名著·雾都孤儿 - 第73节


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  “那我认为有必要,”大夫说,“总而言之,我完全可以担保,您将来会因为迟迟不去看他而深感后悔。他现在非常平静,舒适。请允许我--露丝小姐,可以吗?一点儿也不必害怕,我用信誉担保。”

   With many loquacious assurances that they would be agreeably surprised in the aspect of the criminal, the doctor drew the young lady's arm through one of him; and offering his disengaged hand to Mrs. Maylie, led them, with much ceremony and stateliness, upstairs.

  大夫絮絮叨叨,作出了无数保证,说她们一看到罪犯肯定会大吃一惊。他要小姐挽住他一只胳臂,把另一只手伸给梅莱太太,彬彬有礼,端庄稳重地领着她们往楼上走去。

   'Now,' said the doctor, in a whisper, as he softly turned the handle of a bedroom-door, 'let us hear what you think of him. He has not been shaved very recently, but he don't look at all ferocious notwithstanding. Stop, though! Let me first see that he is in visiting order.'

  “现在,”大夫轻轻转动卧室门上的把手,小声地说,“我们还是不妨听听你们对他印象如何吧。他好些日子没有理发了,不过看上去倒还一点也不凶恶。等等!让我先看看他是不是可以探视。”

   Stepping before them, he looked into the room. Motioning them to advance, he closed the door when they had entered; and gently drew back the curtains of the bed. Upon it, in lieu of the dogged, black-visaged ruffian they had expected to behold, there lay a mere child: worn with pain and exhaustion, and sunk into a deep sleep. His wounded arm, bound and splintered up, was crossed upon his breast; his head reclined upon the other arm, which was half hidden by his long hair, as it streamed over the pillow.

  大夫跨前几步,朝房间里望了望,然后示意她们跟上,等她们一进来,大夫便关上门,轻轻撩开床帘。床上躺着的并不是她们所预想的那么一个冥顽不化、凶神恶煞的歹徒,只是一个在伤痛疲劳困扰下陷入沉睡的孩子。他那受了伤的胳臂缠着绷带,用夹板固定起来搁在胸口上,头靠在另一条手臂上,长长的头发技散在枕头上,把这条手臂遮去了一半。

   The honest gentleman held the curtain in his hand, and looked on, for a minute or so, in silence. Whilst he was watching the patient thus, the younger lady glided softly past, and seating herself in a chair by the bedside, gathered Oliver's hair from his face. As she stooped over him, her tears fell upon his forehead.

  这位好心的绅士一手拉住床罩,默不作声地看了一分钟左右。正当他如此专注地打量着病人的时候,年轻小姐缓缓走到近旁,在床边一张椅子上坐下来,拨开奥立弗脸上的头发。她朝奥立弗俯下身去,几颗泪珠滴落在他的额头上。

  孩子动了一下,在睡梦中发出微笑,仿佛这些怜悯的表示唤起了某种令人愉快的梦境,那里有他从未领略过的爱心与温情。有的时候,一支亲切的乐曲,一处幽静地方的潺潺水声,一朵花的芳香,甚而只是说出一个熟悉的字眼,会突然唤起一些模糊的记忆,令人想起一些今生不曾出现过的场景,它们会像微风一样飘散,仿佛刹那间唤醒了对某种久已别离的、比较快乐的往事,而这种回忆单靠冥思苦想是怎么也想不起来的。

   'What can this mean?' exclaimed the elder lady. 'This poor child can never have been the pupil of robbers!'

  “这是怎么回事?”老太太大声说道,“这可怜的孩子绝不可能是一帮强盗的徒弟。”

   'Vice,' said the surgeon, replacing the curtain, 'takes up her abode in many temples; and who can say that a fair outside shell not enshrine her?'

  “罪恶,”大夫长叹一声,放下帘子,“在许多神圣的场所都可以藏身。谁能说一具漂亮的外表就不会包藏祸心?”

   'But at so early an age!' urged Rose.

  “可他还这么小呢。”露丝直抒己见。

   'My dear young lady,' rejoined the surgeon, mournfully shaking his head; 'crime, like death, is not confined to the old and withered alone. The youngest and fairest are too often its chosen victims.'

  “我亲爱的小姐,”大夫悲哀地摇了摇头,回答说,“犯罪,如同死亡一样,并不是单单照顾年老体弱的人。最年轻最漂亮的也经常成为它选中的牺牲品。”

  “不过,你就--噢!难道你真的相信,这个瘦弱的孩子自愿充当那些社会渣滓的帮手?”露丝问。

   The surgeon shook his head, in a manner which intimated that he feared it was very possible; and observing that they might disturb the patient, led the way into an adjoining apartment.

  大夫摇了摇头,意思是他担心事情完全可能就是这样。他指出他们可能会打扰病人,便领头走进隔壁房间。

   'But even if he has been wicked,' pursued Rose, 'think how young he is; think that he may never have known a mother's love, or the comfort of a home; that ill-usage and blows, or the want of bread, may have driven him to herd with men who have forced him to guilt. Aunt, dear aunt, for mercy's sake, think of this, before you let them drag this sick child to a prison, which in any case must be the grave of all his chances of amendment. Oh! as you love me, and know that I have never felt the want of parents in your goodness and affection, but that I might have done so, and might have been equally helpless and unprotected with this poor child, have pity upon him before it is too late!'

  “就算他干过坏事,”露丝不肯松口,“想想他是多么幼稚,想想他也许从来就没得到过母爱或家庭的温暖。虐待,毒打,或者是对面包的需求,都会驱使他跟那些逼着他干坏事的人混在一块儿。姑妈,亲爱的姑妈,让他们把这个正在生病的孩子投进监狱之前您可千万要想一想,不管怎么说,一进监狱他肯定就没有机会改邪归正了。呃!您爱我,您也知道,由于您的仁慈与爱心,我从来没有感觉到自己失去了父母,可我也是有可能于出同样的事,跟这个苦命的小孩一样无依无靠,得不到呵护的,趁现在还来得及,您可怜可怜他吧。”

   'My dear love,' said the elder lady, as she folded the weeping girl to her bosom, 'do you think I would harm a hair of his head?'

  “我亲爱的小宝贝儿。”老太太把声泪俱下的姑娘搂在怀里。“你以为我会伤害他头上的一根头发吗?”

   'Oh, no!' replied Rose, eagerly.

  “哦,不!”露丝急迫地回答道。

  “不会的,肯定不会,”老太太说,“我已经来日无多,怜悯别人也就等于宽恕自己。如果要救他,我能做些什么,先生?”

   'Let me think, ma'am,' said the doctor; 'let me think.'

  “让我想想,夫人,”大夫说道,“让我想一想。”

   Mr. Losberne thrust his hands into his pockets, and took several turns up and down the room; often stopping, and balancing himself on his toes, and frowning frightfully. After various exclamations of 'I've got it now' and 'no, I haven't,' and as many renewals of the walking and frowning, he at length made a dead halt, and spoke as follows:

  罗斯伯力先生把双手插进衣袋,在屋子里踱来踱去,他不时停下来,用脚跟调整一下身体的平衡,蹩起额头的样子怪吓人的。他发出各种各样的感慨,诸如“现在有办法了。”“不,还没呢。”并且多次重新开始踱方步、皱眉头,最后,他一动不动地停住了,说出了以下这一番话:

   'I think if you give me a full and unlimited commission to bully Giles, and that little boy, Brittles, I can manage it. Giles is a faithful fellow and an old servant, I know; but you can make it up to him in a thousand ways, and reward him for being such a good shot besides. You don't object to that?'

  “我认为,只要您全权委托我去吓唬凯尔司和那个小伙子布里特尔斯,不加任何限制,这事我就能办到。凯尔司忠心耿耿,又是家里的老仆,这我知道。不过您有上千种办法来对他进行补偿,此外还可以奖赏奖赏像他这样一个好射手。您不反对这样做吧?”

   'Unless there is some other way of preserving the child,' replied Mrs. Maylie.

  “要想保护这个孩子,又没有别的办法。”梅莱太太答道。

  “没有别的办法,”大夫说,“没有,您相信我好了。”

   'Then my aunt invests you with full power,' said Rose, smiling through her tears; 'but pray don't be harder upon the poor fellows than is indispensably necessary.'

  “既然这样,姑妈就全权委托你了,”露丝破涕为笑,“但除非万不得已,请不要过分难为他们几个。”

   'You seem to think,' retorted the doctor, 'that everybody is disposed to be hard-hearted to-day, except yourself, Miss Rose. I only hope, for the sake of the rising male sex generally, that you may be found in as vulnerable and soft-hearted a mood by the first eligible young fellow who appeals to your compassion; and I wish I were a young fellow, that I might avail myself, on the spot, of such a favourable opportunity for doing so, as the present.'

  “你似乎认为,”大夫回道,“露丝小姐,今天在场的每一位,除了你本人而外,都是铁石心肠吧。一般说来,为了成长中的全体男性着想,我希望,当第一个够格的年轻人求你施以怜悯的时候,你也是这样面慈心软,可惜我不是年轻人,否则我一定当场抓住眼前这样有利的机会,我一定会那样做的。”

   'You are as great a boy as poor Brittles himself,' returned Rose, blushing.

  “你和可怜的布里特尔斯一样是个大孩子。”露丝红着脸答道。

   'Well,' said the doctor, laughing heartily, 'that is no very difficult matter. But to return to this boy. The great point of our agreement is yet to come. He will wake in an hour or so, I dare say; and although I have told that thick-headed constable-fellow downstairs that he musn't be moved or spoken to, on peril of his life, I think we may converse with him without danger. Now I make this stipulation--that I shall examine him in your presence, and that, if, from what he says, we judge, and I can show to the satisfaction of your cool reason, that he is a real and thorough bad one (which is more than possible), he shall be left to his fate, without any farther interference on my part, at all events.'

  “好啊,”大夫开心地笑了起来。“那决不是什么特别困难的事。还是回头谈谈那个孩子,咱们还没谈到协议的要点呢。过一小时左右他就会醒过来,我敢担保。虽然我已经跟楼下那个死脑筋的警察老弟说了,病人不能搬动或者说话,那会有生命危险,我们大概还是可以跟他淡谈,没有什么危险。现在,我答应--我当着你们的面对们的面对他进行审查,就是说,根据他说的话,我们能作出判断,而且我可以让你们通过冷静的理智看清楚,他本来就是一个不折不扣的坏蛋(这种可能性比较大),那么,他就只能听天由命了,在任何情况下,我也不再插手这事了。”

  “哦,不,姑妈!”露丝恳求道。

   'Oh yes, aunt!' said the doctor. 'Is is a bargain?;

  “噢,是的,姑妈!”大夫说,“这是一种交易?”

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名著·雾都孤儿 - 第73节