狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第27章Part 13
'I shall be immensely obliged,' said Mr Dombey.
'What do you wish?'
'Piano?' hesitated Mr Dombey.
'Whatever you please. You have only to choose.
Accordingly, she began with the piano. It was the same with the harp; the same with her singing; the same with the selection of the pieces that she sang and played. Such frigid and constrained, yet prompt and pointed acquiescence with the wishes he imposed upon her, and on no one else, was sufficiently remarkable to penetrate through all the mysteries of picquet, and impress itself on Mr Carker's keen attention. Nor did he lose sight of the fact that Mr Dombey was evidently proud of his power, and liked to show it.
Nevertheless, Mr Carker played so well - some games with the Major, and some with Cleopatra, whose vigilance of eye in respect of Mr Dombey and Edith no lynx could have surpassed - that he even heightened his position in the lady-mother's good graces; and when on taking leave he regretted that he would be obliged to return to London next morning, Cleopatra trusted: community of feeling not being met with every day: that it was far from being the last time they would meet.
'I hope so,' said Mr Carker, with an expressive look at the couple in the distance, as he drew towards the door, following the Major. 'I think so.'
Mr Dombey, who had taken a stately leave of Edith, bent, or made some approach to a bend, over Cleopatra's couch, and said, in a low voice:
'I have requested Mrs Granger's permission to call on her to-morrow morning - for a purpose - and she has appointed twelve o'clock. May I hope to have the pleasure of finding you at home, Madam, afterwards?'
“我将非常感谢，”董贝先生说道。
“您希望听什么？”
“钢琴好吗？”董贝先生迟疑地建议道。
“随您的便。您只要挑选就行。”
于是她就开始弹钢琴。演奏竖琴时的情形也与这一样。在选择她所唱和所演奏的乐曲时的情形也与这一样。对于他强加给她，而没有强加给其他人的愿望，她是那么生硬和勉强地、但却又是那么迅速和明显地顺从；这一切是那么引人注目，所以卡克先生手中的皮基特牌没有阻挡住他的视线，而是在他敏锐的眼睛中留下了强烈的印象。他也没有忽略了这个事实：董贝先生显然对他的权势感到自豪，并且喜爱显示它。
虽说如此，卡克先生玩牌还是玩得很高明；他和少校玩了几局，和克利奥佩特拉玩了几局（克利奥佩特拉对董贝先生和伊迪丝机警的注意力是任何山猫也难以超过的），他高超的技巧甚至使这位母亲夫人增加了对他的好感；告别时他对他明天早晨必须回伦敦去感到惋惜，克利奥佩特拉则相信：感情上的一致不是经常遇见的事情，所以这决不会是他们最后一次见面。
“我希望是这样，”卡克先生跟着少校走近门口时，意味深长地向着远处的那一对看了一眼，说道，“我也这么想。”
董贝先生向伊迪丝作了庄严的告别之后，向克利奥佩特拉的长沙发弯了弯身子，或接近于弯了弯身子，低声说道：
“我已经请求格兰杰夫人允许我在明天上午去拜访她——为了一个目的。她已约定拜访的时间是十二点钟。夫人，我是不是可以希望在这以后再高兴地在家里看到您？”
