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Text A The Clockmaker（第1页）

TextATheaker

ThomasdlerHaliburton

[1]IhadheardofYankeeclockpedlars，tinpedlars，andbiblepedlars，espewhosoldPolyglotBibles（alliotheamountofsixteenthousandpounds。Thehouseofeverysubstantialfarmerhadthreesubstantialors，awoodenclorefledaPolyglotBible。HowisitthatanAmerisellhiswares，atricehepleases，whereablue-nosewouldfailtomakeasaleatall?Iwilleheakerthesecretofhissuccess。

[2]“ityitis，Mr。Slick”—forsuchwashisapityitis”，saidI，“thatyou，whoaresosucteagthesepeoplethevalueofclocks，otalsoteachthemthevalueoftime。”

[3]“Iguess，”saidhe，“theyhavegrowontheirhor，whicheveryfour-year-oldhasinourtry。Wereiobedollarsaheydonothis，buteat，drink，smoke，sleep，rideabout，louaverns，makespeechesattemperaings，andtalkabout‘HouseofAssembly’。Ifamahoehisdhedoesacrop，hesaysitisallowingtothebank;aodebtandissued，whyhesaysthelawyersareacursetothetry。Theyareamostidlesetoffolks，Itellyou。”

[4]“Buthowisit，”saidI，“thatyoumaosellsuimmensenumberofclocks，whilyotbeecessaryartigapeoplewithwhomthereseemstobesogreatasoney?”

[5]Mr。Slickpaused，asifgtheproprietythequestion，andlookiheface，saidinatialtone，“Why，Idon’tcareifIdotellyou，flutted，andIshallquitthiscircuit。ItisdonebyaksawderandhumahereisDeat’s，”saidhe，“Ihavebutoneclockleft，andIguessIwillsellittohim。”

[6]Atthegateofamostfortable-lookingfarm-housestoodDeat，arespean，whohaduhevalueoftimebetterthanmostofhisneighbours，ifojudgefromtheappearahingabouthim。Aftertheusualsalutation，aninvitationto“alight”tedbyMr。Slick，whosaidhewishedtotakeleaveofMrs。FliColchester。

[7]Wehadhardlyehehouse，beforetheakerpoiheviewfromthewindow，andaddressiome，said，“IfIwastotellthemiherewassuchafarmasthisawaydowhereinNovaScotia，theywouldn’tbelieveme。Whythereain’tsuchaloallheDeahasahundredacresofdyke—”

[8]“Seventy，”saidtheDealyseventy。”

[9]“Well，seventy;butthenthereisyourfiom，whyIaramrodintoit—”

[10]“Interval，wecallit，”saidtheDea，whothoughevidehiseulogium，seemedtowishtheexperimeobetriediplace。

[11]“Well，intervalifyouplease—thoughProfessorEleazerCumstihisworkonOhio，callsthembottoms—isjustasgoodasdyke。Therivilege，worththreeorfourthousanddollars，twiceasgoodaswhatGovernorCasspaidfifteendollarsfor。Iwonder，Dea，youdon’tputupagmillonit:thesameworkswouldcarryaturninglathe，ashinglemae，acircularsaw，grindbark，and—”

[12]“Tooold，”saidtheDea，“toooldforallthosespes—”

[13]“Old，”repeatedtheaker，“notyou;whyyouareworthhalfadozenoftheyoungmenweseenowadays。Yenoughtohave—”Herehesaidsomethingioneofvoice，whiotdistiwhateveritwas，theDealeased。Hesmiledathinkofsugsnow。

[14]“Butyourbeasts，dearme，yourbeastsmustbeputinandhaveafeed”;sayingwhitouttoorderthemtobetakeable。

[15]Astheoldgentlemahedoorafterhim，Mr。SlieartomeandsaidioiswhatIcall‘slishmanwouldpassthatmanasasheeppassesahoginapasturewithoutlookingathim;or”，saidhe，lookingratherarchly，“ifhewasmountedohuesshe’dtrotaway，ifheowIfind—”Herehisle“softsawder”wascutshortbytheentranrs。Flint。

[16]“Jistetosaygoodbye，Mrs。Flint。”

[17]“What，haveyousoldallyourclocks?”

[18]“Yes，aoo，formoneyissdIwishedtoclosetheinsayingall，forIhavejustoeel’swifeaskedtohavetherefusalofit，butIguessIwo;Ihadbuttwoofthem，thisohefellerofitthatIsoldGovernorLineralGreearyofStateforMaine，saidhe’dgiveme50dollarsforthishereohaspositionateisabeautifularticle，arealfirstistake，genuinesuperfiIguessI’lltakeitbadbesides，SquireHawkmightthihatIdidheoffer。

[19]“Dearme，”saidMrs。Flint，“Ishouldliketoseeit;whereisit?”

[20]“Itisiofmihee’sstuessheshipito。”

[21]“That’sagoodman，”saidMrs。Flint，“jistlet’slookatit。”

[22]Mr。Sligtooblige，yieldedtotheseeiesandsooheclock—agawdy，highlyvarrumpery-lookingaffair。Heplatheey-piecewhereitsbeautieswerepoianddulyappreciatedbyMrs。FliionwasaboutendinginaproposalwhenMr。Fliurnedfromgivinghisdiresaboutthecareofthehorses。TheDeapraisedtheclock;hetoothoughtitahaheDearudentman;hehadawatch—hewassorry，buthehadnooforaclock。

[23]“Iguessyou’reinthewrongfurrowthistime，Dea’tforsale，”saidMr。Slidifitwas，IreeighbourSteel’swifewouldhaveit，fivesme。”Mrs。FlintsaidthatMr。Steelhadenoughtodo，poorman，topayhisihoutbuyingclocksforhiswife。

[24]“It’snoine，”saidMr。Slick，“solongashepaysme，whathehastodo，butIguessIdon’twa，aestoohigh;that’tbemadeatRhodeIslaydollars。ossible，”saidtheaker，isurprise，lookingathiswatch，“whyasI’maliveitisfouro’difIhavewohourshere。HowohshallIreachRiverPhiliptonight?I’lltellyouwhat，Mrs。Flint，I’llleavetheyourcaretillIreturnonmywaytotheStates。I’llsetita-goin’andputitthttime。”

[25]Assoonasthisoperationerformed，hedeliveredthekeytotheDeawithasortofserio-itowinduptheclockeverySaturdaynight，whichMrs。Flintsaidshewouldtakecareshouldbedone，aoremindherhusbandofitincaseheshouldcetetit。

[26]“That，”saidtheaker，assooed，“thatIcall‘humahatclockissoldforfortydollars;itejustsixdollarsandfiftyts。Mrs。FliMrs。Steelhavetherefusal，norwilltheDeauntilIcallfortheclockthathavingondulgedintheuseofasuperfluity，howdifficultitistogiveitup。Wedowithoutanyarticleofluxurywehaveneverhad，butwheaiisnot‘inhumaosurrevoluntarily。OffifteenthousandsoldbymyselfahisProvihousahismanner，andonlytenclockswereeverreturned;whehemtheyinvariablyboughtthem。Wetrustto‘setthemintothehouseandto‘humaheyofit。”

[1836]

Notes

1。ThomasdlerHaliburton（1796-1865）:Heisoneofada’shouseholdauthors。Hispopular‘SamSliaker’characteris21SamSlicksketchesbyhim，whichisreizedashisgreatliterarytributioohumannatureandexpressivedeviorandsatirearemainsofdreadersinreadingHaliburton’sworks。

2。Yankeeclockpedlars:YankeeorYankinshort，meaernAmerisespeNewEnglandwithinU。S。orAmeriworldlyreference。

3。PolyglotBibles:ItreferstoBiblewrittehanonelanguage（e。g。Hebrew，Greek，andLatinlanguages）。

4。ablue-inallywasaradfishingshipinNovaSdnowbeofNovaSs。

5。temperaisakindofsoentaimiionorprohibitionofaltrieslikeada，Ireland，Australia，etcethe19thtury。

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