狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第20章Part 05

The Major being by this time in a state of repletion, with essence of savoury pie oozing out at the corners of his eyes, and devilled grill and kidneys tightening his cravat: and the time moreover approaching for the departure of the railway train to Birmingham, by which they were to leave town: the Native got him into his great—coat with immense difficulty, and buttoned him up until his face looked staring and gasping, over the top of that garment, as if he were in a barrel. The Native then handed him separately, and with a decent interval between each supply, his washleather gloves, his thick stick, and his hat; which latter article the Major wore with a rakish air on one side of his head, by way of toning down his remarkable visage. The Native had previously packed, in all possible and impossible parts of Mr Dombey's chariot, which was in waiting, an unusual quantity of carpet—bags and small portmanteaus, no less apoplectic in appearance than the Major himself: and having filled his own pockets with Seltzer water, East India sherry, sandwiches, shawls, telescopes, maps, and newspapers, any or all of which light baggage the Major might require at any instant of the journey, he announced that everything was ready. To complete the equipment of this unfortunate foreigner (currently believed to be a prince in his own country), when he took his seat in the rumble by the side of Mr Towlinson, a pile of the Major's cloaks and great—coats was hurled upon him by the landlord, who aimed at him from the pavement with those great missiles like a Titan, and so covered him up, that he proceeded, in a living tomb, to the railroad station.
But before the carriage moved away, and while the Native was in the act of sepulture, Miss Tox appearing at her window, waved a lilywhite handkerchief. Mr Dombey received this parting salutation very coldly — very coldly even for him — and honouring her with the slightest possible inclination of his head, leaned back in the carriage with a very discontented look. His marked behaviour seemed to afford the Major (who was all politeness in his recognition of Miss Tox) unbounded satisfaction; and he sat for a long time afterwards, leering, and choking, like an over—fed Mephistopheles.
During the bustle of preparation at the railway, Mr Dombey and the Major walked up and down the platform side by side; the former taciturn and gloomy, and the latter entertaining him, or entertaining himself, with a variety of anecdotes and reminiscences, in most of which Joe Bagstock was the principal performer. Neither of the two observed that in the course of these walks, they attracted the attention of a working man who was standing near the engine, and who touched his hat every time they passed; for Mr Dombey habitually looked over the vulgar herd, not at them; and the Major was looking, at the time, into the core of one of his stories. At length, however, this man stepped before them as they turned round, and pulling his hat off, and keeping it off, ducked his head to Mr Dombey.
'Beg your pardon, Sir,' said the man, 'but I hope you're a doin' pretty well, Sir.'
He was dressed in a canvas suit abundantly besmeared with coal—dust and oil, and had cinders in his whiskers, and a smell of half—slaked ashes all over him. He was not a bad—looking fellow, nor even what could be fairly called a dirty—looking fellow, in spite of this; and, in short, he was Mr Toodle, professionally clothed.
'I shall have the honour of stokin' of you down, Sir,' said Mr Toodle. 'Beg your pardon, Sir. — I hope you find yourself a coming round?'
Mr Dombey looked at him, in return for his tone of interest, as if a man like that would make his very eyesight dirty.

少校這時吃得飽飽的，鹹餡餅的液汁從他的眼角中滲流出來，辣子烤肉和腰子繃緊了他的領帶；火車開往伯明翰的時間已經臨近（他們是乘火車離開城市的），本地人非常困難地給他穿上厚大衣，扣上鈕釦；他的臉孔終於從衣服的頂端露了出來，眼睛鼓着往外看，嘴巴張着喘氣，彷彿他是裝在一個琵琶桶裏似的。接着，本地人把他的軟皮手套、粗手杖和帽子一件件地遞給他，每遞完一件總要隔適當的間歇才遞下一件。他把那頂帽子時髦地歪戴在頭的一邊，爲的是使他那驚人的面貌變得柔和一些。董貝先生的四輪輕便馬車正在外面等待着，本地人事先在馬車中一切可能的和不可能的角落裏塞滿了數量異常之多的氈制旅行提包和小旅行皮包；它們那鼓鼓囊囊的外表就跟少校本人一樣，好像患了中風症似的；本地人在自己的口袋中又塞滿了塞爾查礦泉水、東印度羣島的雪利酒、夾心麪包片、圍巾、望遠鏡、地圖和報紙，這一類隨身攜帶的輕便物品是少校在旅行中隨時可能要的。然後，本地人報告，一切都已準備就緒。爲了把這位不幸的外國人（人們傳說他在本國是位王子）裝備得齊全無缺，當他和託林森先生並排坐在馬車後座上的時候，房東又把一堆少校的斗篷和厚大衣猛擲到他身上；這位房東像一位泰坦，從鋪石路上把這些巨彈對準他投射過來，把他完全蒙蓋住了，他就像埋葬在一個活墳墓裏似地向着火車站前進。
但是在馬車出發之前，正當本地人被埋葬的時候，托克斯小姐出現在她的窗口，揮着一塊像百合花一樣純白的手絹。董貝先生很冷淡地——甚至對他來說也是很冷淡地——接受了這個送行的問候；他的頭極爲輕微地點了一下作爲回禮，然後神色十分不愉快地仰靠在馬車中。他這故意的態度使少校感到無比高興。（他倒很有禮貌地跟托克斯小姐打了招呼），後來他長久地坐在那裏，眼睛斜瞅着，嘴巴喘着氣，像吃得過多的梅菲斯托菲爾斯一樣。
在車站臨開車前忙忙亂亂的時間裏，董貝先生和少校在月臺上並排地走來走去；董貝先生沉默寡言，悶悶不樂，少校則以各種軼事和回憶（其中大部分的主要角色都是喬·白格斯托克）來使他或使他自己開心消遣。他們兩人誰也沒有注意到，他們在散步過程中已吸引了一位工人的注意；那位工人站在機車旁邊；他們每次從旁經過的時候，他都觸一觸帽檐向他們行禮；因爲董貝先生按照平時的習慣，沒有正面去看普通老百姓，而是越過他們的頭頂望出去；少校呢，正全神貫注地在講他的趣聞軼事，所以誰也沒有理會到這位工人。可是當他們向後轉的時候，那人終於走到他們面前，脫下帽子，拿在手中，向董貝先生低頭鞠躬。
“請原諒，先生，”那人說道，“我希望您身體健康，生活愉快，先生。”
他穿着一套帆布衣服，上面佈滿斑斑點點的煤灰和油垢，連鬢鬍子當中有着煤屑，全身上下散發出一股半熄滅的灰燼的氣味。儘管這樣，他並不是一個難看的人，也不能說他是個看上去骯髒的人；直接了當地說吧，他就是穿着工作服的圖德爾先生。
“我很榮幸將在這一路上爲你們往鍋爐裏添煤燒火，”圖德爾先生說道，“請原諒，先生，我希望您身體開始恢復過來了吧！”
董貝先生嫌惡地看着他，回答他那關切的聲調，彷彿像他那樣的人甚至會把他的視野也玷污了似的。