雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第11章 Part 4

'Ten years,' croaked the unsympathetic Pipchin, with a frosty glistening of her hard grey eye, and a dreary shaking of her bent head, 'is a long time.'
“十年，”毫無同情心的皮普欽用哭喪的聲音說道，她那冷酷的灰色眼睛冷若冰霜地閃了一下光，低垂的頭陰鬱地搖晃了一下，“是很長的時間。”
'It depends on circumstances, returned Mr Dombey; 'at all events, Mrs Pipchin, my son is six years old, and there is no doubt, I fear, that in his studies he is behind many children of his age - or his youth,' said Mr Dombey, quickly answering what he mistrusted was a shrewd twinkle of the frosty eye, 'his youth is a more appropriate expression. Now, Mrs Pipchin, instead of being behind his peers, my son ought to be before them; far before them. There is an eminence ready for him to mount upon. There is nothing of chance or doubt in the course before my son. His way in life was clear and prepared, and marked out before he existed. The education of such a young gentleman must not be delayed. It must not be left imperfect. It must be very steadily and seriously undertaken, Mrs Pipchin.'
“這取決於境況如何，”董貝先生回答道；“不管怎麼樣，皮普欽太太，我的兒子已經六歲了；我擔心，跟他同樣年齡或者說跟他同樣處於少年時期的許多孩子相比，他在學習上毫無疑問已經落後了。”他迅速地回答了那隻冷若冰霜的眼睛中發出的一道他覺得是狡獪的眼光，“跟他同樣處於少年時期——這個說法更恰當。可是，皮普欽太太，我的兒子不能落在他的同輩人的後面，而應當超過他們，遠遠地超過他們。有一個高地正等待着他去攀登。在我的兒子的未來的生活路程中沒有什麼聽憑機會擺佈或存在疑問的東西。他的生活道路是沒有障礙的，預先準備好的，在他出生之前就已經籌劃定了的。這樣一位年輕紳士的教育是不應該耽誤的。不應該讓它處於不完善的狀態。它必須很堅定很認真地進行，皮普欽太太。”
'Well, Sir,' said Mrs Pipchin, 'I can say nothing to the contrary.'
“唔，先生，”皮普欽太太說道，“我不會有什麼異議。”
'I was quite sure, Mrs Pipchin,' returned Mr Dombey, approvingly, 'that a person of your good sense could not, and would not.'
“我完全相信，皮普欽太太，”董貝先生贊同地說道，“像您這樣有卓越見識的人是不會，也不願意有異議的。”
'There is a great deal of nonsense - and worse - talked about young people not being pressed too hard at first, and being tempted on, and all the rest of it, Sir,' said Mrs Pipchin, impatiently rubbing her hooked nose. 'It never was thought of in my time, and it has no business to be thought of now. My opinion is "keep 'em at it".'
“現在人們談論着各種烏七八糟的廢話，——比廢話還不如——，說什麼對年輕人開始不要強迫得太厲害，而應當循循善誘，其他等等，先生，”皮普欽太太不耐煩地擦了擦她的鉤鼻，說道，“在我做孩子的時候，從來沒有這樣一些想法。現在也用不着這樣去想。我的意見是，‘強迫他們去做’。”
'My good madam,' returned Mr Dombey, 'you have not acquired your reputation undeservedly; and I beg you to believe, Mrs Pipchin, that I am more than satisfied with your excellent system of management, and shall have the greatest pleasure in commending it whenever my poor commendation - ' Mr Dombey's loftiness when he affected to disparage his own importance, passed all bounds - 'can be of any service. I have been thinking of Doctor Blimber's, Mrs Pipchin.'
“我的好夫人，”董貝先生回答道，“您真是名不虛傳；請您相信，皮普欽太太，我對您優良的管理制度非常滿意；只要我不足掛齒的推薦意見能有什麼用的話，我將會十分高興來推薦它。”——當董貝先生假裝貶低自己的重要性時，他的高傲是超越一切限度的——，“我一直在考慮布林伯博士的學校，皮普欽太太。”
'My neighbour, Sir?' said Mrs Pipchin. 'I believe the Doctor's is an excellent establishment. I've heard that it's very strictly conducted, and there is nothing but learning going on from morning to night.'
“我的近鄰嗎，先生？”皮普欽太太說道。“我相信這位博士的學校是一所優秀的學校。我聽說管理很嚴格，從早到晚除了學習不幹別的。”
'And it's very expensive,' added Mr Dombey.
“而且費用很貴，”董貝先生補充道。
'And it's very expensive, Sir,' returned Mrs Pipchin, catching at the fact, as if in omitting that, she had omitted one of its leading merits.
“而且費用很貴，”皮普欽太太回答道；她緊緊抓住這個事實，彷彿遺漏了這一點，她就遺漏了它的最主要的優點之一似的。