狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第22章Part 2

'We thought in those days: you and I both: that she would marry young, and lead a happy and light-hearted life,' pursued the other. 'Oh if you knew how cheerfully she cast those hopes away; how cheerfully she has gone forward on the path she took, and never once looked back; you never could say again that her name was strange in your ears. Never!'
Again the Manager inclined his head and showed his teeth, and seemed to say, 'Remarkable indeed! You quite surprise me!' And again he uttered never a word.
'May I go on?' said John Carker, mildly.
'On your way?' replied his smiling brother. 'If you will have the goodness.
John Carker, with a sigh, was passing slowly out at the door, when his brother's voice detained him for a moment on the threshold.
'If she has gone, and goes, her own way cheerfully,' he said, throwing the still unfolded letter on his desk, and putting his hands firmly in his pockets, 'you may tell her that I go as cheerfully on mine. If she has never once looked back, you may tell her that I have, sometimes, to recall her taking part with you, and that my resolution is no easier to wear away;' he smiled very sweetly here; 'than marble.'
'I tell her nothing of you. We never speak about you. Once a year, on your birthday, Harriet says always, Let us remember James by name, and wish him happy, but we say no more'
'Tell it then, if you please,' returned the other, 'to yourself. You can't repeat it too often, as a lesson to you to avoid the subject in speaking to me. I know no Harriet Carker. There is no such person. You may have a sister; make much of her. I have none.'
Mr Carker the Manager took up the letter again, and waved it with a smile of mock courtesy towards the door. Unfolding it as his brother withdrew, and looking darkly aiter him as he left the room, he once more turned round in his elbow-chair, and applied himself to a diligent perusal of its contents.
It was in the writing of his great chief, Mr Dombey, and dated from Leamington. Though he was a quick reader of all other letters, Mr Carker read this slowly; weighing the words as he went, and bringing every tooth in his head to bear upon them. When he had read it through once, he turned it over again, and picked out these passages. 'I find myself benefited by the change, and am not yet inclined to name any time for my return.' 'I wish, Carker, you would arrange to come down once and see me here, and let me know how things are going on, in person.' 'I omitted to speak to you about young Gay. If not gone per Son and Heir, or if Son and Heir still lying in the Docks, appoint some other young man and keep him in the City for the present. I am not decided.' 'Now that's unfortunate!' said Mr Carker the Manager, expanding his mouth, as if it were made of India-rubber: 'for he's far away.'
Still that passage, which was in a postscript, attracted his attention and his teeth, once more.
'I think,' he said, 'my good friend Captain Cuttle mentioned something about being towed along in the wake of that day. What a pity he's so far away!'

"我們在那些日子裏，你和我都這麼想，她將在年輕的時候出嫁，過幸福的、無憂無慮的生活，"另一位繼續說道，"啊，如果你知道她是多麼愉快地拋棄了這些希望，她是多麼愉快地在她所走上的道路上前進，一次也沒有往後回顧的話，那麼你就決不會再說她的名字在你的耳朵裏是陌生的了。決不會的！"
經理又低下頭，露出牙齒，似乎要說，"這確實了不起！你真使我大吃一驚！"可是他又一句話也沒有說。
"我可以繼續說下去嗎？"約翰·卡克溫和地問道。
"說你要走了嗎？"笑嘻嘻的弟弟回答道，"如果你肯行個好，那就請吧。"
約翰·卡克嘆了一口氣，正慢吞吞地走出門口，這時他弟弟的聲音又把他在門檻上留住了片刻。
"如果她已經愉快地走過並正在繼續走着她自己的道路的話，"他把那封仍然沒有展開的信扔到辦公桌上，把手堅決地伸進衣袋裏，說，"那麼你可以告訴她，我也同樣愉快地走着我自己的道路。如果她一次也沒有往後回顧的話，那麼你可以告訴她，我有時卻往後回顧，以便回憶她是怎樣走到你那邊去的；你可以告訴她，要改變我的決心，不比搬走大理石容易。"這時他很快樂地微笑着。
"你的任何事情我都不告訴她。我們從來不談論你。每年一次，在你的生日，哈里特老是這樣說，'讓我們記得詹姆士，祝願他幸福吧。'但是我們就不再說別的了。"
"那就請告訴你自己吧，"另一位回答道，"你跟我談話的時候務必避開這個話題。你可以把這作爲一個教訓，不斷地重複地記住它。我不知道哈里特·卡克。世界上沒有這樣一個人。你可以有一個姐姐，對她讚不絕口。我沒有。"
經理卡克又拿起那封信，帶者嘲弄性的禮貌微笑了一下，揮着它，指向門口。他的哥哥開始往外走的時候，他把它展開；當他惡狠狠地目送着他離開房間以後，他在扶手椅子中又轉回了身子，開始專心地閱讀這封信。
這是他的偉大的老闆董貝先生的親筆信，從萊明頓寄出的。雖然卡克先生看其他的信都看得很快，但這封信他卻慢慢讀着，琢磨着每一個字，所有的牙齒都對着它們。他讀完一遍以後，又重新讀了一遍，特別注意以下這些段落："我覺得這次變換環境對我有益，我現在還不打算確定回來的日期。""我希望，卡克，您能設法到這裏來一趟看看我，讓我親自了解業務的進展情況。""我忘了跟您談起年輕人蓋伊。如果他還沒有乘'兒子和繼承人'出發，或者如果'兒子和繼承人'還停泊在碼頭，那就指派另外的年輕人去，把他暫時留在城裏。我還沒有打定主意。""現在可真不幸！"經理卡克先生說，一邊把嘴張開得大大的，彷彿它是由橡皮做成似的；"因爲他已經離開得遠遠的了。"
仍舊是這作爲附言的一段再一次吸引了他的注意和他的牙齒。
"我想，"他說，"我的好朋友卡特爾船長那天曾說過，蓋伊今後會被繩子拖着前進。真可惜，他已經離開得遠遠的了。"