中英⽂对照《雾都孤⼉》
TREATS OF THE PLACE WHERE OLIVER TWIST WAS BORN AND OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING HIS BIRTH
Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is one anciently common to most towns, great or small: to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse was born; on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events; the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter.
在某⼀个⼩城，由于诸多原因，对该城的⼤名还是不提为好，我连假名也不给它取⼀个。此地和⽆数⼤⼤⼩⼩的城镇⼀样，在那⾥的公共建筑物之中也有⼀个古已有之的机构，这就是济贫院。本章题⽬中提到了姓名的那个⼈就出⽣在这所济贫院⾥，具体⽇期⽆需赘述，反正这⼀点对读者来说⽆关紧要——⾄少在⽬前这个阶段是这样。
For a long time after it was ushered into this world of sorrow and trouble, by the parish surgeon, it remained a matter of considerable doubt whether the child would survive to bear any name at all; in wh
ich case it is somewhat more than probable that these memoirs would never have appeared; or, if they had, that being comprised within a couple of pages, they would have possessed the inestimable merit of being the most concise and faithful specimen of biography, extant in the literature of any age or country.
这孩⼦由教区外科医⽣领着，来到了这⼀个苦难⽽动荡的世界，在很长⼀段时间⾥，仍然存在着⼀件相当伤脑筋的问题，这孩⼦到底是不是能够有名有姓地活下去。如果是这种情况，本传记很有可能会永⽆⾯世之⽇，或者说，即便能问世也只有寥寥数页，不过倒也有⼀条⽆可估量的优点，即成为古往今来世界各国现存⽂献中最简明最忠实的传记范本。
Although I am not disposed to maintain that the being born in a workhouse, is in itself the most fortunate and enviable circumstance that can possibly befall a human being, I do mean to say that in this particular instance, it was the best thing for Oliver Twist that could by possibility have occurred. The fact is, that there was considerable difficulty in inducing Oliver to take upon himself the office of respiration,--a troublesome practice, but one which custom has rendered necessary to our easy existence; and for some time he lay gasping on a little flock mattress, rather unequally poised between this world and the next: the balance being decidedly in favour of the latter. Now, if, during this brief period, Oliver had been surrounded by careful grandmothers, anxious aunts, experienced n
urses, and doctors of profound wisdom, he would most inevitably and indubitably have been killed in no time. There being nobody by, however, but a pauper old woman, who was rendered rather misty by an unwonted allowance of beer; and a parish surgeon who did such matters by contract; Oliver and Nature fought out the point between them. The result was, that, after a few struggles, Oliver breathed, sneezed, and proceeded to advertise to the inmates of the workhouse the fact of a new burden having been imposed upon the parish, by setting up as loud a cry as could reasonably have been expected from a male infant who had not been possessed of that very useful appendage, a voice, for a much longer space of time than three minutes and a quarter.
我倒也⽆意坚持说，出⽣在贫民收容院这件事本⾝乃是⼀个⼈所能指望得到的最美妙、最惹⼈羡慕的运⽓，但我的确想指出，此时此刻，对奥⽴弗·退斯特说来，这也许是最幸运的⼀件事了。不瞒你说，当时要奥⽴弗⾃个⼉承担呼吸空⽓的职能都相当困难——呼吸本来就是⼀件⿇烦事，偏偏习惯⼜使这项职能成了我们维持⽣存必不可少的事情。好⼀阵⼦，他躺在⼀张⼩⼩的⽑毯上直喘⽓，在今⽣与来世之间摇摆不定，天平决定性地倾向于后者。别的且不说，在这个短暂的时光⾥，倘若奥⽴弗的周围是⼀班细致周到的⽼奶奶、热⼼热肠的⼤娘⼤婶、经验丰富的护⼟以及学识渊博的⼤夫，毫⽆疑义，他必定⼀下⼦就被结果了。幸好在场的只有⼀个济贫院的⽼太婆，她已经叫不⼤容易到⼿的⼀点啤酒弄得有些晕乎乎的了，外加⼀位按合同办理这类事情的教区外科医⽣。除此之外，没有旁⼈。奥⽴弗
与造化之间的较量见了分晓了。结果是，⼏个回合下来，奥⽴弗呼吸平稳了，打了⼀个喷嚏，发出⼀阵⾼声啼哭，作为⼀名男婴，哭声之响是可以想见的，要知道他在远远超过三分⼗五秒的时间⾥还始终不曾具有嗓门这样⼀种很有⽤处的附件。他开始向全院上下公布⼀个事实：本教区⼜背上了⼀个新的包袱。
As Oliver gave this first proof of the free and proper action of his lungs, the patchwork coverlet which was carelessly flung over the iron bedstead, rustled; the pale face of a young woman was raised feebly from the pillow; and a faint voice imperfectly articulated the words,
'Let me see the child, and die.'
奥⽴弗刚以这⼀番活动证明⾃⼰的肺部功能正常，运转⾃如，这时，胡乱搭在铁床架上的那张补钉摞补钉的床单飒飒地响了起来，⼀个年轻⼥⼦有⽓⽆⼒地从枕头上抬起苍⽩的⾯孔，⽤微弱的声⾳不⼗分清晰地吐出了⼏个字：“让我看⼀看孩⼦再死吧。”
The surgeon had been sitting with his face turned towards the fire: giving the palms of his hands a warm and a rub alternately. As the young woman spoke, he rose, and advancing to the bed's head, said, with more kindness than might have been expected of him:
'Oh, you must not talk about dying yet.'
'Lor bless her dear heart, no!' interposed the nurse, hastily depositing in her pocket a green glass bottle, the contents of which she had been tasting in a corner with evident satisfaction.
'Lor bless her dear heart, when she has lived as long as I have, sir, and had thirteen children of her own, and all on 'em dead except two, and them in the wurkus with me, she'll know better than to take on in that way, bless her dear heart! Think what it is to be a mother, there's a dear young lamb do.'
医⽣⾯对壁炉坐在⼀边，时⽽烤烤⼿⼼，时⽽⼜搓搓⼿，听到少妇的声⾳，他站起来，⾛到床头，⼝⽓和善得出⼈意料，说：
“噢，你现在还谈不上死。”
“上帝保佑，她可是死不得，死不得。”护⼠插嘴说，⼀边慌慌张张地把⼀只绿⾊玻璃瓶放进⾐袋⾥，瓶中之物她已经在⾓落⾥尝过了，显然⼗分中意。“上帝保佑，可死不得，等她活到我这把岁数，⼤夫，⾃家养上⼗三个孩⼦，除开两个，全都得送命，那两个就跟我⼀块⼉待在济贫院⾥好了，到时候她就明⽩了，犯不着这样激动，死不得的，寻思寻思当妈是怎么回事，可爱的⼩⽺羔在这⼉呢，没错。”
Apparently this consolatory perspective of a mother's prospects failed in producing its due effect. The patient shook her head, and stretched out her hand towards the child.
The surgeon deposited it in her arms. She imprinted her cold white lips passionately on its forehead; passed her hands over her face; gazed wildly round; shuddered; fell back--and died. They chafed her breast, hands, and temples; but the blood had stopped forever. They talked of hope and comfort. They had been strangers too long.
这番话本来是想⽤作母亲的前景来开导产妇，但显然没有产⽣应有的效果。产妇摇摇头，朝孩⼦伸出⼿去。医⽣将孩⼦放进她的怀⾥，她深情地把冰凉⽩皙的双唇印在孩⼦的额头上，接着她⽤双⼿擦了擦脸，狂乱地环顾了⼀下周围，战栗着向后⼀仰——死了。他们摩擦她的胸部、双⼿、太阳⽳，但⾎液已经永远凝滞了。医⽣和护⼟说了⼀些希望和安慰的话。希望和安慰已经久违多时了。
'It's all over, Mrs. Thingummy!' said the surgeon at last.
'Ah, poor dear, so it is!' said the nurse, picking up the cork of the green bottle, which had fallen out on the pillow, as she stooped to take up the child. 'Poor dear!'
'You needn't mind sending up to me, if the child cries, nurse,' said the surgeon, putting on his gloves with great deliberation. 'It's very likely it _will_ be troublesome. Give it a little gruel if it is.' He put on his hat, and, pausing by the bed-side on his way to the door, added,
'She was a good-looking girl, too; where did she come from?'
“⼀切都完了，⾟格密太太。”末了，医⽣说道。
shudder“呵，可怜的孩⼦，是这么回事。”护⼠说着，从枕头上拾起那只绿瓶的瓶塞，那是她弯腰抱孩⼦的时候掉下来的。“可怜的孩⼦。”
“护⼠，孩⼦要是哭的话，你尽管叫⼈来我，”医⽣慢条斯理地戴上⼿套，说道，“⼩家伙很可能会折腾⼀⽓，要是那样，就给他喝点麦⽚粥。”他戴上帽⼦，还没⾛到门⼝，⼜在床边停了下来，添上了⼀句，“这姑娘还挺漂亮，哪⼉来的？”
'She was brought here last night,' replied the old woman, 'by the overseer's order. She was found lying in the street. She had walked some distance, for her shoes were worn to pieces; but where she came from, or where she was going to, nobody knows.'
“她是昨天晚上送来的，”⽼婆⼦回答，“有教区贫民救济处长官的吩咐。有⼈看见她倒在街上。她⾛了很远的路，鞋都穿成刷⼦了。要说她从哪⼉来，到哪⼉去，那可没⼈知道。”
The surgeon leaned over the body, and raised the left hand. 'The old story,' he said, shaking his head: 'no wedding-ring, I see. Ah! Good-night!'
The medical gentleman walked away to dinner; and the nurse, having once more applied herself to t
he green bottle, sat down on a low chair before the fire, and proceeded to dress the infant.
医⽣弯下腰，拿起死者的左⼿。“⼜是那种事，”他摇摇头说，“明⽩了，没带结婚戒指。啊。晚安。”
懂医道的绅⼠外出吃晚饭去了，护⼠本⼈就着那只绿⾊玻璃瓶⼜受⽤了⼀番，在炉前⼀个矮椅⼦上坐下来，着⼿替婴⼉穿⾐服。
What an excellent example of the power of dress, young Oliver Twist was! Wrapped in the blanket which had hitherto formed his only covering, he might have been the child of a nobleman or a beggar; it would have been hard for the haughtiest stranger to have assigned him his proper station in society. But now that he was enveloped in the old calico robes which had grown yellow in the same service, he was badged and ticketed, and fell into his place at once--a parish child--the orphan of a workhouse--the humble, half-starved drudge--to be cuffed and buffeted through the world--despised by all, and pitied by none.
⼩奥⽴弗真可以称为⼈靠⾐装的⼀个杰出典范。他打从⼀出世唯⼀掩⾝蔽体的东西就是裹在他⾝上的那条毯⼦，你说他是贵家公⼦也⾏，是乞丐的贫⼉亦可。就是最⾃负的外⼈也很难确定他的社会地位。不过这当⼉，他给裹进⼀件⽩布旧罩衫⾥边，由于多次使⽤，罩衫已经开始泛黄，打上印章，贴上标签，⼀转眼已经正式到位——成为教区的孩⼦——济贫院的孤⼉——吃不饱也饿不死的苦⼒——
来到世上就要尝拳头，挨巴掌⼀⼀个个藐视，⽆⼈怜悯。
Oliver cried lustily. If he could have known that he was an orphan, left to the tender mercies of church-wardens and overseers, perhaps he would have cried the louder.
奥⽴弗尽情地哭起来。他要是能够意识到⾃⼰成了孤⼉，命运如何全得看教区委员和贫民救济处官员会不会发慈悲，可能还会哭得更响亮⼀些。