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As they stood deliberating in the street, a man passed them, who glanced quickly at Walter as he went by, as if he recognised him; but seeming to correct that first impression, he passed on without stopping.
当他们在街上商议的时候，有一个人从他们身旁经过，他走过时向沃尔特迅速地看了一眼，仿佛认识他似的；但是他接着似乎纠正了这个初步印象，就没有停下来，而是继续向前走了。
'Why, I think it's Mr Carker,' said Walter. 'Carker in our House. Not Carker our Manager, Miss Dombey - the other Carker; the Junior - Halloa! Mr Carker!'
“唔，我想那是卡克先生，”沃尔特说道。“我们公司的卡克先生。不是我们的卡克经理，董贝小姐，——是另一位卡克；是职位低的那一位——，喂！卡克先生！”
'Is that Walter Gay?' said the other, stopping and returning. 'I couldn't believe it, with such a strange companion.
“是沃尔特•盖伊吗？”那人停下脚步，转过身来，说道，“您跟这样一位奇怪的同伴在一起，使我不敢相信了。”
As he stood near a lamp, listening with surprise to Walter's hurried explanation, he presented a remarkable contrast to the two youthful figures arm-in-arm before him. He was not old, but his hair was white; his body was bent, or bowed as if by the weight of some great trouble: and there were deep lines in his worn and melancholy face. The fire of his eyes, the expression of his features, the very voice in which he spoke, were all subdued and quenched, as if the spirit within him lay in ashes. He was respectably, though very plainly dressed, in black; but his clothes, moulded to the general character of his figure, seemed to shrink and abase themselves upon him, and to join in the sorrowful solicitation which the whole man from head to foot expressed, to be left unnoticed, and alone in his humility.
当他站在街灯旁边，惊奇地听着沃尔特匆匆的解释时，他与他面前这两位手挽手的富于朝气的年轻人形成了鲜明的对照。他并不老，但是头发已经白了；仿佛由于承受着某种沉重的痛苦的负担，他已经曲背弯腰，在他疲惫与忧郁的脸上已经刻上了深深的皱纹。他眼睛中的光泽，脸部的表情，甚至说话的声音全都消沉、衰弱，毫无生气，仿佛他体内的精神已经化为灰烬了。他穿着一身黑色的服装，虽然很简朴，但也还体面；不过他的衣服跟他整个性格相配，穿在身上好像都收缩变小、自贬身价似的，又好像跟他整个人一起，从头到脚都表露 出忧伤的哀求：让他在蒙羞受辱的状态中默默无闻，孤独一人吧。
And yet his interest in youth and hopefulness was not extinguished with the other embers of his soul, for he watched the boy's earnest countenance as he spoke with unusual sympathy, though with an inexplicable show of trouble and compassion, which escaped into his looks, however hard he strove to hold it prisoner. When Walter, in conclusion, put to him the question he had put to Florence, he still stood glancing at him with the same expression, as if he had read some fate upon his face, mournfully at variance with its present brightness.
可是他对青年及希望的兴趣并没有随同他灵魂中其他的余烬一起熄灭，因为当沃尔特说话时，他怀着不寻常的同情注视着他那诚挚的脸，虽然在他的神色之间同时也流露出难以说明的忧虑与怜悯（尽管他竭力掩盖）。当沃尔特最后 把向弗洛伦斯提出的问题向他提出的时候，他仍站在那里用同样的表情看着他，仿佛他已在他的脸上令人伤心地读到了与它现在所呈现的活泼快乐的神情截然相反的命运。
'What do you advise, Mr Carker?' said Walter, smiling. 'You always give me good advice, you know, when you do speak to me. That's not often, though.'
“您看怎么好，卡克先生？”沃尔特微笑着说道。“虽然您并不常跟我谈话，但是当您跟我谈话时，您知道，您常常 给我提出一些好的意见。”
'I think your own idea is the best,' he answered: looking from Florence to Walter, and back again.
“我觉得您自己的意见最好，”他回答道；这时他的眼光从弗洛伦斯身上移到沃尔特身上，然后又移回去。
'Mr Carker,' said Walter, brightening with a generous thought, 'Come! Here's a chance for you. Go you to Mr Dombey's, and be the messenger of good news. It may do you some good, Sir. I'll remain at home. You shall go.'
“卡克先生，”沃尔特心中闪现出一个慷慨大方的想法，“对了！这对您是个机会！请您到董贝先生家里去向他报告这个好消息。它对您会有一些好处，先生。我就留在家里。您一定去。”
'I!' returned the other.
“我！”那一位回答道。
'Yes. Why not, Mr Carker?' said the boy.
“是的，为什么不呢，卡克先生？”男孩子说道。
He merely shook him by the hand in answer; he seemed in a manner ashamed and afraid even to do that; and bidding him good-night, and advising him to make haste, turned away.
他只是握握他的手作为回答；他似乎感到羞耻，甚至害怕去做这件事。他向他祝了晚安，并劝他赶快去做之后，就离开了。
'Come, Miss Dombey,' said Walter, looking after him as they turned away also, 'we'll go to my Uncle's as quick as we can. Did you ever hear Mr Dombey speak of Mr Carker the Junior, Miss Florence?'
“好了，董贝小姐，”当他们也开始走路的时候，沃尔特望着他的背影，说道，“我们尽快到我舅舅家里去。您听董贝先生谈到过这位低级职员卡克先生吗，董贝小姐？”
'No,' returned the child, mildly, 'I don't often hear Papa speak.'
“没有，”女孩子温和地回答道，“我不常听爸爸讲话。” |
