狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第26章Part 5

'Wretched man!' cried Mrs Skewton, looking at him languidly, 'pray be silent.'
'J. B. is dumb, Ma'am,' said the Major.
'Mr Dombey,' pursued Cleopatra, smoothing the rosy hue upon her cheeks, 'accordingly repeated his visit; and possibly finding some attraction in the simplicity and primitiveness of our tastes - for there is always a charm in nature - it is so very sweet - became one of our little circle every evening. Little did I think of the awful responsibility into which I plunged when I encouraged Mr Dombey - to -
'To beat up these quarters, Ma'am,' suggested Major Bagstock.
'Coarse person! 'said Mrs Skewton, 'you anticipate my meaning, though in odious language.
Here Mrs Skewton rested her elbow on the little table at her side, and suffering her wrist to droop in what she considered a graceful and becoming manner, dangled her fan to and fro, and lazily admired her hand while speaking.
'The agony I have endured,' she said mincingly, 'as the truth has by degrees dawned upon me, has been too exceedingly terrific to dilate upon. My whole existence is bound up in my sweetest Edith; and to see her change from day to day - my beautiful pet, who has positively garnered up her heart since the death of that most delightful creature, Granger - is the most affecting thing in the world.'
Mrs Skewton's world was not a very trying one, if one might judge of it by the influence of its most affecting circumstance upon her; but this by the way.
'Edith,' simpered Mrs Skewton, 'who is the perfect pearl of my life, is said to resemble me. I believe we are alike.'
'There is one man in the world who never will admit that anyone resembles you, Ma'am,' said the Major; 'and that man's name is Old Joe Bagstock.'
Cleopatra made as if she would brain the flatterer with her fan, but relenting, smiled upon him and proceeded:
'If my charming girl inherits any advantages from me, wicked one!': the Major was the wicked one: 'she inherits also my foolish nature. She has great force of character - mine has been said to be immense, though I don't believe it - but once moved, she is susceptible and sensitive to the last extent. What are my feelings when I see her pining! They destroy me.
The Major advancing his double chin, and pursing up his blue lips into a soothing expression, affected the profoundest sympathy.
'The confidence,' said Mrs Skewton, 'that has subsisted between us - the free development of soul, and openness of sentiment - is touching to think of. We have been more like sisters than Mama and child.'
'J. B.'s own sentiment,' observed the Major, 'expressed by J. B. fifty thousand times!'
'Do not interrupt, rude man!' said Cleopatra. 'What are my feelings, then, when I find that there is one subject avoided by us! That there is a what's-his-name - a gulf - opened between us. That my own artless Edith is changed to me! They are of the most poignant description, of course.'
The Major left his chair, and took one nearer to the little table.
'From day to day I see this, my dear Major,' proceeded Mrs Skewton. 'From day to day I feel this. From hour to hour I reproach myself for that excess of faith and trustfulness which has led to such distressing consequences; and almost from minute to minute, I hope that Mr Dombey may explain himself, and relieve the torture I undergo, which is extremely wearing. But nothing happens, my dear Major; I am the slave of remorse - take care of the coffee-cup: you are so very awkward - my darling Edith is an altered being; and I really don't see what is to be done, or what good creature I can advise with.'
Major Bagstock, encouraged perhaps by the softened and confidential tone into which Mrs Skewton, after several times lapsing into it for a moment, seemed now to have subsided for good, stretched out his hand across the little table, and said with a leer,
'Advise with Joe, Ma'am.'

“壞蛋！”斯丘頓夫人沒精打采地看着他說，“請別吱聲！”
“喬·白一個字也不說了，夫人，”少校說道。
“董貝先生後來就不斷到這裏來拜訪，”克利奧佩特拉揉平臉頰上的紅粉，繼續說道，“也許是發現我們純樸和自然的風格中有什麼吸引力吧——因爲在自然中總是有一種魅力的——它是很引人入勝的——，他成了我們每天晚上小小聚會中的一員。當初我決沒想到我會揹負起這可怕的責任，那時候我鼓勵董貝先生——”
“上這裏來隨便串串門，夫人，”白格斯托克少校提示說。
“粗野的人！”斯丘頓夫人說，“你猜對了我的意思，但使用了討厭的語言。”
這時斯丘頓夫人把胳膊肘擱在身邊的一張小桌子上，用她認爲優美和合適的姿態垂下手腕，懸吊着扇子來回擺動，一邊說話一邊讚賞着她自己的手。
“當我逐漸明白真相的時候，”她裝腔作勢地說道，“我所忍受過的痛苦真是太可怕了，我不想去細細說它；我的整個一生都跟我最親愛的伊迪絲緊密地聯繫在一起；我美麗的寶貝孩子，自從那極討人喜歡的人兒格蘭傑死去以後，她簡直把心也給掩藏起來了；看到她的容顏一天天地改變，真是世界上最令人傷心的事情。”
如果人們從那最傷心的痛苦對斯丘頓夫人所產生的影響來判斷的話，那麼她的世界並不是很難於忍受的，不過這只是順便說說而已。
“人們都說，”斯丘頓夫人傻笑着說道，“我生活中十全十美的的珍珠伊迪絲像我。我相信，我們確實是相像的。”
“世界上有一個人永遠也不會承認有誰能像你，夫人，”少校說，“這個人的名字就是老喬·白格斯托克。”
克利奧佩特拉裝着要用扇子打破馬屁精的腦袋，但卻又發了慈悲心，對他微笑着，繼續說道：
“如果我迷人的女兒繼承了我的什麼優點的話，壞東西！”壞東西是指少校，“那麼她也繼承了我的傻脾氣。她有着強烈的性格——人們說我的性格也是很強烈的，雖然我不相信——，但是她一旦被感動了，她是極容易動心和敏感的。當我看到她憔悴下去的時候，我的心情是什麼滋味啊！它簡直要毀了我。”
少校向前伸出他的雙下巴，表示安慰地噘着發青的嘴脣，假裝出極爲深切的同情。
“我們之間存在的信任：心靈的自由發展和思想感情的盡情傾吐，”斯丘頓夫人說道，“想起來真是動人。我們像是姐妹倆，而不像媽媽和女兒。”
“喬·白就有這樣的看法，”少校說道，“喬·白已講過五萬次了！”
“別插嘴，粗魯的人！”克利奧佩特拉說，“當我發現有一個問題我們避開不談的時候，我的心情是什麼滋味啊！在我們中間懸隔着一道——該叫什麼——鴻溝。我的天真樸實的伊迪絲要變成我的模樣了！自然，這是最沉痛難忍的心情。”
少校離開他的椅子，坐到挨近小桌子的那一張中。
“一天又一天，我看到了這一點，我親愛的少校，”斯丘頓夫人繼續說道，“一天又一天，我感覺到了這一點。一小時又一小時，我責備自己，過分的信任，過分的無猜無疑，它已造成了如此痛苦的結果；差不多一分鐘又一分鐘，我希望董貝先生會自己來解釋，並解除我遭受的痛苦，這痛苦真使我精疲力竭。但是什麼也沒有發生，我親愛的少校。我深深地悔恨——小心別打破咖啡杯子，你這笨手笨腳的人——我最親愛的伊迪絲是個已經改變了的人；我實在不知道該怎麼辦，也不知道我可以跟哪位好人商量。”
斯丘頓夫人曾經好多次採用，現在終於完全採用了溫柔和信任的語氣，白格斯托克少校也許受到這種語氣的鼓勵，就把手伸過小桌子，斜眼看着說道：
“跟喬商量吧，夫人。”