牛津书虫系列《圣诞欢歌》Chapter1 附中英双语文本

1 Marley's ghost
1．马利的鬼魂
It is important to remember that Jacob Marley was dead．Did Scrooge know that？Of course he did．
要记住雅各布·马利已经死了，这可是件重要的事儿。斯克罗吉知道这个吗？他当然知道。
Scrooge and Marley had been partners in London for many years，and excellent men of business they were，too．When Marley died，Scrooge continued with the business alone．Both names still stood above the office door：Scrooge and Marley．Sometimes people who were new to the business called Scrooge Scrooge，and sometimes Marley，but he answered to both names．He did not care what name they called him．The only thing that mattered to him was the business，and making money．
斯克罗吉和马利在伦敦曾是多年的合作伙伴，并且他们还都是精明的生意人。当马利死的时候，斯克罗吉一个人继续操持着生意。办公室门口的上方悬挂的依旧是两个人的名字：斯克罗吉和马利。有时初次来这儿打交道的人们喊斯克罗吉斯克罗吉，有时喊马利，但两个名字他都应答。他不在乎别人叫他什么名字。对他来说唯一重要的事情是他的生意和赚钱。
Oh！He was a hard，clever，mean old man，Scrooge was！ There was nothing warm or open about him．He lived a secretive，lonely life，and took no interest in other people at all．The cold inside him made his eyes red，and his thin lips blue，and his voice high and cross．It put white frost on his old head，his eyebrows and his chin．The frost in his heart made the air around him cold，too．In the hottest days of summer his office was as cold as ice，and it was just as cold in winter．
噢！他是一个刻雹精明、吝啬的老头儿，斯克罗吉的确是这样的！他没有丝毫热情，也从来不敞开心扉。他过着神秘、孤独的生活，对别人丝毫不感兴趣。他内心的冷漠使他的眼睛呈红色，他的薄唇呈蓝色，他的嗓音既高又暴躁。他的冷漠使他的老脑壳、眉毛和下巴罩上了白色的冰霜。他内心的冰雾使得他周围的空气都变得寒冷。在最炎热的夏日里他的办公室也很冰冷，就像冬天一样寒冷。
Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say，with a happy smile，‘My dear Scrooge，how are you？When will you come to see me？’No poor man asked him for money，no children asked him the time，no man or woman ever，in all his life， asked him the way．Animals as well as people were afraid of him．Dogs used to hide in doorways when they saw him coming．But what did Scrooge care！It was just what he wanted．He liked being on the edge of people's busy lives，while warning everyone to keep away from him．
走在街上没有人截住他并面带幸福的微笑向他说，“我亲爱的斯克罗吉，你好吗？你什么时候来我这里坐坐？”穷人没有向他讨过钱，孩子们没有向他问过时间。在他一生中，从没有任何人，无论男女，向他问过路。人和动物都怕他。狗见到他来了就藏到门廊下。但斯克罗吉在乎什么呢！这正是他梦寐以求的。他喜欢处在人们繁忙生活的边缘，他警告所有的人都离他远点儿。
One Christmas Eve，old Scrooge was working busily in his office．It was cold，frosty，foggy weather．Outside it was already dark，although it was only three o'clock in the afternoon，and there were candles in all the office windows The fog covered everything，like a thick grey blanket．
在一个圣诞前夜，老斯克罗吉正在办公室忙碌着。天气寒冷，还有霜冻，雾蒙蒙的。虽然才下午3点，但外面天已经黑了，办公室窗子里都亮起了蜡烛。雾就像一条厚厚的毯子笼罩了一切。
Scrooge kept his office door open，in order to check that his clerk，Bob Cratchit，was working．Bob spent his days in a dark little room，a kind of cupboard，next to his employer's office．Scrooge had a very small fire，but Bob's fire was much smaller．It was very cold in the cupboard，and Bob had to wear his long white scarf to try to keep warm．
斯克罗吉办公室的门总是敞开着，目的是监督他的雇员，鲍勃·克拉奇蒂有没有怠工。鲍勃整天呆在老板隔壁的一间小黑屋里，它实际是一个壁橱。斯克罗吉房间的火很小，鲍勃的火更校壁橱里冷极了，鲍勃不得不戴着他那条白色的长围巾取暖。
‘Merry Christmas，uncle！God bless you！’cried a happy voice．Scrooge's nephew had arrived．
“舅舅，圣诞快乐！上帝保佑你！”一个声音高兴地说。斯克罗吉的外甥已经到了。
‘Bah！’said Scrooge crossly．‘Humbug！’
“呸！”斯克罗吉恼怒地说。“骗人的东西！”
‘Christmas is humbug！Surely you don't mean that， uncle？’said his nephew．