名著·雾都孤儿 - 第20节


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  费金把这些小首饰收起来,又取出一个小得可以握在掌心之中的东西。那上边似乎刻了一些蝇头小字,费金把那个东西平放在桌子上,用手挡住亮光,专心致志看了老半天。他似乎终究没看出什么,只好放下,身子往椅子上一靠,喃喃地说:

   'What a fine thing capital punishment is! Dead men never repent; dead men never bring awkward stories to light. Ah, it's a fine thing for the trade! Five of 'em strung up in a row, and none left to play booty, or turn white-livered!'

  “死刑真是件妙不可言的事儿。死人绝不会忏悔,死人也绝不会把可怕的事情公之于世的。啊,对于我们这一行也有好处。五个家伙挂成一串,都给绞死了,没有一个会留下来做线人,或者变成胆小鬼。”

   As the Jew uttered these words, his bright dark eyes, which had been staring vacantly before him, fell on Oliver's face; the boy's eyes were fixed on his in mute curiousity; and although the recognition was only for an instant--for the briefest space of time that can possibly be conceived--it was enough to show the old man that he had been observed.

  费金絮絮叨叨地说着,又黑又亮的眼睛原本一直出神地望着前边,这时却落到了奥立弗脸上,那孩子睁着一双好奇的眼睛,正默默地盯着他。尽管目光的交汇只是一瞬间的事--也许是想像得到的最短促的一瞬间吧--老头儿却已经意识到,有人注意到了自己。

   He closed the lid of the box with a loud crash; and, laying his hand on a bread knife which was on the table, started furiously up. He trembled very much though; for, even in his terror, Oliver could see that the knife quivered in the air.

  他啪地关上盒子,一手拿起桌上的一把切面包的刀,狂暴地跳了起来。他一个劲地打着哆嗦,连吓得要命的奥立弗都看得出那把刀在空中晃悠。

   'What's that?' said the Jew. 'What do you watch me for? Why are you awake? What have you seen? Speak out, boy! Quick--quick! for your life.

  “怎么啦?”费金说道,“你干吗监视我?你怎么醒了?你看见什么了?说出来,小子。快--快!当心小命!”

  “先生,我再也睡不着了,”奥立弗柔顺地回答,“如果我打搅了您的话,我感到非常抱歉,先生。”

   'You were not awake an hour ago?' said the Jew, scowling fiercely on the boy.

  “一个钟头以前,你没醒过来吧?”费金恶狠狠地瞪了孩子一眼。

   'No! No, indeed!' replied Oliver.

  “我还没醒。没有,真的。”奥立弗回答。

   'Are you sure?' cried the Jew: with a still fiercer look than before: and a threatening attitude.

  “你说的是真话?”费金的样子变得更狰狞了,杀气腾腾地叫道。

   'Upon my word I was not, sir,' replied Oliver, earnestly. 'I was not, indeed, sir.'

  “先生,我发誓,”奥立弗一本正经地答道,“没有,先生,真的没醒。”

  “啐,啐,我亲爱的。”费金骤然恢复了常态,把切刀拿在手里晃了几下,放回桌子上,似乎想借此表明他拿起刀来不过是玩玩。“亲爱的,我当然有数罗,我只是想吓唬吓唬你。你胆子不小,哈哈!胆子不小啊,奥立弗。”犹太人嘻嘻一笑,搓了搓手,眼睛却依然不很放心地朝那只盒子看了一眼。

   'Did you see any of these pretty things, my dear?' said the Jew, laying his hand upon it after a short pause.

  “亲爱的,你看到这些个宝贝了?”费金踌躇了一下,手放在盒子上,问道。

   'Yes, sir,' replied Oliver.

  “先生,是的。”

   'Ah!' said the Jew, turning rather pale. 'They--they're mine, Oliver; my little property. All I have to live upon, in my old age. The folks call me a miser, my dear. Only a miser; that's all.'

  “啊。”费金脸上白了一大片,“它们--它们都是我的,奥立弗,是我的一丁点财产。我上了岁数,全得靠它们哩。大家伙管我叫守财奴,我亲爱的--不就是个守财奴吗,就这么回事。”

   Oliver thought the old gentleman must be a decided miser to live in such a dirty place, with so many watches; but, thinking that perhaps his fondness for the Dodger and the other boys, cost him a good deal of money, he only cast a deferential look at the Jew, and asked if he might get up.

  奥立弗心想,这位老绅士准是一个不折不扣的吝啬鬼,他有那么多金表,倒住在这么脏的地方。他又一想,老头对机灵鬼和另外几个孩子挺喜欢,兴许花了不少钱,但他只是恭恭敬敬地望了犹太人一眼,问自己是不是可以起来。

  “当然,我亲爱的,当然可以,”老绅士回答,“等一等,门边角落里有一壶水,你带过来,我给你弄个盆,你洗洗脸,亲爱的。”

   Oliver got up; walked across the room; and stooped for an instant to raise the pitcher. When he turned his head, the box was gone.

  奥立弗爬起来,走到房间另一头,略一弯腰,把壶提了起来,当他回过头去的时候,盒子已经不见了。

   He had scarcely washed himself, and made everything tidy, by emptying the basin out of the window, agreeably to the Jew's directions, when the Dodger returned: accompanied by a very sprightly young friend, whom Oliver had seen smoking on the previous night, and who was now formally introduced to him as Charley Bates. The four sat down, to breakfast, on the coffee, and some hot rolls and ham which the Dodger had brought home in the crown of his hat.

  他刚洗完脸,又照着费金的意思,把盆里的水泼到窗户外边,把一切收拾停当,机灵鬼和另一个精神焕发的小伙伴一块儿回来了,昨天晚上奥立弗看见他抽烟来着,现经正式介绍,才知道他叫查理·贝兹。四个人坐下来共进早餐,桌子上有咖啡,机灵鬼用帽顶盛着带回来一些热腾腾的面包卷和香肠。

   'Well,' said the Jew, glancing slyly at Oliver, and addressing himself to the Dodger, 'I hope you've been at work this morning, my dears?'

  “嗯,”费金暗暗用眼睛盯住奥立弗,跟机灵鬼聊了起来,“亲爱的孩子们,今儿早上你们恐怕都在干活,是吗?”

   'Hard,' replied the Dodger.

  “可卖力了。”机灵鬼回答。

  “整个豁出去了。”查理·贝兹添了一句。

   'Good boys, good boys!' said the Jew. 'What have you got, Dodger?'

  “好小子,好小子。”老犹太说,“你弄到了什么,机灵鬼?”

   'A couple of pocket-books,' replied that young gentlman.

  “俩皮夹子。”小绅士答道。

   'Lined?' inquired the Jew, with eagerness.

  “有搞头吗?”老犹太急不可耐地问。

   'Pretty well,' replied the Dodger, producing two pocket-books; one green, and the other red.

  “还不赖。”机灵鬼说着,掏出两只钱包,一只绿的,一只红的。

  “好像不该这么轻,”费金仔仔细细地点了一下里边的东西,说道,“做得倒真漂亮利索。他可真是把好手,不是吗,奥立弗?”

   'Very indeed, sir,' said Oliver. At which Mr. Charles Bates laughed uproariously; very much to the amazement of Oliver, who saw nothing to laugh at, in anything that had passed.

  “先生,是这样,真机灵。”奥立弗说道,查理·贝兹先生一听这话立刻放声大笑,弄得奥立弗莫名其妙,他看不出眼前发生的事有什么好笑的。

   'And what have you got, my dear?' said Fagin to Charley Bates.

  “你弄到什么了,亲爱的?”费金冲着查理·贝兹说道。

   'Wipes,' replied Master Bates; at the same time producing four pocket-handkerchiefs.

  “抹嘴儿。”贝兹少爷一边说,一边掏出四条小手绢。

   'Well,' said the Jew, inspecting them closely; 'they're very good ones, very. You haven't marked them well, though, Charley; so the marks shall be picked out with a needle, and we'll teach Oliver how to do it. Shall us, Oliver, eh? Ha! ha! ha!'

  “好,”费金仔细地查看着手绢,“还都是上等货色,很好,不过,查理,你没把标记做好,你得用一根针把标记挑掉。我们来教教奥立弗。好不好,奥立弗,呢?哈哈哈!”

  “先生,如果你愿意的话。”奥立弗说。

   'You'd like to be able to make pocket-handkerchiefs as easy as Charley Bates, wouldn't you, my dear?' said the Jew.

  “你也希望做起手绢来跟查理·贝兹一样得心应手,是不是啊,亲爱的?”费金说道。

   'Very much, indeed, if you'll teach me, sir,' replied Oliver.

  “先生,”奥立弗答道,“我真的非常想学,只要你肯教我。”

   Master Bates saw something so exquisitely ludicrous in this reply, that he burst into another laugh; which laugh, meeting the coffee he was drinking, and carrying it down some wrong channel, very nearly terminated in his premature suffocation.

  贝兹先生觉得这一句答话中含有某种妙不可言的滑稽意味,不禁又噗哧一声笑起来,这一阵笑声正好碰上他刚喝下去的咖啡,咖啡立刻走岔了道,差一点没把他呛死。

   'He is so jolly green!' said Charley when he recovered, as an apology to the company for his unpolite behaviour.

  “他真是嫩得可笑。”查理缓过劲来以后说,为自己举止失礼向在场的各位表示歉意。

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名著·雾都孤儿 - 第20节