远大前程.docx

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