評論
打印
'You see, Captain Cuttle,' pursued Walter, 'for myself, I am young, as Mr Dombey said, and not to be considered. I am to fight my way through the world, I know; but there are two points I was thinking, as I came along, that I should be very particular about, in respect to my Uncle. I don't mean to say that I deserve to be the pride and delight of his life - you believe me, I know - but I am. Now, don't you think I am?'
“您知道，卡特爾船長，”沃爾特繼續說道，“就我自己來說，正如董貝先生所說的，我年輕，不需要考慮我。我明白，我得在這世界上給自己打出條道路來。但是在來這里的路上，我想，關于舅舅，我必須特別考慮到兩點。我不是想說，我當之無愧是他生活的樂趣和他引以自豪的人——請您相信，我明白這一點——，但事實上我又確實是那樣的。您說呢，難道您認為我不是嗎？”
The Captain seemed to make an endeavour to rise from the depths of his astonishment, and get back to his face; but the effort being ineffectual, the glazed hat merely nodded with a mute, unutterable meaning.
船長似乎竭力想從他震驚的深淵中掙扎起來，恢復臉上的表情，但卻徒勞無益；那上了光的帽子只是默默無聲地、帶著難以表達的含意點了一下頭。
'If I live and have my health,' said Walter, 'and I am not afraid of that, still, when I leave England I can hardly hope to see my Uncle again. He is old, Captain Cuttle; and besides, his life is a life of custom - '
“如果我活著，身體健康，”沃爾特說道，“這一點我倒并不擔心，但是盡管這樣，要是我離開了英國，我就很難希望再見到舅舅了。他已經老了，卡特爾船長；再說，他是按照習慣生活的——”
'Steady, Wal'r! Of a want of custom?' said the Captain, suddenly reappearing.
“停一下，沃爾！是不是沒有顧客？”船長突然恢復了原來的神態，問道。
'Too true,' returned Walter, shaking his head: 'but I meant a life of habit, Captain Cuttle - that sort of custom. And if (as you very truly said, I am sure) he would have died the sooner for the loss of the stock, and all those objects to which he has been accustomed for so many years, don't you think he might die a little sooner for the loss of - '
“完全正確，”沃爾特點點頭，回答道，“不過我想說的是，他是按照平時的習慣生活的，卡特爾船長，我說的是這個意思。如果說（就像您正確地指出的那樣），他失去了存貨和他這么多年已經習慣了的所有物品，他就會早死，那么，難道您認為他不會死得更早一些嗎，如果他失去了——”
'Of his Nevy,' interposed the Captain. 'Right!'
“他的外甥，”船長插嘴道，“說得對！”
'Well then,' said Walter, trying to speak gaily, 'we must do our best to make him believe that the separation is but a temporary one, after all; but as I know better, or dread that I know better, Captain Cuttle, and as I have so many reasons for regarding him with affection, and duty, and honour, I am afraid I should make but a very poor hand at that, if I tried to persuade him of it. That's my great reason for wishing you to break it out to him; and that's the first point.'
“所以說，”沃爾特想法說得高興一些，“我們必須盡最大的努力讓他相信，這次離別畢竟只不過是一次短暫的離別；但是因為我更了解真情，或者說我擔心我更了解真情，而且因為我有許許多多的理由要以熱愛、孝順與尊敬的感情來對待他，因此我害怕，如果由我想方設法來說服他的話，那么，我會把事情弄得十分糟糕的，這就是為什么我希望由您來告訴他的主要理由，這是第一點。”
