雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第9章 Part 2

So it was that he went on doing what he had to do from day to day, in a cheerful, pains-taking, merry spirit; and saw through the sanguine complexion of Uncle Sol and Captain Cuttle; and yet entertained a thousand indistinct and visionary fancies of his own, to which theirs were work-a-day probabilities. Such was his condition at the Pipchin period, when he looked a little older than of yore, but not much; and was the same light-footed, light-hearted, light-headed lad, as when he charged into the parlour at the head of Uncle Sol and the imaginary boarders, and lighted him to bring up the Madeira.
所以他一天天繼續興致勃勃、不辭勞苦、歡樂愉快地做着他應該做的事情，清楚地看到所爾舅舅和卡特爾船長充滿希望的臉色，然而他自己卻懷着上千種模糊不清、虛無縹緲的幻想；跟他的這些幻想相比，他們的幻想倒還存在着一些實現的可能性。這就是弗洛倫斯陪伴保羅到皮普欽那裏去那段時間中他的情況；這時候他看上去比過去歲數大了一些，但大得不多，仍然是一位走路輕快、無憂無慮、不多思索的小夥子，就像他過去有一天在所爾舅舅和想象中的攻入敵船的船員們的前面，衝進客廳裏的時候，以及當他給所爾舅舅照明去取那瓶馬德拉白葡萄酒的時候一樣。
'Uncle Sol,' said Walter, 'I don't think you're well. You haven't eaten any breakfast. I shall bring a doctor to you, if you go on like this.'
“所爾舅舅，”沃爾特說道，“我覺得你身體不大好，你沒有吃早飯。如果你再這樣下去的話，那麼我將給你請一位醫生來。”
'He can't give me what I want, my boy,' said Uncle Sol. 'At least he is in good practice if he can - and then he wouldn't.'
“他不能給我所需要的東西，我的孩子，”所爾舅舅說道，“如果他能的話，那麼他至少有很好的經驗——但他畢竟是不能給的。”
'What is it, Uncle? Customers?'
“你指什麼，舅舅？是指顧客嗎？”
'Ay,' returned Solomon, with a sigh. 'Customers would do.'
“是的，”所羅門嘆了一口氣，回答道。“顧客就行。”
'Confound it, Uncle!' said Walter, putting down his breakfast cup with a clatter, and striking his hand on the table: 'when I see the people going up and down the street in shoals all day, and passing and re-passing the shop every minute, by scores, I feel half tempted to rush out, collar somebody, bring him in, and make him buy fifty pounds' worth of instruments for ready money. What are you looking in at the door for? - ' continued Walter, apostrophizing an old gentleman with a powdered head (inaudibly to him of course), who was staring at a ship's telescope with all his might and main. 'That's no use. I could do that. Come in and buy it!'
“真見鬼，舅舅！”沃爾特把他的早餐杯子卡嗒一聲放下，在桌子上敲了一拳，說道，“當我看到人們整天一羣羣在街上走來走去，每分鐘都有幾十個人經過這個店鋪的時候，我真想衝出去，扭住一個人的領口，拉他到店裏來，一定讓他拿出現錢，購買值五十鎊的儀器。喂，您在門口看什麼？——”沃爾特繼續說道，一邊向一位頭上撒了白粉的老先生喊道（他當然聽不見），那老先生正在聚精會神地注視着一架船上用的望遠鏡。“那沒有用，我也能那樣看，進來把它買去吧！”
The old gentleman, however, having satiated his curiosity, walked calmly away.
可是那位老先生滿足了好奇心之後，不聲不響地走開了。
'There he goes!' said Walter. 'That's the way with 'em all. But, Uncle - I say, Uncle Sol' - for the old man was meditating and had not responded to his first appeal. 'Don't be cast down. Don't be out of spirits, Uncle. When orders do come, they'll come in such a crowd, you won't be able to execute 'em.'
“他走了！”沃爾特說道。“他們全都是這樣。可是，舅舅——我說，所爾舅舅”——因爲老人正在沉思，沒有回答他第一次對他的招呼——“別垂頭喪氣，別沒精打采，舅舅。當訂貨真來的時候，它們會大批大批地來，那時候你都沒辦法去完成它們的呢。”
'I shall be past executing 'em, whenever they come, my boy,' returned Solomon Gills. 'They'll never come to this shop again, till I am out of t.'
“不論它們什麼時候來，我都能全部完成的，我的孩子，”所羅門·吉爾斯回答道。“在我沒有離開店鋪之前，它們永遠也不會到這裏來了。”