狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第23章Part 14

A deep, gruff, husky utterance, which seemed to have no connexion with Bunsby, and certainly had not the least effect upon his face, replied, 'Ay, ay, shipmet, how goes it?' At the same time Bunsby's right hand and arm, emerging from a pocket, shook the Captain's, and went back again.
'Bunsby,' said the Captain, striking home at once, 'here you are; a man of mind, and a man as can give an opinion. Here's a young lady as wants to take that opinion, in regard of my friend Wal'r; likewise my t'other friend, Sol Gills, which is a character for you to come within hail of, being a man of science, which is the mother of inwention, and knows no law. Bunsby, will you wear, to oblige me, and come along with us?'
The great commander, who seemed by expression of his visage to be always on the look-out for something in the extremest distance' and to have no ocular knowledge of any anng' within ten miles, made no reply whatever.
'Here is a man,' said the Captain, addressing himself to his fair auditors, and indicating the commander with his outstretched hook, 'that has fell down, more than any man alive; that has had more accidents happen to his own self than the Seamen's Hospital to all hands; that took as many spars and bars and bolts about the outside of his head when he was young, as you'd want a order for on Chatham-yard to build a pleasure yacht with; and yet that his opinions in that way, it's my belief, for there ain't nothing like 'em afloat or ashore.'
The stolid commander appeared by a very slight vibration in his elbows, to express some satisfitction in this encomium; but if his face had been as distant as his gaze was, it could hardIy have enlightened the beholders less in reference to anything that was passing in his thoughts.
'Shipmate,' said Bunsby, all of a sudden, and stooping down to look out under some interposing spar, 'what'll the ladies drink?'

一個和邦斯貝似乎沒有什麼關係、在他臉上肯定沒有引起任何變化的深沉、粗糙、嘶啞的聲音回答道：“啊，我的船友，日子過得怎麼樣？”在這同時，邦斯貝的右手和胳膊從衣袋中伸出來，握了握船長的手，又插回到衣袋裏去。
“邦斯貝，”船長立刻說到了正題，“您是一位有高深智慧的人，是個能提出高超見解的人。這裏有一位小姐想要聽一聽您對我的朋友沃爾的情況的看法；我還有一位朋友所爾·吉爾斯也同樣想聽一聽您對這件事的看法，他的住所離這裏很近很近，他是一位通曉科學的人，而科學又是發明的母親，他不知道有什麼清規戒律。邦斯貝，您肯不肯給我幫個忙，跟我們一道去他那裏一下？”
這位偉大的指揮者沒有作出任何回答。從他臉部的表情來看，他似乎一直在注意觀察着極爲遙遠的地方的什麼東西，十英里之內的事物他什麼也看不見。
“這個人，”船長對他的女聽衆說道，“從桅杆上掉下來的次數比世界上活着的任何人都要多。他本人經歷過的不幸事故比航海醫院中所有船員經歷過的不幸事故還要多；他年輕的時候，頭上曾經被桅杆、木棒和螺栓好多次砸破，就像您要建造一艘遊艇需要向查塔姆製造場定的貨那麼多；可是我相信，他就是通過這種途徑獲得他的見解的，因爲不論在海上還是在陸地上都找不到能有同樣正確見解的人。”
這位性情遲緩的指揮者聽到這些讚詞，胳膊肘稍稍動了動，表示某些滿意；但是他的臉色就像他的眼光所望的遠方一樣難以看清，所以注視他的人就難從中猜到他現在正在想什麼。
“我的船友，”邦斯貝彎下身子，從遮擋住的桁木下面注視着遠方，突然說道，“小姐們要喝點什麼？”