名著·雾都孤儿 - 第31节


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  “嗨,那位绅士把他带走了。”警察回答。

   'What gentleman! Oh, gracious heavens! What gentleman?' exclaimed Nancy.

  “什么绅士?啊,谢天谢地。什么绅士?”南希嚷了起来。

   In reply to this incoherent questioning, the old man informed the deeply affected sister that Oliver had been taken ill in the office, and discharged in consequence of a witness having proved the robbery to have been committed by another boy, not in custody; and that the prosecutor had carried him away, in an insensible condition, to his own residence: of and concerning which, all the informant knew was, that it was somewhere in Pentonville, he having heard that word mentioned in the directions to the coachman.

  在答复这一番东扯西拉的询问时,老人告诉这位装得活灵活现的姐姐,奥立弗在警察局里得了病,对证结果证明,偷东西的是另一个小孩,不是在押的一个,那位起诉人见他不省人事,就把他带到自己的住所去了,至于具体地点,这名警察只知道是在本顿维尔附近一个什么地方,他听见有人在叫马车的当儿提到过这个地名。

   In a dreadful state of doubt and uncertainty, the agonised young woman staggered to the gate, and then, exchanging her faltering walk for a swift run, returned by the most devious and complicated route she could think of, to the domicile of the Jew.

  苦恼的姑娘怀着满腹疑窦,蹒跚着朝大门走去,一出门,踌躇不定的步履顿时变为矫健轻捷的小跑,她煞费苦心地拣了一条最最迂回曲折的途径,回到费金的住所。

   Mr. Bill Sikes no sooner heard the account of the expedition delivered, than he very hastily called up the white dog, and, putting on his hat, expeditiously departed: without devoting any time to the formality of wishing the company good-morning.

  比尔·赛克斯一听到这次探险的报告,立刻忙不迭地叫醒那只白狗,戴上帽子,连在礼节上向同伴道声早安都顾不上,便匆匆离去。

  “非得弄清楚他在哪儿不可,宝贝儿,一定要把他找到,”费金激动不己地说,“查理,你什么事也别做了,各处逛逛去,听到他的消息赶紧带回来。南希,亲爱的,我一定要找到他。我相信你,亲爱的--在所有的事情上都信任你和机灵鬼。等等,等等,”老犹太补充说,他一只手哆嗦着,拉开抽屉。“宝贝儿,拿点钱去,今儿晚上铺子得关一关,你们知道上哪儿找我。一分钟也别多待,赶紧走,宝贝儿。”

   With these words, he pushed them from the room: and carefully double-locking and barring the door behind them, drew from its place of concealment the box which he had unintentionally disclosed to Oliver. Then, he hastily proceeded to dispose the watches and jewellery beneath his clothing.

  他一边说,一边把他们推出房间,随后小心翼翼地在门上加了双锁,插上门闩,从暗处取出那一个在奥立弗面前不慎暴露过的匣子,手忙脚乱地把金表和珠宝往衣服里塞。

   A rap at the door startled him in this occupation. 'Who's there?' he cried in a shrill tone.

  门上有人重重地敲了一下,忙乱中他给吓了一跳。“谁呀?”他厉声叫道。

   'Me!' replied the voice of the Dodger, through the key-hole.

  “是我。”透过锁眼传来机灵鬼的声音。

   'What now?' cried the Jew impatiently.

  “又怎么啦?”费金不耐烦地嚷了起来。

  “南希说,找到他是不是带到另一个窝去?”机灵鬼问道。

   'Yes,' replied the Jew, 'wherever she lays hands on him. Find him, find him out, that's all. I shall know what to do next; never fear.'

  “不错,”费金回答,“不管她在哪儿找到他都成。一定要找到他,把他找出来,就这么回事,往后咋办我心里有数,别怕。”

   The boy murmured a reply of intelligence: and hurried downstairs after his companions.

  这孩子低声答应一句“知道了”,便匆匆下楼追赶同伴们去了。

   'He has not peached so far,' said the Jew as he pursued his occupation. 'If he means to blab us among his new friends, we may stop his mouth yet.'

  “到现在为止他还没供出来,”说着,费金继续忙自己的事。“他要是存心在一帮子新朋友里边把我们吐出去,就得堵住他的嘴。”

   Oliver soon recovering from the fainting-fit into which Mr. Brownlow's abrupt exclamation had thrown him, the subject of the picture was carefully avoided, both by the old gentleman and Mrs. Bedwin, in the conversation that ensued: which indeed bore no reference to Oliver's history or prospects, but was confined to such topics as might amuse without exciting him. He was still too weak to get up to breakfast; but, when he came down into the housekeeper's room next day, his first act was to cast an eager glance at the wall, in the hope of again looking on the face of the beautiful lady. His expectations were disappointed, however, for the picture had been removed.

  布朗罗先生突然发出一声惊呼,奥立弗吓得晕了过去,过了一会他醒了。在随后的谈话中,老绅士和贝德温太太都十分谨慎,对画中人避口不谈,也不谈论奥立弗的过去和将来,话题都以让他感到快活同时又不会刺激他为限。他依然很虚弱,不能自己起床吃早饭。第二天,他下楼走进女管家的屋子里,第一个举动就是将急切的目光投向那一面墙,希望能再看看那位漂亮女士的脸。然而他的希望落空了,肖像已经移走。

  “啊。”女管家留心到了奥立弗眼睛看的方向,说道,“你瞧,没了。”

   'I see it is ma'am,' replied Oliver. 'Why have they taken it away?'

  “我也发现不见了,太太,”奥立弗回答,“他们干吗要把画拿走呢?”

   'It has been taken down, child, because Mr. Brownlow said, that as it seemed to worry you, perhaps it might prevent your getting well, you know,' rejoined the old lady.

  “是给取下来啦,孩子,布朗罗先生说了,它好像会使你挺难受似的,说不定还会妨碍你身体复原,你是懂得的。”

   'Oh, no, indeed. It didn't worry me, ma'am,' said Oliver. 'I liked to see it. I quite loved it.'

  “喔,不,真的,一点也碍不着我,太太,”奥立弗说道,“我喜欢看,我可喜欢呢。”

   'Well, well!' said the old lady, good-humouredly; 'you get well as fast as ever you can, dear, and it shall be hung up again. There! I promise you that! Now, let us talk about something else.'

  “好了,好了。”老太太乐呵呵地答应着,“你尽快把身体长结实,宝贝儿,画就又会挂上去的。嗳,我答应你。对了,我们还是谈点别的事情吧。”

  此刻,有关那张肖像的情况,奥立弗所能知道的就是这些了。他想到,在生病期间,贝德温太太对自己那样好,便打定主意眼下再也不去想这件事。他专心致志,听她讲了许多故事,说她有一个又可爱又漂亮的女儿嫁了一位又可爱又漂亮的丈夫,女儿女婿都住在乡下,一个儿子在西印度群岛,给一个贸易商当职员,儿子也是个挺好的年轻人,蛮孝顺,一年要给家里写四次信。说到那些信,泪水便涌上她的双眼。老太太一五一十,说了半天儿女们的长处,此外还谈到,她那体贴温柔的丈夫也有无数的优点,他已经去世,真可怜啊。整整二十六年了。喝茶的时候到了。喝过茶,她开始教奥立弗玩克里比奇牌戏。奥立弗学得很快,一点也没叫她费心。两个人玩得兴致勃勃,毫无倦意,一直玩到该给病人来上一点暖和的兑水红葡萄酒外带一片烤面包的时候才罢手,接着他才心满意足地睡觉去了。

   They were happy days, those of Oliver's recovery. Everything was so quiet, and neat, and orderly; everybody so kind and gentle; that after the noise and turbulence in the midst of which he had always lived, it seemed like Heaven itself. He was no sooner strong enough to put his clothes on, properly, than Mr. Brownlow caused a complete new suit, and a new cap, and a new pair of shoes, to be provided for him. As Oliver was told that he might do what he liked with the old clothes, he gave them to a servant who had been very kind to him, and asked her to sell them to a Jew, and keep the money for herself. This she very readily did; and, as Oliver looked out of the parlour window, and saw the Jew roll them up in his bag and walk away, he felt quite delighted to think that they were safely gone, and that there was now no possible danger of his ever being able to wear them again. They were sad rags, to tell the truth; and Oliver had never had a new suit before.

  奥立弗恢复健康的那些日子是多么幸福啊。周围的一切都是那么宁静,整洁,井井有条--每一个人又都那么和蔼可亲--他向来就是在喧嚣扰嚷中生活,在他看来,这里似乎就是天堂。他刚恢复到能自己动手穿衣裳,布朗罗先生便叫人替他买了一套新衣裳、一顶新帽子和一双新皮鞋。奥立弗得知自己可以随意处置那些旧衣服,就把它们送给了一个对他非常关照的女仆,要她拿去卖给一个犹太人,钱留下她自己花。这事她很快就办妥了。奥立弗打客厅窗户里望出去,瞧见那犹太人把旧衣裳打成一卷,放进袋子里离去了。他满心欢喜,心想这些东西总算妥善处理了,自己现在不可能遇到得重新穿上它们的危险。说实话,那都是些烂得不成样子的破布条,奥立弗还从来没穿过一套新衣裳。

   One evening, about a week after the affair of the picture, as he was sitting talking to Mrs. Bedwin, there came a message down from Mr. Brownlow, that if Oliver Twist felt pretty well, he should like to see him in his study, and talk to him a little while.

  一天傍晚,大约是肖像事件之后一个礼拜,他正坐着和贝德温太太聊天,布朗罗先生传下话来,说如果奥立弗·退斯特精神很好的话,他希望能在自己的书斋里见见他,跟他谈谈。

   'Bless us, and save us! Wash your hands, and let me part your hair nicely for you, child,' said Mrs. Bedwin. 'Dear heart alive! If we had known he would have asked for you, we would have put you a clean collar on, and made you as smart as sixpence!'

  “哎哟,真没办法。你洗洗手,我来替你梳一个漂漂亮亮的分头,孩子,”贝德温太太说,“真要命。早知道他要请你去,我们该给你戴一条干净的领子,把你打扮得跟六便士银币一样漂亮。”

   Oliver did as the old lady bade him; and, although she lamented grievously, meanwhile, that there was not even time to crimp the little frill that bordered his shirt-collar; he looked so delicate and handsome, despite that important personal advantage, that she went so far as to say: looking at him with great complacency from head to foot, that she really didn't think it would have been possible, on the longest notice, to have made much difference in him for the better.

  奥立弗照着老太太的吩咐做了。尽管那功夫她一个劲地惋惜,来不及在他的衬衫衣领的边缘理出一条小小的波纹。尽管少了这样重要的一大优势,他的模样还是十分清秀,招人喜欢。老太太十分满意,一边将他从头打量到脚,一边说道:哪怕是早就接到通知,恐怕也没法将他打扮得更精神了。

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名著·雾都孤儿 - 第31节