The next day Oliver travelled with Mr Brownlow, Dr Losberne, Mrs Maylie and Rose back to his birthplace. He had been told a little of his history, and knew that there would be more explanations at the end of this journey. He was anxious and uncertain, wondering what he would hear.
第二天，奥利弗随布朗罗先生、罗斯伯利医生、梅莱太太及罗斯小姐一同出游，要回他的出生地。他已了解一些自己的过去，旅行结束他会知道更多。他非常焦虑，常想他会知道些什么。
But towards the end of the journey, he began to recognize familiar places, and in great excitement pointed them out to Rose. There was the path he had taken when he had run away. There, across the fields, was the 'baby farm'. Then, as they drove into the town. he saw the house of Mr Sowerberry the undertaker, and the workhouse that had been his prison.
但随着越来越接近目的地，奥利弗认出了他以前熟悉的地方，激动地把它们指给罗斯小姐看。那条路是他逃跑时走的路。那块地的对面是“托儿所”。然后，他们开车到镇上时，他看到殡葬人苏尔伯里先生的铺，再就是济贫院他的牢笼。
They stopped at the biggest hotel in the town, and went in to their rooms. During dinner Mr Brownlow stayed in a separate room, and the older members of the group went in and out with serious faces. Mrs Maylie came back with her eyes red from crying. All this made Rose and Oliver, who had not been told any new secrets, very nervous and uncomfortable.
他们在镇上最大的旅店前下车，再分开各自进了房间。晚餐期间，布朗罗先生坐在包房里，一群人里年级大的几个人都神情严肃地进出包房。梅莱太太出来时，哭得双眼通红。这一切都让不知道缘由的奥利弗和罗斯小姐很不安。
At nine o'clock Dr Losberne and Mr Brownlow brought Monks into the room. Oliver was very surprised; this was the same man he had bumped into once outside a pub, and seen another time with Fagin, looking in at him through the window of the country cottage. Oliver was told that Monks was his half-brother, and the boy stared at him in shock and amazement. Monks looked back at him with hatred.
21点时，罗斯伯利医生和布朗罗先生将蒙克斯带进屋。奥利弗吓了一跳。这就是那个他之前在酒吧外撞上的人，也是和费金一起在乡下小屋的窗外看他的人。奥利弗听到说蒙克斯是他同父异母的哥哥，奥利弗一脸震惊地盯着他，蒙克斯却满脸厌恶地看着他。
'We have the whole story here in these papers,' said Mr Brownlow, putting them on the table. 'All we need now is for you to sign them, Monks, And to tell Oliver what happened.'
“所有的事情都写在纸上了”布朗罗先生说完，便将文件放在桌上。“现在就等你签字了，蒙克斯，跟奥利弗说说前因后果。”
Monks started hesitantly. 'My father had arrived in Italy to collect the money he had inherited, when suddenly he fell ill. When he died, we found two papers in his desk. One was a letter to his girl; the other was a will.'
蒙克斯有些犹豫。“我父亲在意大利接受他继承的钱时，突然病倒。他死后，我们在他桌上发现两份文件。一封是给他心爱的女孩的信；另一份是遗嘱。”
'What was the letter? asked Mr Brownlow。
“信中说了什么？”布朗罗先生问。
'It was written when he was ill, telling the girl how ashamed he was that she was pregnant. He asked her not to remember him as a bad man but as someone who had made a mistake. He reminded her of the day he'd given her the locket and ring.'
“信是他在病中写的，说她怀孕了他很自责。他让她把他想成一个负心汉忘了他，而他也是个有过前科的人。他还写到他送她的项链盒和耳环。 ”
Oliver's tears fell fast as he listened to the story of his father.
奥利弗泪流满面地听着他父亲的过往。
'And what about the will?' asked Mr Brownlow.
“那遗嘱呢？”布朗罗先生接着问。
Monks was silent.
蒙克斯一阵沉默。
'The will,' continued Mr Brownlow, speaking for him, 'was in the same spirit as the letter. He talked of the misery of his marriage to his wife, and the evil character of you, Monks, his only son, who had been brought up by your mother to hate him. He left you and your mother an annual income of ￡800. The rest of his property he left to his girl Agnes and to their child, if it were born alive, and if it showed itself to be of a good, kind character. The money would only go to you, Monks, as the older son, if the younger turned out to be as evil as you.'
“关于遗嘱”布朗罗先生开口，代蒙克斯说。“大致内容与信一样。谈到了他痛苦的婚姻生活，他的夫人以及你的劣根性，蒙克斯，他唯一的孩子，他母亲将他一手带大，就为了让他恨他。他留给你和你母亲每年800英镑。剩下的钱留给他心爱的女孩安格尼斯和他们的孩子，如果那孩子平安落地，是个品性良善的孩子。蒙克斯，他的大儿子，如果小儿子也与你品性一样，钱财全部由你继承。”
'My mother,' said Monks, 'burnt this will and never sent the letter. The girl Agnes left her home in secret, so that her pregnancy would not bring shame on her family. I swore to my mother, when she was dying, that if I ever found my half-brother, I would do him all the harm I could. He would feel my hatred like a whip on his back. I paid Fagin to trap Oliver into a life of crime. But then he escaped, and that stupid, interfering girl Nancy talked to you. If I'd had the chance, I would have finished what I'd begun.' Monks stared at Oliver, and his lips moved in a silent curse.
“我母亲”蒙克斯说，“烧了遗嘱也没寄信。女孩安格尼斯悄悄离家出走了，这样她身怀六甲不会让家族蒙羞。我向母亲发过誓，即便在她死后，我找到同父异母的弟弟时，也要想方设法地加害于他。让他觉得我的恨意就像背后的阵阵阴风。我收买费金让他把奥利弗拉入偷盗行列，但他逃了，还有那又傻又气人的南希还将计划透露给你。我要是得逞，已经做好我一开始就想做的了。”蒙克斯盯着奥利弗，嘴里出声低咒。
'And the locket and ring?' asked Mr Brownlow.
“那项链盒与耳环呢？”布朗罗先生又问。
'I bought them from Mr and Mrs Bumble, who had stolen them from the nurse, who had stolen them from Agnes, the dead girl. I've already told you how I threw them into the river.'
“我从班布尔夫妇那买来的，他们是从护工身上偷来的，护工是从安格尼斯那个死人身上扒来的。我也告诉过你我是怎样将它们扔进河里的。”
Mr Brownlow turned to Rose. 'I have one more thing to explain,' he said to the girl.
布朗罗先生看向罗斯。“我还有一件事想弄明白。”他对罗斯说。
'I don't know if I have the strength to hear it now,' she murmured, 'having heard so much already.'
“我不知道我现在是否还有力气听了”她喃喃低语，“已经听了这么久的话。”
Mr Brownlow put his hand under her arm. 'You have a great deal of courage, dear child,' he said kindly. He turned to Monks. 'Do you know this young lady, sir?'
布朗罗先生伸手挽着罗斯。“你很勇敢，好孩子。”他轻声说。他看向蒙克斯。“你认识这位年轻的小姐吗，先生？”
更多译文：
PS:本书为牛津系列简易读物，由著名作家查理德·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。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