狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第32章Part 4
The Captain shaking his head, Mr Toots explained that the man alluded to was the celebrated public character who had covered himself and his country with glory in his contest with the Nobby Shropshire One; but this piece of information did not appear to enlighten the Captain very much.
'Because he's outside: that's all,' said Mr Toots. 'But it's of no consequence; he won't get very wet, perhaps.'
'I can pass the word for him in a moment,' said the Captain.
'Well, if you would have the goodness to let him sit in the shop with your young man,' chuckled Mr Toots, 'I should be glad; because, you know, he's easily offended, and the damp's rather bad for his stamina. I'll call him in, Mr Gills.'
With that, Mr Toots repairing to the shop-door, sent a peculiar whistle into the night, which produced a stoical gentleman in a shaggy white great-coat and a flat-brimmed hat, with very short hair, a broken nose, and a considerable tract of bare and sterile country behind each ear.
'Sit down, Chicken,' said Mr Toots.
The compliant Chicken spat out some small pieces of straw on which he was regaling himself, and took in a fresh supply from a reserve he carried in his hand.
'There ain't no drain of nothing short handy, is there?' said the Chicken, generally. 'This here sluicing night is hard lines to a man as lives on his condition.
Captain Cuttle proffered a glass of rum, which the Chicken, throwing back his head, emptied into himself, as into a cask, after proposing the brief sentiment, 'Towards us!' Mr Toots and the Captain returning then to the parlour, and taking their seats before the fire, Mr Toots began:
'Mr Gills - '
船長搖了搖頭，圖茨先生就解釋說，他所提到這個人是一位大名鼎鼎的人物，他曾經在跟諾貝?旋羅普希爾第一的競賽中給他自己和祖國取得了光榮，但是這個消息並沒有使船長十分領悟他的意思。
“問題是，他現在還站在外面的街道上；我所有的話都說完了，”圖茨先生說道，”不過這無關緊要；也許他不會淋得很溼的。”
“我立刻吩咐讓他進來，”船長說道。
“唔，如果您肯行個好，允許他跟您的年輕人坐在店鋪裏的話，”圖茨先生吃吃地笑道，”那麼我將感到很高興；因爲，您知道，他是很容易生氣的，而潮溼的天氣對他體力很不利。我去喊他進來吧，吉爾斯先生。”
圖茨先生一邊說，一邊跑到店鋪門口，向着黑暗的夜色吹了一個奇異的口哨；在這之後，出現了一位斯多噶派的先生；他穿着一件毛茸茸的白色大衣，戴了一頂平邊帽，頭髮剪得很短，鼻子是破的，每隻耳朵後面都有一片很寬的地方，光光的，一根毛也沒有。
“請坐，鬥雞，”圖茨先生說道。
順從的鬥雞吐出了幾小根作爲美餐的稻草，又從他手中的儲備中塞了幾根新的到嘴裏。
“這裏能找到一口酒潤潤嗓子嗎？”鬥雞沒有特別對着哪一個人說道，”這種多雨的天氣對一個自力謀生的人來說真是要命！”
卡特爾船長遞上一杯朗姆酒；鬥雞致了簡短的祝酒詞：”爲我們大家的健康乾杯！”然後，頭往後一仰，就把整杯酒一滴不留地倒進了肚子，就像倒進一個酒桶裏似的。當圖茨先生和船長回到客廳，在爐前坐下來的時候，圖茨先生說道：
“吉爾斯先生--”
