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Chapter v. — Containing a few common matters, with a very uncommon observation upon them. |
第5回——包含幾件尋常瑣事，以及對這幾件事情異乎尋常的見解。 |
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When her master was departed, Mrs Deborah stood silent, expecting her cue from Miss Bridget; for as to what had past before her master, the prudent housekeeper by no means relied upon it, as she had often known the sentiments of the lady in her brother's absence to differ greatly from those which she had expressed in his presence. Miss Bridget did not, however, suffer her to continue long in this doubtful situation; for having looked some time earnestly at the child, as it lay asleep in the lap of Mrs Deborah, the good lady could not forbear giving it a hearty kiss, at the same time declaring herself wonderfully pleased with its beauty and innocence. Mrs Deborah no sooner observed this than she fell to squeezing and kissing, with as great raptures as sometimes inspire the sage dame of forty and five towards a youthful and vigorous bridegroom, crying out, in a shrill voice, “O, the dear little creature!—The dear, sweet, pretty creature! Well, I vow it is as fine a boy as ever was seen!” |
主人走後，衛黛菠大媽站在那裏默不作聲，期待著探一探萬麗姬小姐的口風；這位女管家心思縝密，對於剛才主人在場時所發生的一切，她絕不會信以為真。因為她已經三番五次領教了這位小姐的種種情緒，哥哥在場一套，哥哥不在場完全是另一套。然而，萬麗姬小姐並沒有讓衛大媽的這種疑竇持續太久；因為孩子躺在衛黛菠大媽的膝上還睡著時，這位心地善良的女士仔細端詳了一會兒，忍不住美美地親了孩子一口，同時聲稱說這孩子長相秀美，天真可愛，她滿麵歡喜的程度令人感到匪夷所思。衛黛菠大媽看到這一幕，立刻迫不及待地低下頭把孩子連摟帶親，如同一個四十五歲睿智老練的婦人，看到精力充沛的年輕新郎倌時偶爾也會激發出的種種狂喜之態，她尖聲叫道：“哦，多可愛的小寶貝啊！——多可愛、多可親、多俊俏的小家夥！啊，我敢打賭這是我見過的最好看的男娃娃！” |
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These exclamations continued till they were interrupted by the lady, who now proceeded to execute the commission given her by her brother, and gave orders for providing all necessaries for the child, appointing a very good room in the house for his nursery. Her orders were indeed so liberal, that, had it been a child of her own, she could not have exceeded them; but, lest the virtuous reader may condemn her for showing too great regard to a base-born infant, to which all charity is condemned by law as irreligious, we think proper to observe that she concluded the whole with saying, “Since it was her brother's whim to adopt the little brat, she supposed little master must be treated with great tenderness. For her part, she could not help thinking it was an encouragement to vice; but that she knew too much of the obstinacy of mankind to oppose any of their ridiculous humours.” |
衛大媽嘴裏喋喋不休地誇著這孩子，直到萬麗姬小姐把她的話打斷，現在她要開始執行哥哥托付給她的任務，發號施令為孩子準備所有的必需品，指定屋子中一間上好房間作為育兒室。她真地是不惜一切代價，即便對自己的親生孩子，恐怕也不過如此；但是，品行端正的讀者也許會責怪她對這個出身低賤的嬰兒過度關心，因為對私生子的所有慈愛會遭受法律譴責，大家會認為這樣不合宗法。為了避免這種情況，我們覺得有必要提一下，萬麗姬小姐發號施令結束後說道，既然她哥哥心血來潮要收養這個小毛孩，她覺得大家必須用很溫和的態度來對待這位小少爺。就她而言，她禁不住會覺得這樣做無異於慫恿人去幹壞事；但男人一旦固執起來，他們任何荒唐可笑的脾氣根本無人能反駁，她對此了如指掌。 |
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With reflections of this nature she usually, as has been hinted, accompanied every act of compliance with her brother's inclinations; and surely nothing could more contribute to heighten the merit of this compliance than a declaration that she knew, at the same time, the folly and unreasonableness of those inclinations to which she submitted. Tacit obedience implies no force upon the will, and consequently may be easily, and without any pains, preserved; but when a wife, a child, a relation, or a friend, performs what we desire, with grumbling and reluctance, with expressions of dislike and dissatisfaction, the manifest difficulty which they undergo must greatly enhance the obligation. |
正如前文所透露的那樣，每次萬麗姬小姐屈從於她哥哥的種種意願時，都會伴隨著她所發出的這番類似感慨；可以肯定的是，要使得屈從這一優點更加突出，莫過於她屈從的同時聲明一下，說自己知道，她所屈從的都是些愚蠢荒謬、不合情理的意願。默默服從並不意味著會對她的意誌造成什麽壓力，結果這種默默服從可以輕而易舉、不費吹灰之力繼續保持下去；但當妻子、孩子、親戚或朋友在牢騷滿腹、心不甘情不願的情況下執行我們的意願，並帶出了厭惡和不滿情緒時，他們所遭受的明顯困難，必然會大大增強我們對他們的感激之情。 |
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As this is one of those deep observations which very few readers can be supposed capable of making themselves, I have thought proper to lend them my assistance; but this is a favour rarely to be expected in the course of my work. Indeed, I shall seldom or never so indulge him, unless in such instances as this, where nothing but the inspiration with which we writers are gifted, can possibly enable any one to make the discovery. |
由於這是其中比較深刻的一種見解，很少有讀者能夠自己體會得到，我覺得理應助各位一臂之力；但在我寫這部書的過程中，多數情況下諸位不要指望會有這樣的優厚待遇。事實上，除非出現類似的情況，我將很少甚至永遠不會遷就我的讀者，隻有我們這些作家，除了與生俱來的靈感，其他一無所有，才有可能讓讀者能夠了解事情的真相。 |
