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见南希姑娘极为冲动,加上担心她如果被人发现会遭到毒打虐待,老绅士似乎这才下决心答应她的恳求,离她而去。 The sound of retreating footsteps were audible and the voices ceased. 清晰可闻的脚步声渐渐远去,说话声停止了。 The two figures of the young lady and her companion soon afterwards appeared upon the bridge. They stopped at the summit of the stairs. 年轻小姐与她那位同伴的身影不多一会就出现在桥面上。他们在石梯顶上停下来。 'Hark!' cried the young lady, listening. 'Did she call! I thought I heard her voice.' “听!”露丝谛听着,忽然叫了一声,“她是不是在叫!我好像听见了她的声音。” 'No, my love,' replied Mr. Brownlow, looking sadly back. 'She has not moved, and will not till we are gone.' “不,亲爱的,”布朗罗先生悲哀地往后看了一眼,答道,“她还在老地方站着,在我们离去之前,她是不会走开的。” 
露丝·梅莱还在犹豫,但老绅士挽住她的胳膊,略一用力,领着她走了。他们渐渐消失了,姑娘几乎直挺挺地瘫倒在一级石梯上,满心的愁苦化作辛酸的泪水中涌泻而出。 After a time she arose, and with feeble and tottering steps ascended the street. The astonished listener remained motionless on his post for some minutes afterwards, and having ascertained, with many cautious glances round him, that he was again alone, crept slowly from his hiding-place, and returned, stealthily and in the shade of the wall, in the same manner as he had descended. 过了一会儿,她站起来,拖着疲软的脚步,摇摇晃晃地登上街面去了。几分钟过去了,那个惊异不置的偷听者仍呆在原地一动不动,他一次又一次用审慎的目光环顾四周,确信自己身边没有其他的人了,才缓缓地从隐藏的地方爬出来,同下来的时候一样借着石壁的阴影,偷偷摸摸地往桥上走去。 Peeping out, more than once, when he reached the top, to make sure that he was unobserved, Noah Claypole darted away at his utmost speed, and made for the Jew's house as fast as his legs would carry him. 诺亚·克雷波尔走到上边,又不止一次地往外窥探,断定没有人注意到自己,然后一跃而出,撒开双腿,以最快的速度往老犹太的住所奔去。 It was nearly two hours before day-break; that time which in the autumn of the year, may be truly called the dead of night; when the streets are silent and deserted; when even sounds appear to slumber, and profligacy and riot have staggered home to dream; it was at this still and silent hour, that Fagin sat watching in his old lair, with face so distorted and pale, and eyes so red and blood-shot, that he looked less like a man, than like some hideous phantom, moist from the grave, and worried by an evil spirit. 离破晓差不多还有两小时,秋天里的这一个时辰确实可以称为死寂的深夜,街道寂寥冷落,连各种声音似乎都已酣然入睡,淫欲与骚动也步履蹒跚地回家睡觉去了。就是在这样一个万籁俱寂的时刻,费金坐守在自己的老巢里。他五官扭曲,脸色苍白,通红的两眼布满血丝,与其说他像人,不如说像个狰狞可怕的幽灵,浑身湿漉漉地从墓穴里爬出来,却又受到恶神的侵扰。 He sat crouching over a cold hearth, wrapped in an old torn coverlet, with his face turned towards a wasting candle that stood upon a table by his side. His right hand was raised to his lips, and as, absorbed in thought, he hit his long black nails, he disclosed among his toothless gums a few such fangs as should have been a dog's or rat's. 他弯腰曲背坐在冷冰冰的壁炉前边,身上裹着破旧的被单,面朝身边桌子上放着的一支即将燃尽的蜡烛。他陷入了沉思,右手举到唇边,用嘴去啃又长又黑的指甲,他那牙齿脱落的龈肉中露出几颗照说只有狗或者是老鼠嘴里才有的尖牙。 
地板上,诺亚·克雷波尔直挺挺地躺在一张垫子上边,睡得正香。老头儿间或朝他瞧一眼,接着便又把目光移向蜡烛,燃过的烛心搭拉下来,几乎断成了两截,滚烫的蜡油一团团滴落在桌上,这些迹象分明表示他心不在焉。 Indeed they were. Mortification at the overthrow of his notable scheme; hatred of the girl who had dared to palter with strangers; and utter distrust of the sincerity of her refusal to yield him up; bitter disappointment at the loss of his revenge on Sikes; the fear of detection, and ruin, and death; and a fierce and deadly rage kindled by all; these were the passionate considerations which, following close upon each other with rapid and ceaseless whirl, shot through the brain of Fagin, as every evil thought and blackest purpose lay working at his heart. 的确如此。他为自己那套妙计落空而懊恼,恨那个胆敢与陌生人勾勾搭搭的姑娘,丝毫也不相信她拒绝告发自己是出于一片真心,为失去报复赛克斯的机会而感到极度失望,他担心法网难逃,老巢覆灭,而且会搭上老命,这一切煽起了一股狂暴的怒火--这些激愤的念头一个接着一个,不间断地飞速旋转着从费金脑海里掠过,一个个邪恶的设想,一个个极其晦暗的意念在他心里翻腾。 He sat without changing his attitude in the least, or appearing to tkae the smallest heed of time, until his quick ear seemed to be attracted by a footstep in the street. 他坐在那里,丝毫也没有改变姿势,似乎也完全没有注意到时间,直到他敏锐的听觉像是被街上的一阵脚步声所吸引。 'At last,' he muttered, wiping his dry and fevered mouth. 'At last!' “终于来了,”他抹了抹干得发烫的嘴唇,喃喃地说,“终于来了。” The bell rang gently as he spoke. He crept upstairs to the door, and presently returned accompanied by a man muffled to the chin, who carried a bundle under one arm. Sitting down and throwing back his outer coat, the man displayed the burly frame of Sikes. 说话间,门铃轻轻响了起来。他蹑手蹑脚地爬上楼梯,往门口走去,不一会儿就领着一个用围巾裹住下巴,胳膊下边夹着一包东西的男子回来了。那人坐下来,脱掉大衣,现出赛克斯魁梧的身躯。 
“喏。”他把那包东西放在桌上。“把这个收好喽,尽量多卖几个钱。好不容易才搞到的,我本来以为三个小时以前就到得了这儿呢。” Fagin laid his hand upon the bundle, and locking it in the cupboard, sat down again without speaking. But he did not take his eyes off the robber, for an instant, during this action; and now that they sat over against each other, face to face, he looked fixedly at him, with his lips quivering so violently, and his face so altered by the emotions which had mastered him, that the housebreaker involuntarily drew back his chair, and surveyed him with a look of real affright. 费金抓起那包东西,锁进食橱里,重新坐下来,依旧一言不发。然而,在这一举动的前前后后,他的目光一刻也没离开过那个强盗。眼下两人面对面坐下来,他两眼直瞪瞪地望着赛克斯,嘴唇抖得厉害,感情不仅主宰着他,连他的模样也改变了,那个打家劫舍的家伙不由自主地把椅子往后挪了挪,细细打量着他,那副惊恐的样子绝不是装出来的。 'Wot now?' cried Sikes. 'Wot do you look at a man so for?' “怎么回事?”赛克斯嚷道,“你干吗这样看着人家?” Fagin raised his right hand, and shook his trembling forefinger in the air; but his passion was so great, that the power of speech was for the moment gone. 费金扬起右手,在空中晃了晃发抖的食指,可他实在太冲动了,一时竟说不出话来。 'Damme!' said Sikes, feeling in his breast with a look of alarm. 'He's gone mad. I must look to myself here.' “妈的。”妥赛克斯神色慌乱地摸了摸胸口,说道,“他发疯了。我在这儿得留点神。” 
“不,不,”费金好歹能出声了,“不是--不是你的事,比尔。我不是--不是找你的岔子。” 'Oh, you haven't, haven't you?' said Sikes, looking sternly at him, and ostentatiously passing a pistol into a more convenient pocket. 'That's lucky--for one of us. Which one that is, don't matter.' “噢,你不是,对吗?’赛克斯恶狠狠地打量着他,一边故意把手枪放进一个更称手的口袋里。“这叫运气--我们当中总有一个。到底是哪一个运气好,倒没什么关系。” 'I've got that to tell you, Bill,' said Fagin, drawing his chair nearer, 'will make you worse than me.' “我有话要对你说,比尔,”费金说着,将椅子挪近了一些,“你听了肯定比我还要难受。” 'Aye?' returned the robber with an incredulous air. 'Tell away! Look sharp, or Nance will think I'm lost.' “哎?”那强盗看样子有些不信,“说出来呀。快点儿,要不南希还以为我出事了呢。” 'Lost!' cried Fagin. 'She has pretty well settled that, in her own mind, already.' “出事!”费金嚷道。“她自个儿心里头,早就把这事盘算好了。” 
赛克斯迷惑不解地盯着费金的脸,从他脸上却又找不到满意的解释,便一把揪住费金的衣领,结结实实抖了他几下。 'Speak, will you!' he said; 'or if you don't, it shall be for want of breath. Open your mouth and say wot you've got to say in plain words. Out with it, you thundering old cur, out with it!' “说,说呀。”他说道,“你要是不说,可就要断气了。张开嘴,把你要说的话爽爽快快说出来。说出来呀,你这个天打雷劈的老狗,快说。” 'Suppose that lad that's laying there--' Fagin began. “如果,躺在那儿的小伙子--”费金开口了。 Sikes turned round to where Noah was sleeping, as if he had not previously observed him. 'Well!' he said, resuming his former position. 赛克斯朝诺亚睡的地方转过脸去,像是当初不曾注意到他似的。“呃。”他哼了一声,又恢复了刚才的姿势。
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