目 录 上一节 下一节 
这位小绅士只是滑稽地冲着他咧嘴一笑，算是招呼了，便转过身，嘱咐来客跟着自己走下楼梯。他们穿过一间空荡荡的厨房，来到一个满是泥土味的房间跟前，这间屋子像是建在房后小院里的。门开了，一阵喧闹的笑声迎面扑来。 'Oh, my wig, my wig!' cried Master Charles Bates, from whose lungs the laughter had proceeded: 'here he is! oh, cry, here he is! Oh, Fagin, look at him! Fagin, do look at him! I can't bear it; it is such a jolly game, I cant' bear it. Hold me, somebody, while I laugh it out.' “哦，笑死我了，笑死我了。”查理·贝兹少爷嚷着说，原来笑声是从他的肺里发出来的。“他在这儿哩。哦，哭啊，他在这儿。呢，费金，你瞧他，费金，你好好看看。笑死我了，这游戏多好玩，笑死我了。拉我一把，那谁，干脆让我笑个够。” With this irrepressible ebullition of mirth, Master Bates laid himself flat on the floor: and kicked convulsively for five minutes, in an ectasy of facetious joy. Then jumping to his feet, he snatched the cleft stick from the Dodger; and, advancing to Oliver, viewed him round and round; while the Jew, taking off his nightcap, made a great number of low bows to the bewildered boy. The Artful, meantime, who was of a rather saturnine disposition, and seldom gave way to merriment when it interfered with business, rifled Oliver's pockets with steady assiduity. 这股子高兴劲儿来势迅猛，贝兹少爷一下子倒在地上，乐不可支地又蹬又踢，折腾了五分钟。接着他跳起来，从机灵鬼手中夺过那根破木棍，走上前去，绕着奥立弗看了又看。这功夫老犹太摘下睡帽，对着手足无措的奥立弗连连打躬，身子弯得低低的。机灵鬼性情一向相当阴沉，很少跟着起哄，如果这种找乐对事情有妨碍的话，他这时毫不含糊地把奥立弗的衣袋搜刮了一遍。 'Look at his togs, Fagin!' said Charley, putting the light so close to his new jacket as nearly to set him on fire. 'Look at his togs! Superfine cloth, and the heavy swell cut! Oh, my eye, what a game! And his books, too! Nothing but a gentleman, Fagin!' “瞧他这身打扮，费金。”查理说道，把灯移近奥立弗的新外套，险些儿把它烧着了。“瞧这一身。头等的料子，裁得也派吼叫。喔，我的天，太棒啦。还有书呢，没的说，整个是一绅士，费金。” 'Delighted to see you looking so well, my dear,' said the Jew, bowing with mock humility. 'The Artful shall give you another suit, my dear, for fear you should spoil that Sunday one. Why didn't you write, my dear, and say you were coming? We'd have got something warm for supper.' “看到你这样光鲜真叫人高兴，我亲爱的，”老犹太佯装谦恭地点了点头，“机灵鬼会另外给你一套衣裳，我亲爱的，省得你把礼拜天穿的弄脏了。你要来干吗不写信跟我们说一声，亲爱的？我们也好弄点什么热乎的当晚饭啊。” 
一听这话，贝兹少爷又大笑起来，他笑得那样响，费金心里一下子轻松了，连机灵鬼也微微一笑。不过，既然这当儿机灵鬼已经把那张五镑的钞票搜了出来，引起他兴致来的是费金的俏皮话还是他自己的这一发现，可就难说了。 'Hallo, what's that?' inquired Sikes, stepping forward as the Jew seized the note. 'That's mine, Fagin.' “喂。那是什么？”老犹太刚一把子过那张钞票，赛克斯便上前问道，“那是我的，费金。” 'No, no, my dear,' said the Jew. 'Mine, Bill, mine. You shall have the books.' “不，不，我亲爱的，”老犹太说，“是我的，比尔，我的，那些书归你。” 'If that ain't mine!' said Bill Sikes, putting on his hat with a determined air; 'mine and Nancy's that is; I'll take the boy back again.' “不是我的才怪呢。”比尔·赛克斯说道，一边神色果断地戴上帽子。“我跟南希两人的，告诉你，我会把这孩子送回去的。”。 The Jew started. Oliver started too, though from a very different cause; for he hoped that the dispute might really end in his being taken back. 老犹太吓了一跳，奥立弗也吓了一跳，然而却是出自完全不同的原因，因为他还以为只要把自己送回去，争吵就真的结束了。 
“喂。交出来，你交不交？”赛克斯说。 'This is hardly fair, Bill; hardly fair, is it, Nancy?' inquired the Jew. “这不公平，比尔，太不公平了，是吗，南希？”老犹太提出。 'Fair, or not fair,' retorted Sikes, 'hand over, I tell you! Do you think Nancy and me has got nothing else to do with our precious time but to spend it in scouting arter, and kidnapping, every young boy as gets grabbed through you? Give it here, you avaricious old skeleton, give it here!' “什么公平不公平，”赛克斯反驳道，“拿过来，我告诉你。你以为我和南希赔上我们的宝贵时间，除了当当探子，把从你手心里溜掉的小孩子抓回来，就没有别的事干了？你给我拿过来，你这个老不死的，就剩一把骨头了，还那么贪心，你给我拿过来。” With this gentle remonstrance, Mr. Sikes plucked the note from between the Jew's finger and thumb; and looking the old man coolly in the face, folded it up small, and tied it in his neckerchief. 随着这一番温和的规劝，赛克斯先生把钞票从老犹太指头缝里抢过去，冷冷地劈面看了一眼老头儿，把钞票折小，扎在围巾里。 'That's for our share of the trouble,' said Sikes; 'and not half enough, neither. You may keep the books, if you're fond of reading. If you ain't, sell 'em.' “这是我们应得的酬劳，”赛克斯说，“连一半儿都不够呢。你要是喜欢看书，把书留下好了，如果不喜欢，卖掉也行。” 
“书还真不赖呢，”查理·贝兹做出各种鬼脸，装出正在读其中一本书的样子。“写得真不错，奥立弗，你说呢？”一见奥立弗垂头丧气，眼睛盯着这些折磨他的人，生来就富有幽默感的贝兹少爷又一次发出狂笑，比一开始还要来得猛。 'They belong to the old gentleman,' said Oliver, wringing his hands; 'to the good, kind, old gentleman who took me into his house, and had me nursed, when I was near dying of the fever. Oh, pray send them back; send him back the books and money. Keep me here all my life long; but pray, pray send them back. He'll think I stole them; the old lady: all of them who were so kind to me: will think I stole them. Oh, do have mercy upon me, and send them back!' “书是那位老先生的，”奥立弗绞着双手说道，“就是那位慈祥的好心老先生，我得了热症，差点死了，他把我带到他家里，照看我，求求你们，把书送回去，把书和钱都还给他，你们要我一辈子留在这儿都行，可是求求你们把东西送回去。他会以为是我偷走了，还有那位老太太--他们对我那样好，也会以为是我偷的，啊，可怜可怜我，把书和钱送回去吧。” With these words, which were uttered with all the energy of passionate grief, Oliver fell upon his knees at the Jew's feet; and beat his hands together, in perfect desperation. 奥立弗痛不欲生，说完这番话，随即跪倒在费金的脚边，双手合在一起拼命哀求。 'The boy's right,' remarked Fagin, looking covertly round, and knitting his shaggy eyebrows into a hard knot. 'You're right, Oliver, you're right; they WILL think you have stolen 'em. Ha! ha!' chuckled the Jew, rubbing his hands, 'it couldn't have happened better, if we had chosen our time!' “这孩子有点道理。”费金偷偷地扭头看了一眼，两道浓眉紧紧地拧成了一个结，说道。“你是对的，奥立弗，有道理，他们会认为是你偷走了这些东西。哈哈！”老犹太搓了搓手，嘻嘻直笑。“就算让我们来挑选时机，也不可能这么巧。” 'Of course it couldn't,' replied Sikes; 'I know'd that, directly I see him coming through Clerkenwell, with the books under his arm. It's all right enough. They're soft-hearted psalm-singers, or they wouldn't have taken him in at all; and they'll ask no questions after him, fear they should be obliged to prosecute, and so get him lagged. He's safe enough.' “当然不可能喽，”赛克斯回答，“我一眼看见他打克拉肯韦尔走过来，胳臂下夹着些书，我心里就有底了，真是再好不过了。他们都是些菩萨心肠，只会唱赞美诗，要不压根儿就不会收留他。他们往后一个字也不会提到他了，省得还要去报案，弄不好会把他给关起来。他现在没事了。” 
在这些话由他们口中说出来的功夫，奥立弗时而看看这个，时而又望望那个，仿佛坠入了云里雾里，对发生的事全都茫然不解似的。赛克斯刚一住嘴，他却猛然跳起来，一边不顾一切地冲出门去，一边尖声呼喊救命，这所空空如也的旧房子顿时连屋顶都轰鸣起来。 'Keep back the dog, Bill!' cried Nancy, springing before the door, and closing it, as the Jew and his two pupils darted out in pursuit. 'Keep back the dog; he'll tear the boy to pieces.' “比尔，把狗唤住。”费金和他的两个弟子追了出来，南希高声叫着跑到门边，把门关上了。“把狗唤回来，它会把那孩子撕成碎片的。” 'Serve him right!' cried Sikes, struggling to disengage himself from the girl's grasp. 'Stand off from me, or I'll split your head against the wall.' “活该。”赛克斯吆喝着，奋力想挣脱姑娘的手。“靠边站着吧你，要不我可要把你脑袋在墙上撞个粉碎。” 'I don't care for that, Bill, I don't care for that,' screamed the girl, struggling violently with the man, 'the child shan't be torn down by the dog, unless you kill me first.' “我不在乎，比尔，我不在乎，”南希姑娘口里高声喊叫着，不顾一切地跟那家伙扭打起来。“我决不让孩子被狗咬死，除非你先杀了我。” 'Shan't he!' said Sikes, setting his teeth. 'I'll soon do that, if you don't keep off.' “咬死他。”赛克斯牙齿咬得格格直响。“你再不放手，我可真要那么干了。” 
这强盗一把将姑娘甩到房间对面，就在这时，老犹太同两个徒弟架着奥立弗回来了。 'What's the matter here!' said Fagin, looking round. “这儿怎么啦？”费金环顾了一下四周，说道。 'The girl's gone mad, I think,' replied Sikes, savagely. “小娘们发疯了，恐怕是。”赛克斯恶狠狠地回答。
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