狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第24章Part 8

The flowers were scattered on the ground like dust; the empty hands were spread upon the face; and orphaned Florence, shrinking down upon the ground, wept long and bitterly.
But true of heart and resolute in her good purpose, Florence held to it as her dying mother held by her upon the day that gave Paul life. He did not know how much she loved him. However long the time in coming, and however slow the interval, she must try to bring that knowledge to her father's heart one day or other. Meantime she must be careful in no thoughtless word, or look, or burst of feeling awakened by any chance circumstance, to complain against him, or to give occasion for these whispers to his prejudice.
Even in the response she made the orphan child, to whom she was attracted strongly, and whom she had such occasion to remember, Florence was mindful of him' If she singled her out too plainly (Florence thought) from among the rest, she would confirm - in one mind certainly: perhaps in more - the belief that he was cruel and unnatural. Her own delight was no set-off to this, 'What she had overheard was a reason, not for soothing herself, but for saving him; and Florence did it, in pursuance of the study of her heart.
She did so always. If a book were read aloud, and there were anything in the story that pointed at an unkind father, she was in pain for their application of it to him; not for herself. So with any trifle of an interlude that was acted, or picture that was shown, or game that was played, among them. The occasions for such tenderness towards him were so many, that her mind misgave her often, it would indeed be better to go back to the old house, and live again within the shadow of its dull walls, undisturbed. How few who saw sweet Florence, in her spring of womanhood, the modest little queen of those small revels, imagined what a load of sacred care lay heavy in her breast! How few of those who stiffened in her father's freezing atmosphere, suspected what a heap of fiery coals was piled upon his head!
Florence pursued her study patiently, and, failing to acquire the secret of the nameless grace she sought, among the youthful company who were assembled in the house, often walked out alone, in the early morning, among the children of the poor. But still she found them all too far advanced to learn from. They had won their household places long ago, and did not stand without, as she did, with a bar across the door.

花朵像塵埃一般紛紛散落在地上，空着的雙手矇住臉孔，成爲孤兒的弗洛倫斯縮成一團，倒在地上，長久地、痛苦地哭泣着。
但是弗洛倫斯懷着忠誠的心和堅決的善良的目的，緊緊地抱住這個目的不放，就像她垂死的母親在生下保羅的那一天緊緊抱住她不放一樣。他不知道她多麼熱烈地愛着他。不管她要等待多麼長久，不管時間過得多麼緩慢，她遲早總有一天要讓父親的心知道這一點，在這段時間中，她必須注意不要用未經考慮的語言、眼光或由於任何偶然的情況所引起的感情衝動去抱怨他，或者給那些損害他的流言蜚語提供口實。
弗洛倫斯對那個孤兒產生了強烈的興趣，也很有理由記得她，可是甚至在回答她的情誼時，弗洛倫斯心中也記着父親。如果在所有的孩子中，她對她表示了太突出的感情（弗洛倫斯這麼想），她就無疑會在一個人的心中，也許還會在更多人的心中加強這樣的信念：他是殘酷的，不近人情的。她把她自己的快樂完全置之度外。她暗中聽到的談話只能成爲保全他，而不是成爲撫慰她自己的理由。弗洛倫斯在心中進行着探索的時候，就是這樣做的。
她經常這樣做。如果他們在朗誦一本書，書中提到一位冷酷的父親的話，那麼她感到痛苦的是害怕他們這樣朗誦是在暗指他，而不是爲了她自己；當他們演出一個在幕間插入的戲劇的時候，或展示一幅圖畫的時候，或做一個遊戲的時候，也有這樣的情形。爲他擔驚受怕的這一類事情很多，因此她不時躊躇，是不是回到老家去，重新平靜地生活在它那沉悶無趣的牆壁的陰影下，反而更好。人們看到，溫柔可愛的弗洛倫斯正處在豆蔻年華，她是這些孩子聯歡會上的謙遜的小皇后；在他們中間，很少有人會想象到，一副多麼神聖的憂慮的擔子正沉重地壓在她的胸間！那些在她父親的冷冰冰的氣氛中拘謹不安的人們中間，很少有人會料想到，在他的頭上正堆積着像煤火般熾熱的感情！
弗洛倫斯耐心地進行着探索。由於她在聚集在這座房屋中的年輕伴侶中間沒能求得她所尋找的那難以名狀的魅力的祕密，她就常常在清晨單獨走出到那些窮人的孩子們中間去。可是她在這裏也還是發現他們在她前面走得太遠了，她不能從他們那裏學到什麼。他們好久以前就已在家庭中取得了他們的地位，不是像她那樣站在被閂上的門外。