評論
打印
'What was this debt contracted for?' asked Mr Dombey, at length. 'Who is the creditor?'
“這筆債是為什么欠下的？”董貝先生終于問道。“誰是債權人？”
'He don't know,' replied the Captain, putting his hand on Walter's shoulder. 'I do. It came of helping a man that's dead now, and that's cost my friend Gills many a hundred pound already. More particulars in private, if agreeable.'
“他不知道，”船長把手擱在沃爾特的肩膀上，回答道。“我知道。那是因為幫助一位現已不在人世的人而欠下的。可是那已經使我的朋友吉爾斯耗費了幾百鎊了。如果您同意，詳細情況我可以在私下里說給您聽。”
'People who have enough to do to hold their own way,' said Mr Dombey, unobservant of the Captain's mysterious signs behind Walter, and still looking at his son, 'had better be content with their own obligations and difficulties, and not increase them by engaging for other men. It is an act of dishonesty and presumption, too,' said Mr Dombey, sternly; 'great presumption; for the wealthy could do no more. Paul, come here!'
“那些好不容易自己才能生活下去的人們，”董貝先生沒有注意船長在沃爾特背后所做的神秘的手勢，仍然看著他的兒子，說道，“最好安安分分地照料他們自己的負擔和困難就行了，不要再去替別人擔保，增加這種負擔和困難了。這是一種不誠實的，而且也是狂妄無禮的行為，”董貝先生嚴厲地說道；“極大的狂妄無禮；因為那些富有的人所能做的最多也不過如此罷了。保羅，到這里來！”
The child obeyed: and Mr Dombey took him on his knee.
孩子依從了。董貝先生把他抱到膝蓋上。
'If you had money now - ' said Mr Dombey. 'Look at me!'
“如果你現在有錢——”董貝先生說道，“看著我！”
Paul, whose eyes had wandered to his sister, and to Walter, looked his father in the face.
保羅的眼睛原先看著他的姐姐和沃爾特，這時看著他父親的臉。
'If you had money now,' said Mr Dombey; 'as much money as young Gay has talked about; what would you do?'
“如果你現在有錢，”董貝先生說道，“有年輕人蓋伊談到的那么多的錢的話，那么你將怎么辦？”
'Give it to his old Uncle,' returned Paul.
“把它給他年老的舅舅，”保羅回答道。
'Lend it to his old Uncle, eh?' retorted Mr Dombey. 'Well! When you are old enough, you know, you will share my money, and we shall use it together.'
“把它借給他年老的舅舅，是不是？”董貝先生對他進行糾正，說道。“唔！你知道，等你長大以后，你將跟我一起享有我的錢。我們將一起使用它。”
'Dombey and Son,' interrupted Paul, who had been tutored early in the phrase.
“董貝父子，”保羅打斷他的話，說道；他很小就被教會說這幾個字。
'Dombey and Son,' repeated his father. 'Would you like to begin to be Dombey and Son, now, and lend this money to young Gay's Uncle?'
“董貝父子，”他的父親重復說道。“你愿意現在就來管董貝父子公司的事，把這錢借給蓋伊的舅舅嗎？”
'Oh! if you please, Papa!' said Paul: 'and so would Florence.'
“啊！如果你愿意的話，爸爸！”保羅說道。“弗洛倫斯也會愿意的。”
'Girls,' said Mr Dombey, 'have nothing to do with Dombey and Son. Would you like it?'
“女孩子，”董貝先生說道，“跟董貝父子沒有關系。你愿意嗎？”
'Yes, Papa, yes!'
“愿意，爸爸，愿意！”
'Then you shall do it,' returned his father. 'And you see, Paul,' he added, dropping his voice, 'how powerful money is, and how anxious people are to get it. Young Gay comes all this way to beg for money, and you, who are so grand and great, having got it, are going to let him have it, as a great favour and obligation.'
“那么就由你來辦這件事，”他的父親回答道。“你看到了，保羅，”他壓低了聲音，補充說道，“錢有多么大的力量；人們多么急切地想要得到它。年輕人蓋伊跑這一趟路來是為了懇求借錢，而你是這么高貴、偉大、有錢，你將作為一筆很大的恩惠與人情，讓他得到它。”
