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第20章 内卡河上木筏行 1（第1页）

第20章内卡河上木筏行（1）

RaftingDowntheNeckar

马克·吐温MarkT>

&helahatIaswereartists，ourpartyroseperceptiblyieem；werosestillhigherwhehatedestriantourofEurope。

&oldusallabouttheHeidelbergroad，andwhichwerethebestplacestoavoidandwhichthebestoarryat；hechargedmelessthancostforthethingsIbrokei；heputupaf？inelunforusaaquantityht-greenplums，thepleasainGermany；hewassoanxioustodoushonorthathewouldnotallowustowalkoutofHeilbronn，butcalledupGotzVen’shorseanddmadeusride。

Imadeasketchoftheturnout。ItisnotaWork。Itisonlywhatartistscalla“study”—athingtomakeaf？iurefrom。Thissketchhasseveralblemishesinit；forihewagonisnasfastasthehorseis。Thisisersetoutofthewayistoosmall。Heisoutofperspective，aswesay。Thetwoupperlihehorse’sback，theyarethereiobeawheelmissing—thiswouldbecorreaf？inishedwork，ofcourse。Thatthingf？lyingoutbehindisnotaf？lag，itisa。Thatupthereisthesun，butIdidenoughdista。Idonotremember，now，whatthatthingisthatisinfrontofthemanwh，butIthinkitisahaystaan。ThisstudywasexhibitedintheParisSalonof1879，butdidnottakeaheydonotgivemedalsforstudies。

Wedischargedthecarriageatthebridge。Theriverwasfulloflogs—long，slender，barklesspinelogs—aherailse，ahemeherintorafts。Theseraftseandstrutosuittheessaremeheheywerefromf？iftytoonehundredyardslong，andtheygraduallytaperedfromaniheirsterns，tbreadthattheirbow-ends。Themainpartofthesteeriheboole；thethree-logbreadththerefurnishesroomforoeersmalelogsareneraroundthatanaverageyounglady’swaist。Thesoftheseveralsesoftheraftaresladpliant，sothattheraftmaybereadilybentintoanysortofcurverequiredbytheshapeoftheriver。

TheNemanyplaarroersacrossit，ifhehasoisalsosharplysuchplaces，theraftsmanhastodosomeprettyniugpilotiurns。Theriverisnotalwaysallowedtospreadoveritswholebed—whichisasmuchasthirty，aimesfortyyardswide—butissplitintothreeequalbodiesofwater，bystohrowthemaih，ahee。Ihesenarrow-edgeddikesprojectfourorf？iveihesurface，liketheergedroof，butinhighwatertheyareoverf？lowed。AhatfulofrainmakeshighwaterintheNedabasketfulproduoverf？low。

TherearedikesabreasttheSchlossHotel，aisviolentlysoiflasscage，watgthelong，narroalhthetralel，grazi-bankdikeandaimingcarefullyforthemiddlearchofthestebelow；Iwatchedtheminthisway，andlostallthistimehopihemhitthebridge-pieraselfsometimeorother，butointed。Onewassmashedthere，butIhadjuststeppedintomyroomamomenttolightapipe，soIlostit。

WhileIwaslookingdowhatminHeilbronn，thedaredevilspiritofadventurecamesuddenlyuponme，andIsaidtomyrades：

“IamgoingtoHeidelbergonaraft。Willyouvehme？”

Theirfacespaledalittle，buttheyassehasgoodagraceastheycould。Harriswaocablehismhtithisdutytodothat，ashewasallshehadinthisworld—so，whileheattehis，Iwentdowaahewithahearty“Ahoy，shipmate！”whichputusupoermsatondweentereduponbusiness。IsaidweedestriantourtoHeidelberg，andwouldliketotakepassagewithhim。IsaidthispartlythroughyoungZ，whospokeGermanveryartlythroughMr。Xwhospokeitpeculiarly。IderstandGermahemaniaveItalkitbestthroughaer。

&ainhitcheduphistrousers，thenshiftedhisquidthoughtfully。Presentlyhesaidjusteghewouldsay—thathehaders，andthereforewasafraidthelawwouldbeafterhimiergotorahappened。SoIcharteredtheraftaookalltheresponsibilitiesonmyself。

Witharattlingsoarboardwatttotheirworkahecableshottheane，andourbarkmovedoffwithastatelystride，andsoonwasbowlingalongatabouttwoknotsanhour。