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凭着老太太这番话的鼓励，奥立弗敲了敲书房门。布朗罗先生要他进去，他便走了进去。他发现这一间小小的里屋整个就是一座书城。屋里有一扇窗户，正对着几个精美的小花圃。临窗放着一张桌子，布朗罗先生正坐在桌前看书。一见奥立弗，他把书推到一边，叫他靠近桌旁坐下来。奥立弗照办了，心里感到挺纳闷，不知道上什么地方才能找到要读这么多书的人，这些书好像是为了叫全世界的人都变得聪明一些才写出来的。这一点在许多比奥立弗·退斯特更有见识的人看来，也依然是他们日常生活中一桩不可思议的事情。 'There are a good many books, are there not, my boy?' said Mr. Brownlow, observing the curiosity with which Oliver surveyed the shelves that reached from the floor to the ceiling. “书可真多，是吗，我的孩子？”布朗罗先生留意到了，奥立弗带着明显的好奇心，打量着从地板一直垒到天花板的书架。 'A great number, sir,' replied Oliver. 'I never saw so many.' “好多书啊，先生，”奥立弗答道，“我从来没见过这么多书。” 'You shall read them, if you behave well,' said the old gentleman kindly; 'and you will like that, better than looking at the outsides,--that is, some cases; because there are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts.' “只要你规规矩矩做人，你也可以读这些书，”老先生和蔼地说，“你会很喜爱它们，而不光是看看外表--这是，在某些情况下，因为有些书的精华仅仅是书的封底封面。” 'I suppose they are those heavy ones, sir,' said Oliver, pointing to some large quartos, with a good deal of gilding about the binding. “先生，我猜准是那些厚的。”奥立弗说着，指了指几本封面烫金的四开本大书。 
“那倒不一定，”老先生在奥立弗头上拍了拍，微微一笑。“还有一些同样也是大书，尽管篇幅要小得多，怎么样，想不想长大了做个聪明人，也写书，嗯？” 'I think I would rather read them, sir,' replied Oliver. “我恐怕更愿意读书，先生。”奥立弗回答。 'What! wouldn't you like to be a book-writer?' said the old gentleman. “什么！你不想当一个写书的人？”老先生说。 Oliver considered a little while; and at last said, he should think it would be a much better thing to be a book-seller; upon which the old gentleman laughed heartily, and declared he had said a very good thing. Which Oliver felt glad to have done, though he by no means knew what it was. 奥立弗想了一会儿，最后才说，他觉得当一个卖书的人要好得多。一听这话，老先生开心地大笑起来，说他讲出了一件妙不可言的事。奥立弗非常高兴，尽管他一点都不知道这句话妙在哪里。 'Well, well,' said the old gentleman, composing his features. 'Don't be afraid! We won't make an author of you, while there's an honest trade to be learnt, or brick-making to turn to.' “好啦，好啦，”老绅士平静下来，说道，“你别怕。我们不把你培养成一个作家就是了，只要是正当手艺都可以学，或者改学制砖。” 
“先生，谢谢您。”奥立弗答话时那种一本正经的神气又引得布朗罗先生大笑起来，还提到一种奇怪的直觉什么的，奥立弗对此一点也不懂，也没大在意。 'Now,' said Mr. Brownlow, speaking if possible in a kinder, but at the same time in a much more serious manner, than Oliver had ever known him assume yet, 'I want you to pay great attention, my boy, to what I am going to say. I shall talk to you without any reserve; because I am sure you are well able to understand me, as many older persons would be.' “唔，”布朗罗先生尽量想说得温和一些，然而在这一时刻，他的脸色仍然比奥立弗一向所熟悉的要严肃得多。“孩子，我希望你认认真真听我下边的话，我要和你开诚布公地谈一谈，因为我完全相信你能够懂得我的意思，就像许多年龄大一些的人那样。” 'Oh, don't tell you are going to send me away, sir, pray!' exclaimed Oliver, alarmed at the serious tone of the old gentleman's commencement! 'Don't turn me out of doors to wander in the streets again. Let me stay here, and be a servant. Don't send me back to the wretched place I came from. Have mercy upon a poor boy, sir!' “喔，先生，别对我说您要把我打发走，求您了。”奥立弗叫了起来，老先生这番开场白的严肃口吻吓了他一跳。“别把我赶出去，叫我又到街上去流浪，让我留在这儿，当个仆人。不要把我送回原来那个鬼地方去，先生，可怜可怜一个苦命的孩子吧。” 'My dear child,' said the old gentleman, moved by the warmth of Oliver's sudden appeal; 'you need not be afraid of my deserting you, unless you give me cause.' “我亲爱的孩子，”老先生被奥立弗突如其来的激奋打动了。“你不用害怕，我不会抛弃你，除非是你给了我这样做的理由。” 'I never, never will, sir,' interposed Oliver. “我不会的，决不会的，先生。”奥立弗抢着说。 
“但愿如此吧，”老绅士答应道，“我相信你也不会那样。从前，我尽力接济过一些人，到头来上当受骗。不管怎么样，我依然由衷地信任你。我自己都说不清为什么这样关心你。我曾倾注满腔爱心的那些人已经长眠于黄泉之下，我平生的幸福与欢乐也埋在了那里，不过从内心感情上说，我还没有把我的这颗心做成一口棺材，永远封闭起来。切肤之痛只是使这种感情越发强烈越发纯净罢了。” As the old gentleman said this in a low voice: more to himself than to his companion: and as he remained silent for a short time afterwards: Oliver sat quite still. 布朗罗先生娓娓而谈，与其说是对那位小伙伴讲的，不如说是对他自己。随后，他稍稍顿了一下，奥立弗默不作声地坐在旁边。 'Well, well!' said the old gentleman at length, in a more cheerful tone, 'I only say this, because you have a young heart; and knowing that I have suffered great pain and sorrow, you will be more careful, perhaps, not to wound me again. You say you are an orphan, without a friend in the world; all the inquiries I have been able to make, confirm the statement. Let me hear your story; where you come from; who brought you up; and how you got into the company in which I found you. Speak the truth, and you shall not be friendless while I live.' “好了，好了。”老先生终于开口了，语气也显得比较愉快。“我只是说，因为你有一颗年轻的心，要是你知道我以往曾饱受辛酸苦痛，你就会更加小心，或许不会再一次刺伤我的心了。你说你是一个孤儿，举目无亲，我多方打听的结果都证实了这一点。让我也听听你的故事吧，说说你是哪儿人，是谁把你带大的，又是怎么跟我见到你时和你在一起的那一伙人搞到一块儿的。什么也别隐瞒，只要我活在世上一天，你就不会是无依无靠的。” Oliver's sobs checked his utterance for some minutes; when he was on the point of beginning to relate how he had been brought up at the farm, and carried to the workhouse by Mr. Bumble, a peculiarly impatient little double-knock was heard at the street-door: and the servant, running upstairs, announced Mr. Grimwig. 奥立弗抽抽搭搭地哽咽起来，好一会儿说不出话，他刚要开始叙述自己是如何在寄养所里长大，邦布尔先生又如何把他带到济贫院去的，大门口却响起一阵颇不耐烦的“砰砰。砰砰”的敲门声，仆人跑上楼报告说，格林维格先生来了。 'Is he coming up?' inquired Mr. Brownlow. “他上楼来了？”布朗罗先生问道。 
“是的，先生，”仆人答道，“他问家里有没有松饼，我告诉他有，他说他是来喝茶的。” Mr. Brownlow smiled; and, turning to Oliver, said that Mr. Grimwig was an old friend of his, and he must not mind his being a little rough in his manners; for he was a worthy creature at bottom, as he had reason to know. 布朗罗先生微微一笑，转过脸对奥立弗说，格林维格先生是他的一位老朋友，切不可对他举止稍有一点粗鲁耿耿于怀，那位先生其实是个大好人。布朗罗先生这样说是有根据的。 'Shall I go downstairs, sir?' inquired Oliver. “要不要我下楼去，先生？”奥立弗问。 'No,' replied Mr. Brownlow, 'I would rather you remained here.' “不用，”布朗罗先生回答，“我想让你留在这儿。” At this moment, there walked into the room: supporting himself by a thick stick: a stout old gentleman, rather lame in one leg, who was dressed in a blue coat, striped waistcoat, nankeen breeches and gaiters, and a broad-brimmed white hat, with the sides turned up with green. A very small-plaited shirt frill stuck out from his waistcoat; and a very long steel watch-chain, with nothing but a key at the end, dangled loosely below it. The ends of his white neckerchief were twisted into a ball about the size of an orange; the variety of shapes into which his countenance was twisted, defy description. He had a manner of screwing his head on one side when he spoke; and of looking out of the corners of his eyes at the same time: which irresistibly reminded the beholder of a parrot. In this attitude, he fixed himself, the moment he made his appearance; and, holding out a small piece of orange-peel at arm's length, exclaimed, in a growling, discontented voice. 这时，一个体格魁伟的老绅士走了进来。他一条腿略有些痛，拄着一根粗大的手杖，身穿蓝色外套，条纹背心，下边是淡黄色的马裤，打着绑腿，头上戴一顶宽檐的白色礼帽，印有绿色徽章的边沿向上翻，衬衫领绉从背心里伸出来，领子上的沼边十分细密，下边晃荡着一条长长的怀表钢链，表链末端上挂的是一把钥匙。白围巾的两头绞成一个球形，和一只桔子差不多大小。他扭动面部，脸上做出各种表情，让人根本形容不出来。他说话时老喜欢把头扭到一边，同时两只眼睛打眼角里往外看，不免使看见他的人联想到鹦鹉。他一进来就定在那里，摆出那种姿势，手臂伸得长长的，拿出一小块桔子皮，忿忿不平地吼了起来： 
“瞧瞧。看见这个了吗？真是邪门，我每次去拜访一户人家都要在楼梯上发现这么个东西，莫非是那个穷大夫的朋友干的？我已经让桔子皮弄病了一回，桔子皮总有一天会要了我的命。会的，先生，桔子皮会叫我送命的，如果不是的话，叫我把自己脑袋吃下去我也心甘情愿，先生。”
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