One day when Peggotty and I were having tea in my flat, Tommy Traddles came to visit me. "My dear Copperfield! "he cried. "I've been several times before, but you've been out. "
一天,我正和辟果提在我寓所喝茶,湯米·特拉德爾來找我。“親愛的科波菲爾!”他叫道,“我來過好幾次,你都沒在家。”
"My dear Traddles, "I replied, "yes, I'm very sorry, I've been visiting my—Miss, D, you know. "
“親愛的特拉德爾,”我回答,“是的,我很抱歉,我總?cè)フ椅业摹狣小姐,你知道。”
"I expect she lives in London, doesn't she? Mine—that's Sopby—beautiful name, isn't it? Mine lives in Devon, I think I told you. So I don't see her very often. She really is the dearest girl! She's very busy at home, you know, looking after the other nine children. And her mother, who's unable to walk. "
“我想她住在倫敦,是吧?我的——索菲——很美的名字,是吧?我的那位住在德文,我想我跟你說過。所以我不常見她。她的的確確是最可親的姑娘!她在家非常忙,你知道,要照看其他9個(gè)孩子,還有她的母親,不能行動(dòng)的母親。”
"What a wonderful girl she must be! "I agreed politely. "And tell me, Traddles, how is Mr Micawber? "
“她真是位了不起的姑娘!”我禮貌地附和道,“告訴我,特拉德爾,米考伯先生怎么樣了?”
"I'm not living in his house at the moment, "said Traddles, "because his creditors demanded payment of his debts recently, and he had to move to another house. To avoid these unpleasant men, he's even changed his name to Mortimer, and he only comes out of the house after dark, wearing glasses. "
“我現(xiàn)階段沒住他們家,”特拉德爾說,“因?yàn)樗膫鱾冏罱偸谴邆缓冒岬絼e處去住。為了避免這些討厭的人,他甚至把自己的名字改作摩爾提么,他只在天黑后出門,并帶上眼鏡。”
"So nothing has turned up for him yet? And what abut the money you lent him, Traddles? "
“看來他還是沒遇到轉(zhuǎn)機(jī)?你借給他的錢怎么樣了,特拉德爾?”
"I'm afraid I may not get it back. But Mr Micawber promises to give it back one day. He's a fine, honest man, isn't he? "And Traddles looked hopefully at me.
“恐怕是要不回來了,可米考伯先生答應(yīng)我總有一天會(huì)還給我。他是一個(gè)好人、一個(gè)很善良的人,是吧?”特拉德爾樂觀地看我一眼。