雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第8章 Part 7

Mrs Chick was afraid to say limbs, after Mr Dombey's recent objection to bones, and therefore waited for a suggestion from Miss Tox, who, true to her office, hazarded 'members.'
在董貝先生剛纔對骨頭這個詞表示反感之後，奇剋夫人怕說出四肢這個詞，因此等待着托克斯小姐 給她提示；托克斯小姐忠於職守，沒有把握地說了個：“身體的一些部分。”
'Members!' repeated Mr Dombey.
“身體的一些部分！”董貝先生重複着說道。
'I think the medical gentleman mentioned legs this morning, my dear Louisa, did he not?' said Miss Tox.
“我想那位醫生今天早上提到了腿，是不是，我親愛的路易莎？”托克斯小姐說道。
'Why, of course he did, my love,' retorted Mrs Chick, mildly reproachful. 'How can you ask me? You heard him. I say, if our dear Paul should lose, for the moment, the use of his legs, these are casualties common to many children at his time of life, and not to be prevented by any care or caution. The sooner you understand that, Paul, and admit that, the better. If you have any doubt as to the amount of care, and caution, and affection, and self-sacrifice, that has been bestowed upon little Paul, I should wish to refer the question to your medical attendant, or to any of your dependants in this house. Call Towlinson,' said Mrs Chick, 'I believe he has no prejudice in our favour; quite the contrary. I should wish to hear what accusation Towlinson can make!'
“唔，他當然提到了，我親愛的，”奇剋夫人略略有些責備地回答道。“您怎麼還要問我呢？您聽他說的呀。我說，如果我們親愛的保羅暫時不能使用他的腿的話，那麼對於像他這麼大小的孩子來說，這是個普通的疾病，任何照料或預防都是沒法阻止的。保羅，你愈早理解這一點，承認這一點就愈好。”
'Surely you must know, Louisa,' observed Mr Dombey, 'that I don't question your natural devotion to, and regard for, the future head of my house.''I am glad to hear it, Paul,' said Mrs Chick; 'but really you are very odd, and sometimes talk very strangely, though without meaning it, I know. If your dear boy's soul is too much for his body, Paul, you should remember whose fault that is - who he takes after, I mean - and make the best of it. He's as like his Papa as he can be. People have noticed it in the streets. The very beadle, I am informed, observed it, so long ago as at his christening. He's a very respectable man, with children of his own. He ought to know.''Mr Pilkins saw Paul this morning, I believe?' said Mr Dombey.
“當然，你應當知道，路易莎，”董貝先生說道，“你出於本性，對於我的公司的未來的頭頭懷着忠誠與敬重，這一點我毫不懷疑。我想，皮爾金斯先生今天早上來看過保羅了吧？”
'Yes, he did,' returned his sister. 'Miss Tox and myself were present. Miss Tox and myself are always present. We make a point of it. Mr Pilkins has seen him for some days past, and a very clever man I believe him to be. He says it is nothing to speak of; which I can confirm, if that is any consolation; but he recommended, to-day, sea-air. Very wisely, Paul, I feel convinced.'
“是的，他來看過了，”他的妹妹回答道，“托克斯小姐與我本人都在場。托克斯小姐與我總是在場的，我們認爲這一點很有必要。最近皮爾金斯先生已經看了他好幾天；我認爲他是個很聰明的人。他說，這是一件不值一提的小事；如果這能帶來什麼安慰的話，那麼我可以證實他說過；但是他今天建議讓他去呼吸呼吸海邊的空氣。保羅，這是很明智的，我對這確信無疑。”
'Sea-air,' repeated Mr Dombey, looking at his sister.
“海邊的空氣，”董貝先生看着他的妹妹，重複說道。
'There is nothing to be made uneasy by, in that,'said Mrs Chick. 'My George and Frederick were both ordered sea-air, when they were about his age; and I have been ordered it myself a great many times. I quite agree with you, Paul, that perhaps topics may be incautiously mentioned upstairs before him, which it would be as well for his little mind not to expatiate upon; but I really don't see how that is to be helped, in the case of a child of his quickness. If he were a common child, there would be nothing in it. I must say I think, with Miss Tox, that a short absence from this house, the air of Brighton, and the bodily and mental training of so judicious a person as Mrs Pipchin for instance - '
“沒有什麼好擔心掛慮的，”奇剋夫人說道。“我的喬治與弗雷德裏克兩人在跟他差不多大小的時候，大夫也曾建議他們去呼吸海邊的空氣；我本人也曾好多次接受過同樣的醫囑。我很同意你的意見，保羅，也許在樓上當着他的面曾經漫不在意地談到了一些他的小腦袋瓜最好別去琢磨的一些事情。可是我確實覺得，對待像他這麼靈敏的孩子，也沒有什麼法子好想。如果他是一個普通的孩子的話，那麼這倒也沒有什麼了不起的。我必須說，我與托克斯小姐認爲，離開這個家短短一段時間，布賴頓①的空氣以及到比方說，像皮普欽太太這樣有見識的人那裏去接受一 下身心上的訓練——”
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①布賴頓（Brighton）：英格蘭薩塞克斯（Sussex）郡的一個區和自治市，在倫敦南82公里處，爲英吉利海峽的海濱勝地。