狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第29章Part 1

Miss Tox, all unconscious of any such rare appearances in connexion with Mr Dombey's house, as scaffoldings and ladders, and men with their heads tied up in pocket-handkerchiefs, glaring in at the windows like flying genii or strange birds, - having breakfasted one morning at about this eventful period of time, on her customary viands; to wit, one French roll rasped, one egg new laid (or warranted to be), and one little pot of tea, wherein was infused one little silver scoopful of that herb on behalf of Miss Tox, and one little silver scoopful on behalf of the teapot - a flight of fancy in which good housekeepers delight; went upstairs to set forth the bird waltz on the harpsichord, to water and arrange the plants, to dust the nick-nacks, and, according to her daily custom, to make her little drawing-room the garland of Princess's Place.
Miss Tox endued herself with a pair of ancient gloves, like dead leaves, in which she was accustomed to perform these avocations - hidden from human sight at other times in a table drawer - and went methodically to work; beginning with the bird waltz; passing, by a natural association of ideas, to her bird - a very high-shouldered canary, stricken in years, and much rumpled, but a piercing singer, as Princess's Place well knew; taking, next in order, the little china ornaments, paper fly-cages, and so forth; and coming round, in good time, to the plants, which generally required to be snipped here and there with a pair of scissors, for some botanical reason that was very powerful with Miss Tox. Miss Tox was slow in coming to the plants, this morning. The weather was warm, the wind southerly; and there was a sigh of the summer-time In Princess's Place, that turned Miss Tox's thoughts upon the country. The pot-boy attached to the Princess's Arms had come out with a can and trickled water, in a flowering pattern, all over Princess's Place, and it gave the weedy ground a fresh scent - quite a growing scent, Miss Tox said. There was a tiny blink of sun peeping in from the great street round the corner, and the smoky sparrows hopped over it and back again, brightening as they passed: or bathed in it, like a stream, and became glorified sparrows, unconnected with chimneys. Legends in praise of Ginger-Beer, with pictorial representations of thirsty customers submerged in the effervescence, or stunned by the flying corks, were conspicuous in the window of the Princess's Arms. They were making late hay, somewhere out of town; and though the fragrance had a long way to come, and many counter fragrances to contend with among the dwellings of the poor (may God reward the worthy gentlemen who stickle for the Plague as part and parcel of the wisdom of our ancestors, and who do their little best to keep those dwellings miserable!), yet it was wafted faintly into Princess's Place, whispering of Nature and her wholesome air, as such things will, even unto prisoners and captives, and those who are desolate and oppressed, in very spite of aldermen and knights to boot: at whose sage nod - and how they nod! - the rolling world stands still!
Miss Tox sat down upon the window-seat, and thought of her good Papa deceased - Mr Tox, of the Customs Department of the public service; and of her childhood, passed at a seaport, among a considerable quantity of cold tar, and some rusticity. She fell into a softened remembrance of meadows, in old time, gleaming with buttercups, like so many inverted firmaments of golden stars; and how she had made chains of dandelion-stalks for youthful vowers of eternal constancy, dressed chiefly in nankeen; and how soon those fetters had withered and broken.
Sitting on the window-seat, and looking out upon the sparrows and the blink of sun, Miss Tox thought likewise of her good Mama deceased - sister to the owner of the powdered head and pigtail - of her virtues and her rheumatism. And when a man with bulgy legs, and a rough voice, and a heavy basket on his head that crushed his hat into a mere black muffin, came crying flowers down Princess's Place, making his timid little roots of daisies shudder in the vibration of every yell he gave, as though he had been an ogre, hawking little children, summer recollections were so strong upon Miss Tox, that she shook her head, and murmured she would be comparatively old before she knew it - which seemed likely.
In her pensive mood, Miss Tox's thoughts went wandering on Mr Dombey's track; probably because the Major had returned home to his lodgings opposite, and had just bowed to her from his window. What other reason could Miss Tox have for connecting Mr Dombey with her summer days and dandelion fetters? Was he more cheerful? thought Miss Tox. Was he reconciled to the decrees of fate? Would he ever marry again? and if yes, whom? What sort of person now!
A flush - it was warm weather - overspread Miss Tox's face, as, while entertaining these meditations, she turned her head, and was surprised by the reflection of her thoughtful image In the chimney-glass. Another flush succeeded when she saw a little carriage drive into Princess's Place, and make straight for her own door. Miss Tox arose, took up her scissors hastily, and so coming, at last, to the plants, was very busy with them when Mrs Chick entered the room.
'How is my sweetest friend!' exclaimed Miss Tox, with open arms.

跟董贝先生公馆有关的这些以往罕见的现象--脚手架啦，梯子啦，还有那些头上扎着手绢、像会飞的鸟儿一样，在窗口瞪着眼睛往里看的工人啦，--托克斯小姐丝毫也不知道。在这一段多事的时期中的一个早晨，她按照平常的食谱吃完了早餐，也就是说，吃了一个咬起来喀嚓喀嚓发响的花卷蛋糕，一个新鲜的（或卖蛋人保证是新鲜的）鸡蛋和喝了一小壶茶（在这个小壶里，分量为一银勺的茶叶是为托克斯小姐沏的；另一银勺是为这个茶壶沏的；这是善良的主妇们所喜爱的一种奇思妙想）；然后托克斯小姐上楼去，准备把”鸟儿圆舞曲”曲谱摆在大键琴上，给花浇浇水和整整枝叶，给小摆设抹抹灰尘，并按照她平日的习惯，把她的小客厅布置成为公主广场的一个花环。
托克斯小姐戴上一双枯叶色的旧式手套（她习惯在干这些活的时候戴上它，在其他时候则把它藏在桌子抽屉里，不让别人看见），有条不紊地动手工作；开始是把”鸟儿圆舞曲”曲谱摆好；由于自然的联想，她接着跑去照料她的鸟儿--这是一只胸口很窄的金丝雀，它已经老了，羽毛十分蓬乱，但却是一个声音尖锐的歌唱家，在公主广场是很有名的--；按照次序，下面轮到瓷做的装饰品，纸做的捕蝇笼，等等。然后她按时地转到花卉上，根据托克斯小姐十分信服的生物学的理由，需要用剪刀把它们这里那里剪去一些。这天早晨，托克斯小姐是不慌不忙地前去照料花卉的。气候温暖，南风吹拂，公主广场上荡漾着夏天的气息，这使托克斯小姐的思想转到了乡间。”公主纹章”酒馆的服务员拿着一个喷壶出来洒水，在公主广场上布满了流动的图案；经他这样喷洒之后，长着野草的土地散发出了新鲜的香气--托克斯小姐说，这完全是野草生长的香气。从大街拐角偷偷地透进一点阳光，那些被烟熏黑的麻雀跳过它，又跳回来，在阳光下闪闪发亮；要不然它们就像沐浴在溪流中一样，沐浴在阳光中，成了光彩夺目的麻雀，好像从没和烟囱为邻似的。“公主纹章”酒馆的橱窗中显眼地陈列着赞扬姜汁啤酒的广告，广告中画着口渴的顾客正被翻滚着的泡沫淹没或被飞出的瓶塞打得不省人事。城外的什么地方，人们正在翻晒晚割的干草，虽然香气要经过远远的距离才能传过来，而且还得跟穷人茅屋中间散发出的迥然不同的气味相竞争（有些值得尊敬的大人先生们认为瘟疫是我们祖先智慧不可缺少的部分，并竭尽他们微薄的力量来把这些肮脏破烂的茅屋保存下来；愿上帝奖赏这些大人先生们吧！），然而这些香气还是微弱地飘送到了公主广场，低声诉说着大自然和它有益于健康的空气，而且无视市参议员和骑士先生们的反对，（他们贤明地点一点头，这转动的世界也就会停止不动；而他们是怎样点头的啊！），甚至把这些喁喁私语也传送到了囚犯、俘虏以及那些孤独无依和遭受压迫的人们那里（这样的事情总是会发生的）。
托克斯小姐在窗下坐下，想到了她死去的好爸爸--在海关署当公务员的托克斯先生；想到了她在一个海港度过的童年，那海港带有几分乡村风味，附近有大量的冷焦油；她沉湎在往昔岁月中那些草地的甜蜜的回忆之中；那些闪烁着毛茛的草地，真好像布满金色的星星的苍穹上下颠倒过来似的；她记得她曾经怎样用蒲公英的梗子为那些海誓山盟、主要穿着土布的年轻情侣们编织脚镣，这些脚镣不久又怎样枯萎和破碎了。
托克斯小姐坐在窗下，眼望着麻雀和闪烁的阳光，又想到了她死去的，妈妈--那位头上敷粉和梳了一根辫子的人的姐姐--，想到了她的善行美德和她的风湿病。有一个两腿粗壮、声音刺耳的男子跑到公主广场来卖花；他头上沉重的篮子把他的帽子压得像一块黑色的松饼一样；他每么喝一声，胆怯的雏菊就颤抖一下，仿佛他是个叫卖小孩的吃人魔鬼似的；这时托克斯小姐夏日的回忆强烈地涌上心头，她摇摇头，咕哝着说，她将在她没有觉察之前就变老了--这似乎是很可能的。
托克斯小姐在沉思状态中开始想到了董贝先生，也许是因为少校已经回到了对面的住所，刚才还从他的窗口向她鞠躬致意的缘故。要不然，还有什么别的原因能使托克斯小姐把董贝先生跟她关于夏天与蒲公英编织的脚镣的回忆联系起来呢？他是不是快活一些了？托克斯小姐想。他是不是安于命运的摆布？他是不是将会再婚呢？如果是的话，跟谁结婚呢？她是个什么样的人呢！
托克斯小姐的脸上泛起一阵红晕--天气是温暖的--，因为当她正沉陷在这些思想中的时候，她回过头去，惊奇地看到了烟囱上镜子里正反照出她自己在沉思的形象。当她看到一辆小马车驶进公主广场，直奔她的家门时，脸上又涌上另一阵红晕。托克斯小姐站起身来，急忙拿起剪刀，最后走到花旁；当奇克夫人走进房间的时候，她正十分忙碌地剪着。
“我最亲爱的朋友，您好吗？”托克斯小姐张开胳膊，高声喊道。