雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第14章 Part 5

'This analysis, you see, Dombey,' Miss Blimber continued, 'is going to be sent home to your respected parent. It will naturally be very painful to him to find that you are singular in your character and conduct. It is naturally painful to us; for we can't like you, you know, Dombey, as well as we could wish.'

“您知道，董貝，”布林伯小姐繼續說道，“這個分析評語將寄到您家裏，寄到您尊敬的父親那裏。他看到您的性格與行爲怪僻，自然將會感到很痛苦。對我們來說，這自然是痛苦的，因爲您知道，董貝，我們不能像我們所希望的那樣喜歡您。”

She touched the child upon a tender point. He had secretly become more and more solicitous from day to day, as the time of his departure drew more near, that all the house should like him. From some hidden reason, very imperfectly understood by himself - if understood at all - he felt a gradually increasing impulse of affection, towards almost everything and everybody in the place. He could not bear to think that they would be quite indifferent to him when he was gone. He wanted them to remember him kindly; and he had made it his business even to conciliate a great hoarse shaggy dog, chained up at the back of the house, who had previously been the terror of his life: that even he might miss him when he was no longer there.

她觸到了這個孩子的痛處。隨着他離別的時間愈來愈近，他心中暗暗地日益渴望屋子裏所有的人都喜歡他。出於某種隱蔽的理由（他本人如果能理解的話，也只是很模糊地理解），他覺得他對這個地方的幾乎每一件事物和每一個人都有一種逐漸增強的使他感到興奮的感情。當他離開的時候，如果他們對他漠不關心，這將是他所不能忍受的。他希望他們都會親切地記得他。他甚至還去安撫用鏈條栓在房屋後面的一條聲音嘶啞、毛髮蓬亂的大狗，把這作爲自己的一部分工作，而這條狗過去是曾經使他感到極爲恐怖的。他希望當他不再在這裏的時候，甚至這條狗也會想念他。

Little thinking that in this, he only showed again the difference between himself and his compeers, poor tiny Paul set it forth to Miss Blimber as well as he could, and begged her, in despite of the official analysis, to have the goodness to try and like him. To Mrs Blimber, who had joined them, he preferred the same petition: and when that lady could not forbear, even in his presence, from giving utterance to her often-repeated opinion, that he was an odd child, Paul told her that he was sure she was quite right; that he thought it must be his bones, but he didn't know; and that he hoped she would overlook it, for he was fond of them all.

可憐的小保羅很少想到，他這樣做只是再一次顯示出他與他同伴之間的差異，因此他儘可能地向布林伯小姐陳述了他的這種想法，而且不論那份正式的分析評語如何，他還是懇求她能行行好，設法去喜歡他。對和他們在一起的布林伯夫人，他也提出了同樣的要求；那位夫人甚至當着他的面也不能忍着不說出她時常重複的意見：他是個古怪的孩子；這時候保羅對她說，他相信她是完全正確的，他想這一定是他的骨頭有毛病，但他不知道它；他希望她能假裝沒有看見它，因爲他喜愛他們所有的人。

'Not so fond,' said Paul, with a mixture of timidity and perfect frankness, which was one of the most peculiar and most engaging qualities of the child, 'not so fond as I am of Florence, of course; that could never be. You couldn't expect that, could you, Ma'am?'

“當然，”保羅既膽怯而又完全直率（這是這孩子最獨特、最可愛的性格之一）地說道：“不是像我喜愛弗洛倫斯那樣地喜愛，那是決不可能的。您不能指望那樣，是不是，夫人？”

'Oh! the old-Fashioned little soul!' cried Mrs Blimber, in a whisper.

“啊，您這個老氣的小人兒！”布林伯夫人低聲喊道。

'But I like everybody here very much,' pursued Paul, 'and I should grieve to go away, and think that anyone was glad that I was gone, or didn't care.'

“可是我很喜歡這裏的每一個人，”保羅繼續說道，“如果我想到任何人都高興我不在這裏或者對這毫不關心，那麼我離開的時候就會感到悲傷。”

註釋：singularadj. 單數的；單一的；非凡的；異常的
n. 單數
詞根：singular
adv. singularly 異常地；非常地；令人無法理解地
n. singularity 奇異；奇點；突出；稀有
singleness 單一；獨身；真誠；專心
vt. singularize 使顯著；使單一化；使成爲唯一；使成爲單數
例句：
(1) I had a singular adventure.
我曾經歷過一次奇特的冒險。
(2) I would be a singular businessman.
我將成爲一個非凡的商人。
(3) I was struck with the man's singular appearance.
那個人的奇特外貌給我留下了深刻的印象。
(4) Our rule is singular and simple: No animals, please.
我們的規則是單一簡單的：拜託，不要肉食。
(5) This is known as the Fashion Singular.
這就是時尚界的單數理論。
(6) Remember they are case sensitive and model names must be singular (controllers must be

plural).
注意：類名區分大小寫，並且模型名是單數，控制器名是複數。
(7) One mistake Chinese often make is omitting the "s" from the third person singular verb.
中國人常犯的一個錯誤是第三人稱單數動詞漏掉“s”。
(8) Very often during the war his mind reverted to that singular figure.
在戰爭期間他時常回想起那個傑出的人物。
(9) The information obtained by his assistant was of a singular and disturbing character.
他的助手蒐集到的材料離奇而令人激動。
(10) This is a singular moment of great opportunity and challenge in the Arab world.
現在是直面阿拉伯世界的巨大機遇和挑戰的一個突出時刻。

grievevt. 使悲傷，使苦惱
vi. 悲痛，哀悼
[ 過去式grieved 過去分詞grieved 現在分詞grieving ]
詞組：grieve over 哀悼
grieve for v. 哀悼
詞根：grief
adv. grievously 令人悲傷地；極其痛苦地
n. grief 悲痛；憂傷；不幸
(1) We grieve for him at this very sad time.
在這非常悲傷的時刻我們向他表示哀悼。
(2) It was then I finally allowed myself to grieve.
直到那時，我終於允許我自己可以傷心了。
(3) I know it's only been a year, but please try not to grieve.
我知道那僅僅只過了一年的時間，但是請試着一定不要悲傷。
(4) Prison, she decided, would be where she could finally grieve her father.
她知道，監獄將是她最終令她父親傷心的地方。
(5) I know it's only been a year, but please try not to grieve.
我知道才過了一年，但是請你儘可能不要悲傷。
(6) But the truth is, we do deserve to grieve, even more, we need to grieve.
但是事實卻是，我們活該悲傷，甚至應該更悲傷， 因爲我們需要悲傷。
(7) Grieve if you must, for your own lost dreams.
如果你一定要悲傷，那就爲你失去的夢想而悲傷吧。
(8) How many people can simply let a grieving friend grieve?
有多少人會讓一個傷心的朋友一直在那不停的傷心呢？