“你可以讓我穿緊身衣①穿上六個星期，”尼珀說道，“而當我把它脫掉的時候，我只會更加發怒。理查茲大嫂，有誰聽說過有像她們這兩個格里芬②一樣的嗎？”
“還說一定夢見什么了，可憐的乖乖！”波利說道。

'Oh you beauties!' cried Susan Nipper, affecting to salute the door by which the ladies had departed. 'Never be a Dombey won't she? It's to be hoped she won't, we don't want any more such, one's enough.'
'Don't wake the children, Susan dear,' said Polly.
'I'm very much beholden to you, Mrs Richards,' said Susan, who was not by any means discriminating in her wrath, 'and really feel it as a honour to receive your commands, being a black slave and a mulotter. Mrs Richards, if there's any other orders, you can give me, pray mention 'em.'

“哼，您們這兩位美人！”蘇珊•尼珀向兩位女士離開的那扇門故意敬了一個禮，喊道，“她永遠也不會像 董貝家里的人，是不是？希望她不會。一位已足夠了，我們不想再要這樣的人了。”
“別把孩子吵醒了，親愛的蘇珊，”波利說道。
“我對您十分感謝，理查茲大嫂，”蘇珊說道，她在憤怒之中是不分青紅皂白的，“我是一個黑奴，是一個白人與黑人所生的混血兒，接受您的命令我真感到榮幸。理查茲大嫂，如果還有什么其他命令您可以向我下達的，那就請說吧！”

'Nonsense; orders,' said Polly.
'Oh! bless your heart, Mrs Richards,' cried Susan, 'temporaries always orders permanencies here, didn't you know that, why wherever was you born, Mrs Richards? But wherever you was born, Mrs Richards,' pursued Spitfire, shaking her head resolutely, 'and whenever, and however (which is best known to yourself), you may bear in mind, please, that it's one thing to give orders, and quite another thing to take 'em. A person may tell a person to dive off a bridge head foremost into five-and-forty feet of water, Mrs Richards, but a person may be very far from diving.'

“胡說！哪里是什么命令！”波利說道。
“啊！上帝保佑您的心，理查茲大嫂，”蘇珊喊道，“干臨時性活的人在這里總是命令干長期性活的人，難道您這一點也不知道嗎？那么說您是在什么地方出生的呢，理查茲大嫂？可是，不論您是在什么地方出生的，理查茲大嫂，”噴火器堅決地搖著頭，繼續說道，“也不論您是在什么時候出生的和怎樣出生的（這一點您自己最清楚了），請您記住，下達命令是一回事，接受命令又是另外一回事。一個人可以告訴另一個人頭朝下，從橋上往下跳，跳到四十五英尺深的水里去，理查茲大嫂，但是這另一個人可能根本就不想跳水。”

'There now,' said Polly, 'you're angry because you're a good little thing, and fond of Miss Florence; and yet you turn round on me, because there's nobody else.'
'It's very easy for some to keep their tempers, and be soft-spoken, Mrs Richards,' returned Susan, slightly mollified, 'when their child's made as much of as a prince, and is petted and patted till it wishes its friends further, but when a sweet young pretty innocent, that never ought to have a cross word spoken to or of it, is rundown, the case is very different indeed. My goodness gracious me, Miss Floy, you naughty, sinful child, if you don't shut your eyes this minute, I'll call in them hobgoblins that lives in the cock-loft to come and eat you up alive!'

“您看，”波利說道，“您生氣了，因為您是一位善良的小人兒，而且喜愛弗洛倫斯小姐；但是由于這里沒有別的人，您就沖著我出氣了。”
“對有些人來說，捺住性子，說話溫柔，是一件很容易的事，理查茲大嫂，”蘇珊氣有些消了，回答道，“因為這時候她們的孩子受到了像王子一樣的對待，被寵愛，被愛撫，直到孩子希望有別的朋友為止。可是一位可愛的、漂亮的、天真的小女孩子，本來不應當當面對她說一句壞話，也不應當在背后議論她一句壞話的，卻受到了不正當的指責，這情況確實是大不相同的了。哎呀，我的天哪！弗洛伊小姐，您這淘氣的、造孽的孩子，要是您不在這1分鐘內閉上您的眼睛的話，那么我就要把住在頂樓里的妖魔叫進來，把您活活地吃掉啦！”

注釋：gracious adj. 親切的；高尚的；和藹的；雅致的
int. 天哪；哎呀 adj. 親切的；高尚的；和藹的；雅致的
例句：
1. All this gracious living isn't for me; I prefer the simple life.
這種優裕的生活對我不合適;我還是喜歡簡樸的生活。
2. The queen was gracious enough to invite us.
女王親切地邀請了我們。
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①緊身衣（stait－waistcoat）：是管制瘋人和囚犯的一種衣服。
②格里芬（Griffin）：希臘神話中的鷲頭飛獅。這里指怪物。