評論
打印
Captain Cuttle, however, becoming cognisant of what had happened, relinquished these attempts, as he perceived the slender chance that now existed of his being able to obtain a little easy chat with Mr Dombey before the period of Walter's departure. But in admitting to himself, with a disappointed and crestfallen countenance, that Sol Gills must be told, and that Walter must go—taking the case for the present as he found it, and not having it enlightened orimprovedbeforehand by the knowing management of a friend—the Captain still felt an unabated confidence that he, Ned Cuttle, was the man for Mr Dombey; and that, to set Walter's fortunes quite square, nothing was wanted but that they two should come together.
可是船長在知道所發(fā)生的事情之后，放棄了這些打算，因為他看到，在沃爾特出發(fā)之前，現(xiàn)在很少有機(jī)會能跟董貝先生無拘無束地隨意交談。不過，船長盡管帶著灰心失望、垂頭喪氣的神色暗自承認(rèn)，所爾·吉爾斯一定得知道這件事情，沃爾特一定得走——情況暫且只能聽?wèi){和他當(dāng)初接觸到的時候一樣，并沒有因為有朋友明智地進(jìn)行調(diào)停，而使事實真相得以澄清或使境遇有所改善——，但他仍毫不動搖地相信，他內(nèi)德·卡特爾是與董貝先生磋商的合適人物，只要他們兩人走到一起，就可以十分妥善地安排沃爾特的命運。
For the Captain never could forget how well he and Mr Dombey had got on at Brighton; with what nicety each of them had put in a word when it was wanted; how exactly they had taken one another's measure; nor how Ned Cuttle had pointed out that resources in the first extremity, and had brought the interview to the desired termination. On all these grounds the Captain soothed himself with thinking that though Ned Cuttle was forced by the pressure of events to 'stand by' almost useless for the present, Ned would fetch up with a wet sail in good time, and carry all before him.
因為船長永遠(yuǎn)不能忘記，他與董貝先生在布賴頓相處得很好，他們每人都在合適的時候恰如其分地說出了需要說的話；他們曾經(jīng)準(zhǔn)確地判斷了彼此的為人；他也不會忘記他內(nèi)德·卡特爾怎樣在陷于絕境時指出這條出路并使會晤導(dǎo)向合乎要求的結(jié)局。船長根據(jù)這些理由安慰自己：內(nèi)德·卡特爾目前雖然由于情勢所逼，暫且只好無所事事地袖手旁觀，但有朝一日，時機(jī)一到，他內(nèi)德總能揚(yáng)起船帆，勝利地向前航行的。
Under the influence of this good-natured delusion, Captain Cuttle even went so far as to revolve in his own bosom, while he sat looking at Walter and listening with a tear on his shirt-collar to what he related, whether it might not be at once genteel and politic to give Mr Dombey a verbal invitation, whenever they should meet, to come and cut his mutton in Brig Place on some day of his own naming, and enter on the question of his young friend's prospects over a social glass.
在這種出自善意的誤解的影響下，卡特爾船長坐在那里，看著沃爾特，聽著他敘述，同時在襯衫領(lǐng)子上掉下一顆眼淚的時候，心中甚至在轉(zhuǎn)悠著這樣的念頭：不論哪一天他遇見董貝先生時，他就口頭邀請他，在他指定的任何一天，到布里格廣場來品嘗品嘗羊肉，然后在碰杯祝酒時再談?wù)勊贻p朋友的前途問題——這樣做是不是既符合禮儀而又富于策略？
But the uncertain temper of Mrs MacStinger, and the possibility of her setting up her rest in the passage during such an entertainment, and there delivering some homily of an uncomplimentary nature, operated as acheckon the Captain's hospitable thoughts, and rendered him timid of giving them encouragement.
但是麥克斯適杰太太的脾氣難以捉摸，在他舉行宴請時她可能伸開四肢，躺臥在走廊里，含沙帶刺地說起教來；這些顧慮在船長好客的想法上潑上一瓢冷水，使他膽怯心灰。
