狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第24章Part 5

The aunt replied, after a moment's pause, that she did not know. Her tone of voice arrested Florence, who had started from her seat again; and held her fastened to the spot, with her work hastily caught up to her bosom, and her two hands saving it from being scattered on the ground.
'He is in England, I hope, aunt?' said the child.
'I believe so. Yes; I know he is, indeed.'
'Has he ever been here?'
'I believe not. No.'
'Is he coming here to see her?'
'I believe not.
'Is he lame, or blind, or ill, aunt?' asked the child.

The flowers that Florence held to her breast began to fall when she heard those words, so wonderingly spoke She held them closer; and her face hung down upon them'
'Kate,' said the lady, after another moment of silence, 'I will tell you the whole truth about Florence as I have heard it, and believe it to be. Tell no one else, my dear, because it may be little known here, and your doing so would give her pain.'
'I never will!' exclaimed the child.

姑媽沉默了片刻之後，回答說，她不知道。她的聲調引起了弗洛倫斯的注意，她本來又已經從座位上站起來，這時它使她固定在原地不動；她急忙把花冠緊貼在胸上，兩手抱住花朵，以免它們散落到地上。
“他是在英國嗎，姑媽？”女孩子問道。
“我想是的，不錯，他是在英國，一點不錯。”
“他到這裏來過嗎？”
“不，我想他不曾來過。”
“他是不是將要到這裏來看她？”
“我想他不會來。”
“他是不是腳跛了，眼瞎了還是生病了，姑媽？”女孩子問道。
當弗洛倫斯聽到這些這樣驚奇地說出的話語時，她緊貼在胸膛的花朵開始掉落。她把它們貼得更緊，她的臉向着它們低垂下來。
“凱特，”那位夫人又沉默了片刻之後，說道，“我將把有關弗洛倫斯的全部真情告訴你，這是我所聽到的和相信的。不要告訴別人，我親愛的，因爲這裏可能很少有人知道這，你要是告訴了別人，就會使她痛苦。”
“我決不會告訴別人！”女孩子喊道。