狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第26章Part 9

'Then perhaps I had better answer it myself,' said Mrs Skewton, 'though I had thought of asking you to be my secretary, darling.' As Edith made no movement, and no answer, Mrs Skewton begged the Major to wheel her little table nearer, and to set open the desk it contained, and to take out pen and paper for her; all which congenial offices of gallantry the Major discharged, with much submission and devotion.
'Your regards, Edith, my dear?' said Mrs Skewton, pausing, pen in hand, at the postscript.
'What you will, Mama,' she answered, without turning her head, and with supreme indifference.
Mrs Skewton wrote what she would, without seeking for any more explicit directions, and handed her letter to the Major, who receiving it as a precious charge, made a show of laying it near his heart, but was fain to put it in the pocket of his pantaloons on account of the insecurity of his waistcoat The Major then took a very polished and chivalrous farewell of both ladies, which the elder one acknowledged in her usual manner, while the younger, sitting with her face addressed to the window, bent her head so slightly that it would have been a greater compliment to the Major to have made no sign at all, and to have left him to infer that he had not been heard or thought of.
'As to alteration in her, Sir,' mused the Major on his way back; on which expedition - the afternoon being sunny and hot - he ordered the Native and the light baggage to the front, and walked in the shadow of that expatriated prince: 'as to alteration, Sir, and pining, and so forth, that won't go down with Joseph Bagstock, None of that, Sir. It won't do here. But as to there being something of a division between 'em - or a gulf as the mother calls it - damme, Sir, that seems true enough. And it's odd enough! Well, Sir!' panted the Major, 'Edith Granger and Dombey are well matched; let 'em fight it out! Bagstock backs the winner!'
The Major, by saying these latter words aloud, in the vigour of his thoughts, caused the unhappy Native to stop, and turn round, in the belief that he was personally addressed. Exasperated to the last degree by this act of insubordination, the Major (though he was swelling with enjoyment of his own humour, at the moment of its occurrence instantly thrust his cane among the Native's ribs, and continued to stir him up, at short intervals, all the way to the hotel.
Nor was the Major less exasperated as he dressed for dinner, during which operation the dark servant underwent the pelting of a shower of miscellaneous objects, varying in size from a boot to a hairbrush, and including everything that came within his master's reach. For the Major plumed himself on having the Native in a perfect state of drill, and visited the least departure from strict discipline with this kind of fatigue duty. Add to this, that he maintained the Native about his person as a counter-irritant against the gout, and all other vexations, mental as well as bodily; and the Native would appear to have earned his pay - which was not large.
At length, the Major having disposed of all the missiles that were convenient to his hand, and having called the Native so many new names as must have given him great occasion to marvel at the resources of the English language, submitted to have his cravat put on; and being dressed, and finding himself in a brisk flow of spirits after this exercise, went downstairs to enliven 'Dombey' and his right-hand man.
Dombey was not yet in the room, but the right-hand man was there, and his dental treasures were, as usual, ready for the Major.
'Well, Sir!' said the Major. 'How have you passed the time since I had the happiness of meeting you? Have you walked at all?'
'A saunter of barely half an hour's duration,' returned Carker. 'We have been so much occupied.'
'Business, eh?'

“那么，也许还是由我亲自来复信好，”斯丘顿夫人说道，“本来，我曾想请你来当我的秘书的，我亲爱的。”由于伊迪丝一动不动，也不答腔，所以斯丘顿夫人就请少校把她的小桌子推近一些，打开桌子里面包含的写字台，替她取出笔和纸；少校十分顺从和热心地完成了这些殷勤的、合适的服务。
“写上你的问候吧，伊迪丝，我亲爱的？”斯丘顿夫人写到附言时，手中拿着笔，停下来问道。
“你爱写什么就写什么，妈妈，”她没有回头，漠不关心地回答道。
斯丘顿夫人随自己的心意写下去，不再要求她给予明确的指示；她写好之后就把它递给少校；少校把它作为一项宝贵的任务接受下来，装作要把它搁到挨近心的地方，但由于背心不安全，就只好搁在裤兜里。然后，少校向两位夫人作了极为优雅、极有骑士风度的告别；年老的夫人按照她往常的方式回了礼，年轻的夫人则脸对着窗子坐在那里，几乎觉察不到地把头点了一下；如果她毫无表示，让少校去猜想，她是没有听到他或注意到他，那么这反倒给少校多留一些面子呢。
“说什么她发生了变化，先生，”少校在归途中默想着；由于下午太阳当空，气候炎热，他就命令本地人拿着他的随身物品走在前面，他自己则在那位被放逐出国的王子的身影下走着；“什么变化呀，憔悴呀，等等，约瑟夫·白格斯托克决不会上当。压根儿没有那么回事，先生。这是不会发生的。但要是说到她们母女之间存在意见分岐——或者像那位母亲所说的，有一道鸿沟——，他妈的，先生，这倒似乎千真万确。真是奇妙极了！唔，先生！”少校喘着气，“伊迪丝·格兰杰和董贝倒是旗鼓相当的对手；让他们打出个高低来吧！白格斯托克支持胜利者！”
少校想得正带劲的时候，情不自禁地大声说出了最后这几个字，倒霉的本地人以为少校正在喊他，就站住脚跟，回过头来。本地人这忤逆的行动使少校火冒三丈，虽然他当时正洋洋自得，十分开心，但看到这个情况，就立即用手杖戳到本地人的肋骨之间，以后每隔短短一段时间又继续不断地捅捅他，直到旅馆为止。
少校穿礼服准备去吃晚饭的时候，怒气还没有消退。从靴子到发刷，凡是他手边拿得到的各种大小物品，都像阵雨一般纷纷投掷到黑仆人的身上。因为少校自夸对本地人进行了完美无缺的训练，他对严格的纪律稍有违犯，少校就逼迫他去完成教练以外的劳累的杂役。此外，少校还把本地人当作减轻痛苦以及其他身体病痛和精神苦恼的手段；看来本地人并没有白拿他那份菲薄的工资。
少校抛掉了手边所有的飞弹，使用了许多新的浑名来称呼本地人（这的确使他很有理由对英语词汇的丰富感到吃惊）之后，终于不得不系上领带。当他穿好衣服，觉得自己在这阵运动之后精神爽快、生气勃勃的时候，他就走下楼去跟董贝和他的左右手说笑逗趣。
董贝没有到房间里来，但是他的那位左右手却已经在那里；像往常那样，他那珍宝般的牙齿立即显示在少校眼前。
“唔，先生！”少校说道，“自从我荣幸地跟您见面以后，这段时间您是怎么度过的？出去走走没有？”
“出去逛了仅仅半个小时，”卡克回答道，“我们很忙。”
“业务上的事吧，是不是？”