双语小说连载:《董贝父子》第二章 Part 2
'Not at all,' returned Miss Tox. 'Don't say so. Arriving at the house (the cleanest place, my dear! You might eat your dinner off the floor), I found the whole family sitting at table; and feeling that no account of them could be half so comfortable to you and Mr Dombey as the sight of them all together, I brought them all away. This gentleman,' said Miss Tox, pointing out the apple-faced man, 'is the father. Will you have the goodness to come a little forward, Sir?'
The apple-faced man having sheepishly complied with this request, stood chuckling and grinning in a front row.
'This is his wife, of course,' said Miss Tox, singling out the young woman with the baby. 'How do you do, Polly?'
'I'm pretty well, I thank you, Ma'am,' said Polly.
By way of bringing her out dexterously, Miss Tox had made the inquiry as in condescension to an old acquaintance whom she hadn't seen for a fortnight or so.
“您一向是这样热心、善良,我亲爱的托克斯!”路易莎说道。
“哪里,”托克斯小姐回答道。“别这么说。我到达了她的家(那是极为干净的地方,我亲爱的!您可以在地板上吃饭),发现全家人正坐桌边;我觉得我向您和董贝先生不管怎么说,也远不如让你们亲眼看一看他们全家人更能使你们放心,所以我就把他们全都带来了。这位先生,”托克斯小姐指着那位脸像苹果一样的男子说,“是父亲。劳驾您能往前站一点儿,好吗,先生?”那位脸像苹果一样的男子羞怯地听从了这个请求,站在第一排,露出牙齿,吃吃地笑着。
“这当然是他的妻子罗,”托克斯小姐指着那位抱婴孩的女人,说道,“您好吗,波利?”
“我很好,谢谢您,夫人,”波利说道。
为了巧妙地介绍她,托克斯小姐发问的时候,就仿佛是对待一位她只有两个星期没见面的老熟人似的。
'I'm glad to hear it,' said Miss Tox. 'The other young woman is her unmarried sister who lives with them, and would take care of her children. Her name's Jemima. How do you do, Jemima?'
'I'm pretty well, I thank you, Ma'am,' returned Jemima.
'I'm very glad indeed to hear it,' said Miss Tox. 'I hope you'll keep so. Five children. Youngest six weeks. The fine little boy with the blister on his nose is the eldest The blister, I believe,' said Miss Tox, looking round upon the family, 'is not constitutional, but accidental?'
The apple-faced man was understood to growl, 'Flat iron.
'I beg your pardon, Sir,' said Miss Tox, 'did you?
'Flat iron,' he repeated.
'Oh yes,' said Miss Tox. 'Yes! quite true. I forgot. The little creature, in his mother's absence, smelt a warm flat iron. You're quite right, Sir. You were going to have the goodness to inform me, when we arrived at the door that you were by trade a'
'Stoker,' said the man.
'A choker!' said Miss Tox, quite aghast.
'Stoker,' said the man. 'Steam ingine.'
'Oh-h! Yes!' returned Miss Tox, looking thoughtfully at him, and seeming still to have but a very imperfect understanding of his meaning.
'And how do you like it, Sir?'
'Which, Mum?' said the man.
'That,' replied Miss Tox. 'Your trade.'
'Oh! Pretty well, Mum. The ashes sometimes gets in here;' touching his chest: 'and makes a man speak gruff, as at the present time. But it is ashes, Mum, not crustiness.'
“听您这么说我感到很高兴,”托克斯小姐说道,“另外那一位姑娘是她还没有出嫁的妹妹,她跟他们住在一起,照看她的孩子。她的名字叫杰迈玛。您好吗,杰迈玛?”
“我很好,谢谢您,夫人,”杰迈玛回答道。
“听您这么说我感到很高兴,”托克斯小姐说道,“我希望您将一直和现在一样。五个孩子。最小的只六个星期。那个可爱的、鼻子上有一个水疱的小男孩是最大的孩子。我想那水疱,”托克斯小姐向全家人看了一眼,说道,“不是由于体质上的原因,而是由于意外事故产生的吧?”
只听见那位脸像苹果一样的男子粗声粗气地说道,“熨斗”。
“对不起,先生,我没听清楚,”托克斯小姐说道,“您是说?——”
“熨斗,”他重复说道。
“啊对了,”托克斯小姐说道,“对了,完全正确。我忘记了。这小家伙当他母亲不在的时候,去闻了一下发烫的熨斗。您说得一点也不错,先生。当我们到达这个房屋门口的时候,承蒙您的好意,您正要告诉我,您的职业是——”
“司炉。”
“杀骡?”托克斯小姐十分吃惊地说道。
“司炉,”那男子说道,“蒸汽机。”
“啊,是的!”托克斯小姐答道,一边若有所思地望着他,似乎还很不完全了解他的意思。
“您喜欢它吗,先生?”
“什么,夫人?”那男子问道。
“就是那,”托克斯小姐回答道,“您的职业。”
“啊,挺喜欢的,夫人。灰有时跑进这里,”他指一指胸膛,“它使人的声音粗哑,就像我现在这样。但这是由于灰,而不是由于脾气粗暴造成的。”
注释:take care of: 照顾;注意;抚养
例句:
1. Please take care of yourself.
请多保重。
2. Take care of our environment .
呵护我们的环境。