狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第46章Part8

The Manager replied, with that mute action of his bristling mouth, 'Oh, you.don't charge it upon me!' and bade him go on.
'I say, though there is not that tie between us, do not, I entreat, assail me with unnecessary taunts, or misinterpret what I say, or would say. I was only going to suggest to you that it would be a mistake to suppose that it is only you, who have been selected here, above all others, for advancement, confidence and distinction (selected, in the beginning, I know, for your great ability and trustfulness), and who communicate more freely with Mr Dombey than anyone, and stand, it may be said, on equal terms with him, and have been favoured and enriched by him - that it would be a mistake to suppose that it is only you who are tender of his welfare and reputation. There is no one in the House, from yourself down to the lowest, I sincerely believe, who does not participate in that feeling.'
'You lie!' said the Manager, red with sudden anger. 'You're a hypocrite, John Carker, and you lie.'
'James!' cried the other, flushing in his turn. 'What do you mean by these insulting words? Why do you so basely use them to me, unprovoked?'
'I tell you,' said the Manager, 'that your hypocrisy and meekness - that all the hypocrisy and meekness of this place - is not worth that to me,' snapping his thumb and finger, 'and that I see through it as if it were air! There is not a man employed here, standing between myself and the lowest in place (of whom you are very considerate, and with reason, for he is not far off), who wouldn't be glad at heart to see his master humbled: who does not hate him, secretly: who does not wish him evil rather than good: and who would not turn upon him, if he had the power and boldness. The nearer to his favour, the nearer to his insolence; the closer to him, the farther from him. That's the creed here!'
'I don't know,' said his brother, whose roused feelings had soon yielded to surprise, 'who may have abused your ear with such representations; or why you have chosen to try me, rather than another. But that you have been trying me, and tampering with me, I am now sure. You have a different manner and a different aspect from any that I ever saw m you. I will only say to you, once more, you are deceived.'
'I know I am,' said the Manager. 'I have told you so.'
'Not by me,' returned his brother. 'By your informant, if you have one. If not, by your own thoughts and suspicions.'
'I have no suspicions,' said the Manager. 'Mine are certainties. You pusillanimous, abject, cringing dogs! All making the same show, all canting the same story, all whining the same professions, all harbouring the same transparent secret.'
His brother withdrew, without saying more, and shut the door as he concluded. Mr Carker the Manager drew a chair close before the fire, and fell to beating the coals softly with the poker.'The faint-hearted, fawning knaves,' he muttered, with his two shining rows of teeth laid bare. 'There's not one among them, who wouldn't feign to be so shocked and outraged - ! Bah! There's not one among them, but if he had at once the power, and the wit and daring to use it, would scatter Dombey's pride and lay it low, as ruthlessly as I rake out these ashes.'

經理咬牙切齒，無聲地回答道，”哼，你不把過失推到我身上！”然後囑咐他繼續說下去。
“我說，雖然我們之間已不存在兄弟情誼的紐帶，我請求你不要用不必要的辱罵來攻擊我，或者曲解我所說的或想要說的話，我只想向你提醒一點：如果你以爲，你在這裏遠遠超出所有其他的人，得到提拔，受到信任，享受榮譽（我知道，從一開始，你就是由於你的卓越才能和可以信賴而得到提拔的），你比任何人都能更隨便地跟董貝先生交往，可以說，跟他保持着平等的關係，受到他的寵幸，由於他而發財致富，因此，公司裏只有你一個人才關心他的幸福與名譽，如果你這樣想的話，那麼這將是一個錯誤。我真誠地相信，公司裏，從你開始一直到職位最低的人，沒有一個人不同樣有着這樣的感情。”
“你撒謊！”經理說道，他由於突然發怒，臉孔漲得通紅。 “你是個僞君子，約翰?卡克，你說的是彌天大謊。”
“詹姆士，”另一位喊道，他的臉也漲紅了。”你使用這些侮辱的語言打算幹什麼？我沒惹你一絲一毫，你爲什麼這樣卑鄙地對我使用這些語言？”
“我告訴你，”經理說道，”你的虛情假意與卑躬屈膝，公司裏所有職員的虛情假意與卑躬屈膝，都不值得我那樣做，”他咬咬大姆指，又咬咬別的指頭，”我看透這一切，就像看透清澈的空氣一樣！這個公司所僱用的所有職員，在我與最低級職員之間的所有的人（你對他們很體貼，而且有理由這樣，因爲你的地位與他們相差不遠），沒有一個人看到他的主人受到屈辱會不由衷地感到高興，沒有一個人不暗地裏恨他，沒有一個人不希望他遭到災禍而不是交上好運，沒有一個人要是有力量和勇氣的話會不反抗他的。愈是受到他寵幸的人就愈感受到他的蠻橫無禮；愈接近他的人就愈疏遠他。這就是這裏所有職員們的信念！”
我不知道，”他的哥哥說道，他剛纔被惹怒的感情立即被驚奇所代替，”誰用這樣一些說法糟蹋你的耳朵的？爲什麼你偏想要來考驗我而不去考驗別人？不過你已經考驗了我，愚弄了我，這一點我現在深信不疑。你剛纔的態度和言論，跟我過去在你身上看到的截然不同。我只能再一次對你說，你被欺騙了。”
“我知道我是被欺騙了，”經理說道，”我已經對你說過了。”
“不是被我，”他的哥哥回答道。”而是被向你提供情況的人欺騙了，如果有這樣的人的話；如果沒有這樣的人，那就是被你自己的想法和懷疑所欺騙了。”
“我沒有任何懷疑，”經理說道。”我掌握千真萬確的事實。你們這些膽小如鼠、卑鄙下賤、卑躬曲膝的狗！你們全都假裝成同樣的姿態，全都編造着同樣的假話，全都哭訴着同樣的話語，全都隱藏着同樣顯而易見的祕密。”
當他說完的時候，他的哥哥不再說什麼，離開房間，把門關上，經理卡克先生把椅子拉近到壁爐跟前，開始用撥火棒輕輕地敲打着煤塊。“懦怯怕事、阿諛奉迎的無賴們，”他露出兩排閃閃發光的牙齒，喃喃自語道，”他們沒有一個人不假裝出震驚與氣憤的--！呸！他們只要一旦有了權勢和使用權勢的才智與膽量的話，那麼就沒有一個人不會把董貝的高傲摧毀、打倒，就像我耙出這些煤渣一樣毫不留情的。”