狄更斯雙語小說:《董貝父子》第27章Part 02

It was that of a lady, elegantly dressed and very handsome, whose dark proud eyes were fixed upon the ground, and in whom some passion or struggle was raging. For as she sat looking down, she held a corner of her under lip within her mouth, her bosom heaved, her nostril quivered, her head trembled, indignant tears were on her cheek, and her foot was set upon the moss as though she would have crushed it into nothing. And yet almost the self-same glance that showed him this, showed him the self-same lady rising with a scornful air of weariness and lassitude, and turning away with nothing expressed in face or figure but careless beauty and imperious disdain.
A withered and very ugly old woman, dressed not so much like a gipsy as like any of that medley race of vagabonds who tramp about the country, begging, and stealing, and tinkering, and weaving rushes, by turns, or all together, had been observing the lady, too; for, as she rose, this second figure strangely confronting the first, scrambled up from the ground - out of it, it almost appeared - and stood in the way.
'Let me tell your fortune, my pretty lady,' said the old woman, munching with her jaws, as if the Death's Head beneath her yellow skin were impatient to get out.
'I can tell it for myself,' was the reply.
'Ay, ay, pretty lady; but not right. You didn't tell it right when you were sitting there. I see you! Give me a piece of silver, pretty lady, and I'll tell your fortune true. There's riches, pretty lady, in your face.'
'I know,' returned the lady, passing her with a dark smile, and a proud step. 'I knew it before.
'What! You won't give me nothing?' cried the old woman. 'You won't give me nothing to tell your fortune, pretty lady? How much will you give me to tell it, then? Give me something, or I'll call it after you!' croaked the old woman, passionately.
Mr Carker, whom the lady was about to pass close, slinking against his tree as she crossed to gain the path, advanced so as to meet her, and pulling off his hat as she went by, bade the old woman hold her peace. The lady acknowledged his interference with an inclination of the head, and went her way.
'You give me something then, or I'll call it after her!' screamed the old woman, throwing up her arms, and pressing forward against his outstretched hand. 'Or come,' she added, dropping her voice suddenly, looking at him earnestly, and seeming in a moment to forget the object of her wrath, 'give me something, or I'll call it after you! '
'After me, old lady!' returned the Manager, putting his hand in his pocket.
'Yes,' said the woman, steadfast in her scrutiny, and holding out her shrivelled hand. 'I know!'

這是一位衣着優雅，長得十分漂亮的女士；她的高傲的黑眼睛正凝視着地面，心中似乎正迸發出某種激情或進行着某種鬥爭；因爲，當她坐在那裏看着地面的時候，她把下嘴脣的一角咬在嘴裏，胸脯上下起伏，鼻孔翕動，腦袋顫抖，憤怒的眼淚流到臉頰上，一隻腳踐踏着苔蘚，好像她要把它踩得粉碎似的；但是他剛一看到這個情景，這位女士就帶着疲乏和厭倦的神色高傲地站了起來，離開了長凳，在她的臉孔和身形中表露出來的是對她自己的美貌毫不在意和藐視一切的傲慢態度。
這時一直在觀察這位女士的還有一位皮膚乾枯起皺、十分醜陋的老太婆；從她的衣着來看，與其像吉卜賽人，倒不如更像那些在全國各地漂泊，輪流或同時從事乞討、偷竊、補鍋、用燈芯草編筐，隊伍極爲混雜的流浪者當中的一個；因爲，當這位女士站起來的時候，這位老太婆就從地上爬起來——幾乎好像是從地底下爬起來似的——，奇怪地走到她的前面，並擋住她的道路。
“讓我來給您算個命吧，漂亮的夫人，”老太婆說道，她的下巴一動一動地有力咀嚼着，彷彿她黃色皮膚下面的骷髏迫不及待地想要跳出來似的。
“我自己能算，”她回答道。
“哎呀，漂亮的夫人，您算得不對。您坐在那裏的時候沒有算對。我看着您！給我一塊銀幣吧，漂亮的夫人，我會算出您真正的命運。從您的臉孔看，漂亮的夫人，財富正在等着您呢！”
“我知道，”那位女士苦笑了一下，並邁着高傲的步伐，從她的身邊走過，“我早已知道這一點了。”
“怎麼！您什麼也不給我嗎？”老太婆喊道，“我給您算了命，您卻什麼也不給我嗎，漂亮的夫人？那麼，我不給您算命，您要給我多少？您得給我點什麼，要不我就在您背後叫喊！”老太婆氣急敗壞地用哭喪的聲音喊道。
這位女士將要從卡克先生的身邊走過；當她從斜對面向小路走來的時候，他就離開樹，迎面走上前去；當她走過時，他脫下了帽子，命令老太婆住嘴，這位女士點了點頭，感謝他的干預，然後繼續向前走去。
“那麼您給我一點什麼吧，要不我就在她背後叫喊！”老太婆尖聲喊道，一邊舉起胳膊，向前推開他伸出的手。“要不，您聽着，”她接着說，但這時她卻突然降低了聲音，聚精會神地看着他，頃刻之間似乎忘掉了她憤怒的對象似的，“給我一點什麼吧，要不我就在您背後叫喊！”
“在我背後叫喊，老婆子！”經理把手伸進衣袋，回答道。
“是的，”老太婆眼光直盯盯地沒有離開他，並伸出她那皺巴巴的手，說道，“我知道！”