狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第35章Part4

'They are as handsome as they can be,' she returned, with haughty carelessness. 'They should be so, of' course. And I suppose they are.'
An expression of scorn was habitual to the proud face, and seemed inseparable from it; but the contempt with which it received any appeal to admiration, respect, or consideration on the ground of his riches, no matter how slight or ordinary in itself, was a new and different expression, unequalled in intensity by any other of which it was capable. Whether Mr Dombey, wrapped in his own greatness, was at all aware of this, or no, there had not been wanting opportunities already for his complete enlightenment; and at that moment it might have been effected by the one glance of the dark eye that lighted on him, after it had rapidly and scornfully surveyed the theme of his self-glorification. He might have read in that one glance that nothing that his wealth could do, though it were increased ten thousand fold, could win him for its own sake, one look of softened recognition from the defiant woman, linked to him, but arrayed with her whole soul against him. He might have read in that one glance that even for its sordid and mercenary influence upon herself, she spurned it, while she claimed its utmost power as her right, her bargain - as the base and worthless recompense for which she had become his wife. He might have read in it that, ever baring her own head for the lightning of her own contempt and pride to strike, the most innocent allusion to the power of his riches degraded her anew, sunk her deeper in her own respect, and made the blight and waste within her more complete.
But dinner was announced, and Mr Dombey led down Cleopatra; Edith and his daughter following. Sweeping past the gold and silver demonstration on the sideboard as if it were heaped-up dirt, and deigning to bestow no look upon the elegancies around her, she took her place at his board for the first time, and sat, like a statue, at the feast.
Mr Dombey, being a good deal in the statue way himself, was well enough pleased to see his handsome wife immovable and proud and cold. Her deportment being always elegant and graceful, this as a general behaviour was agreeable and congenial to him. Presiding, therefore, with his accustomed dignity, and not at all reflecting on his wife by any warmth or hilarity of his own, he performed his share of the honours of the table with a cool satisfaction; and the installation dinner, though not regarded downstairs as a great success, or very promising beginning, passed oil, above, in a sufficiently polite, genteel, and frosty manner.
Soon after tea' Mrs Skewton, who affected to be quite overcome and worn Out by her emotions of happiness, arising in the contemplation of her dear child united to the man of her heart, but who, there is reason to suppose, found this family party somewhat dull, as she yawned for one hour continually behind her fan, retired to bed. Edith, also, silently withdrew and came back' no more. Thus, it happened that Florence, who had been upstairs to have some conversation with Diogenes, returning to the drawing-room with her little work-basket, found no one there but her father, who was walking to and fro, in dreary magnificence.
'I beg your pardon. Shall I go away, Papa?' said Florence faintly, hesitating at the door.
'No,' returned Mr Dombey, looking round over his shoulder; you can come and go here, Florence, as you please. This is not my private room.
Florence entered, and sat down at a distant little table with her work: finding herself for the first time in her life - for the very first time within her memory from her infancy to that hour - alone with her father, as his companion. She, his natural companion, his only child, who in her lonely life and grief had known the suffering of a breaking heart; who, in her rejected love, had never breathed his name to God at night, but with a tearful blessing, heavier on him than a curse; who had prayed to die young, so she might only die in his arms; who had, all through, repaid the agony of slight and coldness, and dislike, with patient unexacting love, excusing him, and pleading for him, like his better angel!

“房屋已經修繕裝飾得儘可能漂亮了，”她用高傲的、冷淡的口吻說道，”當然，應當這樣。我想，它們現在是這樣的。”
輕蔑的表情對這張高傲的臉孔來說是習以爲常的，而且似乎是和它分不開的；但是當她得到暗示，要求她對他的財富表示贊慕、尊敬或重視的時候，不論這種暗示是多麼輕微，多麼尋常，她對這種暗示的輕蔑是一種新的、完全不同的表情；就輕蔑的強度來說，這不是通常的輕蔑表情所能達到的。被自尊自大所矇蔽的董貝先生不論是不是覺察到這一點，但一直來已有不少機會可以促使他恍然大悟；就在這一個時刻，當那黑眼睛的視線迅速地、輕蔑地對他引以自誇的周圍陳設一掃而過之後，落在他身上的時候，它也是可以起到這個作用的。他可以從這匆匆的眼光中理解到：不論他的財富的力量多麼大，它即使比現在增大一萬倍，那也不能由於財富本身而從這位跟他聯結在一起、但卻整個心靈都在反對他的高傲的女人那裏贏得一次溫柔的、感激的眼光。他可以從這匆匆的眼光中理解到：正因爲財富在她心中曾經引起那些骯髒的、貪圖利益的計算，所以她才鄙棄它，雖然在這同時她要求得到財富所賦予的最大的權力，作爲她從事一筆交易所應得到的權利，作爲她成爲他的妻子的一筆卑鄙的、不足取的報酬。他可以從這匆匆的眼光中理解到：雖然她已把她自己的頭聽憑她自己的輕蔑與傲慢的雷電去打擊，但對他的財富的力量的最沒有惡意的暗示，都會重新使她感到屈辱，都會使她在輕視自己的泥潭中陷得更深，都會使她在內心中受到更加徹底的摧殘與損害。
但這時僕人前來通報說，晚飯已擺好了；於是董貝先生就領着克利奧佩特拉下樓去，伊迪絲和他的女兒則在後面跟着。她匆匆地走過陳列在食器櫃上的金銀器皿，彷彿它們是一堆垃圾似的；對於四周奢華的物品她也不屑一顧；她就這樣第一次在他的餐桌上就座，像一尊雕像一樣坐在筵席前面。
董貝先生本人也很像雕像，因此沒有絲毫不滿地看到他的漂亮的妻子一動不動、高傲地、冷淡地坐在那裏。她的舉止總是文雅、優美的，她的這個態度總的來說也是使他感到愉快的，符合他的心意的。因此，他就保持着他向來的尊嚴充當起餐桌的主人；他本人絲毫沒有表現出熱情或歡樂，因而也絲毫沒有讓他的妻子跟着他表現出熱情或歡樂；他就這樣冷淡地、滿意地執行着主人的職責。回家後的這第一頓晚餐--雖然廚房裏的僕人們並不認爲是很大的成功或是大有希望的開始--就這樣十分彬彬有禮、文文雅雅、毫無生氣地進行完畢。
茶點用過不久，斯丘頓夫人假裝由於想到她親愛的女兒跟稱心的人結婚，過於快樂興奮，精神感到疲乏；不過我們有理由設想，她也感到這家庭晚間的聚會有些沉悶無趣，因爲她整整一個小時都用扇子捂着嘴巴不斷地打呵欠；所以她就離開去睡覺了。伊迪絲也悄悄地走出房間，再也沒有回來。因此，當先前上樓去跟戴奧吉尼斯談幾句話的弗洛倫斯拿着她的小針線籃子回到客廳的時候，發現那裏沒有別人，只有她父親在富麗堂皇、但卻冷冷清清的房間中來回踱着方步。
“請原諒。我走開嗎，爸爸？”弗洛倫斯遲疑不決地站在門口，輕聲地問道。
“不，”董貝先生回過頭來，回答道，”你可以隨意到這裏來，弗洛倫斯。這不是我個人專用的房間。”
弗洛倫斯走進房間，拿着針線活，坐在一張隔開較遠的小桌子旁邊；她發現這是她平生第一次--根據她的記憶，從她嬰兒時代起直到現在，這是第一次--單獨和父親在一起，成爲他的伴侶。她是他天生的伴侶和唯一的孩子；她在孤獨的生活和悲傷中曾體會到一顆破碎了的心的痛苦；雖然她對他的愛曾遭受到拒絕，可是每天晚上她都含着淚水，念着他的名字向上帝禱告，祈求上帝賜福於他（對他來說，這種含着眼淚的禱告真是比咀咒還要沉重）；她曾經祈求自己在年輕的時候死去，這樣可以死在他的懷抱中；她始終如一地用耐性的、不抱奢望的愛來報答他那令人痛苦的輕視、冷淡和嫌惡，並像他的守護神一樣寬恕他和爲他辯護！