雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第六章 Part 6

'I'm not a going to keep you. even, above an hour,' said Mrs. Brown. 'D'ye understand what I say?'
“我把您留在這裏的時間連一個鐘頭也不會超過，”布朗太太說道，“我的話您聽明白了嗎？”
The child answered with great difficulty, 'Yes.'
女孩子十分困難地回答道，“聽明白了。”
'Then,' said Good Mrs. Brown, taking her own seat on the bones, 'don't vex me. If you don't, I tell you I won't hurt you. But if you do, I'll kill you. I could have you killed at any time - even if you was in your own bed at home. Now let's know who you are, and what you are, and all about it.'
“那麼，”善良的布朗太太在骨頭上坐下 來，說道，“別惹我惱火。如果您不惹我惱火，那麼我告訴您，我是不會傷害您的。但是如果您惹我惱火了，那麼我就殺死您。我什麼時候都能殺死您——即使您待在您自己家裏的牀上我也能。現在您告訴我，您是誰，您是什麼樣的人以及有關您的一切。”
The old woman's threats and promises; the dread of giving her offence; and the habit, unusual to a child, but almost natural to Florence now, of being quiet, and repressing what she felt, and feared, and hoped; enabled her to do this bidding, and to tell her little history, or what she knew of it. Mrs. Brown listened attentively, until she had finished.
因爲老太婆向她進行了威脅並給予了許諾，因爲她恐怕會觸犯她，又因爲她已養成了默不作聲和抑制內心的感覺、害怕與希望的習慣（這種習慣對一般孩子來說是不常見的，但對弗洛倫斯來說，現在幾乎是很自然的了），所以她就遵照命令，敘述了她自己短短的歷史或者她所知道的有關事情。布朗太太聚精會神地聽着，直到她講完爲止。
'So your name's Dombey, eh?' said Mrs. Brown.
“這麼說，您姓董貝，是不是？”布朗太太說道。
'I want that pretty frock, Miss Dombey,' said Good Mrs. Brown, 'and that little bonnet, and a petticoat or two, and anything else you can spare. Come! Take 'em off.'
“我需要那件漂亮的長衣，董貝小姐，”善良的布朗太太說道，“還有那頂小帽，還有一兩條裙子，以及您能讓出的其他一切東西。來吧！把它們脫下來！”
Florence obeyed, as fast as her trembling hands would allow; keeping, all the while, a frightened eye on Mrs. Brown. When she had divested herself of all the articles of apparel mentioned by that lady, Mrs. B. examined them at leisure, and seemed tolerably well satisfied with their quality and value.
弗洛倫斯依從了她的命令，她那顫抖的雙手能脫得多快就脫得多快，她那恐懼的眼睛則一直注視着布朗太太。當她把老太婆所說的所有服裝都從自己身上剝掉以後，布朗太太從容不迫地把它們細細察看着，似乎對它們的質量與價值相當滿意。
'Humph!' she said, running her eyes over the child's slight figure, 'I don't see anything else - except the shoes. I must have the shoes, Miss Dombey.'
“哼！”她滾動着眼珠，把女孩子苗條的身材上下看過一遍，說道，“我看除了那雙鞋子之外沒有別的什麼了。我一定要那雙鞋子，董貝小姐。”
Poor little Florence took them off with equal alacrity, only too glad to have any more means of conciliation about her. The old woman then produced some wretched substitutes from the bottom of the heap of rags, which she turned up for that purpose; together with a girl's cloak, quite worn out and very old; and the crushed remains of a bonnet that had probably been picked up from some ditch or dunghill. In this dainty raiment, she instructed Florence to dress herself; and as such preparation seemed a prelude to her release, the child complied with increased readiness, if possible.
可憐的小弗洛倫斯同樣敏捷地把它們脫掉；她在自己身上還能找到可以迎合老太婆歡心的東西，真是太高興了。然後老太婆從那堆破布的底層取出了一些破爛的代替品。她翻找那堆破布就是爲了這個目的；她還找出一件穿得很破很舊的女孩子的斗篷，還有一頂壓扁的、殘缺不全的帽子，大概是從什麼水溝裏或糞堆上撿到的。她命令弗洛倫斯把這些精美的衣服穿起來；由於這些準備行動似乎是釋放她的序幕，女孩子就儘可能比先前更加麻利地遵命照辦。