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与此同时，大夫在隔壁房间里焦躁难耐地走来走去，梅莱太太和露丝望着他，神色都很焦急。 'Upon my word,' he said, making a halt, after a great number of very rapid turns, 'I hardly know what to do.' “真伤脑筋，”在快步兜了无数个圈子之后，他停了下来，说道，“我简直束手无策。” 'Surely,' said Rose, 'the poor child's story, faithfully repeated to these men, will be sufficient to exonerate him.' “可不是，”露丝说，“要是把这苦孩子的事源源本本讲给这些人听，总该使他获得免罪的。” 'I doubt it, my dear young lady,' said the doctor, shaking his head. 'I don't think it would exonerate him, either with them, or with legal functionaries of a higher grade. What is he, after all, they would say? A runaway. Judged by mere worldly considerations and probabilities, his story is a very doubtful one.' “我表示怀疑，亲爱的小姐，”大夫摇了摇头，“我并不认为他会获得赦免，不管是告诉他们还是告诉高一级的法官。一句话，他们会说，他是干什么的？一个离家出走的孩子。单单从世俗的理由和可能性来判断，他的故事就非常可疑。” 'You believe it, surely?' interrupted Rose. “你相信不相信，说真的？”露丝没让他再往下说。 
“我相信，尽管这个故事很离奇，或许我这样做整个是一个老傻瓜。”大夫回答，“不管怎么说吧，把这样一个故事讲给一位老练的警察听，恐怕不大合适。” 'Why not?' demanded Rose. “为什么不呢？”露丝问道。 'Because, my pretty cross-examiner,' replied the doctor: 'because, viewed with their eyes, there are many ugly points about it; he can only prove the parts that look ill, and none of those that look well. Confound the fellows, they WILL have the way and the wherefore, and will take nothing for granted. On his own showing, you see, he has been the companion of thieves for some time past; he has been carried to a police-officer, on a charge of picking a gentleman's pocket; he has been taken away, forcibly, from that gentleman's house, to a place which he cannot describe or point out, and of the situation of which he has not the remotest idea. He is brought down to Chertsey, by men who seem to have taken a violent fancy to him, whether he will or no; and is put through a window to rob a house; and then, just at the very moment when he is going to alarm the inmates, and so do the very thing that would set him all to rights, there rushes into the way, a blundering dog of a half-bred butler, and shoots him! As if on purpose to prevent his doing any good for himself! Don't you see all this?' “因为，我可爱的法官，”大夫回答道，“因为按照他们的眼光来衡量，这事有许多见不得人的地方。那孩子能够证明的仅仅是那些看上去对他不利的部分，而无法证明那些有利的方面。这帮混账东西，他们会追问这是什么原因，那是什么理由，什么都不相信。根据他自己的说法，你瞧，他过去一段时间跟一帮小偷混在一起，因涉嫌扒窃一位绅士的钱包进了警察局。随后又被人强行拐跑了，从那位绅士家里带到一个他既不能说出点什么，又指不出东南西北的地方，他对那儿的情形连最最模糊的印象都没有。那些人似乎把他当成宝贝，带到杰茨来，不管他愿不愿意，把他从窗口塞进去，计划打劫一户人家。接下来，恰好就在他正想叫醒房子里的人，正要做这一件可以洗清他的一切罪名的事情，一个混账领班莽里奔撞地半路杀出来，还开枪打伤了他。就好像存心不让他替自己积点德似的。这一切你还不明白？” 'I see it, of course,' replied Rose, smiling at the doctor's impetuosity; 'but still I do not see anything in it, to criminate the poor child.' “我当然明白，”露丝看着大夫心急火燎的样子不禁微笑起来。“不过，我还是看不出其中有什么可以给那可怜的孩子定罪。” 'No,' replied the doctor; 'of course not! Bless the bright eyes of your sex! They never see, whether for good or bad, more than one side of any question; and that is, always, the one which first presents itself to them.' “是啊，”大夫答道，“当然没有。愿上帝保佑你们女人的慧眼。你们的眼睛，对任何问题都只看一个方面，无论是好是坏，就是说，总是盯住最先出现在眼前的东西。” 
大夫发表了这一番经验之谈，双手插进衣袋，又开始在屋子里踱来踱去，速度比先前还要快。 'The more I think of it,' said the doctor, 'the more I see that it will occasion endless trouble and difficulty if we put these men in possession of the boy's real story. I am certain it will not be believed; and even if they can do nothing to him in the end, still the dragging it forward, and giving publicity to all the doubts that will be cast upon it, must interfere, materially, with your benevolent plan of rescuing him from misery.' “我越琢磨这件事，”大夫说道，“越觉得，假如我们把这孩子的真实经历向这些人和盘托出的话，必定后患无穷。我敢肯定谁也不会相信。即便最后他们不可能把他怎么样，只是一味地拖下去，并且把一切可能产生的疑点张扬出去，你们要拯救他脱离苦海的慈善计划还是会遇到极大的障碍。” 'Oh! what is to be done?' cried Rose. 'Dear, dear! whyddid they send for these people?' “噢。那怎么办？”露丝大叫起来，“天啦，天啦！他们把这些人请来干什么？” 'Why, indeed!' exclaimed Mrs. Maylie. 'I would not have had them here, for the world.' “是啊，请来干什么！”梅莱太太高声说道，“说穿了，我巴不得他们别上这儿来。” 'All I know is,' said Mr. Losberne, at last: sitting down with a kind of desperate calmness, 'that we must try and carry it off with a bold face. The object is a good one, and that must be our excuse. The boy has strong symptoms of fever upon him, and is in no condition to be talked to any more; that's one comfort. We must make the best of it; and if bad be the best, it is no fault of ours. Come in!' “在我看来，’罗斯伯力先生平静地坐了下来，看样子打算豁出去了，“我们只能厚着脸皮试一下，坚持到底。我们的目的是高尚的，我们这样做也就情有可原，那孩子身上有发烧的明显症状，不宜过多交谈，这是一大福音。我们必须充分加以利用，要是利用了还是解决不了问题，我们也算尽了心了。进来。” 
“好的，先生，”布拉瑟斯走进房间，身后跟着他的那位同事，他顾不上多说，先把门紧紧关上。“这不是一起预谋性事件。” 'And what the devil's a put-up thing?' demanded the doctor, impatiently. “什么鬼预谋性事件？”大夫很不耐烦。 'We call it a put-up robbery, ladies,' said Blathers, turning to them, as if he pitied their ignorance, but had a contempt for the doctor's, 'when the servants is in it.' “女士们，”布拉瑟斯转向两位女士，好像十分同情她们的孤陋寡闻，对大夫的无知则只能表示轻蔑，“我们把有用人参与其中的叫作预谋抢劫。” 'Nobody suspected them, in this case,' said Mrs. Maylie. “这个案子，谁也没有怀疑他们。”梅莱大太说。 'Wery likely not, ma'am,' replied Blathers; 'but they might have been in it, for all that.' “很可能是这样，夫人，”布拉瑟斯回答，“正因为这样，他们反而可能参加了。” 
“从陈述来看就更可能了。”达福说道。 'We find it was a town hand,' said Blathers, continuing his report; 'for the style of work is first-rate.' “我们发现这是伦敦人干的，”布拉瑟斯继续报告，“因为手段是一流的。” 'Wery pretty indeed it is,' remarked Duff, in an undertone. “的确非常漂亮。”达福小声地评论道。 'There was two of 'em in it,' continued Blathers; 'and they had a boy with 'em; that's plain from the size of the window. That's all to be said at present. We'll see this lad that you've got upstairs at once, if you please.' “这事有两个人参加，”布拉瑟斯接着说道，“他们还带着一个小孩，看看窗户的尺寸就明白了。目前可以奉告的就是这些了。我们眼下就去看看你们安顿在楼上的这个孩子，如果可以的话。” 'Perhaps they will take something to drink first, Mrs. Maylie?' said the doctor: his face brightening, as if some new thought had occurred to him. “也许他们还是先喝点什么，梅莱太太？”大夫容光焕发，好像已经有了新的主意。 
“噢！真是的！”露丝急切地叫了起来，“只要二位愿意，马上就可以办到。” 'Why, thank you, miss!' said Blathers, drawing his coat-sleeve across his mouth; 'it's dry work, this sort of duty. Anythink that's handy, miss; don't put yourself out of the way, on our accounts.' “呃，小姐，谢谢。”布拉瑟斯撩起衣袖抹了抹嘴，说道。“干这一行就是让人口干。随便来点什么，小姐。别太让您受累。” 'What shall it be?' asked the doctor, following the young lady to the sideboard. “来点什么好呢？”大夫一边问，一边跟着年轻小姐向食橱走去。 'A little drop of spirits, master, if it's all the same,' replied Blathers. 'It's a cold ride from London, ma'am; and I always find that spirits comes home warmer to the feelings.' “一点点酒，先生，如果终归要喝的话，”布拉瑟斯回答，“此次从伦敦来可真冷得够呛，夫人，我一直就觉得酒很能使人心情变得暖和起来。” This interesting communication was addressed to Mrs. Maylie, who received it very graciously. While it was being conveyed to her, the doctor slipped out of the room. 这一番饶有趣味的见解是说给梅莱太太听的，她非常谦和地听着。就在讲这番话的当儿，大夫溜出了房间。 
“啊！”布拉瑟斯先生说，他不是端住酒杯的高脚，而是用左手的拇指和食指抓住杯子底部，靠在自己的胸前。“女士们，我干这一行，见过的事可多了。”
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