狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第23章Part 4

Still no one knew of this. Unless the household found it out when she was not there - and they all held Mr Dombey's rooms in awe - it was as deep a secret in her breast as what had gone before it. Florence stole into those rooms at twilight, early in the morning, and at times when meals were served downstairs. And although they were in every nook the better and the brighter for her care, she entered and passed out as quietly as any sunbeam, opting that she left her light behind.

Shadowy company attended Florence up and down the echoing house, and sat with her in the dismantled rooms. As if her life were an enchanted vision, there arose out of her solitude ministering thoughts, that made it fanciful and unreal. She imagined so often what her life would have been if her father could have loved her and she had been a favourite child, that sometimes, for the moment, she almost believed it was so, and, borne on by the current of that pensive fiction, seemed to remember how they had watched her brother in his grave together; how they had freely shared his heart between them; how they were united in the dear remembrance of him; how they often spoke about him yet; and her kind father, looking at her gently, told her of their common hope and trust in God.

At other times she pictured to herself her mother yet alive. And oh the happiness of falling on her neck, and clinging to her with the love and confidence of all her soul! And oh the desolation of the solitary house again, with evening coming on, and no one there!

依舊沒有人知道這種情況。只要僕人們當她不在的時候沒有發現這一點——他們所有的人對董貝先生的房間都是誠惶誠恐，望而生畏的——，這個祕密就可以像先前一樣，深深地藏在她的心中。弗洛倫斯在清早天剛矇矇亮的時候以及僕人們在地下室用餐的時候，偷偷地走進這些房間。雖然房間裏每個角落由於她的照料變得更美好更明亮，但她卻仍像陽光一樣，無聲無息地進去和出來，唯一的差別是她把她的光留在後面。

虛幻的伴侶們伴隨着弗洛倫斯在這座能發出回聲的房屋中來來去去，跟她在這空蕩蕩的房間中坐在一起。彷彿她的生活是施加了魔力之後所產生的夢幻；她在孤獨中產生出一些思想，使得這種生活成爲虛幻的和非現實的。她經常想象：如果她的父親一直能夠愛她，她是他的掌上明珠的話，那麼她的生活將會是怎樣的；有時在片刻間她幾乎相信情況就是那樣的；在幻想海闊天空地翩翩飛翔之中，她彷彿記得，他們曾經怎樣一道到墳墓裏去看望他的弟弟，他們曾經怎樣任意地分享他的愛心；他們在對他的親切回憶中怎樣結合成爲一個整體；他們怎樣還經常談到他，他的慈愛的父親親切地望着她，跟她談到他們的共同希望和對上帝的共同信仰。

在其他時間中她想象母親好像還活着。啊，當她摟着她的脖子，懷着整個心靈的熱愛與信賴，抱住她的時候，這是何等幸福啊！可是，啊，在這冷落的公館中重新是一片淒涼；當晚上來臨的時候，一個人也沒有！