狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第48章Part6
'Why, my lad, I am took aback,' the Captain admitted. 'I am.'
'Is there anything I can do, Captain Gills?' inquired Mr Toots. 'If there is, make use of me.'
The Captain removed his hand from his face, looked at him with a remarkable expression of pity and tenderness, and took him by the hand, and shook it hard.
'No, thank'ee,' said the Captain. 'Nothing. Only I'll take it as a favour if you'll part company for the present. I believe, brother,' wringing his hand again, 'that, after Wal'r, and on a different model, you're as good a lad as ever stepped.'
'Upon my word and honour, Captain Gills,' returned Mr Toots, giving the Captain's hand a preliminary slap before shaking it again, 'it's delightful to me to possess your good opinion. Thank'ee.
'And bear a hand and cheer up,' said the Captain, patting him on the back. 'What! There's more than one sweet creetur in the world!'
'Not to me, Captain Gills,' replied Mr Toots gravely. 'Not to me, I assure you. The state of my feelings towards Miss Dombey is of that unspeakable description, that my heart is a desert island, and she lives in it alone. I'm getting more used up every day, and I'm proud to be so. If you could see my legs when I take my boots off, you'd form some idea of what unrequited affection is. I have been prescribed bark, but I don't take it, for I don't wish to have any tone whatever given to my constitution. I'd rather not. This, however, is forbidden ground. Captain Gills, goodbye!'
Captain Cuttle cordially reciprocating the warmth of Mr Toots's farewell, locked the door behind him, and shaking his head with the same remarkable expression of pity and tenderness as he had regarded him with before, went up to see if Florence wanted him.
There was an entire change in the Captain's face as he went upstairs. He wiped his eyes with his handkerchief, and he polished the bridge of his nose with his sleeve as he had done already that morning, but his face was absolutely changed. Now, he might have been thought supremely happy; now, he might have been thought sad; but the kind of gravity that sat upon his features was quite new to them, and was as great an improvement to them as if they had undergone some sublimating process.
He knocked softly, with his hook, at Florence's door, twice or thrice; but, receiving no answer, ventured first to peep in, and then to enter: emboldened to take the latter step, perhaps, by the familiar recognition of Diogenes, who, stretched upon the ground by the side of her couch, wagged his tail, and winked his eyes at the Captain, without being at the trouble of getting up.
She was sleeping heavily, and moaning in her sleep; and Captain Cuttle, with a perfect awe of her youth, and beauty, and her sorrow, raised her head, and adjusted the coat that covered her, where it had fallen off, and darkened the window a little more that she might sleep on, and crept out again, and took his post of watch upon the stairs. All this, with a touch and tread as light as Florence's own.
Long may it remain in this mixed world a point not easy of decision, which is the more beautiful evidence of the Almighty's goodness - the delicate fingers that are formed for sensitiveness and sympathy of touch, and made to minister to pain and grief, or the rough hard Captain Cuttle hand, that the heart teaches, guides, and softens in a moment!
Florence slept upon her couch, forgetful of her homelessness and orphanage, and Captain Cuttle watched upon the stairs. A louder sob or moan than usual, brought him sometimes to her door; but by degrees she slept more peacefully, and the Captain's watch was undisturbed.
“從您的神態看，您太激動了，吉爾斯船長，”圖茨先生說道。
“唔，我的孩子，我被嚇了一跳，”船長承認道，”確實是這樣。”
“我能幫助您做點事情嗎，吉爾斯船長？”圖茨先生說道。
“如果有什麼事情需要我幫助的話，那麼您就指派我去做吧。”船長把手從臉上拿下來，露出某種異常憐憫與親切的表情看着他，並拉住他的手，緊緊地握着。
“沒有，謝謝您，”船長說道。”沒有什麼事。不過如果您現在跟我告別的話，那麼我就覺得您是給我做了一件好事了。我相信，老弟，”他又緊握着他的手，”除了沃爾特，您是世界上最好的孩子了，雖然您跟他是不同的類型。”
“說實話，我以榮譽發誓，吉爾斯船長，”圖茨先生回答道，他先輕輕地拍了一下船長的手，然後又握着它，”我真高興能得到您的好評。謝謝您。”“請您幫個忙，高興起來吧，”船長拍拍他的背，說道。
“有什麼了不起！世界上可愛的姑娘不止一個哪！”
“對我來說不是這樣，吉爾斯船長，”圖茨先生一本正經地回答道。”請相信我，對我來說不是這樣。我對董貝小姐的感情是難以形容的；我的心是一個荒島，只有她一個人住在上面。我一天天地消瘦下去，我對這感到自豪。如果您能看到我脫掉靴子以後的腿，那麼您對什麼是單戀就可以有一點概念了。醫生給我開藥方，讓我服規那皮，可是我沒有服，因爲我根本不想增強我的體質。是的，我不想。不過，這是禁區。吉爾斯船長，再見！”
卡特爾船長真心誠意地回答了圖茨先生熱情的告別，然後把門鎖上，一邊露出和他剛纔看圖茨時同樣異常的憐憫與親切的表情，搖着頭，一邊上樓去看看弗洛倫斯是否需要他幫忙。
船長上樓去的時候，臉上的表情完全改變了。他用手絹抹去眼淚，又像他這天早上所做的那樣，用袖子擦亮他的鼻樑；可是他臉上的表情是截然不同地改變了。他一會兒看上去是無比地快樂，一會兒看上去又像是懷着悲傷的心情；但是在他臉上有一種莊重的神色，卻是過去從來沒有過的，它使他的容貌變得漂亮起來了，彷彿他的臉已經歷過某種昇華的過程似的。
他用鉤子輕輕地在弗洛倫斯的門上敲了兩、三下；但是得不到任何回答，他就大膽地先往裏窺探了一下，然後走進去；他之所以大膽地採取了後一個步驟，也許是因爲戴奧吉尼斯把他當做熟人來歡迎的緣故。戴奧吉尼斯伸直身子，躺在她的睡椅旁邊的地上，向船長搖着尾巴，眨巴着眼睛，但卻懶得起來。
她正在酣睡，在睡眠中還哼叫着。卡特爾船長對她的年輕、美麗和憂傷懷着完全崇敬的心情，擡起她的頭，把這時已經掉落的大衣重新拉好，覆蓋在她身上，並把窗簾遮蔽得更嚴密一些，使她可以繼續好好地睡覺，然後又踮着腳尖，走出房間，在樓梯上守衛。他所做的這一切，不論是接觸一下還是移動一下腳步，全都是輕悄悄的，就像弗洛倫斯自己的一樣。
在這複雜的世界上可能還會長久留下一個不易判斷的問題：哪一個能更美好地證明全能的上帝的慈善？--是那創造出來，爲了進行同情的、溫存的撫摸，並用來減輕痛苦與悲哀的巧妙的手指呢？還是那隻由心靈進行教育、指導並能在片刻間使它變得溫柔起來的、卡特爾船長的粗糙的、堅硬的手呢？
弗洛倫斯在她的躺椅中睡着，忘記了她無家可歸、孤苦伶仃的處境；卡特爾船長則在樓梯上守衛着。一聲比平常更響的抽泣或哼叫有時促使他走到她的門口，但是逐漸地，她睡得比較沉靜了；船長的守衛也沒有再受到干擾。
