牛津書蟲系列 霧都孤兒 Chapter3

3 Oliver goes to London
3 奧利弗到倫敦去
Oliver was now officially an undertaker’s assistant.It was a good，sickly time of year，and coffins were selling well. Oliver gained a lot of experience in a short time，and was interested to see how brave some people were after a death in the family. During funerals for some rich people， for example，he saw that the people who had cried the loudest in church usually recovered the fastest afterwards.He noticed how in other wealthy families the wife or the husband often seemed quite cheerful and calm despite the recent death-just as if nothing had happened.Oliver was very surprised to see all this， and greatly admired the m for controlling their sadness so well.
奧利弗現(xiàn)已是棺材店老板的正式助理，這一年年景很好，疾病成災，棺材生意興旺。在不長的時間里他就積累了許多經(jīng)驗。他很有興趣地發(fā)現(xiàn)有些人在家里死了人時表現(xiàn)得沉著勇敢。比如說，他發(fā)現(xiàn)在一些有錢人的葬禮上，在教堂里哭聲最大的人往往都是事后恢復最快的人。他注意到，還有一些富人家，盡管剛剛死了人，但無論死者的妻子還是丈夫，都顯得輕松愉快、鎮(zhèn)定自若——好像什么都沒發(fā)生過一樣。奧利弗對這些感到不可理解，對他們能很好地克制悲傷不流露于外佩服極了。
He was treated badly by most of the people around him.Noah was jealous because Oliver went out to burials while he was left back in the shop，so he treated him even worse than before.Charlotte treated him badly because Noah did. And Mrs Sowerberry was his enemy because Mr Sowerberry was supposed to be his friend.
他身邊的人大都待他極不好。諾厄十分妒忌奧利弗，因為他能出去參加葬禮，而自己卻被留在店鋪里，所以比以前更加殘酷地對待他。夏洛特對他不好，是因為諾厄對他壞。索爾貝里太太跟他是對頭，是因為她認為索爾貝里先生是他的朋友。
One day something happened which might seem unimportant，but which had a great effect on Oliver’s future. Noah was in a particularly bad mood one dinner-time，and so he tried to make Oliver cry by hitting him，pulling his hair，and calling him horrible names. This was all unsuccessful， so he tried personal insults.
一天，發(fā)生了一件本來看起來好像不很重要的事，可這事對奧利弗的未來卻產(chǎn)生了很大的影響。晚餐時，諾厄的心情特別不好，他成心想弄哭奧利弗，就打他，揪他的頭發(fā)，用各種壞話罵他，但這都無濟于事。他便對他進行人格侮辱。
‘Workhouse， how’s your mother?’ he asked.
“濟貧院，你媽媽呢?”他問道。
‘She’s dead，’replied Oliver，his face going red with emotion.
“她死了，”奧利弗回答說，由于感情激動，他的臉變紅了。
Noah hoped that Oliver was going to cry， so he continued.‘What did she die of， Workhouse?’
諾厄想讓奧利弗哭出來，就接著問：“她是怎么死的，濟貧院?”
‘Of a broken heart， I was told.’And a tear rolled down Oliver’s cheek.
“有人告訴我她是傷心死的。”一顆淚珠從奧利弗的臉上滾落下來。
‘Why are you crying，Workhouse?’
“你怎么哭了，濟貧院?”
Oliver remained silent，and Noah grew braver. ‘You know，I feel very sorry for you，Workhouse，but the truth is your mother was a wicked woman.’
奧利弗不吭聲，諾厄膽子大了，更加得寸進尺：“你知道我很同情你，濟貧院，但你媽媽其實是個壞女人。”
Oliver seemed suddenly to wake up. ‘What did you say?’
奧利弗好像猛一激靈。“你說什么?”
‘She was so bad it was lucky she died， or she would have ended up in prison，or hung.’
“她太壞了，所以死了倒是件好事，否則她最后會被關進監(jiān)獄或處以絞刑的。”
His face bright red with anger，Oliver jumped up， seized Noah’s throat， and shook the older boy so violently that his teeth nearly fell out. The n he hit him with all his strength and knocked him to the ground.
奧利弗的臉由于氣憤而漲得通紅。他猛地跳了起來，一把掐住諾厄的喉嚨，拼命地搖著那大孩子，差點兒把他的牙齒都搖掉了。接著，他使出全身的力氣一拳將他打倒在地。
‘He’ll murder me!’screamed Noah. ‘Charlotte! Help!Oliver’s gone mad—’
“他會弄死我的!”諾厄尖聲叫喊著，“夏洛特!救命!奧利弗瘋了……”
Charlotte and Mrs Sowerberry ran in and screamed in horror.They took hold of Oliver and began to heat him. The n Noah got up and started to kick him from behind.When They were all tired， They forced Oliver， who was still fighting and shouting， into the cellar and locked it.
夏洛特和索爾貝里太太跑了進來，害怕得尖叫起來。他們抓住奧利弗拳腳相加。這時諾厄才從地上爬了起來，從背后抬腳猛踢他。直到他們都打累了，他們才將仍在反抗的奧利弗推進地下室，鎖了起來。
Mrs Sowerberry sat down， breathing heavily. ‘He’s like a wild animal!’she said. ‘We could all have been murdered in our beds!’
索爾貝里太太坐下來，喘著粗氣說：“他簡直像頭野獸!我們都有可能被他害死在床上。”
‘I hope Mr Sowerberry doesn’t take any more of the se dreadful creatures from the workhouse，’said Charlotte. ‘Poor Noah was nearly killed!’Mrs Sowerberry looked at Noah sympathetically.
“我真不希望索爾貝里先生再從濟貧院里帶來這種可怕的東西，”夏洛特說，“可憐的諾厄差點兒被掐死!”索爾貝里太太表示同情地看著諾厄。
Noah， who was twice Oliver’s size， pretended to rub tears from his eyes.
諾厄是奧利弗身材的兩倍，這會兒他正假裝擦著眼淚。
‘What shall we do?’ cried Mrs Sowerberry. ‘He’ll kick that door down in ten minutes.’ They could hear Oliver banging and kicking at the cellar door. ‘Noah-run and get Mr Bumble.’
“我們該怎么辦?”索爾貝里太太叫喊著，“用不了十分鐘他就會把那扇門踢破的。”他們能聽見地下室里奧利弗咚咚的敲門踹門聲。“諾厄——快去把班布爾先生找來。”
So Noah ran through the streets as quickly as he could to fetch the beadle. When he reached the workhouse， he waited for a minute to make sure his face was suitably tearful and frightened.
諾厄盡可能快地跑著，穿過了幾條街道，去叫執(zhí)事。他來到了濟貧院，先在外面站了一會兒，好確實做到自己的臉上有適當?shù)臏I痕和害怕的樣子。
As soon as Mr Bumble came out，Noah cried， ‘Mr Bumble!Mr Bumble! It’s Oliver Twist，sir.He’s become violent.He tried to murder me， sir! And Charlotte， and Mrs Sowerberry as well.’
班布爾先生從屋里一出來，諾厄就喊了起來：“班布爾先生!班布爾先生!又是奧利弗·特威斯特鬧事了。他動手打人，想弄死我，先生!還想害死夏洛特和索爾貝里太太。”
Mr Bumble was shocked and angry. ‘Did he?I’ll come up the re immediately and beat him with my stick.’
班布爾先生大為震驚，他非常生氣。“是嗎?我立刻就去，我要用我的手杖狠狠地揍他。”
When he arrived at the shop，Oliver was still kicking wildly at the cellar door.
他來到棺材店時，奧利弗還在發(fā)瘋似地踹著地下室的門。
‘Let me out!’he shouted from the cellar，when he heard Mr Bumble’s voice. ‘I’m not afraid of you!’
“讓我出去!”他聽到了班布爾先生的聲音時，在地下室叫喊著，“我不怕你!”
Mr Bumble stopped for a moment，amazed and even rather frightened by this change in Oliver. The n he said to Mrs Sowerberry， ‘It’s the meat that’s caused this， you know.’
班布爾先生稍稍站了一會兒，他對奧利弗的變化很吃驚，甚至很有點害怕。然后他對索爾貝里太太說：“這就是肉食造成的結果，你知道。”
‘What?’
“什么?”
‘Meat， madam. You’ve fed him too well here. Back in the workhouse this would never have happened.’
“肉，太太，你這里給他吃得太好了。在濟貧院里是從來不會發(fā)生這種事的。”
‘I knew I was too generous to him，’said Mrs Sowerberry，raising her eyes to the ceiling.
“我知道我對他是太厚道了，”索爾貝里太太抬起眼睛看著天花板，說道。
At that moment Mr Sowerberry returned and，hearing what had happened(according to the ladies)， he beat Oliver so hard that even Mr Bumble and Mrs Sowerberry were satisfied. Mr Sowerberry was not a cruel man，but he had no choice. He knew that if he didn’t punish Oliver， his wife would never forgive him.
就在這時，索爾貝里先生從外面回來了，他知道了發(fā)生的一切(是從女人們的嘴里聽說的)，就狠狠地打了奧利弗一頓，以至于班布爾先生和索爾貝里太太都感到滿意了。索爾貝里先生不是個狠心的人，可他沒有別的辦法，他很清楚，假如他不懲罰奧利弗，他老婆是不會饒過他的。
That night， alone in the room with the coffins，Oliver cried bitter， lonely tears. He did not sleep， and very early in the morning， before anyone was awake， he quietly unlocked the shop door and left the house. He ran up the street and through the town as far as the main road，where he saw a sign that told him it was just seventy miles from the re to London. The name London gave the boy an idea.That huge place! Nobody， not even Mr Bumble， could ever find him the re!He had heard old men in the workhouse say it was a good place for brave boys，and that the re was always work the re for those that wanted it.It would be the best place for him.He jumped to his feet and walked forward again.
那天晚上，一個人呆在棺材房里，奧利弗哭了，流下了辛酸、孤單的眼淚。他一夜沒睡，第二天一大早，趁著還沒有一個人起床，便輕輕地打開了鋪子的門，離開了這座房子。他沿街道跑下去，盡快地穿過鎮(zhèn)子，直走到大路上。他看見一塊牌子上寫著“此地距倫敦七十英里整”。倫敦這個地名使這個孩子產(chǎn)生了一個念頭。那是個極大的地方!在那兒沒人能找到他，就連班布爾先生也找不到!在濟貧院里他聽老人們說過，那是個勇敢的孩子去的好地方，而且在那兒很容易找到事做。對他來說那將是最好的去處。他一躍而起，朝前走去。
But after only four miles he began to realize just how far he would have to walk. He stopped to think about it. He had a piece of bread， a rough shirt， two pairs of socks and a penny. But he could not see how the se would help him get to London any faster， so he continued walking.
但是剛剛走了四英里，他已開始意識到他還有多么長的路要走。他停下腳步，想了想這件事。他身邊有一塊面包、一件粗布衫、兩雙襪子和一便士。他看不出這些東西怎么能幫他更快地到達倫敦。于是，他繼續(xù)往前走去。
He walked twenty miles that day. The only thing he had to eat was his piece of bread and some water which he begged from houses near the road. He slept the first night in a field，feeling lonely， tired， cold and hungry. He was even hungrier the next morning when he woke up， and he had to buy some more bread with his penny.That day he walked only twelve miles. His legs were so weak that They shook beneath him.
那一天，他走了二十英里，只吃了身邊的那塊面包，喝了點兒從路邊人家討來的水。第一天晚上他睡在了野地里，孤單、疲勞、寒冷、饑餓一起向他襲來。第二天早晨醒來，他更加饑餓難耐，不得不拿出僅有的一便士買了點兒面包。這一天他只走了十二英里，他的兩條腿軟弱無力，不停地瑟瑟發(fā)抖。
The next day he tried to beg for money， but large signs in some villages warned him that anyone caught begging would be sent to prison. Travellers on the road refused to give him money; They said he was a lazy young dog and didn’t deserve anything. Farmers threatened to send their dogs after him.When he waited outside pubs，the pub-owners chased him away because They thought he had come to steal something.Only two people were kind enough to feed him： an old woman and a gate-keeper on the road. If They had not given him some food， he surely would have died like his mother.
第三天，他不得不乞討小錢了。但在一些村子，他能看到大的牌子，上面寫著警告說，任何乞討的人，一旦抓住后，將被送進監(jiān)獄。路上的行人拒絕給他錢;他們說他是一條小懶狗，不應得到任何東西。農(nóng)夫們威脅說要放出狗來追他。他站在小酒店外面時，酒店老板也要趕他走，因為他們認為他是來偷東西的。只有兩個好心人給了他東西吃：一位老婦和一個路上的看門人。如果不是他們給他東西吃，他肯定會像他母親一樣死去的。
Early on the seventh morning of his journey， Oliver finally reached the little town of Barnet，just outside London. Exhausted，he sat down at the side of the road. His feet were bleeding and he was covered in dust. He was too tired even to beg.The n he noticed that a boy， who had passed him a few minutes before，had returned， and was now looking at him carefully from the opposite side of the road. After a long time the boy crossed the road and said to Oliver，
在旅途的第七天清早，奧利弗終于到達了倫敦附近一個叫巴尼特的小鎮(zhèn)子。他精疲力竭地坐在路邊，兩只腳流著血，渾身上下沾滿了塵土。由于過度疲勞，他連乞討的勁兒都沒有了，這時，他注意到有一個男孩幾分鐘之前從他身邊走過，這會兒又折了回來，站在馬路的對面仔細打量著他。過了好一會兒，這男孩穿過馬路，向他走來，說：
‘Hello! What’s the matter the n?’
“喂!怎么回事?”
The boy was about Oliver’s age， but was one of the strangest-looking people he had ever seen. He had a dirty，ordinary boy’s face， but he behaved as if he were an adult. He was short for his age and had little， sharp，ugly eyes. His hat was stuck on top of his head but it looked as though it would blow off at any minute. He wore a man’s coat which reached almost down to his feet， with sleeves so long that his hands were completely covered.
這男孩跟奧利弗年齡相仿，但奧利弗從未見過像他這樣樣子奇怪的人。他長著一張普通男孩的骯臟的臉，可他的一舉一動跟大人一樣。他比實際年齡要矮一點兒，一雙賊溜溜的瞇縫眼很難看。他的帽子就擱在腦袋頂上，看上去隨時有可能被風吹掉。他身上穿了一件大人的外衣，衣服幾乎拖到了腳背上。衣袖很長，幾乎將他的兩只手全蓋在里面。
‘I’m very tired and hungry，’answered Oliver， almost crying. ‘I’ve been walking for a week.’
“我又累又餓，”奧利弗幾乎是哭著回答說，“我走了整整一星期的路了。”
‘A week! The magistrate’s order， was it?’
“一星期!是治安推事的命令嗎?”
‘The magistrate?What’s that?’
“治安推事，是什么?”
‘A magistrate’s a kind of judge，’explained the surprised young gentleman. He realized Oliver did not have much experience of the world. ‘Never mind that.You want some food，’ he went on. ‘I haven’t got much money but don’t worry-I’ll pay.’
“治安推事是一種法官。”那位感到驚訝的年輕先生解釋說。他明白了奧利弗涉世不深，沒有多少經(jīng)驗。“別去管那些了。你現(xiàn)在需要吃點東西。”他接著說，“我身上沒多少錢，但是別擔心——我會付錢的。”
The boy helped Oliver to his feet， and took him to a pub. Meat， bread， and beer were placed before Oliver， and his new friend urged him to satisfy his hunger. While Oliver was eating， the strange boy looked at him from time to time with great attention.
這個男孩扶奧利弗站起來，帶他走進一家小酒館。肉、面包和啤酒擺在了奧利弗面前。他的新朋友催他快解除饑餓。奧利弗吃東西時，這個陌生的男孩不時注意地盯著他看。
‘Going to London?’ he asked him finally.
“去倫敦嗎?”他最后問。
‘Yes.’
“是的。”
‘Got anywhere to live?’
“有地方住嗎?”
‘No.’
“沒有。”
‘Money?’
“有錢嗎?”
‘No.’
“沒有。”
The strange boy whistled， and put his arms into his pockets as far as the big coat sleeves would allow him. ‘I suppose you want to sleep somewhere tonight， don’t you?’
這陌生的男孩吹了聲口哨，將兩只手插進了衣袋里，直到寬大的衣袖擋住不能再插進去為止。“我想你今兒晚上得找個睡覺的地兒，是不是?”
‘I do，’ replied Oliver. ‘I haven’t slept under a roof since I started my journey.’
“是的。”奧利弗回答說，“這一路上我從來沒在屋頂下睡過覺。”
‘Well， don’t worry.I’ve got to be in London tonight， and I know a very nice old gentleman the re who’ll let you live in his place and not even ask you for money!’
“別擔心，今兒晚上我也得去倫敦。我認識那兒一個非常好的老先生，他會讓你住在他那兒的，而且不要你的錢!”
Oliver was deeply grateful for this offer of shelter and talked for a long time with his new friend. His name was Jack Dawkins， but he was usually called ‘The Artful Dodger’. ‘Artful’ because he was very clever at getting what he wanted;and ‘Dodger’ because he was very good at not getting caught when he did something wrong.When he heard this，Oliver felt rather doubtful about having such a friend.However，he wanted first to meet the kind old gentleman in London，who would help him.After that，he could decide whether to continue the friendship with the Artful Dodger.
奧利弗對他能提供棲身之處深為感激，同他的新朋友聊了很長時間。他叫杰克·道金斯，可人們都叫他“插翅神偷”。叫“神偷”是因為他能靈巧地得到他想要的東西;而“插翅”則是指他做了壞事時，善于及時逃脫不被抓獲。奧利弗聽到這兒，對有這樣一個朋友感到拿不定主意。不管怎樣，他先要見見在倫敦的這位好心的、會幫助他的老先生，之后再決定是否與插翅神偷繼續(xù)他們的朋友關系。