書蟲6級《名利場》第十章: 多賓少校印度歸來

Georgy Osborne enjoyed his new life at his grandfather's house in Russell Square. His good looks and bright, cheerful nature pleased the old man very much, and Mr Osborne was soon as proud of his grandson as he had been of his son.

喬基·奧斯本喜歡在拉塞爾廣場祖父家的新生活。他相貌英俊，性格開朗活潑，讓老人十分高興。很快，奧斯本先生就以孫子為榮，正如他當(dāng)年以兒子為榮一樣。

In Russell Square everybody was afraid of Mr Osborne, and Mr Osborne was afraid of Georgy, who ruled his new home like a king. He was clever and better educated than his grandfather, and had little respect for the old man, whose manners were rude and rough. Mr Osborne spoiled Georgy, admired him, and laughed with delight at his commanding ways.

在拉塞爾廣場，大家都害怕奧斯本先生，而奧斯本先生害怕喬基，喬基像國王一樣統(tǒng)治著這個新家。他很聰明，比他祖父受的教育多，對這個粗俗的老人不怎么尊重。奧斯本先生溺愛喬基，夸獎他，喬基的頤指氣使總逗得他哈哈大笑。

The boy had many more luxuries and comforts than had been given to his father. Mr Osborne's wealth had increased greatly in recent years, and he had ambitious plans for his grandson, who was sent to an expensive little school, and who wore the finest clothes any young gentleman was ever seen in -- even his shirts had little jewelled buttons. The neat, plain shirts that his mother had sewn for him with such loving care were never worn -- Miss Osborne gave them to the coachman's boy.

男孩獲得的奢侈享受比他父親當(dāng)年有過之而無不及。近幾年，奧斯本先生的財富大大增加，他給孫子作了雄心勃勃的安排，送他去上學(xué)費(fèi)昂貴的小學(xué)校，讓他穿小紳士能穿上的最好的衣服，連他的襯衫都有小顆的寶石紐扣。他母親滿懷愛心為他縫制的干凈樸素的襯衫，他從來沒穿過——奧斯本小姐把它們送給了車夫的兒子。

"Did you ever see a boy like him?" he would often say. "Drinks his wine at dinner like a lord! Oh, he's a fine little gentleman!"

“見過像他這樣的男孩嗎？”他常說，“晚餐喝酒像個勛爵一樣！啊，他是個高貴的小紳士了！”

After breakfast, Georgy would sit in the armchair reading the newspaper, just like a grown-up man. He even had his personal servant, who would bring him his letters on a silver tray.

吃完早餐，喬基會像個大人一樣，坐在扶手椅里讀報。他甚至有自己的貼身仆人，仆人會用銀托盤呈上他的信。

But despite all this, Georgy was still a good-natured boy, and still fond of his mother. On one of his regular visits he eagerly pulled a red leather case out of his pocket and gave it to her.

盡管如此，喬基仍然是個品性善良的男孩，仍然愛著自己的母親。一次例行拜訪中，他急切地從口袋里掏出一個紅色皮匣，送給他媽媽。

"I bought it with my own money, mama," he said. "I thought you'd like it."

“我用自己的錢買的，媽媽。”他說，“我想你會喜歡。”

There was little else in her life to give her much joy. Not long after Georgy went to live with Mr Osborne, Mrs Sedley fell ill. She was a difficult patient, but Amelia was always at her bedside, always ready with a gentle answer to that complaining voice, always offering a daughter's loving kindness in exchange for the hard words she received.

她的生活中沒有什么其他事讓她高興了。喬基去和奧斯本先生住之后不久，塞德利夫人病了。她是個難以伺候的病人，但阿梅莉亞總是守在她的床邊，無論她怎么抱怨，阿梅莉亞都溫柔回應(yīng)；無論聽到什么難聽的話，阿梅莉亞都用女兒的愛心關(guān)懷去對待。

Amelia opened the case, and giving a cry of delight, seized the boy and covered him with kisses. It was a miniature painting of Georgy. His grandfather had had a painting of the boy done by a famous artist, and Georgy asked the artist to make a little copy of the painting. It made Amelia so happy, this little picture. She wept and laughed over it, slept with it under her pillow, and kissed it a hundred times a day.

阿梅莉亞打開匣子，發(fā)出一聲歡呼，她一把拉過孩子，吻個不停。那是一張喬基的小像。孩子的祖父請一位名畫家畫孩子的肖像，喬基讓畫家再復(fù)制一張小版的。這張小畫像太讓阿梅莉亞開心了。她對著它又哭又笑，睡覺時放在枕頭底下，一天要吻上一百遍。

Major Dobbin had easily obtained permission from his good-natured commander to return to England. He travelled night and day across country to the port, where he was struck down by a fever that nearly killed him. He lay at the edge of death for a long time, and it was many, many weeks before he was able to take the ship for home. He was as thin as a stick and as weak as a baby, but the long sea journey gave him back his health and strength.

多賓少校輕而易舉地獲得了他好心腸的長官的許可，返回英格蘭。他一路日夜兼程趕往港口，不料在那里發(fā)起高燒，差點(diǎn)要了他的命。他在鬼門關(guān)徘徊了很久，又過了很長很長時間之后才能坐船回國。他瘦得像根竹竿，弱得像個嬰兒，但是漫長的海上旅行讓他逐漸恢復(fù)了健康和體力。

When they had buried the old lady, Amelia's father became totally dependent on his daughter. He was a sad old man, with a shaky memory, his mind often wandering in the past, but Amelia did everything she could to make her old father happy. And so the days went by, with Georgy's visits the only bright points in Amelia's dull, dutiful life.

他們安葬這位老婦人之后，阿梅莉亞的父親變得完全依靠女兒了。他是個悲傷的老人，記性差多了，腦子里常常都是過去的事，阿梅莉亞盡她所能讓老父親開心。日子一天天過去，只有喬基的拜訪能給她恪盡孝道的單調(diào)生活增添一抹亮色。

The journey also gave him a most unexpected companion -- no other than Joseph Sedley, the brother of the woman whose name Dobbin had murmured so often during his long illness.

他的海上旅行還有一個意想不到的同伴——不是別人，正是約瑟夫·塞德利，多賓長期臥病時口中念念不忘的那個女子的哥哥。

Our old friend Jos, after ten years with the East India Company, was sailing home, richer, but otherwise unchanged. Many a night, as the ship was cutting through the roaring dark sea, the moon and stars shining overhead, Jos and the Major would sit talking of home. And with great skill and cunning the Major always brought the talk round to the subject of Amelia.

我們的老朋友喬斯，為東印度公司工作了十年后，搭船回國了。他除了更富有以外，沒什么其他變化。無數(shù)個夜晚，當(dāng)船在漆黑的海面上劈波斬浪時，喬斯和少校會坐在星月皎潔的夜空下，談起家鄉(xiāng)。少校總是巧妙圓滑地把話題轉(zhuǎn)到阿梅莉亞身上。

"Marriage?" said Jos. "Her last letter to me said nothing about marriage. She wrote to say that you were going to be married, and she hoped that you would be happy."

“結(jié)婚？”喬斯說，“她給我的上封信里可沒提到結(jié)婚的事。她寫信告訴我，你快結(jié)婚了，她希望你 幸福。”

It was wonderful to see after this, how bright and cheerful the Major became, and how quickly he recovered his strength.

在這之后，少校令人驚奇地開朗起來，他精神煥發(fā)，體力也很快恢復(fù)了。

They landed in England at Southampton, late at night, but very early the next morning Dobbin banged at Jos's door.

他們深夜在英格蘭南安普敦上了岸，但是第二天一大清早，多賓就來敲喬斯的門。

A girl of about sixteen opened the door.

一個十六歲上下的姑娘開了門。

"Sedley," he called. "Time to go. The carriage is ready."

“塞德利。”他大喊，“該動身了。馬車備好了。”

"I hope," he said once, "she will be happy in her new marriage."

“我希望，”有一次他說，“她新婚幸福。”

A bad-tempered growl greeted him, and Mr Sedley informed the Major that the Major could go to the devil or wherever he pleased, but that he, Jos, would finish his sleep in peace.

回應(yīng)他的是一聲憤怒的咆哮。塞德利先生讓少校滾蛋，愛去哪兒去哪兒，但他喬斯要安安生生地睡覺。

So Dobbin travelled to London alone, and made his way to the Sedleys' house. At the door he began to tremble. "Suppose she is married, after all," he thought. "Suppose she's moved."

因此，多賓獨(dú)自一人上路前往倫敦，去塞德利家。到了門口，他開始發(fā)抖。他想：“沒準(zhǔn)兒她還是結(jié)婚了。沒準(zhǔn)兒她已經(jīng)搬走了。”

Dobbin was as pale as a ghost. "Does Mrs Osborne live here?"

多賓面色蒼白如紙。“奧斯本夫人住在這里嗎？”

The girl stared at him, and then her face went white. "Oh! Oh!" she cried. "It's Major Dobbin! Do you remember me? I'm Mary -- the landlord's daughter. I was only little when you went away."

那姑娘打量著他，隨后臉色也開始發(fā)白。“哦！哦！”她大叫，“是多賓少校！您記得我嗎？我是瑪麗——房東的女兒。您走的時候，我還是小孩子呢。”

"I'll get my hat at once," said Mary, delighted.

“我這就去拿帽子。”瑪麗高興地說。

Mary took Dobbin's arm, and as they walked, she answered all the Major's many questions about Mrs Osborne. Yes, she was very unhappy about parting with her son. No, she never had any gentlemen visitors. And Mary heard the Major's sigh of relief when she said this, and she felt the Major's arm jump under her hand as he caught sight of Amelia in the park. Oh yes, Mary Clapp knew all there was to know about the Major's heart.

瑪麗挽著多賓的手臂，一路走，一路回答少校關(guān)于奧斯本夫人的各種問題。是的，和兒子分離她非常傷心。不，沒有任何先生來拜訪過她。說到這兒，瑪麗聽到少校寬慰地松了口氣。少校在公園里看到阿梅莉亞時，瑪麗感覺到她挽著的手臂抖了一下。哦，是的，少校的心思瑪麗·克拉普全明白了。

Yes, of course the Major remembered Mary Clapp, who used to play with Georgy as a baby. And Mrs Osborne…? She was walking in the park, he was told, with her poor old father. The Major would like to see her -- would Mary show him the way?

是的，少校當(dāng)然記得瑪麗·克拉普，她曾和當(dāng)時還是嬰兒的喬基一起玩。那奧斯本夫人……？瑪麗告訴他，她和可憐的老父親一起在公園散步。少校想見見她——瑪麗愿意帶路嗎？

She ran ahead to find Amelia.

她跑上前去找阿梅莉亞。

"Who's come?" Amelia called, jumping up in alarm.

“誰來了？”阿梅莉亞嚇了一跳，問道。

Then she saw Dobbin's tall figure approaching; she turned white, then red, and began -- naturally -- to cry. She ran towards him, holding out her hands, smiling through her tears.

接著，她看見多賓瘦高的身影越走越近。她面色發(fā)白，繼而轉(zhuǎn)紅，然后開始——自然而然地——哭了起來。她伸出雙手，臉上掛著淚，微笑著奔向他。

"News, news!" she cried. "He's come, he's come!"

“新聞，新聞！”她大喊，“他來了，他來了！”

"Papa!" Amelia cried. "Jos is home! And here's Major Dobbin!"

“爸爸！”阿梅莉亞大喊，“喬斯回家了！多賓少校來了！”

"Mrs Dobbin?" she said, moving back. Why didn't he speak?

“多賓夫人嗎？”她說，向后退開。他為什么不早說？

Mr Sedley was confused and worried by all this excitement, but he recognized Dobbin and was pleased to see him. They all returned to the house, and Dobbin stayed for hours, drinking endless cups of tea, and watching that dear, remembered face.

塞德利先生對這陣騷動感到莫明其妙，有些擔(dān)心。但他認(rèn)出了多賓，很高興見到他。他們一起回家，多賓在那里待了好幾個小時，喝了無數(shù)杯茶，望著那張朝思暮想的可愛臉龐。

Dobbin looked at her lovingly. She had not changed. The same kind eyes, and soft brown hair. She looked up at his plain, honest face, and he took her two little hands between his, and held them there. Why did he not take her in his arms, and swear that he would never leave her? She would have accepted, surely.

多賓充滿愛意地看著她。她沒有變。同樣的善良眼神，同樣的柔軟棕發(fā)。她仰頭看著他真誠正直的臉。他把她兩只小手握在手心不放。他為什么沒有擁她入懷？沒有發(fā)誓再也不離開她？她一定會接受的。

"No," he said, letting her hands go. "Who has told you those lies? I mean, your brother Jos. He came in the same ship with me, and has come home to make you all happy."

“不。”他說，放開了她的手。“誰告訴你這些瞎話的？我說的是你哥哥喬斯。他和我搭同一艘船來的。他回來了，讓你們都高興高興。”

After a pause he said, "Someone else has come with me."

他頓了頓，又接著說：“有人和我一起回來。”

Amelia talked only of Georgy, what a wonderful, intelligent, handsome, delightful boy he was. Such a joy and comfort to his mother -- and so like his dear father who was gone.

阿梅莉亞滿口談?wù)摰亩际菃袒簡袒嵌嗝绰斆鳌⒂⒖　⒂懭讼矚g的好男孩。他帶給他母親多少歡樂和慰藉——而且長得多像他去世的父親。

When Joseph Sedley arrived the next day, he was shocked to see how sorrow and misfortune had changed his father. The old man wept as he told his son about his wife's death, and the hard times they had all lived through. And in the emotion of that first meeting, Jos swore that he would take care of them from now on; that his house and everything he had would be theirs; and that Amelia would look very pretty at the head of his dinner table -- until, of course, she accepted one of her own.

次日，約瑟夫·塞德利也回到了家。看到悲痛和不幸極大地改變了父親，他十分震驚。老人哭泣著告訴兒子老伴的離世，以及他們?nèi)绾伟具^那段艱難的時光。在這次初聚的強(qiáng)烈感情推動下，喬斯發(fā)誓要從此照顧他們，他的房子和一切東西也都是他們的，阿梅莉亞作為女主人坐在餐桌桌首一定會很漂亮。當(dāng)然，在她想自立門戶時再另說。

Amelia shook her head sadly and, as usual, began to cry. She knew what he meant. She and her young friend Mary Clapp had talked over the subject very fully after the Major's visit.

阿梅莉亞悲傷地?fù)u搖頭，像平時一樣，眼淚開始往下掉。她明白他的意思。少校來訪后，她和她的年輕朋友瑪麗·克拉普充分地討論過這個話題。

Dobbin watched as Amelia put her handkerchief to her eyes. "Should I be angry with her," he thought, "for being so faithful to George? Can that heart love only once and for ever?"

阿梅莉亞拿起手帕擦眼淚，多賓望著她。“我應(yīng)該生她的氣嗎？”他想，“她對喬治這樣忠貞？那顆心一生只能愛一次嗎？”

"Didn't you see," Mary said, "how he shook all over when you asked if he was married, and he said, 'Who told you those lies?' Oh, Mrs O., he never took his eyes off you for a second! I'm sure he's gone grey-haired with thinking about you all these years."

“你沒看見嗎？”瑪麗說，“你問他是不是結(jié)婚了的時候，他渾身顫抖得厲害。他說，‘誰告訴你這些瞎話的？’哎呀，奧斯本夫人，他的目光不曾從你身上移開過！我肯定，他頭發(fā)變灰白，都是這些年想你想的。”

Dobbin was there to meet them when they arrived with their possessions, which included the old piano, rescued long ago by Dobbin himself from the sale at the Sedleys' former house.

他們帶著行李抵達(dá)的時候，多賓在那里迎接。行李中那架舊鋼琴，是多賓很久以前在塞德利家舊居拍賣時買回的。

"Mary, you mustn't say such things. I love him as a brother, but a woman who has been married to him " -- Amelia pointed to George's picture on the wall above her bed -- "can never think of another marriage."

“瑪麗，你不要說這種話。我像愛兄長那樣愛他，但是一個女人嫁給了他 ”——說著，阿梅莉亞指著她床頭上方掛著的喬治畫像——“就再也不會考慮再婚。”

Dobbin was very pleased to see the piano. "I'm glad you've kept it," he said. "I didn't think you cared about it."

多賓看到鋼琴很高興。“我很高興你還留著它。”他說，“我以為你不會在乎。”

"Of course I do," Amelia replied. "He gave it to me."

“我當(dāng)然在乎。”阿梅莉亞回答，“他 給我的。”

It had been Dobbin on the long voyage home who had made Jos promise to take care of his family, and this time Jos kept his promise. One day his carriage came to the house and carried his father and sister away to live in comfort once more.

是多賓在漫長的歸家旅途中勸說喬斯答應(yīng)照顧家人。而這一回，喬斯遵守了諾言。一天，他的馬車來接他的父親和妹妹離開，讓他們再次過上舒適的生活。

Later, thinking about Dobbin's sad face, Amelia realized that it must have been Dobbin who gave her the piano, not George. She had loved it all these years because it was George's gift. But it was not George's gift after all. So now it meant nothing to her. But she was sorry if she had hurt Dobbin's feelings.

后來，想起多賓難過的表情，阿梅莉亞意識到，鋼琴一定是多賓送給她的，而不是喬治。她愛這架鋼琴這么多年，是因?yàn)樗菃讨蔚亩Y物。但事實(shí)卻非如此，所以現(xiàn)在鋼琴對她毫無意義了。不過，傷了多賓的感情，她感到于心有愧。

Poor Mary sighed, and felt rather sorry for Major Dobbin.

可憐的瑪麗嘆了口氣，替多賓少校感到很遺憾。

"Oh, I didn't know," said poor Dobbin, looking very sad.

“噢，我不知道。”可憐的多賓說，看上去難過極了。

"I have to beg your pardon for something," she said to him a few days later. "I never thanked you for the piano when you gave it to me. I thought that it came from someone else. Thank you, William." She held out her hand, and her eyes filled with tears.

“我要請求你的原諒。”幾天后她對他說，“你送給我鋼琴的時候，我從未道謝。我以為那是別人送的。謝謝你，威廉。”她伸出手，眼里滿是淚水。

"Amelia, Amelia!" he cried, "I have loved you since the day I first saw you. For twelve years you have never been out of my thoughts. I came to tell you I loved you before I went to India, but you didn't care whether I stayed or went, so I didn't speak."

“阿梅莉亞，阿梅莉亞！”他大叫，“從第一天見到你時，我就愛上你了。十二年了，你一直在我的心里。去印度之前，我來是想說我愛你，但你絲毫不關(guān)心我是走是留，所以我沒說。”

"No, you didn't care. I understand how you feel about the piano. You're sorry that it came from me, and not from George. I'm a fool for thinking that years of love could matter to you."

“不，你是無所謂。我知道你是怎么想這架鋼琴的。你覺得遺憾的是，它是我送的，不是喬治送的。我真傻，竟然以為多年的愛能感化你。”

Dobbin could bear no more.

多賓再也忍受不下去了。

"I was very ungrateful," said Amelia.

“我太不知道感恩了。”阿梅莉亞說。

"Now you are being cruel," Amelia said. "George is my husband still. How could I love another? I loved you like a brother, and a dear, true, kind friend. I thought you might have saved me from that dreadful parting from my son -- which nearly killed me. You didn't come, but you are still my friend, his friend and mine." Her voice broke and she hid her face on his shoulder.

“你這么說可太殘忍了。”阿梅莉亞說，“喬治仍是我的丈夫。我怎么能愛上別人呢？我愛你如兄長，如一位親愛的、忠誠的、好心的朋友。我以為你能讓我免受與兒子離別之苦，那時我差點(diǎn)活不下去。你沒有來，但你仍然是我的朋友，他和我的朋友。”她哽咽起來，把臉埋在他的肩頭。

"Yes, often," Amelia said.

“好的，經(jīng)常。”阿梅莉亞說。

And that was all Dobbin had -- permission to be near her and to see her, and nothing more.

多賓獲得的就是這些——被允許待在她近旁，能見她，僅此而已。

The Major held her gently, kissing her head as if she was a child. "I will not change, dear Amelia," he said. "I ask for no more than your love. Only let me stay near you and see you often."

少校輕輕地?fù)е駥Υ⒆右粯佑H了親她的頭。“我的心意不會改變，親愛的阿梅莉亞。”他說，“除了你的愛我別無所求。就讓我待在你的身邊，經(jīng)常見見你吧。”

Amelia was overjoyed, and when she learnt it was Dobbin who had caused the change of heart in the old man, she was deeply grateful to him -- deeply grateful, but no more. If she thought of anything else, a picture of George rose before her eyes and said, "You are mine, and mine only, now and for ever."

阿梅莉亞喜不自勝。當(dāng)她聽說是多賓勸服老人改變了心意，她對他充滿感激之情。但除此之外，再無其他。如果她有其他想法，喬治的頭像就會浮現(xiàn)在她面前說：“你屬于我，只屬于我，從現(xiàn)在直到永遠(yuǎn)。”

Life was now much more comfortable for Amelia, but there were more changes ahead. In the winter Mr Sedley died, cared for devotedly by Amelia in his last illness, and less than a year later, Mr Osborne was found dead in his bedroom one morning.

阿梅莉亞現(xiàn)在的生活舒適多了，但是后來發(fā)生了更多變故。冬天的時候塞德利先生去世了。他患病臨終前，阿梅莉亞盡心盡力照顧他。不到一年后的一天早晨，奧斯本先生也死在了他的臥室里。

The old man had softened in his last year and, under Dobbin's influence, his anger and hate had faded away. He had left half his fortune to Georgy, and half to his two daughters. But there was also a pension of five hundred pounds a year for Amelia. And he wished his grandson to return to the care of his mother, the widow of his much loved son.

在生命的最后一年里，老奧斯本的態(tài)度軟化了，而且在多賓的影響下，他的憤怒與仇恨也逐漸淡去。他把一半財產(chǎn)留給喬基，一半留給他的兩個女兒。而且還給阿梅莉亞留了每年五百英鎊的年金。他希望孫子重新由母親——他愛子的遺孀照看。