雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第9章 Part 11

'I'm behind the time altogether, my dear Ned,' said Sol, in resigned despair, 'a long way. It's no use my lagging on so far behind it. The stock had better be sold - it's worth more than this debt - and I had better go and die somewhere, on the balance. I haven't any energy left. I don't understand things. This had better be the end of it. Let 'em sell the stock and take him down,' said the old man, pointing feebly to the wooden Midshipman, 'and let us both be broken up together.'
“我完全落在時代後面了，我親愛的內德，”所爾萬念俱灰地說道，“落後得很遠了。我這樣遠遠地落在它的後面是沒有什麼用處的。這些貨物最好是賣掉——它的價值超過這筆債務——我最好是到一個什麼地方去，死掉算了。我已經沒有什麼精力了。我不明白髮生的事情，最好是讓這告一結束。讓他們把這些貨物賣掉，並把他卸下來，”老人有氣無力地指着木製海軍軍官候補生，說道，“讓我們一起完蛋吧。”
'And what d'ye mean to do with Wal'r?'said the Captain. 'There, there! Sit ye down, Gills, sit ye down, and let me think o' this. If I warn't a man on a small annuity, that was large enough till to-day, I hadn't need to think of it. But you only lay your head well to the wind,' said the Captain, again administering that unanswerable piece of consolation, 'and you're all right!'
“對沃爾特你打算怎麼辦呢？”船長問道。“好啦，好啦！請坐下，吉爾斯，請坐下，讓我想一想這件事。如果我不是一位靠菲薄的年全過活的人（這年金要是積攢到今天將會是夠大的一筆數字了），那麼我現在就用不着想了。可是你只要昂起頭來迎着風，”船長重新用這句無可辯駁的話來安慰他，“那麼你就會一切都好的！”
Old Sol thanked him from his heart, and went and laid it against the back parlour fire-place instead.
老所爾由衷地感謝他，但他並沒有昂起頭來迎着風，而是走去把頭靠在後客廳的壁爐上。
Captain Cuttle walked up and down the shop for some time, cogitating profoundly, and bringing his bushy black eyebrows to bear so heavily on his nose, like clouds setting on a mountain, that Walter was afraid to offer any interruption to the current of his reflections. Mr Brogley, who was averse to being any constraint upon the party, and who had an ingenious cast of mind, went, softly whistling, among the stock; rattling weather-glasses, shaking compasses as if they were physic, catching up keys with loadstones, looking through telescopes, endeavouring to make himself acquainted with the use of the globes, setting parallel rulers astride on to his nose, and amusing himself with other philosophical transactions.
卡特爾船長在店鋪裏走來走去走了一些時候，深深地思考着，濃密的黑眉毛十分陰沉地低垂着，就像烏雲籠罩在山峯上一樣，因此沃爾特不敢去打斷他的思路。布羅格利先生不願意讓這幾個人過於緊張不安，同時他又是個足智多謀的人，所以就輕輕吹着口哨，在貨物中間走來走去；他輕輕地敲敲睛雨表，又搖搖羅盤，彷彿這些羅盤是藥水瓶似的；接着他又拿起帶有天然磁石的鑰匙，從望遠鏡裏往外看，設法熟悉地球儀的用途，把平行規尺騎在鼻子上，又進行其他一些物理試驗來開心取樂。
'Wal'r!' said the Captain at last. 'I've got it.'
“沃爾！”船長終於說道。“我想到了！”
'Have you, Captain Cuttle?' cried Walter, with great animation.
“是嗎，卡特爾船長？”沃爾特極爲興奮地喊道。
'Come this way, my lad,' said the Captain. 'The stock's the security. I'm another. Your governor's the man to advance money.'
“到這裏來，我的孩子，”船長說道。“這些貨物可以充當擔保。我也可以充當擔保。你的老闆是個可以墊付錢的人。”
'Mr Dombey!' faltered Walter.
“董貝先生！”沃爾特遲疑地說道。
The Captain nodded gravely. 'Look at him,' he said. 'Look at Gills. If they was to sell off these things now, he'd die of it. You know he would. We mustn't leave a stone unturned - and there's a stone for you.'
船長認真地點點頭。“看看他，”他說道，“看看吉爾斯。如果他們把這些東西賣掉，那麼他會因此而死去的。你知道，他會的。我們應該推動所有的石頭，不能讓一塊躺着不動。現在你有了一塊石頭。”
'A stone! - Mr Dombey!' faltered Walter.
“一塊石頭！——董貝先生！”沃爾特遲疑地說道。