狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第44章Part7

'Susan, who is an old friend of mine, the oldest friend I have,' said Florence, 'is about to leave here suddenly, and quite alone, poor girl. She is going home, a little way into the country. Might I ask you to take care of her until she is in the coach?'
'Miss Dombey,' returned Mr Toots, 'you really do me an honour and a kindness. This proof of your confidence, after the manner in which I was Beast enough to conduct myself at Brighton - '
'Yes,' said Florence, hurriedly - 'no - don't think of that. Then would you have the kindness to - to go? and to be ready to meet her when she comes out? Thank you a thousand times! You ease my mind so much. She doesn't seem so desolate. You cannot think how grateful I feel to you, or what a good friend I am sure you are!' and Florence in her earnestness thanked him again and again; and Mr Toots, in his earnestness, hurried away - but backwards, that he might lose no glimpse of her.
Florence had not the courage to go out, when she saw poor Susan in the hall, with Mrs Pipchin driving her forth, and Diogenes jumping about her, and terrifying Mrs Pipchin to the last degree by making snaps at her bombazeen skirts, and howling with anguish at the sound of her voice - for the good duenna was the dearest and most cherished aversion of his breast. But she saw Susan shake hands with the servants all round, and turn once to look at her old home; and she saw Diogenes bound out after the cab, and want to follow it, and testify an impossibility of conviction that he had no longer any property in the fare; and the door was shut, and the hurry over, and her tears flowed fast for the loss of an old friend, whom no one could replace. No one. No one.
Mr Toots, like the leal and trusty soul he was, stopped the cabriolet in a twinkling, and told Susan Nipper of his commission, at which she cried more than before.
'Upon my soul and body!' said Mr Toots, taking his seat beside her. 'I feel for you. Upon my word and honour I think you can hardly know your own feelings better than I imagine them. I can conceive nothing more dreadful than to have to leave Miss Dombey.'
Susan abandoned herself to her grief now, and it really was touching to see her.
'I say,' said Mr Toots, 'now, don't! at least I mean now do, you know!'

“苏珊是我的一位老朋友，是与我相识最久的一位老朋友；她突然要离开这里了，而且是孤零零一个人离开，可怜的女孩子。她回到乡下的家里去。我是不是可以劳驾您照顾她一下，把她送上驿车？”
“董贝小姐，”图茨先生回答道，”您确实使我感到荣幸，这也是您对我的厚道。这证明您信任我，虽然在这之前我在布赖顿的行为真是十足像个畜牲--”
“是的，”弗洛伦斯急忙打断他，说道，”不--别去想那件事吧。这么说，您肯费神去--走一走？并且当她走出门的时候，您去迎接她？谢您一千次！您使我宽心不少。她将不会觉得自己很孤独凄凉了。您不知道我是多么感谢您，我把您看作是一位多么好的朋友！”弗洛伦斯怀着一片真心诚意，一次又一次地感谢他，图茨先生也怀着他的一片真心诚意，急忙离开了--不过是向后退着走的，为的是一眼也不离开她，直到看不见为止。
弗洛伦斯看见可怜的苏珊在前厅里，皮普钦太太把她驱赶到那里；戴奥吉尼斯在她身边跳跃着，并竭尽全力威吓着皮普钦太太；他向她的邦巴辛毛葛裙子猛扑过去，而且一听到她的就痛苦地嗥叫着，因为这位可敬的老媪引起他胸中极大的、深切的嫌恶；这时候弗洛伦斯没有勇气走出去。但是她看着苏珊和周围的仆人们一一握手，向她这个居住多年的老家环视了一次；她还看到戴奥吉尼斯跳出去追赶马车，想跟着它跑；他怎么也不能理解，他对马车里的那位女乘客不再拥有任何亲近的权利了。接着，公馆的门关上了，刚才的忙乱过去了，弗洛伦斯的眼泪簌簌地流下，她为失去老朋友而哭泣着，这位老朋友是谁也不能代替的。谁也不能。谁也不能。
图茨先生是一位忠实可靠的人，他在转瞬之间就拦住这辆单马篷车，对苏珊?尼珀说明了他所受托的任务。苏珊听到以后，比刚才更大声地哭了起来。
“以我的灵魂和身体发誓，”图茨先生在她身旁坐下，说道，”我同情您！说实话，并以我的荣誉发誓，您对您自己的感情还不比我了解得更清楚。我不能想象，有什么事能比离开董贝小姐更可怕的了。”
苏珊这时纵情痛哭，看到她那悲伤的情景真是令人感动。
“我说，”图茨先生说道，”别这样！您知道，至少我知道现在该怎么办！”