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Walter was not very long in mounting to his lofty garret and descending from it, but in the meantime Florence, overcome by fatigue, had sunk into a doze before the fire. The short interval of quiet, though only a few minutes in duration, enabled Solomon Gills so far to collect his wits as to make some little arrangements for her comfort, and to darken the room, and to screen her from the blaze. Thus, when the boy returned, she was sleeping peacefully.
沃尔特登上很高的顶楼，又从上面下来，并没有花很久的时间；但在这段时间里，弗洛伦斯经受不住疲累，已经在壁炉前面打盹了。平静下来的时间虽然只有几分钟，但它却使所罗门?吉尔斯镇静下来，稍稍安排一下，使她舒适一些；他把房间的光线弄暗，又把炉火跟她遮隔开来。因此，当男孩子回到客厅的时候，她正宁静地睡着。
'That's capital!' he whispered, giving Solomon such a hug that it squeezed a new expression into his face. 'Now I'm off. I'll just take a crust of bread with me, for I'm very hungry - and don't wake her, Uncle Sol.'
“好极了！”他低声说道，一边把所罗门紧紧地一抱，抱得他脸孔都变了样。“现在我走了。我得带一块干面包片，因为我饿极了——还有，别喊醒她，所尔舅舅。”
'No, no,' said Solomon. 'Pretty child.'
“不会的，不会的，”所罗门说道。“漂亮的孩子。”
'Pretty, indeed!' cried Walter. 'I never saw such a face, Uncle Sol. Now I'm off.'
“确实漂亮！”沃尔特喊道。“我从来没有见到 过这样的脸孔，所尔舅舅。现在我走了。”
'That's right,' said Solomon, greatly relieved.
“很好，”所罗门大大宽慰地说道。
'I say, Uncle Sol,' cried Walter, putting his face in at the door.
“我说，所尔舅舅，”沃尔特在门口探进头来，喊道。
'Here he is again,' said Solomon.
“他又在这里啊，”所罗门说道。
'How does she look now?'
“她现在看上去怎么样？”
'Quite happy,' said Solomon.
“很幸福，”所罗门 说道。
'That's famous! now I'm off.'
“太好了！现在我走了。”
'I hope you are,' said Solomon to himself.
“我希望你真的走了，”所罗门自言自语道。
'I say, Uncle Sol,' cried Walter, reappearing at the door.
“我说，所尔舅舅，”沃尔特又出现在门口，说道。
'Here he is again!' said Solomon.
“他又在这里哪，”所罗门说道。
'We met Mr Carker the Junior in the street, queerer than ever. He bade me good-bye, but came behind us here - there's an odd thing! - for when we reached the shop door, I looked round, and saw him going quietly away, like a servant who had seen me home, or a faithful dog. How does she look now, Uncle?'
“我们在街上遇到低级职员卡克先生。他比过去更加古怪了。他跟我告别了，但却跟在我们后面，一直跟到这里—— 这真是一件希奇的事情！——因为当我们到达店门口的时候，我向四周看了一下，看到他不声不响地走了，就像是一位护送我回家的仆人或一条忠心耿耿的狗一样。现在她看上去怎么样，舅舅？”
'Pretty much the same as before, Wally,' replied Uncle Sol.
“像先前一样漂亮，沃利，”所尔舅舅回答道。
'That's right. Now I am off!'
“不错，现在我走了！”
And this time he really was: and Solomon Gills, with no appetite for dinner, sat on the opposite side of the fire, watching Florence in her slumber, building a great many airy castles of the most fantastic architecture; and looking, in the dim shade, and in the close vicinity of all the instruments, like a magician disguised in a Welsh wig and a suit of coffee colour, who held the child in an enchanted sleep.
这一次他真正走了。所罗门?吉尔斯没有吃晚饭的胃口，他坐在壁炉的对面，望着熟睡中的弗洛伦斯，构筑着许多异想天开的空中楼阁；在朦胧的阴影中，在所有仪器的旁边，他看上去就像是一位戴着威尔士假发，穿着一套咖啡色衣服的魔术师；他已施行了魔法，使孩子睡着了。
In the meantime, Walter proceeded towards Mr Dombey's house at a pace seldom achieved by a hack horse from the stand; and yet with his head out of window every two or three minutes, in impatient remonstrance with the driver. Arriving at his journey's end, he leaped out, and breathlessly announcing his errand to the servant, followed him straight into the library, we there was a great confusion of tongues, and where Mr Dombey, his sister, and Miss Tox, Richards, and Nipper, were all congregated together.
在这同时，沃尔特正向着董贝先生的公馆前进，这样快的速度是从街头租用的马车很少能达到的；可是他的头每隔两三分钟还要从窗子中往外探出一次，急不可耐地催促着车夫。抵达旅途终点后，他从马车中跳出来，气喘吁吁地 把他的使命向仆人通报，然后就跟着他直接到了图书室；图书室里七嘴八舌，一片混乱，董贝先生，他的妹妹，托克斯小姐，理查兹和尼珀全都聚集在那里。
'Oh! I beg your pardon, Sir,' said Walter, rushing up to him, 'but I'm happy to say it's all right, Sir. Miss Dombey's found!'
“啊，我请您原谅，先生，”沃尔特急急忙忙向他跑去，说道，“但我很高兴向您报告：一切都好，先生。董贝小姐已经找到了！”
The boy with his open face, and flowing hair, and sparkling eyes, panting with pleasure and excitement, was wonderfully opposed to Mr Dombey, as he sat confronting him in his library chair.
这男孩子面容坦诚，头发飘垂，眼睛闪耀，气喘吁吁，心情喜悦、兴奋，与坐在图书室椅子上、正对着他的董贝先生形成了奇怪的、截然不同的对照。 |
