名著·雾都孤儿 - 第105节


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  “您是布朗罗先生吧,请问?”露丝说着,看了一眼另一位绅士,又把目光移向说话的那一位。

   'That is my name,' said the old gentleman. 'This is my friend, Mr. Grimwig. Grimwig, will you leave us for a few minutes?'

  “正是在下,”老先生说道,“这是我的朋友格林维格先生。格林维格,你让我们谈几分钟好不好?”

   'I believe,' interposed Miss Maylie, 'that at this period of our interview, I need not give that gentleman the trouble of going away. If I am correctly informed, he is cognizant of the business on which I wish to speak to you.'

  “我想,”梅莱小姐插了一句,“在我们谈话的这段时间里,不必麻烦这位先生回避。如果我所闻属实的话,他知道我想和您商量的事。”

   Mr. Brownlow inclined his head. Mr. Grimwig, who had made one very stiff bow, and risen from his chair, made another very stiff bow, and dropped into it again.

  布朗罗先生低下头。已经从椅子上站起身来,硬邦邦鞠了一躬的格林维格先生,又硬邦邦地鞠了一躬,腾地坐了下来。

   'I shall surprise you very much, I have no doubt,' said Rose, naturally embarrassed; 'but you once showed great benevolence and goodness to a very dear young friend of mine, and I am sure you will take an interest in hearing of him again.'

  “我肯定会让您大吃一惊,”露丝不免觉得有些难以启齿,“您毕竟曾经对我的一个非常可爱的小朋友表示出博大的仁慈与善意,我相信您有兴趣再一次听到他的事。”

  “不错。”布朗罗先生说。

   'Oliver Twist you knew him as,' replied Rose.

  “您知道他名字叫奥立弗·退斯特。”露丝答道。

   The words no sooner escaped her lips, than Mr. Grimwig, who had been affecting to dip into a large book that lay on the table, upset it with a great crash, and falling back in his chair, discharged from his features every expression but one of unmitigated wonder, and indulged in a prolonged and vacant stare; then, as if ashamed of having betrayed so much emotion, he jerked himself, as it were, by a convulsion into his former attitude, and looking out straight before him emitted a long deep whistle, which seemed, at last, not to be discharged on empty air, but to die away in the innermost recesses of his stomach.

  这句话刚从她口中说出来,装出正在测览桌上放着的一本大书的格林维格先生就把书给翻了个身,发出哗啦一声巨响,他身子一仰靠在椅背上,脸上所有的表情都不见了,只剩下百分之百的惊异,瞪大眼睛,视而不见地愣了半天,接着,他好像对自己的心情居然这样暴露无余感到有些难为情,他身子猛然一扭,又恢复了刚才的姿势,两眼直视前方,接着发出一声悠长而又深沉的口哨,这一声口哨最后好像不是飘散在空中,而是渐渐消失在他胃部那些深不可测的坑洼里。

   Mr. Browlow was no less surprised, although his astonishment was not expressed in the same eccentric manner. He drew his chair nearer to Miss Maylie's, and said,

  布朗罗先生同样觉得诧异,只不过没有用这种古怪的态度表现出来。他把椅子往梅莱小姐身边挪了挪,说道:

   'Do me the favour, my dear young lady, to leave entirely out of the question that goodness and benevolence of which you speak, and of which nobody else knows anything; and if you have it in your power to produce any evidence which will alter the unfavourable opinion I was once induced to entertain of that poor child, in Heaven's name put me in possession of it.'

  “答应我,亲爱的小姐,再也不要提到你说的善意、仁慈什么的,反正旁人也不知道。如果你拿得出任何证据,能够改变我一度对那个苦孩子得出的不良印象,看在上帝的分上,让我也看看这些证据。”

  “一个坏东西。如果他不是个坏东西的话,我就把我的脑袋吃下去。”格林维格先生忿忿不平地说,他说话用的是腹语术,脸上的肌肉纹丝不动。

   'He is a child of a noble nature and a warm heart,' said Rose, colouring; 'and that Power which has thought fit to try him beyond his years, has planted in his breast affections and feelings which would do honour to many who have numbered his days six times over.'

  “那个孩子天性高尚,又有一副热心肠,”露丝红着脸说,“神有意要让他受到的磨难超过他的年龄,在他心中种下了爱心与感情,即使是许许多多年龄长他六倍的人也应该感到骄傲。”

   'I'm only sixty-one,' said Mr. Grimwig, with the same rigid face.

  “我才六十一岁,”格林维格先生僵硬的面孔依旧纹丝不动,

   'And, as the devil's in it if this Oliver is not twelve years old at least, I don't see the application of that remark.'

  “偏偏那个奥立弗少说也有十二岁了,就跟有魔鬼在搀和一样,我不明白这话是什么意思。”

   'Do not heed my friend, Miss Maylie,' said Mr. Brownlow; 'he does not mean what he says.'

  “梅莱小姐,别跟我这位朋友计较,”布朗罗先生说,“他这个人有口无心。”

  “不对,是有口有心。”格林维格先生大叫起来。

   'No, he does not,' said Mr. Brownlow, obviously rising in wrath as he spoke.

  “不,是有口无心。”布朗罗先生说着站了起来,他的火气显然上来了。

   'He'll eat his head, if he doesn't,' growled Mr. Grimwig.

  “如果是有口无心的话,他会把他的脑袋吃下去。”格林维格先生还在大喊大叫。

   'He would deserve to have it knocked off, if he does,' said Mr. Brownlow.

  “真要是这样,他理应把脑袋敲下来才对。”布朗罗先生说。

   'And he'd uncommonly like to see any man offer to do it,' responded Mr. Grimwig, knocking his stick upon the floor.

  “可他偏偏想看一看谁敢这么做。”格林维格先生一边应对,一边用手杖敲打着地板。

  事情就是如此,两位老先生几次动了火气,随后又遵循他们向来的惯例握手言和。

   'Now, Miss Maylie,' said Mr. Brownlow, 'to return to the subject in which your humanity is so much interested. Will you let me know what intelligence you have of this poor child: allowing me to promise that I exhausted every means in my power of discovering him, and that since I have been absent from this country, my first impression that he had imposed upon me, and had been persuaded by his former associates to rob me, has been considerably shaken.'

  “好了,梅莱小姐,”布朗罗先生说道,“回到你的一腔美意如此关切的题目上来吧,你能不能告诉我,你得到了这个苦孩子的什么消息?请允许我说两句,为了把他找回来,我想尽了一切办法,开始我认为他在骗我,而他先前那班同伙又缠上了他,想从我这儿捞点什么,我的这种想法自从我出国以来已经大大动摇了。”

   Rose, who had had time to collect her thoughts, at once related, in a few natural words, all that had befallen Oliver since he left Mr. Brownlow's house; reserving Nancy's information for that gentleman's private ear, and concluding with the assurance that his only sorrow, for some months past, had been not being able to meet with his former benefactor and friend.

  露丝已经抽空把思绪整理了一番,她直截了当,几句话便将奥立弗离开布朗罗先生的住宅之后发生的事情讲了一遍,只保留了南希报告的消息,准备私下告诉这位先生。她最后保证说,那孩子过去几个月里唯一感到遗憾的就是不能与从前的恩人和朋友相见。

   'Thank God!' said the old gentleman. 'This is great happiness to me, great happiness. But you have not told me where he is now, Miss Maylie. You must pardon my finding fault with you,--but why not have brought him?'

  “谢天谢地。”老绅士说道,“这对我真是莫大的幸福,莫大的幸福。可您还没有告诉我,梅莱小姐,眼下他在什么地方。您一定得原谅我对您求全责备--可为什么不带他一起来呢?”

   'He is waiting in a coach at the door,' replied Rose.

  “他正在大门外边一辆马车里等着呢。”露丝回答。

  “在这个大门外边!”老绅士大叫一声,匆匆离开房间,走下楼,跳上马车踏板二话没说便冲进了车厢。

   When the room-door closed behind him, Mr. Grimwig lifted up his head, and converting one of the hind legs of his chair into a pivot, described three distinct circles with the assistance of his stick and the table; stitting in it all the time. After performing this evolution, he rose and limped as fast as he could up and down the room at least a dozen times, and then stopping suddenly before Rose, kissed her without the slightest preface.

  房门在格林维格先生的身后关上了,他抬起头、用椅子的一条后腿作为圆心,借助他的手杖和桌子,在原地转了整整三圈,在此期间他一直没有离开过椅子。这一转体动作表演完毕,他站起来,一瘸一拐地在房间里走了至少十二个来回,走得再快不过了。接着,他在露丝面前摹地停住脚步,免去一切开场白,吻了吻她。

   'Hush!' he said, as the young lady rose in some alarm at this unusual proceeding. 'Don't be afraid. I'm old enough to be your grandfather. You're a sweet girl. I like you. Here they are!'

  姑娘叫这种不正规的行动吓了一跳,不由得站了起来。“嘘!”他说道,“别怕。依我的年纪足够做你的爷爷了。你是个可爱的姑娘。我喜欢你。他们来啦。”

   In fact, as he threw himself at one dexterous dive into his former seat, Mr. Brownlow returned, accompanied by Oliver, whom Mr. Grimwig received very graciously; and if the gratification of that moment had been the only reward for all her anxiety and care in Oliver's behalf, Rose Maylie would have been well repaid.

  果不其然,他刚一个箭步窜回先前的座位,布朗罗先生便带着奥立弗回来了,格林维格先生非常谦和地向他表示欢迎,即便此时此刻的喜悦就是对露丝·梅莱为奥立弗担忧、惦念得到的唯一报偿,她也心满意足了。

   'There is somebody else who should not be forgotten, by the bye,' said Mr. Brownlow, ringing the bell. 'Send Mrs. Bedwin here, if you please.'

  “慢着慢着,还有一个不应该忘掉的人,”布朗罗先生一边说,一边摇铃,“请把贝德温太太叫到这儿来。”

  老管家风风火火地应召而来。她在门口行了个礼,等候着吩咐。

   'Why, you get blinder every day, Bedwin,' said Mr. Brownlow, rather testily.

  “哦,贝德温,你的眼神真是一天不如一天了?”布朗罗先生有些气恼,问道。

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名著·雾都孤儿 - 第105节