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这当儿，他们正从克拉肯韦尔广场附近一个小巷里走出来，真奇怪，名称改来改去，到现在还有人管这个广场叫“绿地”，机灵鬼猛然站住，将指头贴在嘴上，一边轻手轻脚地拉着两个同伴退后几步。 'What's the matter?' demanded Oliver. “什么事？”奥立弗问道。 'Hush!' replied the Dodger. 'Do you see that old cove at the book-stall?' “嘘！”机灵鬼回答，“看见书摊边上那个老家伙了没有？” 'The old gentleman over the way?' said Oliver. 'Yes, I see him.' “是街对面那位老先生？”奥立弗说，“是的，看见了。” 'He'll do,' said the Doger. “他正合适。”机灵鬼说道。 
“姿势蛮好。”查理·贝兹少爷仔细看了看。 Oliver looked from one to the other, with the greatest surprise; but he was not permitted to make any inquiries; for the two boys walked stealthily across the road, and slunk close behind the old gentleman towards whom his attention had been directed. Oliver walked a few paces after them; and, not knowing whether to advance or retire, stood looking on in silent amazement. 奥立弗惊奇不置地看看这一位，又看看那一位，但已经无法再问什么了，两个少年鬼鬼祟祟地溜过马路，往奥立弗已经注意到的那位老绅士身后靠去。奥立弗跟着他们走了几步，因为不知道应该上前还是退后，便站住了，他不敢出声，只是望着那边发呆。 The old gentleman was a very respectable-looking personage, with a powdered head and gold spectacles. He was dressed in a bottle-green coat with a black velvet collar; wore white trousers; and carried a smart bamboo cane under his arm. He had taken up a book from the stall, and there he stood, reading away, as hard as if he were in his elbow-chair, in his own study. It is very possible that he fancied himself there, indeed; for it was plain, from his abstraction, that he saw not the book-stall, nor the street, nor the boys, nor, in short, anything but the book itself: which he was reading straight through: turning over the leaf when he got to the bottom of a page, beginning at the top line of the next one, and going regularly on, with the greatest interest and eagerness. 老先生面容非常可敬，头上抹着发粉，戴一副金边眼镜，深绿色外套配黑色的天鹅绒衬领，白裤子，胳膊下夹着一根精致的竹手杖。他从摊子上取了一本书，站在原地看了起来，就好像是坐在自己书斋的安乐椅里边一般。老绅士本人的确很可能也是这种感觉。照他那副出神的样子来看，他眼睛里显然没有书摊，没有街道，也没注意到那帮孩子，一句话，什么都抛到脑后去了，心思全在他正在一字一句读的那本书上，读到一页的末行，又照老样子从下一页的顶行开始，兴致勃勃认认真真地读下去。 What was Oliver's horror and alarm as he stood a few paces off, looking on with his eyelids as wide open as they would possibly go, to see the Dodger plunge his hand into the old gentleman's pocket, and draw from thence a handkerchief! To see him hand the same to Charley Bates; and finally to behold them, both running away round the corner at full speed! 奥立弗站在几步开外，眼睛睁得再大不过了，他看到机灵鬼把手伸进老绅士的衣袋，从里边掏出一张手帕。他又看见机灵鬼把东西递给查理·贝兹，最后，他俩一溜烟地转过街角跑掉了，此时，他感到何等的恐惧与惊慌啊。 In an instant the whole mystery of the hankerchiefs, and the watches, and the jewels, and the Jew, rushed upon the boy's mind.He stood, for a moment, with the blood so tingling through all his veins from terror, that he felt as if he were in a burning fire; then, confused and frightened, he took to his heels; and, not knowing what he did, made off as fast as he could lay his feet to the ground. 刹那间，金表、珠宝、老犹太，整个的谜全涌人了孩子的脑海。他迟疑了一下，由于害怕，血液在浑身血管里奔泻，他感到自己仿佛置身于熊熊燃烧的烈火中，接着，慌乱恐惧之下，他自己也不知道是怎么回事，便撩起脚尖，没命地跑开了。 
这一切都发生在短短的一分钟里边。就在奥立弗开始跑的一瞬间，那位老绅士把手伸进日袋里，没有摸到手绢，猛然掉过头来。他见一个孩子以这么快的速度向前飞跑，自然认定那就是偷东西的人了。他使出全身力气，呼喊着“抓贼啊！”，便拿着书追了上去。 But the old gentleman was not the only person who raised the hue-and-cry. The Dodger and Master Bates, unwilling to attract public attention by running down the open street, had merely retured into the very first doorway round the corner. They no sooner heard the cry, and saw Oliver running, than, guessing exactly how the matter stood, they issued forth with great promptitude; and, shouting 'Stop thief!' too, joined in the pursuit like good citizens. 不过，吆喝着抓贼，抓贼的并不只是这位老绅士一个人。机灵鬼和贝兹少爷不希望满街跑引起公众注意，俩人一拐过街角，就躲进第一个门洞里去了。不多一会儿，他们听到了叫喊声，又看见奥立弗跑过去，便分毫不差地猜到了随后发生的事情，俩人极为敏捷地蹦了出来，高呼着“抓贼啊！”跟诚实的市民们一样参加了追捕。 Although Oliver had been brought up by philosophers, he was not theoretically acquainted with the beautiful axiom that self-preservation is the first law of nature. If he had been, perhaps he would have been prepared for this. Not being prepared, however, it alarmed him the more; so away he went like the wind, with the old gentleman and the two boys roaring and shouting behind him. 尽管奥立弗受过一班哲学家的熏陶，然而在理论上，他对于自我保护乃天地间第一法则这一条美妙的格言却一无所知，如果他知道这一点，或许就会对这类事有所准备了。他完全没有了主意，便越发惊慌，他一阵风似地朝前奔去，那位老绅土，还有机灵鬼和贝兹两人，吼声震天地在后面追。 'Stop thief! Stop thief!' There is a magic in the sound. The tradesman leaves his counter, and the car-man his waggon; the butcher throws down his tray; the baker his basket; the milkman his pail; the errand-boy his parcels; the school-boy his marbles; the paviour his pickaxe; the child his battledore. Away they run, pell-mell, helter-skelter, slap-dash: tearing, yelling, screaming, knocking down the passengers as they turn the corners, rousing up the dogs, and astonishing the fowls: and streets, squares, and courts, re-echo with the sound. “抓贼啊！抓贼啊！”这喊声里蕴藏着一种魔力。听到喊声，生意人离开了柜台，车夫丢下了自己的马车，屠户扔掉了托盘，面包师抛下了篮子，送牛奶的撂下了提桶，跑腿的扔下了要送的东西，学童顾不上打弹子，铺路工人摔掉了鹤嘴锄，小孩子把球板扔到了一边。大家一齐追了上来，杂沓纷乱，你推我挤：扭扯着，喊的喊，叫的叫，拐弯时撞倒了行人，闹腾得鸡飞狗跳。大街小巷，广场院落，喊声四处回荡。 'Stop thief! Stop thief!' The cry is taken up by a hundred voices, and the crowd accumulate at every turning. Away they fly, splashing through the mud, and rattling along the pavements:up go the windows, out run the people, onward bear the mob, a whole audience desert Punch in the very thickest of the plot, and, joining the rushing throng, swell the shout, and lend fresh vigour to the cry, 'Stop thief! Stop thief!' “抓贼啊！抓贼啊！”上百人齐声响应。每转过一个街口，人群便会增大一轮。他们一路飞跑，踩得泥浆四溅，人行道咚咚直响。木偶戏正演到节骨眼上，全体观众却丢下了主角潘趣，打开窗户跑出门来，人们一拥而上，加入了奋勇争先的人群，齐呼“抓贼啊！抓贼啊！”，给这喊声里注入了新的活力。 
“抓贼啊！抓贼啊！”人类胸怀中向来就有一种极为根深蒂固的征服欲。一个快要憋过气去的苦孩子，为了抢在追兵的前头，累得气喘咻咻，满脸恐惧，眼含痛苦，大滴大滴的汗珠顺着脸颊滚下来，每一根神经都绷得紧紧的。人们赶上来了，一步步逼近了，眼看他渐渐没有力气了，吆喝却更加起劲，四处欢声雷动。“抓贼啊！”嗨，即使是出于怜悯，看在上帝分上，也务请逮住他。 Stopped at last! A clever blow. He is down upon the pavement; and the crowd eagerly gather round him: each new comer, jostling and struggling with the others to catch a glimpse. 'Stand aside!' 'Give him a little air!' 'Nonsense! he don't deserve it.' 'Where's the gentleman?' 'Here his is, coming down the street.' 'Make room there for the gentleman!' 'Is this the boy, sir!' 'Yes.' 终于抓住了。多美妙的一击。他倒在人行道上。人们按捺不住地团团围住他，刚赶到的争先恐后往里挤，都想瞅一眼。“一边请请。”“让他透点空气吧。”“胡扯。他根本不配。”“那位先生呢？”“喏，朝这边街上来了。”“替这位先生让个地方。”“先生，是这孩子吗？”“是的。” Oliver lay, covered with mud and dust, and bleeding from the mouth, looking wildly round upon the heap of faces that surrounded him, when the old gentleman was officiously dragged and pushed into the circle by the foremost of the pursuers. 奥立弗倒在地上，浑身糊满了污泥尘土，嘴里淌血，两眼惊慌地打量着围在身边的无数面孔，这时候，那位老绅士叫跑在头里的那班人热情地拖着推着让进了圈子。 'Yes,' said the gentleman, 'I am afraid it is the boy.' “是的，”老绅士说，“恐怕就是这个孩子。” 'Afraid!' murmured the crowd. 'That's a good 'un!' “恐怕！”人群低声咕哝着，“真是妙极了。” 
“可怜的孩子，”老绅士说道，“他受伤了。” '_I_ did that, sir,' said a great lubberly fellow, stepping forward; 'and preciously I cut my knuckle agin' his mouth. I stopped him, sir.' “先生，是我把他撂倒的，”一个粗手大脚的家伙凑上来，“我一拳打在他嘴上，手都碰伤了。是我逮住他的，先生。” The follow touched his hat with a grin, expecting something for his pains; but, the old gentleman, eyeing him with an expression of dislike, look anxiously round, as if he contemplated running away himself: which it is very possible he might have attempted to do, and thus have afforded another chase, had not a police officer (who is generally the last person to arrive in such cases) at that moment made his way through the crowd, and seized Oliver by the collar. 那家伙咧嘴笑了笑，碰了一下自己的帽子，巴望着替自己的一番劳苦捞点什么。老绅士厌恶地扫了他一眼，又忐忑不安地向周围看了看，似乎想竟自离去。要不是这当儿有一位警官挤进人群（遇上这类案子，警官老是最后一个到场），一把揪住奥立弗的衣领，他很可能已经那样做了，从而发生另一次追逐。 'Come, get up,' said the man, roughly. “喂，起来。”警官粗声嘎气地说。 'It wasn't me indeed, sir. Indeed, indeed, it was two other boys,' said Oliver, clasping his hands passionately, and looking round. 'They are here somewhere.' “先生，不是我。真的，真的，是另外两个孩子。”奥立弗两手紧紧地扣在一起，回头看了看，说道，“他们就在附近哪个地方。”
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