狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第44章Part1

With the day, though not so early as the sun, uprose Miss Susan Nipper. There was a heaviness in this young maiden's exceedingly sharp black eyes, that abated somewhat of their sparkling, and suggested - which was not their usual character - the possibility of their being sometimes shut. There was likewise a swollen look about them, as if they had been crying over-night. But the Nipper, so far from being cast down, was singularly brisk and bold, and all her energies appeared to be braced up for some great feat. This was noticeable even in her dress, which was much more tight and trim than usual; and in occasional twitches of her head as she went about the house, which were mightily expressive of determination.
In a word, she had formed a determination, and an aspiring one: it being nothing less than this - to penetrate to Mr Dombey's presence, and have speech of that gentleman alone. 'I have often said I would,' she remarked, in a threatening manner, to herself, that morning, with many twitches of her head, 'and now I will!'
Spurring herself on to the accomplishment of this desperate design, with a sharpness that was peculiar to herself, Susan Nipper haunted the hall and staircase during the whole forenoon, without finding a favourable opportunity for the assault. Not at all baffled by this discomfiture, which indeed had a stimulating effect, and put her on her mettle, she diminished nothing of her vigilance; and at last discovered, towards evening, that her sworn foe Mrs Pipchin, under pretence of having sat up all night, was dozing in her own room, and that Mr Dombey was lying on his sofa, a twitch - not of her head merely, this time, but of her whole self - the Nipper went on tiptoe to Mr Dombey's door, and knocked. 'Come in!' said Mr Dombey. Susan encouraged herself with a final twitch, and went Dombey, who was eyeing the fire, gave an amazed look at his visitor, and raised himself a little on his arm. The Nipper dropped a curtsey.
'What do you want?' said Mr Dombey.
'If you please, Sir, I wish to speak to you,' said Susan.
Mr Dombey moved his lips as if he were repeating the words, but he seemed so lost in astonishment at the presumption of the young woman as to be incapable of giving them utterance.
'I have been in your service, Sir,' said Susan Nipper, with her usual rapidity, 'now twelve 'year a waiting on Miss Floy my own young lady who couldn't speak plain when I first come here and I was old in this house when Mrs Richards was new, I may not be Meethosalem, but I am not a child in arms.'

蘇珊?尼珀雖然不像太陽升起得那麼早，但天一亮就起牀了。這位年輕的少女的非常敏銳的黑眼睛裏含着抑鬱，因此減少了幾分光澤，而且使人想起，它們跟平時的情形不一樣，有時是閉着的。這兩隻眼睛看去還很腫大，好像昨天夜裏一直在哭泣似的。可是尼珀決沒有灰心喪氣，而是非常生氣勃勃、大膽潑辣，好像振作起全部精神，要去完成什麼豐功偉業似的。這甚至可以從她的比平時緊貼得多和整潔得多的衣服中看得出來，也可以從她在房間裏走來走去時偶爾猛晃一下腦袋的動作中看得出來，那動作有力地表明瞭她的決心。
總之，她已下定了決心，一個抱負不凡的決心，這就是：排除艱險，深入到董貝先生面前，單獨跟那位先生談一談。“我曾時常說過，我將會這樣做的，”那天早上她用威脅的神氣對自己說道，同時把腦袋猛晃了好多次，”現在我?就?要這樣做了！”
蘇珊?尼珀激勵着自己，以她特有的機敏去完成這個大膽冒險的計劃，整個上午在門廳裏和樓梯上轉來轉去，沒有找到一個有利的機會可以下手。她根本沒有被這種失利所挫敗，這實際上倒相反起了一種刺激的作用，使她更加鼓起勇氣，絲毫沒有減卻警惕性。終於，到了傍晚的時候，她發現她的不共戴天的敵人皮普欽太太藉口昨天坐了一整夜，這時正在自己的房間裏打瞌睡；她還發現董貝先生這時正躺在沙發上，身旁沒人侍候。尼珀這次不是猛晃了一下腦袋，而是整個身子都猛晃了一下，然後踮着腳尖，走到董貝先生門口，敲了敲門。”進來！”董貝先生說道。蘇珊最後又猛晃了一下身子，來鼓起自己的勇氣，然後走進去董貝先生正在注視着爐火，驚奇地看了一下走進房間裏來的人，並用胳膊把身子略略支起一點。尼珀行了個屈膝禮。
“你需要什麼？”董貝先生問道。
“對不起，先生，我想跟您談談。”
董貝先生動了動嘴脣，彷彿在重複說這幾個字；可是他似乎對這位年輕女人放肆無禮的態度詫異得不知所措，連也發不出來了。
“我是您家的女用人，先生，”蘇珊?尼珀就像平時那樣快嘴快舌地說道，”我在這裏已經十二年了，一直在服侍我的小女主人弗洛伊小姐，我初到這裏來的時候她話還講不清楚，當理查茲大嫂是這裏的新用人的時候我已經是個老用人了，我可能不是梅索沙來姆，但我已經不是個抱在懷裏的娃娃了。”