雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第10章 Part 8

Walter's eyes filled with tears as he spoke; and so did those of Florence. Her father saw them glistening, though he appeared to look at Walter only.
沃爾特說話的時候，眼睛裏充滿了淚水，弗洛倫斯的眼睛裏也是一樣。她的父親看上去好像只是看着沃爾特，但他看到她的這些淚水在閃着亮光。
'It is a very large sum, Sir,' said Walter. 'More than three hundred pounds. My Uncle is quite beaten down by his misfortune, it lies so heavy on him; and is quite unable to do anything for his own relief. He doesn't even know yet, that I have come to speak to you. You would wish me to say, Sir,' added Walter, after a moment's hesitation, 'exactly what it is I want. I really don't know, Sir. There is my Uncle's stock, on which I believe I may say, confidently, there are no other demands, and there is Captain Cuttle, who would wish to be security too. I - I hardly like to mention,' said Walter, 'such earnings as mine; but if you would allow them - accumulate - payment - advance - Uncle - frugal, honourable, old man.' Walter trailed off, through these broken sentences, into silence: and stood with downcast head, before his employer.
“這是一筆很大的款子，先生，”沃爾特說道。“三百多鎊。我的舅舅已經完全被他的不幸壓垮了；它是那麼沉重地壓在他身上，因此他已經完全不能做什麼事情來解救自己。他甚至不知道我已經到這裏來跟您談話。您可能希望，先生，”沃爾特遲疑了片刻之後，補充說道，“我確切地說出我究竟需要什麼。我確實不知道，先生。我舅舅有一些貨物。我想我可以有把握地說，他已經沒有別的債務了。還有卡特爾船長，他也願意出面擔保。我——我實在不想提到我掙的那點錢；”沃爾特說道，“但是如果您允許把它們積攢起來——抵償——借貸給——舅舅——這位節儉的、正直的老人。”沃爾特吃力地說着這些斷斷續續、支離破碎的句子，聲音愈來愈小，終於默不作聲，低垂着頭，站在他的僱主前面。
Considering this a favourable moment for the display of the valuables, Captain Cuttle advanced to the table; and clearing a space among the breakfast-cups at Mr Dombey's elbow, produced the silver watch, the ready money, the teaspoons, and the sugar-tongs; and piling them up into a heap that they might look as precious as possible, delivered himself of these words:
卡特爾船長覺得這是顯示那些貴重物品的好時機，就向前走到餐桌跟前，在董貝先生身旁的餐杯中間清出一小片地方，取出了銀表、現錢、茶匙和方糖箝子；又把它們堆成一堆，使它們看起來顯得格外貴重，然後說出了以下的一番話：
'Half a loaf's better than no bread, and the same remark holds good with crumbs. There's a few. Annuity of one hundred pound premium also ready to be made over. If there is a man chock full of science in the world, it's old Sol Gills. If there is a lad of promise - one flowing,' added the Captain, in one of his happy quotations, 'with milk and honey - it's his nevy!'
“半塊麪包比沒有面包好，就麪包屑來說，也同樣可以這樣說。這裏是一些麪包屑。以後還準備貢獻上一百鎊的年金。如果世界上有一位腦子裏充滿科學的人，那麼這個人就是老所爾·吉爾斯。如果世界上有一個前程遠大的小夥子——一個‘流着牛奶與蜂蜜’①的小夥子的話”船長引用了他得意的語錄，補充說道，“——那麼這就是他的外甥！”
The Captain then withdrew to his former place, where he stood arranging his scattered locks with the air of a man who had given the finishing touch to a difficult performance.
然後船長退回到他原先的地方，站在那裏梳理梳理那散亂的頭髮，露出一副剛剛完成一件最艱難的任務的人的神態。
When Walter ceased to speak, Mr Dombey's eyes were attracted to little Paul, who, seeing his sister hanging down her head and silently weeping in her commiseration for the distress she had heard described, went over to her, and tried to comfort her: looking at Walter and his father as he did so, with a very expressive face. After the momentary distraction of Captain Cuttle's address, which he regarded with lofty indifference, Mr Dombey again turned his eyes upon his son, and sat steadily regarding the child, for some moments, in silence.
當沃爾特停止講話的時候，董貝先生的眼光被吸引到小保羅的身上；小保羅看到他姐姐低垂着頭，由於憐憫她所聽到的不幸正在默默地哭泣着，就向她走過去，設法安慰她；當他這樣做的時候，他臉上富於表情地望着沃爾特和他的父親。董貝先生由於卡特爾船長的談話暫時轉移了注意力（他對這個談話高傲地漠不關心）之後，又把眼睛轉到他的兒子身上，默默地坐了一些時候，專心一意地望着這孩子。

-------- ①“流着牛奶與蜂蜜”原是聖經中形容肥沃的土地（巴勒斯坦）的話，船長用它來形容沃爾特年輕有爲、前程遠大。