狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第23章Part 12

'But I couldn't rest,' said Florence, 'without coming to ask you what you think about dear Walter - who is my brother now- and whether there is anything to fear, and whether you will not go and console his poor Uncle every day, until we have some intelligence of him?'
At these words Captain Cuttle, as by an involuntary gesture, clapped his hand to his head, on which the hard glazed hat was not, and looked discomfited.
'Have you any fears for Walter's safety?' inquired Florence, from whose face the Captain (so enraptured he was with it) could not take his eyes: while she, in her turn, looked earnestly at him, to be assured of the sincerity of his reply.
'No, Heart's-delight,' said Captain Cuttle, 'I am not afeard. Wal'r is a lad as'll go through a deal o' hard weather. Wal'r is a lad as'll bring as much success to that 'ere brig as a lad is capable on. Wal'r,' said the Captain, his eyes glistening with the praise of his young friend, and his hook raised to announce a beautiful quotation, 'is what you may call a out'ard and visible sign of an in'ard and spirited grasp, and when found make a note of.'
Florence, who did not quite understand this, though the Captain evidentllty thought it full of meaning, and highly satisfactory, mildly looked to him for something more.
'I am not afeard, my Heart's-delight,' resumed the Captain, 'There's been most uncommon bad weather in them latitudes, there's no denyin', and they have drove and drove and been beat off, may be t'other side the world. But the ship's a good ship, and the lad's a good lad; and it ain't easy, thank the Lord,' the Captain made a little bow, 'to break up hearts of oak, whether they're in brigs or buzzums. Here we have 'em both ways, which is bringing it up with a round turn, and so I ain't a bit afeard as yet.'

“可是，”弗洛伦斯说道，“如果我不前来问问您，您对亲爱的沃尔特——他现在是我的哥哥了——的情况是怎么想的，是不是有什么使人忧虑的事情，在我们得到他的消息之前您是不是将每天前去安慰安慰他的舅舅，如果我不前来问问这些，我是安不下心来的。”
卡特尔船长听了这些话，好像是一种出于无意的动作，用手拍拍没有戴着上了光的帽子的脑袋，露出为难的神色。
“您是不是对沃尔特的安全有什么忧虑？”弗洛伦斯问道；船长的眼睛不能离开她的脸（他看到它喜欢得不得了），而她则恳切地注视着他，想要确信他的回答是真诚的。
“不，我心中的喜悦，”卡特尔船长说，“我不忧虑！沃尔是个经受得起很多险恶气候的孩子。沃尔是个能给这艘横帆双桅船带来大吉大利，使它顺利航行的孩子。沃尔，”船长说道，他赞扬他的年轻的朋友时，眼睛闪闪发光，同时举起钩子，预示着要说出一段美妙的引文，“沃尔是一个您可以称为内在的、精神上的力量的外部的、可见的象征。当您找到这段话的时候，请把它记下来。”
船长显然认为这段引文充满了深刻的意义，内容十分精彩，但是弗洛伦斯却并不理解它；她温柔地望着他，等待着他再说些什么。
“我不忧虑，我心中的喜悦，”船长继续说道，“无可否认，在那些纬度的地方，有着最为罕见的险恶气候，狂风暴雨可能把他们驱赶到世界的另一边去了。可是船是艘好船，孩子是个好孩子，谢谢天主，”船长稍稍地鞠了个躬，“要摧毁栎树的心是不容易的，不论它们是在横帆双桅船上还是在胸膛里。这两样心我们现在都有，这就保证会带来平安无恙的结果，所以我现在还一点也不忧虑。”