狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第28章Part 2

'Not, Miss, but what we talked about the family and visitors,' said Susan, 'and but what I heard much said, although the nurse before Mrs Richards make unpleasant remarks when I was in company, and hint at little Pitchers, but that could only be attributed, poor thing,' observed Susan, with composed forbearance, 'to habits of intoxication, for which she was required to leave, and did.'
Florence, who was seated at her chamber window, with her face resting on her hand, sat looking out, and hardly seemed to hear what Susan said, she was so lost in thought.
'At all events, Miss,' said Susan, 'I remember very well that this same gentleman, Mr Carker, was almost, if not quite, as great a gentleman with your Papa then, as he is now. It used to be said in the house then, Miss, that he was at the head of all your Pa's affairs in the City, and managed the whole, and that your Pa minded him more than anybody, which, begging your pardon, Miss Floy, he might easy do, for he never minded anybody else. I knew that, Pitcher as I might have been.'
Susan Nipper, with an injured remembrance of the nurse before Mrs Richards, emphasised 'Pitcher' strongly.
'And that Mr Carker has not fallen off, Miss,' she pursued, 'but has stood his ground, and kept his credit with your Pa, I know from what is always said among our people by that Perch, whenever he comes to the house; and though he's the weakest weed in the world, Miss Floy, and no one can have a moment's patience with the man, he knows what goes on in the City tolerable well, and says that your Pa does nothing without Mr Carker, and leaves all to Mr Carker, and acts according to Mr Carker, and has Mr Carker always at his elbow, and I do believe that he believes (that washiest of Perches!) that after your Pa, the Emperor of India is the child unborn to Mr Carker.'
Not a word of this was lost on Florence, who, with an awakened interest in Susan's speech, no longer gazed abstractedly on the prospect without, but looked at her, and listened with attention.
'Yes, Susan,' she said, when that young lady had concluded. 'He is in Papa's confidence, and is his friend, I am sure.'

“当然，小姐，我们也谈论主人和客人，”苏珊说道，“我当然还听到不少谈话，虽然当我跟她们在一起的时候，理查兹大嫂以前的保姆曾经讲过一些令人不愉快的话，暗示说，有长耳朵的小水罐什么的，可是这只能怪她本人爱把自己灌醉，这可怜的人，”苏珊带着镇静的、宽容的神情，说道，“她就因为这个缘故被解雇了，她也就走了。”

弗洛伦斯坐在卧室的窗口，手支托着脸，向外看着，似乎没有听见苏珊说了些什么；她深深地陷在沉思中了。
“不管怎么样，小姐，”苏珊说，“我记得很清楚，那时候，这位卡克先生在您爸爸的心目中是一位重要的人物；即使不说跟现在一样，也跟现在差不多。那时候，小姐，我在屋子里经常听说，他在您爸爸城里的公司里是个头，一切事情都归他管，您爸爸器重他超过任何人，这一点，弗洛伊小姐，请您原谅，他很容易这样做，因为他从来不重视其他人。我知道这，因为我也许是个长耳朵的水罐，听到别人这么说。”
苏珊·尼珀委屈地回想起理查兹大嫂以前的保姆，说到“长耳朵的水罐”时有力地加重了语气。
“他们还谈到卡克先生没有失宠，小姐，”她继续说道，“而是牢牢地保持住自己的地位，继续受到您爸爸的信任。这些我是从那位珀奇那里听到的。他每到这里来的时候，总要到我们这些人中间聊天，虽然他是世界上最没骨气的人，弗洛伊小姐，谁也没有耐性跟他相处一分钟，可是他对城里发生的事情倒知道得很多。他说，您爸爸不论做什么事，都离不开卡克先生，一切事情都交给卡克先生去办理，一切都按照卡克先生的意见去做，并让卡克先生老跟随在他的身边。照我看，在珀奇心目中，除了您爸爸之外，印度皇帝跟卡克先生相比还是个没出生的孩子呢。”
这些话弗洛伦斯没有听漏一个字；她对苏珊的谈话产生了兴趣，不再心不在焉地望着窗外的景物，而是看着她，并注意地听着她。
“是的，苏珊，”当那位姑娘讲完时，她说道，“我相信，他得到爸爸的信任，而且是他的朋友。”