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密谈总算停了下来，理事们回到各自的座位，又变得庄重起来，利姆金斯先生说道： 'We have considered your proposition, and we don't approve of it.' “我们考虑了你的申请，我们不予采纳。” 'Not at all,' said the gentleman in the white waistcoat. “绝对不行。”白背心绅士说。 'Decidedly not,' added the other members. “坚决不同意。”其他的理事接上来说。 As Mr. Gamfield did happen to labour under the slight imputation of having bruised three or four boys to death already, it occurred to him that the board had, perhaps, in some unaccountable freak, taken it into their heads that this extraneous circumstance ought to influence their proceedings. It was very unlike their general mode of doing business, if they had; but still, as he had no particular wish to revive the rumour, he twisted his cap in his hands, and walked slowly from the table. 有人说已经有三四个学徒被甘菲尔先生的老拳脚尖送了命，一段时间以来他就背上了这么个小小的恶名。他心想，理事会真说不清是怎么回事，他们可能认为这件题外的事会影响正在进行的交易。果真如此的话，这和他们办事的一贯作风差得也太远了。尽管如此，他倒也并不特别希望重提那些流言蜚语，只是双手将帽子扭过去倒过来，从会议桌前缓缓往后退去。 
“那，你们是不想把他交给我喽，先生们？”甘菲尔先生在门边停了下来，问道。 'No,' replied Mr. Limbkins; 'at least, as it's a nasty business, we think you ought to take something less than the premium we offered.' “是的，”利姆金斯先生回答，“最低限度，鉴于这是一种脏活，我们认为必须降低补贴标准。” Mr. Gamfield's countenance brightened, as, with a quick step, he returned to the table, and said, 甘菲尔先生的脸色豁然开朗，他一个箭步回到桌前，说道： 'What'll you give, gen'l'men? Come! Don't be too hard on a poor man. What'll you give?' “给多少，先生们？说啊。别对一个穷人太狠心了吧。你们给多少？” 'I should say, three pound ten was plenty,' said Mr. Limbkins. “我应该说，最多三镑十先令。”利姆金斯先生说。 
“十个先令是多给的。”白背心绅士说。 'Come!' said Gamfield; 'say four pound, gen'l'men. Say four pound, and you've got rid of him for good and all. There!' “嗨。”甘菲尔说道，“给四镑钱，先生们。只消四镑，你们就永久跟他了结啦。中。” 'Three pound ten,' repeated Mr. Limbkins, firmly. “三镑十先令。”利姆金斯先生毫不松口。 'Come! I'll split the diff'erence, gen'l'men, urged Gamfield. 'Three pound fifteen.' “得得。我还个价，先生们，”甘菲尔急了，“三镑十五先令。” 'Not a farthing more,' was the firm reply of Mr. Limbkins. 利姆金斯先生口答得斩钉截铁：“一个子儿也不多给。” 
“你们是在要我的命啊，先生们。”甘菲尔犹豫起来。 'Pooh! pooh! nonsense!' said the gentleman in the white waistcoat. 'He'd be cheap with nothing at all, as a premium. Take him, you silly fellow! He's just the boy for you. He wants the stick, now and then: it'll do him good; and his board needn't come very expensive, for he hasn't been overfed since he was born. Ha! ha! ha!' “呸。呸。胡说。”白背心绅士说，“就是一个子儿不补贴，谁拿到他也算拣了便宜了，你这个蠢家伙，带他走吧。这孩子对你再合适不过了。他时时都离不开棍子，这对他大有好处，而且管饭也花钱不多，这孩子打出世以来还没喂饱过呢。哈哈哈！” Mr. Gamfield gave an arch look at the faces round the table, and, observing a smile on all of them, gradually broke into a smile himself. The bargain was made. Mr. Bumble, was at once instructed that Oliver Twist and his indentures were to be conveyed before the magistrate, for signature and approval, that very afternoon. 甘菲尔先生目光诡谲地看了一眼围坐在桌子跟前的理事们，发觉一张张面孔都挂着笑容，自己脸上也渐渐绽开了一丝微笑。买卖谈成了。邦布尔先生立刻接到命令，由他当天下午，将奥立弗和有关合同转呈治安推事，办理审批手续。 In pursuance of this determination, little Oliver, to his excessive astonishment, was released from bondage, and ordered to put himself into a clean shirt. He had hardly achieved this very unusual gymnastic performance, when Mr. Bumble brought him, with his own hands, a basin of gruel, and the holiday allowance of two ounces and a quarter of bread. At this tremendous sight, Oliver began to cry very piteously: thinking, not unaturally, that the board must have determined to kill him for some useful purpose, or they never would have begun to fatten him up in that way. 为了贯彻这一决定，小奥立弗解除了禁闭，还奉命穿上了一件干净衬衫，弄得他莫名其妙，他刚完成这一项非同寻常的健身运动，邦布尔先生又亲手为他端来一碗粥，外加二又四分之一盎司的节日面包。看到这副吓人的场面，奥立弗顿时伤伤心心地大哭起来，他顺理成章地以为，理事会准是要宰了他派用场，否则绝不会用这种办法来把他填肥。 'Don't make your eyes red, Oliver, but eat your food and be thankful,' said Mr. Bumble, in a tone of impressive pomposity. 'You're a going to be made a 'prentice of, Oliver.' “别把眼睛哭红了，奥立弗，好好吃东西，不要忘恩负义，”邦布尔先生端着架子说道，“你要去当学徒了，奥立弗。” 
“当学徒，先生。”孩子战战兢兢地说。 'Yes, Oliver,' said Mr. Bumble. 'The kind and blessed gentleman which is so amny parents to you, Oliver, when you have none of your own: are a going to 'prentice you: and to set you up in life, and make a man of you: although the expense to the parish is three pound ten!--three pound ten, Oliver!--seventy shillins--one hundred and forty sixpences!--and all for a naughty orphan which noboday can't love.' “是啊，奥立弗，”邦布尔说，“你没爹没妈，这么多善良的正人君子，他们可都是你的父母，奥立弗，为了送你去当学徒，自谋生路，长大成人，教区花了三镑十先令呢--三镑十先令，奥立弗！--七十先令--百四十六便士！--就为了一个顽皮的孤儿，一个不讨人喜欢的孤儿。” As Mr. Bumble paused to take breath, after delivering this address in an awful voice, the tears rolled down the poor child's face, and he sobbed bitterly. 邦布尔先生的口吻令人肃然起敬，说完这番话，便停下来歇歇气，可怜的孩子伤心地发出一阵阵抽泣，滚滚泪水从脸上掉落下来。 'Come,' said Mr. Bumble, somewhat less pompously, for it was gratifying to his feelings to observe the effect his eloquence had produced; 'Come, Oliver! Wipe your eyes with the cuffs of your jacket, and don't cry into your gruel; that's a very foolish action, Oliver.' It certainly was, for there was quite enough water in it already. “唉唉。”邦布尔先生的调子不那么高了，眼见自己的口才效果颇佳，他心里真舒坦。“好啦，奥立弗。用袖子把眼睛擦一擦，别让眼泪掉进粥里，奥立弗，这可是蠢透了的事。”这话倒是不假，粥里的水已经够多的了。 On their way to the magistrate, Mr. Bumble instructed Oliver that all he would have to do, would be to look very happy, and say, when the gentleman asked him if he wanted to be apprenticed, that he should like it very much indeed; both of which injunctions Oliver promised to obey: the rather as Mr. Bumble threw in a gentle hint, that if he failed in either particular, there was no telling what would be done to him. When they arrived at the office, he was shut up in a little room by himself, and admonished by Mr. Bumble to stay there, until he came back to fetch him. 在去治安公署的路上，邦布尔先生嘱咐奥立弗，他要做的事就是显得高高兴兴的，当推事问他想不想去学徒的时候，就回答说他太想了。对这两条命令，奥立弗答应照办，再说邦布尔先生还客客气气地暗示，倘若任其一条出了漏子，到时候怎么处置他，可就谁也说不准了。到了治安公署，奥立弗被关进一间小屋，邦布尔要他在那儿呆着，等自己回来叫他。 
这孩子在小房间里呆了半小时，一颗心卜卜直跳，这段时间刚过，邦布尔先生突然把头伸了进来，连三角帽也没戴，高声说道： 'Now, Oliver, my dear, come to the gentleman.' As Mr. Bumble said this, he put on a grim and threatening look, and added, in a low voice, 'Mind what I told you, you young rascal!' “喂，奥立弗，我亲爱的，跟我去见推事大人。”邦布尔先生说着换了一副狰狞可怕的脸色，压低声音补了一句，“记住我对你说的话，你这个小流氓。” Oliver stared innocently in Mr. Bumble's face at this somewhat contradictory style of address; but that gentleman prevented his offering any remark thereupon, by leading him at once into an adjoining room: the door of which was open. It was a large room, with a great window. Behind a desk, sat two old gentleman with powdered heads: one of whom was reading the newspaper; while the other was perusing, with the aid of a pair of tortoise-shell spectacles, a small piece of parchment which lay before him. Mr. Limbkins was standing in front of the desk on one side; and Mr. Gamfield, with a partially washed face, on the other; while two or three bluff-looking men, in top-boots, were lounging about. 听到这种多少有些前后矛盾的称呼，奥立弗天真地打量起邦布尔先生的面孔来，然而那位绅士没容他就此发表观感，就立刻领他走进隔壁一间房门开着的屋子。屋子十分宽敞，有一扇大窗户。在一张写字台后边，坐着两位头上抹着发粉的老绅士，一位在看报，另一位借助一副玳瑁眼镜，正在端详面前放着的一小张羊皮纸。利姆金斯先生站在写字台前的一侧，甘菲尔先生脸都没擦干净，站在另外一边，两三个长相吓人的汉子穿着长统马靴，在屋子里踱来踱去。 The old gentleman with the spectacles gradually dozed off, over the little bit of parchment; and there was a short pause, after Oliver had been stationed by Mr. Bumble in front of the desk. 戴眼镜的老绅士冲着那张羊皮纸片渐渐打起盹来。邦布尔先生把奥立弗带到桌子面前站定，接下来有一个短暂的间隔。 'This is the boy, your worship,' said Mr. Bumble. “大人，就是这个孩子。”邦布尔先生说道。 
正在看报的老绅士抬起头来看了一眼，扯了扯另一位的衣袖，那位老先生这才醒过来。
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