雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第9章 Part 1大綱
That spice of romance and love of the marvellous, of which there was a pretty strong infusion in the nature of young Walter Gay, and which the guardianship of his Uncle, old Solomon Gills, had not very much weakened by the waters of stern practical experience, was the occasion of his attaching an uncommon and delightful interest to the adventure of Florence with Good Mrs Brown. He pampered and cherished it in his memory, especially that part of it with which he had been associated: until it became the spoiled child of his fancy, and took its own way, and did what it liked with it.
The recollection of those incidents, and his own share in them, may have been made the more captivating, perhaps, by the weekly dreamings of old Sol and Captain Cuttle on Sundays. Hardly a Sunday passed, without mysterious references being made by one or other of those worthy chums to Richard Whittington; and the latter gentleman had even gone so far as to purchase a ballad of considerable antiquity, that had long fluttered among many others, chiefly expressive of maritime sentiments, on a dead wall in the Commercial Road: which poetical performance set forth the courtship and nuptials of a promising young coal-whipper with a certain 'lovely Peg,' the accomplished daughter of the master and part-owner of a Newcastle collier. In this stirring legend, Captain Cuttle descried a profound metaphysical bearing on the case of Walter and Florence; and it excited him so much, that on very festive occasions, as birthdays and a few other non-Dominical holidays, he would roar through the whole song in the little back parlour; making an amazing shake on the word Pe-e-eg, with which every verse concluded, in compliment to the heroine of the piece.
老所爾與卡特爾船長每個星期天聚會時都要做一次他們的美夢，這樣一來，這些事情和他本人在其中的參與就更具有一種令人神魂顛倒的魅力。很少有哪一個星期天，這兩位高尚的朋友中的這一位或那一位不神祕地提到理查德·惠廷頓的。卡特爾船長甚至還買了一本相當古老的敘事曲，它主要是反映海員們的思想感情的，它和許多其他的歌曲書籍一起，掛在商業路上的冷清的牆上，飄動着書頁，已經好久了；這本詩歌作品敘述了一位有出息的給船上裝煤的年輕人跟一位“可愛的佩格姑娘”之間求愛與結婚的故事；這位佩格姑娘是紐卡斯爾①一艘煤船的船長（他同時也是船主之一）的有才能的女兒，卡特爾船長從這個激動人心的傳說中，看到它與沃爾特和弗洛倫斯的情況有一種意味深長的、形而上學的相似關係；它使他感到十分興奮，每逢生日或其他非宗教節日的喜慶日子，他都會在小後廳裏放開嗓子，把這首歌從頭到尾唱完。在唱到“佩——格”這個詞的時候，他還發出了令人驚奇的顫音；每個詩句都是用這個讚美女主人公的詞來結尾的。--------①紐卡斯爾（Newcastle）：英國港市。But a frank, free-spirited, open-hearted boy, is not much given to analysing the nature of his own feelings, however strong their hold upon him: and Walter would have found it difficult to decide this point. He had a great affection for the wharf where he had encountered Florence, and for the streets (albeit not enchanting in themselves) by which they had come home. The shoes that had so often tumbled off by the way, he preserved in his own room; and, sitting in the little back parlour of an evening, he had drawn a whole gallery of fancy portraits of Good Mrs Brown. It may be that he became a little smarter in his dress after that memorable occasion; and he certainly liked in his leisure time to walk towards that quarter of the town where Mr Dombey's house was situated, on the vague chance of passing little Florence in the street. But the sentiment of all this was as boyish and innocent as could be. Florence was very pretty, and it is pleasant to admire a pretty face. Florence was defenceless and weak, and it was a proud thought that he had been able to render her any protection and assistance. Florence was the most grateful little creature in the world, and it was delightful to see her bright gratitude beaming in her face. Florence was neglected and coldly looked upon, and his breast was full of youthful interest for the slighted child in her dull, stately home.
可是一位胸懷坦率、豁達大度、光明磊落的孩子並不很喜愛分析自己感情的性質，不論這種感情是多麼強烈地支配着他；沃爾特要作出這樣的判斷也是困難的。他對他跟弗洛倫斯相遇的碼頭，對他們回家時經過的街道（雖然它們本身並沒有令人銷魂的地方）都懷着深厚的感情。他把那雙在路上不時脫落的鞋子保存在他自己的房間裏；有一天晚上他坐在小後客廳裏，給想象中的善良的布朗太太畫了肖像，畫了整整一走廊。在那次值得紀念的事件發生以後，他的衣着也可能變得稍稍漂亮起來了；他在閒暇的時候，的確喜歡朝着董貝先生公館坐落的那個市區走去，模模糊糊地希望在街上遇到小弗洛倫斯。可是所有這些思想感情都是孩子氣的，天真爛漫的。弗洛倫斯是很漂亮的，愛慕漂亮的臉孔是件愉快的事情；弗洛倫斯是軟弱無力，沒有人保衛她的，想到他向她提供了保護與幫助是值得自豪的。弗洛倫斯是這世界上最感恩的小人兒，看到她臉上閃耀着熱烈感激的光彩是使人高興的。弗洛倫斯是被輕視和冷落的，他在心中對這位在她那沉悶、莊嚴的家中被看不起的孩子滿懷着年輕人的興趣。
Thus it came about that, perhaps some half-a-dozen times in the course of the year, Walter pulled off his hat to Florence in the street, and Florence would stop to shake hands. Mrs Wickam (who, with a characteristic alteration of his name, invariably spoke of him as 'Young Graves') was so well used to this, knowing the story of their acquaintance, that she took no heed of it at all. Miss Nipper, on the other hand, rather looked out for these occasions: her sensitive young heart being secretly propitiated by Walter's good looks, and inclining to the belief that its sentiments were responded to.
沃爾特在街上脫下帽子向弗洛倫斯致意，弗洛倫斯則會停下來跟他握手，這樣在一年當中發生過六、七次。威肯姆大嫂（她按照她悲觀的性格來改變他的姓名，始終不變地把他叫做“年輕的格萊夫斯①”）知道他們相識的經歷，對於這種情形已經十分習慣了，所以她對它絲毫也不注意。另一方面，尼珀姑娘是很盼望遇到這樣的機會的，因爲在她敏感的年輕的心靈中已對沃爾特英俊的外貌暗暗地產生了好感；她總愛相信，這種感情總是會得到回答的。--------①年輕的格萊夫斯（youngGraves）：在英文中，Graves一詞的意義是墳墓。註釋： attach vt.1. 結，採；貼；縛，拴，扎牢；裝；連接 (to)：
Attach the handle to the box.
把把手安裝於箱子上。
She attached labels to all her bags.
她把標籤系(或貼)在所有袋子上。
2. [attach oneself ] 依附；加入，參加(黨派、團體等)，作…的成員，使成爲一分子；使在一起(to)：
She attached herself to us.
她和我們作伴。
3. 使喜愛；使愛慕，使依戀(to)：
Jack is very much attached to the little boy.
傑克很喜歡這個小男孩。
4. 添加，附加(條件等)(to)：
One proviso is attached to this legacy.
這個遺贈附帶一項限制性條款。
6. 把…歸因於，把(過錯的責任等)歸於(to)：
A great deal of blame attaches to the officer for his recent action.
這名官員最近的行動受到許多指責。
7. 認爲有(重要性等)：
I attach great significance to the news.
我認爲這消息具有重大意義。
8. (正式)任命，委派，委任，指派；[常用被動語態]把(某人臨時或永久地)調至(to)：
His new firm attached him to the sales division of the business.
他的新公司派他到營業部工作。
9. 籤(名)，簽署(名字等)(to)：
The officer attached his signature to the document.
這名官員在這份文件上籤了名。
vi.1. 從屬，附屬；附着，附加，歸屬(to)：
One proviso attaches to the legacy.
這個遺贈附帶一項限制性條款。
2. 伴隨而來；聯在一起(to， upon)：
No blame attaches to her.
她無可指責。
incline vi. 傾斜；傾向；易於
vt. 使傾斜；使傾向於
n. 傾斜；斜面；斜坡
[ 過去式inclined 過去分詞inclined 現在分詞inclining ]
vi.
1. 傾斜，偏斜：
The road inclines upward.
這條路向上傾斜。
2. 點頭，彎腰，鞠躬：
to incline forward to hear somebody
向前彎腰以聽清某人的講話
3. 傾向，意向；喜愛；贊同：
People incline to tiredness in Summer.
夏天人們很容易疲憊。
4. 趨向，趨勢(常與to連用):
Prices incline to go up.
價格有上升趨勢。
5. 接近，近於：
purple inclining to red
接近紅色的紫色
vt.1. 使傾斜：
to incline a post against the wall
把柱子靠牆斜立着
2. 點頭，彎腰，躬身：
to incline one's head in greeting
點頭致意
3. 使傾向於；使有意於：
His attitude did not incline me to help him.
他的態度使我不想幫他。
