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《雾都孤儿》是英国作家狄更斯于1838年出版的长篇写实小说。该作以雾都伦敦为背景，讲述了一个孤儿悲惨的身世及遭遇。主人公奥利弗在孤儿院长大，经历学徒生涯，艰苦逃难，误入贼窝，又被迫与狠毒的凶徒为伍，历尽无数辛酸，最后在善良人的帮助下查明身世并获得了幸福。今天节选的译文出自翻译家荣如德先生。  Oliver Twist First Edition (Credit: baumanrarebooks.com) （朗读：广外高翻 倪萍） Oliver Twist By Dickens Tr.Huang Shuiqi 'This is a painful task,' said he, 'but these declarations, which have been signed in London before many gentlemen, must be substance repeated here. I would have spared you the degradation, but we must hear them from your own lips before we part, and you know why.' “这是一份不愉快的差事，”他说，“但必须把这些在伦敦当着好几位绅士签了字的声明的要点重申一下。我极不愿意让你再次出丑，但我们必须听你亲口复述一遍，然后才能分手，理由你也知道。” 'Go on,' said the person addressed, turning away his face. 'Quick. I have almost done enough, I think. Don’t keep me here.' “讲下去，”布朗劳先生与之说话的那个人应道，一边把脸扭开去，“快一点。我认为我差不多一切都照办了。不要再把我拖住在这里。” 'This child,' said Mr. Brownlow, drawing Oliver to him, and laying his hand upon his head, 'is your half-brother; the illegitimate son of your father, my dear friend Edwin Leeford, by poor young Agnes Fleming, who died in giving him birth.' “这个孩子，”布朗劳先生说时把奥立弗拉到自己身边，一只手放在他头上，“是你的异母兄弟；是你的父亲、我的好朋友埃德温·黎福德的非婚生儿子，可怜他的母亲、年轻的阿格尼丝·弗雷明一生下他就死去了。” 'Yes,' said Monks, scowling at the trembling boy: the beating of whose heart he might have heard. 'That is the bastard child.' “是的，”蒙克斯说，同时向那个战栗不已的孩子怒目而视，大概他听得见那孩子的心在突突地跳，“是的，那是他们的私生子。” 'The term you use,' said Mr. Brownlow, sternly, 'is a reproach to those long since passed beyong the feeble censure of the world. It reflects disgrace on no one living, except you who use it. Let that pass. He was born in this town.' “你用这样的字眼所指责的对象，”布朗劳先生厉声说，“早已到了人间的区区非难不起作用的另一个世界。这样的字眼不会使任何活着的人蒙受耻辱，除了你自己。这些不提也罢。他是在这个镇上出生的，是不是?” 'In the workhouse of this town,' was the sullen reply. 'You have the story there.' He pointed impatiently to the papers as he spoke. “在本镇的贫民习艺所里。”回答的语调相当阴沉。“那里都已写清楚了。”他不耐烦地指指那些文件。 'I must have it here, too,' said Mr. Brownlow, looking round upon the listeners. “我要你在这里再说一遍。”布朗劳先生说时环顾室内的听众。 'Listen then! You!' returned Monks. 'His father being taken ill at Rome, was joined by his wife, my mother, from whom he had been long separated, who went from Paris and took me with her—to look after his property, for what I know, for she had no great affection for him, nor he for her. He knew nothing of us, for his senses were gone, and he slumbered on till next day, when he died. Among the papers in his desk, were two, dated on the night his illness first came on, directed to yourself'; he addressed himself to Mr. Brownlow; 'and enclosed in a few short lines to you, with an intimation on the cover of the package that it was not to be forwarded till after he was dead. One of these papers was a letter to this girl Agnes; the other a will.' “那你们就听着！”蒙克斯说，“他的父亲在罗马病倒后，他的早已跟他分居的妻子，也就是我的母亲，带着我从巴黎赶去，那是看在他的财产份上；因为据我所知，我母亲对他并没有感情，他对我母亲也是一样。他根本没有认出我们，因为他的神志已经不清，一直昏昏沉沉，到第二天就死了。他的写字台抽屉里有一些文件；从签署的日期看，其中有两份是他发病的当天晚上写的；文件的封套上写着你的名字。”这时蒙克斯面向布朗劳先生，“写给你的只有短短的几行，封套上附有一条说明，要求等他死后转发。文件之一是给那个叫阿格尼丝的姑娘的信；其二是一份遗嘱。” 'What of the letter?' asked Mr. Brownlow. “信上写些什么？”布朗劳先生问。 'The letter?—A sheet of paper crossed and crossed again, with a penitent confession, and prayers to God to help her. He had palmed a tale on the girl that some secret mystery—to be explained one day—prevented his marrying her just then; and so she had gone on, trusting patiently to him, until she trusted too far, and lost what none could ever give her back. She was, at that time, within a few months of her confinement. He told her all he had meant to do, to hide her shame, if he had lived, and prayed her, if he died, not to curse his memory, or think the consequences of their sin would be visited on her or their young child; for all the guilt was his. He reminded her of the day he had given her the little locket and the ring with her Christian name engraved upon it, and a blank left for that which he hoped one day to have bestowed upon her—prayed her yet to keep it, and wear it next her heart, as she had done before—and then ran on, wildly, in the same words, over and over again, as if he had gone distracted. I believe he had.' “你问那封信？只有一张纸，上面的字句涂了又涂；里边有忏悔，有祈求上帝保佑她的祷告。他曾编造了一番假话哄骗那姑娘，说他有难言之隐，这个秘密有朝一日会揭开的，但眼下妨碍着他俩正式结婚；姑娘一直耐心等待着，对他深信不疑；直到她信任过了头，终于失去任何人也无法还给她的东西。当时她离分娩只剩不多几个月了。信中，他把自己为保全她的名节打算采取的一切办法全都告诉那姑娘，只要他能够活下来；万一他死去的话，他恳求姑娘不要诅咒他的亡魂，不要以为他们的罪孽必定给她或他们的孩子招来惩罚，因为这都是他一人之过。他提到某一天他曾送给她一个小金盒和一枚戒指，戒指上镌有她的名字，旁边留着的空隙准备刻上他希望有朝一日能奉献给她的姓氏；他恳求她把小金盒保存起来，像以前一样挂在她的心坎上；下面颠三倒四地老是重复这些话，好像神经发生了错乱。我相信他的脑子确实出了毛病。”  (Credit: image.baidu.com） THE END 大连外国语大学翻译学院研究生 徐荣臻 整理
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