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“噢。你可不能叫他们下不来台，先生。”麦恩太太好言相劝。 'The Clerkinwell Sessions have brought it upon themselves, ma'am,' replied Mr. Bumble; 'and if the Clerkinwell Sessions find that they come off rather worse than they expected, the Clerkinwell Sessions have only themselves to thank.' “那是克拉肯韦尔季审法庭自找的，太太，”邦布尔先生回答，“要是克拉肯韦尔法庭发现结果比他们预想的差了许多，那也只能怪克拉肯韦尔法庭自己。” There was so much determination and depth of purpose about the menacing manner in which Mr. Bumble delivered himself of these words, that Mrs. Mann appeared quite awed by them. At length she said, 邦布尔先生阴沉着脸，侃侃而谈，处处流露出他决心已定，志在必得的意思，麦恩太太似乎完全让他的话折服了。到末了，她说： 'You're going by coach, sir? I thought it was always usual to send them paupers in carts.' “你们乘班车去吗，先生？我还以为向来都是用大车来送那帮穷鬼的呢。” 'That's when they're ill, Mrs. Mann,' said the beadle. 'We put the sick paupers into open carts in the rainy weather, to prevent their taking cold.' “麦恩太太，那是在他们生病的时候啊，”干事说道，“在多雨的季节，我们把有病的穷小子安顿在敞车里，免得他们着凉。” 
“哦。”麦恩太太恍然大悟。 'The opposition coach contracts for these two; and takes them cheap,' said Mr. Bumble. 'They are both in a very low state, and we find it would come two pound cheaper to move 'em than to bury 'em--that is, if we can throw 'em upon another parish, which I think we shall be able to do, if they don't die upon the road to spite us. Ha! ha! ha!' “返回伦敦的班车答应捎上他们俩，车票也不贵，”邦布尔先生说，“两个人都快完了，我们发现，让他们挪个地方比起埋他们来要便宜两英镑--就是说，假如我们能把他们扔到另外一个教区去的话，这一点应该能办到，只要他们别死在路上跟我们作对就行，哈哈哈！” When Mr. Bumble had laughed a little while, his eyes again encountered the cocked hat; and he became grave. 邦布尔先生刚笑了一会儿，目光又一次与三角帽相遇，复又变得庄重起来。 'We are forgetting business, ma'am,' said the beadle; 'here is your porochial stipend for the month." “我们把正事给忘了，夫人，这是你本月的教区薪俸。” Mr. Bumble produced some silver money rolled up in paper, from his pocket-book; and requested a receipt: which Mrs. Mann wrote. 邦布尔先生从皮夹子里掏出用纸卷着的一叠银币，要麦恩太太写了张收据。 
“这上头沾了些墨渍，先生，”寄养所所长说，“不过我敢说，写得还算正规。先生，谢谢你了，邦布尔先生。真不知道怎么感谢你才好，真的。” Mr. Bumble nodded, blandly, in acknowledgment of Mrs. Mann's curtsey; and inquired how the children were. 邦布尔先生和气地点点头，答谢麦恩太太的屈膝礼，接着便问起孩子们的情况。 'Bless their dear little hearts!' said Mrs. Mann with emotion, 'they're as well as can be, the dears! Of course, except the two that died last week. And little Dick.' “天保佑那些个可爱的小心肝。”麦恩太太感慨万端。“他们好得不能再好了，这些宝贝。当然罗，除去上礼拜死掉的两个，还有小狄克。” 'Isn't that boy no better?' inquired Mr. Bumble. “那孩子一点没见好？” Mrs. Mann shook her head. 麦恩太太摇了摇头。 
“那是个心术不正，品行不端的小叫化子，往后也好不了，”邦布尔先生气冲冲地说，“他在哪儿呢？” 'I'll bring him to you in one minute, sir,' replied Mrs. Mann. 'Here, you Dick!' “先生，我这就带他来见你，”麦恩太太回答，“狄克，上这儿来。” After some calling, Dick was discovered. Having had his face put under the pump, and dried upon Mrs. Mann's gown, he was led into the awful presence of Mr. Bumble, the beadle. 唤了好一阵子，她才找到狄克。他给放到哪筒下边洗了洗脸，在麦恩太太的睡衣上擦干了，才给领来拜见教区干事邦布尔先生。 The child was pale and thin; his cheeks were sunken; and his eyes large and bright. The scanty parish dress, the livery of his misery, hung loosely on his feeble body; and his young limbs had wasted away, like those of an old man. 这孩子脸色苍白而瘦削，两颊凹陷，一对明亮的眼睛睁得大大的，千方百计节省布料的教区衣服，他的贫儿制服，挂在他那软弱无力的身上仍显得十分宽松，幼小的四肢却已经像老年人的一样萎缩了。 Such was the little being who stood trembling beneath Mr. Bumble's glance; not daring to lift his eyes from the floor; and dreading even to hear the beadle's voice. 在邦布尔先生的逼视下站着索索发抖的就是这么一个小东西，他不敢把目光从地板上抬起来，甚至听到干事的声音就害怕。 
“你就不能抬头看这位绅士一眼，你这个犟孩子？” The child meekly raised his eyes, and encountered those of Mr. Bumble. 狄克温顺地抬起双眼，他的目光跟邦布尔先生相遇了。 'What's the matter with you, porochial Dick?' inquired Mr. Bumble, with well-timed jocularity. “你这是怎么啦，教区收养的狄克？”邦布尔先生不失时机，用滑稽的口吻问道。 'Nothing, sir,' replied the child faintly. “没什么，先生。”孩子有气无力地回答。 'I should think not,' said Mrs. Mann, who had of course laughed very much at Mr. Bumble's humour. “我想也没什么，”麦恩太太少不得要对邦布尔先生的幽默大笑一阵。 
“不用说，你什么也不需要。” 'I should like--' faltered the child. “我想--”孩子结结巴巴地说道。 'Hey-day!' interposed Mr. Mann, 'I suppose you're going to say that you DO want for something, now? Why, you little wretch--' “哎哟。”麦恩太太打断了他的话。“你现在准要说，你真的需要某一样东西了吧？哼，这个小坏蛋--” 'Stop, Mrs. Mann, stop!' said the beadle, raising his hand with a show of authority. 'Like what, sir, eh?' “等等，麦恩太太，等等。”干事端起权威人士的架子，扬起了一只手，说道。“老弟，想什么，嗯？” 'I should like,' said the child, 'to leave my dear love to poor Oliver Twist; and to let him know how often I have sat by myself and cried to think of his wandering about in the dark nights with nobody to help him. And I should like to tell him,' said the child pressing his small hands together, and speaking with great fervour, 'that I was glad to die when I was very young; for, perhaps, if I had lived to be a man, and had grown old, my little sister who is in Heaven, might forget me, or be unlike me; and it would be so much happier if we were both children there together.' “我想，”孩子吞吞吐吐地说，“要是有谁会写字的话，替我在一张纸上写几句话，再把它折好，密封起来，等我埋到地底下以后替我保存着。”“嗳，这孩子什么意思？”邦布尔先生大声说，狄克那一本正经的样子，苍白的面容给他留下了某种印象，尽管对这样的事他早已屡见不鲜。“老弟，你说什么来着？”“我想，”孩子说道，“把我的爱心留给可怜的奥立弗·退斯特，让他知道，一想到他在黑咕隆咚的晚上还得到处流浪，没人帮他，我多少次一个人坐下来，哭啊哭啊。我想告诉他，”孩子将两只小手紧紧地合在一起，怀着炽热的感情说，“我很高兴，我还没长大的时候就死了。我要是长成了大人，变老了，我在天堂里的小妹妹说不定会把我给忘了，或者一点都不像我了。要是我们俩都是小孩子，呆在那儿要快活得多。” 
邦布尔先生惊讶得无法形容，他把这个说话的小不点从头到脚打量了一番，然后转向自己的老朋友。“这帮小鬼全是一个样，麦恩大太，那个奥立弗真是无法无天，把他们全都教坏了。” 'I couldn't have believed it, sir' said Mrs Mann, holding up her hands, and looking malignantly at Dick. 'I never see such a hardened little wretch!' “先生，我才不相信这些话呢。”麦恩太太说着，抬起双手，恶狠狠地望着狄克。“我从来没见过这样可恶的小坏蛋。” 'Take him away, ma'am!' said Mr. Bumble imperiously. 'This must be stated to the board, Mrs. Mann. “把他带走吧，夫人。”邦布尔先生傲慢地说，“这事必须呈报理事会，麦恩太太。” 'I hope the gentleman will understand that it isn't my fault, sir?' said Mrs. Mann, whimpering pathetically. “我希望先生们能谅解，这不是我的错，你说呢？”麦恩太太悲愤地缀泣着说道。 'They shall understand that, ma'am; they shall be acquainted with the true state of the case,' said Mr. Bumble. 'There; take him away, I can't bear the sight on him.' “他们会谅解的，夫人，会把事实真相搞清楚的，”邦布尔先生说，“得啦，把他带走吧，看见他我就讨厌。” 
狄克立刻被带出去，锁进了煤窖，随即邦布尔先生也起身告辞，打点行装去了。
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