狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第21章Part 2

'My friend Dombey, Ma'am,' returned the Major, 'may be devoted to her in secret, but a man who is paramount in the greatest city in the universe -
'No one can be a stranger,' said Mrs Skewton, 'to Mr Dombey's immense influence.'
As Mr Dombey acknowledged the compliment with a bend of his head, the younger lady glancing at him, met his eyes.
'You reside here, Madam?' said Mr Dombey, addressing her.
'No, we have been to a great many places. To Harrogate and Scarborough, and into Devonshire. We have been visiting, and resting here and there. Mama likes change.'
'Edith of course does not,' said Mrs Skewton, with a ghastly archness.
'I have not found that there is any change in such places,' was the answer, delivered with supreme indifference.
'They libel me. There is only one change, Mr Dombey,' observed Mrs Skewton, with a mincing sigh, 'for which I really care, and that I fear I shall never be permitted to enjoy. People cannot spare one. But seclusion and contemplation are my what-his-name - '
'If you mean Paradise, Mama, you had better say so, to render yourself intelligible,' said the younger lady.
'My dearest Edith,' returned Mrs Skewton, 'you know that I am wholly dependent upon you for those odious names. I assure you, Mr Dombey, Nature intended me for an Arcadian. I am thrown away in society. Cows are my passion. What I have ever sighed for, has been to retreat to a Swiss farm, and live entirely surrounded by cows - and china.'
This curious association of objects, suggesting a remembrance of the celebrated bull who got by mistake into a crockery shop, was received with perfect gravity by Mr Dombey, who intimated his opinion that Nature was, no doubt, a very respectable institution.
'What I want,' drawled Mrs Skewton, pinching her shrivelled throat, 'is heart.' It was frightfully true in one sense, if not in that in which she used the phrase. 'What I want, is frankness, confidence, less conventionality, and freer play of soul. We are so dreadfully artificial.'
We were, indeed.
'In short,' said Mrs Skewton, 'I want Nature everywhere. It would be so extremely charming.'

“夫人，”少校回答道，”我的朋友董貝也許在內心深處熱愛大自然，但是一位在世界上最大城市中頭等重要的人物--”
“誰也不會不知道董貝先生的巨大影響，”斯丘頓夫人說道。
董貝先生點了點頭答謝這個恭維，這時那位年輕的女士向他看了一眼，碰見了他的眼光。
“您在這裏居住嗎，夫人，”董貝先生向她致意道。
“不，我們在很多地方待過--哈羅蓋特，斯卡伯勒②和德文郡③。我們一直在參觀遊覽，這裏停停，那裏停停。媽媽喜歡變換環境。”
“伊迪絲當然是不喜歡變換環境的羅，”斯丘頓夫人故意調笑逗趣地說道。
“我看不出這些地方有什麼差別，”非常冷淡的回答。
“他們誹謗我。只有一個變換是我真正向往的，董貝先生，”斯丘頓夫人裝腔作勢地嘆了一口氣，說道，”恐怕永遠也不允許我享受到這變換後的樂趣了。人們不能寬恕一個人。
對我來說，隱居和沉思纔是我們--叫什麼來的？”
“如果你的意思是說樂園，媽媽，你最好就這樣說出來，好讓別人聽明白你的意思，”年輕的女人說道。“我最親愛的伊迪絲，”斯丘頓夫人回答道，”你知道，我完全靠你給我記這些討厭的名字。我敢向您保證說，董貝先生，大自然打算讓我成爲一個阿卡底亞人。我在社會上已經被拋棄了。牛羣就是我的愛好。我所夢寐以求的就是隱居到一個瑞士的農場，完全生活在牛羣--與瓷器的環境之中。”
這兩個事物被這樣奇妙地拼搭在一起，使人聯想起那頭誤入瓷器店的公牛；董貝先生十分認真地聽着；他發表意見說，大自然無疑是個很值得尊敬的創造。
“我所需要的，”斯丘頓夫人捏着她乾癟的喉嚨，慢聲慢氣地說道，”就是心。”她所說的這一點在某種意義上是可怕地正確的，雖然這並不是她所想要表達的意思，”我所需要的是坦率、信任、少些客套和讓心靈自由奔放。我們是多麼可怕地虛假呀。”
我們的確是這樣。
“總之，”斯丘頓夫人說道，”我到處都需要自然。那會是多麼可愛啊。”