狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第19章Part 11

The relentless chronometer at last announced that Walter must turn his back upon the wooden Midshipman: and away they went, himself, his Uncle, and the Captain, in a hackney-coach to a wharf, where they were to take steam-boat for some Reach down the river, the name of which, as the Captain gave it out, was a hopeless mystery to the ears of landsmen. Arrived at this Reach (whither the ship had repaired by last night's tide), they were boarded by various excited watermen, and among others by a dirty Cyclops of the Captain's acquaintance, who, with his one eye, had made the Captain out some mile and a half off, and had been exchanging unintelligible roars with him ever since. Becoming the lawful prize of this personage, who was frightfully hoarse and constitutionally in want of shaving, they were all three put aboard the Son and Heir. And the Son and Heir was in a pretty state of confusion, with sails lying all bedraggled on the wet decks, loose ropes tripping people up, men in red shirts running barefoot to and fro, casks blockading every foot of space, and, in the thickest of the fray, a black cook in a black caboose up to his eyes in vegetables and blinded with smoke.
The Captain immediately drew Walter into a corner, and with a great effort, that made his face very red, pulled up the silver watch, which was so big, and so tight in his pocket, that it came out like a bung.
'Wal'r,' said the Captain, handing it over, and shaking him heartily by the hand, 'a parting gift, my lad. Put it back half an hour every morning, and about another quarter towards the arternoon, and it's a watch that'll do you credit.'
'Captain Cuttle! I couldn't think of it!' cried Walter, detaining him, for he was running away. 'Pray take it back. I have one already.'
'Then, Wal'r,' said the Captain, suddenly diving into one of his pockets and bringing up the two teaspoons and the sugar-tongs, with which he had armed himself to meet such an objection, 'take this here trifle of plate, instead.'

毫不留情的精密計時錶終於宣告：沃爾特必須離別木製海軍軍官候補生了。他們——他自己、舅舅和船長——乘着一輛出租馬車動身前往碼頭，再從碼頭搭乘汽艇到河流下面的一個河段；當船長說出它的名稱時，陸地上的人們聽起來真像是個不可思議、神奇莫測的祕密。當汽艇乘着昨夜的漲潮，開到這個河段之後，他們被一羣情緒興奮的劃小船的船家團團圍住，裏面有一位是船長認識的骯髒的賽克洛普斯；他雖然只有一隻眼睛，但在一英里半之外就認出了船長，從那時起就跟他交換着難以理解的麼喝。這位鬍子拉碴、嗓子嘶啞得可怕的人，把他們三人當成了合法的戰利品，運送到“兒子和繼承人”號上。“兒子和繼承人”號上十分混亂，沾着泥水的船帆被撂在溼漉漉的甲板上，沒有拉緊的繩索把人們絆倒，穿着紅襯衫的船員們赤着腳跑來跑去，木桶堵塞着每一小塊空處；在這一切雜亂的中心，甲板上黑廚房中的一位黑廚師周圍堆滿了蔬菜，一直堆到他的眼睛底下，他的眼睛被煙薰得幾乎失明。
船長立即把沃爾特拉到一個角落裏，臉孔漲得通紅，使勁地拉出了那隻銀表；那隻表很大，在他的衣袋中塞得又很緊，所以把它拉出的時候就像從桶口拔出個大塞子似的。
“沃爾，”船長把它遞過去，並熱烈地握着他的手說道，“這是告別的禮物，我的孩子。每天早上把它往後撥半小時，到中午再往後撥一刻鐘左右。這隻表是你可以引以自豪的。”
“卡特爾船長！我不能要這個！”沃爾特喊道，一邊攔住他，因爲他正要跑開。“請拿回去。我已經有一隻了。”
“那麼，沃爾，”船長突然把手伸進另一隻口袋。取出兩隻茶匙和一副方糖箝子，他裝備着這些東西就是爲了防備遭到拒絕時用的。“就請改拿走這些喝茶用的小東西吧！”