目 录 上一节 下一节 
他做完祷告，却依然用双手捂住脸，这时一阵悉悉窣窣的声音惊动了他。 'What's that!' he cried, starting up, and catching sight of a figure standing by the door. 'Who's there?' “什么东西！”他大叫一声跳了起来，一眼看见门边站着一个人影。“谁在那儿？” 'Me. Only me,' replied a tremulous voice. “我，我啊。”一个颤悠悠的嗓音回答说。 Oliver raised the candle above his head: and looked towards the door. It was Nancy. 奥立弗把蜡烛举过头顶，朝门口看去。原来是南希。 'Put down the light,' said the girl, turning away her head. 'It hurts my eyes.' “把蜡烛放下来，”南希姑娘把头扭到一边说，“我眼睛都照花了。” 
奥立弗见她脸色发青，便轻轻地问她是不是病了，这姑娘背朝奥立弗，瘫倒在一张椅子上，使劲地绞着双手，没有回答。 'God forgive me!' she cried after a while, 'I never thought of this.' “主啊，饶恕我吧。”稍停，她叫了起来，“我压根没想到是这么一回事。” 'Has anything happened?' asked Oliver. 'Can I help you? I will if I can. I will, indeed.' “出什么事了？”奥立弗问道。“我能不能帮上忙？只要我有法子，一定给你帮忙。一定，真的。” She rocked herself to and fro; caught her throat; and, uttering a gurgling sound, gasped for breath. 南希在椅子里摇来摇去，她卡住自己的喉咙，发出一阵喀喀的声音，喘得透不过气来。 'Nancy!' cried Oliver, 'What is it?' “南希！”奥立弗大声喊道，“怎么了你？” 
姑娘一双手拍打着膝盖，两脚在地上直跺。她忽然又停住了，紧紧地裹上围巾，打起寒颤来。 Oliver stirred the fire. Drawing her chair close to it, she sat there, for a little time, without speaking; but at length she raised her head, and looked round. 奥立弗将炉火拨大了一些。她把椅子拖到炉边，坐下，好一会儿没有说话。末了，她抬起头来，看了看身后。 'I don't know what comes over me sometimes,' said she, affecting to busy herself in arranging her dress; 'it's this damp dirty room, I think. Now, Nolly, dear, are you ready?' “我真不知道有时候是怎么回事，”她一边说，一边装出尽顾了整理衣服的样子。“八成是这间又潮又脏的屋子。喂，诺利，亲爱的，准备好了没有？” 'Am I to go with you?' asked Oliver. “我跟你一块儿去吗？”奥立弗问。 'Yes. I have come from Bill,' replied the girl. 'You are to go with me.' “对，我刚从比尔那里来，我们俩一块儿去。” 
“去干什么？”奥立弗往后一退，说道。 'What for?' echoed the girl, raising her eyes, and averting them again, the moment they encountered the boy's face. 'Oh! For no harm.' “去干什么？”南希应声说道，眼睛朝上翻了翻，她的目光刚一接触孩子的眼睛，便又转向一边。“噢。不是去干坏事。” 'I don't believe it,' said Oliver: who had watched her closely. “我不信。”奥立弗紧盯着她说。 'Have it your own way,' rejoined the girl, affecting to laugh. 'For no good, then.' “随你怎么想，”姑娘强打起笑脸，答道。“当然，也不是什么好事。” Oliver could see that he had some power over the girl's better feelings, and, for an instant, thought of appealing to her compassion for his helpless state. But, then, the thought darted across his mind that it was barely eleven o'clock; and that many people were still in the streets: of whom surely some might be found to give credence to his tale. As the reflection occured to him, he stepped forward: and said, somewhat hastily, that he was ready. 奥立弗看得出，自己多多少少能够赢得这姑娘的好感，一个念头油然而生，以自己哀哀无告的处境来求得她的同情。紧接着又一个念头从他心中闪过：现在刚敲十一点，街上行人还很多，总会有人相信自己讲的事。想到这一点，他便走上前去，略带一点慌张地说，他准备好了。 
不管是他心中的一闪念，还是他的言外之意，都没能瞒过他的这位同伴。他说话的时候，南希的眼睛一直死死地盯着他，这时又看了他一眼，明明白白地表示，她已经猜到了他心中闪过的念头。 'Hush!' said the girl, stooping over him, and pointing to the door as she looked cautiously round. 'You can't help yourself. I have tried hard for you, but all to no purpose. You are hedged round and round. If ever you are to get loose from here, this is not the time.' “嘘！”姑娘弯下腰来，机警地看了看周围，用手指了一下门。“你自个儿没法子。为了你，我已经下死劲试过了，可都没用，他们把你看得很牢，你真要是想逃走，现在也不是时候。” Struck by the energy of her manner, Oliver looked up in her face with great surprise. She seemed to speak the truth; her countenance was white and agitated; and she trembled with very earnestness. 奥立弗抬起头，目光紧紧地盯着她，南希眉宇间那种热切的表情震撼着他，看来她说的是实话：她的脸色苍白而又激动，浑身抖个不停，看得出她不是说着玩的。 'I have saved you from being ill-used once, and I will again, and I do now,' continued the girl aloud; 'for those who would have fetched you, if I had not, would have been far more rough than me. I have promised for your being quiet and silent; if you are not, you will only do harm to yourself and me too, and perhaps be my death. See here! I have borne all this for you already, as true as God sees me show it.' “我已经救了你一回，免了你一顿打，我还会那么做，现在就是如此，”姑娘高声说道，“假如来接你的不是我，而是别人，那些人都会比我凶多了。我答应过，说你会不吵不闹，一声不吭地上那边去，要是你做不到，只会害了你自己，还有我，说不定还会要了我的命。你看看这儿。我吃了这么多苦头，都是为了你，苍天有眼，这全是真的。” She pointed, hastily, to some livid bruises on her neck and arms; and continued, with great rapidity:'Remember this! And don't let me suffer more for you, just now. If I could help you, I would; but I have not the power. They don't mean to harm you; whatever they make you do, is no fault of yours. Hush! Every word from you is a blow for me. Give me your hand. Make haste! Your hand! 她急促地指了指自己脖子、手臂上的块块伤痕，一句紧接一句地说下去：“记住这一点。眼下别再叫我为你吃苦头了。只要能办到，我会帮助你的，但我现在还没有这个力量。他们没存心把你怎么样，他们逼你干的什么事，都不能算你的错。听着，你嘴里漏出的每一个字都跟打我一样。把手伸给我，快。你的手。” 
她一把抓住奥立弗出于本能伸过去的手，吹熄蜡烛，拉着他走上楼去，一个隐藏在黑暗中的人影迅速把门打开，待他们走出去，门又很快关上了。一辆双轮马车正在门外等候，姑娘拽着奥立弗一块儿登上马车，顺手把车帘拉拢来，她的这种急切的心情已经在和他交谈时显露出来了。车夫不待吩咐，毫不拖延地抽了一鞭，马车全速开走了。 The girl still held Oliver fast by the hand, and continued to pour into his ear, the warnings and assurances she had already imparted. All was so quick and hurried, that he had scarcely time to recollect where he was, or how he came there, when to carriage stopped at the house to which the Jew's steps had been directed on the previous evening. 姑娘一路上紧紧抓住奥立弗的手，继续把已经提到过的种种警告与保证送进他的耳朵。这一切来得那样迅疾仓促，他还没顾得上回想一下自己是在什么地方，或者说是怎么来的，马车已经在头天晚上老犹太去过的那所房子前边停下来。 For one brief moment, Oliver cast a hurried glance along the empty street, and a cry for help hung upon his lips. But the girl's voice was in his ear, beseeching him in such tones of agony to remember her, that he had not the heart to utter it. While he hesitated, the opportunity was gone; he was already in the house, and the door was shut. 在短短的一瞬间，奥立弗匆匆扫了一眼空旷的街道，呼救的喊声已经到了嘴边。然而，南希的声音在他耳旁响了起来，那声音恳求自己别忘了她的话，语气是那样痛苦，奥立弗没有勇气喊出声来。犹豫中，机会错过了，这功夫他已经走进屋子，门关上了。 'This way,' said the girl, releasing her hold for the first time.'Bill!' “这边，”南希说道，这才第一次松开手。“比尔。” 'Hallo!' replied Sikes: appearing at the head of the stairs, with a candle. 'Oh! That's the time of day. Come on!' “哈罗。”赛克斯出现在楼梯顶上，手里擎着一支蜡烛。“喔。来得正是时候。上来吧。” 
以赛克斯先生这种人的性情来说，这要算是一种极其强烈的赞许之辞，一种非常热情的欢迎了。南希显然十分满意，她兴冲冲和他打招呼。 'Bull's-eye's gone home with Tom,' observed Sikes, as he lighted them up. 'He'd have been in the way.' “牛眼儿跟汤姆一块儿回去了，”赛克斯用蜡烛照着他俩走上楼梯，说道。“他在这儿会碍事的。” 'That's right,' rejoined Nancy. “是啊。”南希答道。 'So you've got the kid,' said Sikes when they had all reached the room: closing the door as he spoke. “你到底把小崽子弄来了。”赛克斯待他俩走进房间，关上房门，才说道。
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