双语小说连载:《董贝父子》第五章 Part 2

     'In deed!' said Miss Tox. 'Ah dear me!'
      A tone of most extraordinary compassion Miss Tox said it in, though she had no distinct idea why, except that it was expected of her.
      'Florence will never, never, never be a Dombey,'said Mrs Chick, 'not if she lives to be a thousand years old.'
Miss Tox elevated her eyebrows, and was again full of commiseration.

      “真的吗？”托克斯小姐说道，“哎呀！”
      托克斯小姐是用一种非常怜悯的声调说的，虽然她并不清楚为什么要用这样的声调，她只知道奇克夫人期望她这样说。
      “弗洛伦斯永远、永远、永远也不会像董贝家里的人，”奇克夫人说道，“即使她活一千岁，也不会。”
托克斯小姐扬起眉毛，再次充满了怜悯。

      'I quite fret and worry myself about her,' said Mrs Chick, with a sigh of modest merit. 'I really don't see what is to become of her when she grows older, or what position she is to take. She don't gain on her Papa in the least. How can one expect she should, when she is so very unlike a Dombey?'

      “我为她感到很焦急，很烦恼，”奇克夫人端庄、贤惠地叹了一口气，说道，“我实在不知道她长大了会变成一个什么样的人，或者她将会有什么样的地位。她丝毫没能使她爸爸喜欢她。她这样不像董贝家里的人，谁又能指望她能使她爸爸喜欢她呢？”

      Miss Tox looked as if she saw no way out of such a cogent argument as that, at all.

      托克斯小姐表露出一副神情，仿佛她觉得根本无法反驳这样令人信服的论断似的。

      'And the child, you see,' said Mrs Chick, in deep confidence, 'has poor dear Fanny's nature. She'll never make an effort in after-life, I'll venture to say. Never! She'll never wind and twine herself about her Papa's heart like - '

      “您知道，这孩子的性格跟可怜的范妮一样，”奇克夫人满有信心地说道，“我敢说，她在今后的生活中永远也不会作出努力。永远不会！她永远不会曲曲弯弯，缠绕住她爸爸的心，就像那——”

      'Like the ivy?' suggested Miss Tox.
      'Like the ivy,' Mrs Chick assented. 'Never! She'll never glide and nestle into the bosom of her Papa's affections like - the - '
      'Startled fawn?' suggested Miss Tox.
      'Like the startled fawn,' said Mrs Chick. 'Never! Poor Fanny! Yet, how I loved her!'

      “就像那常春藤一样？”托克斯小姐提示道。
      “就像那常春藤一样，”奇克夫人同意道，“永远不会！她永远不会悄悄地藏到她爸爸慈爱的心窝中，安卧在那里，就像那——”
      “就像那受惊的小鹿一样？”托克斯小姐提示道。
      “就像那受惊的小鹿一样，”奇克夫人说道，“永远不会！可怜的范妮！可是，我是多么爱她啊！”

注释：cogent  adj. 强有力的；使人信服的
例句：
1. The lawyer's cogent arguments convince the jury.
这位律师强有力的争辩博得陪审团之信服。
2. The result is a cogent explanation of inflation. 
 结果令人信服地解释了通货膨胀问题。