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译《雾都孤儿》第二章:奥利弗的第一份工作(一)

译《雾都孤儿》第二章:奥利弗的第一份工作(一)

作者: 微凉_Elena | 来源:发表于2018-10-14 21:16 被阅读22次

Oliver stayed a prisoner alone in the dark room for a week. He cried bitterly all day, and when the long night came, he spread his little hands over his eyes to shut out the darkness, and tried to sleep. He was given freezing water to wash with, and was beaten day by Mr Bumble in front of all the other boys in the hall, as a warning to them.

奥利弗被单独关黑屋一个星期,他整日哭泣,只有到晚上时,他才用手挡住眼睛,尽力让自己睡觉。寒冷的清晨,当孩子们都在大厅时,班布尔先生让人给奥利弗一盆冰水净脸,当作是对其他孩子的警告。

One day Mr Bumble met the local undertaker. Mr Sowerberry, outside the workhouse.

一天,班布尔先生在济贫院外碰见了承办当地殡葬事务的苏尔伯雷先生。

'Do you know anybody who want to  train a boy for work, Mr Sowerberry?' Mr Bumble pointed at the notice on the wall above him, which offered five pounds to anybody who would take Oliver Twist for work.

“苏尔伯雷先生,您知道有谁想要学徒吗?”班布尔先生指着面前墙上的告示问,布告内容为:无论谁带走奥利弗,都可以获得5英镑。

Mr Sowerberry rubbed his chin and thought for a while. 'I pay enough for the poor with my taxes,' he said, 'so why shouldn't i be able to make use of them in my work? Yes, i'll take the boy myself.'

苏尔伯雷先生托腮想了想。“我替穷人缴了好大一笔税呢”他说,“我为什么不让他来替我工作?嗯,我自给要这个孩子。”

And so the board agreed to send Oliver to work for the undertaker. The necessary papers were signed. Oliver's small possessions were put into a brown paper parcel, and he was led to Mr Sowerberry's house by Mr Bumble. As they walked along, tears began to run down Oliver's face.

董事会同意让奥利弗去殡葬承办人那儿工作,相关文件已签好。奥利弗的全部家当都装在一个棕色袋子里,班布尔先生带着他去苏尔伯雷先生那。奥利弗在路上又忍不住地哭了起来。

'What is it this time?'asked Mr Bumble impatiently. 'Don't be so ungrateful. This gentleman is going to look after you.'

“又是怎么了?”班布尔先生不耐烦地问,“别哭了,苏尔伯雷先生会照顾好你的。”

'It's just that i'm so lonely, sir!' said the child. 'Everybody hates me. Please don't be angry with me, sir!'

“我只是觉得很孤单,先生”奥利弗说,“每个人都讨厌我,请别对我发火,先生。”

Even Mr Bumble felt a little pity. He coughed, told Oliver to dry his eyes and be a good boy, and walked on with him in silence.

班布尔先生有些诧异,咳了一下,让奥利弗擦干眼泪,做个听话的孩子,又继续赶路。

The undertaker had just finished work for the day when Mr Bumble entered his shop.

班布尔先生到苏尔伯雷先生的店里时,殡葬承办人刚好忙完当天的活。

'Here, i've brought the boy!' said the beadle.

“这,我把那孩子带过来了”干事说。

Oliver bowed to the undertaker, who raised his candle to get a better view of the boy. 'Mrs Sowerberry,' he called, 'Came and have a look.'

奥利弗朝殡葬承办人鞠了一躬,殡葬承办人举起蜡烛想看清奥利弗。“苏尔伯雷夫人,”他大喊,“过来,看看那孩子。”

His wife a short, thin woman with adisagreeable face, came out to see. 'He's very small,' she said immediately.

苏尔伯雷太太出来了,她是个身材矮小、形体消瘦的女人,一脸狠毒泼辣的神色。“他太瘦小了。”她开口说。

'He is,' agreed Mr Bumble, 'but he'll grow, Mrs Sowerberry.'

“是小了点,”班布尔先生附和道,“可他还会长的,苏尔伯雷夫人。”

'Yes,' she said crossly, 'when he eats our food. Go on, get downstairs.' She pushed Oliver downstairs into a damp, dark kitchen, and called to the girl working down there. 'Here, Charlotte, give this boy some meat that the dog left - if he thinks it's good enough for him'

“当然会长,”她没好气地说,“那是他要吃我们的、喝我们的。过来,到楼下去。”她推搡着奥利弗到楼下潮湿阴暗的厨房,朝在那忙活的女孩喊。“过来,夏洛特,给这个男孩拿些狗吃剩的肉―他要不介意的话。”

Oliver tore meat to pieces with his teeth as if he were a wild animal. Mrs Sowerberry watched him in silent horror, already thinking about her future food bills, then took him upstairs to the shop.

奥利弗狼吞虎咽用牙齿将肉撕碎,苏尔伯雷夫人惊恐地看着奥利弗吃饭,忧心他以后的胃口,又把他带去了楼上的店里。

'You'll sleep here, among the coffins,' she said.

“你就睡这,在这些棺材中间。”她说。

Oliver stared around the dark, airless shop at the coffins, some finished, some only half-made. he trembled at the thought of ghosts. His bed was a small hole in the floor, and looked very like a grave.

奥利弗环顾漆黑、毫无生气的棺材店,有些棺材已经做好了,有些才做了一半。他想到鬼魂就直打哆嗦,他的床就是地板上的一处凹槽,像极了墓地。

But it was not only the room that depressed Oliver. He felt very lonely, with no friends and no one to care for him. As he lay on the bed, he found himself wishing that it really was his grave.

但让奥利弗觉得压抑不止是房间,他感到很孤单,没有朋友也没人关心他。他躺到床上时,倒希望那真是自己的墓地。

The next morning he woken up by someone kicking at the shop door.

第二天早晨,奥利弗是被踢门声吵醒的。

'Open the door, will you?' shouted a voice through the keyhole.

“开门,听见了吗?”一个声音透过锁孔喊。

'Yes, sir.'

“好的,先生”

'I suppose you're the new boy.' said the voice through the keyhole. 'How old are you?'

“你就是新来的男孩吧。”透过锁孔传来的声音问,“今年多大?”

'Ten, sir.'

“10岁,先生”

'Then i'll hit you when i get in.'said the voice.

“那等我进去就得揍你一顿。”那声音说。

Oliver was experienced enough to know that the promise was probably true. He opened the door with a shaking hand, then looked up and down the street. All he could see was a large boy wearing the uniform of one of the charity schools, where the children of the very poor used to go.

奥利弗碰到过许多这种说到做到的事。他双手颤抖地打开门,四下张望街道。他就看到了一个身穿慈善学校校服的大男孩,只有穷人家的孩子才去慈善学校。

'Did you want a coffin?'asked Oliver innocently.

“你是要买棺材吗?”奥利弗天真地问。

The charity boy looked at him fiercely. 'You'll be needing a coffin soon, workhouse, if you make jokes like that. I'm Mister Noah Claypole, and you're working under me. Now, hurry up and open the curtains!' As he said this, he kicked Oliver and entered the shop. He was a big, clumsy boy of about fourteen, with a large head and very small eyes. Added to these attractions were a red nose and dirty yellow trousers.

慈善学校学生露出一副凶神恶煞的样子。“你很快会需要一口棺材的,济贫院小子,你要是再说这种话。我是敏斯特·诺亚·克莱波尔,你属我管。现在,快点将窗帘拉开。”他说这话时,顺带踢了奥利弗一脚,才进店里。他是一个身材粗笨、面容呆板、头大鼠眼的14岁男孩,更何况还有一个为他增加魅力红鼻子和一条脏黄裤。

更多译文:

《雾都孤儿》更新中

《多里安·格雷的画像》(完)

《秘密花园》(完)

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。

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