雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第一章 Part 3

Mrs Chick took Miss Tox's hand in hers, rested the foot of her wine glass upon it, repressed a tear, and said in a low voice, 'God bless you!'
'My dear Louisa then,' said Miss Tox, 'my sweet friend, how are you now?'
'Better,' Mrs Chick returned. 'Take some wine. You have been almost as anxious as I have been, and must want it, I am sure.'
Mr Dombey of course officiated, and also refilled his sister's glass, which she (looking another way, and unconscious of his intention) held straight and steady the while, and then regarded with great astonishment, saying, 'My dear Paul, what have you been doing!'
'Miss Tox, Paul,' pursued Mrs Chick, still retaining her hand, 'knowing how much I have been interested in the anticipation of the event of to-day, and how trembly and shaky I have been from head to foot in expectation of it, has been working at a little gift for Fanny, which I promised to present. Miss Tox is ingenuity itself.'
'My dear Louisa,' said Miss Tox. 'Don't say so.”
'It is only a pincushion for the toilette table, Paul,' resumed his sister; 'one of those trifles which are insignificant to your sex in general, as it's very natural they should be - we have no business to expect they should be otherwise - but to which we attach some interest.
'Miss Tox is very good,' said Mr Dombey.
'And I do say, and will say, and must say,' pursued his sister, pressing the foot of the wine-glass on Miss Tox's hand, at each of the three clauses, 'that Miss Tox has very prettily adapted the sentiment to the occasion. I call "Welcome little Dombey" Poetry, myself!'
'Is that the device?' inquired her brother.
'That is the device,' returned Louisa.

奇剋夫人把托克斯小姐的手握在她的手裏，把酒杯的底座放在她的手上，並忍住一滴眼淚，低聲說道，“上帝保佑您！”
“我親愛的路易莎，”托克斯小姐說道，“我可愛的朋友，您現在覺得怎麼樣了？
“好些了，”奇剋夫人回答道，“喝點酒吧。您一直幾乎跟我一樣焦急不安，毫無疑問，一定需要喝點酒了。”
董貝先生自然盡了東道主的情誼。
“保羅，”奇剋夫人仍舊握着她的手，繼續說道，“托克斯小姐知道我一直萬分關懷地期待着今天這件事情，她就忙着給範妮做了一個小禮物，我答應把它送給她。這只不過是一個可以擺在梳妝檯上的針插，保羅，但是我說，我將要說，我必須說，托克斯小姐所表達的感情十分美妙地適合當前的情況。‘歡迎小董貝’，我說，這是一首詩！”
“這是針插上的題詞嗎？”她的哥哥問道。
“這是針插上的題詞，”路易莎回答道。

'But do me the justice to remember, my dear Louisa,' said Miss Toxin a tone of low and earnest entreaty, 'that nothing but the - I have some difficulty in expressing myself the dubiousness of the result would have induced me to take so great a liberty: "Welcome, Master Dombey," would have been much more congenial to my feelings, as I am sure you know. But the uncertainty attendant on angelic strangers, will, I hope, excuse what must otherwise appear an unwarrantable familiarity.' Miss Tox made a graceful bend as she spoke, in favour of Mr Dombey, which that gentleman graciously acknowledged. Even the sort of recognition of Dombey and Son, conveyed in the foregoing conversation, was so palatable to him, that his sister, Mrs Chick - though he affected to consider her a weak good-natured person - had perhaps more influence over him than anybody else.
'My dear Paul,' that lady broke out afresh, after silently contemplating his features for a few moments, 'I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I look at you, I declare, you do so remind me of that dear baby upstairs.'
'Well!' said Mrs Chick, with a sweet smile, 'after this, I forgive Fanny everything!'

“不過，您得記住下面的情形，這對我纔是公道的，我親愛的路易莎，”托克斯小姐用低沉的、懇切的、請求的聲調說道，“只是由於——我表達我的思想有些困難——只是由於最後是男是女當時不能肯定，這才使我很冒昧地採用了這樣的題詞。‘歡迎您，董貝少爺！’這才更確切地符合我的感情，我相信您是知道的。不過，我希望，這天使般新來的客人的不確定性，能成爲原諒我的理由，否則那就會顯得是不諒解我的冒昧了。”托克斯小姐說時向董貝先生優雅地鞠了一個躬，董貝先生和藹親切地還了禮。甚至在上面談話中對董貝父子公司所表示的敬意也很投合他的心意，因此雖然他愛把他的妹妹奇剋夫人看作是個軟弱的、性格善良的人，但她對他的影響也許比任何人都更大。
“好啦，”奇剋夫人親切地微笑了一下，說道，“在這之後，我對範妮一切都寬恕了！”

註釋: be interested in: 對……感興趣
1. Would you be interested in going sightseeing?
你有興趣去旅遊觀光嗎?
2. Everyone must be interested in the subject.
這個題目每個人都會感到興趣的。

It was a declaration in a Christian spirit, and Mrs Chick felt that it did her good. Not that she had anything particular to forgive in her sister-in-law, nor indeed anything at all, except her having married her brother in itself a species of audacity and her having, in the course of events, given birth to a girl instead of a boy: which, as Mrs Chick had frequently observed, was not quite what she had expected of her, and was not a pleasant return for all the attention and distinction she had met with. Mr Dombey being hastily summoned out of the room at this moment, the two ladies were left alone together. Miss Tox immediately became spasmodic.
'I knew you would admire my brother. I told you so beforehand, my dear,' said Louisa. Miss Tox's hands and eyes expressed how much. 'And as to his property, my dear!'
'Ah!' said Miss Tox, with deep feeling. 'Im-mense!'
'But his deportment, my dear Louisa!' said Miss Tox. 'His presence! His dignity! No portrait that I have ever seen of anyone has been half so replete with those qualities. Something so stately, you know: so uncompromising: so very wide across the chest: so upright! A pecuniary Duke of York, my love, and nothing short of it!' said Miss Tox. 'That's what I should designate him.'
'Why, my dear Paul!' exclaimed his sister, as he returned, 'you look quite pale! There's nothing the matter?'
'I am sorry to say, Louisa, that they tell me that Fanny - '
'Now, my dear Paul,' returned his sister rising, 'don't believe it. Do not allow yourself to receive a turn unnecessarily. Remember of what importance you are to society, and do not allow yourself to be worried by what is so very inconsiderately told you by people who ought to know better. Really I'm surprised at them.'
'I hope I know, Louisa,' said Mr Dombey, stiffly, 'how to bear myself before the world.'
'Nobody better, my dear Paul. Nobody half so well. They would be ignorant and base indeed who doubted it.'
'Ignorant and base indeed!' echoed Miss Tox softly.
'But,' pursued Louisa, 'if you have any reliance on my experience, Paul, you may rest assured that there is nothing wanting but an effort on Fanny's part. And that effort,' she continued, taking off her bonnet, and adjusting her cap and gloves, in a business-like manner, 'she must be encouraged, and really, if necessary, urged to make. Now, my dear ,Paul, come upstairs with me.'

這是按照基督精神所作的一項聲明，奇剋夫人說了以後覺得心情輕鬆了。並不是她有什麼具體的事情需要寬恕她的嫂子，確實也沒有任何事情需要她寬恕的，只有一個例外，就是她嫁給了她的哥哥——這件事情本身是大膽無禮的——，而且隨着時間的推移，又生了一個女孩子，而不是男孩子；奇剋夫人常常提起這件事，說這完全不符合她的期望，也不是她這位嫂子對她所受到的一切厚待與光榮所應作出的令人愉快的報答。
董貝先生這時被急忙請求離開，房間裏只剩下兩位女士在一起。托克斯小姐立刻痙攣起來。
“我早知道您會仰慕我哥哥的。我以前跟您說過，我親愛的，”路易莎說道。
托克斯小姐的手和眼睛表示出她是多麼仰慕。
“至於他的財產，我親愛的！”
“啊！”托克斯小姐懷着深切的感情說道。
“大得——不得了！”
“啊，他的品行，我親愛的路易莎！”托克斯小姐說道，“他的儀表！他的尊嚴！我這一生中所見到過的肖像沒有一個能完全具備這些優美的品質，一半也沒有。多麼莊嚴，您知道，多麼堅決，胸膛是多麼寬闊，身軀是多麼挺直！他是一位財力雄厚的約克郡①公爵，我親愛的，不比約克郡公爵欠缺什麼！”托克斯小姐說道。“我要這樣稱呼他。”
“你怎麼了，我親愛的保羅！”他妹妹看到他回來的時候，高聲喊道，“你的臉色這麼蒼白！沒出什麼事吧？”
“我很遺憾地告訴你，路易莎，他們告訴我，範妮——”
“啊，我親愛的保羅！”他的妹妹站起來，說道，“別相信它！如果你覺得我的經驗可靠的話，那麼，保羅，你儘可以放心，只要範妮作出努力就行；”她有條有理地脫下軟帽，整整便帽和手套，繼續說道，“應該鼓勵她作出那個努力；真的，如果必要的話，那就應該強迫她作出那個努力。我親愛的保羅，現在請跟我一起上樓去。”

註釋: have reliance on: 對......有依賴; 相信
1. Don't place too much reliance on his advice.
別太相信他的意見。
2. A child has reliance on his or her mother.
孩子都依賴於母親。

Mr Dombey, who, besides being generally influenced by his sister for the reason already mentioned, had really faith in her as an experienced and bustling matron, acquiesced; and followed her, at once, to the sick chamber.
The lady lay upon her bed as he had left her, clasping her little daughter to her breast. The child clung close about her, with the same intensity as before, and never raised her head, or moved her soft cheek from her mother's face, or looked on those who stood around, or spoke, or moved, or shed a tear.'Restless without the little girl,' the Doctor whispered Mr Dombey. 'We found it best to have her in again.'
'Can nothing be done?' asked Mr Dombey.
The Doctor shook his head. 'We can do no more.'
The windows stood open, and the twilight was gathering without.
The scent of the restoratives that had been tried was pungent in the room, but had no fragrance in the dull and languid air the lady breathed.
There was such a solemn stillness round the bed; and the two medical attendants seemed to look on the impassive form with so much compassion and so little hope, that Mrs Chick was for the moment diverted from her purpose. But presently summoning courage, and what she called presence of mind, she sat down by the bedside, and said in the low precise tone of one who endeavours to awaken a sleeper:
'Fanny! Fanny!'

董貝先生除了由於前面所說的理由一般受他的妹妹的影響外，還把她當作一位有經驗的和能幹的主婦，真正相信她，所以默默地同意，立刻跟着她到病人的房間裏去。
他的夫人就像他離開她時那樣躺在牀上，把她的小女兒緊緊地抱在懷中。這個女孩子懷着跟先前一樣強烈的感情，緊緊地抱着她，從不擡起頭，或把臉頰從她媽媽的臉上移開，或看看站在周圍的人們，或說句話，或移動身子，或掉一滴眼淚。
“沒有小女孩在身邊她就煩躁不安，”大夫對董貝先生低聲說道，“因此我們覺得最好還是讓她重新進來。”
病牀周圍一片深沉的寂靜；兩位醫生似乎十分同情而又很少希望地看着這個失去知覺的人，因此奇剋夫人一時忘掉了她到這裏來的目的，可是她立刻鼓起勇氣，並像她所說的，鎮靜下來，在牀邊坐下，並用一個竭力想要喚醒一位睡眠者的人的那種同樣低微的聲調，喊道：“範妮！範妮！”

There was no sound in answer but the loud ticking of Mr Dombey's watch and Doctor Parker Peps's watch, which seemed in the silence to be running a race.
'Fanny, my dear,' said Mrs Chick, with assumed lightness, 'here's Mr Dombey come to see you. Won't you speak to him? They want to lay your little boy - the baby, Fanny, you know; you have hardly seen him yet, I think - in bed; but they can't till you rouse yourself a little. Don't you think it's time you roused yourself a little? Eh?'
She bent her ear to the bed, and listened: at the same time looking round at the bystanders, and holding up her finger.
'Eh?' she repeated, 'what was it you said, Fanny? I didn't hear you.'
No word or sound in answer. Mr Dombey's watch and Dr Parker Peps's watch seemed to be racing faster.
'Now, really, Fanny my dear,' said the sister-in-law, altering her position, and speaking less confidently, and more earnestly, in spite of herself, 'I shall have to be quite cross with you, if you don't rouse yourself. It's necessary for you to make an effort, and perhaps a very great and painful effort which you are not disposed to make; but this is a world of effort you know, Fanny, and we must never yield, when so much depends upon us. Come! Try! I must really scold you if you don't!'
The race in the ensuing pause was fierce and furious. The watches seemed to jostle, and to trip each other up.
'Fanny!' said Louisa, glancing round, with a gathering alarm. 'Only look at me. Only open your eyes to show me that you hear and understand me; will you? Good Heaven, gentlemen, what is to be done!'

沒有回答的聲音，而只有董貝先生的表和帕克•佩普斯大夫的表的滴嗒滴嗒走得很響的聲音。這兩隻表似乎正在寂靜中賽跑。
“範妮，我親愛的，”奇剋夫人假裝出輕鬆愉快的語氣，說道，“董貝先生到這裏來看您了。您是不是要跟他講話？他們想把您的小男孩放到牀上——範妮，您知道，就是那個小娃娃，我想您還沒有看到過他吧！不過，他們不能放，除非您把精神稍稍振作起來一些才行。您是不是認爲，這該是您把精神振作起來一些的時候了？嗯？”
她把耳朵湊近牀上聽着，一邊向四周站着的人環視着，並舉起一個指頭。
“嗯？”她重複說道，“您說什麼，範妮？我聽不見。”
沒有一個字，也沒有一個聲音回答。董貝先生的表與帕克•佩普斯大夫的表似乎跑得更快了。
“啊，真的，我親愛的範妮，”她的小姑子說道；她改變了姿勢，不由自主地說得不很有信心，但卻更認真了，“如果您不振作起精神的話，那麼我就不得不跟您生氣了。您有必要作出努力，也許是您不願作出的很大的、很痛苦的努力；可是您知道，這是個需要作出努力的世界呀，範妮；當這麼多的事情取決於我們的時候，我們應該永不退讓。來吧，試一試吧！如果您不試的話，那麼我真的一定要罵您了！”
在隨即而來的沉寂中，兩隻表的賽跑是猛烈的、狂暴的。
它們似乎在相互推撞，相互絆倒對方。
“範妮！”路易莎懷着愈益增長的恐怖，環視四周，說道，“只要看我一下就行。只要張開您的眼睛表示一下您聽到了我的話，明白了我的話就行，好不好？我的天呀，先生們，現在該怎麼辦呢！”

The two medical attendants exchanged a look across the bed; and the Physician, stooping down, whispered in the child's ear. Not having understood the purport of his whisper, the little creature turned her perfectly colourless face and deep dark eyes towards him; but without loosening her hold in the least.
The whisper was repeated.
'Mama!' said the child.
The little voice, familiar and dearly loved, awakened some show of consciousness, even at that ebb. For a moment, the closed eye lids trembled, and the nostril quivered, and the faintest shadow of a smile was seen.
'Mama!' cried the child sobbing aloud. 'Oh dear Mama! oh dear Mama!'
The Doctor gently brushed the scattered ringlets of the child, aside from the face and mouth of the mother. Alas how calm they lay there; how little breath there was to stir them!
Thus, clinging fast to that slight spar within her arms, the mother drifted out upon the dark and unknown sea that rolls round all the world.

兩位醫生隔着牀交換了一下眼光。家庭醫生彎下身子，在女孩子的耳旁輕聲地說了一些什麼。小女孩子沒有聽懂他耳語的意思，向他轉過她的毫無血色的面孔和凹陷的、烏黑的眼睛，但絲毫沒有放鬆她的擁抱。
家庭醫生又把他的耳語重複了一次。
“媽媽！”女孩子說道。
這熟悉的、受到熱烈喜愛的孩子的聲音把甚至是那麼奄奄一息的知覺也喚醒過來，稍稍地顯示了一下。片刻間，閉合的眼瞼顫動了一下，鼻孔翕動了一下，還可以看到那極爲微弱的笑影。
“媽媽！”女孩子大聲地抽泣着，喊道。“啊，親愛的媽媽！
啊，親愛的媽媽！”
大夫輕輕地把女孩子散亂的長卷發從母親的臉上和嘴上拂開。啊，它們是多麼安靜地躺在那裏，呼吸是多麼微弱，它不能把它們吹動了！
就這樣，母親用她的胳膊緊緊地抱住那根不結實的圓材，在環繞全世界的黑暗的、未知的海洋上漂流出去了。

註釋: make an effort: 努力;作出努力
1. To make an effort to achieve an objective.
瞄準努力達到一個目標。
2. I have to make an effort to work up an appetite for reading.
我得努力使自己產生天天想讀書的願望。