狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第41章Part5

'Good-bye, Miss Dombey!' stammers Mr Toots. 'I hope you won't think anything about it. It's - it's of no consequence, thank you. It's not of the least consequence in the world.'
Poor Mr Toots goes home to his hotel in a state of desperation, locks himself into his bedroom, flings himself upon his bed, and lies there for a long time; as if it were of the greatest consequence, nevertheless. But Mr Feeder, B.A., is coming to dinner, which happens well for Mr Toots, or there is no knowing when he might get up again. Mr Toots is obliged to get up to receive him, and to give him hospitable entertainment.
And the generous influence of that social virtue, hospitality (to make no mention of wine and good cheer), opens Mr Toots's heart, and warms him to conversation. He does not tell Mr Feeder, B.A., what passed at the corner of the Square; but when Mr Feeder asks him 'When it is to come off?' Mr Toots replies, 'that there are certain subjects' - which brings Mr Feeder down a peg or two immediately. Mr Toots adds, that he don't know what right Blimber had to notice his being in Miss Dombey's company, and that if he thought he meant impudence by it, he'd have him out, Doctor or no Doctor; but he supposes its only his ignorance. Mr Feeder says he has no doubt of it.
Mr Feeder, however, as an intimate friend, is not excluded from the subject. Mr Toots merely requires that it should be mentioned mysteriously, and with feeling. After a few glasses of wine, he gives Miss Dombey's health, observing, 'Feeder, you have no idea of the sentiments with which I propose that toast.' Mr Feeder replies, 'Oh, yes, I have, my dear Toots; and greatly they redound to your honour, old boy.' Mr Feeder is then agitated by friendship, and shakes hands; and says, if ever Toots wants a brother, he knows where to find him, either by post or parcel. Mr Feeder like-wise says, that if he may advise, he would recommend Mr Toots to learn the guitar, or, at least the flute; for women like music, when you are paying your addresses to 'em, and he has found the advantage of it himself.
This brings Mr Feeder, B.A., to the confession that he has his eye upon Cornelia Blimber. He informs Mr Toots that he don't object to spectacles, and that if the Doctor were to do the handsome thing and give up the business, why, there they are - provided for. He says it's his opinion that when a man has made a handsome sum by his business, he is bound to give it up; and that Cornelia would be an assistance in it which any man might be proud of. Mr Toots replies by launching wildly out into Miss Dombey's praises, and by insinuations that sometimes he thinks he should like to blow his brains out. Mr Feeder strongly urges that it would be a rash attempt, and shows him, as a reconcilement to existence, Cornelia's portrait, spectacles and all.
Thus these quiet spirits pass the evening; and when it has yielded place to night, Mr Toots walks home with Mr Feeder, and parts with him at Doctor Blimber's door. But Mr Feeder only goes up the steps, and when Mr Toots is gone, comes down again, to stroll upon the beach alone, and think about his prospects. Mr Feeder plainly hears the waves informing him, as he loiters along, that Doctor Blimber will give up the business; and he feels a soft romantic pleasure in looking at the outside of the house, and thinking that the Doctor will first paint it, and put it into thorough repair.
Mr Toots is likewise roaming up and down, outside the casket that contains his jewel; and in a deplorable condition of mind, and not unsuspected by the police, gazes at a window where he sees a light, and which he has no doubt is Florence's. But it is not, for that is Mrs Skewton's room; and while Florence, sleeping in another chamber, dreams lovingly, in the midst of the old scenes, and their old associations live again, the figure which in grim reality is substituted for the patient boy's on the same theatre, once more to connect it - but how differently! - with decay and death, is stretched there, wakeful and complaining. Ugly and haggard it lies upon its bed of unrest; and by it, in the terror of her unimpassioned loveliness - for it has terror in the sufferer's failing eyes - sits Edith. What do the waves say, in the stillness of the night, to them?
'Edith, what is that stone arm raised to strike me? Don't you see it?'

“再見，董貝小姐！”圖茨先生結結巴巴地說道，”我希望您別去想這件事。它是--它是無關緊要的，謝謝您。它是世界上最最無關緊要的事情。”
可憐的圖茨先生懷着絕望的心情回到旅館裏，把自己鎖在臥室中，猛倒在牀上，長久地躺在那裏，彷彿這畢竟不是一件無關緊要，而是最最重要的事情。可是文學士菲德先生來吃晚飯了，這對圖茨先生倒是一件好事，要不然，真不知道他什麼時候纔會起牀呢。圖茨先生不得不起來會見他，並熱情地款待他。
熱情好客這個社會美德（不用提酒和豐盛的菜餚了）打開了圖茨先生的心境，給了他溫暖，使他開始交談起來。他沒有把廣場角落裏發生的事情告訴文學士菲德先生，但是當菲德先生問他”這事什麼時候完成”時，圖茨先生回答道，”有些話題--”，這就立即使菲德先生不能再追問下去。圖茨先生還說，他不知道布林伯有什麼權利注意到他是在董貝小姐陪伴下同去的；如果他認爲布林伯這樣說是有意冒失無禮的話，那麼他就會老實不客氣地指責他，不管他是不是博士；不過他想那隻不過是布林伯不明真情罷了；菲德先生說，他對這點毫不懷疑。
不過，菲德先生是一位知心朋友，可以無所不談，這個話題也不除外。圖茨先生只要求神祕地、帶着感情地談。喝了幾杯酒之後，他建議爲董貝小姐的健康乾杯，說道，”菲德，您根本想不到我是懷着一種什麼感情建議爲她祝酒的。”菲德先生回答道，”不，不，我想得到，我親愛的圖茨，這種感情大大地提高了您的榮譽呵，我的老同學。”這時候，菲德先生被友誼所激動，跟圖茨先生握着手，說，如果圖茨什麼時候需要一個兄弟的話，那麼他知道到什麼地方去找他的。菲德先生還說，如果他可以勸告的話，那麼他將建議圖茨先生學習彈奏吉他，至少學習吹笛子，因爲當您向女人獻殷勤的時候，她們是喜愛音樂的，他本人就領會過音樂有這樣的優點。
談到這點，文學士菲德先生承認，他已看中了科妮莉亞?布林伯。他告訴圖茨先生，他並不反對眼鏡，如果博士肯慷慨解囊，並辭去他的職務的話，那麼他們的生活就有保障了；在他看來，一個人由於工作掙得了一筆可觀的財產之後，他就應當辭去他的職務；而科妮莉亞是一位任何人都會引以自豪的助手。圖茨先生的回答是對董貝小姐滿口不絕地稱讚，還暗示說，他有時真想對準自己的腦袋開槍。菲德先生有力地強調說，這將是輕率魯莽的嘗試，爲了使圖茨先生安於生活，他還讓他看看戴着眼鏡和有其他特徵的科妮莉亞的肖像。
這兩位性情文靜的人就這樣度過了這個晚上；當夜接着來臨的時候，圖茨先生陪送菲德先生回家，並在布林伯博士的門口跟他分別。可是菲德先生只是走上臺階；當圖茨先生離開以後，他又走下來，一個人在海濱散步，並默想着他的前程。菲德先生在溜達的時候，清楚地聽到海浪在告訴他，布林伯博士將辭去他的工作；當他望着那房屋的外表，想着博士將首先重新油漆這房屋，並徹底修理它的時候，他感到了一種溫柔的、浪漫的樂趣。
圖茨先生也在收藏着他的寶石的盒子外面踱來踱去；在悲慘的心情下，他注視着一個發出亮光的窗子--警察對這並不是沒有引起懷疑的--，他毫無疑問，那是弗洛倫斯的窗子。但實際上卻並不是，因爲那是斯丘頓夫人的房間；當弗洛倫斯睡在另一個房間裏，在舊日的環境中，做着甜密的夢，舊日的一些聯想又在心頭復活的時候，一位老女人在冷酷的現實中，在這同一個劇場上，代替那個有病的孩子，又一次（然而是多麼不同地！）恢復了與疾病和死亡的聯繫；她在這裏伸開四肢，醒着，抱怨着。她面貌醜陋，形容枯槁，躺在她的得不到安息的牀上；在她身旁，坐着伊迪絲，她那毫無熱情的美貌令人恐怖--因爲在病人的眼睛中，它具有令人恐怖的東西。在這寂靜無聲的夜間，海浪在對她們說些什麼話呢？
“伊迪絲，這隻舉起來要打我的胳膊是誰的？你看見了嗎？”