狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第20章Part 03

Mr Dombey said 'Indeed?' with frigid indifference: mingled perhaps with some contemptuous incredulity as to Miss Tox having the presumption to harbour such a superior quality.
'That woman, Sir,' said the Major, 'is, in her way, a Lucifer. Joey B. has had his day, Sir, but he keeps his eyes. He sees, does Joe. His Royal Highness the late Duke of York observed of Joey, at a levee, that he saw.'
The Major accompanied this with such a look, and, between eating, drinking, hot tea, devilled grill, muffins, and meaning, was altogether so swollen and inflamed about the head, that even Mr Dombey showed some anxiety for him.
'That ridiculous old spectacle, Sir,' pursued the Major, 'aspires. She aspires sky—high, Sir. Matrimonially, Dombey.'
'I am sorry for her,' said Mr Dombey.
'Don't say that, Dombey,' returned the Major in a warning voice.
'Why should I not, Major?' said Mr Dombey.
The Major gave no answer but the horse's cough, and went on eating vigorously.
'She has taken an interest in your household,' said the Major, stopping short again, 'and has been a frequent visitor at your house for some time now.'
'Yes,' replied Mr Dombey with great stateliness, 'Miss Tox was originally received there, at the time of Mrs Dombey's death, as a friend of my sister's; and being a well—behaved person, and showing a liking for the poor infant, she was permitted — may I say encouraged — to repeat her visits with my sister, and gradually to occupy a kind of footing of familiarity in the family. I have,' said Mr Dombey, in the tone of a man who was making a great and valuable concession, 'I have a respect for Miss Tox. She his been so obliging as to render many little services in my house: trifling and insignificant services perhaps, Major, but not to be disparaged on that account: and I hope I have had the good fortune to be enabled to acknowledge them by such attention and notice as it has been in my power to bestow. I hold myself indebted to Miss Tox, Major,' added Mr Dombey, with a slight wave of his hand, 'for the pleasure of your acquaintance.'
'Dombey,' said the Major, warmly: 'no! No, Sir! Joseph Bagstock can never permit that assertion to pass uncontradicted. Your knowledge of old Joe, Sir, such as he is, and old Joe's knowledge of you, Sir, had its origin in a noble fellow, Sir — in a great creature, Sir. Dombey!' said the Major, with a struggle which it was not very difficult to parade, his whole life being a struggle against all kinds of apoplectic symptoms, 'we knew each other through your boy.'
Mr Dombey seemed touched, as it is not improbable the Major designed he should be, by this allusion. He looked down and sighed: and the Major, rousing himself fiercely, again said, in reference to the state of mind into which he felt himself in danger of falling, that this was weakness, and nothing should induce him to submit to it.
'Our friend had a remote connexion with that event,' said the Major, 'and all the credit that belongs to her, J. B. is willing to give her, Sir. Notwithstanding which, Ma'am,' he added, raising his eyes from his plate, and casting them across Princess's Place, to where Miss Tox was at that moment visible at her window watering her flowers, 'you're a scheming jade, Ma'am, and your ambition is a piece of monstrous impudence. If it only made yourself ridiculous, Ma'am,' said the Major, rolling his head at the unconscious Miss Tox, while his starting eyes appeared to make a leap towards her, 'you might do that to your heart's content, Ma'am, without any objection, I assure you, on the part of Bagstock.' Here the Major laughed frightfully up in the tips of his ears and in the veins of his head. 'But when, Ma'am,' said the Major, 'you compromise other people, and generous, unsuspicious people too, as a repayment for their condescension, you stir the blood of old Joe in his body.'

董貝先生說了聲：“真的嗎？”他是冷冷淡淡、漠不關心的，其中也許還夾雜着由於輕蔑而產生的不信任：托克斯小姐怎麼竟膽敢懷有野心這樣高超的品質呢？
“先生，”少校說，“那個女人就她的本性來說是個惡魔。喬埃·白的好日子已經過去了，但是他的眼睛是繼續注視着的。他洞察一切，喬就是這樣的。已故的約克郡公爵殿下有一次在早朝中談到喬的時候曾經說過，他洞察一切。”
少校在講這些話的時候，露出一副異乎尋常的神色；當他在喝熱茶、吃辣子烤肉、鬆餅和進行意味深長的談話中間，頭是那麼興奮和激怒，甚至連董貝先生也爲他表示幾分憂慮。
“先生，”少校繼續說道，“那個可笑的老女人想要高攀。她想要高攀到天上，先生。在婚姻上，董貝。”
“我爲她感到遺憾。”董貝先生說道。
“別說那個，董貝，”少校用警告的聲調說道。
“爲什麼不說，少校？”董貝先生問道。
少校除了發出像馬的咳嗽一樣的聲音外，沒有回答別的，並起勁吃着。
“她對您的家已經產生了興趣，”少校又停止吃東西，說道，“好些時間以來，她一直是您家的常客。”
“是的，”董貝先生極爲莊嚴地回答道，“托克斯小姐最初是在董貝夫人逝世時，作爲我妹妹的一位朋友，在我家受到接待的。由於她是個舉止得當、很有禮貌的人，對那個可憐的嬰兒又表示喜愛，所以我允許她，可以說是我鼓勵她，跟我妹妹一道，經常不斷地到我家來拜訪，並逐漸地跟這個家庭建立了一種親近融洽的關係。我，”董貝先生說，他的聲調是作出重大的、有價值的讓步的人才會有的，“我尊敬托克斯小姐。她很殷勤地在我家裏幫了很多小忙，也許這些都是雞毛蒜皮、微不足道的小忙，少校，但不應當因爲這個緣故而貶損它們。我希望我有幸能在我的力量所及的範圍內給予注意和關切，以表示感謝。我認爲我自己就是多虧了托克斯小姐，少校，”董貝先生輕輕地揮着手，接下去說道，“纔有幸跟您相識的。”
“董貝，”少校激昂地說道，“不，不，先生！約瑟夫·白格斯托克不能不對這種說法提出異議。您認識老喬，先生，以及老喬認識您，先生，根源都是由於一位高貴的人，先生，一位卓越非凡的人兒，先生，”少校說道，一邊顯露出內心痛苦鬥爭的表情；要做到這一點在他是不難的，因爲他這一生都是在跟各種中風的症候作鬥爭；“董貝，我們是通過您的男孩子而相互認識的。”
董貝先生聽到他的這句暗示似乎很受感動（很可能少校有意指望他會這樣）。他低垂着眼睛，嘆了一口氣；少校呢，猛烈地振作起精神；當提到他覺得他本人有危險陷入那種痛苦心情時，他再次說，這是個弱點，沒有什麼能誘使他向它屈服。
“我們的朋友與我們之間的認識只有間接的關係，”少校說道，“凡是屬於她的功勞，喬·白是樂意給她的，先生。儘管如此，夫人，”他接着說，一邊擡起眼睛，越過公主廣場，望過去，這時可以看見托克斯小姐正在窗口澆花，“您是個女流氓，夫人，您的野心無恥到了極點。如果這僅僅使您自己滑稽可笑，夫人，”少校向一無所知的托克斯小姐搖晃着腦袋說道，這時他那鼓鼓的眼睛好像要跳向她身上去似的，“您滿可以痛痛快快地那樣做，我敢向您保證，白格斯托克決不會有任何反對。”這時少校可怕地哈哈大笑，連耳朵尖和頭上的血管都震顫起來了，“可是，夫人，”少校說道，“當您損害別人，而且損害的是寬宏大量、毫無猜疑的人，來報答他們對您屈尊俯就的厚意，那麼您就叫老喬身上的血液沸騰起來了。”