名著·雾都孤儿 - 第47节


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  “不过,亲爱的,你的意思是不是说,”老犹太争辩道,“那几个娘们也拉不过来,对不?”

   'Not a bit of it,' replied Sikes.

  “一点办法也没有。”赛克斯答道。

   'Not by flash Toby Crackit?' said the Jew incredulously. 'Think what women are, Bill,'

  “连花花公子托比·格拉基特也不行?”费金不大相信,“想想娘们是些什么东西,比尔。”

   'No; not even by flash Toby Crackit,' replied Sikes. 'He says he's worn sham whiskers, and a canary waistcoat, the whole blessed time he's been loitering down there, and it's all of no use.'

  “是啊,连花花公子托比·格拉基特也不行。他说,这段时间,他一直戴着假胡子,穿了件鲜黄的大衣,在那一带逛荡,可一点没用。”

   'He should have tried mustachios and a pair of military trousers, my dear,' said the Jew.

  “他该试一试小胡子,配上军裤,亲爱的。”老犹太说道。

  “他试过,”赛克斯答道,“这两样也好不到哪儿去。”

   The Jew looked blank at this information. After ruminating for some minutes with his chin sunk on his breast, he raised his head and said, with a deep sigh, that if flash Toby Crackit reported aright, he feared the game was up.

  费金听到这个消息,不禁两眼发直。他下巴搭拉在胸前,沉思半晌,又抬起头来,重重地叹了一口气,说如果花花公子托比·格拉基特呈报的全是实情,恐怕这套把戏算是完了。

   'And yet,' said the old man, dropping his hands on his knees, 'it's a sad thing, my dear, to lose so much when we had set our hearts upon it.'

  “话说回来,”老头儿双手放在膝上,说道,“亲爱的,我们一门心思全扑到上边去了,赔进去那么多,想想真心疼。”

   'So it is,' said Mr. Sikes. 'Worse luck!'

  “可不是嘛,’赛克斯先生说,“霉透了。”

   A long silence ensued; during which the Jew was plunged in deep thought, with his face wrinkled into an expression of villainy perfectly demoniacal. Sikes eyed him furtively from time to time. Nancy, apparently fearful of irritating the housebreaker, sat with her eyes fixed upon the fire, as if she had been deaf to all that passed.

  一阵漫长难熬的沉默随之而起。老犹太陷入了沉思,他面部扭曲,一副奸诈邪恶的样子。赛克斯不时偷偷瞧他一眼。南希像是生怕招惹这个人室抢劫犯,管自坐在一旁,两眼直瞪瞪地盯住火,仿佛刚才发生的一切她都听不见似的。

  “费金,”赛克斯骤然打破了沉默,“干脆从外边下手,另加五十个金币,值不值?”

   'Yes,' said the Jew, as suddenly rousing himself.

  “值啊。”费金好像突然醒过来,说道。

   'Is it a bargain?' inquired Sikes.

  “说定了?”赛克斯问。

   'Yes, my dear, yes,' rejoined the Jew; his eyes glistening, and every muscle in his face working, with the excitement that the inquiry had awakened.

  “说定了,我亲爱的,说定了。”老犹太经过这一番问答变得兴奋起来,两眼炯炯放光,脸上的每一块肌肉都在活动。

   'Then,' said Sikes, thrusting aside the Jew's hand, with some disdain, 'let it come off as soon as you like. Toby and me were over the garden-wall the night afore last, sounding the panels of the door and shutters. The crib's barred up at night like a jail; but there's one part we can crack, safe and softly.'

  “那好,”赛克斯带着几分轻蔑甩开老犹太的手,说道,“你高兴什么时候动手就什么时候动手。前天晚上我跟托比翻过花园围墙,试了一下门窗上的嵌板。这家子到了夜里就关门闭户,跟大牢似的。不过有个地方我们能砸开,又安全又轻巧。”

  “哪个地方,比尔?”老犹太急切地问。

   'Why,' whispered Sikes, 'as you cross the lawn--'

  “嗳,”赛克斯打着耳语说,“你穿过草地--”

   'Yes?' said the Jew, bending his head forward, with his eyes almost starting out of it.

  “是吗?”老犹太说着,头往前靠去,眼珠子几乎都要掉出来了。

   'Umph!' cried Sikes, stopping short, as the girl, scarcely moving her head, looked suddenly round, and pointed for an instant to the Jew's face. 'Never mind which part it is. You can't do it without me, I know; but it's best to be on the safe side when one deals with you.'

  “啊呜。”赛克斯骤然打住,跟着又嚷了起来,这当儿,南希姑娘难得地摇了摇头,突然回头看了一眼,又立刻转向费金。“管它是什么地方。离开我,你办不了这事,我心里有数,跟你打交道,还是小心为妙。”

   'As you like, my dear, as you like' replied the Jew. 'Is there no help wanted, but yours and Toby's?'

  “随你便,我亲爱的,随你便,”老犹太答道,“你和托比还要不要帮手?”

  “不要,”赛克斯说,“还要一把摇柄钻和一个小孩子。头一件我们俩都有,第二件你得替我们物色到。”

   'A boy!' exclaimed the Jew. 'Oh! then it's a panel, eh?'

  “一个小孩子。”费金嚷道,“哦。那就是嵌板了,唔?”

   'Never mind wot it is!' replied Sikes. 'I want a boy, and he musn't be a big 'un. Lord!' said Mr. Sikes, reflectively, 'if I'd only got that young boy of Ned, the chimbley-sweeper's! He kept him small on purpose, and let him out by the job. But the father gets lagged; and then the Juvenile Delinquent Society comes, and takes the boy away from a trade where he was arning money, teaches him to read and write, and in time makes a 'prentice of him. And so they go on,' said Mr. Sikes, his wrath rising with the recollection of his wrongs, 'so they go on; and, if they'd got money enough (which it's a Providence they haven't,) we shouldn't have half a dozen boys left in the whole trade, in a year or two.'

  “管它是什么。”赛克斯回答,“我需要一个孩子,个头还不能太大,天啦。”赛克斯先生若有所思。“我要是能把扫烟囱师傅勒德的那个小家伙搞到手就好啦。他存心不让那孩子长个,好让他干这一行。那孩子本来在这一行已经开始挣钱了,可作爸爸的给关了起来,再往后,少年犯罪教化会把孩子带走了,教他读书写字,早晚要培养他当学徒什么的,他们老是那样,”赛克斯先生想起自己蒙受的损失,火气又上来了,“没有个完。要是他们得到足够的资金(谢天谢地,他们资金不够),只消一两年的功夫,整个这一行我们连半打孩子也凑不齐了。”

   'No more we should,' acquiesed the Jew, who had been considering during this speech, and had only caught the last sentence. 'Bill!'

  “是凑不齐,啊,”老犹太随声附和道。赛克斯在一边慷慨陈词,他一直在打主意,只听清了最后一句。“比尔。”

   'What now?' inquired Sikes.

  “什么事?”赛克斯问。

  费金朝依然呆呆地望着炉火发愣的南希点了点头,打了一个暗号,示意他叫南希离开这间屋子。赛克斯不耐烦地耸了一下肩膀,像是认为这种小心纯属多余。尽管如此,他还是同意了,要南希小姐去给他取一罐啤酒来。

   'You don't want any beer,' said Nancy, folding her arms, and retaining her seat very composedly.

  “你压根儿不是要什么啤酒。”南希交叉着双手,神色镇定地坐着不动,说道。

   'I tell you I do!' replied Sikes.

  “我告诉你,我要。”赛克斯答道。

   'Nonsense,' rejoined the girl coolly, 'Go on, Fagin. I know what he's going to say, Bill; he needn't mind me.'

  “胡说,”姑娘淡漠地顶了一句,“说啊,费金。比尔,我知道他下边要说什么,他用不着提防我。”

   The Jew still hesitated. Sikes looked from one to the other in some surprise.

  老犹太还在犹豫。赛克斯看看这个,又看看那个,有些莫名其妙。

  “嗨,费金,你别担心老丫头了,好不好?”末了,他问道,“你认识她时间也不短了,也该信得过她,要不就是其中有鬼。她不会乱嚼舌头。是吗,南希?”

   '_I_ should think not!' replied the young lady: drawing her chair up to the table, and putting her elbows upon it.

  “我看不会。”年轻女子说着,把椅子拉到桌边,胳膊肘支在桌子上。

   'No, no, my dear, I know you're not,' said the Jew; 'but--' and again the old man paused.

  “不,不,亲爱的,我知道你不会,”老犹太说道,“只是--”老头儿说着又停了下来。

   'But wot?' inquired Sikes.

  “只是什么?”赛克斯问。

   'I didn't know whether she mightn't p'r'aps be out of sorts, you know, my dear, as she was the other night,' replied the Jew.

  “我说不准她会不会又疯疯颠颠的,你知道啊,亲爱的,就像那天晚上的样子。”老犹太回答。

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名著·雾都孤儿 - 第47节