目 录 上一节 下一节 
“她的病一直拖着,后来死在法国,”孟可司说道,“临终时,她把这些秘密,连同她对这些秘密牵涉到的每一个人的仇恨,那种压抑不住的刻骨仇恨,一块儿传给了我--尽管她犯不着这样做,因为我早就继承下来了。她不相信那姑娘会自杀,连孩子一块儿毁了,却总感觉有一个男孩生下来了,并且还活着。我向她发誓,只要一碰上小家伙,我就要穷追到底,让他一刻也不得安宁,一定要狠狠地收拾他,决不手软,我要把满腹的仇恨发泄在他头上,如果办得到的话,我要一直把他拖到绞刑架下,往那份侮辱人的遗嘱上吐唾沫,那上边全是空口瞎吹的大话。她没说错。 He came in my way at last. I began well; and, but for babbling drabs, I would have finished as I began!' 我终于碰上他了。开头还挺不错,要不是因为那个满口胡话的婊子,我已经把事办妥了。” As the villain folded his arms tight together, and muttered curses on himself in the impotence of baffled malice, Mr. Brownlow turned to the terrified group beside him, and explained that the Jew, who had been his old accomplice and confidant, had a large reward for keeping Oliver ensnared: of which some part was to be given up, in the event of his being rescued: and that a dispute on this head had led to their visit to the country house for the purpose of identifying him. 这恶棍紧抱双臂,怀着无处发泄的怨恨,嘟嘟哝哝地咒骂自己无能。布朗罗先生转过身来,在座的一个个听得心惊肉跳,他解释说,犹太人费金向来就是他盂可司的老搭档、知心人,得到很大一笔酬金,条件就是将奥立弗引入陷阱,万一他被救出去了,必须退还部分报酬,两人在这个问题上曾发生争执,也才有了他们的乡村别墅之行,目的是为了认定那是不是奥立弗。 'The locket and ring?' said Mr. Brownlow, turning to Monks. “小金盒和戒指呢?”布朗罗先生转向孟可司,问道。 'I bought them from the man and woman I told you of, who stole them from the nurse, who stole them from the corpse,' answered Monks without raising his eyes. 'You know what became of them.' “我从我告诉过你的那一男一女那儿把东西买下来了,他们是从看护那儿偷来的,看护又是从死人身上偷去的,”孟可司眼睛都没有抬一下,答道,“后来的情况你已经知道了。” 
布朗罗先生朝格林维格先生略一点头,后者极为敏捷地走出去,很快又带着两个人回来了,前边推着的是邦布尔太太,后边拖着的是她的满心不乐意的丈夫。 'Do my hi's deceive me!' cried Mr. Bumble, with ill-feigned enthusiasm, 'or is that little Oliver? Oh O-li-ver, if you know'd how I've been a-grieving for you--' “我该不是眼花了吧。”邦布尔先生大叫一声,故作热情的表演实在拙劣,“那不是小奥立弗吗?哦,奥--立--弗,你不知道我多替你难过--” 'Hold your tongue, fool,' murmured Mrs. Bumble. “住嘴,蠢货!”邦布尔太太咕哝了一句。 'Isn't natur, natur, Mrs. Bumble?' remonstrated the workhouse master. 'Can't I be supposed to feel--_I_ as brought him up porochially--when I see him a-setting here among ladies and gentlemen of the very affablest description! I always loved that boy as if he'd been my--my--my own grandfather,' said Mr. Bumble, halting for an appropriate comparison. 'Master Oliver, my dear, you remember the blessed gentleman in the white waistcoat? Ah! he went to heaven last week, in a oak coffin with plated handles, Oliver.' “这是人之常情,人之常情,邦布尔太太,不是吗?”济贫院院长另有看法,“我就不能感到高兴--是我代表教区把他带大了--现在看见他和这些非常和蔼可亲的女十先生们在一起,我能不高兴吗?我一直很喜欢那个孩子,就好像他是我的--我的--我的亲爷爷一样,”邦布尔先生顿了一下,才找到这样一个恰当的比方,“奥立弗少爷,我亲爱的,你还记不记得那位好福气的白背心绅士?啊他上礼拜升天了,用了一口栎木棺材,把手是镀金的,奥立弗。” 'Come, sir,' said Mr. Grimwig, tartly; 'suppress your feelings.' “得了吧,老兄,”格林维格先生尖刻地说,“克制一下你的感情。” 
“先生,我尽量就是了,”邦布尔先生回答,“你好吗,先生?希望你非常之健康。” This salutation was addressed to Mr. Brownlow, who had stepped up to within a short distance of the respectable couple. He inquired, as he pointed to Monks, 这一问候是冲着布朗罗先生发出的,因为他已经走到离这可敬的一对儿很近的地方。他指了一下孟可司,问道: 'Do you know that person?' “你们认识那个人吗?” 'No,' replied Mrs. Bumble flatly. “不认识。”邦布尔太太矢口否认。 'Perhaps YOU don't?' said Mr. Brownlow, addressing her spouse. “你可能也不认识吧?”布朗罗先生问她的老公。 
“我一辈子也没见过他。”邦布尔先生说。 'Nor sold him anything, perhaps?' “或许,也不曾把什么东西卖给他?” 'No,' replied Mrs. Bumble. “没有。”邦布尔太太回答。 'You never had, perhaps, a certain gold locket and ring?' said Mr. Brownlow. “或许,你们根本就不曾有过一个小金盒和一只戒指吧?” 'Certainly not,' replied the matron. 'Why are we brought here to answer to such nonsense as this?' “那还用说。”女总管答道,“你干吗把我们带到这儿,是来回答诸如此类胡扯的吗?” 
布朗罗先生又一次朝格林维格先生点了点头,那位绅士又一次一瘸一拐地走了出去,动作异常敏捷。这一次他带回来的不是一对身强体壮的夫妻,而是两个患病风症的老太婆,她俩摇摇晃晃地走进来,浑身直哆嗦。 'You shut the door the night old Sally died,' said the foremost one, raising her shrivelled hand, 'but you couldn't shut out the sound, nor stop the chinks.' “老沙而死的那个晚上,你关上了门,”走在前边的一个颤巍巍地抬起一只手,说道,“可你关不住响声,也堵不住门缝。” 'No, no,' said the other, looking round her and wagging her toothless jaws. 'No, no, no.' “说得对,说得对,”另一个望望四周,努了努她那没有牙齿的嘴巴,说道,“说得对。” 'We heard her try to tell you what she'd done, and saw you take a paper from her hand, and watched you too, next day, to the pawnbroker's shop,' said the first. “我们听见老沙丽拼命想把她干的好事告诉你,瞧见你从她手中接过一张纸,第二天我们还盯你的梢,看见你走进当铺去了。”头一个说。 'Yes,' added the second, 'and it was a "locket and gold ring." We found out that, and saw it given you. We were by. Oh! we were by.' “是啊,”第二个补充说,“那是‘一个小金盒和一枚戒指’。我们都打听清楚了,看见东西交给了你。我们当时就在旁边。哦!就在旁边。” 
“我们知道的可不光是那档子事,”头一个接着说道,“很久以前,她就经常向我们说起,那个年轻妈妈对她讲过,她感到自己熬不过去了,她本来要到孩子他爸的坟跟前去,死也要死在那里,不曾想路上病倒了。” 'Would you like to see the pawnbroker himself?' asked Mr. Grimwig with a motion towards the door. “你们要不要见一见当铺老板本人?”格林维格先生做了一个要往门口去的动作,问道。 'No,' replied the woman; 'if he--she pointed to Monks--'has been coward enough to confess, as I see he had, and you have sounded all these hags till you have found the right ones, I have nothing more to say. I DID sell them, and they're where you'll never get them. What then?' “不,”女总管回答,“既然他--”她指了指孟可司--“胆小鬼,他居然承认了,我看他什么都招了,你又向这些丑八怪都打听过,找到了这两个合适的证人,我也没什么多说的。我的确把那两样东西给卖了;东西你是永远也找不着的了,那又怎么样?” 'Nothing,' replied Mr. Brownlow, 'except that it remains for us to take care that neither of you is employed in a situation of trust again. You may leave the room.' “不怎么样,”布朗罗先生答道,“不过有件事倒是需要我们过问一下,你们俩今后再也不能担任负责的职务了。你们可以走了。” 'I hope,' said Mr. Bumble, looking about him with great ruefulness, as Mr. Grimwig disappeared with the two old women: 'I hope that this unfortunate little circumstance will not deprive me of my porochial office?' “我希望,”格林维格先生带着两个老妇人出去了,邦布尔先生看看四周,哭丧着脸说,“我希望,不至于因为这一件不幸的小事革掉我的教区公职,是吗?” 
“革职是免不了的,”布朗罗先生回答,“你还是死了那条心吧,这对你们已经很便宜了。” 'It was all Mrs. Bumble. She WOULD do it,' urged Mr. Bumble; first looking round to ascertain that his partner had left the room. “这全怪邦布尔太太,她非要这么干。”邦布尔先生先回头望了一眼,确信自己的搭档已经离开房间,这才连称冤枉。
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