評論
打印
Paul's Progress and Christening
Little Paul, suffering no contamination from the blood of the Toodles, grew stouter and stronger every day. Every day, too, he was more and more ardently cherished by Miss Tox, whose devotion was so far appreciated by Mr Dombey that he began to regard her as a woman of great natural good sense, whose feelings did her credit and deserved encouragement. He was so lavish of this condescension, that he not only bowed to her, in a particular manner, on several occasions, but even entrusted such stately recognitions of her to his sister as 'pray tell your friend, Louisa, that she is very good,' or 'mention to Miss Tox, Louisa, that I am obliged to her;'specialities which made a deep impression on the lady thus distinguished.
小保羅從圖德爾的血液中沒有受到污染，每天長得愈來愈結(jié)實，愈來愈強壯。托克斯小姐每天也愈來愈熱心地愛護(hù)他；董貝先生對她的忠誠十分贊賞，開始把她看作是一位天性善良、十分明白事理的女人；她的感情為她增光，應(yīng)當(dāng)?shù)玫焦膭睢Ｋ幌Ъu尊降貴，向她充分表示好感。不僅好幾次特別有禮地向她鞠躬，甚至還通過她的妹妹鄭重地轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)他對她的謝意。“請告訴你的朋友，路易莎，她很好，”或者“請跟托克斯小姐說，路易莎，我謝謝她。”他對這位女士這樣刮目相看，這給她留下了深刻的印象。
Whether Miss Tox conceived that having been selected by the Fates to welcome the little Dombey before he was born, in Kirby, Beard and Kirby's Best Mixed Pins, it therefore naturally devolved upon her to greet him with all other forms of welcome in all other early stages of his existence - or whether her overflowing goodness induced her to volunteer into the domestic militia as a substitute in some sort for his deceased Mama or whether she was conscious of any other motives - are questions which in this stage of the Firm's history herself only could have solved. Nor have they much bearing on the fact (of which there is no doubt), that Miss Tox's constancy and zeal were a heavy discouragement to Richards, who lost flesh hourly under her patronage, and was in some danger of being superintended to death.Miss Tox was often in the habit of assuring Mrs Chick, that nothing could exceed her interest in all connected with the development of that sweet child;' and an observer of Miss Tox's proceedings might have inferred so much without declaratory confirmation. She would preside over the innocent repasts of the young heir, with ineffable satisfaction, almost with an air of joint proprietorship with Richards in the entertainment. At the little ceremonies of the bath and toilette, she assisted with enthusiasm. The administration of infantine doses of physic awakened all the active sympathy of her character; and being on one occasion secreted in a cupboard (whither she had fled in modesty), when Mr Dombey was introduced into the nursery by his sister, to behold his son, in the course of preparation for bed, taking a short walk uphill over Richards's gown, in a short and airy linen jacket, Miss Tox was so transported beyond the ignorant present as to be unable to refrain from crying out, 'Is he not beautiful Mr Dombey! Is he not a Cupid, Sir!' and then almost sinking behind the closet door with confusion and blushes.
托克斯小姐時常讓奇克夫人放心，對她說，跟那位可愛的嬰孩的發(fā)育成長有關(guān)的一切事情，是她最感興趣的，沒有什么能超過它的了。她這樣講，已經(jīng)成了一種習(xí)慣。觀察托克斯小姐活動的人不需要取得確鑿肯定的證詞就可以得出同樣的結(jié)論。她會懷著難以形容的滿意心情主持這位年輕繼承人的天真的用餐，那副神態(tài)就幾乎像在這個款待中她跟理查茲共同享有所有權(quán)似的。在洗澡與穿著打扮這些小小的活動中，她熱情地進(jìn)行幫助。給孩子服用藥物，喚起了她生性具有的強烈的同情心。有一次董貝先生被他的妹妹領(lǐng)到育兒室里來看他的兒子；托克斯小姐由于謙虛，急忙跑到一個碗柜里去躲避；這時候孩子正準(zhǔn)備睡覺，穿著一件輕薄的亞麻短上衣，沿著理查茲的長外衣向上短時間地爬了一會兒；托克斯小姐在毫無所知的客人背后欣喜若狂，忍不住喊道，“他不是很漂亮嗎，董貝先生，他不就是個丘比德①嗎，先生？”然后神情慌亂，滿臉通紅，在柜子的門后幾乎都要倒下去了。
注釋：preside over 主持，負(fù)責(zé)
1. Some people believe that the Fates preside over man's destiny.
有些人相信，命運之神支配人類的命運。
2. The city council is presided over by the mayor.
市政委員會由市長領(lǐng)導(dǎo)。
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①丘比德（Cupid）：羅馬神話中的愛神，他的形象是一個背生雙翼、手持弓箭的美童；因此，美麗的兒童或美少年常被稱為丘比德。
