狄更斯小说改编系列 狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第15章Part6

狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第15章Part6  

The last line reaching the quick ears of an ardent skipper not quite sober
who lodged opposite
and who instantly sprung out of bed
threw up his window
and joined in
across the street
at the top of his voice
produced a fine effect. When it was impossible to sustain the concluding note any longer
the skipper bellowed forth a terrific 'ahoy!' intended in part as a friendly greeting
and in part to show that he was not at all breathed. That done
he shut down his window
and went to bed again.
'And now
Captain Cuttle
' said Walter
handing him the blue coat and waistcoat
and bustling very much
'if you'll e and break the news to Uncle Sol (which he ought to have known
days upon days ago
by rights)
I'll leave you at the door
you know
and walk about until the afternoon.'
The Captain
however
scarcely appeared to relish the mission
or to be by any means confident of his powers of executing it. He had arranged the future life and adventures of Walter so very differently
and so entirely to his own satisfaction; he had felicitated himself so often on the sagacity and foresight displayed in that arrangement
and had found it so plete and perfect in all its parts; that to suffer it to go to pieces all at once
and even to assist in breaking it up
required a great effort of his resolution. The Captain
too
found it difficult to unload his old ideas upon the subject
and to take a perfectly new cargo on board
with that rapidity which the circumstances required
or without jumbling and confounding the o. Consequently
instead of putting on his coat and waistcoat with anything like the impetuosity that could alone have kept pace with Walter's mood
he declined to invest himself with those garments at all at present; and informed Walter that on such a serious matter
he must be allowed to 'bite his nails a bit'
可是船长看来丝毫也不高兴接受这个任务，要不就是对他完成这个任务的能力完全没有信心。他曾经给沃尔特未来的生活与事业作过截然不同的安排，并对它感到完全称心满意；他对他在这个安排中所表现出的明智与预见性时常沾沾自喜，觉得这个安排的各个方面都完美无缺，因此现在要让这个安排在顷刻之间土崩瓦解，甚至还要帮助去破坏它，这需要他的意志作出很大的努力才行。船长还觉得要把他对这个问题的老想法从头脑中去掉，迅速换上全新的想法，就像要按照情势所要求的火急速度，把船上的老货物卸下，装上一批全新的货物，而又不把两批货物混杂、弄乱一样困难。因此，他没有跟沃尔特的心情合拍，急匆匆地穿上外衣和背心，而是拒绝现在就把这些衣服套在身上；他告诉沃尔特，这样重大的事情，应该允许他“咬一下指甲”。
'It's an old habit of mine
Wal'r
' said the Captain
'any time these fifty year. When you see Ned Cuttle bite his nails
Wal'r
then you may know that Ned Cuttle's aground.'
Thereupon the Captain put his iron hook beeen his teeth
as if it were a hand; and with an air of wisdom and profundity that was the very concentration and sublimation of all philosophical reflection and grave inquiry
applied himself to the consideration of the subject in its various branches.
'There's a friend of mine
' murmured the Captain
in an absent manner
'but he's at present coasting round to Whitby
that would deliver such an opinion on this subject
or any other that could be named
as would give Parliament six and beat 'em. Been knocked overboard
that man
' said the Captain
'ice
and none the worse for it. Was beat in his apprenticeship
for three weeks (off and on)
about the head with a ring-bolt. And yet a clearer-minded man don't walk.'
Despite of his respect for Captain Cuttle
Walter could not help inwardly rejoicing at the absence of this sage
and devoutly hoping that his limpid intellect might not be brought to bear on his difficulties until they were quite settled.
'If you was to take and show that man the buoy at the Nore
' said Captain Cuttle in the same tone
'and ask him his opinion of it
Wal'r
he'd give you an opinion that was no more like that buoy than your Uncle's buttons are. There ain't a man that walks—certainly not on o legs—that can e near him. Not near him!'