狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第38章Part2

Cut off, however, from the implacable Louisa, and being shy of the Major (whom she viewed with some distrust now), Miss Tox found it very irksome to know nothing of what was going on in Mr Dombey's establishment. And as she really had got into the habit of considering Dombey and Son as the pivot on which the world in general turned, she resolved, rather than be ignorant of intelligence which so strongly interested her, to cultivate her old acquaintance, Mrs Richards, who she knew, since her last memorable appearance before Mr Dombey, was in the habit of sometimes holding communication with his servants. Perhaps Miss Tox, in seeking out the Toodle family, had the tender motive hidden in her breast of having somebody to whom she could talk about Mr Dombey, no matter how humble that somebody might be.
At all events, towards the Toodle habitation Miss Tox directed her steps one evening, what time Mr Toodle, cindery and swart, was refreshing himself with tea, in the bosom of his family. Mr Toodle had only three stages of existence. He was either taking refreshment in the bosom just mentioned, or he was tearing through the country at from twenty-five to fifty miles an hour, or he was sleeping after his fatigues. He was always in a whirlwind or a calm, and a peaceable, contented, easy-going man Mr Toodle was in either state, who seemed to have made over all his own inheritance of fuming and fretting to the engines with which he was connected, which panted, and gasped, and chafed, and wore themselves out, in a most unsparing manner, while Mr Toodle led a mild and equable life.
'Polly, my gal,' said Mr Toodle, with a young Toodle on each knee, and two more making tea for him, and plenty more scattered about - Mr Toodle was never out of children, but always kept a good supply on hand - 'you ain't seen our Biler lately, have you?'
'No,' replied Polly, 'but he's almost certain to look in tonight. It's his right evening, and he's very regular.'
'I suppose,' said Mr Toodle, relishing his meal infinitely, 'as our Biler is a doin' now about as well as a boy can do, eh, Polly?'
'Oh! he's a doing beautiful!' responded Polly.
'He ain't got to be at all secret-like - has he, Polly?' inquired Mr Toodle.
'No!' said Mrs Toodle, plumply.
'I'm glad he ain't got to be at all secret-like, Polly,' observed Mr Toodle in his slow and measured way, and shovelling in his bread and butter with a clasp knife, as if he were stoking himself, 'because that don't look well; do it, Polly?'
'Why, of course it don't, father. How can you ask!'
'You see, my boys and gals,' said Mr Toodle, looking round upon his family, 'wotever you're up to in a honest way, it's my opinion as you can't do better than be open. If you find yourselves in cuttings or in tunnels, don't you play no secret games. Keep your whistles going, and let's know where you are.

”可是托克斯小姐與毫不留情的路易莎斷絕了來往，又不好意思地躲避着少校（她現在對他有些不信任），因此對董貝先生家中的事情一無所知，心中感到很苦悶。因爲她確實已習慣於把董貝父子公司看成是全世界都圍繞着它旋轉的樞軸，所以她決心跟她的一位老熟人理查茲大嫂恢復交情，來得到她所十分關心的消息。她知道，理查茲大嫂自從上一次難忘地來到董貝先生面前之後，跟他的僕人們一直保持着聯繫。托克斯小姐尋找圖德爾這家人，心中也許還暗暗懷着一個微妙的動機，就是找個什麼人她可以跟她談談董貝先生；不論這個人的地位多麼低微她都不在乎。
不論情況如何，總之，有一天晚上，托克斯小姐邁出腳步，向着圖德爾的住宅走去了；而這時候，圖德爾先生則滿身煤灰，皮膚黝黑，在全家團聚中正喝着茶，恢復精神。圖德爾先生的生活只有三個階段。他要末就是像剛纔所說的，在享受着天倫之樂的時候恢復精神，要末就是以每小時二十五到五十英里的速度疾馳在國土上，要末就是在勞動疲乏之後睡覺。他經常不是處在急速的旋風中，就是處在風平浪靜中。不管是在哪一種情況下，圖德爾先生始終是一位和和氣氣、稱心滿意、怡然自得的人。他似乎已把他從父母那裏繼承下來的冒火和生氣的脾氣全部轉讓給跟他聯繫着的機車了；機車毫不客氣地喘着氣，噴着氣，發着火，磨損着自己，而圖德爾先生卻過着平靜的、安定的生活。
“波利，我親愛的，”圖德爾先生說道，他每個膝蓋上有一個年幼的圖德爾，有兩個在給他沏茶，還有更多的小圖德爾在他的周圍玩耍，--圖德爾先生從來也不缺少孩子，身邊總是有一大羣。--”你最近沒有看到我們的拜勒吧，是不是？”
“是的，”波利回答道，”不過他今晚準會回來。今晚他放假，他從不會錯過的。”
“我覺得，”圖德爾先生津津有味地品嚐着茶水的滋味，說道，”就一個孩子所能做到的來說，我們的拜勒現在表現得很好，是不是，波利？”
“啊！他現在好極了！”波利回答道。
“他現在一點也不神祕兮兮，不好捉摸了，是不是，波利？”圖德爾先生問道。
“一點也不！”圖德爾太太直截了當地說道。
“我很高興，他現在一點也不神祕兮兮，不好捉摸了，波利，”圖德爾先生不慌不忙，仔細思考着說道，一邊像給鍋爐送煤似地用折刀把奶油麪包送進嘴裏，”因爲那樣不好。對不對，波利？”
“那還用說，當然不好啦，爸爸。虧你問得出來！”
“聽着，我的兒子們和女兒們，”圖德爾先生向四周的孩子們看了看，說道，”不管你們做一樁什麼正直的事情，我認爲，你們最好是光明正大地去做。如果你發現你自己進了峽谷或隧道，你可別玩弄祕密的遊戲，你得鳴汽笛，讓大家知道你在哪裏。”