2. 彼是伊 ka-tī ê 手錶仔聲

2. He sī i ka-tī ê chhiú-pió-á siaⁿ

Chún-pī hó-sè, nn̄g-ê sū-peng khiā khì piⁿ-á, koh kā tú-chiah khiā ê kha-ta̍h-pang thiu cháu. Tiong-sū choán-sin ǹg siōng-ùi kiâⁿ chi̍t-ê lé, tō khiā khì kun-koaⁿ āu-bīn, siōng-ùi mā ǹg piⁿ-á sóa-khui chi̍t-pō͘. Chiah-ê tōng-chok liáu, chhun hoān-lâng kap tiong-sū khiā tī kāng chi̍t-tè pang ê siang-thâu, he pang thiap tī saⁿ-ki chám-bo̍k téng. Pêng-bîn khiā ê hit-thâu chha-put-to boeh kàu tē-sì ki chám-bo̍k, m̄-koh iáu bōe kàu. Chit-tè pang goân-pún sī iû siōng-ùi ê thé-tāng teh tiâu kò͘-tēng tī hia, taⁿ sī iû tiong-sū khiā tio̍h lâi î-chhî pêng-hêng. Siōng-ùi nā pí chi̍t-ê chhiú-sè, tiong-sū hiòng piⁿ-á sóa chi̍t-pō͘, pang tō khiàu khí-lâi, hoān-lâng tō ē ùi nn̄g-ki chám-bo̍k tiong-kan lak lo̍h. Chit-chióng an-pâi, hoān-lâng mā pōe-ho̍k sī kán-tan koh ū-hāu. I bô om-thâu mā bô jia-ba̍k. I lia̍h chit-ê "bô-ún-tēng ê li̍p-tiûⁿ" khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē, sûi tō kā ba̍k-kng sóa khì khòaⁿ kha-ē he hiong-kông kún-ká ê chúi-lâu. Chi̍t-tè ná phû ná tîm ê chúi-chhâ ín-khí i ê chù-ì, i ê ba̍k-kng tòe i sūn chúi teh lâu. He khòaⁿ tio̍h ná-chhiūⁿ chin bān, Khe-chúi ná ē hiah-nī bān-sô!

I kā ba̍k-chiu kheh khí-lâi, hó-thang tī boeh sí chìn-chêng choan-sim siūⁿ in bó͘ kap gín-á. Hō͘ chá-khí ê ji̍t-thâu chhiō kah ná kim ê khe-chúi, hn̄g-hn̄g chúi-lâu nn̄g-hōaⁿ ná bū ê chúi-khì, iâⁿ-khu, sū-peng, phiau-liû chhâ -- chiah-ê lóng hō͘ i bē-tàng choan-sim. Á taⁿ, i iū kám-kak tio̍h sin ê kan-jiáu. Tī su-liām chhin-lâng ê hit-sî, i ê hīⁿ-khang hiáng-khí chi̍t-ê i bē-tàng tòng-chò bô, mā bē-tit liáu-kái ê siaⁿ, he ná-chhiūⁿ thih-kang ê hám-á kòng thih-tiam chhut-hiān ê kim-sio̍k sio-lòng ê siaⁿ, hiáng koh chheng, ū kāng-khoán ê tîⁿ-tòe ê im-sek. I m̄-chai che sī siáⁿ-mih siaⁿ, sī hn̄g a̍h kīn ê siaⁿ -- ká-ná sī hn̄g mā sī kīn. Siaⁿ ê tiông-ho̍k ū kui-lu̍t, bān kah ná-chhiūⁿ teh khà song-cheng. I tán múi chi̍t-kái ê khà siaⁿ, chhau-hoân koh tòa tio̍h bo̍k-bêng ê kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ. làng-phāng ê bô-siaⁿ lú lâi lú tn̂g; hit-lō iân-chhiân hō͘ lâng lún bē tiâu. Sûi tio̍h lú kú chiah chi̍t-kái, siaⁿ-im oa̍t-lú kiông koh hiáng. He siaⁿ ná-chhiūⁿ to-á chha̍k tio̍h hīⁿ-khang hiah thiàⁿ; i khióng-kiaⁿ ka-tī ē sit-siaⁿ kiò chhut-lâi. I thiaⁿ tio̍h ê, kî-si̍t sī i ka-tī ê chhiú-pió-á siaⁿ.

I peh-kim ba̍k-chiu, koh khòaⁿ ē-bīn ê khe-chúi. "Góa nā ē-tàng kā chhiú tháu-khui," i án-ne siūⁿ, "hoān-sè góa tō ē-tàng pak-khui soh-á-thò, thiàu ji̍p khe ni̍h. Chhàng jip chúi, góa tō ē-tàng pī-khui chhèng-chí, koh chīn-la̍t siû kàu khe-hōaⁿ, tō ē-tàng bih ji̍p chhiū-nâ, tńg chhù. Kám-siā Sîn, goán tau iáu m̄-sī tī chiàn-sòaⁿ lāi-bīn, goán bó͘-kiáⁿ sī tī chhim-lio̍k-chiá iáu bōe kàu ê só͘-chāi."

Chiah-ê siūⁿ-hoat, tī chia lán kō͘ jī kā siá chhut-lâi, sī sih chi̍t-ē siám ji̍p boa̍t-ji̍t-chiá ê thâu-náu, m̄-sī chhiūⁿ lán siá-jī án-ne pho͘-pâi chhut-lâi ê, kāng hit-sî, siōng-ùi ǹg tiong-sū tìm chi̍t-ē thâu. Tiong-sū tō óng piⁿ-á ta̍h chi̍t-pō͘.

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2. 彼是伊 ka-tī ê 手錶仔聲

準備好勢, 兩个士兵徛去邊仔, koh kā 拄才徛 ê 跤踏枋抽走. 中士轉身 ǹg 上尉行一个禮, tō 徛去軍官後面, 上尉 mā ǹg 邊仔徙開一步. Chiah-ê 動作了, 賰犯人 kap 中士徛 tī 仝一塊枋 ê 雙頭, he 枋 thiap tī 三支 chám 木頂. 平民徛 ê 彼頭差不多欲到第四支 chám 木, m̄-koh 猶未到. 這塊枋原本是由上尉 ê 體重硩牢固定 tī hia, 今是由中士徛著來維持平衡. 上尉若比一个手勢, 中士向邊仔徙一步, 枋 tō 翹起來, 犯人 tō 會 ùi 兩支 chám 木中間 lak 落. 這種安排, 犯人 mā 佩服是簡單 koh 有效. 伊無掩頭 mā 無遮目. 伊掠這个 "無穩定 ê 立場" 看一下, 隨 tō kā 目光徙去看跤下 he 兇狂滾絞 ê 水流. 一塊 ná 浮 ná 沉 ê 水柴引起伊 ê 注意, 伊 ê 目光綴伊順水 teh 流. He 看著 ná 像真慢, 溪水那會 hiah-nī 慢 sô!

伊 kā 目睭瞌起來, 好通 tī 欲死進前專心想 in 某 kap 囡仔. 予早起 ê 日頭炤 kah ná 金 ê 溪水, 遠遠水流兩岸 ná 霧 ê 水氣, 營區, 士兵, 漂流柴 -- chiah-ê lóng 予伊袂當專心. Á 今, 伊又感覺著新 ê 干擾. Tī 思念親人 ê 彼時, 伊 ê 耳空響起一个伊袂當 tòng 做無, mā 袂得了解 ê 聲, he ná 像鐵工 ê hám-á 摃鐵砧出現 ê 金屬相挵 ê 聲, 響 koh 清, 有仝款 ê 纏綴 ê 音色. 伊毋知這是啥 mih 聲, 是遠 a̍h 近 ê 聲 -- ká-ná 是遠 mā 是近. 聲 ê 重複有規律, 慢 kah ná 像 teh 敲喪鐘. 伊等每一改 ê 敲聲, 操煩 koh 帶著莫名 ê 驚惶. làng 縫 ê 無聲 lú 來 lú 長; hit-lō 延 chhiân 予人忍袂牢. 隨著 lú 久才一改, 聲音越 lú 強 koh 響. He 聲 ná 像刀仔鑿著耳空 hiah 疼; 伊恐驚 ka-tī 會失聲叫出來. 伊聽著 ê, 其實是伊 ka-tī ê 手錶仔聲.

伊擘金目睭, koh 看下面 ê 溪水. "我若會當 kā 手敨開," 伊 án-ne 想, "凡勢我 tō 會當剝開索仔套, 跳入溪 ni̍h. 藏入水, 我 tō 會當避開銃子, koh 盡力泅到溪岸, tō 會當 bih 入樹林, 轉厝. 感謝神, 阮兜猶毋是 tī 戰線內面, 阮某囝是 tī 侵略者猶未到 ê 所在."

Chiah-ê 想法, tī chia 咱 kō͘ 字 kā 寫出來, 是 sih 一下閃入末日者 ê 頭腦, 毋是像咱寫字 án-ne 鋪排出來 ê, 仝彼時, 上尉 ǹg 中士 tìm 一下頭. 中士 tō 往邊仔踏一步.

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2.

The preparations being complete, the two private soldiers stepped aside and each drew away the plank upon which he had been standing. The sergeant turned to the captain, saluted and placed himself immediately behind that officer, who in turn moved apart one pace. These movements left the condemned man and the sergeant standing on the two ends of the same plank, which spanned three of the cross-ties of the bridge. The end upon which the civilian stood almost, but not quite, reached a fourth. This plank had been held in place by the weight of the captain; it was now held by that of the sergeant. At a signal from the former the latter would step aside, the plank would tilt and the condemned man go down between two ties. The arrangement commended itself to his judgment as simple and effective. His face had not been covered nor his eyes bandaged. He looked a moment at his "unsteadfast footing," then let his gaze wander to the swirling water of the stream racing madly beneath his feet. A piece of dancing driftwood caught his attention and his eyes followed it down the current. How slowly it appeared to move, What a sluggish stream!

He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children. The water, touched to gold by the early sun, the brooding mists under the banks at some distance down the stream, the fort, the soldiers, the piece of drift--all had distracted him. And now he became conscious of a new disturbance. Striking through the thought of his dear ones was a sound which he could neither ignore nor understand, a sharp, distinct, metallic percussion like the stroke of a blacksmith's hammer upon the anvil; it had the same ringing quality. He wondered what it was, and whether immeasurably distant or near by--it seemed both. Its recurrence was regular, but as slow as the tolling of a death knell. He awaited each stroke with impatience and--he knew not why--apprehension. The intervals of silence grew progressively longer, the delays became maddening. With their greater infrequency the sounds increased in strength and sharpness. They hurt his ear like the thrust of a knife; he feared he would shriek. What he heard was the ticking of his watch.

He unclosed his eyes and saw again the water below him. "If I could free my hands," he thought, "I might throw off the noose and spring into the stream. By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home. My home, thank God, is as yet outside their lines; my wife and little ones are still beyond the invader's farthest advance."

As these thoughts, which have here to be set down in words, were flashed into the doomed man's brain rather than evolved from it the captain nodded to the sergeant. The sergeant stepped aside.

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F. 貓頭鳥溪橋事件 - 1. 索仔箍 tī 伊 ê 頷頸

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge /by Ambrose Bierce

https://loa-shared.s3.amazonaws.com/static/pdf/Bierce_Owl_Creek_Bridge.pdf

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Niau-thâu-chiáu Khe Kiô Sū-kiāⁿ | 貓頭鳥溪橋事件

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1. Soh-á kho͘ tī i ê ām-kún

(I)

Chi̍t-ê lâng khiā tī Alabama pak-pêng ê chi̍t-chō thih-ki-lō͘ kiô téng-koân, ná teh khòaⁿ 20 chhioh ē-bīn chhoah-lâu ê chúi. Chit-ê cha-po͘ siang-chhiú iap-āu, chhiú-ba̍k hō͘ soh-á pa̍k tio̍h. Chi̍t-khian soh-á ân-ân kho͘ tī i ê ām-kún. Soh-á kat tī i thâu-khak téng chi̍t-ki kiat-si̍t ê hoâiⁿ-chhâ, liōng-tn̂g ê soh-á sûi kàu i ê kha-thâu-u. Pho͘ tī thih-ki-lō͘ chám-bo̍k téng-bīn ê kúi-tè oa̍h-tāng ê pang, hō͘ i kap hêng-hêng-chiá ū kha-ta̍h ūi -- hêng-hêng-chiá sī nn̄g-ê Liân-pang kun-tūi ê chhiong-oân sū-peng, iû chi̍t-ê tiong-sū chí-hui, tī bîn-kan i khó-lêng bat chò-kòe hù-kéng-tiúⁿ. Tī kāng chi̍t-ê lîm-sî pêⁿ-tâi bô hn̄g ê só͘-chāi, ū chi̍t-ê chhēng chè-ho̍k, pōe chhèng ê kun-koaⁿ. I sī siōng-ùi. Kiô ê siang-thâu lóng khiā chi̍t-ê sàu-peng (哨兵), í só͘-ūi "chi-chhî" (support) ê chu-sè gia̍h pō͘-chhèng, iā tō sī, kā chhèng thêng-thêng khiā tī tò-pêng keng-thâu chêng, chhèng-ke (hammer) khòe tī thán-hoâiⁿ tī heng-chêng ê chhiú-kut -- che sī chi̍t-ê chèng-sek, bô chū-jiân ê chu-sè, ē kiông-pek sin-khu khiā-ti̍t. Chit nn̄g-lâng ê chek-jīm ká-ná m̄-sī chai-iáⁿ kiô tiong-ng hoat-seng ê tāi-chì; in kan-ta sī boeh hong-só siang-thâu ê kòe-kiô kha-ta̍h-pang.

Tī kî-tiong chi̍t-ê sàu-peng koh kòe hit-pêng, bô khòaⁿ-e lâng-iáⁿ; thih-ki-lō͘ ti̍t-ti̍t chi̍t-pah-bí chìn-ji̍p chhiū-nâ, jiân-āu oan kòe tō khòaⁿ bē-tio̍h ah. Tī koh-khah hn̄g hia, tiāⁿ-tio̍h mā ū siat chi̍t-ê sàu-só͘. Khe-lâu ê lēng-gōa chi̍t-hōaⁿ sī khui-khoah tē -- chi̍t-ê bîn-bîn-á ê soaⁿ-phiâⁿ, téng-bīn ū chhāi chhiū-kho͘ chò ê ûi-cha̍h, lâu ū pō͘-chhèng ê siā-kek-khang, koh ū chi̍t-ê làng-khiah, ùi hia chhun chhut koán-chè hit-ê kiô ê tōa-phàu ê phàu-kóng. Tī kiô kap iâⁿ-khu ê soaⁿ-phiâⁿ ê pòaⁿ tiong-ng ū koan-chiòng -- pâi chò chi̍t-lia̍t ê pō͘-peng-liân, kō͘ "oa̍t-peng hiu-sek" (parade rest) ê chu-sè, chhèng-pèⁿ khòe tī thô͘-kha, chhèng-kóng sió-khóa ǹg āu khòe tī chiàⁿ-pêng keng-thâu, siang-chhiú kau-chhap hōaⁿ tī chhèng-koaiⁿ. Chi̍t-ê tiong-ùi khiā tī tūi-ngó͘ ê chiàⁿ-pêng, kiàm chiam tú tī thô͘-kha, tò-chhiú khǹg tī chiàⁿ-chhiú téng. Tî-liáu tī kiô tiong-ng hit-ê sì-lâng sio-cho͘, bô-lâng tín-tāng. liân-tūi bīn ǹg kiô, gōng-gōng teh khòaⁿ, tāng to bô tāng. Bīn ǹg khe-hōaⁿ ê sàu-peng, bē-su sī chng-thāⁿ kiô-bīn ê tiau-siōng. Siōng-ùi siang-chhiú sio-siâm, tiām-tiām, teh koan-chhat pō͘-hā ê kang-chok, m̄-koh bô piáu-sī siáⁿ. Sí-sîn sī chi̍t-ê tiōng-iàu jîn-bu̍t, tī i soan-pò͘ lâi-kàu ê sî, tio̍h kō͘ chèng-sek ê chun-tiōng piáu-hiān lâi kā chiap-thāi, siat-sú kap i siōng se̍k-sāi ê lâng mā tio̍h án-ne. Àn-chiàu kun-tūi ê lé-gî kui-tēng, tiām-chēng koh khiā-thêng tō sī chun-kèng ê hêng-sek.

Chit-ê tit-boeh hông tiàu-sí ê lâng liōng-iok saⁿ-cha̍p-gō͘ hòe. I sī chi̍t-ê pêng-bîn, nā kō͘ i ê si̍p-koàn lâi phòaⁿ-toàn, i sī chi̍t-ê chèng-choh ê lâng. I ê ngó͘-koan hó-khòaⁿ -- phīⁿ thêng koh ti̍t, chhùi ha̍p-ân, hia̍h-thâu khoah, tn̂g koh o͘ ê thâu-chang loa̍h ǹg āu, kàu hīⁿ-khang āu, it-ti̍t kàu i ha̍h-su ê tn̂g lé-ho̍k ê ām-niá. I ū téng-tûn chhiu, ē-hâi chhiu chiam-chiam, m̄-koh pìn-piⁿ bô chhiu; i ê ba̍k-chiu tōa-lúi, chhim-phú-sek, piáu-chêng chhin-chhiat, hō͘ lâng siūⁿ-bē-kàu chit-chióng piáu-chêng ē chhut-hiān tī ām-kún kho͘ môa-soh ê lâng. Hián-jiân, che m̄-sī chi̍t-ê chho͘-sio̍k ê chhì-kheh. Làu-chhē ê kun-hoat kui-tēng tùi chin chē khoán lâng ê ká-hêng, á sin-sū mā bô lē-gōa.

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1. 索仔箍 tī 伊 ê 頷頸

(I)

一个人徛 tī Alabama 北爿 ê 一座鐵支路橋頂懸, ná teh 看 20 尺下面掣流 ê 水. 這个查埔雙手 iap 後, 手目予索仔縛著. 一圈索仔絚絚箍 tī 伊 ê 頷頸. 索仔結 tī 伊頭殼頂一支結實 ê 橫柴, 冗長 ê 索仔垂到伊 ê 跤頭趺. 鋪 tī 鐵支路 chám 木頂面 ê 幾塊活動 ê 枋, 予伊 kap 行刑者有跤踏位 -- 行刑者是兩个聯邦軍隊 ê 充員士兵, 由一个中士指揮, tī 民間伊可能 bat 做過副警長. Tī 仝一个臨時平台無遠 ê 所在, 有一个穿制服, 佩銃 ê 軍官. 伊是上尉. 橋 ê 雙頭 lóng 徛一个 sàu-peng (哨兵), 以所謂 "支持" (support) ê 姿勢攑步銃, 也 tō 是, kā 銃騰騰徛 tī 倒爿肩頭前, 銃雞 (hammer) khòe tī 坦橫 tī 胸前 ê 手骨 -- 這是一个正式, 無自然 ê 姿勢, 會強迫身軀徛直. 這兩人 ê 責任 ká-ná 毋是知影橋中央發生 ê 代誌; in 干焦是欲封鎖雙頭 ê 過橋跤踏枋.

Tī 其中一个哨兵 koh 過彼爿, 無看 e 人影; 鐵支路直直一百米進入樹林, 然後彎過 tō 看袂著 ah. Tī koh 較遠 hia, 定著 mā 有設一个哨所. 溪流 ê 另外一岸是開闊地 -- 一个 bîn-bîn-á ê 山坪, 頂面有 chhāi 樹箍做 ê 圍閘, 留有步銃 ê 射擊空, koh 有一个 làng 隙, ùi hia 伸出管制彼个橋 ê 大砲 ê 砲管. Tī 橋 kap 營區 ê 山坪 ê 半中央有觀眾 -- 排做一列 ê 步兵連, kō͘ "閱兵休息" (parade rest) ê 姿勢, 銃柄 khòe tī 塗跤, 銃管小可 ǹg 後 khòe tī 正爿肩頭, 雙手交 chhap 扞 tī 銃桿. 一个中尉徛 tī 隊伍 ê 正爿, 劍尖拄 tī 塗跤, 倒手囥 tī 正手頂. 除了 tī 橋中央彼个四人小組, 無人振動. 連隊面 ǹg 橋, 戇戇 teh 看, 動 to 無動. 面 ǹg 溪岸 ê 哨兵, 袂輸是 chng-thāⁿ 橋面 ê 雕像. 上尉雙手 sio-siâm, 恬恬, teh 觀察部下 ê 工作, m̄-koh 無表示啥. 死神是一个重要人物, tī 伊宣布來到 ê 時, 著 kō͘ 正式 ê 尊重表現來 kā 接待, 設使 kap 伊上熟似 ê 人 mā 著 án-ne. 按照軍隊 ê 禮儀規定, 恬靜 koh 徛騰 tō 是尊敬 ê 形式.

這个得欲 hông 吊死 ê 人量約三十五歲. 伊是一个平民, 若 kō͘ 伊 ê 習慣來判斷, 伊是一个種作 ê 人. 伊 ê 五官好看 -- 鼻騰 koh 直, 喙合絚, 額頭闊, 長 koh 烏 ê 頭鬃捋 ǹg 後, 到耳空後, 一直到伊合軀 ê 長禮服 ê 頷領. 伊有頂唇鬚, 下頦鬚尖尖, m̄-koh 鬢邊無鬚; 伊 ê 目睭大蕊, 深殕色, 表情親切, 予人想袂到這種表情會出現 tī 頷頸箍麻索 ê 人. 顯然, 這毋是一个粗俗 ê 刺客. Làu-chhē ê 軍法規定對真濟款人 ê 絞刑, á 紳士 mā 無例外.

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1

I.

A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below. The man's hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord. A rope closely encircled his neck. It was attached to a stout cross-timber above his head and the slack fell to the level of his knees. Some loose boards laid upon the sleepers supporting the metals of the railway supplied a footing for him and his executioners--two private soldiers of the Federal army, directed by a sergeant who in civil life may have been a deputy sheriff. At a short remove upon the same temporary platform was an officer in the uniform of his rank, armed. He was a captain. A sentinel at each end of the bridge stood with his rifle in the position known as "support," that is to say, vertical in front of the left shoulder, the hammer resting on the forearm thrown straight across the chest--a formal and unnatural position, enforcing an erect carriage of the body. It did not appear to be the duty of these two men to know what was occurring at the center of the bridge; they merely blockaded the two ends of the foot planking that traversed it. 

Beyond one of the sentinels nobody was in sight; the railroad ran straight away into a forest for a hundred yards, then, curving, was lost to view. Doubtless there was an outpost farther along. The other bank of the stream was open ground--a gentle acclivity topped with a stockade of vertical tree trunks, loopholed for rifles, with a single embrasure through which protruded the muzzle of a brass cannon commanding the bridge. Midway of the slope between the bridge and fort were the spectators--a single company of infantry in line, at "parade rest," the butts of the rifles on the ground, the barrels inclining slightly backward against the right shoulder, the hands crossed upon the stock. A lieutenant stood at the right of the line, the point of his sword upon the ground, his left hand resting upon his right. Excepting the group of four at the center of the bridge, not a man moved. The company faced the bridge, staring stonily, motionless. The sentinels, facing the banks of the stream, might have been statues to adorn the bridge. The captain stood with folded arms, silent, observing the work of his subordinates, but making no sign. Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him. In the code of military etiquette silence and fixity are forms of deference.

The man who was engaged in being hanged was apparently about thirty-five years of age. He was a civilian, if one might judge from his habit, which was that of a planter. His features were good--a straight nose, firm mouth, broad forehead, from which his long, dark hair was combed straight back, falling behind his ears to the collar of his well-fitting frock coat. He wore a mustache and pointed beard, but no whiskers; his eyes were large and dark gray, and had a kindly expression which one would hardly have expected in one whose neck was in the hemp. Evidently this was no vulgar assassin. The liberal military code makes provision for hanging many kinds of persons, and gentlemen are not excluded.

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2. 伊緊捎枴仔 kap 帽仔, 傱出去

2. I kín sa koái-á kap bō-á, chông chhut-khì

"Góa hi-bāng Vera hō͘ lí bē bô-liâu?" yi kóng.

"Yi it-ti̍t lóng chiâⁿ chhù-bī," Framton kóng.

"Góa hi-bāng lí bē kòa-ì thang-á khui-khui," Sappleton Tt khin-khoài kóng; "goán ang hām sió-tī-á khì phah-la̍h tit-boeh tńg lâi ah, in chóng-sī ùi hia ji̍p lâi. Kin-á-ji̍t in khì làm-á-tē hia phah-la̍h, só͘-í in ē kā góa khó-liân ê tē-thán hut kah loān chhau-chhau. Lín cha-po͘-lâng tō sī chit-lō thé, kám m̄-sī?"

Yi hoaⁿ-thâu-hí-bīn sòa leh kóng phah-la̍h kap chiáu-á chió ê būn-tê, koh kóng tio̍h kôaⁿ-thiⁿ ah-á ê chōng-hóng. Chāi Framton, che lóng chiâⁿ khó-phà. I piàⁿ-miā boeh kā ōe-tê choán kàu khah bē hiah khióng-pò͘ ê só͘-chāi, m̄-koh bô-siáⁿ sêng-kong. I chù-ì tio̍h, chit-ê lú chú-lâng bô siáⁿ teh chù-ì i, yi ê ba̍k-kng put-sî sóa khui i, sàu ǹg hit-ê khui-khui ê thang-á kap gōa-kháu ê chháu-tiâⁿ. Ti chit-ê pi-chhám ê kì-liām-ji̍t lâi hóng-būn, che tong-jiân sī chi̍t-ê put-hēng ê khá-ha̍p. 

"I-seng lóng kiò góa tio̍h oân-choân hioh-khùn, mài ū sim-lí-tek ê chhì-kek, mā ài pī-bián jīm-hô ke̍k-lia̍t ê sin-thé ūn-tōng," Framton kong-khai kóng, i ū chi̍t-ê chin phó͘-phiàn ê chhò-kak, kiò-sī chheⁿ-hūn lâng a̍h tú sio-bat ê lâng lóng chiâⁿ ài thiaⁿ pa̍t-lâng ê pēⁿ-thiàⁿ ê sè-chiat, tì-pēⁿ goân-in kap tī-liâu chōng-hóng. "Nā kóng tio̍h chia̍h-mi̍h, in soah bô siáⁿ it-tì," i koh án-ne kóng.

"Bô, hioh?" Sappleton Tt kóng, hit-ê ōe-siaⁿ tú-hó tòng-tiâu yi ê hah-hì. Hut-jiân, yi ba̍k-chiu peh-kim, thê-ko kéng-kak -- m̄-koh m̄-sī chiam-tùi Framton teh kóng ê ōe.

"In chóng-sǹg lâi lah!" yi hoah kóng. "Tú hó ē-hù lim ē-tàu-tê. In khòaⁿ tio̍h ná chhiūⁿ kui-sin-khu thô͘!"

Framton sió-khóa chhoah chi̍t-ē, oa̍t-thâu khòaⁿ gōe-seng-lí-á, siūⁿ-boeh piáu-ta̍t tông-chêng ê lí-kái. Hit-ê gín-á kim-kim khòaⁿ khui-khui ê thang-á gōa, ba̍k-chiu ū chi̍t-chióng bâng-bâng ê kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ. Tī chi̍t-chióng bo̍k-bêng ê kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ, Framton ùi i ê chē-ūi oa̍t-sin, ǹg kāng hong-hiòng khòaⁿ kòe-khì.

Tī lú lâi lú chhim ê àm-hun tiong-kan, saⁿ-ê lâng-iáⁿ keng-kòe chháu-tiâⁿ tng-teh ǹg thang-á kiâⁿ lâi, in ê kòe-lâng-kha lóng gia̍p chhèng, kî-tiong chi̍t-ê ê keng-thâu ke chi̍t-niá pe̍h-sek hō͘-moa. Chi̍t-chiah thiám-thiám ê chang-sek sió la̍h-káu tòe tī in ê kha piⁿ. In chēng-chēng kiâⁿ óa chhù, hut-jiân chi̍t-ê sau-sau ê siàu-liân siaⁿ tī àm-hun tiong chhiùⁿ: "Góa kóng, Bertie, lí ná ē tiô?"

Framton hiong-kông sa i ê koái-á kap bō-á; tōa-thiaⁿ mn̂g, chhùi-chio̍h-á lō͘, hām chhù-tiâⁿ chêng ê mn̂g, sī i chhóng-pōng tiong tô-miā só͘ keng-kòe ê kai-tōaⁿ. Chi̍t-ê khiâ kha-ta̍h-chhia ê lâng ūi-tio̍h siám i, soah khì lòng tio̍h chhiū-á lî-pa.

"Goán tńg lâi ah, chhin-ài ê," chhēng pe̍h hō͘-moa hit-ê lâng kóng, ná ùi thang-á ji̍p-lâi, "ū kō-thô͘, m̄-koh lóng ta ah. goán kiâⁿ óa ê sî, chông chhut-khì hit-ê sī siáng?"

"Chi̍t-ê chin te̍k-pia̍t ê lâng, kiò-chò Nuttel Ss," Sappleton Tt kóng; "i kan-ta tiu-tiu kóng i ê pēⁿ, lín kàu-ūi ê sî, i liân chài-kiàn a̍h sit-lé to bô kóng, tō lōng leh cháu, bē-su khòaⁿ tio̍h kúi."

"Góa khòaⁿ sī in-ūi sió la̍h-káu," gōe-seng-lí-á pêng-chēng kóng; "i kă kóng, i chiok kiaⁿ káu. Ū chi̍t-kái, i tī India ê Ganga hô-piⁿ, khì hō͘ chi̍t-tīn káu-á jiok kàu bōng-á-po͘, soah tio̍h tī chi̍t-ê sin óe ê bōng-khut keh-mê, hit-tīn káu tī i téng-koân pūi, koh giàng-gê, koh phùn-nōa. Che si̍t-chāi ū-kàu hō͘ lâng sim kiaⁿ táⁿ thiàu."

Tī té sî-kan lāi pian kò͘-sū sī yi ê choan-tióng.

[Soah]

--

2. 伊緊捎枴仔 kap 帽仔, 傱出去

"我希望 Vera 予你袂無聊?" 她講.

"她一直 lóng 誠趣味," Framton 講.

"我希望你袂掛意窗仔開開," Sappleton Tt 輕快講; "阮翁和小弟仔去拍獵得欲轉來 ah, in 總是 ùi hia 入來. 今仔日 in 去湳仔地 hia 拍獵, 所以 in 會 kā 我可憐 ê 地毯拂 kah 亂操操. 恁查埔人 tō 是 chit-lō 體, 敢毋是?"

她歡頭喜面紲 leh 講拍獵 kap 鳥仔少 ê 問題, koh 講著寒天鴨仔 ê 狀況. 在 Framton, 這 lóng 誠可怕. 伊拚命欲 kā 話題轉到較袂 hiah 恐怖 ê 所在, m̄-koh 無啥成功. 伊注意著, 這个女主人無啥 teh 注意伊, 她 ê 目光不時徙開伊, 掃 ǹg 彼个開開 ê 窗仔 kap 外口 ê 草埕. Ti 這个悲慘 ê 紀念日來訪問, 這當然是一个不幸 ê 巧合. 

"醫生 lóng 叫我著完全歇睏, 莫有心理 tek ê 刺激, mā 愛避免任何劇烈 ê 身體運動," Framton 公開講, 伊有一个真普遍 ê 錯覺, 叫是生份人 a̍h 拄相捌 ê 人 lóng 誠愛聽別人 ê 病疼 ê 細節, 致病原因 kap 治療狀況. "若講著食物, in 煞無啥一致," 伊 koh án-ne 講.

"無, hioh?" Sappleton Tt 講, 彼个話聲拄好擋牢她 ê 哈唏. 忽然, 她目睭擘金, 提高警覺 -- m̄-koh 毋是針對 Framton teh 講 ê 話.

"In 總算來 lah!" 她喝講. "拄好會赴啉下晝茶. In 看著 ná 像規身軀塗!"

Framton 小可掣一下, 越頭看外甥女仔, 想欲表達同情 ê 理解. 彼个囡仔金金看開開 ê 窗仔外, 目睭有一種茫茫 ê 驚惶. Tī 一種莫名 ê 驚惶, Framton ùi 伊 ê 坐位越身, ǹg 仝方向看過去.

Tī lú 來 lú 深 ê 暗昏中間, 三个人影經過草埕 tng-teh ǹg 窗仔行來, in ê kòe-lâng-kha lóng 挾銃, 其中一个 ê 肩頭加一領白色雨幔. 一隻忝忝 ê 棕色小獵狗綴 tī in ê 跤邊. In 靜靜行倚厝, 忽然一个梢梢 ê 少年聲 tī 暗昏中唱: "我講, Bertie, 你那會趒?"

Framton 兇狂捎伊 ê 枴仔 kap 帽仔; 大廳門, 碎石仔路, 和厝庭前 ê 門, 是伊衝碰中逃命所經過 ê 階段. 一个騎跤踏車 ê 人為著閃伊, 煞去挵著樹仔籬笆.

"阮轉來 ah, 親愛 ê," 穿白雨幔彼个人講, ná ùi 窗仔入來, "有 kō 塗, m̄-koh lóng 焦 ah. 阮行倚 ê 時, 傱出去彼个是 siáng?"

"一个真特別 ê 人, 叫做 Nuttel Ss," Sappleton Tt 講; "伊干焦 tiu-tiu 講伊 ê 病, 恁到位 ê 時, 伊連再見 a̍h 失禮 to 無講, tō 浪 leh 走, 袂輸看著鬼."

"我看是因為小獵狗," 外甥女仔平靜講; "伊 kă 講, 伊足驚狗. 有一改, 伊 tī India ê Ganga 河邊, 去予一陣狗仔 jiok 到墓仔埔, 煞著 tī 一个新挖 ê 墓窟隔暝, 彼陣狗 tī 伊頂懸吠, koh 齴牙, koh 噴 nōa. 這實在有夠予人心驚膽跳."

Tī 短時間內編故事 sī 她 ê 專長.

[煞]

--

2. 

"I hope Vera has been amusing you?" she said.

"She has been very interesting," said Framton.

"I hope you don't mind the open window," said Mrs. Sappleton briskly; "my husband and brothers will be home directly from shooting, and they always come in this way. They've been out for snipe in the marshes today, so they'll make a fine mess over my poor carpets. So like you menfolk, isn't it?"

She rattled on cheerfully about the shooting and the scarcity of birds, and the prospects for duck in the winter. To Framton it was all purely horrible. He made a desperate but only partially successful effort to turn the talk on to a less ghastly topic, he was conscious that his hostess was giving him only a fragment of her attention, and her eyes were constantly straying past him to the open window and the lawn beyond. It was certainly an unfortunate coincidence that he should have paid his visit on this tragic anniversary.

"The doctors agree in ordering me complete rest, an absence of mental excitement, and avoidance of anything in the nature of violent physical exercise," announced Framton, who labored under the tolerably widespread delusion that total strangers and chance acquaintances are hungry for the least detail of one's ailments and infirmities, their cause and cure. "On the matter of diet they are not so much in agreement," he continued.

"No?" said Mrs. Sappleton, in a voice which only replaced a yawn at the last moment. Then she suddenly brightened into alert attention--but not to what Framton was saying.

"Here they are at last!" she cried. "Just in time for tea, and don't they look as if they were muddy up to the eyes!"

Framton shivered slightly and turned towards the niece with a look intended to convey sympathetic comprehension. The child was staring out through the open window with a dazed horror in her eyes. In a chill shock of nameless fear Framton swung round in his seat and looked in the same direction.

In the deepening twilight three figures were walking across the lawn towards the window, they all carried guns under their arms, and one of them was additionally burdened with a white coat hung over his shoulders. A tired brown spaniel kept close at their heels. Noiselessly they neared the house, and then a hoarse young voice chanted out of the dusk: "I said, Bertie, why do you bound?"

Framton grabbed wildly at his stick and hat; the hall door, the gravel drive, and the front gate were dimly noted stages in his headlong retreat. A cyclist coming along the road had to run into the hedge to avoid imminent collision.

"Here we are, my dear," said the bearer of the white mackintosh, coming in through the window, "fairly muddy, but most of it's dry. Who was that who bolted out as we came up?"

"A most extraordinary man, a Mr. Nuttel," said Mrs. Sappleton; "could only talk about his illnesses, and dashed off without a word of goodby or apology when you arrived. One would think he had seen a ghost."

"I expect it was the spaniel," said the niece calmly; "he told me he had a horror of dogs. He was once hunted into a cemetery somewhere on the banks of the Ganges by a pack of pariah dogs, and had to spend the night in a newly dug grave with the creatures snarling and grinning and foaming just above him. Enough to make anyone lose their nerve."

Romance at short notice was her speciality.

--

E. Thang-á Khui-khui | 窗仔開開 - 1. 三年前去拍獵無轉來

The Open Window /by H.H. Munro (Saki)

https://americanliterature.com/author/hh-munro-saki/short-story/the-open-window

Thang-á Khui-khui | 窗仔開開

--

1. Saⁿ-nî chêng khì phah-la̍h bô tńg lâi

"Goán a-kīm liâm-mi tō lo̍h-lâi ah, Nuttel Ss," chi̍t-ê chin ū-chū-sìn ê 15-hòe ko͘-niû kā kóng; "chiām-sî chhiáⁿ lí tio̍h hām góa tī chia sió tán chi̍t-ē."

Framton Nuttel chīn-liōng kóng chèng-khak ê ōe, chi̍t-hong-bīn o-ló chit-ê gōe-seng-lí-á, chi̍t-hong-bīn mài khì chau-that tio̍h yi hit-ê tit-boeh kàu ê A-kīm. Su-té-hā, i pí kòe-khì koh-khah hoâi-gî, liân-sòa hóng-būn chiah-ê oân-choân chheⁿ-hūn ê lâng, tùi i tng-teh chìn-hêng ê sîn-keng tī-liâu kám chin-chiàⁿ ū pang-chō͘.

"Góa chai tāi-chì ē án-chóaⁿ," in a-chí tī i chún-pī boeh poaⁿ lâi chit-ê chng-kha só͘-chāi tòa ê sî án-ne kā kóng; "lí ē ka-tī bih tī hia, bô kap lâng kóng-ōe, lí ê sîn-keng ē in-ūi ut-chut koh-khah hāi. Góa lâi siá phe kài-siāu tī hia góa só͘ bat ê lâng hō͘ lí. Tī góa ê kì-tî ni̍h, in ū-ê lâng chiâⁿ hó."

Framton siūⁿ boeh chai-iáⁿ, Sappleton Tt, iā-tō-sī i chah kài-siāu-phe lâi pài-hóng ê hit-ê hu-jîn sī-m̄-sī sio̍k-tī hó ê hit-pêng.

"Lí kám ū bat chin chē chit hū-kīn ê lâng?" hit-ê gōe-seng-lí-á mn̄g, yi kám-kak nn̄g-lâng tiām-tiām ū-kàu kú ah.

"Ē-sái kóng, bô," Framton kóng. "Goán a-chí tāi-khài 4-nî chêng tòa tī chia, tī chit-ê kàu-khu, lí chai hoⁿh. Yi siá kài-siāu phe hō͘ góa thang pài-hóng chi̍t-kóa chia ê lâng."

I kō͘ bêng-hián ê ûi-hām kháu-khì kóng chhut chòe-āu hit-kù ōe.

"Nā án-ne, lí si̍t-chè siōng sī m̄-bat goán a-kīm?" ū-chū-sìn ê ko͘-niû án-ne mn̄g.

"Kan-ta yi ê miâ-sèⁿ kap chū-chí," lâi pài-hóng ê lâng sêng-jīn. I siūⁿ boeh chai-iáⁿ Sappleton Tt tàu-té sī ū hun-in a̍h sī chiú-kóa ah. Pâng-keng lāi-té ū chi̍t-kóa bô bêng-khak ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ, ká-ná hián-sī ū cha-po͘ lâng tòa ê iáⁿ-jiah.

"Yi ê tōa pi-kio̍k hoat-seng tī 3-nî chêng," ko͘-niû kóng; "he sī chū lín a-chí hit-sî khai-sí ê."

"Yi ê pi-kio̍k?" Framton mn̄g; chóng-sī, tī chit-ê lêng-chēng ê chng-kha só͘-chāi, ká-ná bô sek-ha̍p ū pi-kio̍k.

"Lí khó-lêng kî-koài, sī án-chóaⁿ goán tī 10-goe̍h ē-po͘ kā thang-á khui hiah khui," gōe-seng-lí-á kóng, chhiú pí chi̍t-ê khui ǹg chháu-tiâⁿ ê Franse-sek ê khiā-thang [khiā tī tē-bīn ê thang-á-mûi].

"Tī chit-ê kùi-cheh, thiⁿ-khì un-loán," Framton kóng; "m̄-koh, hit-ê thang-á kap pi-kio̍k kám ū koan-hē?"

"Saⁿ-nî chêng ê chit chi̍t-kang, yin ang hām yin nn̄g-ê sió-tī, ùi hit-ê thang-á-mn̂g chhut-khì phah-la̍h. In lóng bô koh tńg lâi. Tī keng-kòe hong-iá khì in kah-ì ê la̍h-tiûⁿ ê sî, in 3-ê lóng khì hō͘ chi̍t-ê hiám-ok ê làm-tē thun khì. He sī chi̍t-ê khó-phà ê kāu hō͘-chúi ê joa̍h-thiⁿ, lí chai hoⁿh, tī pa̍t-nî an-choân ê só͘-chāi, bô kéng-kò tō hut-leh lop loeh. In ê sí-thé lóng bô chhōe tio̍h. Che tō sī khó-phà ê pō͘-hūn." Kóng kàu chia, gín-á ê siaⁿ-im sit-khì chū-sìn ê kháu-khì, i-i ū-ū chhiong-móa kám-sèng. "Khó-liân ê A-kīm chóng-sī siūⁿ-kóng ū-chi̍t-kang in ē tńg lâi, in kap hit-chiah hām in tâng-chê sit-chong ê chang-sek sió la̍h-káu, ē chhiūⁿ kòe-khì kāng-khoán, ùi hit-ê thang-á-mn̂g ji̍p lâi. In-ūi án-ne, hit-ê thang-á-mn̂g ta̍k-kang kàu boeh-àm iáu sī khui-khui, it-ti̍t kàu àm-o͘. Khó-liân ê A-kīm, yi tiāⁿ-tiāⁿ kā góa kóng, in án-chóaⁿ chhut-khì, yin ang chhiú-kut hiaⁿh chi̍t-niá pe̍h-sek hō͘-moa, á yin siōng-sè-hàn ê sió-tī Ronnie ná chhiùⁿ ‘Bertie, lí ná ē tiô?’, i chóng-sī án-ne kā lāng, in-ūi yi kóng án-ne ē hō͘ yi khí kín-tiuⁿ. Lí chai bô, ū-sî tī tiām-chēng ê hông-hun, chhin-chhiūⁿ chit-chūn, góa kiông-boeh giâ ke-bó-phôe, kám-kak in ē ùi hit-ê thang-á-mn̂g kiâⁿ ji̍p lâi..."

Yi ka-lún-sún chi̍t-ē, thêng lo̍h-lâi. Khòaⁿ tio̍h yin a-kīm hiong-kông kiâⁿ ji̍p-lâi, Framton kui-ê khin-sang khí-lâi; A-kīm it-ti̍t kā hōe-sit-lé, kóng yi siuⁿ bān kàu.

--

1. 三年前去拍獵無轉來

"阮阿妗 liâm-mi tō 落來 ah, Nuttel Ss," 一个真有自信 ê 15 歲姑娘 kā 講; "暫時請你著和我 tī chia 小等一下."

Framton Nuttel 盡量講正確 ê 話, 一方面 o-ló 這个外甥女仔, 一方面莫去蹧躂著她彼个得欲到 ê 阿妗. 私底下, 伊比過去 koh 較懷疑, 連紲訪問 chiah-ê 完全生份 ê 人, 對伊 tng-teh 進行 ê 神經治療敢真正有幫助.

"我知代誌會按怎," in 阿姊 tī 伊準備欲搬來這个庄跤所在蹛 ê 時 án-ne kā 講; "你會 ka-tī 覕 tī hia, 無 kap 人講話, 你 ê 神經會因為鬱卒 koh 較害. 我來寫批介紹 tī hia 我所捌 ê 人予你. Tī 我 ê 記持 ni̍h, in 有 ê 人誠好."

Framton 想欲知影, Sappleton Tt, 也 tō 是伊扎介紹批來拜訪 ê 彼个夫人是毋是屬 tī 好 ê 彼爿.

"你敢有捌真濟這附近 ê 人?" 彼个外甥女仔問, 她感覺兩人恬恬有夠久 ah.

"會使講, 無," Framton 講. "阮阿姊大概 4 年前蹛 tī chia, tī 這个教區, 你知 hoⁿh. 她寫介紹批予我通拜訪一寡 chia ê 人."

伊 kō͘ 明顯 ê 遺憾口氣講出最後彼句話.

"若 án-ne, 你實際上是毋捌阮阿妗?" 有自信 ê 姑娘 án-ne 問.

"干焦她 ê 名姓 kap 住址," 來拜訪 ê 人承認. 伊想欲知影 Sappleton Tt 到底是有婚姻 a̍h 是守寡 ah. 房間內底有一寡無明確 ê 物件, ká-ná 顯示有查埔人蹛 ê 影跡.

"她 ê 大悲劇發生 tī 3 年前," 姑娘講; "彼是自恁阿姊彼時開始 ê."

"她 ê 悲劇?" Framton 問; 總是, tī 這个寧靜 ê 庄跤所在, ká-ná 無適合有悲劇.

"你可能奇怪, 是按怎阮 tī 10 月下晡 kā 窗仔開 hiah 開," 外甥女仔講, 手比一个開 ǹg 草埕 ê Franse 式 ê 徛窗 [徛 tī 地面 ê 窗仔門].

"Tī 這个季節, 天氣溫暖," Framton 講; "m̄-koh, 彼个窗仔 kap 悲劇敢有關係?"

"三年前 ê 這一工, yin 翁和 yin 兩个小弟, ùi 彼个窗仔門出去拍獵. In lóng 無 koh 轉來. Tī 經過荒野去 in 佮意 ê 獵場 ê 時, in 3 个 lóng 去予一个險惡 ê 湳地吞去. 彼是一个可怕 ê 厚雨水 ê 熱天, 你知 hoⁿh, tī 別年安全 ê 所在, 無警告 tō hut-leh lop loeh. In ê 死體 lóng 無揣著. 這 tō 是可怕 ê 部份." 講到 chia, 囡仔 ê 聲音失去自信 ê 口氣, i-i ū-ū 充滿感性. "可憐 ê 阿妗總是想講有一工 in 會轉來, in kap 彼隻和 in 同齊失蹤 ê 棕色小獵狗, 會像過去仝款, ùi 彼个窗仔門入來. 因為 án-ne, 彼个窗仔門逐工到欲暗猶是開開, 一直到暗烏. 可憐 ê 阿妗, 她定定 kā 我講, in 按怎出去, yin 翁手骨 hiaⁿh 一領白色雨幔, á yin 上細漢 ê 小弟 Ronnie ná 唱 ‘Bertie, 你那會趒?’, 伊總是 án-ne kā 弄, 因為她講 án-ne 會予她起緊張. 你知無, 有時 tī 恬靜 ê 黃昏, 親像這陣, 我強欲夯雞母皮, 感覺 in 會 ùi 彼个窗仔門行入來..."

她 ka-lún-sún 一下, 停落來. 看著 yin 阿妗兇狂行入來, Framton 規个輕鬆起來; 阿妗一直 kā 會失禮, 講她 siuⁿ 慢到.

--

1.

"My aunt will be down presently, Mr. Nuttel," said a very self-possessed young lady of fifteen; "in the meantime you must try and put up with me."

Framton Nuttel endeavored to say the correct something which should duly flatter the niece of the moment without unduly discounting the aunt that was to come. Privately he doubted more than ever whether these formal visits on a succession of total strangers would do much towards helping the nerve cure which he was supposed to be undergoing

"I know how it will be," his sister had said when he was preparing to migrate to this rural retreat; "you will bury yourself down there and not speak to a living soul, and your nerves will be worse than ever from moping. I shall just give you letters of introduction to all the people I know there. Some of them, as far as I can remember, were quite nice."

Framton wondered whether Mrs. Sappleton, the lady to whom he was presenting one of the letters of introduction came into the nice division.

"Do you know many of the people round here?" asked the niece, when she judged that they had had sufficient silent communion.

"Hardly a soul," said Framton. "My sister was staying here, at the rectory, you know, some four years ago, and she gave me letters of introduction to some of the people here."

He made the last statement in a tone of distinct regret.

"Then you know practically nothing about my aunt?" pursued the self-possessed young lady.

"Only her name and address," admitted the caller. He was wondering whether Mrs. Sappleton was in the married or widowed state. An undefinable something about the room seemed to suggest masculine habitation.

"Her great tragedy happened just three years ago," said the child; "that would be since your sister's time."

"Her tragedy?" asked Framton; somehow in this restful country spot tragedies seemed out of place.

"You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on an October afternoon," said the niece, indicating a large French window that opened on to a lawn.

"It is quite warm for the time of the year," said Framton; "but has that window got anything to do with the tragedy?"

"Out through that window, three years ago to a day, her husband and her two young brothers went off for their day's shooting. They never came back. In crossing the moor to their favorite snipe-shooting ground they were all three engulfed in a treacherous piece of bog. It had been that dreadful wet summer, you know, and places that were safe in other years gave way suddenly without warning. Their bodies were never recovered. That was the dreadful part of it." Here the child's voice lost its self-possessed note and became falteringly human. "Poor aunt always thinks that they will come back someday, they and the little brown spaniel that was lost with them, and walk in at that window just as they used to do. That is why the window is kept open every evening till it is quite dusk. Poor dear aunt, she has often told me how they went out, her husband with his white waterproof coat over his arm, and Ronnie, her youngest brother, singing 'Bertie, why do you bound?' as he always did to tease her, because she said it got on her nerves. Do you know, sometimes on still, quiet evenings like this, I almost get a creepy feeling that they will all walk in through that window--"

She broke off with a little shudder. It was a relief to Framton when the aunt bustled into the room with a whirl of apologies for being late in making her appearance.

--

3. 兩人 lóng hông 送來病院

3. Nn̄g-lâng lóng hông sàng lâi pēⁿ-īⁿ

Stuffy Pete gia̍h-thâu khòaⁿ i pòaⁿ hun-cheng, tio̍h-kip koh bô-ta-ôa, kám-kak ka-tī bô-siá-sì. Lāu Sin-sū ê ba̍k-chiu siám-sih tio̍h si-siá ê khoài-lo̍k. I ê bīn chi̍t-nî chi̍t-nî jiâu, m̄-koh i he sió-sió ê o͘-sek niá-kat iáu-sī chiâⁿ chhio-tiô, siatchuh súi koh pe̍h, á i hit nn̄g-phiat phú-sek ê téng-tûn chhiu, hó-lé-á lián kah bóe khiàu-khiàu. Hit-sî, Stuffy chhut chi̍t-ê siaⁿ, thiaⁿ khí-lâi ná sī tāu-á tī oe-á ni̍h kún-pho. I goân-pún sī boeh kóng-ōe; iū in-ūi Lāu Sin-sū bat thiaⁿ kòe chit-lō siaⁿ káu-kái, i tō chèng-sek kā he siaⁿ tòng-chò sī Stuffy chiap-siū ê lāu hong-sek. 

"To-siā, sian-siⁿ. Góa tòe lí khì, chiâⁿ kám-siā. Góa chin iau, sian-siⁿ."

Tiùⁿ kah thâu-hîn ba̍k-àm pèng bô chó͘-tòng Stuffy ê sìn-liām: i sī chi̍t-ê Chè-tō͘ ê ki-chhó͘. I ê Kám-un-cheh ê ūi-kháu m̄-sī i ka-tī ê; sī sio̍k-tī chit-ūi í-keng iu-sian chiàm-tio̍h ê jîn-chû lāu sin-sū; in-ūi siat-sú bô kin-kì si̍t-chè ê Khí-sò͘ Kî-hān-hoat, mā tio̍h khó-lī chū-lâi hong-sio̍k ê choân-pō͘ sîn-sèng ê khoân-lī. Tio̍h, Bí-kok sī chū-iû kok-ka; m̄-koh ūi-tio̍h boeh kiàn-li̍p thoân-thóng, tio̍h ū-lâng tiông-ho̍k lâi chò -- ná-chhiūⁿ sûn-khoân ê sió-sò͘. Eng-hiông bô it-tēng tō iōng kǹg-thih kap n̂g-kim. Lí khòaⁿ, chia ū chi̍t-ê eng-hiông, i kan-ta iōng chhìn-chhái tō͘ gîn ê thih kap iōng siah chò bú-khì.

Lāu Sin-sū niá-chhōa i ê nî-tō͘ lâng-kheh ǹg lâm kàu pn̄g-tiàm, kiâⁿ kàu kāng chi̍t-tè pān-toh ê ūi. Pa̍t-lâng ē-jīn-tit in.

"Lāu-hóe-á lâi ah," chi̍t-ê cháu-toh kóng, "ta̍t-nî Kám-un-cheh i lóng chhiám kāng it-ê sàn-chhiah chia̍h chi̍t-tùn."

Lāu Sin-sū chē tī toh-á tùi-bīn, bīn-tùi i he bī-lâi kó͘-ló thoân-thóng ê ki-chhó͘ ná chhiūⁿ chi̍t-lia̍p hun-o͘ ê chin-chu teh hoat-kng. Cháu-toh kā toh-téng pâi móa kà-ji̍t ê chia̍h-mi̍h -- á Stuffy thó͘ chi̍t-ê tōa-khùi, he pa̍t-lâng kā tòng-chò he sī teh iau ê piáu-chêng, tō gia̍h khí to-á kap chhiám-á, ūi ka-tī tiau-khek chi̍t-téng put-hiú ê ông-koan.

M̄-bat ū koh-khah ióng ê eng-hiông án-ne chiàn kòe te̍k-kun. Hóe-ke, bah-pâi, thng, chhài, piáⁿ, sûi phâng chhut-lâi sûi tō chia̍h liáu-liáu. Tú ji̍p-lâi pn̄g-tiàm ê sî, i tiùⁿ kah, chia̍h-mi̍h ê khì-bī hō͘ i kiông boeh sit khì sin-sū ê thé-biān, m̄-koh i ná chhiūⁿ chin-chiàⁿ ê kiap-sū chín-chok khí-lâi. I tī Lāu Sin-sū ê bīn khòaⁿ tio̍h chò siān-sū ê khoài-lo̍k piáu-chêng -- chi̍t-ê pí tiàu-cheng hoe kap ornithoptera amphrisius ia̍h-á hō͘ i ê koh-khah khoài-lo̍k ê piáu-chêng -- á i put jím-sim khòaⁿ che piáu-chêng bô--khì.

Chi̍t tiám-cheng liáu-āu, Stuffy chiàn-iâⁿ, chē tò-thèⁿ. "Chin to-siā lí, sian-siⁿ," i ná làu-khùi ê cheng-khì kóng án-ne thó͘-khùi; "chin to-siā lí chhiong-móa ài-sim ê chit-tǹg." Án-ne liáu, i tōa-la̍t peh khí-lâi, ba̍k-chiu tián-tōa, kiâⁿ ǹg chàu-kha khì. Chi̍t-ê cháu-toh kā i ná kan-lo̍k án-ne se̍h kòe-lâi, kā sak hiòng mn̂g-kháu. Lāu Sin-sū sio-sim khêng chhut $1.30 ê gîn-kak-á, koh lâu saⁿ ê nikél sió-hùi hō͘ cháu-toh. 

In kap ta̍k-nî kāng-khoán, tī mn̂g-kháu hun-khui, Lāu Sin-sū kiâⁿ ǹg lâm, Stuffy ǹg pak.

Tī tē-it ê oat-kak Stuffy oat kòe, tī hia khiā chi̍t-hun-cheng. Jiân-āu, i ê phòa-nōa-saⁿ ná chhiūⁿ niau-thâu-chiáu ê mo͘ chhàng khí-lâi án-ne piak phòa khì, á i ná chhiūⁿ bé-á tio̍h-soa án-ne poa̍h-tó tī jîn-hêng-tō.

Kiù-hō͘-chhia lâi ê sî, siàu-liân ê gōa-kho i-seng kap su-ki lóng khin-siaⁿ khàu-pē i ná ē hiah-nī tāng. Bô wiski ê khì-bī, tō m̄-bián kā i kau hō͘ kéng-chhat ê sûn-lô-chhia. Chū án-ne, Stuffy hām i hit nn̄g-tǹg pn̄g tō khì kàu pēⁿ-īⁿ. Tī hia, in kā i pàng pêⁿ tó tī pēⁿ-chhn̂g, khai-sí kiám-cha khòaⁿ sī siáⁿ-mih koài pēⁿ, hi-bāng ùi i ê sin-khu chhōe tio̍h bó͘-chióng būn-tê.

Lí khòaⁿ! chi̍t-tiám-cheng liáu-āu, lēng-gōa chi̍t-tâi kiù-hō͘-chhia chài Lāu Sin-sū lâi ah. In hō͘ i tó tī lēng-gōa chi̍t-tè pēⁿ-chhn̂g, kóng i ū mô͘-tn̂g-iām, in-ūi i khòaⁿ tio̍h khah ū-chîⁿ thang la̍p-siàu.

M̄-koh bô kú, chi̍t-ê siàu-liân i-seng tú tio̍h chi̍t-ê siàu-liân hō͘-sū, i chin kah-ì yi ê ba̍k-chiu, tō tòng-tiām kap yi thó-lūn pēⁿ-lâng. 

"Hia hit-ê thé-bīn ê lāu sin-sū," i kóng, "lí khó-lêng siūⁿ bē-kàu, i sī in-ūi iau-kòe-ki. Góa ioh, i sī lâi-chū ài-bīn-chú ê lāu-sek ka-têng. I kā góa kóng, i í-keng saⁿ-kang bô chia̍h mi̍h-kiāⁿ ah."

[Soah]

--

3. 兩人 lóng hông 送來病院

Stuffy Pete 攑頭看伊半分鐘, 著急 koh 無 ta-ôa, 感覺 ka-tī 無捨世. 老紳士 ê 目睭閃爍著施捨 ê 快樂. 伊 ê 面一年一年皺, m̄-koh 伊彼小小 ê 烏色領結猶是誠𪁎趒, siatchuh 媠 koh 白, á 伊彼兩撇殕色 ê 頂唇鬚, 好禮仔撚 kah 尾翹翹. 彼時, Stuffy 出一个聲, 聽起來 ná 是豆仔 tī 鍋仔 ni̍h 滾泡. 伊原本是欲講話; 又因為老紳士 bat 聽過 chit-lō 聲九改, 伊 tō 正式 kā he 聲當做是 Stuffy 接受 ê 老方式. 

"多謝, 先生. 我綴你去, 誠感謝. 我真枵, 先生."

脹 kah 頭眩目暗並無阻擋 Stuffy ê 信念: 伊是一个制度 ê 基礎. 伊 ê 感恩節 ê 胃口毋是伊 ka-tī ê; 是屬 tī 這位已經優先佔著 ê 仁慈老紳士; 因為設使無根據實際 ê 起訴期限法, mā 著考慮自來風俗 ê 全部神聖 ê 權利. 著, 美國是自由國家; m̄-koh 為著欲建立傳統, 著有人重複來做 -- ná 像循環 ê 小數. 英雄無一定 tō 用鋼鐵 kap 黃金. 你看, chia 有一个英雄, 伊干焦用凊彩鍍銀 ê 鐵 kap 用錫做武器.

老紳士領 chhōa 伊 ê 年度人客 ǹg 南到飯店, 行到仝一塊辦桌 ê 位. 別人會認得 in.

"老伙仔來 ah," 一个走桌講, "ta̍t 年感恩節伊 lóng chhiám 仝 it 个散赤食一 tùn."

老紳士坐 tī 桌仔對面, 面對伊彼未來古老傳統 ê 基礎 ná 像一粒燻烏 ê 真珠 teh 發光. 走桌 kā 桌頂排滿假日 ê chia̍h-mi̍h -- á Stuffy 吐一个大氣, he 別人 kā 當做 he 是 teh 枵 ê 表情, tō 攑起刀仔 kap 攕仔, 為 ka-tī 雕刻一頂不朽 ê 王冠.

毋 bat 有 koh 較勇 ê 英雄 án-ne 戰過敵軍. 火雞, 肉排, 湯, 菜, 餅, 隨捀出來隨 tō 食了了. 拄入來飯店 ê 時, 伊脹 kah, chia̍h-mi̍h ê 氣味予伊強欲失去紳士 ê 體面, m̄-koh 伊 ná 像真正 ê 俠士振作起來. 伊 tī 老紳士 ê 面看著做善事 ê 快樂表情 -- 一个比吊鐘花 kap ornithoptera amphrisius 蝶仔予伊 ê koh 較快樂 ê 表情 -- á 伊不忍心看這表情無去.

一點鐘了後, Stuffy 戰贏, 坐倒牚. "真多謝你, 先生," 伊 ná làu 氣 ê 蒸氣管 án-ne 吐氣; "真多謝你充滿愛心 ê 這頓." Án-ne 了, 伊大力 peh 起來, 目睭展大, 行 ǹg 灶跤去. 一个走桌 kā 伊 ná 干樂 án-ne 踅過來, kā 捒向門口. 老紳士小心 khêng 出 $1.30 ê 銀角仔, koh 留三个 nikél 小費予走桌. 

In kap 逐年仝款, tī 門口分開, 老紳士行 ǹg 南, Stuffy ǹg 北.

Tī 第一个斡角 Stuffy 斡過, tī hia 徛一分鐘. 然後, 伊 ê 破爛衫 ná 像貓頭鳥 ê 毛聳起來 án-ne 煏破去, á 伊 ná 像馬仔著痧 án-ne 跋倒 tī 人行道.

救護車來 ê 時, 少年 ê 外科醫生 kap 司機 lóng 輕聲哭爸伊那會 hiah-nī 重. 無 wiski ê 氣味, tō 毋免 kā 伊交予警察 ê 巡邏車. 自 án-ne, Stuffy 和伊彼兩頓飯 tō 去到病院. Tī hia, in kā 伊放平倒 tī 病床, 開始檢查看是啥物怪病, 希望 ùi 伊 ê 身軀揣著某種問題.

你看! 一點鐘了後, 另外一台救護車載老紳士來 ah. In 予伊倒 tī 另外一塊病床, 講伊有盲腸炎, 因為伊看著較有錢通納數.

M̄-koh 無久, 一个少年醫生拄著一个少年護士, 伊真佮意她 ê 目睭, tō 擋恬 kap 她討論病人. 

"Hia 彼个體面 ê 老紳士," 伊講, "你可能想袂到, 伊是因為枵過飢. 我臆, 伊是來自愛面子 ê 老式家庭. 伊 kā 我講, 伊已經三工無食物件 ah."

[煞]

--

3.

Stuffy Pete looked up at him for a half minute, stewing and helpless in his own self-pity. The Old Gentleman's eyes were bright with the giving-pleasure. His face was getting more lined each year, but his little black necktie was in as jaunty a bow as ever, and the linen was beautiful and white, and his gray mustache was curled carefully at the ends. And then Stuffy made a noise that sounded like peas bubbling in a pot. Speech was intended; and as the Old Gentleman had heard the sounds nine times before, he rightly construed them into Stuffy's old formula of acceptance.

"Thankee, sir. I'll go with ye, and much obliged. I'm very hungry, sir."

The coma of repletion had not prevented from entering Stuffy's mind the conviction that he was the basis of an Institution. His Thanksgiving appetite was not his own; it belonged by all the sacred rights of established custom, if not, by the actual Statute of Limitations, to this kind old gentleman who bad preempted it. True, America is free; but in order to establish tradition some one must be a repetend--a repeating decimal. The heroes are not all heroes of steel and gold. See one here that wielded only weapons of iron, badly silvered, and tin.

The Old Gentleman led his annual protege southward to the restaurant, and to the table where the feast had always occurred. They were recognized.

"Here comes de old guy," said a waiter, "dat blows dat same bum to a meal every Thanksgiving."

The Old Gentleman sat across the table glowing like a smoked pearl at his corner-stone of future ancient Tradition. The waiters heaped the table with holiday food--and Stuffy, with a sigh that was mistaken for hunger's expression, raised knife and fork and carved for himself a crown of imperishable bay.

No more valiant hero ever fought his way through the ranks of an enemy. Turkey, chops, soups, vegetables, pies, disappeared before him as fast as they could be served. Gorged nearly to the uttermost when he entered the restaurant, the smell of food had almost caused him to lose his honor as a gentleman, but he rallied like a true knight. He saw the look of beneficent happiness on the Old Gentleman's face--a happier look than even the fuchsias and the ornithoptera amphrisius had ever brought to it--and he had not the heart to see it wane.

In an hour Stuffy leaned back with a battle won. "Thankee kindly, sir," he puffed like a leaky steam pipe; "thankee kindly for a hearty meal." Then he arose heavily with glazed eyes and started toward the kitchen. A waiter turned him about like a top, and pointed him toward the door. The Old Gentleman carefully counted out $1.30 in silver change, leaving three nickels for the waiter.

They parted as they did each year at the door, the Old Gentleman going south, Stuffy north.

Around the first corner Stuffy turned, and stood for one minute. Then he seemed to puff out his rags as an owl puffs out his feathers, and fell to the sidewalk like a sunstricken horse.

When the ambulance came the young surgeon and the driver cursed softly at his weight. There was no smell of whiskey to justify a transfer to the patrol wagon, so Stuffy and his two dinners went to the hospital. There they stretched him on a bed and began to test him for strange diseases, with the hope of getting a chance at some problem with the bare steel.

And lo! an hour later another ambulance brought the Old Gentleman. And they laid him on another bed and spoke of appendicitis, for he looked good for the bill.

But pretty soon one of the young doctors met one of the young nurses whose eyes he liked, and stopped to chat with her about the cases.

"That nice old gentleman over there, now," he said, "you wouldn't think that was a case of almost starvation. Proud old family, I guess. He told me he hadn't eaten a thing for three days."

--

2. 老紳士想欲建立一个傳統

2. Lāu Sin-sū siūⁿ boeh kiàn-li̍p chi̍t-ê thoân-thóng

Káu-nî lâi ê múi chi̍t-ê Kám-un-cheh, Lāu Sin-sū lóng lâi kàu chia, khòaⁿ tio̍h Stuffy Pete chē tī hit-tè tn̂g-í-á. He sī Lāu Sin-sū siūⁿ boeh kiàn-li̍p ê chi̍t-ê thoân-thóng. Káu-nî lâi ê múi chi̍t-ê Kám-un-cheh, i lóng ē tī hia chhōe tio̍h Stuffy, tō chhōa i khì chi̍t-keng pn̄g-tiàm, khòaⁿ i chia̍h chi̍t-tǹg chheⁿ-chhau. Tī Eng-kok, in mā put-chū-kak chò chiah-ê tāi-chì. M̄-koh chia sī chi̍t-ê siàu-liân kok-ka, káu-nî ê sî-kan sǹg bē-bái ah. Lāu Sin-sū sī chi̍t-ê kian-tēng ê Bí-kok ài-kok-chiá, jīn-ûi ka-tī sī kiâⁿ tī Bí-kok thoân-thóng thâu-chêng ê lâng. Ūi-tio̍h boeh ū hó-kong-kéng, lán tio̍h tn̂g-kî chò chi̍t-hāng tāi-chì, bē-sái hòng-khì. Chhin-chhiūⁿ kóng, siu-chi̍p chi̍t-lé-pài kúi-kak-gîn ê sán-gia̍p pó-hiám. A̍h piàⁿ-sàu ke-lō͘.

Lāu Sin-sū thêng-thêng, ti̍t-ti̍t kiâⁿ ǹg i boeh kiàn-li̍p ê chè-tō͘. Láu-si̍t kóng, ta̍k-nî chhī Stuffy Pete pēng m̄-sī siáⁿ-mih chhin-chhiūⁿ Eng-kok ê Tōa Hiàn-chiong (Magna Charta) a̍h chá-tǹg ê kòe-chí-chiùⁿ hiah-nī ū choân-kok-sèng. M̄-koh, che chóng-sī hiòng-chêng chi̍t kha-pō͘. Che chha-put-to ū hong-kiàn ê ì-bī. Siōng-bô, che piáu-bêng New Y... a-hém!... Bí-kok m̄-sī bô khó-lêng kiàn-li̍p ka-tī ê hong-sio̍k.

Lāu Sin-sū koân koh sán, 60-hòe. I chhēng chi̍t-sin o͘, kòa bē tiâu tī phīⁿ-á téng ê lāu-sek ba̍k-kiàⁿ. I ê thâu-chang pí kū-nî khah pe̍h, khah se, i mā ká-ná koh-khah su-iàu iōng i hit-ki tōa koh ū-ba̍k, pèⁿ khiau-khiau ê koái-á.

Tī i ê un-chêng-lâng kiâⁿ kòe-lâi ê sî, Stuffy chhoán phīⁿ-phēⁿ koh khu̍h-khu̍h chùn, tō ná-chhiūⁿ bó͘ chi̍t-ê hū-jîn-lâng ê siuⁿ pûi ê hapa káu khòaⁿ tio̍h ke-lō͘ ê iá-káu teh kā chhàng-mo͘ giàng-gê kāng-khoán. I chin siūⁿ boeh poe-cháu, m̄-koh siáⁿ-mih Santos-Dumont [Brazil hui-hêng-ka] ê mê-kak mā bô hoat-tō͘ hō͘ i thoat-lī hit-tè tn̂g-í. Khó-kiàn hit nn̄g-ê lāu hu-jîn ê ka-po̍k tāi-chì pān kah chin khak-si̍t.

"Lí hó," Lāu Sin-sū kóng. "Góa chin hoaⁿ-hí khòaⁿ tio̍h, chi̍t-tang ê piàn-hòa lí iáu-sī chin khong-kiān, ē-tàng tī chit-ê bí-lē ê sè-kài kiâⁿ-tāng. To̍k-to̍k ūi-tio̍h chit-ê hok-ūn, kin-á-ji̍t ê kám-un-cheh tùi lán tō chiâⁿ ū ì-gī. Pêng-iú ah, lí nā khéng tòe góa lâi, góa ē chhiáⁿ lí chia̍h chi̍t-tǹg, hō͘ lí ê sin-thé kap cheng-sîn tit-tio̍h hia̍p-tiau."

Ta̍k-kái Lāu Sin-sū lóng án-ne kóng. Káu-nî lâi ê ta̍k-ê Kám-un-cheh lóng án-ne. Hiah-ê ōe pún-sin mā kiông boeh chiâⁿ-chò chi̍t-chióng Chè-tō͘. Tî liáu To̍k-li̍p Soan-giân í-goā, bô siáⁿ ē-tàng kap i pí-phēng. Í-chêng, chiah-ê ōe hō͘ Stuffy thiaⁿ tio̍h ná-chhiūⁿ sī im-ga̍k. M̄-koh taⁿ, i kan-khó͘ kah ba̍k-sái kâm ba̍k-kîⁿ, gia̍h-ba̍k khòaⁿ Lāu Sin-sū ê bīn. Iù seh lak tī i puh-kōaⁿ ê ba̍k-bâi, ká-ná mā ē chhi-chhi chhut-siaⁿ. M̄-koh hit-ê Lāu Sin-sū sió-khóa teh ka-lún-sún, tō se̍h kha-chiah-āu ǹg hong.

Stuffy chóng-sī hòⁿ-kî, Lāu Sin-sū kóng-ōe ná-chhiūⁿ ū pi-siong. I m̄-chai, he sī in-ūi ta̍k-kái i lóng ǹg-bāng ū chi̍t-ê hāu-seⁿ lâi kè-sêng i ê sū-gia̍p. Chi̍t-ê i sí liáu-āu mā ē lâi chia ê hāu-seⁿ -- chi̍t-ê ē-tàng tī í-āu chhiūⁿ Stuffy hit-khoán lâng ê bīn-chêng tek-ì koh kian-kiông khiā-khí ê hāu-seⁿ, koh kóng: "Ūi-tio̍h kì-liām goán lāu-pē." Nā án-ne, he tō chiâⁿ-chò chi̍t-ê Chè-tō͘.

M̄-koh, Lāu Sin-sū bô chhin-chiâⁿ. I tòa tī sòe ê pâng-keng, he sī tī kong-hn̂g tang-pêng chi̍t-tiâu an-chēng ê ke-lō͘ ê chi̍t-tòng phòa koh kū ê chhiah-chio̍h ka-cho̍k tōa-chhù. Kôaⁿ-thiⁿ, i tī chi̍t-ê kan-ta lí-hêng-siuⁿ hiah tōa ê un-sit chèng tiàu-cheng hoe (吊鐘花, fuchsia). Chhun-thiⁿ, i chham-ka Koh-oa̍h-cheh ê iû-hêng. Joa̍h-thiⁿ, i tòa tī New Jersey soaⁿ-téng ê chi̍t-keng lông-sià, chē tī liú-tiâu ê hû-chhiú-í, kóng khí chi̍t-chióng ia̍h-á (ornithoptera amphrisius), he i hi-bāng chi̍t-kang i ē chhōe tio̍h. Chhiu-thiⁿ, i chhiáⁿ Stuffy Pete chi̍t-tǹg chheⁿ-chhau. Chiah-ê tō sī Lāu Sin-sū teh bô-êng ê tāi-chì. 

--

2. 老紳士想欲建立一个傳統

九年來 ê 每一个感恩節, 老紳士 lóng 來到 chia, 看著 Stuffy Pete 坐 tī 彼塊長椅仔. 彼是老紳士想欲建立 ê 一个傳統. 九年來 ê 每一个感恩節, 伊 lóng 會 tī hia 揣著 Stuffy, tō chhōa 伊去一間飯店, 看伊食一頓 chheⁿ-chhau. Tī 英國, in mā 不自覺做 chiah-ê 代誌. M̄-koh chia 是一个少年國家, 九年 ê 時間算袂䆀 ah. 老紳士是一个堅定 ê 美國愛國者, 認為 ka-tī 是行 tī 美國傳統頭前 ê 人. 為著欲有好光景, 咱著長期做一項代誌, 袂使放棄. 親像講, 收集一禮拜幾角銀 ê 產業保險. A̍h 拚掃街路.

老紳士 thêng-thêng, 直直行 ǹg 伊欲建立 ê 制度. 老實講, 逐年飼 Stuffy Pete 並毋是啥物親像英國 ê 大憲章 (Magna Charta) a̍h 早頓 ê 果子醬 hiah-nī 有全國性. M̄-koh, 這總是向前一跤步. 這差不多有封建 ê 意味. 上無, 這表明 New Y... a-hém!... 美國毋是無可能建立 ka-tī ê 風俗.

老紳士懸 koh 瘦, 60 歲. 伊穿一身烏, 掛袂牢 tī 鼻仔頂 ê 老式目鏡. 伊 ê 頭鬃比舊年較白, 較疏, 伊 mā ká-ná koh 較需要用伊彼支大 koh 有目, 柄蹺蹺 ê 枴仔.

Tī 伊 ê 恩情人行過來 ê 時, Stuffy 喘 phīⁿ-phēⁿ koh khu̍h-khu̍h 顫, tō ná 像某一个婦人 lâng ê siuⁿ 肥 ê hapa 狗看著街路 ê 野狗 teh kā 聳毛齴牙仝款. 伊真想欲飛走, m̄-koh 啥物 Santos-Dumont [Brazil 飛行家] ê 鋩角 mā 無法度予伊脫離彼塊長椅. 可見彼兩个老夫人 ê 家僕代誌辦 kah 真確實.

"你好," 老紳士講. "我真歡喜看著, 一冬 ê 變化你猶是真康健, 會當 tī 這个美麗 ê 世界 kiâⁿ 動. 獨獨為著這个福運, 今仔日 ê 感恩節對咱 tō 誠有意義. 朋友 ah, 你若肯綴我來, 我會請你食一頓, 予你 ê 身體 kap 精神得著協調."

逐改老紳士 lóng án-ne 講. 九年來 ê 逐个感恩節 lóng án-ne. Hiah-ê 話本身 mā 強欲成做一種制度. 除了獨立宣言以外, 無啥會當 kap 伊比並. 以前, chiah-ê 話予 Stuffy 聽著 ná 像是音樂. M̄-koh 今, 伊艱苦 kah 目屎 kâm 目墘, 攑目看老紳士 ê 面. 幼雪 lak tī 伊 puh 汗 ê 目眉, ká-ná mā 會 chhi-chhi 出聲. M̄-koh 彼个老紳士小可 teh ka-lún-sún, tō 踅尻脊後 ǹg 風.

Stuffy 總是好奇, 老紳士講話 ná 像有悲傷. 伊毋知, he 是因為逐改伊 lóng ǹg 望有一个後生來繼承伊 ê 事業. 一个伊死了後 mā 會來 chia ê 後生 -- 一个會當 tī 以後像 Stuffy 彼款人 ê 面前得意 koh 堅強徛起 ê 後生, koh 講: "為著紀念阮老爸." 若 án-ne, 彼 tō 成做一个制度.

M̄-koh, 老紳士無親 chiâⁿ. 伊蹛 tī 稅 ê 房間, 彼是 tī 公園東爿一條安靜 ê 街路 ê 一棟破 koh 舊 ê 赤石家族大厝. 寒天, 伊 tī 一个干焦旅行箱 hiah 大 ê 溫室種 tiàu-cheng hoe (吊鐘花, fuchsia). 春天, 伊參加閣活節 ê 遊行. 熱天, 伊蹛 tī New Jersey 山頂 ê 一間農舍, 坐 tī 柳條 ê 扶手椅, 講起一種蝶仔 (ornithoptera amphrisius), he 伊希望一工伊會揣著. 秋天, 伊請 Stuffy Pete 一頓 chheⁿ-chhau. Chiah-ê tō 是老紳士 teh 無閒 ê 代誌. 

--

2.

Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years the Old Gentleman had come there and found Stuffy Pete on his bench. That was a thing that the Old Gentleman was trying to make a tradition of. Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years he had found Stuffy there, and had led him to a restaurant and watched him eat a big dinner. They do those things in England unconsciously. But this is a young country, and nine years is not so bad. The Old Gentleman was a staunch American patriot, and considered himself a pioneer in American tradition. In order to become picturesque we must keep on doing one thing for a long time without ever letting it get away from us. Something like collecting the weekly dimes in industrial insurance. Or cleaning the streets.

The Old Gentleman moved, straight and stately, toward the Institution that he was rearing. Truly, the annual feeding of Stuffy Pete was nothing national in its character, such as the Magna Charta or jam for breakfast was in England. But it was a step. It was almost feudal. It showed, at least, that a Custom was not impossible to New Y--ahem!--America.

The Old Gentleman was thin and tall and sixty. He was dressed all in black, and wore the old-fashioned kind of glasses that won't stay on your nose. His hair was whiter and thinner than it had been last year, and he seemed to make more use of his big, knobby cane with the crooked handle.

As his established benefactor came up Stuffy wheezed and shuddered like some woman's over-fat pug when a street dog bristles up at him. He would have flown, but all the skill of Santos-Dumont could not have separated him from his bench. Well had the myrmidons of the two old ladies done their work.

"Good morning," said the Old Gentleman. "I am glad to perceive that the vicissitudes of another year have spared you to move in health about the beautiful world. For that blessing alone this day of thanksgiving is well proclaimed to each of us. If you will come with me, my man, I will provide you with a dinner that should make your physical being accord with the mental."

That is what the old Gentleman said every time. Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years. The words themselves almost formed an Institution. Nothing could be compared with them except the Declaration of Independence. Always before they had been music in Stuffy's ears. But now he looked up at the Old Gentleman's face with tearful agony in his own. The fine snow almost sizzled when it fell upon his perspiring brow. But the Old Gentleman shivered a little and turned his back to the wind.

Stuffy had always wondered why the Old Gentleman spoke his speech rather sadly. He did not know that it was because he was wishing every time that he had a son to succeed him. A son who would come there after he was gone--a son who would stand proud and strong before some subsequent Stuffy, and say: "In memory of my father." Then it would be an Institution.

But the Old Gentleman had no relatives. He lived in rented rooms in one of the decayed old family brownstone mansions in one of the quiet streets east of the park. In the winter he raised fuchsias in a little conservatory the size of a steamer trunk. In the spring he walked in the Easter parade. In the summer he lived at a farmhouse in the New Jersey hills, and sat in a wicker armchair, speaking of a butterfly, the ornithoptera amphrisius, that he hoped to find some day. In the autumn he fed Stuffy a dinner. These were the Old Gentleman's occupations.

--

D. 兩位感恩節紳士 - 1. Stuffy Pete tú-tú ùi 餐會出來

Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen /by O. Henry

https://americanliterature.com/author/o-henry/short-story/two-thanksgiving-day-gentlemen

Nn̄g-ūi Kám-un-cheh Sin-sū | 兩位感恩節紳士

--

1. Stuffy Pete tú-tú ùi chhan-hōe chhut-lâi

Ū chi̍t-ê cheh-ji̍t sī lán ka-tī ê. Ū chi̍t-ê cheh-ji̍t, iáu-bōe khiā-ke ê Bí-kok lâng lóng tńg in lāu-chhù, khì chia̍h soda piáⁿ, koh hòⁿ-hiân hit-ê kū phòng-phù ná ē khòaⁿ tio̍h pí kòe-khì koh-khah kīn gîm-chîⁿ ah. Lán lâi chiok-hok chit chi̍t-kang. He sī Roosevelt Chóng-thóng hō͘ lán ê. Lán bat thiaⁿ lâng kóng-khí Chheng-kàu-tô͘ (Puritans), m̄-koh lán bē-kì-tit in sī siáng. Góa sio-su, in nā chhì-tô͘ koh-chài teng-lio̍k, bô-lūn jû-hô, lán tiāⁿ-tio̍h ē kā phah kah in siàm-sái-jiō. Plymouth Chio̍h-thâu? Hmh, che thiaⁿ tio̍h ká-ná khah se̍k-sāi. Chū-chiông Hóe-ke Sìn-thok Ki-kim (Turkey Trust) ūn-chok í-lâi, lán chē-chē lâng soah tio̍h kàng-kip chia̍h ke-bó bah. M̄-koh, tī Washington ū-lâng thê-chá kā in sia̍p-lāu chiah-ê Kám-un-cheh kong-kò ê sìn-sit.

Hit-ê tī bān-oa̍t-m̂ (cranberry) làm-tē tang-pêng ê tōa to͘-chhī í-keng kiàn-li̍p Kám-un-cheh ê chè-tō͘. Ta̍k-nî cha̍p-it-goe̍h thōng-bóe ê pài-sì, kan-ta hit-kang i sêng-jīn tō͘-chûn-kháu tùi-bīn hit-pō͘-hūn ê Bí-kok. 

Chit-má boeh kóng ê chit-ê kò͘-sū, sī boeh kā lí chèng-bêng, tī tōa hái-iûⁿ ê chit-pêng, lán mā ū ka-tī ê thoân-thóng, in pí hiah-ê Eng-kok thoân-thóng lāu liáu koh-khah kín -- che sī in-ūi lán chhiong-móa oa̍h-le̍k kap ū chìn-chhú ê cheng-sîn.

Stuffy Pete chē tī chiàⁿ-pêng tē-saⁿ tè tn̂g-í, iā tō sī ùi tang-pêng ji̍p Liân-ha̍p Tōa-tiâⁿ (Union Square), bīn-tùi phùn-chúi-chôaⁿ hit-tiâu sàn-pō͘-tō hia.  Káu-nî lâi, múi chi̍t-ê Kám-un-cheh, i lóng chún-sî tī chi̍t-tiám tō chē tī hia. In-ūi múi-pái i án-ne chò, chóng-sī ē tú-tio̍h tāi-chì hoat-seng -- Charles Dickens-sek ê tāi-chì, he ē kā i ê kah-á tiùⁿ-tōa kàu heng-khám téng, āu-piah bīn mā kāng-khoán.

M̄-koh, kin-á-ji̍t Stuffy Pete chhut-hiān tī chit-ê chi̍t-nî chi̍t-kái ê iok-hōe tē-tiám, ká-ná sī si̍p-koàn ê kiat-kó, khah bô sêng sī chû-siān-ka só͘ jīn-ûi ê, kan-khó͘-lâng sī tī kui-nî thàng-thiⁿ ê kî-kan lóng siū-tio̍h ki-gō ê chiat-bôa.

Tong-jiân, Pete pēng bē iau. I tú-tú ùi chi̍t-tiûⁿ chhan-hōe chhut-lâi, taⁿ i kan-ta chhun chhoán-khùi kap sóa-tāng ê khùi-la̍t niā-niā. I ê ba̍k-chiu ná nn̄g-lia̍p pe̍h chhang-chhang ê chhò͘-le̍k (醋栗, gooseberry) ân-ân that tī chi̍t-ê phòng-phôe, hôe kah chiâu sī bah-chiap ê iû-hoe (油灰, putty) bīn-khak ni̍h. I chhoán phīⁿ-phēⁿ; chi̍t-khian lāu gī-oân chiah ū ê pûi chuh-chuh ām-kún, hō͘ i hian khí ê tōa-i ām-niá bô hoat-tō͘ hián-sī sî-kiâⁿ ê hong-keh. Chi̍t lé-pài chêng iû siān-liông Kiù-sè-kun (Salvation, kū-saⁿ tiàm) ê chhiú thīⁿ hó tī i ê saⁿ-á téng ê liú-á, ná-chhiūⁿ pōng-hoan-be̍h án-ne piak khui, lak tī i sì-chiu-ûi ê thô͘-kha. I ê i-saⁿ lâm-lūi, siatchuh thâu-chêng khui-khui kàu ē-io; m̄-koh cha̍p-it-goe̍h ê bî-hong, chhap tio̍h iù seh, kan-ta hō͘ i kám-kek ê liâng-sóng. In-ūi Stuffy Pete jia̍t-liōng siuⁿ chē, i tú-tú chia̍h kòe chi̍t-tǹg chhiau-kip phông-phài ê chhài-pn̄g, ùi ô-á khai-sí, kàu lí-á pudding kiat-sok, iáu-koh ū (chāi i khòaⁿ) sè-kài só͘-ū ê hang hóe-ke, hang má-lêng-chî, ke-bah salad kap kim-koe piáⁿ hām ais-krim. Tō sī án-ne, i chē tī hia, pá tu-tu, kō͘ chi̍t-chióng chia̍h-pá chhàu-iāng ê gán-kong khòaⁿ sè-kài.

Chit-tǹg pn̄g sī chi̍t-ê ì-gōa. I keng-kòe óa-kīn Tē-gō͘ Tōa-tō khí-tiám ê chi̍t-chō âng-chng-á tōa-chhù, lāi-té tòa nn̄g-ê lâi-chū kó͘-chá ka-têng koh chun-tiōng thoân-thóng ê lāu thài-thài. Yin sīm-chì bô sêng-jīn New York ê chûn-chāi, koh siong-sìn kóng, Kám-un-cheh sī choan-bûn ūi-tio̍h Washington Tōa-tiâⁿ chiah soan-pò͘ ê. Yin ê chi̍t-hāng thoân-thóng si̍p-koàn sī phài chi̍t-ê ka-po̍k khiā tī tōa-mn̂g-kháu, bēng-lēng i tī tiong-tàu cheng-siaⁿ kòng liáu ê sî, gêng-chiap tē-it-ê ki-gō ê kòe-lō͘-lâng, koh chhiáⁿ i chia̍h chi̍t-tǹg chheⁿ-chhau. Stuffy Pete boeh khì kong-hn̂g tú-hó keng-kòe hia, koan-ke tō chhōa i ji̍p-khì, chiàu hit-ê siâⁿ-pó ê thoân-thóng loeh chò.

Stuffy Pete ti̍t-ti̍t khòaⁿ bīn-chêng cha̍p-hun-cheng liáu-āu, chiah kak-chhat tio̍h boeh khòaⁿ bô-kāng ê kéng-tì. I chiâⁿ chia̍h-la̍t chiah bān-bān kā thâu-khak oa̍t ǹg tò-pêng. Hit-sî, i ê ba̍k-chiu kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ kah phok chhut-lâi, i thêng-chí chhoán-khùi, té-té ê kha chhēng ê hông ku̍t ê ê-té khu̍h-khu̍h chùn, tē-bīn ê chhùi-chio̍h-á mā si-si sa-sa chhut siaⁿ.

In-ūi hit-ê Lāu Sin-sū tng-teh kiâⁿ-kòe Tē-sì Tōa-ke, ǹg i ê tn̂g-í kiâⁿ óa lâi.

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1. Stuffy Pete tú-tú ùi 餐會出來

有一个節日是咱 ka-tī ê. 有一个節日, 猶未徛家 ê 美國人 lóng 轉 in 老厝, 去食 soda 餅, koh 好玄彼个舊 phòng-phù 那會看著比過去 koh 較近砛簷 ah. 咱來祝福這一工. 彼是 Roosevelt 總統予咱 ê. 咱 bat 聽人講起清教徒 (Puritans), m̄-koh 咱袂記得 in 是 siáng. 我相輸, in 若試圖 koh 再登陸, 無論如何, 咱定著會 kā 拍 kah in 滲屎尿. Plymouth 石頭? Hmh, 這聽著 ká-ná 較熟似. 自從火雞信託基金 (Turkey Trust) 運作以來, 咱濟濟人煞著降級食雞母肉. M̄-koh, tī Washington 有人提早 kā in 洩漏 chiah-ê 感恩節公告 ê 信息.

彼个 tī 蔓越莓 (cranberry) 湳地東爿 ê 大都市已經建立感恩節 ê 制度. 逐年十一月 thōng 尾 ê 拜四, kan-ta 彼工伊承認渡船口對面彼部份 ê 美國. 

Chit-má 欲講 ê 這个故事, 是欲 kā 你證明, tī 大海洋 ê 這爿, 咱 mā 有 ka-tī ê 傳統, in 比 hiah-ê 英國傳統老了 koh 較緊 -- 這是因為咱充滿活力 kap 有進取 ê 精神.

Stuffy Pete 坐 tī 正爿第三塊長椅, 也 tō 是 ùi 東爿入聯合大埕 (Union Square), 面對噴水泉彼條散步道 hia.  九年來, 每一个感恩節, 伊 lóng 準時 tī 一點 tō 坐 tī hia. 因為每擺伊 án-ne 做, 總是會拄著代誌發生 -- Charles Dickens 式 ê 代誌, he 會 kā 伊 ê 䘥仔脹大到胸坎頂, 後壁面 mā 仝款.

M̄-koh, 今仔日 Stuffy Pete 出現 tī 這个一年一改 ê 約會地點, ká-ná 是習慣 ê 結果, 較無成是慈善家所認為 ê, 艱苦人是 tī 規年迵天 ê 期間 lóng 受著饑餓 ê 折磨.

當然, Pete 並袂枵. 伊 tú-tú ùi 一場餐會出來, 今伊干焦賰喘氣 kap 徏動 ê 氣力 niā-niā. 伊 ê 目睭 ná 兩粒白蔥蔥 ê chhò͘-le̍k (醋栗, gooseberry) 絚絚窒 tī 一个膨皮, hôe kah chiâu 是肉汁 ê iû-hoe (油灰, putty) 面殼 ni̍h. 伊喘 phīⁿ-phēⁿ; 一圈老議員才有 ê 肥 chuh-chuh 頷頸, 予伊掀起 ê 大衣頷領無法度顯示時行 ê 風格. 一禮拜前由善良救世軍 (Salvation, 舊衫店) ê 手 thīⁿ 好 tī 伊 ê 衫仔頂 ê 鈕仔, ná 像磅番麥 án-ne 煏開, lak tī 伊四周圍 ê 塗跤. 伊 ê 衣衫 lâm-lūi, siatchuh 頭前開開到下腰; m̄-koh 十一月 ê 微風, chhap 著幼雪, 干焦予伊感激 ê 涼爽. 因為 Stuffy Pete 熱量 siuⁿ 濟, 伊 tú-tú 食過一頓超級 phông-phài ê 菜飯, ùi 蚵仔開始, 到李仔 pudding 結束, 猶閣有 (在伊看) 世界所有 ê 烘火雞, 烘馬鈴薯, 雞肉 salad kap 金瓜餅和 ais-krim. Tō 是 án-ne, 伊坐 tī hia, 飽 tu-tu, kō͘ 一種食飽臭煬 ê 眼光看世界.

這頓飯是一个意外. 伊經過倚近第五大道起點 ê 一座紅磚仔大厝, 內底蹛兩个來自古早家庭 koh 尊重傳統 ê 老太太. Yin 甚至無承認 New York ê 存在, koh 相信講, 感恩節是專門為著 Washington 大埕才宣布 ê. Yin ê 一項傳統習慣是派一个家僕徛 tī 大門口, 命令伊 tī 中晝鐘聲摃了 ê 時, 迎接第一个饑餓 ê 過路人, koh 請伊食一頓 chheⁿ-chhau. Stuffy Pete 欲去公園拄好經過 hia, 管家 tō chhōa 伊入去, 照彼个城堡 ê 傳統 loeh 做.

Stuffy Pete 直直看面前十分鐘了後, 才覺察著欲看無仝 ê 景致. 伊誠食力才慢慢 kā 頭殼越 ǹg 倒爿. 彼時, 伊 ê 目睭驚惶 kah phok 出來, 伊停止喘氣, 短短 ê 跤穿 ê 防滑 ê 鞋底 khu̍h-khu̍h 顫, 地面 ê 碎石仔 mā si-si sa-sa 出聲.

因為彼个老紳士 tng-teh 行過第四大街, ǹg 伊 ê 長椅行倚來.

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1.

There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to. Bless the day. President Roosevelt gives it to us. We hear some talk of the Puritans, but don't just remember who they were. Bet we can lick 'em, anyhow, if they try to land again. Plymouth Rocks? Well, that sounds more familiar. Lots of us have had to come down to hens since the Turkey Trust got its work in. But somebody in Washington is leaking out advance information to 'em about these Thanksgiving proclamations.

The big city east of the cranberry bogs has made Thanksgiving Day an institution. The last Thursday in November is the only day in the year on which it recognizes the part of America lying across the ferries. It is the one day that is purely American. Yes, a day of celebration, exclusively American.

And now for the story which is to prove to you that we have traditions on this side of the ocean that are becoming older at a much rapider rate than those of England are--thanks to our git-up and enterprise.

Stuffy Pete took his seat on the third bench to the right as you enter Union Square from the east, at the walk opposite the fountain. Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years he had taken his seat there promptly at 1 o'clock. For every time he had done so things had happened to him--Charles Dickensy things that swelled his waistcoat above his heart, and equally on the other side.

But to-day Stuffy Pete's appearance at the annual trysting place seemed to have been rather the result of habit than of the yearly hunger which, as the philanthropists seem to think, afflicts the poor at such extended intervals.

Certainly Pete was not hungry. He had just come from a feast that had left him of his powers barely those of respiration and locomotion. His eyes were like two pale gooseberries firmly imbedded in a swollen and gravy-smeared mask of putty. His breath came in short wheezes; a senatorial roll of adipose tissue denied a fashionable set to his upturned coat collar. Buttons that had been sewed upon his clothes by kind Salvation fingers a week before flew like popcorn, strewing the earth around him. Ragged he was, with a split shirt front open to the wishbone; but the November breeze, carrying fine snowflakes, brought him only a grateful coolness. For Stuffy Pete was overcharged with the caloric produced by a super-bountiful dinner, beginning with oysters and ending with plum pudding, and including (it seemed to him) all the roast turkey and baked potatoes and chicken salad and squash pie and ice cream in the world. Wherefore he sat, gorged, and gazed upon the world with after-dinner contempt.

The meal had been an unexpected one. He was passing a red brick mansion near the beginning of Fifth avenue, in which lived two old ladies of ancient family and a reverence for traditions. They even denied the existence of New York, and believed that Thanksgiving Day was declared solely for Washington Square. One of their traditional habits was to station a servant at the postern gate with orders to admit the first hungry wayfarer that came along after the hour of noon had struck, and banquet him to a finish. Stuffy Pete happened to pass by on his way to the park, and the seneschals gathered him in and upheld the custom of the castle.

After Stuffy Pete had gazed straight before him for ten minutes he was conscious of a desire for a more varied field of vision. With a tremendous effort he moved his head slowly to the left. And then his eyes bulged out fearfully, and his breath ceased, and the rough-shod ends of his short legs wriggled and rustled on the gravel.

For the Old Gentleman was coming across Fourth avenue toward his bench.

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