“Well， no matter—dont want it this kind of weather. I know the man that did it. Ill get him. Now， here is the way this stuffstuff n.原料， 材料， 素材资料 vt.塞满， 填满， 填充 ought to be written.”
“唉，没关系——这种天气用不着它了。我知道这是谁干的事情。我会找到他的。你看，这篇东西应该是这么写才对！”
I took the manuscript. It was scarred with erasureserasure n.擦除， 抹掉， 擦除(或删去)的字.记号等 and interlineationsinterlineation n.行间书写 till its mother wouldnt have known it if it had had one. It now read as follows：
我把稿子接过来。这篇文章已经删改得体无完肤，假如它有个母亲的话，她也会不认识它了。现在它已经成了下面这样：
SPIRIT OF THE TENNESSEE PRESS
田纳西各报要闻摘录
The inveterateinveterate adj.根深的， 成癖的 liars of the SemiWeekly Earthquake are evidently endeavoring to palm off upon a noble and chivalrouschivalrous adj.有武士风度的，侠义的 people another of their vile and brutal falsehoods with regard to that most glorious conception of the nineteenth century， the Ballyhack railroad. The idea that Buzzardville was to be left off at one side originated in their own fulsomefulsome adj.过度的， 令人生厌的， 过分的 brains—or rather in the settlings which they regard as brains. They had better， swallow this lie if they want to save their abandoned reptilereptile n.爬虫动物， 卑鄙的人 adj.爬行的， 爬虫类的， 卑鄙的 arcasses the cowhiding they so richly deserve.
“地震”半周刊那些撒谎专家显然又在打算对巴里哈克铁道的消息造一次谣，这条铁道是十九世纪最辉煌的计划，而他们却要散布卑鄙无聊的谎言来欺骗高尚和宽大的读者们。巴札维尔将被丢在一边的说法，根本就是他们自己那些可恶的脑子里产生出来的——或者还不如说是他们认为是脑子的那种肮脏地方产生出来的。他们实在应该挨一顿皮鞭子才行，如果他们要避免人家打痛他们的贱皮贱肉的话，最好是把这个谎言收回。
That ass， Blossom， of the Higginsville Thunderbolt and Battle Cry of Freedom， is down here again sponging at the Van Buren.
希金斯维尔“响雷与自由呼声”的布洛松那个笨蛋又到这里来了，他厚着脸皮赖在范·布伦旅舍住着。
We observe that the besottedbesotted adj.愚蠢的， 糊涂的 blackguard of the Mud Springs Morning Howl is giving out， with his usual propensity for lying， that Van Werter is not elected. The heavenborn mission of journalism is to disseminatedisseminate v.散布 truth， to eradicate error， to educate， refine， and elevate the tone of public morals and manners， and make all men more gentle， more virtuous， more charitablecharitable adj.仁慈的， (为)慈善事业的，宽恕的， and in all ways better， and holier， and happier， and yet this blackhearted scoundrel degrades his great office persistently to the dissemination of falsehoodfalsehood n.谬误， 不真实， 谎言， 虚假， calumny， vituperation， and vulgarity...
我们发现泥泉“晨声报”那个昏头昏脑的恶棍又照他的撒谎的惯癖放出了谣言，说范·维特没有当选，新闻事业的天赋的使命是传播真实消息，铲除错误，教育。改进和提高公众道德和风俗习惯的趋向，并使所有的人更文雅、更高尚、更慈善，在各方面都更好。更纯洁、更快乐，而这个黑心肠的流氓却一味降低他的伟大任务的身价，专门散布欺诈、毁谤、谩骂和下流的话。
Blathersville wants a Nicholson pavement—it wants a jail and a poorhouse more. The idea of a pavement in a onehorse town composed of two ginmills， a blacksmithblacksmith n.锻工， 铁匠 shop， and that mustardplaster of a newspaper， the Daily Hurrah！ The crawling insect， Buckner， who edits the Hurrah， is braying about his business with his customary imbecilityimbecility n.低能， and imagining that he is talking sense.
布雷特维尔城要用尼古尔逊铺道材料修马路——它更需要一所监狱和一所贫民救济院。一个鸡毛蒜皮的市镇，只有两个小酒店。一个铁匠铺和那狗皮膏药式的报纸“每日呼声”，居然想修起马路来，岂非异想天开！“呼声”的编者卜克纳这下贱的小人正在乱吼一阵，以他那惯用的低能的话极力鼓吹这桩事情，还自以为他是说得很有道理的。
“Now that is the way to write—peppery and to the point. Mushandmilk journalism gives me the fantods.”
“你看，要这样写才行——既富于刺激性，又中肯。软弱无力的文章叫我看了心里怪不舒服。”
About this time a brick came through the window with a splintering crashcrash n.碰撞， 坠落， 坠毁， 撞击声， 爆裂声 v.碰撞，坠落， 坠毁， (指商业公司， 政府等)破产， 垮台， and gave me a considerable of a jolt in the back. I moved out of range—I began to feel in the way.
大约在这个时候，有人从窗户外面抛了一块砖头进来，噼里啪啦打得很响，使我背上震动得不轻。于是我移到火线以外——我开始感觉到自己对人家有了妨碍。
The chief said， “That was the Colonel， likely. Ive been expecting him for two days. He will be up now right away.”
主笔说：“那大概是上校吧。我等了他两天了。他马上就会上来的！”
He was correct. The Colonel appeared in the door a moment afterward with a dragoondragoon n.骑兵， 凶暴粗野的男人 vt.以武力迫害， 弹压， 强制 revolver in his hand.
他猜得不错。上校一会儿就到了门口，手里拿着一支左轮枪。
He said， “Sir， have I the honor of addressing the poltroonpoltroon n.胆小鬼 adj.胆怯的 who edits this mangy sheet？ ”
他说：“老兄，您可以让我和编这份肮脏报纸的胆小鬼打个交道吗？”
“You have. Be seated， sir. Be careful of the chair， one of its legs is gone. I believe I have the honor of addressing the putrid liar， Colonel Blatherskite Tecumseh？ ”
“可以。请坐吧，老兄。当心那把椅子，它缺了一条腿。我想您可以让我和这无赖的撒谎专家布雷特斯开特·德康赛打个交道吧？”
“Right， Sir. I have a little account to settle with you. If you are at leisure we will begin.”
“可以，老兄。我有一笔小小的账要和您算一算。您要是有空的话，我们就开始吧！”
“I have an article on the ‘Encouraging Progress of Moral and Intellectual Development in America’ to finish， but there is no hurry. Begin.”
“我在写一篇文章，谈谈‘美国道德和智慧发展中令人鼓舞的进步’这个问题，正想赶完，可是这倒不要紧。开始吧！”
Both pistols rang out their fiercefierce adj.凶猛的， 猛烈的， 热烈的， 暴躁的<美>极讨厌的， 难受的， <英方>精力旺盛的 clamorclamor n.喧闹， 叫嚷， 大声的要求 v.喧嚷， 大声的要求 at the same instant. The chief lost a lock of his hair， and the Colonels bullet ended its career in the fleshy part of my thigh. The Colonels left shoulder was clipped a little. They fired again. Both missed their men this time， but I got my share， a shot in the arm. At the third fire both gentlemen were wounded slightly， and I had a knuckle chipped. I then said， I believed I would go out and take a walk， as this was a private matter， and I had a delicacydelicacy n.微妙 about participating in it further. But both gentlemen begged me to keep my seat， and assured me that I was not in the way.
两支手枪同时砰砰地打响了。主笔被打掉了一撮头发，上校的子弹在我的大腿上多肉的部分终结了它的旅程。上校的左肩稍微削掉了一点。他们又开枪了。这次他们两人都没有射中目标，可是我却遭了殃，胳臂上中了一枪。放第三枪的时候，两位先生都受了一点轻伤，我被削掉一块颧骨。于是我说，我认为我还是出去散散步为好，因为这是他们私人的事情，我再参与在里面不免有点伤脑筋。但是那两位先生都请求我继续坐在那里，并且极力说我对他们并无妨碍。
They then talked about the elections and the crops while they reloadedreload vt.再装 vi.再装填弹药， and I fell to tying up my wounds. But presently they opened fire again with animation， and every shot took effect—but it is proper to remark that five out of the six fell to my share. The sixth one mortally wounded the Colonel， who remarked， with fine humor， that he would have to say good morning now， as he had business uptownuptown adv.在(或向)城镇非商业区， 在住宅区 adj.住宅区的 n.住宅区. He then inquired the way to the undertakers and left.
然后他们一面再装上子弹，一面谈选举和收成的问题，同时我就着手捆伤口。可是他们马上又开枪了，打得很起劲，每一枪都没有落空——不过我应该说明的是，六枪之中有五枪都光顾了我。另外那一枪打中了上校的要害，他很幽默地说，现在他应该告辞了，因为他还有事情要进城去，于是他就探听了殡仪馆的所在，随即就走了。
The chief turned to me and said， “I am expecting company to dinner， and shall have to get ready. It will be a favor to me if you will read proof and attend to the customers.”
