狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第40章Part4

'I have learnt from your mother, Mrs Dombey,' said Mr Dombey, with magisterial importance, what no doubt you know, namely, that Brighton is recommended for her health. Mr Carker has been so good
She changed suddenly. Her face and bosom glowed as if the red light of an angry sunset had been flung upon them. Not unobservant of the change, and putting his own interpretation upon it, Mr Dombey resumed:
'Mr Carker has been so good as to go down and secure a house there, for a time. On the return of the establishment to London, I shall take such steps for its better management as I consider necessary. One of these, will be the engagement at Brighton (if it is to be effected), of a very respectable reduced person there, a Mrs Pipchin, formerly employed in a situation of trust in my family, to act as housekeeper. An establishment like this, presided over but nominally, Mrs Dombey, requires a competent head.'
She had changed her attitude before he arrived at these words, and now sat - still looking at him fixedly - turning a bracelet round and round upon her arm; not winding it about with a light, womanly touch, but pressing and dragging it over the smooth skin, until the white limb showed a bar of red.
'I observed,' said Mr Dombey - 'and this concludes what I deem it necessary to say to you at present, Mrs Dombey - I observed a moment ago, Madam, that my allusion to Mr Carker was received in a peculiar manner. On the occasion of my happening to point out to you, before that confidential agent, the objection I had to your mode of receiving my visitors, you were pleased to object to his presence. You will have to get the better of that objection, Madam, and to accustom yourself to it very probably on many similar occasions; unless you adopt the remedy which is in your own hands, of giving me no cause of complaint. Mr Carker,' said Mr Dombey, who, after the emotion he had just seen, set great store by this means of reducing his proud wife, and who was perhaps sufficiently willing to exhibit his power to that gentleman in a new and triumphant aspect, 'Mr Carker being in my confidence, Mrs Dombey, may very well be in yours to such an extent. I hope, Mrs Dombey,' he continued, after a few moments, during which, in his increasing haughtiness, he had improved on his idea, 'I may not find it necessary ever to entrust Mr Carker with any message of objection or remonstrance to you; but as it would be derogatory to my position and reputation to be frequently holding trivial disputes with a lady upon whom I have conferred the highest distinction that it is in my power to bestow, I shall not scruple to avail myself of his services if I see occasion.'
'And now,' he thought, rising in his moral magnificence, and rising a stiffer and more impenetrable man than ever, 'she knows me and my resolution.'
The hand that had so pressed the bracelet was laid heavily upon her breast, but she looked at him still, with an unaltered face, and said in a low voice:
'Wait! For God's sake! I must speak to you.'
Why did she not, and what was the inward struggle that rendered her incapable of doing so, for minutes, while, in the strong constraint she put upon her face, it was as fixed as any statue's - looking upon him with neither yielding nor unyielding, liking nor hatred, pride not humility: nothing but a searching gaze?
'Did I ever tempt you to seek my hand? Did I ever use any art to win you? Was I ever more conciliating to you when you pursued me, than I have been since our marriage? Was I ever other to you than I am?'
'It is wholly unnecessary, Madam,' said Mr Dombey, 'to enter upon such discussions.'
'Did you think I loved you? Did you know I did not? Did you ever care, Man! for my heart, or propose to yourself to win the worthless thing? Was there any poor pretence of any in our bargain? Upon your side, or on mine?'
'These questions,' said Mr Dombey, 'are all wide of the purpose, Madam.'
She moved between him and the door to prevent his going away, and drawing her majestic figure to its height, looked steadily upon him still.
'You answer each of them. You answer me before I speak, I see. How can you help it; you who know the miserable truth as well as I? Now, tell me. If I loved you to devotion, could I do more than render up my whole will and being to you, as you have just demanded? If my heart were pure and all untried, and you its idol, could you ask more; could you have more?'
'Possibly not, Madam,' he returned coolly.

“我從您母親那裏知道，董貝夫人，”董貝先生擺出長官一般自尊自大的神氣，說道，”您毫無疑問已經知道了，有人建議她到布賴頓去療養。卡克先生真好，他已經--”
她立刻發生了變化。她的臉孔和前胸發紅了，彷彿那怒氣衝衝的夕陽的紅光已照到她身上似的。董貝先生不是沒有注意到這個變化，他按他自己的看法作了解釋，同時繼續說下去：
“卡克先生真好，他已經到那裏找到了一座房子，可以暫時居住。在你們返回倫敦的時候，我將採取一些我認爲必要的、改善管理的措施。其中的一個措施就是在布賴頓僱用一位皮普欽太太，讓她來當女管家（如果這件事辦成功的話）；她是一位很值得尊敬的、家道破落的人；以前我曾僱傭她在我家中服務，得到我的信賴。一個像這樣僅僅在名義上由董貝夫人主持的家庭，是需要有一位有能力的人來管理的。”
在他說出這些話之前，她已經改變了姿態；現在她坐在那裏，依舊目不轉睛地注視着他，同時把手鐲在手臂上一圈一圈地轉動着：並不是用女人輕輕的推碰來轉動它，而是拽着它擦過光滑的皮膚，直到雪白的手臂上現出了一道紅痕。
“我注意到，”董貝先生說道，”這也是我認爲今天必須最後對您說的，董貝夫人，--片刻鐘以前，我注意到，夫人，您聽我提到卡克先生的時候，神態有些異常。那一天，我當着這位我所極爲信任的經理的面，向您指出，我不滿意您接待我的客人的態度；當時您反對有他在場。今後您應當撤消這種反對，夫人，應當使您習慣於今後很可能發生的許多類似的場合，除非您採取補救措施（這掌握在您手中），今後不會再引起我不滿。卡克先生，”董貝先生說道，他看到他剛纔提到卡克先生時在她身上引起的變化情緒之後，十分重視用這個辦法來征服他的高傲的妻子；他也許十分願意從一個新的、他感到得意的方面來向那位先生顯示他的權力：”卡克先生是我極爲信任的人，董貝夫人；他也很可能得到您同樣程度的信任。”他過了一會兒（在這中間，他在愈益增長的傲慢情緒中，進一步肯定了他的想法），繼續說道，”我希望，董貝夫人，我可能永遠也不會認爲有必要委託卡克先生向您轉告我的任何批評或規勸，可是因爲和一位我給予了我所能給予的最高榮譽的夫人爲了一些雞毛蒜皮的小事經常發生爭吵，將有損於我的地位和名譽，所以在我認爲有必要時，我將毫不遲疑地利用他的服務。”
“現在，”他想道，同時懷着道義上的尊嚴感站了起來，這時候他是一位比過去任何時候都更執拗、更聽不進意見的人了，”她知道我和我的決心了。”
那隻用力壓着手鐲的手，現在沉重地落在她的胸上，但是她仍用她那沒有任何變化的臉色，平靜地看着他，並用低沉的說道：
“等一等！看在上帝的分上！我必須跟您談談。”
爲什麼她在這之前沒有對他說上幾分鐘呢？她內心發生了什麼鬥爭，使她不能這樣做呢？爲什麼在這之前，在她自己有力的約束下，她的臉像一尊塑像一樣一動不動，既不是順從也不是反抗，既不是喜愛也不是憤恨，既不是高傲也不是謙卑地看着他；除了銳利的注視之外，沒有任何其他表情呢？
“難道我過去什麼時候引誘過您向我求婚嗎？難道我過去什麼時候曾使用過詭計來贏得您嗎？難道過去您追求我的時候，我曾經比我們婚後更迎合您了嗎？難道我過去對您和現在有什麼兩樣嗎？”
“夫人，”董貝先生說道，”完全沒有必要進行這種討論。”
“難道您過去以爲我愛您嗎？您過去是否知道我不愛您？老兄，難道您曾關心過我的心，您曾打算贏得這毫無價值的東西嗎？難道在我們的交易中有過任何這種可憐的藉口嗎？是在您那一邊有過還是在我這一邊有過？”
“這些問題，”董貝先生說道，”跟我的用意離得太遠了，夫人。”
她走到他與門的中間，使他走不出去，又把她那威嚴的身子挺得筆直，依舊目不轉睛地注視着他。
“請您回答每一個問題。我看得出，在我提出這些問題之前，您已經回答了。您怎麼能不這樣做呢？您對這不幸的真情瞭解得跟我一樣清楚。現在，請告訴我，如果我過去熱誠地愛過您，那麼，我除了像您剛纔所要求的那樣，把我的全部意志和我整個人都奉獻給您之外，我還能再做些什麼呢？如果我過去的心是純潔的、一塵不染的，您是它崇拜的偶像，那麼您還能比剛纔要求更多的東西嗎，還能得到更多的東西嗎？”
“也許不能，夫人，”他冷淡地回答道。