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“噢，就是这个孩子吗？”老绅士发话了。 'This is him, sir,' replied Mr. Bumble. 'Bow to the magistrate, my dear.' “就是他，先生。”邦布尔答道，“向治安推事大人鞠一躬，我亲爱的。” Oliver roused himself, and made his best obeisance. He had been wondering, with his eyes fixed on the magistrates' powder, whether all boards were born with that white stuff on their heads, and were boards from thenceforth on that account. 奥立弗直起身子，毕恭毕敬地鞠了一躬。他的目光停留在治安推事头上的发粉上，心里一直在纳闷，是不是所有的推事大人生下来头上就有那么一层白花花的涂料，他们是不是因为有这玩艺才当上推事的。 'Well,' said the old gentleman, 'I suppose he's fond of chimney-sweeping?' “哦，”老绅士说道，“我想，他是喜欢扫烟囱这一行了？” 'He doats on it, your worship,' replied Bumble; giving Oliver a sly pinch, to intimate that he had better not say he didn't. “大人，他喜欢着呢。”邦布尔暗暗拧了奥立弗一把，提醒他识相些，不要说不喜欢。 
“那么，他乐意当一个清扫夫罗，是吗？”老绅士盘问道。 'If we was to bind him to any other trade to-morrow, he'd run away simultaneous, your worship,' replied Bumble. “要是明天我们让他去干别的什么营生，他准会马上溜掉，大人。”邦布尔回答。 'And this man that's to be his master--you, sir--you'll treat him well, and feed him, and do all that sort of thing, will you?' said the old gentleman. “这个人就是他的师傅吧--你，先生--要好好看待他，管他的吃住以及诸如此类的事情--是不是啊？”老绅士又说。 'When I says I will, I means I will,' replied Mr. Gamfield doggedly. “我说能做到，就一定能做到。”甘菲尔先生倔头倔脑地答道。 'You're a rough speaker, my friend, but you look an honest, open-hearted man,' said the old gentleman: turning his spectacles in the direction of the candidate for Oliver's premium, whose villainous countenance was a regular stamped receipt for cruelty. But the magistrate was half blind and half childish, so he couldn't reasonably be expected to discern what other people did. “你说话很粗鲁，朋友，不过看起来倒是一个爽快的老实人。”老绅士说着，眼镜朝这位奥立弗奖金的申请人转了过去。甘菲尔那张凶相毕露的面孔本来打着心狠手辣的烙印，可这位治安推事一半是眼神不济，一半是想法天真，所以，是人都能看出的事，却不能指望他也看得出来。 
“我相信自个儿是这样，先生。”甘菲尔先生说话时眼睛一瞟，样子实在恶心。 'I have no doubt you are, my friend,' replied the old gentleman: fixing his spectacles more firmly on his nose, and looking about him for the inkstand. “这一点，我丝毫也不怀疑，朋友。”老先生回答。他把鼻梁上的眼镜扶扶正，四下里找起墨水壶来。 It was the critical moment of Oliver's fate. If the inkstand had been where the old gentleman though it was, he would have dipped his pen into it, and signed the indentures, and Oliver would have been straightway hurried off. But, as it chanced to be immediately under his nose, it followed, as a matter of course, that he looked all over his desk for it, without finding it; and happening in the course of his search to look straight before him, his gaze encountered the pale and terrified face of Oliver Twist: who, despite all the admonitory looks and pinches of Bumble, was regarding the repulsive countenance of his future master, with a mingled expression of horror and fear, too palpable to be mistaken, even by a half-blind magistrate. 奥立弗的命运到了一个关键时刻。倘若墨水壶是在老绅士想像中的地方，他就会把鹅毛笔插下去，然后签署证书，奥立弗也就一径被人匆匆带走了。可墨水壶偏偏是在老绅士的鼻子底下，接下来他照例满桌子都找遍了，还是没有找到。就在他一个劲地往前找的时候，目光落在了奥立弗·退斯特那张苍白而惊恐的脸上。虽说邦布尔在一旁递眼色警告他，掐他，奥立弗全然不顾，目不转睛地望着未来的主人的丑恶嘴脸，那种厌恶与恐慌交融在一起的神情任何人也不会看错，哪怕是一位眼神不济的治安推事。 The old gentleman stopped, laid down his pen, and looked from Oliver to Mr. Limbkins; who attempted to take snuff with a cheerful and unconcerned aspect. 老先生停了下来，放下鹅毛笔，看看奥立弗，又看了看利姆金斯先生，这位先生装出在吸鼻烟，一副愉快而又若无其事的样子。 'My boy!' said the old gentleman, 'you look pale and alarmed. What is the matter?' “孩子，”老绅士说，“瞧你，脸都吓白了。出什么事了？” 
“干事，离他远一点儿，”另一位推事说着，放下报纸，饶有兴致地向前探出身子。“行了，孩子，告诉我们是怎么回事，别害怕。” Oliver fell on his knees, and clasping his hands together, prayed that they would order him back to the dark room-- that they would starve him--beat him--kill him if they pleased--rather than send him away with that dreadful man. 奥立弗扑地跪下来，双手紧紧地握在一起，哀求他们把自己送回那间黑屋子去--饿死他--揍他--高兴宰掉也行--就是不要打发他跟那个可怕的人走。 'Well!' said Mr. Bumble, raising his hands and eyes with most impressive solemnite. 'Well! of all the artful and designing orphans that ever I see, Oliver, you are one of the most bare-facedest.' “呃，”邦布尔先生说道，他抬起双手，眼珠朝上翻了翻，神情庄重得非常令人感动。“呃，奥立弗，阴险狡猾、心术不正的孤儿我见得多了，你是其中最无耻的一个。” 'Hold your tongue, Beadle,' said the second old gentleman, when Mr. Bumble had given vent to this compound adjective. “闭嘴，干事。”邦布尔先生刚把带“最”字的形容词说出来，第二位老绅士便说道。 'I beg your worship's pardon,' said Mr. Bumble, incredulous of having heard aright. 'Did your worship speak to me?' “对不起，大人，”邦布尔先生说道，他怀疑自己是不是听错了。“您指的是我吗？” 
“不错，闭上你的嘴巴。” Mr. Bumble was stupefied with astonishment. A beadle ordered to hold his tongue! A moral revolution! 邦布尔先生惊得目瞪日呆。竟然喝令一位教区干事闭嘴。真是改天换地了。 The old gentleman in the tortoise-shell spectacles looked at his companion, he nodded significantly. 戴了一副玳瑁眼镜的老绅士看了自己的同事一眼，那一位意味深长地点点头。 'We refuse to sanction these indentures,' said the old gentleman: tossing aside the piece of parchment as he spoke. “这些契约我们不予批准。”老绅士将那张羊皮纸往旁边一扔，说道。 
“我希望，”利姆金斯先生结结巴巴地说，“我希望两位大人不要单凭一个孩子毫无理由的抗议，就认为院方有管理不善的责任。” 'The magistrates are not called upon to pronounce any opinion on the matter,' said the second old gentleman sharply. 'Take the boy back to the workhouse, and treat him kindly. He seems to want it.' “治安推事不是专管排难解纷的，”第二位老绅士厉声说道，“把孩子带回济贫院去，好好对待他，看来他有这方面的需要。” That same evening, the gentleman in the white waistcoat most positively and decidedly affirmed, not only that Oliver would be hung, but that he would be drawn and quartered into the bargain. Mr. Bumble shook his head with gloomy mystery, and said he wished he might come to good; whereunto Mr. Gamfield replied, that he wished he might come to him; which, although he agreed with the beadle in most matters, would seem to be a wish of a totaly opposite description. 这天傍晚，白背心绅士非常自信、非常明确地断言，奥立弗不光要受绞刑，而且还会被开肠剖肚，剁成几块。邦布尔先生闷闷不乐，有些神秘地直摇脑袋，宣称自己希望奥立弗终得善报。对于这一点，甘菲尔先生回答说，他希望那小子还是归自己，尽管他大体上同意干事的话，但表达出来的愿望似乎完全相反。 The next morning, the public were once informed that Oliver Twist was again To Let, and that five pounds would be paid to anybody who would take possession of him. 第二天清晨，公众再次获悉：重新转让奥立弗，任何人只要愿意把他领走，可获得酬金五镑。 In great families, when an advantageous place cannot be obtained, either in possession, reversion, remainder, or expectancy, for the young man who is growing up, it is a very general custom to send him to sea. The board, in imitation of so wise and salutary an example, took counsel together on the expediency of shipping off Oliver Twist, in some small trading vessel bound to a good unhealthy port. This suggested itself as the very best thing that could possibly be done with him: the probability being, that the skipper would flog him to death, in a playful mood, some day after dinner, or would knock his brains out with an iron bar; both pastimes being, as is pretty generally known, very favourite and common recreations among gentleman of that class. The more the case presented itself to the board, in this point of view, the more manifold the advantages of the step appeared; so, they came to the conclusion that the only way of providing for Oliver effectually, was to send him to sea without delay. 举凡大户人家，遇到一个优越的位置，比方说财产、名分的拥有、复归、指定继承或者是预订继承，摊不到一个正在成长发育的子弟身上的时候，有一条非常普遍的习惯，就是打发他出海谋生。依照这一个贤明通达的惯例，理事会诸君凑到一起，商议能否把奥立弗交给一条小商船，送他去某个对健康极其有害的港口。这似乎成了处置他的最好的办法了。船长没准会在哪一天饭后闲暇之时，闹着玩似地用鞭子把他抽死，或者用铁棒把他的脑袋敲开花，这两种消遣早已远近驰名，在那个阶层的绅士中成了人人喜爱的娱乐，一点不稀罕。理事会越是琢磨这个事情，越是感到好处真是说不尽，所以他们得出结论，要把奥立弗供养成人，唯一有效的办法就是赶快送他出洋。 
邦布尔先生领了差事，在城里四处奔波，多方打听有没有哪一位船长或者别的什么人需要一个无亲无故的舱房小厮。这一天，他回到济贫院，准备报告这事的进展，刚走到大门口，迎面碰上了承办教区殡葬事务的苏尔伯雷先生。
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