評論
打印
'Why, goodness gracious me, Miss Floy,' returned Miss Nipper, 'how can you talk like that, when you have books upon books already, and masterses and mississes a teaching of you everything continual, though my belief is that your Pa, Miss Dombey, never would have learnt you nothing, never would have thought of it, unless you'd asked him - when he couldn't well refuse; but giving consent when asked, and offering when unasked, Miss, is quite two things; I may not have my objections to a young man's keeping company with me, and when he puts the question, may say "yes," but that's not saying "would you be so kind as like me."'
“哎呀，天哪，弗洛伊小姐，”尼珀姑娘回答道，“您已經有了一大堆一大堆的書，男老師、女老師又不斷地教您各種知識，您怎么還說要買書呢？雖然我相信，董貝小姐，您的爸爸從來不會讓您學什么，從來也不會想到這一點，除非是您向他提出請求，那他倒不好拒絕了；可是向他提出請求他表示同意，跟沒有向他請求他主動提出建議，那是完全不同的兩碼事，小姐。我可能不會拒絕一個年輕小伙子跟我交朋友；當他提出這個問題的時候，我可能會說‘可以’，但我可不會說‘您肯行行好愛我嗎？’”
'But you can buy me the books, Susan; and you will, when you know why I want them.'
“可是您會給我買這些書的，蘇珊；當您知道我需要它們的時候，您將會去買的。”
'Well, Miss, and why do you want 'em?' replied Nipper; adding, in a lower voice, 'If it was to fling at Mrs Pipchin's head, I'd buy a cart-load.'
“唔?？墒悄鸀槭裁葱枰鼈兡兀〗?？”尼珀回答道，然后又低聲補上一句，“如果是要把它們拿來向皮普欽太太的頭上扔去的話，那么我倒愿意買上一大車！”
'I think I could perhaps give Paul some help, Susan, if I had these books,' said Florence, 'and make the coming week a little easier to him. At least I want to try. So buy them for me, dear, and I will never forget how kind it was of you to do it!'
“我想，如果我有這些書的話，那么我就能給保羅一些幫助，”弗洛倫斯說道，“這樣下個星期他就會感到容易一些了。至少我想試一試。因此請為我把它們買來吧，親愛的；我永遠也不會忘記，您的心地是多么好才去做這件事的?！?/div>
It must have been a harder heart than Susan Nipper's that could have rejected the little purse Florence held out with these words, or the gentle look of entreaty with which she seconded her petition. Susan put the purse in her pocket without reply, and trotted out at once upon her errand.
必須要有一顆比蘇珊·尼珀更為冷酷無情的心才能拒絕弗洛倫斯講這些話時拿出的錢包或者她提出這個請求時伴隨著的溫柔的、懇求的眼光。蘇珊沒有回答就把錢包塞進了口袋，并立刻急匆匆地跑出去執行這個任務了。
The books were not easy to procure; and the answer at several shops was, either that they were just out of them, or that they never kept them, or that they had had a great many last month, or that they expected a great many next week But Susan was not easily baffled in such an enterprise; and having entrapped a white-haired youth, in a black calico apron, from a library where she was known, to accompany her in her quest, she led him such a life in going up and down, that he exerted himself to the utmost, if it were only to get rid of her; and finally enabled her to return home in triumph.
買到書是不容易的。跑了幾家書店，得到的回答不是他們剛剛賣完，就是他們現在已經沒有了，或者他們上個月有好多，再不就是他們希望下星期能夠進好多?？墒翘K珊是不容易在這樣的事情上被挫敗的；她千方百計，到一個認識她的圖書館里，說服了一位在里面工作的滿頭白發、圍了一條黑色印花布圍裙的青年陪她一起出去尋找；她把他折騰得來回奔波，疲憊不堪，他確實是盡了最大的努力，哪怕就是為了把她擺脫掉也罷；最后他終于使她勝利而回。
With these treasures then, after her own daily lessons were over, Florence sat down at night to track Paul's footsteps through the thorny ways of learning; and being possessed of a naturally quick and sound capacity, and taught by that most wonderful of masters, love, it was not long before she gained upon Paul's heels, and caught and passed him.
有了這些珍寶之后，弗洛倫斯每天夜間坐下來，做完自己的功課以后，就踏著保羅的腳印，穿過荊棘叢生的學習道路；她天性聰明，能力高超，又被所有老師中最令人驚奇的老師——愛所指引，所以她不久就趕到了保羅的腳跟前，跟他齊步前進，并超過了他。
