狄更斯长篇小说 狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第31章Part 1

狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第31章Part 1  

Dawn with its passionless blank face
steals shivering to the church beneath which lies the dust of little Paul and his mother
and looks in at the windows. It is cold and dark. Night crouches yet
upon the pavement
and broods
sombre and heavy
in nooks and corners of the building. The steeple-clock
perched up above the houses
emerging from beneath another of the countless ripples in the tide of time that regularly roll and break on the eternal shore
is greyly visible
like a stone beacon
recording how the sea flows on; but within doors
dawn
at first
can only peep at night
and see that it is there.
Hovering feebly round the church
and looking in
dawn moans and weeps for its short reign
and its tears trickle on the window-glass
and the trees against the church-wall bow their heads
and wring their many hands in sympathy. Night
growing pale before it
gradually fades out of the church
but lingers in the vaults below
and sits upon the coffins. And now es bright day
burnishing the steeple-clock
and reddening the spire
and drying up the tears of dawn
and stifling its plaining; and the dawn
following the night
and chasing it from its last refuge
shrinks into the vaults itself and hides
with a frightened face
among the dead
until night returns
refreshed
to drive it out.
And now
the mice
who have been busier with the prayer-books than their proper owners
and with the hassocks
more worn by their little teeth than by human knees
hide their bright eyes in their holes
and gather close together in affright at the resounding clashing of the church-door. For the beadle
that man of power
es early this morning with the sexton; and Mrs Miff
the wheezy little pew-opener - a mighty dry old lady
sparely dressed
with not an inch of fulness anywhere about her - is also here
and has been waiting at the church-gate half-an-hour
as her place is
for the beadle.
A vinegary face has Mrs Miff
and a mortified bon
and eke a thirsty soul for sixpences and shillings. Beckoning to stray people to e into pews
has given Mrs Miff an air of mystery; and there is reservation in the eye of Mrs Miff
as always knowing of a softer seat
but having her suspicions of the fee. There is no such fact as Mr Miff
nor has there been
these enty years
and Mrs Miff would rather not allude to him. He held some bad opinions
it would seem
about free seats; and though Mrs Miff hopes he may be gone upwards
she couldn't positively undertake to say so.
Busy is Mrs Miff this morning at the church-door
beating and dusting the altar-cloth
the carpet
and the cushions; and much has Mrs Miff to say
about the wedding they are going to have. Mrs Miff is told
that the new furniture and alterations in the house cost full five thousand pound if they cost a penny; and Mrs Miff has heard
upon the best authority
that the lady hasn't got a sixpence wherewithal to bless herself. Mrs Miff remembers
like wise
as if it had happened yesterday
the first wife's funeral
and then the christening
and then the other funeral; and Mrs Miff says
by-the-bye she'll soap-and-water that 'ere tablet presently
against the pany arrive. Mr Sownds the Beadle
who is sitting in the sun upon the church steps all this time (and seldom does anything else
except
in cold weather
sitting by the fire)
approves of Mrs Miff's discourse
and asks if Mrs Miff has heard it said
that the lady is unmon handsome? The information Mrs Miff has received
being of this nature
Mr Sownds the Beadle
who
though orthodox and corpulent
is still an admirer of female beauty
observes
with unction
yes
he hears she is a spanker - an expression that seems somewhat forcible to Mrs Miff
or would
from any lips but those of Mr Sownds the Beadle.
In Mr Dombey's house
at this same time
there is great stir and bustle
more especially among the women: not one of whom has had a wink of sleep since four o'clock
and all of whom were fully dressed before six. Mr Towlinson is an object of greater consideration than usual to the housemaid
and the cook says at breakfast time that one wedding makes many
which the housemaid can't believe
and don't think true at all. Mr Towlinson reserves his sentiments on this question; being rendered something gloomy by the engagement of a foreigner with whiskers (Mr Towlinson is whiskerless himself)
who has been hired to acpany the happy pair to Paris
and who is busy packing the new chariot. In respect of this personage
Mr Towlinson admits
presently
that he never knew of any good that ever e of foreigners; and being charged by the ladies with prejudice
says
look at Bonaparte who was at the head of 'em
and see what he was always up to! Which the housemaid says is very true.