狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第37章Part6

'Gone out! Does she go out to shun her Mama, Flowers?'
'La bless you, no, Ma'am. Mrs Dombey has only gone out for a ride with Miss Florence.'
'Miss Florence. Who's Miss Florence? Don't tell me about Miss Florence. What's Miss Florence to her, compared to me?'
The apposite display of the diamonds, or the peach-velvet bonnet (she sat in the bonnet to receive visitors, weeks before she could stir out of doors), or the dressing of her up in some gaud or other, usually stopped the tears that began to flow hereabouts; and she would remain in a complacent state until Edith came to see her; when, at a glance of the proud face, she would relapse again.
'Well, I am sure, Edith!' she would cry, shaking her head.
'What is the matter, mother?'
'Matter! I really don't know what is the matter. The world is coming to such an artificial and ungrateful state, that I begin to think there's no Heart - or anything of that sort - left in it, positively. Withers is more a child to me than you are. He attends to me much more than my own daughter. I almost wish I didn't look so young - and all that kind of thing - and then perhaps I should be more considered.'
'What would you have, mother?'
'Oh, a great deal, Edith,' impatiently.
'Is there anything you want that you have not? It is your own fault if there be.'
'My own fault!' beginning to whimper. 'The parent I have been to you, Edith: making you a companion from your cradle! And when you neglect me, and have no more natural affection for me than if I was a stranger - not a twentieth part of the affection that you have for Florence - but I am only your mother, and should corrupt her in a day! - you reproach me with its being my own fault.'
'Mother, mother, I reproach you with nothing. Why will you always dwell on this?'

“出去了！她出去是不是爲了躲開她的媽媽，弗勞爾斯？”
“上帝保佑您，夫人，不是這樣。董貝夫人只是跟弗洛倫斯小姐乘車出去轉轉。”
“弗洛倫斯小姐。弗洛倫斯小姐是誰？別跟我談弗洛倫斯小姐。跟我比起來，弗洛倫斯小姐對她算得了什麼？”
每當她開始要流出眼淚的時候，把她的鑽石，或者桃紅色的絲絨帽子（在她能到屋外走動之前好幾個星期中，她總是戴着這頂帽子接見客人的），適當地展示在她面前，或者用什麼花哨的服飾把她打扮起來，通常能把她的眼淚止住；她可以一直保持着自滿自得的心情，直到伊迪絲前來看她爲止。當她一看到那張高傲的臉孔時，她又會故態復萌。
“唔，真的，伊迪絲！”她會搖着頭，喊道。
“怎麼了，媽媽？”
“怎麼了！我真不知道是怎麼了。這世界已變到這樣虛僞的忘恩負義的地步，我真開始覺得，世界上根本就再也沒有什麼良心或這一類的東西了。威瑟斯比你更像是我的孩子了。他比我親生的女兒更殷勤地照料我。我真但願我別顯得這麼年輕，也許那樣我反倒可以得到更多的關心。”
“你想要什麼，媽媽？”
“哦，許許多多東西，伊迪絲！”她不耐煩地回答道。
“你想要的東西還有什麼你還沒有的？如果還有的話，那得怪你自己了。”
“怪我自己了！”她開始啜泣。”伊迪絲！打從你躺在搖籃裏的時候起，我就一直跟你形影不離，我是你這樣的母親啊！可是你卻不理睬我，對我的感情還不如對一位陌生人那樣，連你對弗洛倫斯的感情的二十分之一也不到--我不過是你的親母親罷了，但你卻居然認爲我有一天會使她道德敗壞！--你竟還責備我說，這得怪我自己了。”
“媽媽呀，媽媽！我什麼也沒有責備你。爲什麼你老嘮嘮叨叨地說這個呢？”