狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第22章Part 9

'I'll come back, mother dear!' cried Rob. And passing through the shrill cry of his brothers and sisters in reception of this promise, he followed Mr Carker out.
'What!' said Mr Carker, who had heard this. 'You have a bad father, have you?'
'No, Sir!' returned Rob, amazed. 'There ain't a better nor a kinder father going, than mine is.'
'Why don't you want to see him then?' inquired his patron.
'There's such a difference between a father and a mother, Sir,' said Rob, after faltering for a moment. 'He couldn't hardly believe yet that I was doing to do better - though I know he'd try to but a mother - she always believes what's,' good, Sir; at least I know my mother does, God bless her!'
Mr Carker's mouth expanded, but he said no more until he was mounted on his horse, and had dismissed the man who held it, when, looking down from the saddle steadily into the attentive and watchful face of the boy, he said:
'You'll come to me tomorrow morning, and you shall be shown where that old gentleman lives; that old gentleman who was with me this morning; where you are going, as you heard me say.'
'Yes, Sir,' returned Rob.
'I have a great interest in that old gentleman, and in serving him, you serve me, boy, do you understand? Well,' he added, interrupting him, for he saw his round face brighten when he was told that: 'I see you do. I want to know all about that old gentleman, and how he goes on from day to day - for I am anxious to be of service to him - and especially who comes there to see him. Do you understand?'
Rob nodded his steadfast face, and said 'Yes, Sir,' again.
'I should like to know that he has friends who are attentive to him, and that they don't desert him - for he lives very much alone now, poor fellow; but that they are fond of him, and of his nephew who has gone abroad. There is a very young lady who may perhaps come to see him. I want particularly to know all about her.'
'I'll take care, Sir,' said the boy.
'And take care,' returned his patron, bending forward to advance his grinning face closer to the boy's, and pat him on the shoulder with the handle of his whip: 'take care you talk about affairs of mine to nobody but me.'
'To nobody in the world, Sir,' replied Rob, shaking his head.

“我會回來的，親愛的媽媽！”羅布喊道。弟弟妹妹們聽到了這個許諾後都發出了尖銳的歡叫聲，他就在這歡叫聲中跟着卡克先生出去。
“怎麼！”聽到這些談話的卡克先生說道，“你的爸爸不好，是不是？”
“不是，先生！”羅布驚異地回答道，“沒有哪一個爸爸能比我爸爸更善良更仁慈的了。”
“那麼你爲什麼不想看到他呢？”他的恩人問道。
“父親和母親是很不相同的，先生，”羅布躊躇了片刻之後說道，“現在他還不會相信我會改好——雖然我知道他會想法相信這一點的——可是母親，她總是相信好事，先生；至少我知道我母親是這樣。願上帝保佑她！”
卡克先生張開嘴巴，但沒有說什麼話，直到他騎上馬，辭退了看馬的人以後，才從馬鞍上凝視着孩子向他表示敬重的和注視着的臉，說道：
“明天早上你到我這裏來，那時我會向你指點那位先生住在哪裏；就是今天早上你在我那裏看到的那位先生；你聽我說過，你就是到他那裏去。”
“是的，先生，”羅布回答道。
“我對那位老先生很感興趣。你爲他服務就是爲我服務，孩子，你明白嗎？唔，”他看出他聽到這點，圓圓的臉上露出喜色，沒等到他開口，就接着說道，“看來你明白了。我想要知道這位老先生的一切，他一天天怎麼生活的——因爲我很想給他幫點忙——，特別是，我想要知道，誰到那裏去看他。你明白嗎？”
羅布像先前一樣全神貫注；他點着頭，又說了一聲：“是的，先生。”
“我想要知道，他有一些朋友，他們關心他，不拋棄他——因爲可憐的人，他現在十分孤單了——他們喜歡他，喜歡他的到外國去了的外甥。有一位很年輕的小姐也許會前去看他。我特別想要知道有關她的一切事情。”
“我會注意的，先生，”孩子說道。
“你還要注意，”他的恩人把露出牙齒的臉低下去，更湊近孩子一些，又用鞭子柄拍拍他的肩膀，“你要注意，我的事情你除了對我說以外，別跟任何人說。”
“我不跟世界上任何人說，先生，”羅布點點頭，回答道。