狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第22章Part 7

The prodigal son was evidently nervous of visiting the parental abode; but Mr Carker pushing him on before, he had nothing for it but to open the right door, and suffer himself to be walked into the midst of his brothers and sisters, mustered in overwhelming force round the family tea-table. At sight of the prodigal in the grasp of a stranger, these tender relations united in a general howl, which smote upon the prodigal's breast so sharply when he saw his mother stand up among them, pale and trembling, with the baby in her arms, that he lent his own voice to the chorus.
Nothing doubting now that the stranger, if not Mr Ketch' in person, was one of that company, the whole of the young family wailed the louder, while its more infantine members, unable to control the transports of emotion appertaining to their time of life, threw themselves on their backs like young birds when terrified by a hawk, and kicked violently. At length, poor Polly making herself audible, said, with quivering lips, 'Oh Rob, my poor boy, what have you done at last!'
'Nothing, mother,' cried Rob, in a piteous voice, 'ask the gentleman!'
'Don't be alarmed,' said Mr Carker, 'I want to do him good.'
At this announcement, Polly, who had not cried yet, began to do so. The elder Toodles, who appeared to have been meditating a rescue, unclenched their fists. The younger Toodles clustered round their mother's gown, and peeped from under their own chubby arms at their desperado brother and his unknown friend. Everybody blessed the gentleman with the beautiful teeth, who wanted to do good.
'This fellow,' said Mr Carker to Polly, giving him a gentle shake, 'is your son, eh, Ma'am?'
'Yes, Sir,' sobbed Polly, with a curtsey; 'yes, Sir.'
'A bad son, I am afraid?' said Mr Carker.
'Never a bad son to me, Sir,' returned Polly.
'To whom then?' demanded Mr Carker.

這位浪子顯然害怕走進父母的住宅；但是卡克先生推着他向前走，他沒有別的辦法，只好推開了他自己家裏的門，聽任自己被領到簇擁在家庭茶桌周圍的許多弟弟妹妹中間。這些年幼的親人們看到浪子被抓在一位陌生人的手中時，都一齊嚎啕大哭起來；當浪子看見母親手中抱着嬰兒站在他們中間，臉色蒼白，身子顫抖的時候，哭聲鋒利地戳痛了他的心，他自己的聲音也加入到這個異口同聲的大哭中了。
毫無疑問，這位陌生人不是凱齊先生本人，就是他同夥中的一位；全家年輕人更加高聲地嚎啕大哭起來，而那些比較幼小的就像那些被老鷹驚嚇了的小鳥一樣，背倒在地上，猛烈地踢着腳。終於，波利提高了嗓門，嘴脣顫抖着說道：“啊，羅布，我可憐的孩子，你到底幹了什麼事啦？”
“沒幹什麼事，媽媽，”羅布用悽慘的聲音哭着說道，“你問一下這位先生吧！”
“別驚慌，”卡克先生說道，“我是想爲他做好事的。”
聽到這個聲明以後，一直還沒有哭的波利開始哭起來。年齡比較大的圖德爾們原先想來營救的，這時放鬆了緊握的拳頭。年齡比較小的圖德爾們簇擁在母親的長外衣周圍，從他們胖鼓鼓的小手下面偷看着他們的走上邪路的哥哥和他的不知名的朋友。每個人都爲這位有漂亮的牙齒、想做好事的先生祝福。
“這小子，”卡克先生把羅布的身子輕輕地搖了一下，“是您的兒子，是吧，夫人？”
“是的，先生，”波利行了個屈膝禮，抽抽嗒嗒地說道，“是的，先生。”
“恐怕是個壞兒子吧？”卡克先生說道。
“對我來說，他從來不是個壞兒子，先生，”波利回答道。
“那麼對於誰他纔是呢？”卡克先生問道。