狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第23章Part 7

This last ejaculation, with which Miss Nipper frequently wound up a sentence, at about that epoch of time, was supposed below the level of the hall to have a general reference to Mr Dombey, and to be expressive of a yearning in Miss Nipper to favour that gentleman with a piece of her mind. But she never explained it; and it had, in consequence, the charm of mystery, in addition to the advantage of the sharpest expression.
'How long it is before we have any news of Walter, Susan!' observed Florence, after a moment's silence.
'Long indeed, Miss Floy!' replied her maid. 'And Perch said, when he came just now to see for letters - but what signifies what he says!' exclaimed Susan, reddening and breaking off. 'Much he knows about it!'
Florence raised her eyes quickly, and a flush overspread her face.
'If I hadn't,' said Susan Nipper, evidently struggling with some latent anxiety and alarm, and looking full at her young mistress, while endeavouring to work herself into a state of resentment with the unoffending Mr Perch's image, 'if I hadn't more manliness than that insipidest of his sex, I'd never take pride in my hair again, but turn it up behind my ears, and wear coarse caps, without a bit of border, until death released me from my insignificance. I may not be a Amazon, Miss Floy, and wouldn't so demean myself by such disfigurement, but anyways I'm not a giver up, I hope'
'Give up! What?' cried Florence, with a face of terror.
'Why, nothing, Miss,' said Susan. 'Good gracious, nothing! It's only that wet curl-paper of a man, Perch, that anyone might almost make away with, with a touch, and really it would be a blessed event for all parties if someone would take pity on him, and would have the goodness!'
'Does he give up the ship, Susan?' inquired Florence, very pale.
'No, Miss,' returned Susan, 'I should like to see' him make so bold as do it to my face! No, Miss, but he goes 'on about some bothering ginger that Mr Walter was to send to Mrs Perch, and shakes his dismal head, and says he hopes it may be coming; anyhow, he says, it can't come now in time for the intended occasion, but may do for next, which really,' said Miss Nipper, with aggravated scorn, 'puts me out of patience with the man, for though I can bear a great deal, I am not a camel, neither am I,' added Susan, after a moment's consideration, 'if I know myself, a dromedary neither.'
'What else does he say, Susan?' inquired Florence, earnestly. 'Won't you tell me?'
'As if I wouldn't tell you anything, Miss Floy, and everything!' said Susan. 'Why, nothing Miss, he says that there begins to be a general talk about the ship, and that they have never had a ship on that voyage half so long unheard of, and that the Captain's wife was at the office yesterday, and seemed a little put out about it, but anyone could say that, we knew nearly that before.'
'I must visit Walter's uncle,' said Florence, hurriedly, 'before I leave home. I will go and see him this morning. Let us walk there, directly, Susan.
Miss Nipper having nothing to urge against the proposal, but being perfectly acquiescent, they were soon equipped, and in the streets, and on their way towards the little Midshipman.

尼珀那時候經常用這最後的叫喊聲來結束一個句子的；前廳地下室裏的僕人們都猜想一般是指董貝先生，並表明尼珀姑娘想要向那位先生傾吐心曲的熱望；但是她從來沒有對這進行過解釋；因此，它除了具有非凡表現力的優點外，還有一層神祕的魅力。
“多長久沒有聽到沃爾特的任何消息了，蘇珊！”弗洛倫斯沉默了一會兒之後，說道。
“真是好久了，弗洛伊小姐！”她的侍女說道，“珀奇剛剛到這裏來送信的時候說——可是他說的是什麼意思呀！”蘇珊高聲叫道，她紅着臉，又停住不說了，“他知道好多事情！”
弗洛倫斯迅速地擡起眼睛，一陣紅暈佈滿了她的臉龐。
“如果，”蘇珊·尼珀顯然在竭力遏制住內心暗藏着的某種憂慮和驚慌，凝視着她的年輕的女主人，說道；當她同時回想起珀奇先生那不敢得罪人的形象時，心中又激發起一陣憎惡，“如果我不能比這個毫無骨氣的男子更有一些敢作敢爲的氣概的話，那麼我就決不再以我的頭髮自豪，而把它集束到耳朵後面，戴上沒有任何帽檐的粗帽，直到死亡把我從我低微的地位中解救出來爲止。我也許算不上是個亞馬孫族的女戰士，弗洛伊小姐，我也不想使自己的相貌變得那麼醜陋，可是無論如何，我希望我並不是那種斷絕希望的人。”
“斷絕希望！什麼事情？”弗洛倫斯臉色恐怖地喊道。
“啊，沒有什麼事情，小姐，”蘇珊說道，“天哪，沒有什麼事情！我只是說珀奇這種人就像一片潮溼的捲髮紙，任何人用指頭碰一下就可以把它消除掉的；說真的，如果什麼人肯可憐他，肯行個好爲他出這點力，那麼對所有的人來說，這倒是謝天謝地的大好事。”
“是不是他對那條船斷絕了希望，蘇珊？”弗洛倫斯臉色很蒼白地問道。
“不，小姐，”蘇珊回答道，“如果他敢大膽當面對我這麼說那倒好了！不，小姐，可是他嘮嘮叨叨地說什麼沃爾特先生要給珀奇太太寄什麼討厭的生薑，又憂愁地搖搖頭說，他希望以後會寄到，但是他說，不管怎樣，現在它不能如期寄到了，不過可能下次會寄來的，說實在的，”尼珀姑娘用惱怒的譏諷的口吻說道，“這個人真叫我耐不住性子，因爲儘管我能很好地忍耐，但我畢竟不是個雙峯的駱駝，”蘇珊考慮了一下之後，又補充說，“如果我瞭解我自己的話，那麼我也不是個單峯的駱駝。”
“他還沒些什麼？蘇珊？”弗洛倫斯急切地問道，“你肯告訴我嗎？”
“彷彿我還有什麼事情，彷彿我一切事情都不肯對您說似的，弗洛伊小姐！”蘇珊說道，“唔，對了，小姐，他說，現在他們都在紛紛議論這條船，他們過去從沒有一條船出航這麼久還沒有聽到消息的，連一半這麼久的時間也沒有，還說船長的老婆昨天到公司裏去，神色有點驚慌不安，可是這個情況人人都能說，在這之前我們幾乎也都知道了。”
“我在動身之前得去看看沃爾特的舅舅，”弗洛倫斯急忙說道，“今天早上我就去看他。我們現在就走吧，蘇珊！”
尼珀姑娘對這建議沒有任何反對，而是完全贊同，所以他們很快就穿着好行裝，上了街，走在通往小海軍軍官候補生的路上了。