L. Tit-lâi ê Sin-seng | 得來 ê 新生 - 1. Jimmy 接著赦免狀

A Retrieved Reformation /by O. Henry

https://americanliterature.com/author/o-henry/short-story/a-retrieved-reformation

Tit-lâi ê Sin-seng | 得來 ê 新生

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1. Jimmy chiap tio̍h sià-bián chn̄g

Chi̍t-ê kéng-ūi lâi kàu kàm-ga̍k ê ê-á kang-tiûⁿ, tī hia Jimmy Valentine tng-teh jīn-chin thīⁿ ê-bīn, kéng-ūi kā i chhōa kàu thâu-chêng ê pān-kong-sek. Tī hia, kàm-ga̍k-tiúⁿ kā sià-bián-chn̄g kau hō͘ Jimmy, he sī chá-khí Chiu-tiúⁿ tú-tú chhiam hó ê. Jimmy lán-lán kā chiap kòe-lâi. I í-keng tī chia ku 4-nî tô͘-hêng ê 10-kò-goa̍h. Goân-pún i siūⁿ-kóng siōng-ke sī ku 3-kò-goe̍h. Chi̍t-ê chhiūⁿ Jimmy Valentine án-ne, tī gōa-kháu ū chē-chē pêng-iú ê lâng, tú tio̍h chit-chióng "khùn-jiáu," sī m̄-bián tán kah tio̍h koh chián thâu-mo͘ ê.

"Valentine," kàm-ga̍k-tiúⁿ kóng, "bîn-á chá-khí lí tō ē-sái chhut-khì. Che sī lí ê ki-hōe. Hó-hó chò chi̍t-ê lâm-chú-hàn. Lí ê sim-koaⁿ bē-bái. Mài koh khì kiāu pó-hiám-kūi ah lah, hó-hó kòe lí ê seng-oa̍h."

"Góa?" Jimmy tio̍h-kiaⁿ kóng. "Ná ū ah, chit sì-lâng góa m̄-bat kiāu pó-hiám-kūi."

"Oh, bô," kàm-ga̍k-tiúⁿ chhiò chhut-lâi. "Tong-jiân m̄-bat. Góa khòaⁿ-māi chi̍t-ē. Lí ná-ē in-ūi tī Springfield àn-kiāⁿ hông sàng-ji̍p kàm-ga̍k? Sī-m̄-sī in-ūi lí bô-ài kóng lí bô chāi hiān-tiûⁿ, bián-tit hāi tio̍h bó͘ chi̍t-ê ko-téng siā-hōe ê lâng? A̍h sī in-ūi lí pháiⁿ-ūn tú tio̍h pùn-sò pôe-sím-thoân, khòaⁿ lí bē sūn-ba̍k? Lín chit-khoán kóng ka-tī bû-ko͘ ê lâng, chóng-sī ū lí-iû."

"Góa?" Jimmy kóng, iáu-sī piáu-chêng chèng-keng. "Ná ū ah, chit sì-lâng góa m̄-bat khì Springfield!"

"Kā chhōa cháu, Cronin!" kàm-ga̍k-tiúⁿ kóng. "Thè i khoán chhut-khì só͘ su-iàu ê saⁿ-khò͘. Bîn-á chá-khí chhit-tiám koh kā chhōa lâi chia. Hó-hó siūⁿ góa kóng ê ōe, Valentine."

Keh-kang chá-khí chhit-tiám cha̍p-gō͘ hun, Jīmm khiā tī kàm-ga̍k-tiúⁿ pān-kong-sek ê gōa-kháu keng. I chhēng chi̍t-su bô ha̍h-su, piān-bé ê saⁿ-khò͘ kap chi̍t-siang ngē koh ē chhut-siaⁿ ê ê-á. Chiah-ê sī kok-ka sàng hō͘ siû-hoān lī-khui kàm-ga̍k ê chong-pī.

Pān-sū-oân kau hō͘ i chi̍t-tiuⁿ hóe-chhia phiò, koh gō͘ kho͘ bí-kim, che sī boeh hō͘ i chiâⁿ-chò chi̍t-ê hó kong-bîn, ū hó chiân-tô͘. Kàm-ga̍k-tiúⁿ hō͘ i chi̍t-ki sigá-hun, koh kap i ak-chhiú. Valentine, 9762, tī chu-liāu-phō͘ tō kì-chài "Chiu-tiúⁿ sià-bián," iá James Valentine Ss tō kiâⁿ chhut-lâi tī ji̍t-kng ē-bīn.

Bô chhap chiáu-á teh chhiùⁿ-koa, chheⁿ-chhùi ê chhiū-ki teh iô-tāng, kap hoe-lúi ê phang-bī, Jimmy chi̍t-lō͘ ti̍t-ti̍t kiâⁿ kàu chi̍t-keng chhan-thiaⁿ. Tī hia, i hiáng-siū chū-iû ê tē-it lō͘ tiⁿ-bi̍t, its tiám chi̍t-chiah hang-ke kap chi̍t-kan pe̍h pô-tô-chiú, koh pok chi̍t-ki pí kàm-ga̍k-tiúⁿ hō͘ i ê koh-khah hó ê sigá-hun. Liáu-āu, i chiah khin-khin sang-sang kiâⁿ khì chhia-thâu. I hiat chi̍t-ê 25-sén ê gîn-kak-á ji̍p chē tī mn̂g-kháu ê chheⁿ-mê-lâng ê bō-á nih, chiah peh chiūⁿ i ê hóe-chhia. Saⁿ tiám-cheng liáu-āu, i tī chiu-kài hù-kīn ê chi̍t-ê sió-tìn lo̍h-chhia. I khì kàu chi̍t-ê kiò Mike Dolan khui ê kapi thiaⁿ, hām ka-tī chi̍t-ê chē tī pa-tâi āu-bīn ê Mike ak-chhiú.

"Pháiⁿ-sè, goán chò liáu bô-kàu kín, Jimmy, koai gín-á," Mike kóng. "M̄-koh, goán tio̍h tùi-hù Springfield ê khòng-gī, chiu-tiúⁿ hiám-á tō tò-kiu. Lí kám-kak hó bô?"

"Chin hó," Jimmy kóng. "Ū góa ê só-sî bô?"

I the̍h só-sî, tō chiūⁿ-lâu, khui chi̍t-ê óa āu-piah pâng-keng ê mn̂g. Ta̍k-hāng lóng kap i lī-khui ê sî kāng-khoán. Thô͘-kha iáu ū Ben Price ê ām-niá liú-á, he sī in teh ah-chè Jimmy boeh lia̍h i ê sî, ùi hit-ê chhut-miâ cheng-thàn ê siatchuh tòa liah lo̍h-lâi ê.

I kā áu khí-lâi siu tī piah téng ê bîn-chhn̂g pàng lo̍h-lâi, thoah khui piah téng ê chi̍t-tè thoah-pang, khiú chhut chi̍t-kha khā chi̍t-iân eng-ia ê chhiú-thê-siuⁿ. I kā phah khui, kú-kú chhim-chêng khòaⁿ chit-thò Tang-pō͘ tē-it ê chha̍t-á ke-si. Che sī oân-chéng ê chi̍t-thò, kō͘ te̍k-pia̍t hôe-hóe ê kǹg, siōng-sin siat-kè ê chǹg-á, chām-á, chhiú-iô-chǹg kap chǹg-thâu, kiāu-á, gia̍p-á, kap lak-soān, iáu ū nn̄g/saⁿ hāng Jimmy ka-tī hoat-bêng koh chiok tek-ì ê sin-kî mi̍h. Chiah-ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ i lóng-chóng khai chhiau-kòe 900 kho͘ bí-kim tī bó͘ chi̍t-ê choan-bûn ūi chit-ê hâng-gia̍p chè-chō ê só͘-chāi.

Pòaⁿ tiám-cheng liáu-āu, Jimmy lo̍h-lâu, kiâⁿ kòe kapi thiaⁿ. Taⁿ i chhēng ū-phín-bī koh ha̍h-su ê saⁿ-khò͘, chhiú kōaⁿ hit-kha í-keng chhit kah chin chheng-khì ê chhiú-thê-siuⁿ.

"Ū siáⁿ-mih kè-ōe hioh?" Mike Dolan chhin-chhiat kā mn̄g.

"Góa?" Jimmy kō͘ put-kái ê kháu-khì ìn. "Góa bô liáu-kái. Góa tāi-piáu ê sī New York Liân-ha̍p Té-chhè Piáⁿ-koaⁿ kap Chhùi-Be̍h Kong-si."

Chit-kù ōe hō͘ Mike thiaⁿ tio̍h chin hoaⁿ-hí, Jimmy soah tio̍h tong-tiûⁿ lim khì-chúi ke gû-leng. I it-hiòng bô lim "ngē" ím-liāu.

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1. Jimmy 接著赦免狀

一个警衛來到監獄 ê 鞋仔工場, tī hia Jimmy Valentine tng-teh 認真紩鞋面, 警衛 kā 伊 chhōa 到頭前 ê 辦公室. Tī hia, 監獄長 kā 赦免狀交予 Jimmy, 彼是早起州長拄拄簽好 ê. Jimmy 懶懶 kā 接過來. 伊已經 tī chia 跔 4 年徒刑 ê 10 個月. 原本伊想講上加是跔 3 個月. 一个像 Jimmy Valentine án-ne, tī 外口有濟濟朋友 ê 人, 拄著這種 "困擾," 是毋免等 kah 著 koh 剪頭毛 ê.

"Valentine," 監獄長講, "明仔早起你 tō 會使出去. 這是你 ê 機會. 好好做一个男子漢. 你 ê 心肝袂䆀. 莫 koh 去撬保險櫃 ah lah, 好好過你 ê 生活."

"我?" Jimmy 著驚講. "那有 ah, 這世人我 m̄-bat 撬保險櫃."

"Oh, 無," 監獄長笑出來. "當然 m̄-bat. 我看覓一下. 你那會因為 tī Springfield 案件 hông 送入監獄? 是毋是因為你無愛講你無在現場, 免得害著某一个高等社會 ê 人? A̍h 是因為你歹運拄著糞埽陪審團, 看你袂順目? 恁這款講 ka-tī 無辜 ê 人, 總是有理由."

"我?" Jimmy 講, 猶是表情正經. "那有 ah, 這世人我 m̄-bat 去 Springfield!"

"Kā chhōa 走, Cronin!" 監獄長講. "替伊款出去所需要 ê 衫褲. 明仔早起七點 koh kā chhōa 來 chia. 好好想我講 ê 話, Valentine."

隔工早起七點十五分, Jīmm 徛 tī 監獄長辦公室 ê 外口間. 伊穿一軀無合軀, 便買 ê 衫褲 kap 一雙硬 koh 會出聲 ê 鞋仔. Chiah-ê 是國家送予囚犯離開監獄 ê 裝備.

辦事員交予伊一張火車票, koh 五箍美金, 這是欲予伊成做一个好公民, 有好前途. 監獄長予伊一支 sigá 薰, koh kap 伊握手. Valentine, 9762, tī 資料簿 tō 記載 "州長赦免," iá James Valentine Ss tō 行出來 tī 日光下面.

無 chhap 鳥仔 teh 唱歌, 青翠 ê 樹枝 teh 搖動, kap 花蕊 ê 芳味, Jimmy 一路直直行到一間餐廳. Tī hia, 伊享受自由 ê 第一路甜蜜, its 點一隻烘雞 kap 一矸白葡萄酒, koh 噗一支比監獄長予伊 ê koh 較好 ê sigá 薰. 了後, 伊才輕輕鬆鬆行去車頭. 伊㧒一个 25-sén ê 銀角仔入坐 tī 門口 ê 青盲人 ê 帽仔 nih, 才 peh 上伊 ê 火車. 三點鐘了後, 伊 tī 州界附近 ê 一个小鎮落車. 伊去到一个叫 Mike Dolan 開 ê kapi 廳, 和 ka-tī 一个坐 tī 吧台後面 ê Mike 握手.

"歹勢, 阮做了無夠緊, Jimmy, 乖囡仔," Mike 講. "M̄-koh, 阮著對付 Springfield ê 抗議, 州長險仔 tō 倒勼. 你感覺好無?"

"真好," Jimmy 講. "有我 ê 鎖匙無?"

伊提鎖匙, tō 上樓, 開一个倚後壁房間 ê 門. 逐項 lóng kap 伊離開 ê 時仝款. 塗跤猶有 Ben Price ê 頷領鈕仔, 彼是 in teh 壓制 Jimmy 欲掠伊 ê 時, ùi 彼个出名偵探 ê siatchuh 帶 liah 落來 ê.

伊 kā 拗起來收 tī 壁頂 ê 眠床放落來, 挩開壁頂 ê 一塊挩枋, 搝出一跤 khā 一沿坱埃 ê 手提箱. 伊 kā 拍開, 久久深情看這套東部第一 ê 賊仔家私. 這是完整 ê 一套, kō͘ 特別回火 ê 鋼, 上新設計 ê 鑽仔, 鏨仔, 手搖鑽 kap 鑽頭, 撬仔, 挾仔, kap lak-soān, 猶有兩三項 Jimmy ka-tī 發明 koh 足得意 ê 新奇物. Chiah-ê 物件伊攏總開超過 900 箍美金 tī 某一个專門為這个行業製造 ê 所在.

半點鐘了後, Jimmy 落樓, 行過 kapi 廳. 今伊穿有品味 koh 合軀 ê 衫褲, 手捾彼跤已經拭 kah 真清氣 ê 手提箱.

"有啥物計畫 hioh?" Mike Dolan 親切 kā 問.

"我?" Jimmy kō͘ 不解 ê 口氣應. "我無了解. 我代表 ê 是 New York 聯合短脆餅乾 kap 碎麥公司."

這句話予 Mike 聽著真歡喜, Jimmy 煞著當場啉汽水加牛奶. 伊一向無啉 "硬" 飲料.

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1.

A GUARD CAME to the prison shoe-shop, where Jimmy Valentine was assiduously stitching uppers, and escorted him to the front office. There the warden handed Jimmy his pardon, which had been signed that morning by the governor. Jimmy took it in a tired kind of way. He had served nearly ten months of a four year sentence. He had expected to stay only about three months, at the longest. When a man with as many friends on the outside as Jimmy Valentine had is received in the “stir” it is hardly worth while to cut his hair.

“Now, Valentine,” said the warden, “you'll go out in the morning. Brace up, and make a man of yourself. You're not a bad fellow at heart. Stop cracking safes, and live straight.”

“Me?” said Jimmy, in surprise. “Why, I never cracked a safe in my life.”

“Oh, no,” laughed the warden. “Of course not. Let's see, now. How was it you happened to get sent up on that Springfield job? Was it because you wouldn't prove an alibi for fear of compromising somebody in extremely high-toned society? Or was it simply a case of a mean old jury that had it in for you? It's always one or the other with you innocent victims.”

“Me?” said Jimmy, still blankly virtuous. “Why, warden, I never was in Springfield in my life!”

“Take him back, Cronin!” said the warden, “and fix him up with outgoing clothes. Unlock him at seven in the morning, and let him come to the bull-pen. Better think over my advice, Valentine.”

At a quarter past seven on the next morning Jimmy stood in the warden's outer office. He had on a suit of the villainously fitting, ready-made clothes and a pair of the stiff, squeaky shoes that the state furnishes to its discharged compulsory guests.

The clerk handed him a railroad ticket and the five-dollar bill with which the law expected him to rehabilitate himself into good citizenship and prosperity. The warden gave him a cigar, and shook hands. Valentine, 9762, was chronicled on the books “Pardoned by Governor,” and Mr. James Valentine walked out into the sunshine.

Disregarding the song of the birds, the waving green trees, and the smell of the flowers, Jimmy headed straight for a restaurant. There he tasted the first sweet joys of liberty in the shape of a broiled chicken and a bottle of white wine—followed by a cigar a grade better than the one the warden had given him. From there he proceeded leisurely to the depot. He tossed a quarter into the hat of a blind man sitting by the door, and boarded his train. Three hours set him down in a little town near the state line. He went to the cafe of one Mike Dolan and shook hands with Mike, who was alone behind the bar.

“Sorry we couldn't make it sooner, Jimmy, me boy,” said Mike. “But we had that protest from Springfield to buck against, and the governor nearly balked. Feeling all right?”

“Fine,” said Jimmy. “Got my key?”

He got his key and went upstairs, unlocking the door of a room at the rear. Everything was just as he had left it. There on the floor was still Ben Price's collar-button that had been torn from that eminent detective's shirt-band when they had overpowered Jimmy to arrest him.

Pulling out from the wall a folding-bed, Jimmy slid back a panel in the wall and dragged out a dust-covered suit-case. He opened this and gazed fondly at the finest set of burglar's tools in the East. It was a complete set, made of specially tempered steel, the latest designs in drills, punches, braces and bits, jimmies, clamps, and augers, with two or three novelties, invented by Jimmy himself, in which he took pride. Over nine hundred dollars they had cost him to have made at—, a place where they make such things for the profession.

In half an hour Jimmy went downstairs and through the cafe. He was now dressed in tasteful and well-fitting clothes, and carried his dusted and cleaned suit-case in his hand.

“Got anything on?” asked Mike Dolan, genially.

“Me?” said Jimmy, in a puzzled tone. “I don't understand. I'm representing the New York Amalgamated Short Snap Biscuit Cracker and Frazzled Wheat Company.”

This statement delighted Mike to such an extent that Jimmy had to take a seltzer-and-milk on the spot. He never touched “hard” drinks.

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