狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第20章Part 01

Chapter 20 Mr Dombey goes upon a Journey
'Mr Dombey, Sir,' said Major Bagstock, 'Joee' B. is not in general a man of sentiment, for Joseph is tough. But Joe has his feelings, Sir,and when they are awakened — Damme, Mr Dombey,? cried the Major with sudden ferocity, 'this is weakness, and I won't submit to it)'
Major Bagstock delivered himself of these expressions on receiving Mr Dombey as his guest at the head of his own staircase in Princess's Place. Mr Dombey had come to breakfast with the Major, previous to their setting forth on their trip; and the ill-starved Native had already undergone a world of misery arising out of the muffins, while, in connexion with the general question of boiled eggs, life was a burden to him.
'It is not for an old soldier of the Bagstock breed,' observed the Major, relapsing into a mild state, 'to deliver himself up, a prey to his own emotions; but - damme, Sir,' cried the Major, in another spasm of ferocity, 'I condole with you!'
The Major's purple visage deepened in its hue, and the Major's lobster eyes stood out in bolder relief, as he shook Mr Dombey by the hand,imparting to that peaceful action as defiant a character as if it had been the prelude to his immediately boxing Mr Dombey for a thousand pounds a side and the championship of England. With a rotatory motion of his head, and a wheeze very like the cough of a horse, the Major then conducted his visitor to the sitting-room, and there welcomed him (having now composed his feelings) with the freedom and frankness ofa travelling companion.
'Dombey,' said the Major, 'I'm glad to see you. I'm proud to see you. There are not many men in Europe to whom J. Bagstock would say that — for Josh is blunt. Sir: it's his nature — but Joey B. is proud to see you, Dombey.'
'Major,' returned Mr Dombey, 'you are very obliging.'
'No, Sir,' said the Major, 'Devil a bit! That's not my character. If that had been Joe's character, Joe might have been, by this time, Lieutenant-General Sir Joseph Bagstock, K.C.B., and might have received you in very different quarters. You don't know old Joe yet, I find. But this occasion, being special, is a source of pride to me. By the Lord, Sir,' said the Major resolutely, 'it's an honour to me!'
Mr Dombey, in his estimation of himself and his money, felt that this was very true, and therefore did not dispute the point. But the instinctive recognition of such a truth by the Major, and his plain avowal of it, were very able. It was a confirmation to Mr Dombey, if he had required any, of his not being mistaken in the Major. It was an assurance to him that his power extended beyond his own immediate sphere; and that the Major, as an officer and a gentleman, had a no less becoming sense of it, than the beadle of the Royal Exchange.

第二十章　董貝先生出發旅行
“董貝先生，”白格斯托克少校說道，“喬埃·白一般來說並不是一個多愁善感的人，因爲約瑟夫是堅強的。但是喬是有感情的，先生，當這些感情·真·的被喚醒的時候——他媽的，董貝先生，”少校突然兇猛地喊道，“這是個弱點，我不打算向它屈服！”
白格斯托克少校是在公主廣場他自己的樓梯頂上迎接客人董貝先生時說這些話的。在他們出發旅行之前，董貝先生前來跟少校一道吃早餐；薄命倒黴的本地人由於做的鬆餅不合主人的口味，已經受盡種種折磨，至於煮雞蛋引起的問題，生活對他來說真是個沉重的負擔。
“白格斯托克家族的一個老兵不應當束手無策地聽憑他成爲自己感情的犧牲品，”少校態度溫和下來，說道，“可是——他媽的，先生，”少校突然又兇猛起來，喊道，“我向您表示哀悼！”
當少校和董貝先生握手的時候，他的青紫色的臉孔的顏色加深了，他的龍蝦眼睛更加突出地鼓了出來，因此在那和平的動作中加上了一層挑釁的色彩，彷彿這是一個序幕，接下去，他立即就要爲一千鎊賭金和英國的錦標與董貝先生進行拳擊比賽似的。然後，少校一邊轉動着頭，徐馬咳嗽一般地喘着氣，一邊把客人領到起居室（這時他的情緒已鎮靜下來了），以一個旅伴無拘無束、坦率真誠的態度歡迎他。
“董貝，”少校說道，“我見到您很高興。我見到您感到自豪。在歐洲，喬·白格斯托克能對他們說這種話的人是不多的——因爲喬希是個直腸直肚，不會虛情假意的人。先生，他生性就是這樣——但喬埃·白見到您感到自豪，董貝。”
“少校，”董貝先生說道“您很謙和有禮。”
“不，先生，”少校說，“絕對不是！那不是我的性格。如果那是喬的性格，那麼喬現在可能已經是陸軍中將約瑟夫·白格斯托克爵士，（巴士高級勳位爵士），可能已經在大不相同的公館裏接待您了。看來您還不瞭解老喬。但是這次非同尋常的機會是我自豪的源泉。真的，先生，”少校堅決地說道，“這是我的光榮！”

董貝先生根據他對他本人和對他的金錢的評價，覺得這話說得千真萬確，因此沒有辯駁。但是少校本能地認識這個真理並爽直地作出這個聲明，這是令人愉快的。對於董貝先生來說，它證實了（如果他需要證實的話）他對少校的看法沒有錯。它使他相信：他的權勢已擴展到他直接管轄的業務範圍之外。少校這位軍官和紳士對他權勢的正確認識與倫敦交易所的差役相比絲毫不差。