雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第二章 Part 4

Though he was soon satisfied that he had dismissed the idea as romantic and unlikely though possible, there was no denying he could not help pursuing it so far as to entertain within himself a picture of what his condition would be, if he should discover such an imposture when he was grown old. Whether a man so situated would be able to pluck away the result of so many years of usage, confidence, and belief, from the impostor, and endow a stranger with it? But it was idle speculating thus. It couldn't happen. In a Moment afterwards he determined that it could, but that such women were constantly observed, and had no opportunity given them for the accomplishment of such a design, even when they were so wicked as to entertain it. In another moment, he was remembering how few such cases seemed to have ever happened. In another moment he was wondering whether they ever happened and were not found out.

雖然不久他就認爲這是個荒唐古怪、不大可能（當然不可否認，也有可能）的想法，把它打消了，因而心裏也安定下來了，可是他卻情不自禁地沿着這個思路繼續想下去，以至於在心中構思出這樣一幅圖景：如果當他年老的時候發現了這樣一個騙局的話，那麼他將會是怎樣一種狀況呢？在這種情況下，一個人是不是能把由於多年相處所產生的信任與寵愛從這個冒名頂替者的身上除去，然後把它們傾注到一位陌生人的身上呢？

As his unusual emotion subsided, these misgivings gradually melted away, though so much of their shadow remained behind, that he was constant in his resolution to look closely after Richards himself, without appearing to do so. Being now in an easier frame of mind, he regarded the woman's station as rather an advantageous circumstance than otherwise, by placing, in itself, a broad distance between her and the child, and rendering their separation easy and natural. Thence he passed to the contemplation of the future glories of Dombey and Son, and dismissed the memory of his wife, for the time being, with a tributary sigh or two.

當他這不尋常的情緒平息下來之後，這些顧慮也就逐漸消散了，雖然也留下了好些陰影，因此他決定不讓別人看出，由他親自來密切監視理查茲。當他現在心情比較輕鬆一些的時候，他認爲這女人的社會地位反而是一種有利的情況，因爲它本身在她與孩子之間就隔開了一道寬闊的距離，因此他們今後相互疏遠將會是容易和自然的。

註釋：impostor n. 騙子；冒充者
例句：
1. "The Impostor" is a slow, measured, beautifully crafted work.
《背叛》是一部情節舒緩、有節奏並精心設計的小說。
2. He succeeded in his profession, but he always secretly considered himself an impostor.
他在專業方面很成功，但他常暗自認爲是個冒牌貨。

Meanwhile terms were ratified and agreed upon between Mrs Chick and Richards, with the assistance of Miss Tox; and Richards being with much ceremony invested with the Dombey baby, as if it were an Order, resigned her own, with many tears and kisses, to Jemima. Glasses of wine were then produced, to sustain the drooping spirits of the family; and Miss Tox, busying herself in dispensing 'tastes' to the younger branches, bred them up to their father's business with such surprising expedition, that she made chokers of four of them in a quarter of a minute.

在同一段時間內，在托克斯小姐的幫助下，奇剋夫人與理查茲達成並簽訂了協議；在隆重的儀式下，嬰孩董貝像一枚勳章似地授給了理查茲；她又伴隨着許多眼淚與親吻，把她自己的嬰孩交託給傑邁瑪。在這之後，端來了一杯杯的酒，用來支撐這家人的低沉的情緒。

'You'll take a glass yourself, Sir, won't you?' said Miss Tox, as Toodle appeared.
'Thankee, Mum,' said Toodle, 'since you are suppressing.'
'And you're very glad to leave your dear good wife in such a comfortable home, ain't you, Sir?'said Miss Tox, nodding and winking at him stealthily.
'No, Mum,' said Toodle. 'Here's wishing of her back agin.'

“您喝一杯好嗎，先生？”當圖德爾回來之後，托克斯小姐說道。
“謝謝您，夫人，”圖德爾說道，“既然您非要我喝不可。”
“您把您親愛的善良的妻子留在這麼舒適的家庭裏，您很高興吧，先生？”托克斯小姐偷偷地向他點點頭，眨巴眨巴眼睛。
“不，夫人，”圖德爾說道，“我喝這杯酒，祝她早些重新回到家裏來。”

Polly cried more than ever at this. So Mrs Chick, who had her matronly apprehensions that this indulgence in grief might be prejudicial to the little Dombey ('acid, indeed,' she whispered Miss Tox), hastened to the rescue.
'Your little child will thrive charmingly with your sister Jemima, Richards,' said Mrs Chick; 'and you have only to make an effort this is a world of effort, you know, Richards - to be very happy indeed. You have been already measured for your mourning, haven't you, Richards?'

波利聽到這話，哭得更厲害了。奇剋夫人有她當家庭主婦的憂慮，生怕這樣放縱地悲傷會對小董貝不利（“真酸，”她對托克斯小姐說道），所以急忙進行搶救。
“在您的妹妹傑邁瑪的照料下，您的小孩一定會很可愛地茁壯成長的，理查茲，”奇剋夫人說道，“只是您必須作出努力，使自己高高興興纔是；理查茲，您知道，這是個必須作出努力的世界。您已經量過您喪服的尺寸了吧，是不是，理查茲？”

註釋：apprehension: n. 理解；恐懼；逮捕；憂懼
例句：
1. Victory after apprehension and fear.
勝利在憂慮和恐懼以後。
2. The matter is above my apprehension.
這件事我不能理解。

'
"Ye - es, Ma'am," sobbed Polly.
'And it'll fit beautifully. I know,' said Mrs Chick, 'for the same young person has made me many dresses. The very best materials, too!'
'Lor, you'll be so smart,' said Miss Tox, 'that your husband won't know you; will you, Sir?'
'I should know her,' said Toodle, gruffly, 'anyhows and anywheres.'
Toodle was evidently not to be bought over.
'As to living, Richards, you know,' pursued Mrs Chick, 'why, the very best of everything will be at your disposal. You will order your little dinner every day; and anything you take a fancy to, I'm sure will be as readily provided as if you were a Lady.'

“是—是的，夫人，”波利抽抽嗒嗒地哭着。
“您穿起來一定很漂亮，我知道，”奇剋夫人說道，“這位年輕人給我做過許多衣服。這是用最好的布料做的！”
“天主啊，您將會漂漂亮亮，”托克斯小姐說道，“您的丈夫都將會認不出您來了，是不是，先生？”
“我一定認得出她，”圖德爾態度生硬地說道，“不論在什麼情況下，也不論在什麼地方。”
圖德爾顯然是收買不了的。
“至於您的生活，理查茲，您知道，”奇剋夫人繼續說道，“所有最好的東西都將供您隨便使用。您每天定您自己的飯菜；毫無疑問，您想要什麼，什麼就會立刻提供到您的面前，彷彿您是一位貴夫人似的。”

'Yes to be sure!' said Miss Tox, keeping up the ball with great sympathy. 'And as to porter! - quite unlimited, will it not, Louisa?'
'Oh, certainly!' returned Mrs Chick in the same tone. 'With a little abstinence, you know, my dear, in point of vegetables.'
'And pickles, perhaps,' suggested Miss Tox.
'With such exceptions,' said Louisa, 'she'll consult her choice entirely, and be under no restraint at all, my love.'
'And then, of course, you know,' said Miss Tox, 'however fond she is of her own dear little child and I'm sure, Louisa, you don't blame her for being fond of it?'
'Oh no!' cried Mrs Chick, benignantly.

“是的，確實是這樣！”托克斯小姐懷着極大的同情，接過話頭，繼續說下去，“至於黑啤酒，那數量是無限的，是不是，路易莎？”
“啊，當然的！”奇剋夫人用同樣的聲調回答道。“您知道，我親愛的，只是蔬菜的數量稍稍有些節制。”
“也許還有酸菜，”托克斯小姐提示道。
“除了這些例外，”路易莎說道，“她完全可以按照自己的口味來選擇食物，絲毫沒有限制，我親愛的。”
“然後，當然，您知道，”托克斯小姐說道，“不論她對自己親生的小孩子是多麼喜愛——毫無疑問，路易莎，您不會責怪她喜愛他吧？”
“啊，不會！”奇剋夫人仁慈地喊道。

'Still,' resumed Miss Tox, 'she naturally must be interested in her young charge, and must consider it a privilege to see a little cherub connected with the superior classes, gradually unfolding itself from day to day at one common fountain is it not so, Louisa?'
'Most undoubtedly!' said Mrs Chick. 'You see, my love, she's already quite contented and comfortable, and means to say goodbye to her sister Jemima and her little pets, and her good honest husband, with a light heart and a smile; don't she, 'Oh yes!' cried Miss Tox. 'To be sure she does!' my dear?'

“可是，”托克斯小姐繼續說道，“她自然應該關心現在交給她撫養的年幼的孩子，應該認爲，眼看着一個與上流社會密切聯繫着的小天使一天天地從一個共同的源泉中吸取養料，成長起來，這是一種特殊的榮幸；是不是這樣，路易莎？”
“完全不錯！”奇剋夫人說道，“您看，我親愛的，她已經很滿意、很安心了，現在正懷着輕鬆的心情，露出微笑，想要跟她的妹妹傑邁瑪和她的小寶貝們，還有她的善良的、誠實的丈夫告別呢，是不是，我親愛的？”
“啊，是的！”托克斯小姐喊道，“當然是的！”

註釋：privilege: n. 特權；優待；基本權利 vt. 給與……特權；特免
例句：
1. Will the economic crisis force change, or entrench privilege?
經濟危機會推動改變，還是保護特權？
2. Growing up in such a hothouse atmosphere, full of privilege and expectation, cannot be a relaxing experience.
在這樣一種充滿特權和期待的溫室環境中成長，不會是一種輕鬆的經歷。

Not withstanding which, however, poor Polly embraced them all round in great distress, and coming to her spouse at last, could not make up her mind to part from him, until he gently disengaged himself, at the close of the following allegorical piece of consolation:'Polly, old 'ooman, whatever you do, my darling, hold up your head and fight low. That's the only rule as I know on, that'll carry anyone through life. You always have held up your head and fought low, Polly. Do it now, or Bricks is no longer so. God bless you, Polly! Me and J'mima will do your duty by you; and with relating to your'n, hold up your head and fight low, Polly, and you can't go wrong!'
Fortified by this golden secret, Folly finally ran away to avoid any more particular leave-taking between herself and the children. But the stratagem hardly succeeded as well as it deserved; for the smallest boy but one divining her intent, immediately began swarming upstairs after her if that word of doubtful etymology be admissible on his arms and legs; while the eldest (known in the family by the name of Biler, in remembrance of the steam engine) beat a demoniacal tattoo with his boots, expressive of grief; in which he was joined by the rest of the family.A quantity of oranges and halfpence thrust indiscriminately on each young Toodle, checked the first violence of their regret, and the family were speedily transported to their own home, by means of the hackney-coach kept in waiting for that purpose. The children, under the guardianship of Jemima, blocked up the window, and dropped out oranges and halfpence all the way along. Mr Toodle himself preferred to ride behind among the spikes, as being the mode of conveyance to which he was best accustomed.

可是儘管這樣，可憐的波利還是十分悲痛地和他們一一擁抱；最後，爲了避免她和孩子們更加戀戀不捨地告別，她跑開了。可是這個策略沒有取得應有的成功；因爲第二個最小的孩子看穿了她的意圖，立即開始手腳全都着地地跟着她往樓上爬（如果可以使用這個語源有疑義的詞的話）；最大的孩子（大家在家中都管他叫拜勒①，來紀念蒸汽機）用靴子在地上咚咚地敲出瘋狂般的響聲來表示悲傷；家中其他的人也一起參加到他的行動中去。

註釋：embrace: vt. 擁抱；信奉，皈依；包含 vi. 擁抱 n. 擁抱
1. However, not all people embrace the new plan.
然而也不是所有人都支持新計劃。
2. To be a god, at least to be a creative one, one must relinquish control and embrace uncertainty.
要想成爲上帝，至少，要想成爲一個具有創造性的人，你必須放棄控制，擁抱不確定性。

①拜勒（Biler）：爲boiler（鍋爐）的誤讀。
許許多多的桔子和半便士不加區別地塞到了每個小圖德爾的手中，這抑制了他們頭一陣迸發出來的極度悲痛；一輛專門爲了這個目的等待着的出租馬車很快就把全家人送往他們的家中。一路上，在傑邁瑪的守護下，孩子們擁擠在車窗口，把桔子和半便士往外扔。圖德爾先生寧肯乘坐在火車後面的道釘中間（這是他極爲習慣的運輸方式），而不願意像現在這樣乘坐在馬車中。