'I knew it was too generous to him.' said Mrs Sowerberry, raising her eyes to the ceiling.
“我知道是我对他太慷慨了。”苏尔伯里夫人说完，抬头望着天花板。
At that moment Mr Sowerberry returned and, hearing what had happened(according to the ladies), he beat Oliver so hard that even Mr Bumble and Mrs Sowerberry were satisfied. Mr Sowerberry was not a curel man, but he had no choice. He knew that if he didn't punish Oliver, his wife would never forgive him.
这时，苏尔伯里先生回来了，从女士口中听说了发生的事，狠狠地打了奥利弗一顿，这让班布尔先生和苏尔伯里夫人都很满意。苏尔伯里先生不是个恶人，但又没办法。他懂他要是不教训奥利弗一顿，他夫人永远都不会原谅他的。
That night, alone in the room with the coffins, Oliver cried bitter, lonely tears. He did not sleep, and very early in the morning, before anyone was awake, he quietly unlocked the shop door and left the house. He ran up the street and through the town as far as the main road, where he saw a sign that told him it was just seventy miles from there to London. The name London gave the boy an idea. That huge place! Nobody, not even Mr Bumble, could ever find him there! He had heard old man in the workhouse say it was a good place for brave boys, and that there was always work there for those that wanted it. It would be the best place for him. He jumped to his feet and walked forward again.
当晚，奥利弗独自呆在放棺材的房间里放声大哭。一宿没合眼，清早在所有人都还没醒来前，他轻手轻脚地打开棺材铺的门，走了出去。他跑到街上，穿过离主干道很远的城镇，他在那看到一块路标，显示那距伦敦仅70英里。伦敦――让奥利弗有的念头是――那是座大城市。没人能在那找到他，就连班布尔先生也找不到他。他听济贫院的老人说过伦敦对于敢闯的人来说是个好地方，人们为了想要的在那儿不停地工作。对他来说，那应该是最好的地方了。他激动地跳了起来，便继续赶路了。
But after only miles he began to realize just how far he would have to walk. He stopped to think about it. He had a piece of bread, a rough shirt, two pairs of socks and a penny. But he would not see how these would help him to get to London any faster, so he continued walking.
但仅仅走了几公里，他就意识到他有多远的路要走。他停下来，仔细想了一下。他只有一块面包，一件粗布衬衫，两双袜子和一便士。但他看不出来这些东西能帮他快点到伦敦，他又继续赶路了。
He walked twenty miles that day. The only thing he had to eat was his piece of bread and some water which he begged from houses near the road. He slept the first night in a field, feeling lonely, tired, cold and hungry. He was even hungrier the next morning when he woke up, and he had to buy some more bread with his penny. That day he walked only twelve miles. His legs were so weak that they shook beneath him.
那天他走了20英里，只吃了他带的那块面包和喝了些向路边人家讨来的水。第一晚，他又冷又累又饿地睡在田野里。第二早上醒来时，觉得更饿了，他得用他的钱多买些面包 但那天他才走12英里，腿就软得直打颤。
The next day he tried to beg for money, but large signs in some villages warned him that anyone caught begging would be sent to prison. Travellers on the road refused to gave him money; they said he was lazy young dog and didn't deserve anything. Farmers threatened to send their dogs after him. When he waited outside pubs, the pub-owner chased him away because the thought he had come to steal something. Only two people were kind enough to feed him: an old woman and a gate-keeper on the road. If they had not given him some food, he surely would have died like his mother.
第三天他想讨些钱，但有些村庄拉着横幅警告他“任何人都能把行乞者送进监狱。”过路旅客也不愿向他伸出援手，他们说他是懒虫，根本不值得帮助。村民恐吓他说要放狗咬他。就连站在酒馆外时，酒馆店主也赶他，因为店主担心他会进店偷东西。只遇到了两个好人，并给了他吃食：一位老妇人，和一个在路上的守门人。要是他们都没给他一些吃食的话，他一定跟他妈妈一样，已经死了。
Early on the seventh morning of his journey, Oliver finally reached the little town of Barnet, just outside London. Exhausted, he sat down at the side of the road. His feet were bleeding and he was covered in dust. He was too tired even to beg. Then he noticed that a boy, who had passed him a few minutes before, had returned, and was now looking at him carefully from the opposite of the road. After a long time the boy crossed the road and said to Oliver.
旅程的第七天早上，奥利弗终于到了巴尼特小镇，是伦敦郊区。奥利弗筋疲力尽，便在路边坐了下来。他双脚都走破了在流血，身上也满身尘土，已经累到连乞讨都有心无力。然后他注意到一个男孩，几分钟前从他面前路过的男孩，又走回来了，正在马路对面打量着他。过了一会，男孩穿过马路，找奥利弗说话。
'Hello! What's the matter then?'
The boy was about Oliver's age, but was one of the strangest-looking people he had even seen. He had a dirty, ordinary boy's face, but he behaved as if he were an adult. He was short for his age and had little, sharp, ugly eyes. He hat was stuck on the top of this head but it looked as though it would blow off at any minute. He wore a man's coat which reached almost down to his feet, with sleeves so long that his hands were completely covered.
“哈喽，这是怎么了？”男孩和奥利弗差不多大年纪，但却是奥利弗见过的最奇怪的人。他脸脏兮兮的、跟其他男孩子一样稚嫩，但行为举止却像个大人般老成。他身高比实际年龄要矮些，有双犀利精明的小眼睛，头上戴着一顶帽子好像随时要被风吹走的样子，穿了件男士外套直到脚踝，长长的衣袖把他的手整个都遮住了。
'I'm very tired and hungry.' answered Oliver, almost crying. 'I've been walking for a week.'
“我很累，也很饿。”奥利弗回，声音像要哭似的，“我已经走了一个星期了。”
'A week! The Magistrate's order, was it?'
“一个星期！是治安推事让走的吗？”
'The magistrate? What's that?'
“治安推事？什么是治安推事？”
'A magistrate's kind of judge.' explained the surprise young gentleman. He realized Oliver did not have much experience of the world. 'Never mind that. You want some food.' he went on. 'I haven't got much money, but don't worry - i'll pay.'
“治安推事是一种地方法官，”小绅士吃了一惊，解释道。他意识到奥利弗没什么社会经验。“别管它，你应该要些吃的，”他继续说，“我也没什么钱，但别担心――够买吃的。”
The boy helped Oliver to his feet, and took him to a pub. Meat, bread and beer were placed before Oliver, and his new friend urged him to satisfy his hunger. While Oliver was eating, the strange boy looked at him from time to time with great attention.
男孩帮奥利弗从头到脚打理了一番，再把他带到一家酒馆。肉，面包和酒都放到了奥利弗面前，他的新朋友催促他快点开吃。当奥利弗在吃的时候，这个陌生的男孩时不时地在打量他。
更多译文：
PS:本书为牛津系列简易读物，有著名作家查理德·罗杰根据英国作家查尔斯·狄更斯的同名小说改写。英文为书虫系列原文，译文是笔者翻译。
另本文仅因个人兴趣而译，故本文谢绝转载和各种商业用途，同时承诺若出现任何责任由作者承担，必要时简书可删除文章。
网友评论