牛津書蟲系列 大衛(wèi)科波菲爾 Chapter 2 David is sent away to school

　　I was very unhappy during this time. Mr Murdstone insisted on my studying， and so my mother gave me lessons. In the past she and I had enjoyed our studies together， and she had taught me a lot in her gentle way. But now both Mr and Miss Murdstone were present during my lessons， and somehow I could not concentrate or remember what I had learnt. My poor mother was very sympathetic，and tried to encourage me，sometimes even whispering the answer to me. But the Murdstones had sharp ears.

　　這段時期我很不愉快。摩德斯通先生堅持要我學習，所以母親就教我功課。在過去，母親和我都可以從教和學當中得到樂趣，她用她溫和的方式教給我許多知識。但如今，我們上課時摩德斯通先生和小姐都在場，這在很大程度上讓我不能集中精神，記住所學的內(nèi)容?？蓱z的母親同情我，設法

　　提示我，有時甚至悄聲告訴我答案，可摩德斯通先生和小姐的耳朵特別尖。

　　‘Clara，my love! ’Mr Murdstone used to say crossly.‘Remember!Be firm!You’ re making the boy's character worse by helping him like that!’

　　“克拉拉，親愛的!”摩德斯通先生總是很惱怒地說道，“記住!要嚴厲!你這樣幫著孩子會把他的脾氣慣得更糟!”

　　‘Oh，Edward, I'm sorry,’my mother replied, looking embarrassed and hanging her head like a guilty child.

　　“哦，愛德華，很抱歉，”母親答道，滿臉尷尬，像一個認錯的孩子似地低下了頭。

　　One morning when I arrived in the sittingroom as usual for my lesson，I saw that Mr Murd stone had a thin stick in his hand. I could not take my eyes off it.

　　一天早上，我像往常一樣來到客廳學功課，看見摩德斯通先生手上拿著一根細木棍，我的眼睛直鉤鉤地盯著它不放。

　　‘You must be very careful today， David,’ he said with his unpleasant smile， holding the stick in both hands. I knew what would happen then. A terrible fear took hold of me， and all that I had learnt disappeared immediately from my memory， so that I could not answer any of my mother's questions. Mr Murdstone got up from his chair.

　　“你今天要非常小心，大衛(wèi)，”他冷笑道，雙手握著那根木棍。我知道接下來要發(fā)生什么。一陣強烈的恐懼占據(jù)了我的心頭，把我所學會的東西從我的記憶中一掃而光，以致于母親問我的問題我一個都回答不上來。摩德斯通先生從座位上站起來。

　　‘Well David，’he said heavily,‘ I think you've worried your mother enough today. We'll go upstairs， boy. Come，’and he picked up the stick. I heard my mother crying as we went upstairs. ‘Please，Mr Murdstone!’I cried. ‘Don't beat me!I've tried to learn，really I have, sir!’

　　“好了，大衛(wèi)，”他嚴厲地說，“我想你今天夠難為你母親的了，我們上樓吧，孩子，來吧。”他拿起木棍。我們倆上樓時我聽見母親在哭泣。“求您了，摩德斯通先生!”我哭道，“別打我!學習我盡了努力，我真的盡了努力，先生!”

　　But he did not listen to me. In my bedroom，he held my arms and started hitting me with the stick. I managed to get hold of his hand， and bit deep into it. He cried out angrily，and began to hit me as hard as he could.Above the noise of my screams， I could hear my mother and Peggotty crying outside the door. Then the next moment， he was gone. I heard him lock the door. And I was lying， sore and bleeding, on the floor. The whole house seemed suddenly very quiet.

　　可他并不理睬。到了我的臥房，他抓住我的雙臂，掄起木棍就打。我使勁抓住他的手，狠狠地咬了他一口。他憤怒地叫了一聲，使出渾身的勁來打我。在我一陣陣的尖叫聲背后，我聽見母親和辟果提在門外哭泣的聲音。過了一會兒，他走了。我聽見他鎖了門。我躺在地上，渾身疼痛，還流著血。整個屋子似乎突然一下子變得寂靜了。

　　I stayed there for a time， without moving. In the evening Miss Murdstone brought me some bread and milk， which she left on the floor beside me，frowning angrily at me as she went out. I was kept locked in that room for five days and nights，and saw nobody except Miss Murdstone， who brought me food but never spoke to me. To a small boy， the five days seemed like years，and I can still remember how frightened and guilty I felt. But during the fifth night I heard a strange noise at the key-hole. It was Peggotty，trying to give me a message.

　　我一動不動地在地上躺了很長時間。晚上，摩德斯通小姐給我拿來一些面包和牛奶，放在我身邊的地上，出門時還生氣地沖我皺皺眉頭。我被鎖在房間里五天五夜，其間除了摩德斯通小姐默不作聲地給我送點食物，未見有其他任何人來。對一個孩子來說，這五天時間簡直就像數(shù)年，我至今還記得當時有多恐懼、有多內(nèi)疚。第五天夜里，我聽到有一個奇怪的聲音從鎖眼里傳來。那是辟果提，設法給我送口信來了。

　　Master David，my dear，’she whispered, sobbing，‘they are going to send you away to boarding school! Tomorrow!’

　　“大衛(wèi)少爺，親愛的，”她低聲抽泣道，“他們要把你送到寄宿學校去!明天!”

　　‘Oh Peggotty!’ I cried.‘Then I won't see you and mother very often!’ ‘No， my love. But don't forget， I'll take care of your mother. She needs her cross old Peggotty! I'll stay with her，although I hate these Murdstones. And remember，David, I love you as much as I love your mother，and more. And I'll Write to you.’

　　“哦!辟果提!”我哭道，“那我就不能常見著你和媽媽了!”“不能了，我親愛的。但你放心，我會照顧你母親，她需要我這位脾氣大的老辟果提!我會留下來陪她，盡管我討厭摩德斯通姐弟。記住，大衛(wèi)，我愛你跟愛你母親一樣，只多不少。我會寫信給你。”

　　‘Thank you，dear Peggotty!’I whispered back, tears rolling down my face.‘Will you write to your brother too，and Ham，and little Emily, and tell them I'm not as bad as the Murdstones think? And send my love to them，especially little Emily?’

　　“謝謝你，親愛的辟果提!”我輕聲回答，淚水滾落到臉頰。“請你也寫信給你的兄弟，還有哈姆，小埃米莉，告訴他們我并不像摩德斯通姐弟認為的那么壞。帶給他們我的問候，特別是小埃米莉，好嗎?”

　　Peggotty promised to do what I asked. The next morning Miss Murdstone told me that because of my wickedness I was going away to school.She had already packed my case for me. My mother was only allowed to say a very quick goodbye to me， when the horse and cart arrived The driver put my case on the cart， and we drove slowly out of Blunderstone. I was still sobbing loudly when suddenly I saw Peggotty running after us on the road. The driver stopped and waited for her. With difficulty she climbed up onto the cart.

　　辟果提答應了我的請求。第二天一早，摩德斯通小姐告訴我，由于我的劣行，我要被送往學校。她已經(jīng)為我準備好行裝。母親只被允許在馬車到達時說一句簡單的道別話。馬車夫把我的手提箱放到車上，我們就慢慢地離開了布蘭德斯通。我一直不停地大聲哭喊著，突然看見辟果提從后面追來。馬車夫停下來等她，她很吃力地爬上了車。

　　‘Here， Master David!’ she cried breathlessly.‘A little present from me and your dear mother!Take care of yourself， my dear!’She put a small purse and a paper bag into my hands，and held me so close to her fat body that I thought I would never breathe again. Then she jumped down and ran back along the road to the village.

　　“給你，大衛(wèi)少爺!”她上氣不接下氣地說道，“這是我和你親愛的母親留給你的小禮物!好好照顧自己，親愛的!”她把一個小錢包和一個紙袋塞給我，又把我緊緊地貼到她肥胖的懷里，當時我覺得可能再也喘不上氣了。然后，她跳下車，沿著馬路跑回了村莊。

　　As we continued our journey， I dried my tears and looked at what she had given me. The bag was full of Peggotty’ s special cakes， and in the purse were eight bright shilling coins. Thinking of my mother and Peggotty made me start crying again，but just then the driver, Mr Barkis, began to talk to me. He was a large，red-faced man, who clearly found conversation difficult.

　　我們繼續(xù)往前趕路，我擦于淚水，打開她給我的東西。紙袋里是辟果提做的拿手糕點，錢包里有8先令閃亮的硬幣。一想到母親和辟果提我又一次哭起來。這時，車夫巴克斯先生開始說話了。他是一位紅臉壯漢，顯然很不擅長與人交談。

　　‘Did she make those cakes?’ he asked slowly， having finished the one that I had offered him.

　　“是她做的這些點心?”他吃了我給他的一塊蛋糕后，不緊不慢地問道。

　　‘You mean Peggotty， sir? Yes, she does all our cooking.’

　　“你是指辟果提吧，先生?是的，我們家的飯菜全是由她做的。”

　　‘Does she?’ replied Mr Barkis with great interest. There was a long silence while he considered his next question.

　　“是嗎?”巴克斯先生饒有興趣地應了一句。沉默了好一會兒，他想好了另一個問題。

　　‘Does she have a young man?’he asked.‘You know，someone who wants to marry her?’

　　“她有小伙子嗎?”他問。“就是，有沒有人想娶她?”

　　‘Peggotty?A young man?’I repeated，surprised.‘Oh no,she's never had any young men.’

　　“辟果提?小伙子?”我不解地重復道，“哦，沒有，她從未有過任何小伙子。”

　　‘Ah!’ replied Mr Barkis，looking very pleased. Again he thought for a long time before speaking.

　　“噢!”巴克斯先生答道，面露喜色。他又想了很長時間才開口說話。

　　‘Well，’he said at last,‘ perhaps if you write to her—will you be writing to her? You could give her a message from me. You could say “Barkis is willing”. Would you do that?’

　　“那么，”他最后說道，“或許你給她寫信時——你會給她寫信吧?你可以替我捎個信，你寫上‘巴克斯很愿意’，可以嗎?”

　　‘“Barkis is willing”，’ I repeated innocently， wondering what the message meant.‘Yes，of course. But you could tell her yourself， Mr Barkis, when you return to Blunderstone tomorrow.’

　　“‘巴克斯很愿意’，”我天真地重復道，捉摸著這句話的意思。“可以，當然?？赡憧梢宰约焊嬖V她呀，巴克斯先生，等你明天回到布蘭德斯通的時候。”

　　‘No，no’ he said, ‘ no,you just give her the message. Remember，“Barkis is willing”.’

　　“不，不，”他說，“不，你只管給她寫上。記?。?lsquo;巴克斯很愿意。’”

　　After this conversation Mr Barkis was completely silent for the rest of the journey. When we arrived in Yarmouth，I bought paper at the hotel and wrote this letter to Peggotty：

　　說完這些，巴克斯先生一路上就完全沉默了。到了雅茅斯，我在客棧買了些信紙，給辟果提寄了這樣一封信：

　　My dear Peggotty， I have arrived safely in Yarmouth. Barkis is willing. Please give my love to mother. Yours，David P.S. He says it's important—Barkis is willing.

　　親愛的辟果提：我已安全到達雅茅斯。巴克斯很愿意。請代我問候我母親。你的大衛(wèi)。附：他說此事很重要——巴克斯很愿意。

　　In Yarmouth I was put on the long-distance coach to London，and travelled all through the night. At the coach station in London I was collected by a teacher， Mr Mell, and taken to Salem House， the school which the Murdstones had chosen for me.

　　在雅茅斯我被送上一輛去倫敦的長途四輪馬車，行駛了一整夜。在倫敦車站，有位叫梅爾先生的教師接待了我，并把我送到薩倫學校，那是摩德斯通先生為我選定的學校。

　　The school was a large old building with a dusty playground， surrounded by a high brick wall. It looked strangely deserted. I was very surprised to find that none of the boys were there， and was told that they were all on holiday， and that I had been sent there during the holidays as a punishment for my wickedness. The headmaster and teachers were on holiday too，all except for Mr Mell, who had to look after me.

　　學校由一幢很大的舊樓和一片雜亂的操場組成，四周圍著很高的磚墻。我很奇怪，學校里空無一人，后被告知，學生們都放假了，而我卻在假期里被送到學校是對我的劣行的一種懲罰。校長和老師們也都放假了，除了這位不得不照看我的梅爾先生以外。

　　I spent a whole month in that miserable place，doing my lessons in the dirty， empty classroom, which smelt of old food and unwashed boys. Every evening I had to eat my supper with Mr Mell，and then go straight to bed. The worst thing was the sign I had to wear round my neck. It said： BE CAREFUL!HE BITES. I was only allowed to take it off when I went to bed.

　　我在這個糟糕的地方呆了整整一個月，在骯臟不堪的空教室里做功課，聞著食物霉爛的氣味和那種沒洗干凈的孩子身上的臭味。每天晚上我都得和梅爾先生一起吃晚飯，然后直接上床睡覺。最糟糕的是我必須在脖子上掛塊牌子，牌子上寫有“小心，他咬人”的字樣。只有在上床睡覺時這塊牌子才允許被摘下來。

　　Although I was extremely lonely and unhappy at this time，I was not looking forward to meeting all the other boys. I felt sure they would laugh at me and especially at the sign I was forced to wear. But one day Mr Mell told me that the headmaster， Mr Creakle, had returned, and wanted to see me. So I went，trembling，to his part of the house.

　　盡管這段時間我感到特別孤單，特別無聊，但我還是不期望見著其他孩子們。我覺得他們肯定會嘲笑我，尤其笑我不得不掛著的那塊牌子。然而有一天，梅爾先生告訴我，校長克里古爾先生回來了，并要我去見他。于是我哆哆嗦嗦地來到他的房間。

　　I realized at once that Mr Creakle lived much more comfortably than the boys or the teachers. He was a small， fat man with a purple nose， who was sitting in an armchair with a bottle and a glass in front of him.

　　我一眼就發(fā)現(xiàn)克里古爾先生住得比孩子們和老師們要舒服得多。他個子矮小，身材肥胖，長著一個酒糟鼻。他坐在扶手椅上，面前放著一瓶酒和一個酒杯。

　　‘So， this is the boy who bites, is it?’ he asked unpleasantly.‘I know your stepfather， boy. He's a man of strong character，he is. He knows me,and I know him. Do you know me? Answer me，boy!’He pulled violently at my ear.

　　“這，就是那個咬人的孩子，對吧?”他很不高興地問道，“我認識你繼父，孩子。他是個脾氣特倔的人，他的確是。他認識我，我也認識他。你認識我嗎?回答我，小子!”他粗暴地揪起我的耳朵。

　　‘Not yet， sir,’ I answered, tears of pain in my eyes.

　　“還不認識，先生。”我回答，疼得直掉淚。

　　‘Ah，but you soon will!Oh yes, I have a strong character too，you'll see!’ He banged his hand hard on the table.

　　“噢，你很快會認識的!噢，對了，我也是個脾氣倔強的人，你會知道的!”他狠狠地捶了一下桌子。

　　I was very frightened，but I made myself ask the question I had been considering for a whole month.‘ Please， sir, I'm very sorry for what I did to Mr Murdstone. Could—could I take this sign off，before the other boys see it…’

　　我很害怕，但還是竭力穩(wěn)住自己，問了一個困擾了我一整個月的問題，“求您了，先生，我非常抱歉我對摩德斯通先生所做的一切。我能——我能在其他同學看到之前摘下這塊牌子嗎……?”

　　Mr Creakle gave a sudden，terrible shout and jumped out of his chair. I did not wait to see whether he was going to hit me， but ran out of his room and hid in my bed for the next hour.

　　克里古爾先生發(fā)出一聲突兀、可怕的叫聲，從椅子上跳起來。我沒等看清他是否想揍我就跑回了宿舍，并在床上呆了足足一個鐘頭。

　　However， the boys were not as cruel to me as I had feared. I made a friend almost immediately， a boy called Tommy Traddles， who was known to be the unluckiest boy in the school. I was also noticed， and even smiled on, by the great James Steerforth，one of the oldest boys, at least six years older than me. He was a handsome，intelligent, curly-haired young man， who had become an important figure at the school，with great influence over the younger boys.

　　然而，同學們對我并不像我擔心的那樣殘酷。我很快就結(jié)識了一位叫湯米·特拉德的朋友，他被公認為學校里最不幸的孩子。我還引起了學校里最年長的孩子之一的詹姆士·斯提福茲的注意，甚至互相見面致意。他至少比我大6歲，長得英竣人很聰明，留一頭卷發(fā)，是學校里的出名人物，對年幼的孩子頗具影響力。

　　‘How much money have you got，Copperfield?’ he asked me.

　　“你有多少錢，科波菲爾?”他問我。

　　‘Eight shillings，Steerforth，’I answered，remembering the present my mother and Peggotty had given me.

　　“8先令，斯提福茲，”我回答他說，回想著母親和辟果提送給我的禮物。

　　‘You'd better give it to me. I'll take care of it for you，’ he offered in a friendly way.

　　“你最好給我，我替你保管，”他很友善地提議。

　　I opened Peggotty's purse and turned it upside-down into his hand.

　　我打開辟果提給的錢包，把錢一古腦全倒在他手上。

　　‘Perhaps you'd like to spend some of it now?’he suggested，smiling.‘A bottle of wine, a tin of biscuits, a few cakes， that sort of thing?I can go out whenever I like, so I can buy it for you.’

　　“你現(xiàn)在大概想先花掉一部分吧?”他笑著建議道，“可以買瓶酒，買聽餅干，買些糕點什么的?我隨時可以外出，所以我可以幫你買回來。”

　　‘Ye-es，that’ s very kind of you, ’I said, although I was a little worried that all my money would disappear.

　　“那——好吧，你真是個熱心人。”雖然我有點擔心我的錢會分文不剩，但還是這么說了。

　　When we went upstairs to bed， I realized that all my money had been spent， as eight shillings’ worth of food and drink was laid out on my bed in the moonlight. Of course I did not want to eat and drink it all by myself， so I invited Steerforth and the others to help themselves. The boys were very willing， and we spent a pleasant evening, sitting on our beds，whispering to each other. I discovered that the boys all hated Salem House， which they considered one of the worst schools in the country. They especially hated Mr Creakle， who was in the habit of beating them regularly with a heavy stick which he carried with him at all times. The only boy he dared not beat was Steerforth. I admired Steerforth even more when I heard this.

　　當我們上樓睡覺時，我意識到我的錢已經(jīng)全部被花光了，因為借著月光可以看見，價值8先令的食品和飲料已經(jīng)堆在我的床上。我當然不會一個人獨享這些東西，所以邀請斯提福茲和其他的同學一起吃，隨便吃。孩子們都非常樂意，那晚過得很愉快。我們坐在自己的床上，悄聲聊開了。我發(fā)現(xiàn)孩子們都討厭薩倫學校，認為這是全國最臭的學校之一。他們尤其討厭克里古爾先生，說他有揍學生的癖好，用他那根從不離身的粗木棍。還說他唯一不敢揍的學生就是斯提福茲。我聽了后對斯提福茲更加肅然起敬。

　　When we were all too tired to stay awake， Steerforth got up to go.‘Goodnight，young Copperfield， ’ he said, putting a hand on my head.‘I'll take care of you.’

　　當我們都感覺沒勁再熬夜時，斯提福茲站起來要走。“晚安，小科波菲爾，”他把手放在我的頭上，說道，“我會保護你的。”

　　‘It’ s very kind of you，’ I replied gratefully.

　　“你真是個好心人，”我感激道。

　　‘You haven’ t got a sister， have you?’he asked sleepily.

　　“你沒有姐妹，是吧?”他困倦地問道。

　　‘No， I haven't, ’I answered. ‘What a pity! If you had one， I'm sure she'd be a pretty, bright-eyed little girl. I would have liked to meet her.’

　　“沒有，我沒有姐妹，”我答道。“真遺憾!要是你有的話，我敢肯定她是個漂亮的大眼睛姑娘，我就可以有幸見見她啦。”

　　I thought of him a lot that night，with his laughing, hand-some face， and his careless, confident manner. I could never have imagined what a dark shadow he would throw over the lives of people who were dear to me.

　　那晚，他讓我捉摸不透，他的笑聲，他那英俊的臉，他那不拘小節(jié)、桀驁不馴的氣度。而我怎么也想像不到后來他會給我的親友們的生活蒙上一層沉重的陰影。

　　I stayed at Salem House for three more months. Although one or two of the teachers，like Mr Mell, were kind to us boys，and tried to teach us properly, we were too afraid of Mr Creakle and his stick to concentrate on our studies. But Tom-my Traddles and I cheered each other up if we were beaten，and I was lucky enough to be friendly with the great Steerforth，in spite of the difference in our ages.

　　我在薩倫學校又呆了三個月。雖然也有一兩個教師，如梅爾先生，對孩子們很和氣，也設法給我們以正規(guī)的教育，但我們都害怕克里古爾先生和他的棍子，所以根本沒法專心學習。不過，湯米·特拉德和我總是在挨打的時候互相安慰，而且我還很幸運與大孩子斯提福茲保持友好，雖然我們倆年齡相差很多。

　　However， my home, even with the Murdstones there, seemed a much pleasanter place than school， and I was glad when the Christmas holidays arrived， and I was allowed to return to Blunderstone. I was a little surprised to find that my mother had a new baby， and I could see at once that she was not well. She looked tired and worried，and very thin. But she and Peggotty were delighted to see me， although they dared not show it if the Murdstones were present. My stepfather and his sister seemed to hate me even more than before， if that were possible， and they made my life quite miserable whenever they could. In fact， I was almost pleased when it was time to return to school， and see Traddles and Steerforth again.

　　不管怎樣，我的家，雖然有摩德斯通姐弟在，總顯得比學校親切。所以在圣誕來臨之際，我很高興，我可以回到布蘭德斯通去了。我有些吃驚，母親已經(jīng)又生了一個小孩，看得出來她身體欠佳。她看上去很疲倦，憂心仲仲，而且瘦弱不堪。但她和辟果提見到我時都很高興，盡管有摩德斯通姐弟在場時不敢表露出來。繼父和他姐姐比以前更討厭我了，只要有可能，他們就會抓住一切機會讓我生活在痛苦之中。所以，當返校的日子來臨，想著我又可以見到特拉德和斯提福茲時，我反而感到欣喜。

　　As the cart drove away， I remember my mother standing outside our house，with her baby in her arms, smiling sadly at me. That was the last time I saw her，and that is how I shall always remember her.

　　馬車開始啟動，我記得母親站在屋外，懷里抱著小孩，苦澀地微笑著。這是我最后一次見著她，這也是我至今依舊記得的她的模樣。