目 录 上一节 下一节 
“我们都是脆弱的。”柯尼大大搬出了一条普遍原理。 'So we are,' said the beadle. “就算是吧。”干事说道。 Nothing was said on either side, for a minute or two afterwards. By the expiration of that time, Mr. Bumble had illustrated the position by removing his left arm from the back of Mrs. Corney's chair, where it had previously rested, to Mrs. Corney's aprong-string, round which is gradually became entwined. 随后的一两分钟里，双方什么话也没说，待到这段时间届满，邦布尔先生为了替这种观念配上插图，便将先前搭在柯尼太太椅背上的左臂移到柯尼太太的裙带上，逐渐围住了她的腰。 'We are all weak creeturs,' said Mr. Bumble. “我们都是脆弱的。”邦布尔先生说。 Mrs. Corney sighed. 柯尼太太长叹一声。 
“不要叹气，柯尼太太。” 'I can't help it,' said Mrs. Corney. And she sighed again. “我忍不住。”柯尼太太说着又叹了一口气。 'This is a very comfortable room, ma'am,' said Mr. Bumble looking round. 'Another room, and this, ma'am, would be a complete thing.' “这是一个非常舒适的房间，夫人。”邦布尔先生扭头看了一眼。“要是再有一间，夫人，就十全十美了。” 'It would be too much for one,' murmured the lady. “一个人住太多了。”女士的声音低得几乎听不见。 'But not for two, ma'am,' rejoined Mr. Bumble, in soft accents. 'Eh, Mrs. Corney?' “两个人住就不算多。”邦布尔先生的口气很柔和。“呃，柯尼太太？” 
教区干事说这番话的时候，柯尼太太的头垂了下去，干事低下头，瞅了瞅柯尼太太的脸色。柯尼太太很有分寸地把头扭到一边，伸手去拿自己的手绢，但无意之间把手放到了邦布尔先生的手里。 'The board allows you coals, don't they, Mrs. Corney?' inquired the beadle, affectionately pressing her hand. “理事会配给你煤了，对吗，柯尼太太？”干事一边说，一边情意切切地握紧她的手。 'And candles,' replied Mrs. Corney, slightly returning the pressure. “还有蜡烛。”柯尼太太也轻轻地迎接这种压力。 'Coals, candles, and house-rent free,' said Mr. Bumble. 'Oh, Mrs. Corney, what an Angel you are!' “煤，蜡烛，外加免收房租，”邦布尔先生说，“噢，柯尼太太，你真是一位天使。” The lady was not proof against this burst of feeling. She sank into Mr. Bumble's arms; and that gentleman in his agitation, imprinted a passionate kiss upon her chaste nose. 柯尼太太再也无法抗拒这样奔放的感情，她倒在了邦布尔先生的怀里。那位绅土激动之下，在她那贞洁的鼻尖上印下了一个热吻。 
“何等的教区缘分啊。”邦布尔先生欣喜若狂地嚷了起来，“斯洛特先生今天更糟糕了，你知道吗，我的美人？” 'Yes,' replied Mrs. Corney, bashfully. “知道。”柯尼太太红着脸答道。 'He can't live a week, the doctor says,' pursued Mr. Bumble. 'He is the master of this establishment; his death will cause a wacancy; that wacancy must be filled up. Oh, Mrs. Corney, what a prospect this opens! What a opportunity for a jining of hearts and housekeepings!' “医生说了，他活不了一个星期，”邦布尔先生继续说道，“他是济贫院的头儿，他一死就会留下一个空位子，一个必须填上的空位。噢，柯尼太太，这件事开辟了多么美妙的前程啊。把两颗心连在一起，两个家合成一个，这该是多好的机会。” Mrs. Corney sobbed. 柯记太太管自抽噎着。 'The little word?' said Mr. Bumble, bending over the bashful beauty. 'The one little, little, little word, my blessed Corney?' “快说啊，那个小小的字眼？”邦布尔先生朝羞答答的美人弯下腰来。“那一个小啊，小啊，小而又小的词，我可爱的柯尼，说啊？” 
“是--是--是的。”女总管说着发出一声叹息。 'One more,' pursued the beadle; 'compose your darling feelings for only one more. When is it to come off?' “再说一次，”干事毫不放松，“把你这份宝贵的感情凝聚起来，再说一次。什么时候办？” Mrs. Corney twice essayed to speak: and twice failed. At length summoning up courage, she threw her arms around Mr. Bumble's neck, and said, it might be as soon as ever he pleased, and that he was 'a irresistible duck.' 柯尼太太两次想说出来，两次都说不出口。末了她鼓足勇气，搂住邦布尔先生的脖子说，这事全看他的意思了，他真是“一只叫人无法抗拒的鸭子”。 Matters being thus amicably and satisfactorily arranged, the contract was solemnly ratified in another teacupful of the peppermint mixture; which was rendered the more necessary, by the flutter and agitation of the lady's spirits. While it was being disposed of, she acquainted Mr. Bumble with the old woman's decease. 事情就这么相亲相爱皆大欢喜地敲定了。作为郑重签署合约的一个仪式，他俩又满满地倒了一杯薄荷混合剂，女士心跳得厉害，激动无比，这一杯混合剂显得尤为必要。喝过饮料，她把老沙丽病死的事告诉了邦布尔先生。 'Very good,' said that gentleman, sipping his peppermint; 'I'll call at Sowerberry's as I go home, and tell him to send to-morrow morning. Was it that as frightened you, love?' “很好，”那位绅士呷了一口薄荷剂，说道。“我回家的时候，上苏尔伯雷铺子里去一下，通知他明天早晨就送来。就是这事吓着你了，我的心肝？” 
“不是什么特别的事，亲爱的。”女士闪烁其词地说。 'It must have been something, love,' urged Mr. Bumble. 'Won't you tell your own B.?' “一定有事的，我的心肝，”邦布尔先生一口咬定，“你难道不愿意告诉你自个儿的老邦？” 'Not now,' rejoined the lady; 'one of these days. After we're married, dear.' “现在不谈这些，”女土答道，“改天吧，等我们结婚以后，亲爱的。” 'After we're married!' exclaimed Mr. Bumble. 'It wasn't any impudence from any of them male paupers as--' “我们结婚以后！”邦布尔先生嚷着说，“莫不是哪一个穷小子竟然厚颜无耻到--” 'No, no, love!' interposed the lady, hastily. “不，不，心肝。”女士忙不迭地打住。 
“假如我认定了有这么回事，”邦布尔先生继续说道，“只要我认为他们当中有哪一个，胆敢向这张美丽的面孔抬一下他的下流眼睛的话--” 'They wouldn't have dared to do it, love,' responded the lady. “他们没那么大胆子，心肝。”女士应声说道。 'They had better not!' said Mr. Bumble, clenching his fist. 'Let me see any man, porochial or extra-porochial, as would presume to do it; and I can tell him that he wouldn't do it a second time!' “他们最好别这样。”邦布尔先生握紧拳头说道，“我倒是要看看哪个人，不管是教区的，还是教区外的，敢做这种事，我要让他知道，他不会有第二次了。” Unembellished by any violence of gesticulation, this might have seemed no very high compliment to the lady's charms; but, as Mr. Bumble accompanied the threat with many warlike gestures, she was much touched with this proof of his devotion, and protested, with great admiration, that he was indeed a dove. 如果没有慷慨激昂的手势来加以润色，似乎可以认为这番话绝不是对那位女士的魅力的高度赞扬，然而邦布尔先生在发出这一通恐吓的同时，伴之以种种好斗的姿势，他勇于献身的这一明证深深打动了柯尼太太，她带着无限倾慕的神色，发誓说他的的确确是一只讨人喜欢的小鸽子。 The dove then turned up his coat-collar, and put on his cocked hat; and, having exchanged a long and affectionate embrace with his future partner, once again braved the cold wind of the night: merely pausing, for a few minutes, in the male paupers' ward, to abuse them a little, with the view of satisfying himself that he could fill the office of workhouse-master with needful acerbity. Assured of his qualifications, Mr. Bumble left the building with a light heart, and bright visions of his future promotion: which served to occupy his mind until he reached the shop of the undertaker. 这只鸽子把外套衣领翻起来，戴上三角帽，与自己未来的搭档长时间热烈拥抱，就又一次迎击凛冽的夜风去了。他在男性贫民收容室里逗留了几分钟，臭骂了他们几句，目的是让自己放心，他将以必不可少的尖刻来填补济贫院院长的空缺。邦布尔先生自信自己能够胜任，喜滋滋地离开了那幢楼房，满脑子装的都是即将得到擢升的一幅幅光彩照人的幻象，一路来到丧事承办人的铺子门前。
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