狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第30章Part 8

No bad representation of the body, for the nonce, in his unbending form, if not in his attitude, Mr Dombey looked down into the cold depths of the dead sea of mahogany on which the fruit dishes and decanters lay at anchor: as if the subjects of his thoughts were rising towards the surface one by one, and plunging down again. Edith was there In all her majesty of brow and figure; and close to her came Florence, with her timid head turned to him, as it had been, for an instant, when she left the room; and Edith's eyes upon her, and Edith's hand put out protectingly. A little figure in a low arm-chair came springing next into the light, and looked upon him wonderingly, with its bright eyes and its old-young face, gleaming as in the flickering of an evening fire. Again came Florence close upon it, and absorbed his whole attention. Whether as a fore-doomed difficulty and disappointment to him; whether as a rival who had crossed him in his way, and might again; whether as his child, of whom, in his successful wooing, he could stoop to think as claiming, at such a time, to be no more estranged; or whether as a hint to him that the mere appearance of caring for his own blood should be maintained in his new relations; he best knew. Indifferently well, perhaps, at best; for marriage company and marriage altars, and ambitious scenes - still blotted here and there with Florence - always Florence - turned up so fast, and so confusedly, that he rose, and went upstairs to escape them.
It was quite late at night before candles were brought; for at present they made Mrs Skewton's head ache, she complained; and in the meantime Florence and Mrs Skewton talked together (Cleopatra being very anxious to keep her close to herself), or Florence touched the piano softly for Mrs Skewton's delight; to make no mention of a few occasions in the course of the evening, when that affectionate lady was impelled to solicit another kiss, and which always happened after Edith had said anything. They were not many, however, for Edith sat apart by an open window during the whole time (in spite of her mother's fears that she would take cold), and remained there until Mr Dombey took leave. He was serenely gracious to Florence when he did so; and Florence went to bed in a room within Edith's, so happy and hopeful, that she thought of her late self as if it were some other poor deserted girl who was to be pitied for her sorrow; and in her pity, sobbed herself to sleep.
The week fled fast. There were drives to milliners, dressmakers, jewellers, lawyers, florists, pastry-cooks; and Florence was always of the party. Florence was to go to the wedding. Florence was to cast off her mourning, and to wear a brilliant dress on the occasion. The milliner's intentions on the subject of this dress - the milliner was a Frenchwoman, and greatly resembled Mrs Skewton - were so chaste and elegant, that Mrs Skewton bespoke one like it for herself. The milliner said it would become her to admiration, and that all the world would take her for the young lady's sister.
The week fled faster. Edith looked at nothing and cared for nothing. Her rich dresses came home, and were tried on, and were loudly commended by Mrs Skewton and the milliners, and were put away without a word from her. Mrs Skewton made their plans for every day, and executed them. Sometimes Edith sat in the carriage when they went to make purchases; sometimes, when it was absolutely necessary, she went into the shops. But Mrs Skewton conducted the whole business, whatever it happened to be; and Edith looked on as uninterested and with as much apparent indifference as if she had no concern in it. Florence might perhaps have thought she was haughty and listless, but that she was never so to her. So Florence quenched her wonder in her gratitude whenever it broke out, and soon subdued it.
The week fled faster. It had nearly winged its flight away. The last night of the week, the night before the marriage, was come. In the dark room - for Mrs Skewton's head was no better yet, though she expected to recover permanently to-morrow - were that lady, Edith, and Mr Dombey. Edith was at her open window looking out into the street; Mr Dombey and Cleopatra were talking softly on the sofa. It was growing late; and Florence, being fatigued, had gone to bed.

由董貝先生暫且代表這具屍體倒也不壞，因爲如果不去考慮他的姿勢，單就他那毫不彎曲的身形來說，它和屍體實在沒有什麼差別。桃花心木的餐桌就像一片死海，水果盤子和圓酒瓶正停泊在海上，董貝先生低垂着眼睛，看着這片死海寒冷的深處，彷彿他在思考的人物正一個個地升浮到海面，然後又重新沉沒下去。這裏是伊迪絲，臉孔和身姿中呈現出威嚴的神態；緊挨着她的是弗洛倫斯，神色膽怯地朝着他，就跟她剛纔離開房間那一剎那間的情形一樣；伊迪絲的眼睛注視着她，伊迪絲伸出手來保護她。接着，一個坐在低矮的扶手椅中的小人兒突然出現在亮光中，驚奇地望着他；他那明亮的眼睛和又年輕又老態的臉孔就像晚間閃爍的爐火一樣閃發出亮光。弗洛倫斯又來到了小人兒的身旁，吸引了他的全部注意力。董貝先生注意她，是不是由於她是註定要給他帶來困難和使他感到失望的人呢？或者是不是由於她是曾經擋住他的道路，並可能再次擋住他的道路的勁敵呢？或者是不是由於她是他的孩子，現在他在求婚獲得成功的時候，可以軟下心來想一想她，因爲她在這樣的時候要求不再被他疏遠了呢？或者是不是她對他是一種暗示：現在當他建立了新的家庭的時候，他必須至少在表面上對他的親骨肉表示出一點關心呢？這一切只有他本人最明白。但也許他對這些並沒有認真思考過，他心中充其量也仍然是模糊不清的，因爲婚禮呀，聖壇呀以及雄心勃勃的遠景呀（到處仍然都有個弗洛倫斯的黑點在裏面，老是有弗洛倫斯），十分迅速地和雜亂無章地在他的心中閃現出來，因此，他只好站起身來，走上樓去避開它們。
夜裏一直到很晚的時候也還沒有點蠟燭，因爲斯丘頓夫人抱怨，現在點蠟燭會使她頭疼；整個晚上，弗洛倫斯和斯丘頓夫人談着話（克利奧佩特拉急切地把她留在身邊），或者是弗洛倫斯輕輕彈着鋼琴給斯丘頓夫人消遣；那位慈愛的夫人有時還不得不要求弗洛倫斯再去親她一下，而這又總是在伊迪絲說了什麼話之後。不過伊迪絲說得不多，她不顧她母親擔心她會着涼，一直獨自一人坐在打開的窗子旁邊，直到董貝先生告辭之後才離開。他告別時，沉着平靜地對弗洛倫斯表示了禮貌。弗洛倫斯走到鄰近伊迪絲臥室的房間中去睡覺時感到十分幸福，充滿了希望；當她想到她的過去時，就像想到另一個可憐的、被遺棄的女孩子一樣；對這個女孩子的不幸是應當寄予同情的，她就在這種同情中哭泣着，哭泣着，睡去了。
這個星期過得很快。乘車前往婦女服飾店、縫紉店、珠寶店、律師事務所、花店和糕點店。弗洛倫斯經常陪着一道去。弗洛倫斯將參加婚禮。那時弗洛倫斯必須脫去喪服，穿上華麗的服裝。婦女服飾商是一位法國女人，面貌很像斯丘頓夫人；她對弗洛倫斯這套服裝的設計思想十分高雅、優美，所以斯丘頓夫人就給她自己也預定了式樣相似的一套；那位婦女服飾商說，她穿起來一定人人讚美，大家都會以爲她是那位小姐的姐姐呢。
這個星期過得更快了。伊迪絲什麼也不看，什麼也不關心。豪華的服裝給她送到家裏來，進行了試穿；斯丘頓夫人和婦女服飾商對它們高聲讚揚，她則一聲不吭地把它們收放起來。斯丘頓夫人擬訂她們每天的計劃，並執行着這些計劃。有時候她們去買東西時，伊迪絲就在馬車裏坐着；有時候，當絕對有必要時，她才走進商店。但是不論在什麼情況下，斯丘頓夫人都指揮着一切，而伊迪絲則毫無興趣，顯然冷冷淡淡地看着這一切，彷彿她對這絲毫也不關心似的。弗洛倫斯也許會想，她是傲慢的和無精打采的，但是她對待她卻從來不曾這樣，因此弗洛倫斯每當感到不可思議時，她就懷着感謝的心情把她的這種詫異壓下去，並很快地克服了它。
這個星期過得更快了。它幾乎是長着翅膀飛過去的。這星期的最後一夜，結婚前的一夜來臨了。房間裏仍然是黑暗的，因爲斯丘頓夫人的頭痛還沒有好，雖然她希望明天能永遠消除這個病症。在房間裏的是斯丘頓夫人，伊迪絲和董貝先生。伊迪絲又坐在打開的窗子旁邊，望着外面的街道；董貝先生和克利奧佩特拉坐在沙發上低聲談話。時間已經很晚了，弗洛倫斯覺得疲累，已經去睡覺了。