目 录 上一节 下一节 
他不停地走,穿过一条条境蜒曲折的小路,来到贝丝勒尔草地,又突然向左一转,很快就走进一座由龌龊的小街陋巷组成的迷宫,这种迷宫在那个闭塞的人口稠密区比比皆是。 The Jew was evidently too familiar with the ground he traversed to be at all bewildered, either by the darkness of the night, or the intricacies of the way. He hurried through several alleys and streets, and at length turned into one, lighted only by a single lamp at the farther end. At the door of a house in this street, he knocked; having exchanged a few muttered words with the person who opened it, he walked upstairs. 老犹太显然对这一带十分熟悉,绝不会因沉沉黑夜或者复杂的道路而迷失方向。他快步穿过好几条大街小巷,最后拐进一条街,这里唯一的亮光来自街道尽头的一盏孤灯。老犹太走到当街一所房子跟前,敲了敲门,同开门的人嘀咕几句,便上楼去了。 A dog growled as he touched the handle of a room-door; and a man's voice demanded who was there. 他刚一碰门把手,一只狗便立刻咆哮起来,一个男人的声音问是谁来了。 'Only me, Bill; only me, my dear,' said the Jew looking in. “是我啊,比尔,就我一个,亲爱的。”费金一边说,一边朝屋里望。 'Bring in your body then,' said Sikes. 'Lie down, you stupid brute! Don't you know the devil when he's got a great-coat on?' “滚进来吧,”赛克斯说道,“躺下,你这蠢货。老鬼穿了件大衣,你就不认识啦?” 
看得出,那只狗先前多少是受了费金先生一身打扮的蒙骗,因为费金刚把外套脱下来,扔到椅背上,狗就退回角落里去了,刚才它就是从那儿窜出来的,一边走还一边摇尾巴,以此表示自己十分满意,这也是它的本性嘛。 'Well!' said Sikes. “不赖。”赛克斯说。 'Well, my dear,' replied the Jew.--'Ah! Nancy.' “不赖,我亲爱的,”老犹太答道,“啊,南希。” The latter recognition was uttered with just enough of embarrassment to imply a doubt of its reception; for Mr. Fagin and his young friend had not met, since she had interfered in behalf of Oliver. All doubts upon the subject, if he had any, were speedily removed by the young lady's behaviour. She took her feet off the fender, pushed back her chair, and bade Fagin draw up his, without saying more about it: for it was a cold night, and no mistake. 后一句招呼的口气有些尴尬,表明他拿不准对方会不会答理,自从南希偏袒奥立弗的事发生以后,费金先生和他的这位女弟子还没见过面。如果他在这个问题上存有一点疑虑的话,也立刻被年轻女子的举动抹去了。她没有多说什么,抬起搁在壁炉挡板上的脚,把自己坐的椅子往后扯了扯,吩咐费金把椅子凑到壁炉边上,这确实是一个寒冷的夜晚。 'It is cold, Nancy dear,' said the Jew, as he warmed his skinny hands over the fire. 'It seems to go right through one,' added the old man, touching his side. “真冷啊,我亲爱的南希,”费金伸出瘦骨嶙峋的双手在火上烘烤着。“好像把人都扎穿了。”老头儿说着,揉揉自己的腰。 
“要扎进你的心,非得使锥子才行,”赛克斯先生说,“南希,给他点喝的。真是活见鬼,快一些。瞧他那副干巴巴的老骨头,抖得那样,也真叫人恶心,跟刚从坟墓里爬起来的恶鬼没什么两样。” Nancy quickly brought a bottle from a cupboard, in which there were many: which, to judge from the diversity of their appearance, were filled with several kinds of liquids. Sikes pouring out a glass of brandy, bade the Jew drink it off. 南希敏捷地从食橱里拿出一个瓶子,里边还有好些这类瓶子,从五花八门的外表来看,盛的全是各种饮料。赛克斯倒了一杯白兰地,要老犹太干了它。 'Quite enough, quite, thankye, Bill,' replied the Jew, putting down the glass after just setting his lips to it. “足够了,够了,比尔,多谢了。”费金把酒杯举到嘴边碰了碰,便放下了。 'What! You're afraid of our getting the better of you, are you?' inquired Sikes, fixing his eyes on the Jew. 'Ugh!' “干吗。怕我们抢了你的头彩,是吗?”赛克斯用眼睛死死盯住老犹太,问道。“唔。” With a hoarse grunt of contempt, Mr. Sikes seized the glass, and threw the remainder of its contents into the ashes: as a preparatory ceremony to filling it again for himself: which he did at once. 赛克斯先生发出一声沙哑的嘲笑,抓起酒杯,把里边的酒泼进炉灰里,又替自己满满地斟了一杯,作为见面礼,端起来一饮而尽。 
趁同伴喝第二杯酒的功夫,费金的目光飞快地在屋里溜了一圈--不是出于好奇,他以前时常光顾这间屋子,而是出于一种习惯,闲不住,而且多疑。这是一间陈设十分简陋的公寓,只有壁橱里的东西表明这间屋子的房客不是一个凭力气吃饭的人。室内一角靠着两三根沉甸甸的大头短棒,一把“护身器”挂在壁炉架上,此外,再也看不出有什么使人油然起疑的东西了。 'There,' said Sikes, smacking his lips. 'Now I'm ready.' “喂,”赛克斯咂了咂嘴,说道,“我可是准备停当了。” 'For business?' inquired the Jew. “谈买卖?”老犹太问。 'For business,' replied Sikes; 'so say what you've got to say.' “谈买卖,”赛克斯回答,“有话就说。” 'About the crib at Chertsey, Bill?' said the Jew, drawing his chair forward, and speaking in a very low voice. “是不是杰茨那个场子,比尔?”费金把椅子拉近一些,声音压得很低。 
“不错。怎么样啊?”赛克斯问道。 'Ah! you know what I mean, my dear,' said the Jew. 'He knows what I mean, Nancy; don't he?' “哦。我的意思你知道,亲爱的,”老犹太说道,“南希,他知道我的打算,不是吗?” 'No, he don't,' sneered Mr. Sikes. 'Or he won't, and that's the same thing. Speak out, and call things by their right names; don't sit there, winking and blinking, and talking to me in hints, as if you warn't the very first that thought about the robbery. Wot d'ye mean?' “不,他不知道,”赛克斯先生冷冷一笑。“或者说不想知道,都是一回事。说啊,有什么就说什么,别坐在那儿眨巴眼睛,跟我打哑谜,倒好像你不是头一个盘算持这一票似的。你打算如何?” 'Hush, Bill, hush!' said the Jew, who had in vain attempted to stop this burst of indignation; 'somebody will hear us, my dear. Somebody will hear us.' “嘘,比尔,小点声。”费金想顶住这一番火气,结果白费力气。“当心有人听见,亲爱的,有人听得见。” 'Let 'em hear!' said Sikes; 'I don't care.' But as Mr. Sikes DID care, on reflection, he dropped his voice as he said the words, and grew calmer. “让他们听好了。”赛克斯说道,“我才不在乎呢。”然而寻思一阵之后,赛克斯先生的确在平起来了,说话时声音压低了一些,也不再那么冲动。 
“嗳,嗳,”费金哄着他说,“这只是我提醒一声--没别的。这个,亲爱的,咱们谈谈杰茨的那户人家吧。你看什么时候动手,比尔,唔?什么时候动手?那些个杯盘碗盏,亲爱的,真是太棒了。”费金乐得直搓手,眉毛向上扬起来,仿佛东西已经到手了。 'Not at all,' replied Sikes coldly. “干不了。”赛克斯冷冷地答道。 'Not to be done at all!' echoed the Jew, leaning back in his chair. “当真干不了?”费金应声说道,身体一下仰靠在椅子上。 'No, not at all,' rejoined Sikes. 'At least it can't be a put-up job, as we expected.' “是啊,干不了,”赛克斯回答,“至少不像我们估摸的那样,可以来个里应外合。” 'Then it hasn't been properly gone about,' said the Jew, turning pale with anger. 'Don't tell me!' “那就是功夫不到家,”费金气得脸色发青,“别跟我说这些。” 
“我就是要跟你说这些,”赛克斯反唇相讥,“你算老几,就不能跟你说?我告诉你吧,托比·格拉基特在那附近已经转悠了两个星期,一个仆人也没勾搭上。” 'Do you mean to tell me, Bill,' said the Jew: softening as the other grew heated: 'that neither of the two men in the house can be got over?' “比尔,你是不是想说,”老犹太见对方人了,顿时软了下来,“那家的两个仆人没一个拉得过来?” 'Yes, I do mean to tell you so,' replied Sikes. 'The old lady has had 'em these twenty years; and if you were to give 'em five hundred pound, they wouldn't be in it.' “一点不错,我就是想告诉你这档子事,”赛克斯回答。“老太婆用了他俩二十年,你就是给他们五百镑,他们也不会干。”
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