He seemed to take to me quite as naturally and unbiddenly as I to him; and when our smoke was over, he pressed his forehead against mine, clasped me round the waist, and said that henceforth we were married; meaning, in his country's phrase, that we were bosom friends; he would gladly die for me, if need should be. In a countryman, this sudden flame of friendship would have seemed far too premature, a thing to be much distrusted; but in this simple savage those old rules would not apply.

他对待我,似乎正如我对待他一样,十分自然,毫无拘束。我们吸过烟后,他把他的额头贴着我的额头,拦腰把我抱住,还说如今我们已经成亲了;那意思,按照他家乡的说法,就是我们如今成为知心朋友了;如果必要的话,他乐意为我而死。在一个乡下人看来,这种一见如故的友情之火,似乎是太不成熟,是一桩极不可靠的事;但是,在这个质朴的野人的眼中,那些陈年老套已是用不上了。

After supper, and another social chat and smoke, we went to our room together. He made me a present of his embalmed head; took out his enormous tobacco wallet, and groping under the tobacco, drew out some thirty dollars in silver; then spreading them on the table, and mechanically dividing them into two equal portions, pushed one of them towards me, and said it was mine. I was going to remonstrate; but he silenced me by pouring them into my trowsers' pockets. I let them stay. He then went about his evening prayers, took out his idol, and removed the paper firebrand. By certain signs and symptoms, I thought he seemed anxious for me to join him; but well knowing what was to follow, I deliberated a moment whether, in case he invited me, I would comply or otherwise.

吃过晚饭,我们又亲密地谈一阵心,抽一会烟,便一起回到我们的房里去。他把他那只香料制的人头送给了我;又掏出那只大烟袋,在烟叶下面摸了一会,摸出三十来个银币;他把银币摊在桌上,笨拙地把它们分成相等的两份,推一份到我面前,说这是我的。我正想推却,他已经把它们都倒在我的裤袋里,教我无法开口了。我让它们放在袋里。接着他就去做他的晚祷,他拿出他那只偶像,移开那块纸糊的隔火板。从他那些手势与迹象看来,我认为他似乎很想要我跟他一起去做晚祷;但是,去凑合他会有什么结果,我是很明白的,我考虑了一会,心想万一他邀我去凑合他时,究竟是答应呢还是不答应。

I was a good Christian; born and bred in the bosom of the infallible Presbyterian Church. How then could I unite with this wild idolator in worshipping his piece of wood? But what is worship? thought I.

我是个在正正派派的长老教派中生长起来的正正当当的基督徒。我怎能跟这个野蛮的偶像崇拜者去一起膜拜他那块木头呢?但是,崇拜是什么?我心里想。以实玛利呀,现在你是不是以为那个气量宏大的。执掌天地...异教徒等等都包括在内...之神会对这块微不足道的黑木头发生妒忌么?不会的!但是,崇拜是什么?