狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第42章Part14

'Yes,' rejoined Carker, quickly; 'but why?'
'Why!' Mr Dombey repeated, not without hesitation. 'Because I told her.'
'Ay,' replied Carker. 'But why did you tell her? You see,' he continued with a smile, and softly laying his velvet hand, as a cat might have laid its sheathed claws, on Mr Dombey's arm; 'if I perfectly understand what is in your mind, I am so much more likely to be useful, and to have the happiness of being effectually employed. I think I do understand. I have not the honour of Mrs Dombey's good opinion. In my position, I have no reason to expect it; but I take the fact to be, that I have not got it?'
'Possibly not,' said Mr Dombey.
'Consequently,' pursued Carker, 'your making the communications to Mrs Dombey through me, is sure to be particularly unpalatable to that lady?'
'It appears to me,' said Mr Dombey, with haughty reserve, and yet with some embarrassment, 'that Mrs Dombey's views upon the subject form no part of it as it presents itself to you and me, Carker. But it may be so.'
'And - pardon me - do I misconceive you,' said Carker, 'when I think you descry in this, a likely means of humbling Mrs Dombey's pride - I use the word as expressive of a quality which, kept within due bounds, adorns and graces a lady so distinguished for her beauty and accomplishments - and, not to say of punishing her, but of reducing her to the submission you so naturally and justly require?'
'I am not accustomed, Carker.

“是的？”卡克先生很快地回答道，”可是爲什麼呢？”
“爲什麼！”董貝先生還是沒有遲疑地重複道，”因爲我告訴她了。”
“唔，”卡克先生回答道，”可是您爲什麼告訴她呢？您知道，”他微笑了一下，繼續說道，一邊把他天鵝絨一般柔軟的手輕輕地放在董貝先生的胳膊上，就像一隻貓掩蓋它尖利的腳爪時會這樣做的一樣；”如果我完全明白您心中的想法，我就可能對您更有用，並有幸更有效地爲您服務。我想我已明白了。我不能榮幸地得到董貝夫人的好感。就我的地位來說，我也沒有理由指望得到它；但是我想知道，事實是不是就是這樣，我是不是就這樣接受它？”
“事實可能是這樣，”董貝先生說道。
“因此，”卡克繼續說道，”您通過我向董貝夫人轉達您的指示，一定會使這位夫人感到格外討厭的吧？”
“我認爲，”董貝先生保持着傲慢而沉着的態度，又感到幾分爲難地說道，”董貝夫人怎樣看這個問題是一回事，您和我怎樣看這個問題是另一回事，彼此沒有關係，卡克。不過情況可能就像您所說的那樣。”
“請原諒，不知道我是不是誤解了您的意思，”卡克說道，”我想您發現這是壓低董貝夫人高傲的一種合適的辦法--我在這裏使用了高傲這個字眼，用來表明一種在適當的限度內能成爲一位美貌和才能出衆的夫人的一種裝飾品並使她增光的品質--，而且，不說是懲罰她，這也是迫使她順從的一種合適的辦法，而順從正是您自然地和正當地要求她做到的。不知道我這樣理解對嗎？”
“卡克，您知道，”董貝先生說道。