狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第29章Part 5

'I should have adopted this course of argument,' pursued the discreet lady, 'because I trust I am not a fool. I make no claim to be considered a person of superior intellect - though I believe some people have been extraordinary enough to consider me so; one so little humoured as I am, would very soon be disabused of any such notion; but I trust I am not a downright fool. And to tell ME,' said Mrs Chick with ineffable disdain, 'that my brother Paul Dombey could ever contemplate the possibility of uniting himself to anybody - I don't care who' - she was more sharp and emphatic in that short clause than in any other part of her discourse - 'not possessing these requisites, would be to insult what understanding I have got, as much as if I was to be told that I was born and bred an elephant, which I may be told next,' said Mrs Chick, with resignation. 'It wouldn't surprise me at all. I expect it.'
In the moment's silence that ensued, Miss Tox's scissors gave a feeble clip or two; but Miss Tox's face was still invisible, and Miss Tox's morning gown was agitated. Mrs Chick looked sideways at her, through the intervening plants, and went on to say, in a tone of bland conviction, and as one dwelling on a point of fact that hardly required to be stated:
'Therefore, of course my brother Paul has done what was to be expected of him, and what anybody might have foreseen he would do, if he entered the marriage state again. I confess it takes me rather by surprise, however gratifying; because when Paul went out of town I had no idea at all that he would form any attachment out of town, and he certainly had no attachment when he left here. However, it seems to be extremely desirable in every point of view. I have no doubt the mother is a most genteel and elegant creature, and I have no right whatever to dispute the policy of her living with them: which is Paul's affair, not mine - and as to Paul's choice, herself, I have only seen her picture yet, but that is beautiful indeed. Her name is beautiful too,' said Mrs Chick, shaking her head with energy, and arranging herself in her chair; 'Edith is at once uncommon, as it strikes me, and distinguished. Consequently, Lucretia, I have no doubt you will be happy to hear that the marriage is to take place immediately - of course, you will:' great emphasis again: 'and that you are delighted with this change in the condition of my brother, who has shown you a great deal of pleasant attention at various times.'
Miss Tox made no verbal answer, but took up the little watering-pot with a trembling hand, and looked vacantly round as if considering what article of furniture would be improved by the contents. The room door opening at this crisis of Miss Tox's feelings, she started, laughed aloud, and fell into the arms of the person entering; happily insensible alike of Mrs Chick's indignant countenance and of the Major at his window over the way, who had his double-barrelled eye-glass in full action, and whose face and figure were dilated with Mephistophelean joy.
Not so the expatriated Native, amazed supporter of Miss Tox's swooning form, who, coming straight upstairs, with a polite inquiry touching Miss Tox's health (in exact pursuance of the Major's malicious instructions), had accidentally arrived in the very nick of time to catch the delicate burden in his arms, and to receive the content' of the little watering-pot in his shoe; both of which circumstances, coupled with his consciousness of being closely watched by the wrathful Major, who had threatened the usual penalty in regard of every bone in his skin in case of any failure, combined to render him a moving spectacle of mental and bodily distress.
For some moments, this afflicted foreigner remained clasping Miss Tox to his heart, with an energy of action in remarkable opposition to his disconcerted face, while that poor lady trickled slowly down upon him the very last sprinklings of the little watering-pot, as if he were a delicate exotic (which indeed he was), and might be almost expected to blow while the gentle rain descended. Mrs Chick, at length recovering sufficient presence of mind to interpose, commanded him to drop Miss Tox upon the sofa and withdraw; and the exile promptly obeying, she applied herself to promote Miss Tox's recovery.

“我必須採取這種議論事理的程序，”這位考慮周到的夫人繼續說道，”因爲我相信，我不是個傻瓜。我並不奢望人們把我看成是智慧高超的人（雖然我相信，有人實在離奇，竟會這樣看我，不過對於像我這樣一個沒有人會去巴結迎合的人，這類錯誤不久就會糾正過來的），可是我希望，我不是一個十足的傻瓜。要是有人對我說，”奇剋夫人用難以形容的輕蔑的表情說道，”我的哥哥保羅?董貝可以考慮跟不具備這些不可缺少的條件的任何人成親，--我不管是誰對我說的--”她說這短語的語氣比她話語中的任何其他部分都更爲尖銳和有力，”那就是侮辱我所具有的理智，那就等於告訴我，我生下來是隻象，並像象一樣地被養大；也許下一步就要對我這麼說了，”奇剋夫人露出逆來順受的表情，說道，”這一點並不會使我吃驚。我等待着。”
在接着短暫的沉默中，托克斯小姐的剪刀有氣無力地剪了一兩下，但是托克斯小姐的臉卻依舊看不到。托克斯小姐早晨穿的長外衣顫抖着。奇剋夫人通過中間擋隔着的花斜看着她，然後像一個在詳細談論不需要解釋的事實的人一樣，用深信不疑的語氣，繼續說下去：
“因此，我的哥哥保羅只要打算再婚，他自然做了人們預料他會做的事情，任何人都可以預見他會做的事情。我承認，這雖然使我高興，但卻使我相當吃驚，因爲當保羅離開倫敦的時候，我根本沒想到他會在倫敦以外的地方談上戀愛；他離開這裏的時候，當然是沒有戀愛的。不過看來，無論從哪一方面看，這都是極爲稱心滿意的。我毫無疑問，那母親是一位極有教養、極爲高尚的人，我也沒有任何權利去爭論，她跟他們住在一起是否合適，因爲這是保羅的事，不是我的事。至於保羅挑中的人兒本人，我現在還只看到她的照片，不過從照片看，那可確實是個美人。她的名字也美，”奇剋夫人有力地搖搖頭，在椅子裏移正身體，說道，”伊迪絲這個名字，我覺得既不俗，又高貴。因此，盧克麗霞，我毫不懷疑，您將會高興聽到，婚禮不久就要舉行了，--當然，您將會高興，”她又大大地加強了語氣，”您將會對我哥哥生活中的這個變化感到快樂，他曾多次極爲善意地關心過您。”
托克斯小姐沒有用言語回答，但卻用顫抖的手拿起小噴水壺，茫然失措地看看四周，彷彿在考慮哪一件傢俱用壺裏的水澆一澆會好一些似的。當托克斯小姐的感情處在這一緊急關頭的時候，房間的門開了，她吃了一驚，高聲大笑，並倒在進門來的人的懷裏；幸虧這時她沒有看到奇剋夫人的憤怒的臉色，也沒有看到廣場對過的少校在窗口用雙筒望遠鏡使勁看着，他的臉上和身姿中都顯露出梅菲斯托菲爾式的喜悅。
被放逐出國的本地人就是托克斯小姐暈倒的身體的吃驚的支撐者，他這時的心情跟他主人完全不同。他嚴格執行少校存心不良的指示，走上樓來，打算有禮貌地打聽一下托克斯小姐的健康情況，碰巧就在這個緊要的關頭到達，把這嬌弱的負擔接在懷裏，而他的鞋子則接受了小噴水壺裏流出來的水。這兩種情況，再加上他知道怒氣衝衝的少校現在正在密切注視他（少校曾威脅他，一旦失敗，就要照常對他進行懲罰，他全身的每根骨頭都要遭殃），所以他遭受着精神上和肉體上的雙重痛苦，情景實在悲慘動人。
這位苦惱的外國人用一種和他倉皇失措的臉部表情絕不相稱的勁頭，把托克斯小姐在胸前一直抱了好幾秒鐘，這時候，這位可憐的小姐讓小噴水壺裏最後的一點水一滴一滴慢慢地流到他身上，彷彿他是一株纖弱的外國植物（他是從外國來的，這點倒也確實），在這小雨的滋潤下，幾乎可以期待它開出花朵來。奇剋夫人終於充分恢復了鎮靜，開始過問這件事情；她囑咐本地人把托克斯小姐放到沙發上，然後出去；這位亡命他鄉的人立即遵命照辦。在這之後，她就投入全部精力，設法使托克斯小姐清醒過來。