Walter was going to speak, but his Uncle held up his hand.
沃尔特想要讲话,但是他的舅舅举起了手。
'Therefore, Wally therefore it is that I am anxious you should be early in the busy world, and on the world's track. I am only the ghost of this business its substance vanished long ago; and when I die, its ghost will be laid. As it is clearly no inheritance for you then, I have thought it best to use for your advantage, almost the only fragment of the old connexion that stands by me, through long habit. Some people suppose me to be wealthy. I wish for your sake they were right. But whatever I leave behind me, or whatever I can give you, you in such a House as Dombey's are in the road to use well and make the most of. Be diligent, try to like it, my dear boy, work for a steady independence, and be happy!'
“因此,沃利——因此,我渴望让你尽早到这个忙忙碌碌的世界里去,尽早走上这个世界的道路。我只是这个商店的一个幽灵——它的实体很久以前就已消亡了。当我死了的时候,它的幽灵就被埋葬了。很明显,那时候我将没有什么遗产留给你,因此我想,为了你的利益,最好利用我通过长期的习惯所保留下来的几乎唯一还存在的一丁点儿老关系。有些人认为我是富有的。为了你的缘故,我但愿他们是对的。可是不论我在死后会留下什么,也不论我能给你什么,你在董贝这样的公司里工作,就有可能好好地使用它,充分地利用它。我亲爱的孩子,做一个勤勉的人,设法喜爱你的事业吧,为了过长久的独立的生活而工作,并成为一个幸福的人吧!”
'I'll do everything I can, Uncle, to deserve your affection. Indeed I will,' said the boy, earnestly.
“我将尽量去做我所能做的一切,不辜负你对我的深情厚意,舅舅。我确实将会这样去做的,”孩子恳切地说道。
'I know it,' said Solomon. 'I am sure of it,' and he applied himself to a second glass of the old Madeira, with increased relish. 'As to the Sea,' he pursued, 'that's well enough in fiction, Wally, but it won't do in fact: it won't do at all. It's natural enough that you should think about it, associating it with all these familiar things; but it won't do, it won't do.'
“我知道这一点,”所罗门说道,“我相信这一点,”他更加津津有味地喝着第二杯马德拉陈酒。“至于海洋,”他继续说道,“它在想象中是很好的,沃利,但实际上却并不是那样,根本不是那样的。你想到海洋,把它跟所有这些熟悉的东西联系起来,这是很自然的;但实际上它并不是那样的,它并不是那样的。” |