狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第39章Part7

The year being now expired, Captain Cuttle deemed it expedient to open the packet; but as he had always designed doing this in the presence of Rob the Grinder, who had brought it to him, and as he had an idea that it would be regular and ship-shape to open it in the presence of somebody, he was sadly put to it for want of a witness. In this difficulty, he hailed one day with unusual delight the announcement in the Shipping Intelligence of the arrival of the Cautious Clara, Captain John Bunsby, from a coasting voyage; and to that philosopher immediately dispatched a letter by post, enjoining inviolable secrecy as to his place of residence, and requesting to be favoured with an early visit, in the evening season.
Bunsby, who was one of those sages who act upon conviction, took some days to get the conviction thoroughly into his mind, that he had received a letter to this effect. But when he had grappled with the fact, and mastered it, he promptly sent his boy with the message, 'He's a coming to-night.' Who being instructed to deliver those words and disappear, fulfilled his mission like a tarry spirit, charged with a mysterious warning.
The Captain, well pleased to receive it, made preparation of pipes and rum and water, and awaited his visitor in the back parlour. At the hour of eight, a deep lowing, as of a nautical Bull, outside the shop-door, succeeded by the knocking of a stick on the panel, announced to the listening ear of Captain Cuttle, that Bunsby was alongside; whom he instantly admitted, shaggy and loose, and with his stolid mahogany visage, as usual, appearing to have no consciousness of anything before it, but to be attentively observing something that was taking place in quite another part of the world.
'Bunsby,' said the Captain, grasping him by the hand, 'what cheer, my lad, what cheer?'
'Shipmet,' replied the voice within Bunsby, unaccompanied by any sign on the part of the Commander himself, 'hearty, hearty.'
'Bunsby!' said the Captain, rendering irrepressible homage to his genius, 'here you are! a man as can give an opinion as is brighter than di'monds - and give me the lad with the tarry trousers as shines to me like di'monds bright, for which you'll overhaul the Stanfell's Budget, and when found make a note.' Here you are, a man as gave an opinion in this here very place, that has come true, every letter on it,' which the Captain sincerely believed.

現在一年的期限滿了，卡特爾船長認爲該把包裹打開了；可是由於他過去一直打算當着把包裹帶給他的羅布的面做這件事，而且他還認爲當着別人的面打開它是合適和正當的，因此現在缺少一位見證人，他感到很煩惱。正在感到爲難的時候，有一天他在報紙”航運消息”欄中看到一則通告：”謹慎的克拉拉”號和它的船長約翰?邦斯貝從一次沿海岸的航行中回來了，他看完之後以異乎尋常的高興發出了歡呼，並立即向這位智慧超羣的人郵寄了一封信，叮囑他爲他住所的地址保守祕密，並請他儘早在晚間來看他。
邦斯貝是那些按照信念行事的聰明人當中的一位，他花了幾天工夫纔在心中完全樹立了這個信念：他已收到了一封大意如此的信。可是當他掌握了這個事實，並徹底弄清楚它之後，他立即就派他的見習船員送去口信：”他今天晚上就來。”這位見習船員被指示去傳達這些任務之後就消失不見了，他像一個擔負着神祕囑託、身上塗着柏油的精靈似的，完成了他的使命。
船長接到口信十分高興，準備好朗姆酒和水，在後客廳裏等候着他的客人。八點鐘，店門外像是海牛發出的一聲深沉的叫聲，接着是手杖在門上嵌板上的敲打聲，向卡特爾船長注意聽着的耳朵通報：邦斯貝已向他靠攏了；船長立即讓他進來；他頭髮蓬鬆，紅木色的臉孔顯得遲鈍發呆；像往常一樣，他彷彿沒有看到眼前的任何東西，而是在注意觀察世界另一部分發生的什麼事。
“邦斯貝，”船長抓住他的手，說道，”您好吧，好朋友，您好吧！”
“老船友，”邦斯貝身體內發出的回答道，但是這位商船指揮者本人的神態卻沒有任何相應的變化，”我身體還不錯，還不錯。”
“邦斯貝，”船長向他的天才表示了難以抑制的敬意，說道，”您來啦！您的見解比鑽石還明亮呵！您給我派來的那位穿柏油褲子的年輕小夥子就像鑽石一樣閃閃發光！請您查一下《斯坦菲爾選集》，可以找到這句