狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第39章Part4

Mr Toots gave Captain Cuttle his hand upon it, then and there; and the Captain with a pleasant and gracious show of condescension, bestowed his acquaintance upon him formally. Mr Toots seemed much relieved and gladdened by the acquisition, and chuckled rapturously during the remainder of his visit. The Captain, for his part, was not ill pleased to occupy that position of patronage, and was exceedingly well satisfied by his own prudence and foresight.
But rich as Captain Cuttle was in the latter quality, he received a surprise that same evening from a no less ingenuous and simple youth, than Rob the Grinder. That artless lad, drinking tea at the same table, and bending meekly over his cup and saucer, having taken sidelong observations of his master for some time, who was reading the newspaper with great difficulty, but much dignity, through his glasses, broke silence by saying -
'Oh! I beg your pardon, Captain, but you mayn't be in want of any pigeons, may you, Sir?'
'No, my lad,' replied the Captain.
'Because I was wishing to dispose of mine, Captain,' said Rob.
'Ay, ay?' cried the Captain, lifting up his bushy eyebrows a little.
'Yes; I'm going, Captain, if you please,' said Rob.
'Going? Where are you going?' asked the Captain, looking round at him over the glasses.
'What? didn't you know that I was going to leave you, Captain?' asked Rob, with a sneaking smile.
The Captain put down the paper, took off his spectacles, and brought his eyes to bear on the deserter.
'Oh yes, Captain, I am going to give you warning. I thought you'd have known that beforehand, perhaps,' said Rob, rubbing his hands, and getting up. 'If you could be so good as provide yourself soon, Captain, it would be a great convenience to me. You couldn't provide yourself by to-morrow morning, I am afraid, Captain: could you, do you think?'
'And you're a going to desert your colours, are you, my lad?' said the Captain, after a long examination of his face.
'Oh, it's very hard upon a cove, Captain,' cried the tender Rob, injured and indignant in a moment, 'that he can't give lawful warning, without being frowned at in that way, and called a deserter. You haven't any right to call a poor cove names, Captain. It ain't because I'm a servant and you're a master, that you're to go and libel me. What wrong have I done? Come, Captain, let me know what my crime is, will you?'
The stricken Grinder wept, and put his coat-cuff in his eye.

圖茨先生當場立刻就向卡特爾船長伸出手去；船長露出愉快和仁慈的神色，賜予他恩惠，正式同意跟他交朋友。圖茨先生似乎由於如願以償，感到十分安慰和歡喜，在其餘的時間裏一直吃吃地笑着，直到離開爲止。在船長這方面，他對擔當庇護人的角色並沒有感到有什麼不高興的，而且他對他自己的謹慎小心和深謀遠慮是感到極爲滿意的。
卡特爾船長的後一種性格雖然十分突出，可是這一天晚上他卻從磨工羅布這樣憨厚、純樸的年輕人那裏遇到一件意外的事情。這位老實的小夥子跟船長坐在同一張桌子旁邊喝着茶；船長戴上眼鏡，極爲費勁、但神情卻十分尊嚴地讀着報紙；羅布向他帶託的茶杯溫順地低下頭，並斜眼對他主人觀察了一些時候之後，打破沉默，說道：
“啊！請原諒，船長，不過，也許您需要鴿子吧，是不是，先生？”
“不需要，我的孩子，”船長回答道。
“因爲我想把我的鴿子給處理掉，船長，”羅布說道。
“啊，真的嗎？”船長稍稍揚起他那濃密的眉毛，喊道。
“是的，我要走了，船長，如果您允許的話，”羅布說道。
“走了？你要上哪裏去？”船長轉過頭，越過眼鏡，看着他，問道。
“怎麼？難道您不知道我要離開您嗎，船長？”羅布膽怯心虛地微笑了一下，問道。
船長放下報紙，摘掉眼鏡，一動不動地注視着這位要拋棄他的人。
“啊是的，船長，我正想事先告訴您。我原以爲，您也許早已知道了，”羅布搓着手，站起來，說道，”如果您肯行個好，很快找到另一位僕人的話，那麼，船長，那對我將會是極大的方便。我擔心，您明天早上找不到什麼人吧，船長，您認爲您能找到嗎？”
“這麼說，你是打算變換旗號了，是不是，我的孩子？”船長長久地細細看着他的臉孔之後，說道。
“啊，船長，您對待年輕小夥子太嚴厲了，”心地溫厚的羅布片刻間感到又委屈又憤怒，喊道，”他規規矩矩地預先告訴您，可是您卻那麼皺着眉頭，看着他，還罵他是個變節的人。船長，您沒有任何權利辱罵一個可憐的年輕人。不能因爲我是僕人，您是主人，您就來誹謗我。我做了什麼不好的事啦？您說吧，船長，請您告訴我，我犯了什麼罪了，好不好？”
傷心的磨工大哭起來，並用外衣袖口擦着眼睛。