評論
打印
'Shall we make a man of him?' repeated the Doctor.
“我們將把他培養成一個大人嗎？”博士重復問道。
'I had rather be a child,' replied Paul.
“我寧肯當個孩子，”保羅回答道。
'Indeed!' said the Doctor. 'Why?'
“真的嗎？”博士說道。“為什么？”
The child sat on the table looking at him, with a curious expression of suppressed emotion in his face, and beating one hand proudly on his knee as if he had the rising tears beneath it, and crushed them. But his other hand strayed a little way the while, a little farther - farther from him yet - until it lighted on the neck of Florence. 'This is why,' it seemed to say, and then the steady look was broken up and gone; the working lip was loosened; and the tears came streaming forth.
孩子坐在桌子上看著他，臉上露出了被壓抑的情緒的奇怪表情，一邊用一只手自豪地敲打著膝蓋，仿佛眼淚已經在膝蓋下面涌上來，他已把它們壓下去了。但是在這同時，他的另一只手卻向一邊伸出去，伸出去——伸得更遠一些——，一直伸到弗洛倫斯的脖子上。“這就是為什么，”它似乎這么說道；然后他那鎮定沉著的神色改變了，消失了，顫動著的嘴唇松馳了，眼淚汪汪地滾流出來。
'Mrs Pipchin,' said his father, in a querulous manner, 'I am really very sorry to see this.'
“皮普欽太太，”他的父親抱怨地說道，“我實在很不高興看到這一點。”
'Come away from him, do, Miss Dombey,' quoth the matron.
“離開他，董貝小姐，照我的話做，”那位女監管人說道。
'Never mind,' said the Doctor, blandly nodding his head, to keep Mrs Pipchin back. 'Never mind; we shall substitute new cares and new impressions, Mr Dombey, very shortly. You would still wish my little friend to acquire - '
“不要緊，”博士不動感情地點點頭，讓皮普欽太太回去。“不要緊；我們將很快用新的關心與新的印象來代替，董貝先生，您還跟以前一樣希望我的小朋友獲得——”
'Everything, if you please, Doctor,' returned Mr Dombey, firmly.
“一切！勞駕您，博士，”董貝先生堅決地回答道。
'Yes,' said the Doctor, who, with his half-shut eyes, and his usual smile, seemed to survey Paul with the sort of interest that might attach to some choice little animal he was going to stuff. 'Yes, exactly. Ha! We shall impart a great variety of information to our little friend, and bring him quickly forward, I daresay. I daresay. Quite a virgin soil, I believe you said, Mr Dombey?'
“好的，”博士說道；他半閉著眼睛，露出了慣常的笑容，似乎以一種對他將要喂養的某個精選的小動物可能懷有的興趣打量著保羅，“好，好極了。哈！我們將向我們的小朋友傳授很多種知識，而且我敢說，使他迅速進步。完全是一塊處女地，我想您曾經這樣說過吧，董貝先生？”
'Except some ordinary preparation at home, and from this lady,' replied Mr Dombey, introducing Mrs Pipchin, who instantly communicated a rigidity to her whole muscular system, and snorted defiance beforehand, in case the Doctor should disparage her; 'except so far, Paul has, as yet, applied himself to no studies at all.'
“除了在家里以及從這位女士那里做過一些普通的準備之外，”董貝先生一邊介紹皮普欽太太，一邊回答道；皮普欽太太立刻讓她的整個肌肉系統緊張起來，同時挑戰地噴著鼻息，以防博士貶損她。“除了這些之外，保羅到現在為止，什么都還沒有學習過。”
