|
'Who
is
Mrs
Pipchin,
Louisa?
'
asked
Mr
Dombey;
aghast
at
this
familiar
introduction
of
a
name
he
had
never
heard
before.
“皮普钦太太是谁，路易莎？”董贝先生问道，他对这样随随便便地介绍一位他以前从没有听说过的人感到吃惊。
'Mrs
Pipchin,
my
dear
Paul,
'
returned
his
sister,
'is
an
elderly
lady
-
Miss
Tox
knows
her
whole
history
-
who
has
for
some
time
devoted
all
the
energies
of
her
mind,
with
the
greatest
success,
to
the
study
and
treatment
of
infancy,
and
who
has
been
extremely
well
connected.
Her
husband
broke
his
heart
in
-
how
did
you
say
her
husband
broke
his
heart,
my
dear?
I
forget
the
precise
circumstances.
“我亲爱的保罗，”他的妹妹回答道，“皮普钦太太是一位上了年纪的女士——托克斯小姐知道她的全部历史——，有一个时期曾把全部心血都从事于对幼儿的研究与护理，取得了很大的成功；她还有一些门第高贵的亲戚。她的丈夫是伤心而死的——您说她的丈夫是怎样伤心而死的，我亲爱的？我已记不清那样详情细节了。”
'In
pumping
water
out
of
the
Peruvian
Mines,
'
replied
Miss
Tox.
“当时他在秘鲁用泵把水从矿井里抽出来，”托克斯小姐回答道。
'Not
being
a
Pumper
himself,
of
course,
'
said
Mrs
Chick,
glancing
at
her
brother;
and
it
really
did
seem
necessary
to
offer
the
explanation,
for
Miss
Tox
had
spoken
of
him
as
if
he
had
died
at
the
handle;
'but
having
invested
money
in
the
speculation,
which
failed.
I
believe
that
Mrs
Pipchin's
management
of
children
is
quite
astonishing.
I
have
heard
it
commended
in
private
circles
ever
since
I
was
-
dear
me
-
how
high!
'
Mrs
Chick's
eye
wandered
about
the
bookcase
near
the
bust
of
Mr
Pitt,
which
was
about
ten
feet
from
the
ground.
“当然，他自己倒不是一位抽水泵的工人，”奇克夫人向她的哥哥看了一眼，说道；这个解释似乎确实是必要的，因为从托克斯小姐所 说的话听起来，仿佛他是死在水泵的摇柄旁边似的；“而是在那个企业中投资，它后来破产了。我相信皮普钦太太对孩子的管理是相当惊人的。我曾在一些要好的朋友中间听到大家赞扬她，那还是当我是——我的天——多么高！”奇克夫人的眼光正转到书橱上、离地大约有十英尺的皮特先生的半身像上。
'Perhaps
I
should
say
of
Mrs
Pipchin,
my
dear
Sir,
'
observed
Miss
Tox,
with
an
ingenuous
blush,
'having
been
so
pointedly
referred
to,
that
the
encomium
which
has
been
passed
upon
her
by
your
sweet
sister
is
well
merited.
Many
ladies
and
gentleman,
now
grown
up
to
be
interesting
members
of
society,
have
been
indebted
to
her
care.
The
humble
individual
who
addresses
you
was
once
under
her
charge.
I
believe
juvenile
nobility
itself
is
no
stranger
to
her
establishment.
'
“我亲爱的先生，”托克斯小姐天真地红了红脸，说道，“对于这位明确提到了的皮普钦太太，也许我得说一下，令妹对她的赞词是她当之无愧的。许多当今已成为社会重要人物的女士们与先生们都曾受惠于她的教养。现在跟您讲话的鄙人也曾经一度接受过她的管教。我想，名门贵族的青少年对她的所都并不陌生。”
'Do
I
understand
that
this
respectable
matron
keeps
an
establishment,
Miss
Tox?
'
the
Mr
Dombey,
condescendingly.
'Why,
I
really
don't
know,
'
rejoined
that
lady,
'whether
I
am
justified
in
calling
it
so.
It
is
not
a
Preparatory
School
by
any
means.
Should
I
express
my
meaning,
'
said
Miss
Tox,
with
peculiar
sweetness,
'if
I
designated
it
an
infantine
Boarding-
House
of
a
very
select
description?
'
|