,MrsJoeGargery,wasveryproudofthefactthatshehadbroughtmeup”byhand”.Nobodyexplainedtomewhatthismeant,andbecauseshehadahardandheavyhand,whichsheusedfreelyonherhusbandaswellasme,IsupposedthatJoeandIwerebothbroughtupbyhand.Shewasnotabeautifulwoman,beingtallandthin,withblackhairandeyesandaveryredface.SheclearlyfeltthatJoeandIcausedheralotoftrouble,andshefrequentlycomplainedaboutit.Joe,ontheotherhand,wasagentle,kindmanwithfairhairandweakblueeyes,whoquietlyacceptedherscolding.
BecauseJoeandIwereinthesamepositionofbeingscoldedbyMrsJoe,weweregoodfriends,andJoeprotectedmefromherangerwheneverhecould.SowhenIranbreathlessintothekitchen,hegavemeafriendlywarning.“She'soutlook-ingforyou,Pip!
Andshe'sgotthestickwithher!
”Thisstickhadbeenusedsooftenforbeatingmethatitwasnowquitesmooth.
JustthenMrsJoerushedin.
“Wherehaveyoubeen,youyoungmonkey?
”sheshouted.IjumpedbehindJoetoavoidbeinghitwiththestick.
“Onlytothechurchyard,“Iwhispered,startingtocry.
“Churchyard!
IfIhadn'tbroughtyouup,you'dbeinthechurchyardwithourparents.You'llsendmetothechurch-yardoneday!
Nowletmegetyoursupperready,bothofyou!
”
Fortherestoftheevening,Ithoughtofnothingbutthestrangeronthemarshes.Sometimes,asthewindblewroundthehouse,IimaginedIheardhisvoiceoutside,andIthoughtwithhorroroftheyoungmanwhoateboys”hearts.
JustbeforeIwenttobed,weheardthesoundofabiggunonthemarshes.“Wasthatagun,Joe?
”Iasked.
“Ah!
”saidJoe.“Anotherconvict'sescaped.Onegotawaylastnight.Theyalwaysfirethegunwhenoneescapes.“
“Whofiresthegun?
”Iasked.Joeshookhisheadtowarnme.
“Toomanyquestions,“frownedmysister.“Ifyoumustknowit'sthemenintheprison-shipswhofirethegun.“
“Iwonderwhoisputintoprison-ships,andwhy?
”Iasked,inageneralway,quietlydesperatetoknowtheanswer.
ThiswastoomuchforMrsJoe.“Listen,myboy,Ididn'tbringyouupbyhandtoannoypeopletodeath!
Thereareshipsontheriverwhichareusedasprisons.Peoplewhostealandmurderareputintheprison-ships,andtheystaythereforyearssometimes.Andtheyalwaysbegintheirlifeofcrimebyaskingtoomanyquestions!
Now,gotobed!
”
Icouldnotsleepatallthatnight.Iwasinterroroftheyoungmanwhowantedmyheart,Iwasinterrorofthemanwiththeironchain,Iwasinterrorofmysister,whowouldsoondiscoverIhadstolenherfood.Assoonastherewasalit-tlelightintheskyoutsidemywindow,Igotupandwentqui-etlydowntothekitchen.Istolesomebread,cheeseandabigmeatpie,hopingthat,astherewasalotoffoodreadyforChristmas,nobodywouldnoticewhatwasmissing.Ididnotdaretakethewholebrandybottle,soIpouredsomeintoasmallerbottletotakeawaywithme.ThenIfilledupthebrandybottlewithwhatIthoughtwaswaterfromabigbrownbottle.ItookafilefromJoe'sboxoftools,andranoutontothedarkmarshes.
ThemistwassothickthatIcouldnotseeanything.Al-thoughIknewmywaytotheshelterverywell,Ialmostgotlostthistime.IwasnearitwhenIsawamansittingontheground,halfasleep.Iwentupandtouchedhisshoulder.Hejumpedup,anditwasthewrongman!
Hewasdressedingrey,too,andhadanironchainonhisleg.Heranawayintothemist.
“It'stheyoungman!
”Ithought,feelingapaininmyheart.
WhenIarrivedattheshelter,Ifoundtherightman.HelookedsocoldandhungrythatIfeltsorryforhim.Tremblingviolentlyheswallowedthebrandyandatethefoodlikeahunt-edanimal,lookingaroundhimallthetimefordanger.
“You'resureyoudidn'ttellanyone?
Orbringanyone?
”
“No,sir.I'mgladyou'reenjoyingthefood,sir.“
“Thankyou,myboy.You'vebeengoodtoapoorman.“
“ButI'mafraidtherewon'tbeanyleftforhim.“
“Him?
Who'sthat?
”Myfriendstoppedinthemiddleofeating.
“Theyoungmanwhotravelswithyou.“
“Oh,him!
”hereplied,smiling.“Hedoesn'twantanyfood.“
“Ithoughthelookedratherhungry,“Ianswered.
Hestaredatmeingreatsurprise.“Looked?
When?
”
“Justnow,overthere.IfoundhimhalfasleepandIthoughtitwasyou.Hewasdressedlikeyou,and—”Iwasanxioustoexpressthispolitely”-hehadthesamereasonforwantingtoborrowafile.“
“ThenIdidhearthemfirethegunlastnight!
Youknow,boy,whenyou'reonthemarshaloneatnight,youimagineallkindsofthings,voicescalling,gunsfiring,soldiersmarching!
Butshowmewherethismanwent.I'llfindhimandI'llfin-ishwithhim!
I'llsmashhisface!
Givemethefilefirst.“
Iwasafraidofhimnowthathewasangryagain.
“I'msorry,Imustgohomenow,“Isaid.Hedidnotseemtohear,soIlefthimbendingoverhislegandfilingawayathisironchainlikeamadman.HalfwayhomeIstoppedinthemisttolisten,andIcouldstillhearthesoundofthefile.
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2:
Catchingaconvict
AllthatmorningIwasfrightenedthatmysisterwoulddiscoverthatIhadstolenfromher,butluckilyshewassobusycleaningthehouse,androastingthechickensforourChristmaslunchthatshedidnotnoticethatIhadbeenout,orthatanyfoodwasmissing.Athalf-pastoneourtwoguestsarrived.MrWopslehadalargenoseandashining,baldforehead,andwasthechurchclerk.MrPumblechook,whohadashopinthenearesttown,wasafat,middle-agedmanwitnamouthlikeafish,andstaringeyes.HewasreallyJoe'sunclebutitwasMrsJoewhocalledhimuncle.EveryChristmasDayhearrivedwithtwobottlesofwine,handingthemproudlytomysister.
“OhUnclePumblechook!
Thisiskind!
”shealwaysreplied.
“It'snomorethanyoudeserve,“wastheanswereverytime.
SittingattablewiththeseguestsIwouldhavefeltuncomfortableevenifIhadn'trobbedmysister.NotonlywasPumblechook'selbowinmyeye,butIwasn'tallowedtospeak,andtheygavemetheworstpiecesofmeat.Eventhechickensmusthavebeenashamedofthosepartsoftheirbodieswhentheywerealive.Andworsethanthat,theadultsneverleftmeinpeace.
“Beforeweeat,letusthankGodforthefoodinfrontofus,“saidMrWopsle,inthedeepvoiceheusedinchurch.
“Doyouhearthat?
”whisperedmysistertome.“Begrateful!
”
“Especially,“saidMrPumblechookfirmly,“begrateful,boy,tothosewhobroughtyouupbyhand.“
“Whyaretheyoungnevergrateful?
”wonderedMrWopslesadly.
“Theircharactersarenaturallybad,“answeredMrPumblechook,andallthreelookedunpleasantlyatme.
Whentherewereguests,Joe'spositionwasevenlowerthanusual(ifthatwaspossible),buthealwaystriedtohelpmeifhecould.Sometimeshecomfortedmebygivingmeextragravy.Hedidthatnow.
“Justimagine,boy,“saidMrPumblechook,“ifyoursisterhadn'tbroughtyouup—”
“Youlistentothis,“saidmysistertomecrossly.
“If,asIsay,shehadn'tspentherlifelookingafteryou,wherewouldyouben