目 录 上一节 下一节 
第二天早晨六点钟，邦布尔先生登上公共马车的顶座，他的三角帽换成了一顶圆礼帽，身上裹了一件带披肩的蓝色大衣，带着那两个居住权尚有争议的犯人顺顺当当地到了伦敦。 He experienced no other crosses on the way, than those which originated in the perverse behaviour of the two paupers, who persisted in shivering, and complaining of the cold, in a manner which, Mr. Bumble declared, caused his teeth to chatter in his head, and made him feel quite uncomfortable; although he had a great-coat on. 一路上别的倒是没什么，只是那两小子的恶习有些复萌，他俩一直哆哆嗦嗦地抱怨天冷，用邦布尔先生的说法，他俩叫得他牙齿咔哒咔哒直打架，弄得他浑身不舒坦，尽管他还穿了一件大衣。 Having disposed of these evil-minded persons for the night, Mr. Bumble sat himself down in the house at which the coach stopped; and took a temperate dinner of steaks, oyster sauce, and porter. Putting a glass of hot gin-and-water on the chimney-piece, he drew his chair to the fire; and, with sundry moral reflections on the too-prevalent sin of discontent and complaining, composed himself to read the paper. 邦布尔先生安排好两个坏蛋的住宿，独自来到停班车的那所房子，吃了一顿便饭，吃的是牡砺油牛排和黑啤酒。他将一杯滚烫的掺水杜松子酒放在壁炉架上，把椅子扯到炉边坐了下来。他痛感世风日下，人心不足，一时间感慨万千。之后，他静了静心，读起一份报纸来。 The very first paragraph upon which Mr. Bumble's eye rested, was the following advertisement. 邦布尔先生的目光停留在开头的一段，那是一则启事。 'FIVE GUINEAS REWARD 赏格五畿尼 
今有一男童，名奥立弗·退斯特，上礼拜四黄昏时分从本顿维尔家中失踪，一说被人诱拐出走，迄今杳无音讯。凡能告知其下落，以资寻回上述奥立弗·退斯特者可获酬金五畿尼，凡透露其昔日经历之一二者亦同。启者于此甚为关切，诸多缘由，恕不详述。 And then followed a full description of Oliver's dress, person, appearance, and disappearance: with the name and address of Mr. Brownlow at full length. 接下来是对奥立弗的穿着、身材、外貌以及如何失踪的一段详尽的描述，最后是布朗罗先生的姓名和地址。 Mr. Bumble opened his eyes; read the advertisement, slowly and carefully, three several times; and in something more than five minutes was on his way to Pentonville: having actually, in his excitement, left the glass of hot gin-and-water, untasted. 邦布尔先生睁大眼睛，字斟句酌地把告示翻来覆去读了几遍。约莫过了五分钟多一点儿，他已经走在去本顿维尔的路上了。冲动之下，他丢下了那一杯热腾腾的掺水杜松子酒，连尝也没尝一口。 'Is Mr. Brownlow at home?' inquired Mr. Bumble of the girl who opened the door. “布朗罗先生在家吗？”邦布尔先生向开门的女仆问道。 To this inquiry the girl returned the not uncommon, but rather evasive reply of 'I don't know; where do you come from?' 对于这句问话，女仆的回答不仅稀奇，更有些闪烁其词：“我不知道，您从哪儿来？” 
邦布尔先生刚一报出奥立弗的名宇，以此说明来意，一直在客厅门口侧耳聆听着的贝德温太太立刻屏住呼吸，快步来到走廊里。 'Come in, come in,' said the old lady: 'I knew we should hear of him. Poor dear! I knew we should! I was certain of it. Bless his heart! I said so all along.' “进来吧--进来吧，”老太太说道，“我知道会打听到的，苦命的孩子。我知道会打听到的，我压根儿就不怀疑。愿主保佑他。我一直就这么说。” Having heard this, the worthy old lady hurried back into the parlour again; and seating herself on a sofa, burst into tears. The girl, who was not quite so susceptible, had run upstairs meanwhile; and now returned with a request that Mr. Bumble would follow her immediately: which he did. 说罢，这位可敬的老太太又匆匆忙忙地回到客厅，一个人坐在沙发上痛哭起来。女仆没有这样容易动感情，她早已跑上楼去，这功夫，她下来传话说，请邦布尔先生立刻随她上楼，邦布尔欣然从命。 He was shown into the little back study, where sat Mr. Brownlow and his friend Mr. Grimwig, with decanters and glasses before them. The latter gentleman at once burst into the exclamation: 他走进里间的小书斋，里边坐着的是布朗罗先生和他的朋友格林维格先生，两人面前放着几只磨口圆酒瓶和玻璃杯。一看见邦布尔，后一位绅士立刻哇哇大叫起来： 'A beadle. A parish beadle, or I'll eat my head.' “一个干事。准是个教区跑腿的，我要是说错了就把脑袋吃下去。” 
“眼下请不要打岔，”布朗罗先生说道，“您请坐。” Mr. Bumble sat himself down; quite confounded by the oddity of Mr. Grimwig's manner. Mr. Brownlow moved the lamp, so as to obtain an uninterrupted view of the beadle's countenance; and said, with a little impatience, 邦布尔先生坐了下来，格林维格先生的举动怪模怪样，搞得他极为狼狈。布朗罗先生把灯移了一下，好让自己能不受干扰地看清这位教区干事的相貌，略略有些焦急地说： 'Now, sir, you come in consequence of having seen the advertisement?' “这个，先生，你是看到那张告示才来的吧？” 'Yes, sir,' said Mr. Bumble. “是的，先生。”邦布尔先生说。 'And you ARE a beadle, are you not?' inquired Mr. Grimwig. “你是教区干事，是不是啊？”格林维格先牛问道。 
“二位先生，我是教区干事。”邦布尔先生的口气十分自豪。 'Of course,' observed Mr. Grimwig aside to his friend, 'I knew he was. A beadle all over!' “那还用说，”格林维格先生冲着自己的朋友说道，“我早就知道，一个十足的教区干事。” Mr. Brownlow gently shook his head to impose silence on his friend, and resumed:'Do you know where this poor boy is now?' 布朗罗先生斯文地摇摇头，要朋友安静下来，又问道，“你知不知道那可怜的孩子眼下在什么地方？” 'No more than nobody,' replied Mr. Bumble. “一点也不比别人知道的多。”邦布尔先生回答。 'Well, what DO you know of him?' inquired the old gentleman. 'Speak out, my friend, if you have anything to say. What DO you know of him?' “哦，那你究竟知道他一些什么呢？”老绅士问。“请直说，朋友，如果你有什么事要说的话。你到底知道他一些什么？” 
“你碰巧知道的该不会都是什么好事吧，对不对？”格林维格先生讥讽地问，他已经对邦布尔先生的长相特征作了一番专心致志的研究。 Mr. Bumble, catching at the inquiry very quickly, shook his head with portentous solemnity. 邦布尔先生立刻明白了这句问话的含意，脸色也预兆不祥地变得庄重起来，他摇了摇头。 'You see?' said Mr. Grimwig, looking triumphantly at Mr. Brownlow. “看见了吧？”格林维格先生以胜利者的姿态瞧了布朗罗先生一眼，说道。 Mr. Brownlow looked apprehensively at Mr. Bumble's pursed-up countenance; and requested him to communicate what he knew regarding Oliver, in as few words as possible. 布朗罗先生心事重重地望着邦布尔先生那张皱眉蹩额的脸，请他尽可能简要地把他所知道的有关奥立弗的事都谈出来。 Mr. Bumble put down his hat; unbuttoned his coat; folded his arms; inclined his head in a retrospective manner; and, after a few moments' reflection, commenced his story. 邦布尔先生摘下帽子，解开大衣，交叉着双手，以一副追溯往事的架势低下头，沉吟片刻，开始讲述他的故事。 
复述这位教区干事的话--这需要二十来分钟--不免倒人胃口，但大意和实质是说，奥立弗是个弃儿，生身父母都很低贱，而且品性恶劣。打出生以来，他表现出的只有出尔反尔，恩将仇报，心肠歹毒，此外没有任何好一点的品质。在出生地，因对一位无辜少年进行残暴而怯懦的攻击，晚间由主人家中出逃，从而结束了那一段简短的经历。为了证实自己的确不是冒名顶替，邦布尔先生把随身带来的几份文件摊在桌上，自己又交叉起双臂，听凭布朗罗先生过目。 'I fear it is all too true,' said the old gentleman sorrowfully, after looking over the papers. 'This is not much for your intelligence; but I would gladly have given you treble the money, if it had been favourable to the boy.' “一切看来都是真的，”布朗罗先生看罢文件，痛心地说道，“对于你提供的情况，五个畿尼不算丰厚，可如果对孩子有好处，我非常愿意付你三倍于此的报酬。” It is not improbable that if Mr. Bumble had been possessed of this information at an earlier period of the interview, he might have imparted a very different colouring to his little history. It was too late to do it now, however; so he shook his head gravely, and, pocketing the five guineas, withdrew. 假如在这次造访中，邦布尔先生早一些得知这一消息的话，他完全可能会给奥立弗的简历染上一种截然不同的色彩，但是，现在为时已晚，他煞有介事地摇了摇头，把五个畿尼放进钱袋，告退了。
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