狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第35章Part3

With that Mr Dombey stalked away to his own dressing-room, and Mrs Dombey went upstairs to hers. Mrs Skewton and Florence repaired to the drawing-room, where that excellent mother considered it incumbent on her to shed a few irrepressible tears, supposed to be forced from her by her daughter's felicity; and which she was still drying, very gingerly, with a laced corner of her pocket-handkerchief, when her son-in-law appeared.
'And how, my dearest Dombey, did you find that delightfullest of cities, Paris?' she asked, subduing her emotion.
'It was cold,' returned Mr Dombey.
'Gay as ever,' said Mrs Skewton, 'of course.
'Not particularly. I thought it dull,' said Mr Dombey.
'Fie, my dearest Dombey!' archly; 'dull!'
'It made that impression upon me, Madam,' said Mr Dombey, with grave politeness. 'I believe Mrs Dombey found it dull too. She mentioned once or twice that she thought it so.'
'Why, you naughty girl!' cried Mrs Skewton, rallying her dear child, who now entered, 'what dreadfully heretical things have you been saying about Paris?'
Edith raised her eyebrows with an air of weariness; and passing the folding-doors which were thrown open to display the suite of rooms in their new and handsome garniture, and barely glancing at them as she passed, sat down by Florence.
'My dear Dombey,' said Mrs Skewton, 'how charmingly these people have carried out every idea that we hinted. They have made a perfect palace of the house, positively.'
'It is handsome,' said Mr Dombey, looking round. 'I directed that no expense should be spared; and all that money could do, has been done, I believe.'
'And what can it not do, dear Dombey?' observed Cleopatra.
'It is powerful, Madam,' said Mr Dombey.
He looked in his solemn way towards his wife, but not a word said she.
'I hope, Mrs Dombey,' addressing her after a moment's silence, with especial distinctness; 'that these alterations meet with your approval?'

董貝先生說了這些話之後就高視闊步地走到他自己的化妝室中去，董貝夫人則上樓到她自己的化妝室中。斯丘頓夫人和弗洛倫斯向客廳走去；到了那裏，這位卓越的母親認爲掉幾顆控制不住的眼淚是自己義不容辭的責任，好像是因爲看到女兒的幸福情不自禁地掉落的。當她還在用手絹的飾了花邊的一個角小心翼翼地抹着眼淚的時候，她的女婿走進來了。
“我親愛的董貝，你覺得巴黎這世界上最可愛有趣的城市怎麼樣？”她剋制住自己的感情，問道。
“那裏天氣寒冷，”董貝先生回答道。
“一直是那麼歡樂熱鬧吧，”斯丘頓夫人說道，”那是當然的。”
“並不特別歡樂熱鬧。我覺得它沉悶無趣，”董貝先生說道。
“看你說的，我親愛的董貝！沉悶無趣！”她調皮地說道。
“它給我留下了這樣的印象，夫人，”董貝先生莊嚴地、有禮地說道，”我想，董貝夫人也覺得它沉悶無趣。她有一兩次談到這點，她認爲是這樣的。”
“什麼，你這淘氣的女孩子！”斯丘頓夫人嘲笑着現在走進來的她的親愛的孩子，喊道，”你對巴黎說了些多麼可怕的、異教徒才說的話！”
伊迪絲帶着厭倦的神情揚起眉毛；有一些折門現在打開了，因此顯露了一套房間，裏面陳列着嶄新與漂亮的擺設，她走過折門的時候，只對它們看了一眼，就坐到弗洛倫斯的身旁。
“我親愛的董貝，”斯丘頓夫人說道，”這些人多麼出色地完成了我們略加指點的一切任務。確實，他們已把這座房屋完全變成一座宮殿了。”
“是很漂亮，”董貝先生向四周看看，說道，”我吩咐他們不要節省任何費用；我想，凡是錢能辦到的，都已辦到了。”
“它還有什麼辦不到的呢，親愛的董貝！”克利奧佩特拉說道。
“它是很有力量的，夫人，”董貝先生說道。
他向他的妻子莊重地看了一眼，可是她卻一個字也沒有說。
“我希望，董貝夫人，”片刻沉默之後，他特別清楚地對她說道，”你贊成這些改變吧？”