評論
打印
From his nest among the pillows, Paul could see and hearalmosteverything that passed as if the whole were being done for his amusement. Among other little incidents that he observed, he observed Mr Baps the dancing-master get into conversation with Sir Barnet Skettles, and very soon ask him, as he had asked Mr Toots, what you were to do with your raw materials, when they came into your ports in return for your drain of gold—which was such a mystery to Paul that he was quite desirous to know what ought to be done with them. Sir Barnet Skettles had much to say upon the question, and said it; but it did not appear to solve the question, for Mr Baps retorted, Yes, but supposing Russia stepped in with her tallows; which struck Sir Barnet almost dumb, for he could only shake his head after that, and say, Why then you must fall back upon your cottons, he supposed.
保羅從坐墊中間她休息的地方可以看見和聽見幾乎所發生的每一件事情，仿佛一切都是為了他的娛樂而安排的。在他注意觀察到的一些小事情中，他注意到舞蹈教師巴普斯跟巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士交談，就像他曾間過圖茨先生那樣，很快就問他，當別人把原料運到您的港口來交換您的金子的時候，您將怎樣處理您的原料——保羅覺得這是一件神秘莫測的事情，很想弄個明白，究竟應該怎么辦呢。巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士在這個問題上有許多話要說，他也就說了，但好像沒有解決問題，因為巴普斯先生反駁說，是的，但是假設俄國人用牛脂來干預，那該怎么辦，它使巴尼特爵士幾乎啞口無言，因為在這之后他只能搖搖頭說，他想，那么您就必須求助于您的棉花了。
Sir Barnet Skettles looked after Mr Baps when he went to cheer up Mrs Baps (who, being quite deserted, was pretending to look over the music-book of the gentleman who played the harp), as if he thought him a remarkable kind of man; and shortly afterwards he said so in those words to Doctor Blimber, and inquired if he might take the liberty of asking who he was, and whether he had ever been in the Board of Trade. Doctor Blimber answered no, he believed not; and that in fact he was a Professor of.
巴普斯先生走到巴普斯夫人那里去，讓她高興起來（她因為被冷落在一旁，正假裝在看那位演奏豎琴的先生的樂譜），這時巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士目送著他，仿佛他認為他是一位超群出眾的人物似的。不久，他向布林伯博士說了這些話，并問道，他是否可以冒昧地問一下他是誰，他是否曾經在商業部工作過。布林伯博士回答說，沒有，他相信沒有；實際上他是一位教授。
Of something connected with statistics, I'll swear? observed Sir Barnet Skettles.
“我敢肯定，是教與統計有關的什么學科的吧？”巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士說道。
Why no, Sir Barnet, replied Doctor Blimber, rubbing his chin. No, not exactly.
“啊，不，巴尼特爵士，”布林伯博士擦擦下巴，回答道。“不，準確地說不是。”
Figures of some sort, I would venture a bet, said Sir Barnet Skettles.
“我敢打賭，是教某種數字計算的，”巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士說道。
Why yes,said Doctor Blimber, yes, but not of that sort. Mr Baps is a very worthy sort of man, Sir Barnet, and—in fact he's our Professor of dancing.
“啊不錯，”布林伯博士說，“不錯，不過不是您所說的那種。巴普斯先生是一位很值得尊敬的人，巴尼特爵士——實際上他是我們的舞蹈教授。”
Paul was amazed to see that this piece of information quite altered Sir Barnet Skettles's opinion of Mr Baps, and that Sir Barnet flew into a perfect rage, and glowered at Mr Baps over on the other side of the room. He even went so far as to D Mr Baps to Lady Skettles, in telling her what had happened, and tosaythat it was like his most con-sum-mate and con-foun-ded impudence.
保羅吃驚地看到，這個信息大大改變了巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士對巴普斯先生的看法，巴尼特爵士火冒三丈，怒視著在房間的另一邊的巴普斯先生。他們經過的情形告訴斯克特爾斯夫人時，甚至當她的面咒罵巴普斯先生該死，說他真是無比的、十足的厚顏無恥。
