雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第二章 Part 2
It then appeared that she had used the word, not in its legal or business acceptation, when it merely expresses an individual, but as a noun of multitude, or signifying many: for Miss Tox escorted a plump rosy-cheeked wholesome apple-faced young woman, with an infant in her arms; a younger woman not so plump, but apple-faced also, who led a plump and apple-faced child in each hand; another plump and also apple-faced boy who walked by himself; and finally, a plump and apple-faced man, who carried in his arms another plump and apple-faced boy, whom he stood down on the floor, and admonished, in a husky whisper, to 'kitch hold of his brother Johnny.'
原來她並不是按照法律上或商業上的意義來使用當事人這個詞（在這種場合，這個詞只表示一個人），而是把它作爲一個羣體名詞來使用的，也就是說，它是表示許多人的。因爲托克斯小姐護送來的是：一位肥胖的、臉頰紅潤的、身體健全的、臉長得像蘋果一樣的年輕女人，手中抱着一個嬰孩；一位不那麼肥胖，但臉也像蘋果一樣的年紀較輕的女人，她每隻手中牽着一個肥胖的、臉像蘋果一樣的孩子；另外一位肥胖的、臉也像蘋果一樣的男孩子，他自己走路；最後，一位肥胖的、臉像蘋果一樣的男子，他手中抱着另一個肥胖的、臉像蘋果一樣的男孩子；他把這男孩子放到地上，用乾啞的聲音低聲吩咐道；“抓住約翰尼哥哥。”
'My dear Louisa,' said Miss Tox, 'knowing your great anxiety, and wishing to relieve it, I posted off myself to the Queen Charlotte's Royal Married Females,' which you had forgot, and put the question, Was there anybody there that they thought would suit? No, they said there was not. When they gave me that answer, I do assure you, my dear, I was almost driven to despair on your account. But it did so happen, that one of the Royal Married Females, hearing the inquiry, reminded the matron of another who had gone to her own home, and who, she said, would in all likelihood be most satisfactory. The moment I heard this, and had it corroborated by the matron - excellent references and unimpeachable character I got the address, my dear, and posted off again.'
“我親愛的路易莎，”托克斯小姐說道，“我知道您萬分焦急，並希望讓您放心，所以我就急匆匆地動身到夏洛特皇后的皇家已婚婦女收容所去（您已忘記它了），問她們那裏有沒有合適的人？他們說，她們那裏沒有；當她們這樣回答我的時候，親愛的，說真的，我都幾乎要爲您陷於絕望了。可是碰巧皇家已婚婦女收容所裏的一個人聽到我提出的問題，就向所長提醒說，有一位現在已經回家的女人十之八九是能滿足要求的。我聽了這些話，從所長那裏又得到證實——她有極好的推薦信，又有無可指責的品格——，於是就立刻查得了地址，我親愛的，我又急匆匆地出發了。”
註釋：remind : 使某人想到;提醒某人……
例句：
1. You remind me of your father.
你使我想起你爸爸。
2. The music at a marriage procession always remind me of the music of soldier march to battle.
結婚行列進行時的音樂，常使我想起兵士們向戰場進軍時的音樂。'Like the dear good Tox, you are!' said Louisa.
'Not at all,' returned Miss Tox. 'Don't say so. Arriving at the house (the cleanest place, my dear! You might eat your dinner off the floor), I found the whole family sitting at table; and feeling that no account of them could be half so comfortable to you and Mr Dombey as the sight of them all together, I brought them all away. This gentleman,' said Miss Tox, pointing out the apple-faced man, 'is the father. Will you have the goodness to come a little forward, Sir?'
The apple-faced man having sheepishly complied with this request, stood chuckling and grinning in a front row.
'This is his wife, of course,' said Miss Tox, singling out the young woman with the baby. 'How do you do, Polly?'
'I'm pretty well, I thank you, Ma'am,' said Polly.
By way of bringing her out dexterously, Miss Tox had made the inquiry as in condescension to an old acquaintance whom she hadn't seen for a fortnight or so.
“您一向是這樣熱心、善良，我親愛的托克斯！”路易莎說道。
“哪裏，”托克斯小姐回答道。“別這麼說。我到達了她的家（那是極爲乾淨的地方，我親愛的！您可以在地板上吃飯），發現全家人正坐桌邊；我覺得我向您和董貝先生不管怎麼說，也遠不如讓你們親眼看一看他們全家人更能使你們放心，所以我就把他們全都帶來了。這位先生，”托克斯小姐指着那位臉像蘋果一樣的男子說，“是父親。勞駕您能往前站一點兒，好嗎，先生？”那位臉像蘋果一樣的男子羞怯地聽從了這個請求，站在第一排，露出牙齒，吃吃地笑着。
“這當然是他的妻子羅，”托克斯小姐指着那位抱嬰孩的女人，說道，“您好嗎，波利？”
“我很好，謝謝您，夫人，”波利說道。
爲了巧妙地介紹她，托克斯小姐發問的時候，就彷彿是對待一位她只有兩個星期沒見面的老熟人似的。
'I'm glad to hear it,' said Miss Tox. 'The other young woman is her unmarried sister who lives with them, and would take care of her children. Her name's Jemima. How do you do, Jemima?'
'I'm pretty well, I thank you, Ma'am,' returned Jemima.
'I'm very glad indeed to hear it,' said Miss Tox. 'I hope you'll keep so. Five children. Youngest six weeks. The fine little boy with the blister on his nose is the eldest The blister, I believe,' said Miss Tox, looking round upon the family, 'is not constitutional, but accidental?'
The apple-faced man was understood to growl, 'Flat iron.
'I beg your pardon, Sir,' said Miss Tox, 'did you?
'Flat iron,' he repeated.
'Oh yes,' said Miss Tox. 'Yes! quite true. I forgot. The little creature, in his mother's absence, smelt a warm flat iron. You're quite right, Sir. You were going to have the goodness to inform me, when we arrived at the door that you were by trade a'
'Stoker,' said the man.
'A choker!' said Miss Tox, quite aghast.
'Stoker,' said the man. 'Steam ingine.'
'Oh-h! Yes!' returned Miss Tox, looking thoughtfully at him, and seeming still to have but a very imperfect understanding of his meaning.
'And how do you like it, Sir?'
'Which, Mum?' said the man.
'That,' replied Miss Tox. 'Your trade.'
'Oh! Pretty well, Mum. The ashes sometimes gets in here;' touching his chest: 'and makes a man speak gruff, as at the present time. But it is ashes, Mum, not crustiness.'
“聽您這麼說我感到很高興，”托克斯小姐說道，“另外那一位姑娘是她還沒有出嫁的妹妹，她跟他們住在一起，照看她的孩子。她的名字叫傑邁瑪。您好嗎，傑邁瑪？”
“我很好，謝謝您，夫人，”傑邁瑪回答道。
“聽您這麼說我感到很高興，”托克斯小姐說道，“我希望您將一直和現在一樣。五個孩子。最小的只六個星期。那個可愛的、鼻子上有一個水皰的小男孩是最大的孩子。我想那水皰，”托克斯小姐向全家人看了一眼，說道，“不是由於體質上的原因，而是由於意外事故產生的吧？”
只聽見那位臉像蘋果一樣的男子粗聲粗氣地說道，“熨斗”。
“對不起，先生，我沒聽清楚，”托克斯小姐說道，“您是說？——”
“熨斗，”他重複說道。
“啊對了，”托克斯小姐說道，“對了，完全正確。我忘記了。這小傢伙當他母親不在的時候，去聞了一下發燙的熨斗。您說得一點也不錯，先生。當我們到達這個房屋門口的時候，承蒙您的好意，您正要告訴我，您的職業是——”
“司爐。”
“殺騾？”托克斯小姐十分吃驚地說道。
“司爐，”那男子說道，“蒸汽機。”
“啊，是的！”托克斯小姐答道，一邊若有所思地望着他，似乎還很不完全瞭解他的意思。
“您喜歡它嗎，先生？”
“什麼，夫人？”那男子問道。
“就是那，”托克斯小姐回答道，“您的職業。”
“啊，挺喜歡的，夫人。灰有時跑進這裏，”他指一指胸膛，“它使人的聲音粗啞，就像我現在這樣。但這是由於灰，而不是由於脾氣粗暴造成的。”
註釋：take care of: 照顧；注意；撫養
例句：
1. Please take care of yourself.
請多保重。
2. Take care of our environment .
呵護我們的環境。Miss Tox seemed to be so little enlightened by this reply, as to find a difficulty in pursuing the subject. But Mrs Chick relieved her, by entering into a close private examination of Polly, her children, her marriage certificate, testimonials, and so forth. Polly coming out unscathed from this ordeal, Mrs Chick withdrew with her report to her brother's room, and as an emphatic comment on it, and corroboration of it, carried the two rosiest little Toodles with her. Toodle being the family name of the apple-faced family.
這個回答似乎沒有使托克斯小姐聽得更明白，因此她覺得難於把這個話題繼續談下去。但是奇剋夫人這時幫了她的忙，她對波利、她的孩子們、她的結婚證書、推薦書等等進行了仔細的審查。波利安全無恙地通過了這個嚴峻的考驗之後，奇剋夫人就離開客廳，到她哥哥的房間去，向他報告；爲了使好的報告有一個生動的註釋和有力的證明，她把臉頰最紅潤的兩位小圖德爾一道帶了去。臉像蘋果一樣的這一家人姓圖德爾。
Mr Dombey had remained in his own apartment since the death of his wife, absorbed in visions of the youth, education, and destination of his baby son. Something lay at the bottom of his cool heart, colder and heavier than its ordinary load; but it was more a sense of the child's loss than his own, awakening within him an almost angry sorrow. That the life and progress on which he built such hopes, should be endangered in the outset by so mean a want; that Dombey and Son should be tottering for a nurse, was a sore humiliation. And yet in his pride and jealousy, he viewed with so much bitterness the thought of being dependent for the very first step towards the accomplishment of his soul's desire, on a hired serving-woman who would be to the child, for the time, all that even his alliance could have made his own wife, that in every new rejection of a candidate he felt a secret pleasure. The time had now come, however, when he could no longer be divided between these two sets of feelings. The less so, as there seemed to be no flaw in the title of Polly Toodle after his sister had set it forth, with many commendations on the indefatigable friendship of Miss Tox.
董貝先生自從妻子逝世以後一直沒有走出他自己的房間，而在專心一意地幻想着他的還是嬰孩的兒子的青年、教育與今後的前程。有個什麼東西壓在他的冷淡的心底，比它通常的分量更重，也更冷；但這主要是他感覺到他的兒子遭受了損失，倒不是他感覺到他自己遭受了損失；這種感覺在他心中引起了一種幾乎是憤怒的懊喪。他寄託着這樣重大希望的一個人的生命與發展竟在一開始的時候就由於缺少這樣區區一位小人物而遭到危險；董貝父子公司竟會由於一位奶媽的緣故而搖搖欲墜，這是件令人痛苦的屈辱的事情。他懷着高傲與妒嫉的心情，十分苦惱地想到，完成他所懷抱的理想的第一步竟取決於一位被僱傭的女僕人，這位女僕人對他的孩子來說將暫時成爲一切，甚至是他通過結婚，使他自己的妻子所能做到的一切，因此每當一位新的候選人被拒絕的時候，他心裏都會暗暗地感到高興。然而現在，他不能再在這兩種不同的感情中徘徊不決的時候來到了，特別是，當他妹妹一邊對托克斯小姐的不知疲倦的友誼說了許多稱讚的話，報告了波利•圖德爾所具備的條件，從這些條件中似乎找不到什麼缺點的時候，就更需要他作出決定了。
註釋：absorbed in: 全神貫注於……
例句：
1. Mary was absorbed in thought.
瑪麗在沉思。
2. He was too absorbed in the newspaper to hear the bell.
他專心讀報，連門鈴也沒聽見。'These children look healthy,' said Mr Dombey. 'But my God, to think of their some day claiming a sort of relationship to Paul!'
' But what relationship is there!' Louisa began
'Is there!' echoed Mr Dombey, who had not intended his sister to participate in the thought he had unconsciously expressed. 'Is there, did you say, Louisa!'
'Can there be, I mean... '
'Why none,' said Mr Dombey, sternly. 'The whole world knows that, I presume. Grief has not made me idiotic, Louisa. Take them away, Louisa! Let me see this woman and her husband.'
Mrs Chick bore off the tender pair of Toodles, and presently returned with that tougher couple whose presence her brother had commanded.
'My good woman,' said Mr Dombey, turning round in his easy chair, as one piece, and not as a man with limbs and joints, 'I understand you are poor, and wish to earn money by nursing the little boy, my son, who has been so prematurely deprived of what can never be replaced. I have no objection to your adding to the comforts of your family by that means. So far as I can tell, you seem to be a deserving object. But I must impose one or two conditions on you, before you enter my house in that capacity. While you are here, I must stipulate that you are always known as say as Richards an ordinary name, and convenient. Have you any objection to be known as Richards? You had better consult your husband.'
'Well?' said Mr Dombey, after a pretty long pause. 'What does your husband say to your being called Richards?'
“這些孩子看去是健康的，”董貝先生說道，“但是想一想他們有朝一日要求來跟保羅攀扯什麼親戚關係吧！把他們領走，路易莎，讓我看看這位女人和她的丈夫。”
奇剋夫人把這兩位皮膚嬌嫩的圖德爾領走，按照她哥哥的吩咐，很快又把兩位皮膚粗糙一些的圖德爾領回來。
“您這位善良的女人，”董貝先生說道，他整個身體在安樂椅子中轉動着，好像他沒有四肢與關節似的，“我知道您家境清寒，希望給這個小男孩，我的兒子餵奶來掙點錢，這孩子過早地被奪去了永遠也不能代替的人。我不反對您採用這種方法使您的家庭富裕一些。根據我的判斷，您似乎是一位合適的對象。但是在您到我的家裏擔任這個職務之前，我必須向您提出一兩條您必須遵守的條件。當您在我家裏的時候，我必須規定大家一直用一個普通的、便於稱呼的姓，比方說理查茲來稱呼您。您反對大家管您叫理查茲嗎？您最好跟您丈夫商量一下。”
註釋：objection to: n. 反對；異議
例句：
1. I take objection to the plan.
我反對這項計劃。
2. Have you any objection to changing your working hours?
你對改變你的工作時間有什麼異議嗎？
