雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第12章 Part 14

'Why, goodness gracious me, Miss Floy,' returned Miss Nipper, 'how can you talk like that, when you have books upon books already, and masterses and mississes a teaching of you everything continual, though my belief is that your Pa, Miss Dombey, never would have learnt you nothing, never would have thought of it, unless you'd asked him - when he couldn't well refuse; but giving consent when asked, and offering when unasked, Miss, is quite two things; I may not have my objections to a young man's keeping company with me, and when he puts the question, may say "yes," but that's not saying "would you be so kind as like me."'

“哎呀，天哪，弗洛伊小姐，”尼珀姑娘回答道，“您已經有了一大堆一大堆的書，男老師、女老師又不斷地教您各種知識，您怎麼還說要買書呢？雖然我相信，董貝小姐，您的爸爸從來不會讓您學什麼，從來也不會想到這一點，除非是您向他提出請求，那他倒不好拒絕了；可是向他提出請求他表示同意，跟沒有向他請求他主動提出建議，那是完全不同的兩碼事，小姐。我可能不會拒絕一個年輕小夥子跟我交朋友；當他提出這個問題的時候，我可能會說‘可以’，但我可不會說‘您肯行行好愛我嗎？’”

'But you can buy me the books, Susan; and you will, when you know why I want them.'

“可是您會給我買這些書的，蘇珊；當您知道我需要它們的時候，您將會去買的。”

'Well, Miss, and why do you want 'em?' replied Nipper; adding, in a lower voice, 'If it was to fling at Mrs Pipchin's head, I'd buy a cart-load.'

“唔。可是您爲什麼需要它們呢，小姐？”尼珀回答道，然後又低聲補上一句，“如果是要把它們拿來向皮普欽太太的頭上扔去的話，那麼我倒願意買上一大車！”

'I think I could perhaps give Paul some help, Susan, if I had these books,' said Florence, 'and make the coming week a little easier to him. At least I want to try. So buy them for me, dear, and I will never forget how kind it was of you to do it!'

“我想，如果我有這些書的話，那麼我就能給保羅一些幫助，”弗洛倫斯說道，“這樣下個星期他就會感到容易一些了。至少我想試一試。因此請爲我把它們買來吧，親愛的；我永遠也不會忘記，您的心地是多麼好纔去做這件事的。”

It must have been a harder heart than Susan Nipper's that could have rejected the little purse Florence held out with these words, or the gentle look of entreaty with which she seconded her petition. Susan put the purse in her pocket without reply, and trotted out at once upon her errand.

必須要有一顆比蘇珊·尼珀更爲冷酷無情的心才能拒絕弗洛倫斯講這些話時拿出的錢包或者她提出這個請求時伴隨着的溫柔的、懇求的眼光。蘇珊沒有回答就把錢包塞進了口袋，並立刻急匆匆地跑出去執行這個任務了。

The books were not easy to procure; and the answer at several shops was, either that they were just out of them, or that they never kept them, or that they had had a great many last month, or that they expected a great many next week But Susan was not easily baffled in such an enterprise; and having entrapped a white-haired youth, in a black calico apron, from a library where she was known, to accompany her in her quest, she led him such a life in going up and down, that he exerted himself to the utmost, if it were only to get rid of her; and finally enabled her to return home in triumph.

買到書是不容易的。跑了幾家書店，得到的回答不是他們剛剛賣完，就是他們現在已經沒有了，或者他們上個月有好多，再不就是他們希望下星期能夠進好多。可是蘇珊是不容易在這樣的事情上被挫敗的；她千方百計，到一個認識她的圖書館裏，說服了一位在裏面工作的滿頭白髮、圍了一條黑色印花布圍裙的青年陪她一起出去尋找；她把他折騰得來回奔波，疲憊不堪，他確實是盡了最大的努力，哪怕就是爲了把她擺脫掉也罷；最後他終於使她勝利而回。

With these treasures then, after her own daily lessons were over, Florence sat down at night to track Paul's footsteps through the thorny ways of learning; and being possessed of a naturally quick and sound capacity, and taught by that most wonderful of masters, love, it was not long before she gained upon Paul's heels, and caught and passed him.

有了這些珍寶之後，弗洛倫斯每天夜間坐下來，做完自己的功課以後，就踏着保羅的腳印，穿過荊棘叢生的學習道路；她天性聰明，能力高超，又被所有老師中最令人驚奇的老師——愛所指引，所以她不久就趕到了保羅的腳跟前，跟他齊步前進，並超過了他。

註釋：refusen. 垃圾；廢物
vt. 拒絕；不願；抵制
vi. 拒絕
[ 過去式refused 過去分詞refused 現在分詞refusing ]
詞組：
municipal refuse 城市垃圾
refuse to do 拒絕做某事
refuse treatment 垃圾處理；廢物處理
refuse collection 垃圾收集
refuse disposal 廢物處理
coal refuse 煤矸石
refuse dump n. 垃圾場
refuse transfer station 垃圾轉運站；廢物轉運站
例句：
(1) You refuse to go back in time.
你拒絕回到過去。
(2) Many refuse to accept losses.
許多人拒絕接受虧損。
(3) Refuse to give somebody permission .
拒絕給某人許可。
(4) If you refuse to answer my questions.
如果您拒絕回答我的問題的話。
(5) Clearly, if it is illegal you must refuse.
很明顯，如果這件事不合法，那你必須拒絕。
(6) I refuse to entertain such a foolish idea.
我拒絕考慮如此愚蠢的想法。
(7) When do dogs refuse to follow their masters?
什麼時候小狗拒絕跟在主人後面。
(8) It never occurred to me that you would refuse.
我從沒想到你會拒絕。
(9) The manager refuse to answer question about the fire.
經理拒絕回答有關火災的任何提問。
Refuse to let others make unrealistic demands of you.
不要讓別人對你提不現實的要求。
The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
垃圾場都滿了，不能再裝更多垃圾。

capacity
n. 能力；容量；資格，地位；生產力
[ 複數capacities ]
例句：
(1) That is roughly half of its capacity.
這大約是其容量的一半。
(2) I admire the intellect's capacity for work.
我欽佩那位知識分子的工作能力。
(3) Subordination and silence best became their years and capacity.
服從與沉默，最適合他們的年令與能力。
(4) Even with the new capacity it still trails key competitors in China.
即使有新增效益，福特仍然落後於中國的主要競爭者。
(5) The intellectual capacity and passion of teachers shows no boundaries.
教師們的智力能力和工作熱情都是無界的。
(6) But relatively low income levels limit the region's capacity for consumption.
但相對較低的收入水平限制了該地區的消費能力。