【英文原著类】The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg(败坏了赫德莱堡的人).pdf

The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg
The Man that Corrupted
Hadleyburg
by Mark Twain
1
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg
I
It was many years ago. Hadleyburg was the most honest and
upright town in all the region round about. It had kept that reputation
unsmirched during three generations, and was prouder of it than of any
other of its possessions. It was so proud of it, and so anxious to insure its
perpetuation, that it began to teach the principles of honest dealing to its
babies in the cradle, and made the like teachings the staple of their culture
thenceforward through all the years devoted to their education. Also,
throughout the formative years temptations were kept out of the way of the
young people, so that their honesty could have every chance to harden and
solidify, and e a part of their very bone. The neighbouring towns
were jealous of this honourable supremacy, and affected to sneer at
Hadleyburg's pride in it and call it vanity; but all the same they were
obliged to acknowledge that Hadleyburg was in reality an incorruptible
town; and if pressed they would also acknowledge that the mere fact that a
young man hailed from Hadleyburg was all the mendation he
needed when he went forth from his natal town to seek for responsible
employment.
But at last, in the drift of time, Hadleyburg had the ill luck to offend a
passing stranger--possibly without knowing it, certainly without caring,
for Hadleyburg was sufficient unto itself, and cared not a rap for strangers
or their opinions. Still, it would have been well to make an exception in
this one's case, for he was a bitter man, and revengeful. All through his
wanderings during a whole year he kept his injury in mind, and gave all
his leisure moments to trying to invent pensating satisfaction for it.
He contrived many plans, and all of them were good, but none of them
was quite sweeping enough: the poorest of them would hurt a great
many individuals, but what he wanted was a pl