狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第34章Part9

'No, deary,' said the mother.
'Going to be?'
'Not that I know of, deary. But his master and friend is married. Oh, we may give him joy! We may give 'em all joy!' cried the old woman, hugging herself with her lean arms in her exultation. 'Nothing but joy to us will come of that marriage. Mind met'
The daughter looked at her for an explanation.
'But you are wet and tired; hungry and thirsty,' said the old woman, hobbling to the cupboard; 'and there's little here, and little' - diving down into her pocket, and jingling a few half- pence on the table - 'little here. Have you any money, Alice, deary?'
The covetous, sharp, eager face, with which she 'asked the question and looked on, as her daughter took out of her bosom the little gift she had so lately received, told almost as much of the history of this parent and child as the child herself had told in words.
'Is that all?' said the mother.
'I have no more. I should not have this, but for charity.'
'But for charity, eh, deary?' said the old woman, bending greedily over the table to look at the money, which she appeared distrustful of her daughter's still retaining in her hand, and gazing on. 'Humph! six and six is twelve, and six eighteen - so - we must make the most of it. I'll go buy something to eat and drink.'
With greater alacrity than might have been expected in one of her appearance - for age and misery seemed to have made her as decrepit as ugly - she began to occupy her trembling hands in tying an old bonnet on her head, and folding a torn shawl about herself: still eyeing the money in her daughter's hand, with the same sharp desire.
'What joy is to come to us of this marriage, mother?' asked the daughter. 'You have not told me that.'
'The joy,' she replied, attiring herself, with fumbling fingers, 'of no love at all, and much pride and hate, my deary. The joy of confusion and strife among 'em, proud as they are, and of danger - danger, Alice!'
'What danger?'

“沒有，寶貝，”母親回答道。
“快結婚了嗎？”
“據我瞭解，還沒有，寶貝。但是他的老闆與朋友結婚了。我們可以祝他快樂！我們可以祝他們全都快樂！”老太婆興高采烈地喊道；這時候她的兩隻枯瘦的胳膊把自己的身子緊緊地抱住，”這個結婚的結果只會使我們高興！你記住我的這句話吧！”
女兒望着她，等待解釋。
“不過你又溼又累，又餓又渴，”老太婆腳一拐一拐地向碗櫃走去，說道，”這裏找不到什麼東西。這裏也--”她把手伸到衣袋裏掏了掏，然後把幾個半便士叮叮噹噹地扔在桌子上。”袋裏沒什麼錢。你有錢嗎，艾麗斯，我的寶貝？”
當她提出這個問題的時候，以及當她注視着女兒從懷中取出不久前纔得到的禮金的時候，她臉上露出的貪婪的、狡黠的、渴望的表情，幾乎和女兒的語言同樣清楚地說明了這位母親與她女兒的歷史。
“所有的錢都在這裏了嗎？”母親問道。
“我沒有別的了。要不是有人施捨的話，我連這點錢也沒有。”
“要不是有人施捨，是嗎，寶貝？”老太婆說道，一邊向桌子彎下身去貪婪地看看錢，好像對依舊把錢拿在手裏的女兒不信任似的，並繼續注視着，”哼！六加六，十二，再加六，十八--這樣，我們得好好地用它。我去買點吃的和喝的。”
從她的外貌來看，人們不會料想到她的動作還能這麼麻利，因爲年齡和窮困似乎已使她變得又醜又衰老了。她開始用顫抖的手把一頂舊帽的帶子繫好，並圍上一條破爛的圍巾；同時，仍舊用同樣貪婪與狡黠的眼光凝視着女兒手中的錢。
“這個結婚的結果會使我們高興什麼？”女兒問道，”你沒有跟我說明白。”
“使我們高興的是，”她用摸索着的手指整整服裝，回答道，”這結婚沒有一點愛情，可是卻有着許多高傲與憎恨，我的寶貝。使我們高興的是，因爲他們高傲，所以他們之間存在着不和與衝突，並且充滿了危險--危險，艾麗斯！”
“什麼危險？”