牛津書蟲系列 霧都孤兒 Chapter10
10 Life in the country
10 鄉(xiāng)下的一段日子
The weeks slipped contentedly past, and spring turned into summer. Oliver was now a strong and healthy boy, and very fond of Rose and Mrs May lie as They were of him.
幾星期的日子令人滿意地過去了，春天已消逝，現(xiàn)在進入了炎炎夏日。奧利弗現(xiàn)在長得很健壯了，他非常喜歡羅斯和梅利夫人——她們也同樣喜歡他。
One hot summer evening, after a walk in the country, Rose became very weak and pale, and confessed she felt ill. By the next morning she was in a dangerous fever, and Mrs May lie and Oliver were afraid she might die. Mrs May lie sent Oliver to the nearest town, four miles away, to post two express letters. One was to Dr Losberne in Chertsey, the other to Harry May lie, Mrs May lie's son.
盛夏一個酷熱的夜晚，剛從外面散步回來，羅斯突然手腳發(fā)軟，臉色蒼白，她承認自己病了。到了第二天早晨，她仍高燒不退，梅利夫人和奧利弗擔心她會死去。梅利夫人讓奧利弗到四英里以外離這兒最近的一個鎮(zhèn)子上去發(fā)兩封快信。一封是發(fā)給切特賽的羅斯伯恩醫(yī)生的，另一封是給梅利夫人的兒子哈里·梅利的。
Oliver, filled with anxiety, ran as fast as he could along the country roads and across the fields until, hot and exhausted, he reached the town. He posted the letters and turned to hurry home again. As he was running past a pub in the main street, he accidentally bumped into a tall man in black coming out. The man stared at Oliver. 'What the devil's this? ' he said, stepping back.
奧利弗憂心忡忡，盡可能快地跑過一條條鄉(xiāng)間道路和一片片田地，等趕到了鎮(zhèn)子上，他已是熱氣騰騰，精疲力竭。他發(fā)了信，就轉(zhuǎn)身一刻不停地往回趕。他匆匆跑過鎮(zhèn)子中心街道上的一家酒館門前時，與從酒館里出來的一個穿著一身黑的大漢撞了個滿懷。這人盯著奧利弗，一邊往后退一邊說：“見鬼!怎么搞的?”
'I'm sorry, sir. I was in a hurry, and didn' t see you. '
“對不起，先生，我走得急，沒看見您。”
The man murmured angrily to himself, 'Who would have thought it? Curse him! I can't get away from him! '
那人惱怒地自言自語著：“誰料到竟然會是他?該死的!我總也躲不開他。”
'I'm sorry, sir, repeated Oliver, frightened by the man' s wild, staring eyes.
“對不起，先生。”奧利弗被對方那死死盯住他的兇狠的眼睛嚇壞了，又說了一句。
'The devil break your bones! 'the man said through his teeth. 'What are you doing here? He raised his hand and started towards Oliver with a mad look in his eyes, but fell violently to the ground, shaking and gasping, in a fit. People hurried up and helped the man into the pub while Oliver, thinking that the man was mad, ran quickly home/
“讓魔鬼打斷你的骨頭!”那人從牙縫里擠出了一句話，“你在這兒干什么?”他說著，高高舉起一只大手向奧利弗走過去，眼睛里流露出瘋狂的目光，但又突然急病發(fā)作，摔在了地上，顫抖著，喘著粗氣。周圍的人趕緊把他攙起來扶進了酒館;奧利弗以為他是個瘋子，就急忙跑回家了。
Mrs May lie and Oliver passed a sleepless night, and Rose grew steadily worse as the fever burned in her.Oliver said every prayer he had ever learnt ten times over.
梅利夫人和奧利弗一夜沒睡，羅斯的病情繼續(xù)惡化，高燒不止。奧利弗不停地替她祈禱，一連十幾遍地念著他所知道的各種禱文。
Late the next day Dr Losberne and Harry May lie arrived, and the house was full of worried faces and anxious whispers. But the danger passed, and by the next night Dr Losberne was able to announce that, though seriously ill, Rose would not die. Oliver cried for joy.
第二天晚些時候，羅斯伯恩醫(yī)生和哈里·梅利都趕來了。家里每個人都是滿臉的焦急、憂慮，低聲說著話。但危險終于過去了，到了第二天的晚上，醫(yī)生終于得以宣布，羅斯雖然病得很厲害，但已脫離了生命危險。奧利弗高興得流出了眼淚。
A day or two later, Mrs May lie talked privately to her son. Harry was a hand some young man of about twenty-five, with a cheerful, honest face and friendly manners He was clearly very fond of Rose.
一兩天后，梅利夫人和兒子單獨進行了一次談話，哈里大約二十五歲，年輕英俊，一臉的和氣誠實，待人非常友好。很明顯，他是非常喜歡羅斯的。
'I know that you want to marry Rose， Mrs May lie told her son, 'and she is the nicest person I know But I want you to remember one thing-her birth. '
“我知道你想娶羅斯做你的妻子，”梅利夫人跟兒子說，“她也是我所遇到的最好的女孩，可有一件事你別忘了——她的出生。”
'Mother, that means nothing to me, 'said The young man. 'I love her. '
“母親，我不在乎這些。”年輕人說。“我愛她。”
'I know you do, Harry, but she herself is well aware of her doubtful birth, and this might affect her answer if you ask her to marry you. I know you have ambitions to enter politics. If you marry a woman with a stain on her name, even though it's not her fault, it might spoil your chances of success in life. Society is cruel, Harry. People might use the knowledge of your wife's doubtful birth against you， and against your children, too. And one day, you might begin to regret your marriage. '
“我懂你的心思，哈里，可她自己很清楚她身世可疑，如果你向她求婚，這件事可能影響到她的答覆。我也知道你有心要進入政界，如果你娶了一個姓氏上有污點的女人做妻子，哪怕這并不是她自己的過錯，此事也可能會破壞你出人頭地的機會。社會是殘酷的，哈里。人們會用你妻子不明不白的出生來攻擊你以及你的子女。有一天，你可能要為這樁婚事后悔的。”
'Only a selfish man would do that, Mother! 'Harry answered impatiently. 'No, I am quite determined. I have loved Rose for a long time, and nothing will ever change that. '
“母親，只有自私的人才會這么做!”哈里不耐煩地說，“不，我決心已定，我愛慕羅斯已久，這是任何事都改變不了的。”
Mrs May lie sighed. 'And she, I know, is very fond of you. But she herself may try to protect you, and refuse an offer of marriage frpm you, for your sake. Remember that, Harry. But now, I must go back and sit with her. '
梅利夫人嘆了口氣。“她，我知道，也是非常愛你的，可她自己可能想要保護你，為了你她會拒絕你的求婚的。記著這一點，哈里。我現(xiàn)在必須去陪她一會兒了。”
'Will you tell her how much I've worried about her? ' asked Harry. 'And how anxious I am to see her again?
“請您告訴她，我非常為她的健康擔心。”哈里說，“還請告訴她，我迫切想再見到她，好嗎?”
'Of course I will, 'replied Mrs May lie.
“我當然會的。”梅利夫人回答說。
Some days after this conversation, Oliver was sitting in the room where he studied in the evenings. It was a warm night, and he had been studying hard for some hours. He fell asleep at his desk and started dreaming. He dreamt that he was in Fagin's house again, and could see the old man sitting in his corner, whispering to another man. Yes, my dear, he heard Fagin say, 'you're right. That's him. '
在那次談話幾天之后的一個晚上，奧利弗又像往常那樣坐在那間屋子里學習。那天晚上很燠熱，他認真地學了好幾個小時，便坐在桌前犯起困來了，迷迷糊糊地做了個夢。他夢見他又回到了費金的家，看見那個老家伙坐在屋子的角落里，跟另一個人小聲地嘀咕著什么。“沒錯，親愛的，”他聽見費金說，“你說對了，那就是他。”
In Oliver's dream the other man answered. 'Of course it is! I told you I'd seen him. I'd recognize him anywhere. If I walked across his unmarked grave, I'd know it was him buried under the ground. '
奧利弗在夢中聽見另一個人回答說：“絕對是他!我跟你說過我看見他了。無論他到了哪兒我都能認出他來;他就是死了，埋進了土里，墳上沒有標志，我從墳上走過，也能認出下面埋的是他。”
He said this with such hatred that Oliver woke up from fear. In front of him, at the open window, so near he could almost touch the m, were Fagin and the strange, wild man he had bumped into outside the pub in the town. In a flash, They were gone. Oliver sat still, white with terror, for a second, the n shouted loudly for help.
他這話說得兇狠無比，把奧利弗給嚇醒了。就在他的眼前，打開著的窗口外，他一伸手便能摸著的地方，站著費金和那個奇怪的、和奧利弗在鎮(zhèn)子上的酒館前撞了個滿懷的瘋子。突然，他們又不見了。奧利弗霎時間嚇得臉色慘白，坐在那兒動彈不了，然后，他猛地高聲喊著救命。
Harry and Dr Losberne came running, and hearing what had happened, They rushed outside into the night and searched the garden and the fields around. The re was no sign of anybody.
哈里和羅斯伯恩醫(yī)生聞聲趕來，問清了是怎么回事后，就沖進了夜色中，在屋子花園和周圍的田地里來回搜尋，但沒發(fā)現(xiàn)什么人。
'It must have been a bad dream, Oliver, ' said Harry, breathless after running through the fields. He had heard all about Oliver's past from his mother.
“奧利弗，你一定是做了個噩夢!”哈里在田地里跑了一大圈回來，上氣不接下氣地說。他從母親那里得知了奧利弗的全部經(jīng)歷。
'No, 'replied Oliver, still frightened. 'I saw the m both as plainly as I see you now. '
“不是。”奧利弗仍害怕地說。“我清清楚楚地看見了他們倆，就像現(xiàn)在看見你站在這兒一樣。”
Nothing more was seen or heard of the two men, and after a few days, the event was forgotten. Rose recovered rapidly and was soon able to go outside again. Harry May lie waited a few days, the n, as his mother had expected, he asked Rose to marry him. And as his mother had warned him, Rose refused.
此后沒有人再發(fā)現(xiàn)這兩個人，幾天過去，這件事就被人們忘記了。羅斯恢復(fù)得很快，不久又像以前一樣能夠出來活動了。哈里·梅利又等待了幾日，之后，正如他母親預(yù)料的那樣，他請求羅斯小姐嫁給他。也正像他母親提醒過的那樣，他遭到了羅斯的拒絕。
'Don't you love me? ' he asked her, holding her hand .
“難道是你不愛我嗎?”他拉著她的手說。
'I do, 'she whispered, ' but please try to forget me. It would ruin your future as a politician if anybody found out about my birth. I could never, never forgive myself. '
“我是真心地愛你，”她低語著，“但請你設(shè)法忘掉我。一旦有人知道了我不明不白的出生，這將會斷送你作為一個政治家的前途。這將會使我永遠、永遠無法饒恕自己。”
Harry paused for a few minutes. 'Tell me one thing, dear Rose. Could you have accepted if your past had been different? Or if I had been poor and friendless, with no hope of riches or success? '
哈里半天沉默不語。“親愛的羅斯，告訴我一件事，假如你的過去不是這樣，假如我是個貧窮的沒有朋友的人，沒有希望會變得富有，也沒有希望會成功，那你會答應(yīng)我的請求嗎?”
'I could, 'answered Rose, covering her face to hide her tears. 'But as you are, I can never be more than a friend to you.
“我會的。”羅斯蒙住臉，掩蓋著流出的淚水，說：“但像你目前這種情況，我最多只能做你的朋友。”
'I shall ask you once more, said Harry softly. 'In a year's time or less, I shall ask you to change your mind. '
“我會再向你求婚的，”哈里含情脈脈地說，“只需一年的時間，或者用不了一年，我會求你改變主意的。”
The girl shook her head and smiled sadly. 'No, it will be useless. '
女孩搖著頭，傷感地微笑著說：“不會的，一切都將無濟于事。”
Harry left the next day, having asked Oliver to write to him secretly with news of his mother and Rose. From an upstairs window, Rose watched him leave with tears in her eyes.
第二天哈里便離開了家，他背地里囑咐奧利弗給他寫信，告知關(guān)于母親和羅斯的情況。羅斯站在樓上的窗前，淚水漣漣地目送著哈里離去。
Mr Bumble was now a married man, and not a happy one. He was no longer a beadle but the manager of the workhouse, and his wife, formerly Mrs Corney, scolded and argued with him day and night. One evening, after a particularly violent fight, when she threw things at him and chased him out of the house, he went for a walk alone through the town. He felt very sorry for himself, and finally went into a pub to find comfort in gin-and-water. A tall dark man, sitting in the corner, watched Mr Bumble while he drank. The stranger's clothe s were dusty and muddy, as if he had travelled a long way. Mr Bumble began to feel uncomfortable at the man's hard stare, and tried to avoid meeting his eyes.
班布爾先生現(xiàn)在是個結(jié)了婚的人了，可他并不是個幸福的人。他已升為濟貧院的院長，不再是以前的那個執(zhí)事了。他的妻子，以前的科尼太太，整天同他吵吵鬧鬧，罵罵咧咧。一天晚上，剛剛結(jié)束了一場特別激烈的爭斗(她朝他身上扔東西，把他趕出了家門)，他沿著鎮(zhèn)子的街道朝前走著。他自憐自怨，終于進了一家小酒館，要了一點加了水的杜松子酒，借酒澆愁。一個黝黑的高個子男人坐在酒館的一角，瞧著喝酒的班布爾先生。這個陌生人穿著一身沾滿了泥土的衣服，好像剛從很遠的地方來到這兒。班布爾先生被他盯得有點不自在，盡量躲避著他的目光。
'I've seen you before, 'the stranger said, eventually. 'you were the beadle here. '
“我以前見過你。”這個陌生的人最終說。“你那時是這兒的執(zhí)事。”
'I was. But I don't recognize you. '
“是的，可我怎么也想不起您來了。”
'It doesn't matter. I came here to look for you, and I'm lucky to have found you. I'd like some information. ' He pushed a couple of coins across the table.
“這不要緊，我到這兒就是來找你的，很幸運，竟然碰到了你。我想從你這兒打聽點事。”他從桌子的另一頭推過來幾個硬幣。
'What information? ' asked Mr Bumble suspiciously, slipping the coins into his pocket.
“您想知道什么?”班布爾先生疑心重重地問，并一下子將那幾個硬幣放進了衣袋。
'About a workhouse birth. A boy called Oliver Twist. '
“關(guān)于一個出生在濟貧院，叫奧利弗·特威斯特的男孩。”
'Young Twist! I remember him! He was a dreadful—'
“小特威斯特，我知道他，他是個非常討厭的——”
'It's not him I want to talk about, interrupted the stranger. 'I've heard enough of him. It's the old woman who was the nurse for his mother. Where is she? '
“我要知道的不是關(guān)于他的事，”陌生人打斷了他的話，“他的事我全都聽煩了，我想知道的是看護過他媽媽的那個老女人，她現(xiàn)在在什么地方?”
'Oh- she died last winter, 'said Mr Bumble. The n he remembered that his wife had been the re when old Sally had died, and he realized that this information might be worth something. He told the man that one woman had been with the nurse when she died, and had heard some secret from her.
“噢，她去年冬天就死了。”班布爾先生說。他突然想起，老薩莉死的時候，他妻子就在常他意識到這一條消息可能值幾個錢，就跟那個人說，老看護死的時候有一個女人在身邊，并從她那里知道了一些秘密。
'Where can I find this woman? the stranger asked quickly, showing in his pale face how important this was to him.
“我怎么才能找到這個女人?”陌生人急切地問，他那蒼白的面色顯示出這事對他有多么重要。
'I can bring her to meet you tomorrow, 'said Mr Bumble.
“我明天可以把她帶到這兒來見您。”班布爾先生說。
'All right Down by the river, at nine in the evening. ' The man wrote the address on a piece of paper.
“太好了，那就在下面的河岸上，晚上九點整。”那人將地址寫在了一張紙頭上。
'And your name? asked Mr Bumble.
“您叫什么名字?”班布爾先生問。
'Monks, replied the stranger, 'but you don't need to remember it. 'The n he quickly left the pub.
“蒙克斯。”陌生人回答道，“但是你不必記住這個。”然后他便急匆匆地離開了酒館。
The next evening was dark and cloudy; a storm threatened and already the first drops of rain were falling. Mr and Mrs Bumble walked up the main street of the town, the n turned towards a group of ruined old houses next to the river. Mr Bumble went first, carrying a dim light, and his wife followed closely behind. At the oldest and most ruined building, They stopped and Mr Bumble took out his piece of paper. The first distant crash of thunder shook the air, and the rain began to pour down heavily. The n They heard Monks calling out of an upstairs window.
第二天的夜晚又黑又陰沉，天上開始掉著雨點，一場大雨就要來臨了。班布爾夫婦沿著鎮(zhèn)子的主要街道走著，然后拐彎朝著河邊一些破敗的舊屋子走去。班布爾先生手里提著一盞昏暗的燈走在前頭，他的妻子緊跟在身后。他們在一幢最古老和最破舊的樓前停了下來，班布爾先生拿出了他記地址的紙條。第一聲驚雷在遠處空中炸響，隨后大雨傾盆而下。這時他們聽見蒙克斯從樓上的一個窗口叫了一聲。
'Is that the man? ' Mrs Bumble asked her husband.
“是那個人嗎?”班布爾太太問自己的丈夫。
'Yes. '
“是他。”
'The n be careful to say as little as you can. Don't tell him I'm your wife. '
“那你就盡量少說話，別跟他說我是你妻子。”
Monks opened a small door, saying impatiently, 'Come in! Don't keep me waiting! '
蒙克斯打開一扇小門，不耐煩地說：“快進來!別讓我再等了!”
Mr Bumble was only brave when dealing with poor, helpless people. He felt very uneasy about entering this dark building with an ill-tempered stranger. However, he was equally afraid of his wife. Nervously, he followed her through the door.
班布爾先生只有在對付窮人和孤苦無援的人時才是勇敢的，要同這個脾氣暴躁的陌生人一起走進黑洞洞的樓里，他感到十分膽怯。但他也同樣怕他的妻子。他緊張地跟著她進了門。
Inside, Monks stared at Mrs Bumble for some time. 'So this is the woman, is it? '
到了屋里，蒙克斯盯著班布爾太太看了片刻。“她就是那個女人嗎?”
'Yes, 'replied Mr Bumble cautiously.
“是她。”班布爾先生十分小心地回答。
As They walked upstairs, the re was a bright flash of lightning outside, followed by loud thunder. They sat dowu at the table and Monks started immediately.
他們上樓時，外面忽然打了一下閃電，接著馬上是一陣雷鳴。他們在一張桌子旁坐下，蒙克斯迫不急待地開始講話。
'So you were present when the old woman died, is that right? And she told you something? He stared at Mrs Bumble again.
“那個老女人死的時候你在場，是嗎?她跟你說了些什么?”他又緊盯著班布爾太太。
'Yes, 'said Mrs Bumble. 'Something about the mother of Oliver Twist. But first, how much will you pay me for the information? '
“是的，”班布爾太太說，“一些關(guān)于奧利弗·特威斯特的母親的事。但是，您首先要告訴我，知道這些情況您會給我多少錢?”
'If it's what I want to hear-twenty-five pounds, 'said Monks. 'But it's a lot of money for something which has been lying dead for twelve years. 'Reluctantly, he pushed the money across the table towards her, the n bent forward to listen. The faces of the three nearly touched, as the two men leant over the table to hear what the woman had to say, and the woman leant over towards the m so that They could hear her whisper. In the dim lamplight their faces looked pale and ghostly.
“假如是我想要知道的事，我會給你二十五英鎊，”蒙克斯說。“對于一個沉睡了十二年的消息，這些錢不算少了。”說著，他不情愿地將桌子上的錢朝她面前推了過去，然后俯身向前去聽。三個人的臉幾乎湊在了一起，兩個男人俯在桌子上方湊向這女人，聽她說些什么，她也朝他們靠了過去，好讓他們能聽見她小聲說話。在昏暗的燈影下，他們的臉蒼白得像幽靈一樣。
'The old woman who was the nurse died with only me in the room, 'said Mrs Bumble.
“那個當看護的老女人死的時候只有我在她的房間里。”班布爾太太說。
'No one else was the re? ' asked Monks fiercely.
“還有別人在場嗎?”蒙克斯惡狠狠地問。
'No one. '
“沒有。”
'Good, 'said Monks. 'Go on. '
“太好了，”蒙克斯說，“接著說。”
'She spoke about a young woman who had given birth in the same bed some years before. The child was Oliver Twist. And this nurse had robbed the child's mother. '
“她說的是多年前一個年輕的女人就在她躺的那張床上生下了一個孩子。這孩子就是奧利弗·特威斯特。這個老看護偷了他媽媽的一樣東西。”
'Robbed in life? ' asked Monks.
“是在她死之前拿的嗎?”蒙克斯問。
'In death. She stole from the body when it was hardly cold. But the old woman fell back and died before she could tell memore.’
“是在她斷氣之后，尸骨還沒有寒冷的時候。沒跟我說上幾句話，老薩莉便倒下死了。”
‘It’s a lie!’shouted Monks furiously. ‘You know more!I’ll kill you both if you don’t tell me what else she said.’
“撒謊!”蒙克斯惱怒萬分地叫嚷著，“你肯定還知道更多的事!如果你不把她的話全說出來，我會宰了你們倆的。”
‘She said no more，’repeated Mrs Bumble calmly，showing(unlike Mr Bumble)no fear of the strange man’s violence. ‘But in her hand I found a piece of dirty paper.’
“她沒能說更多的話。”班布爾太太冷靜地說。她(不像班布爾先生)沒有顯露出一點害怕這個陌生人的暴虐的樣子。“可我在她手里發(fā)現(xiàn)了一張骯臟的破紙頭。”
‘Which contained…?’
“里面有……?”
‘Nothing.It was only a receipt from a pawnbroker.I went to the pawnbroker and got back a little gold locket.Inside was a gold wedding ring and on the locket itself，the name“Agnes”.’She put the locket on the table in front of Monks.
“什么都沒有，是一家當鋪的收條。我找到了這家當鋪，贖回的是一個掛在項鏈上面的小金盒子，里面放著一枚金的結(jié)婚戒指，金盒子上寫的人名是 ‘阿格尼絲’。”她把小金盒子放在了桌子上蒙克斯的面前。
He picked it up immediately and looked at it closely，his hand s shaking. ‘Is this all?’
他一把抓起小盒子，放在眼前仔細地看著，兩只手不停地顫抖。“只有這些嗎?”
‘It is.And now I want to ask you a question.What do youintend to do with the locket?’
“就這些?，F(xiàn)在我想問您一句，您打算把這盒子怎么辦?”
‘This.So it can never be used against me.’Monks suddenly pushed the table to one side and opened a small door in the floor.Down below rushed the river，its muddy waters swollen by the heavy rain.
“這么辦!這樣誰也不能用它來找我的麻煩了。”蒙克斯猛地把桌子推到了一邊，打開了地板上的一個暗門，下面是洶涌的河水。由于大雨，泥漿般的河水漲了起來。
‘If you threw a man’s body down the re，where would it be to morrow?’asked Monks.
“假如把一個人的尸體從這兒扔下去，明天他會到了什么地方?”蒙克斯問。
‘Twelve miles down the river，and cut to pieces，’replied Mr Bumble in a shaky voice.
班布爾先生用發(fā)抖的聲音說;“十二英里以外，裂成了碎片。”
Monks tied the locket to a heavy weight and dropped it in to the water.In a second，it was gone.The three of the m lookedinto each other’s faces，and seemed to breathe more freely.
蒙克斯將金盒子系在了一個很重的東西上，把它扔進了水里。它剎那間就消失了。三個人互相看著，喘出的氣好像都輕松了許多。
‘Now we have nothing more to say，’said Monks，with athreatening look at Mr Bumble. ‘And nothing to say to any one else either.Do you understand?’
“現(xiàn)在我們沒有更多要說的話了，”蒙克斯威脅地看著班布爾先生說。“別跟任何人說起這件事，明白嗎?”
‘Certainly，’said Mr Bumble，very politely.He move da way from the strange man，anxious to leave quickly.
“當然了。”班布爾先生有禮貌地說。他離開這個陌生的人遠一點，急于盡快走開。
At the door to the street，Monks turned again to Mr Bumble. ‘And if we ever meet again，we don’t know each other.Do you understand that as well?’
在臨街的門口處，蒙克斯又轉(zhuǎn)向班布爾先生說：“如果我們以后再碰到，誰也不認識誰。你明白嗎?”
‘Perfectly，’said the relieved Mr Bumble，moving away into the rain and pulling his wife with him.
“那是絕對的，”班布爾先生如釋重負地說道，然后拉著妻子走進了大雨里。
10 鄉(xiāng)下的一段日子
The weeks slipped contentedly past, and spring turned into summer. Oliver was now a strong and healthy boy, and very fond of Rose and Mrs May lie as They were of him.
幾星期的日子令人滿意地過去了，春天已消逝，現(xiàn)在進入了炎炎夏日。奧利弗現(xiàn)在長得很健壯了，他非常喜歡羅斯和梅利夫人——她們也同樣喜歡他。
One hot summer evening, after a walk in the country, Rose became very weak and pale, and confessed she felt ill. By the next morning she was in a dangerous fever, and Mrs May lie and Oliver were afraid she might die. Mrs May lie sent Oliver to the nearest town, four miles away, to post two express letters. One was to Dr Losberne in Chertsey, the other to Harry May lie, Mrs May lie's son.
盛夏一個酷熱的夜晚，剛從外面散步回來，羅斯突然手腳發(fā)軟，臉色蒼白，她承認自己病了。到了第二天早晨，她仍高燒不退，梅利夫人和奧利弗擔心她會死去。梅利夫人讓奧利弗到四英里以外離這兒最近的一個鎮(zhèn)子上去發(fā)兩封快信。一封是發(fā)給切特賽的羅斯伯恩醫(yī)生的，另一封是給梅利夫人的兒子哈里·梅利的。
Oliver, filled with anxiety, ran as fast as he could along the country roads and across the fields until, hot and exhausted, he reached the town. He posted the letters and turned to hurry home again. As he was running past a pub in the main street, he accidentally bumped into a tall man in black coming out. The man stared at Oliver. 'What the devil's this? ' he said, stepping back.
奧利弗憂心忡忡，盡可能快地跑過一條條鄉(xiāng)間道路和一片片田地，等趕到了鎮(zhèn)子上，他已是熱氣騰騰，精疲力竭。他發(fā)了信，就轉(zhuǎn)身一刻不停地往回趕。他匆匆跑過鎮(zhèn)子中心街道上的一家酒館門前時，與從酒館里出來的一個穿著一身黑的大漢撞了個滿懷。這人盯著奧利弗，一邊往后退一邊說：“見鬼!怎么搞的?”
'I'm sorry, sir. I was in a hurry, and didn' t see you. '
“對不起，先生，我走得急，沒看見您。”
The man murmured angrily to himself, 'Who would have thought it? Curse him! I can't get away from him! '
那人惱怒地自言自語著：“誰料到竟然會是他?該死的!我總也躲不開他。”
'I'm sorry, sir, repeated Oliver, frightened by the man' s wild, staring eyes.
“對不起，先生。”奧利弗被對方那死死盯住他的兇狠的眼睛嚇壞了，又說了一句。
'The devil break your bones! 'the man said through his teeth. 'What are you doing here? He raised his hand and started towards Oliver with a mad look in his eyes, but fell violently to the ground, shaking and gasping, in a fit. People hurried up and helped the man into the pub while Oliver, thinking that the man was mad, ran quickly home/
“讓魔鬼打斷你的骨頭!”那人從牙縫里擠出了一句話，“你在這兒干什么?”他說著，高高舉起一只大手向奧利弗走過去，眼睛里流露出瘋狂的目光，但又突然急病發(fā)作，摔在了地上，顫抖著，喘著粗氣。周圍的人趕緊把他攙起來扶進了酒館;奧利弗以為他是個瘋子，就急忙跑回家了。
Mrs May lie and Oliver passed a sleepless night, and Rose grew steadily worse as the fever burned in her.Oliver said every prayer he had ever learnt ten times over.
梅利夫人和奧利弗一夜沒睡，羅斯的病情繼續(xù)惡化，高燒不止。奧利弗不停地替她祈禱，一連十幾遍地念著他所知道的各種禱文。
Late the next day Dr Losberne and Harry May lie arrived, and the house was full of worried faces and anxious whispers. But the danger passed, and by the next night Dr Losberne was able to announce that, though seriously ill, Rose would not die. Oliver cried for joy.
第二天晚些時候，羅斯伯恩醫(yī)生和哈里·梅利都趕來了。家里每個人都是滿臉的焦急、憂慮，低聲說著話。但危險終于過去了，到了第二天的晚上，醫(yī)生終于得以宣布，羅斯雖然病得很厲害，但已脫離了生命危險。奧利弗高興得流出了眼淚。
A day or two later, Mrs May lie talked privately to her son. Harry was a hand some young man of about twenty-five, with a cheerful, honest face and friendly manners He was clearly very fond of Rose.
一兩天后，梅利夫人和兒子單獨進行了一次談話，哈里大約二十五歲，年輕英俊，一臉的和氣誠實，待人非常友好。很明顯，他是非常喜歡羅斯的。
'I know that you want to marry Rose， Mrs May lie told her son, 'and she is the nicest person I know But I want you to remember one thing-her birth. '
“我知道你想娶羅斯做你的妻子，”梅利夫人跟兒子說，“她也是我所遇到的最好的女孩，可有一件事你別忘了——她的出生。”
'Mother, that means nothing to me, 'said The young man. 'I love her. '
“母親，我不在乎這些。”年輕人說。“我愛她。”
'I know you do, Harry, but she herself is well aware of her doubtful birth, and this might affect her answer if you ask her to marry you. I know you have ambitions to enter politics. If you marry a woman with a stain on her name, even though it's not her fault, it might spoil your chances of success in life. Society is cruel, Harry. People might use the knowledge of your wife's doubtful birth against you， and against your children, too. And one day, you might begin to regret your marriage. '
“我懂你的心思，哈里，可她自己很清楚她身世可疑，如果你向她求婚，這件事可能影響到她的答覆。我也知道你有心要進入政界，如果你娶了一個姓氏上有污點的女人做妻子，哪怕這并不是她自己的過錯，此事也可能會破壞你出人頭地的機會。社會是殘酷的，哈里。人們會用你妻子不明不白的出生來攻擊你以及你的子女。有一天，你可能要為這樁婚事后悔的。”
'Only a selfish man would do that, Mother! 'Harry answered impatiently. 'No, I am quite determined. I have loved Rose for a long time, and nothing will ever change that. '
“母親，只有自私的人才會這么做!”哈里不耐煩地說，“不，我決心已定，我愛慕羅斯已久，這是任何事都改變不了的。”
Mrs May lie sighed. 'And she, I know, is very fond of you. But she herself may try to protect you, and refuse an offer of marriage frpm you, for your sake. Remember that, Harry. But now, I must go back and sit with her. '
梅利夫人嘆了口氣。“她，我知道，也是非常愛你的，可她自己可能想要保護你，為了你她會拒絕你的求婚的。記著這一點，哈里。我現(xiàn)在必須去陪她一會兒了。”
'Will you tell her how much I've worried about her? ' asked Harry. 'And how anxious I am to see her again?
“請您告訴她，我非常為她的健康擔心。”哈里說，“還請告訴她，我迫切想再見到她，好嗎?”
'Of course I will, 'replied Mrs May lie.
“我當然會的。”梅利夫人回答說。
Some days after this conversation, Oliver was sitting in the room where he studied in the evenings. It was a warm night, and he had been studying hard for some hours. He fell asleep at his desk and started dreaming. He dreamt that he was in Fagin's house again, and could see the old man sitting in his corner, whispering to another man. Yes, my dear, he heard Fagin say, 'you're right. That's him. '
在那次談話幾天之后的一個晚上，奧利弗又像往常那樣坐在那間屋子里學習。那天晚上很燠熱，他認真地學了好幾個小時，便坐在桌前犯起困來了，迷迷糊糊地做了個夢。他夢見他又回到了費金的家，看見那個老家伙坐在屋子的角落里，跟另一個人小聲地嘀咕著什么。“沒錯，親愛的，”他聽見費金說，“你說對了，那就是他。”
In Oliver's dream the other man answered. 'Of course it is! I told you I'd seen him. I'd recognize him anywhere. If I walked across his unmarked grave, I'd know it was him buried under the ground. '
奧利弗在夢中聽見另一個人回答說：“絕對是他!我跟你說過我看見他了。無論他到了哪兒我都能認出他來;他就是死了，埋進了土里，墳上沒有標志，我從墳上走過，也能認出下面埋的是他。”
He said this with such hatred that Oliver woke up from fear. In front of him, at the open window, so near he could almost touch the m, were Fagin and the strange, wild man he had bumped into outside the pub in the town. In a flash, They were gone. Oliver sat still, white with terror, for a second, the n shouted loudly for help.
他這話說得兇狠無比，把奧利弗給嚇醒了。就在他的眼前，打開著的窗口外，他一伸手便能摸著的地方，站著費金和那個奇怪的、和奧利弗在鎮(zhèn)子上的酒館前撞了個滿懷的瘋子。突然，他們又不見了。奧利弗霎時間嚇得臉色慘白，坐在那兒動彈不了，然后，他猛地高聲喊著救命。
Harry and Dr Losberne came running, and hearing what had happened, They rushed outside into the night and searched the garden and the fields around. The re was no sign of anybody.
哈里和羅斯伯恩醫(yī)生聞聲趕來，問清了是怎么回事后，就沖進了夜色中，在屋子花園和周圍的田地里來回搜尋，但沒發(fā)現(xiàn)什么人。
'It must have been a bad dream, Oliver, ' said Harry, breathless after running through the fields. He had heard all about Oliver's past from his mother.
“奧利弗，你一定是做了個噩夢!”哈里在田地里跑了一大圈回來，上氣不接下氣地說。他從母親那里得知了奧利弗的全部經(jīng)歷。
'No, 'replied Oliver, still frightened. 'I saw the m both as plainly as I see you now. '
“不是。”奧利弗仍害怕地說。“我清清楚楚地看見了他們倆，就像現(xiàn)在看見你站在這兒一樣。”
Nothing more was seen or heard of the two men, and after a few days, the event was forgotten. Rose recovered rapidly and was soon able to go outside again. Harry May lie waited a few days, the n, as his mother had expected, he asked Rose to marry him. And as his mother had warned him, Rose refused.
此后沒有人再發(fā)現(xiàn)這兩個人，幾天過去，這件事就被人們忘記了。羅斯恢復(fù)得很快，不久又像以前一樣能夠出來活動了。哈里·梅利又等待了幾日，之后，正如他母親預(yù)料的那樣，他請求羅斯小姐嫁給他。也正像他母親提醒過的那樣，他遭到了羅斯的拒絕。
'Don't you love me? ' he asked her, holding her hand .
“難道是你不愛我嗎?”他拉著她的手說。
'I do, 'she whispered, ' but please try to forget me. It would ruin your future as a politician if anybody found out about my birth. I could never, never forgive myself. '
“我是真心地愛你，”她低語著，“但請你設(shè)法忘掉我。一旦有人知道了我不明不白的出生，這將會斷送你作為一個政治家的前途。這將會使我永遠、永遠無法饒恕自己。”
Harry paused for a few minutes. 'Tell me one thing, dear Rose. Could you have accepted if your past had been different? Or if I had been poor and friendless, with no hope of riches or success? '
哈里半天沉默不語。“親愛的羅斯，告訴我一件事，假如你的過去不是這樣，假如我是個貧窮的沒有朋友的人，沒有希望會變得富有，也沒有希望會成功，那你會答應(yīng)我的請求嗎?”
'I could, 'answered Rose, covering her face to hide her tears. 'But as you are, I can never be more than a friend to you.
“我會的。”羅斯蒙住臉，掩蓋著流出的淚水，說：“但像你目前這種情況，我最多只能做你的朋友。”
'I shall ask you once more, said Harry softly. 'In a year's time or less, I shall ask you to change your mind. '
“我會再向你求婚的，”哈里含情脈脈地說，“只需一年的時間，或者用不了一年，我會求你改變主意的。”
The girl shook her head and smiled sadly. 'No, it will be useless. '
女孩搖著頭，傷感地微笑著說：“不會的，一切都將無濟于事。”
Harry left the next day, having asked Oliver to write to him secretly with news of his mother and Rose. From an upstairs window, Rose watched him leave with tears in her eyes.
第二天哈里便離開了家，他背地里囑咐奧利弗給他寫信，告知關(guān)于母親和羅斯的情況。羅斯站在樓上的窗前，淚水漣漣地目送著哈里離去。
Mr Bumble was now a married man, and not a happy one. He was no longer a beadle but the manager of the workhouse, and his wife, formerly Mrs Corney, scolded and argued with him day and night. One evening, after a particularly violent fight, when she threw things at him and chased him out of the house, he went for a walk alone through the town. He felt very sorry for himself, and finally went into a pub to find comfort in gin-and-water. A tall dark man, sitting in the corner, watched Mr Bumble while he drank. The stranger's clothe s were dusty and muddy, as if he had travelled a long way. Mr Bumble began to feel uncomfortable at the man's hard stare, and tried to avoid meeting his eyes.
班布爾先生現(xiàn)在是個結(jié)了婚的人了，可他并不是個幸福的人。他已升為濟貧院的院長，不再是以前的那個執(zhí)事了。他的妻子，以前的科尼太太，整天同他吵吵鬧鬧，罵罵咧咧。一天晚上，剛剛結(jié)束了一場特別激烈的爭斗(她朝他身上扔東西，把他趕出了家門)，他沿著鎮(zhèn)子的街道朝前走著。他自憐自怨，終于進了一家小酒館，要了一點加了水的杜松子酒，借酒澆愁。一個黝黑的高個子男人坐在酒館的一角，瞧著喝酒的班布爾先生。這個陌生人穿著一身沾滿了泥土的衣服，好像剛從很遠的地方來到這兒。班布爾先生被他盯得有點不自在，盡量躲避著他的目光。
'I've seen you before, 'the stranger said, eventually. 'you were the beadle here. '
“我以前見過你。”這個陌生的人最終說。“你那時是這兒的執(zhí)事。”
'I was. But I don't recognize you. '
“是的，可我怎么也想不起您來了。”
'It doesn't matter. I came here to look for you, and I'm lucky to have found you. I'd like some information. ' He pushed a couple of coins across the table.
“這不要緊，我到這兒就是來找你的，很幸運，竟然碰到了你。我想從你這兒打聽點事。”他從桌子的另一頭推過來幾個硬幣。
'What information? ' asked Mr Bumble suspiciously, slipping the coins into his pocket.
“您想知道什么?”班布爾先生疑心重重地問，并一下子將那幾個硬幣放進了衣袋。
'About a workhouse birth. A boy called Oliver Twist. '
“關(guān)于一個出生在濟貧院，叫奧利弗·特威斯特的男孩。”
'Young Twist! I remember him! He was a dreadful—'
“小特威斯特，我知道他，他是個非常討厭的——”
'It's not him I want to talk about, interrupted the stranger. 'I've heard enough of him. It's the old woman who was the nurse for his mother. Where is she? '
“我要知道的不是關(guān)于他的事，”陌生人打斷了他的話，“他的事我全都聽煩了，我想知道的是看護過他媽媽的那個老女人，她現(xiàn)在在什么地方?”
'Oh- she died last winter, 'said Mr Bumble. The n he remembered that his wife had been the re when old Sally had died, and he realized that this information might be worth something. He told the man that one woman had been with the nurse when she died, and had heard some secret from her.
“噢，她去年冬天就死了。”班布爾先生說。他突然想起，老薩莉死的時候，他妻子就在常他意識到這一條消息可能值幾個錢，就跟那個人說，老看護死的時候有一個女人在身邊，并從她那里知道了一些秘密。
'Where can I find this woman? the stranger asked quickly, showing in his pale face how important this was to him.
“我怎么才能找到這個女人?”陌生人急切地問，他那蒼白的面色顯示出這事對他有多么重要。
'I can bring her to meet you tomorrow, 'said Mr Bumble.
“我明天可以把她帶到這兒來見您。”班布爾先生說。
'All right Down by the river, at nine in the evening. ' The man wrote the address on a piece of paper.
“太好了，那就在下面的河岸上，晚上九點整。”那人將地址寫在了一張紙頭上。
'And your name? asked Mr Bumble.
“您叫什么名字?”班布爾先生問。
'Monks, replied the stranger, 'but you don't need to remember it. 'The n he quickly left the pub.
“蒙克斯。”陌生人回答道，“但是你不必記住這個。”然后他便急匆匆地離開了酒館。
The next evening was dark and cloudy; a storm threatened and already the first drops of rain were falling. Mr and Mrs Bumble walked up the main street of the town, the n turned towards a group of ruined old houses next to the river. Mr Bumble went first, carrying a dim light, and his wife followed closely behind. At the oldest and most ruined building, They stopped and Mr Bumble took out his piece of paper. The first distant crash of thunder shook the air, and the rain began to pour down heavily. The n They heard Monks calling out of an upstairs window.
第二天的夜晚又黑又陰沉，天上開始掉著雨點，一場大雨就要來臨了。班布爾夫婦沿著鎮(zhèn)子的主要街道走著，然后拐彎朝著河邊一些破敗的舊屋子走去。班布爾先生手里提著一盞昏暗的燈走在前頭，他的妻子緊跟在身后。他們在一幢最古老和最破舊的樓前停了下來，班布爾先生拿出了他記地址的紙條。第一聲驚雷在遠處空中炸響，隨后大雨傾盆而下。這時他們聽見蒙克斯從樓上的一個窗口叫了一聲。
'Is that the man? ' Mrs Bumble asked her husband.
“是那個人嗎?”班布爾太太問自己的丈夫。
'Yes. '
“是他。”
'The n be careful to say as little as you can. Don't tell him I'm your wife. '
“那你就盡量少說話，別跟他說我是你妻子。”
Monks opened a small door, saying impatiently, 'Come in! Don't keep me waiting! '
蒙克斯打開一扇小門，不耐煩地說：“快進來!別讓我再等了!”
Mr Bumble was only brave when dealing with poor, helpless people. He felt very uneasy about entering this dark building with an ill-tempered stranger. However, he was equally afraid of his wife. Nervously, he followed her through the door.
班布爾先生只有在對付窮人和孤苦無援的人時才是勇敢的，要同這個脾氣暴躁的陌生人一起走進黑洞洞的樓里，他感到十分膽怯。但他也同樣怕他的妻子。他緊張地跟著她進了門。
Inside, Monks stared at Mrs Bumble for some time. 'So this is the woman, is it? '
到了屋里，蒙克斯盯著班布爾太太看了片刻。“她就是那個女人嗎?”
'Yes, 'replied Mr Bumble cautiously.
“是她。”班布爾先生十分小心地回答。
As They walked upstairs, the re was a bright flash of lightning outside, followed by loud thunder. They sat dowu at the table and Monks started immediately.
他們上樓時，外面忽然打了一下閃電，接著馬上是一陣雷鳴。他們在一張桌子旁坐下，蒙克斯迫不急待地開始講話。
'So you were present when the old woman died, is that right? And she told you something? He stared at Mrs Bumble again.
“那個老女人死的時候你在場，是嗎?她跟你說了些什么?”他又緊盯著班布爾太太。
'Yes, 'said Mrs Bumble. 'Something about the mother of Oliver Twist. But first, how much will you pay me for the information? '
“是的，”班布爾太太說，“一些關(guān)于奧利弗·特威斯特的母親的事。但是，您首先要告訴我，知道這些情況您會給我多少錢?”
'If it's what I want to hear-twenty-five pounds, 'said Monks. 'But it's a lot of money for something which has been lying dead for twelve years. 'Reluctantly, he pushed the money across the table towards her, the n bent forward to listen. The faces of the three nearly touched, as the two men leant over the table to hear what the woman had to say, and the woman leant over towards the m so that They could hear her whisper. In the dim lamplight their faces looked pale and ghostly.
“假如是我想要知道的事，我會給你二十五英鎊，”蒙克斯說。“對于一個沉睡了十二年的消息，這些錢不算少了。”說著，他不情愿地將桌子上的錢朝她面前推了過去，然后俯身向前去聽。三個人的臉幾乎湊在了一起，兩個男人俯在桌子上方湊向這女人，聽她說些什么，她也朝他們靠了過去，好讓他們能聽見她小聲說話。在昏暗的燈影下，他們的臉蒼白得像幽靈一樣。
'The old woman who was the nurse died with only me in the room, 'said Mrs Bumble.
“那個當看護的老女人死的時候只有我在她的房間里。”班布爾太太說。
'No one else was the re? ' asked Monks fiercely.
“還有別人在場嗎?”蒙克斯惡狠狠地問。
'No one. '
“沒有。”
'Good, 'said Monks. 'Go on. '
“太好了，”蒙克斯說，“接著說。”
'She spoke about a young woman who had given birth in the same bed some years before. The child was Oliver Twist. And this nurse had robbed the child's mother. '
“她說的是多年前一個年輕的女人就在她躺的那張床上生下了一個孩子。這孩子就是奧利弗·特威斯特。這個老看護偷了他媽媽的一樣東西。”
'Robbed in life? ' asked Monks.
“是在她死之前拿的嗎?”蒙克斯問。
'In death. She stole from the body when it was hardly cold. But the old woman fell back and died before she could tell memore.’
“是在她斷氣之后，尸骨還沒有寒冷的時候。沒跟我說上幾句話，老薩莉便倒下死了。”
‘It’s a lie!’shouted Monks furiously. ‘You know more!I’ll kill you both if you don’t tell me what else she said.’
“撒謊!”蒙克斯惱怒萬分地叫嚷著，“你肯定還知道更多的事!如果你不把她的話全說出來，我會宰了你們倆的。”
‘She said no more，’repeated Mrs Bumble calmly，showing(unlike Mr Bumble)no fear of the strange man’s violence. ‘But in her hand I found a piece of dirty paper.’
“她沒能說更多的話。”班布爾太太冷靜地說。她(不像班布爾先生)沒有顯露出一點害怕這個陌生人的暴虐的樣子。“可我在她手里發(fā)現(xiàn)了一張骯臟的破紙頭。”
‘Which contained…?’
“里面有……?”
‘Nothing.It was only a receipt from a pawnbroker.I went to the pawnbroker and got back a little gold locket.Inside was a gold wedding ring and on the locket itself，the name“Agnes”.’She put the locket on the table in front of Monks.
“什么都沒有，是一家當鋪的收條。我找到了這家當鋪，贖回的是一個掛在項鏈上面的小金盒子，里面放著一枚金的結(jié)婚戒指，金盒子上寫的人名是 ‘阿格尼絲’。”她把小金盒子放在了桌子上蒙克斯的面前。
He picked it up immediately and looked at it closely，his hand s shaking. ‘Is this all?’
他一把抓起小盒子，放在眼前仔細地看著，兩只手不停地顫抖。“只有這些嗎?”
‘It is.And now I want to ask you a question.What do youintend to do with the locket?’
“就這些?，F(xiàn)在我想問您一句，您打算把這盒子怎么辦?”
‘This.So it can never be used against me.’Monks suddenly pushed the table to one side and opened a small door in the floor.Down below rushed the river，its muddy waters swollen by the heavy rain.
“這么辦!這樣誰也不能用它來找我的麻煩了。”蒙克斯猛地把桌子推到了一邊，打開了地板上的一個暗門，下面是洶涌的河水。由于大雨，泥漿般的河水漲了起來。
‘If you threw a man’s body down the re，where would it be to morrow?’asked Monks.
“假如把一個人的尸體從這兒扔下去，明天他會到了什么地方?”蒙克斯問。
‘Twelve miles down the river，and cut to pieces，’replied Mr Bumble in a shaky voice.
班布爾先生用發(fā)抖的聲音說;“十二英里以外，裂成了碎片。”
Monks tied the locket to a heavy weight and dropped it in to the water.In a second，it was gone.The three of the m lookedinto each other’s faces，and seemed to breathe more freely.
蒙克斯將金盒子系在了一個很重的東西上，把它扔進了水里。它剎那間就消失了。三個人互相看著，喘出的氣好像都輕松了許多。
‘Now we have nothing more to say，’said Monks，with athreatening look at Mr Bumble. ‘And nothing to say to any one else either.Do you understand?’
“現(xiàn)在我們沒有更多要說的話了，”蒙克斯威脅地看著班布爾先生說。“別跟任何人說起這件事，明白嗎?”
‘Certainly，’said Mr Bumble，very politely.He move da way from the strange man，anxious to leave quickly.
“當然了。”班布爾先生有禮貌地說。他離開這個陌生的人遠一點，急于盡快走開。
At the door to the street，Monks turned again to Mr Bumble. ‘And if we ever meet again，we don’t know each other.Do you understand that as well?’
在臨街的門口處，蒙克斯又轉(zhuǎn)向班布爾先生說：“如果我們以后再碰到，誰也不認識誰。你明白嗎?”
‘Perfectly，’said the relieved Mr Bumble，moving away into the rain and pulling his wife with him.
“那是絕對的，”班布爾先生如釋重負地說道，然后拉著妻子走進了大雨里。
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