狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第24章Part 1

Sir Barnet and Lady Skettles, very good people, resided in a pretty villa at Fulham, on the banks of the Thames; which was one of the most desirable residences in the world when a rowing-match happened to be going past, but had its little inconveniences at other times, among which may be enumerated the occasional appearance of the river in the drawing-room, and the contemporaneous disappearance of the lawn and shrubbery.
Sir Barnet Skettles expressed his personal consequence chiefly through an antique gold snuffbox, and a ponderous silk pocket-kerchief, which he had an imposing manner of drawing out of his pocket like a banner and using with both hands at once. Sir Barnet's object in life was constantly to extend the range of his acquaintance. Like a heavy body dropped into water - not to disparage so worthy a gentleman by the comparison - it was in the nature of things that Sir Barnet must spread an ever widening circle about him, until there was no room left. Or, like a sound in air, the vibration of which, according to the speculation of an ingenious modern philosopher, may go on travelling for ever through the interminable fields of space, nothing but coming to the end of his moral tether could stop Sir Barnet Skettles in his voyage of discovery through the social system.
Sir Barnet was proud of making people acquainted with people. He liked the thing for its own sake, and it advanced his favourite object too. For example, if Sir Barnet had the good fortune to get hold of a law recruit, or a country gentleman, and ensnared him to his hospitable villa, Sir Barnet would say to him, on the morning after his arrival, 'Now, my dear Sir, is there anybody you would like to know? Who is there you would wish to meet? Do you take any interest in writing people, or in painting or sculpturing people, or in acting people, or in anything of that sort?' Possibly the patient answered yes, and mentioned somebody, of whom Sir Barnet had no more personal knowledge than of Ptolemy the Great. Sir Barnet replied, that nothing on earth was easier, as he knew him very well: immediately called on the aforesaid somebody, left his card, wrote a short note, - 'My dear Sir - penalty of your eminent position - friend at my house naturally desirous - Lady Skettles and myself participate - trust that geniusbeing superior to ceremonies, you will do us the distinguished favour of giving us the pleasure,' etc, etc. - and so killed a brace of birds with one stone, dead as door-nails.
With the snuff-box and banner in full force, Sir Barnet Skettles propounded his usual inquiry to Florence on the first morning of her visit. When Florence thanked him, and said there was no one in particular whom she desired to see, it was natural she should think with a pang, of poor lost Walter. When Sir Barnet Skettles, urging his kind offer, said, 'My dear Miss Dombey, are you sure you can remember no one whom your good Papa - to whom I beg you present the best compliments of myself and Lady Skettles when you write - might wish you to know?' it was natural, perhaps, that her poor head should droop a little, and that her voice should tremble as it softly answered in the negative.
Skettles Junior, much stiffened as to his cravat, and sobered down as to his spirits' was at home for the holidays, and appeared to feel himself aggrieved by the solicitude of his excellent mother that he should be attentive to Florence. Another and a deeper injury under which the soul of young Barnet chafed, was the company of Dr and Mrs Blimber, who had been invited on a visit to the paternal roof-tree, and of whom the young gentleman often said he would have preferred their passing the vacation at Jericho.
'Is there anybody you can suggest now, Doctor Blimber?' said Sir Barnet Skettles, turning to that gentleman.

巴尼特爵士和斯克特爾斯夫人是很善良的人們，居住在泰晤士河畔富勒姆的一座精緻的別墅中；在舉行划船競賽的時候，這是世界上最令人羨慕的住宅之一，但在其他時候它卻也有一些麻煩的小事，其中可以提到的是，河水偶爾會流進客廳，並會把草坪的灌木暫時淹沒。
巴尼特爵士主要是通過一個老式的金制鼻菸壺和一塊笨大的綢手絹來顯示他本人的重要身份；他用莊嚴的神態把這塊手絹從衣袋中像一面旗子一般抽出來，同時用兩隻手使用它。巴尼特爵士生活的目的是不斷擴大交遊的範圍。這是合乎事物的本性的：巴尼特爵士就像一個沉重的物體掉進水裏一樣——我們決不是想用這個比方來貶低這樣一位德高望重的紳士——，必須在他的周圍展開愈來愈大的圈子，直到沒有什麼地方可以再擴展爲止。或者他像空氣中的聲音一樣，根據一位機智的現代的哲學家的猜測，它的振動可以通過無止境的空間接連不斷地進行下去；除非壽終正寢，沒有任何其他事物能阻止巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士通過社會制度來尋找新朋友的行程。
巴尼特爵士感到自豪的是，他能使人們與人們相互認識。他喜歡做這種事是由於這種事情本身的原因，而這同時又促進了他所喜愛的目的。舉個例子來說，如果巴尼特先生有幸找到了一個生手或是一位鄉下的紳士，並千方百計把他請到他好客的別墅中的話，那麼，巴尼特爵士就會在他到達的當天早上對他說，“唔，我親愛的先生，您想要認識什麼人嗎？您希望跟誰會晤？您是不是對作家、畫家、雕刻家、演員或者這一類的人物有興趣？”這位落到他手裏的人可能會答覆說是的，並點了某個人的名字；雖然巴尼特爵士對這個人並不比對托勒密大帝①更認識，但是巴尼特爵士卻會回答說，世界上沒有什麼比這更容易的事了，因爲他跟他很熟悉；於是他立即就去拜訪上面所提到的那個人，留下名片，寫了一張短箋：“我尊敬的先生，——久仰您崇高的地位——住在我家的朋友——斯克特爾斯夫人和我本人也和他一起——相信天才是超越於虛禮客套之上的，因此自然地渴望您將賜予我們無上光榮，滿足我們謁見尊容的要求”等等，等等，就這樣用一塊石頭同時打死兩隻鳥。
弗洛倫斯前來訪問的第二天早上，巴尼特·斯克特爾斯充分動用了鼻菸壺和旗子，向她提出了他通常所提的問題。當弗洛倫斯謝謝他，說她並不特別想要見什麼人的時候，她自然懷着悲痛想到了可憐的、下落不明的沃爾特。巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士又提出他的好意的建議，說，“我親愛的董貝小姐，您相信您就記不起您的好爸爸可能希望您去認識的一個人了嗎？——我請求您在寫信時向他轉達我本人和斯克特爾斯夫人最親切的問候”，這時候，也許是很自然的，當她輕聲地作了否定的答覆時，她那可憐的頭向下稍稍低垂，她的聲音是顫抖的。
小斯克特爾斯佩帶着漿得筆挺的領帶，情緒莊重沉着，在這段放假的日子裏待在家中；由於他的卓越非凡的母親殷切地希望他必須對弗洛倫斯殷勤關切，他似乎感到十分煩惱。小巴尼特心靈受到折磨的另一個和更深的傷害是跟布林伯博士和夫人在一起；他們被邀請前來訪問，並住在他父親的房屋中。這位年輕的先生不時說，他真巴不得他們最好到耶裏哥①去度假。
“您能建議去訪問什麼人嗎，布林伯博士？”巴尼特·斯克特爾斯爵士向那位先生問道。