The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

　Adventures of Huckleberry Finnを理解するには、The Adventures of Tom Sawyerをよく読んでみる必要がある。これはもちろんトム・ソーヤーの物語であるが、完全にハックルベリー・フィンに食われてしまっている感じもある。

　以下の36章のハックのセリフを読んでしまうと、読後感に残るのは自然児ハックの自由奔放さだ。

"Don't talk about it, Tom. I've tried it, and it don't work; it don't work, Tom. It ain't for me; I ain't used to it. The widder's good to me, and friendly; but I can't stand them ways. She makes me get up just at the same time every morning; she makes me wash, they comb me all to thunder; she won't let me sleep in the woodshed; I got to wear them blamed clothes that just smothers me, Tom; they don't seem to any air git through 'em, somehow; and they're so rotten nice that I can't set down, nor lay down, nor roll around anywher's; I hain't slid on a cellar–door for—well, it 'pears to be years; I got to go to church and sweat and sweat—I hate them ornery sermons! I can't ketch a fly in there, I can't chaw. I got to wear shoes all Sunday. The widder eats by a bell; she goes to bed by a bell; she gits up by a bell—everything's so awful reg'lar a body can't stand it."

　訳は柴田元幸の新潮文庫訳を確認してほしいが、It ain't for me; I ain't used to it.あたりは文法的にはIt isn't for me; I isn't used to it.となるべきだが、このあたりの表現を見ると、『トム・ソーヤーの冒険』が『ハックルベリー・フィンの冒けん』になりたがっている感じがうかがえる。

　ain’tを使う言い方、曲の歌詞にもよく使われる。

　わたしが真っ先に思い出すのは、Lenny Cravitzの1991年のヒット曲 “It Ain't Over Til It's Over“だ。

Here we are still together

　We are one

　So much time wasted

　Playing games with love

So many tears I've cried

　So much pain iside

　But baby it ain't over  'til it's over

　So many years we've tried

　To keep our love alive

　But baby it ain't over  'till it's over

How many times

　Did we give up

　But we always worked things out

　And all my doubts and fear

　If I'd always be in love

So many tears I've cried

　So much pain iside

　But baby it ain't over 'til it's over

So many years we've tried

　And kept our love alive

　But baby it ain't over  'till it's over

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmENMZFUU_0&list=FLIwo2CRKgz6tzGK3V537hzQ&index=237