狄更斯双语小说:《董贝父子》第26章Part 2

'He has friends here, no doubt,' pursued Carker. 'I perceive, from what he has said, that you go into society here. Do you know,' smiling horribly, 'I am so very glad that you go into society!'
Mr Dombey acknowledged this display of interest on the part of his second in command, by twirling his watch-chain, and slightly moving his head.
'You were formed for society,' said Carker. 'Of all the men I know, you are the best adapted, by nature and by position, for society. Do you know I have been frequently amazed that you should have held it at arm's length so long!'
'I have had my reasons, Carker. I have been alone, and indifferent to it. But you have great social qualifications yourself, and are the more likely to have been surprised.'
'Oh! I!' returned the other, with ready self-disparagement. 'It's quite another matter in the case of a man like me. I don't come into comparison with you.'
Mr Dombey put his hand to his neckcloth, settled his chin in it, coughed, and stood looking at his faithful friend and servant for a few moments in silence.
'I shall have the pleasure, Carker,' said Mr Dombey at length: making as if he swallowed something a little too large for his throat: 'to present you to my - to the Major's friends. Highly agreeable people.'
'Ladies among them, I presume?' insinuated the smooth Manager.
'They are all - that is to say, they are both - ladies,' replied Mr Dombey.
'Only two?' smiled Carker.
'They are only two. I have confined my visits to their residence, and have made no other acquaintance here.'
'Sisters, perhaps?' quoth Carker.
'Mother and daughter,' replied Mr Dombey.
As Mr Dombey dropped his eyes, and adjusted his neckcloth again, the smiling face of Mr Carker the Manager became in a moment, and without any stage of transition, transformed into a most intent and frowning face, scanning his closely, and with an ugly sneer. As Mr Dombey raised his eyes, it changed back, no less quickly, to its old expression, and showed him every gum of which it stood possessed.
'You are very kind,' said Carker, 'I shall be delighted to know them. Speaking of daughters, I have seen Miss Dombey.'
There was a sudden rush of blood to Mr Dombey's face.
'I took the liberty of waiting on her,' said Carker, 'to inquire if she could charge me with any little commission. I am not so fortunate as to be the bearer of any but her - but her dear love.'
Wolf's face that it was then, with even the hot tongue revealing itself through the stretched mouth, as the eyes encountered Mr Dombey's!
'What business intelligence is there?' inquired the latter gentleman, after a silence, during which Mr Carker had produced some memoranda and other papers.
'There is very little,' returned Carker. 'Upon the whole we have not had our usual good fortune of late, but that is of little moment to you. At Lloyd's, they give up the Son and Heir for lost. Well, she was insured, from her keel to her masthead.'
'Carker,' said Mr Dombey, taking a chair near him, 'I cannot say that young man, Gay, ever impressed me favourably
'Nor me,' interposed the Manager.

“他在这里无疑是有朋友的，”卡克先生继续说道，“我从他的话中知道，您在这里经常参加社交活动；您可知道，”他令人讨厌地微笑着，“您经常参加社交活动，我真是高兴极了。”
董贝先生捻转着表链子，并轻轻地摇晃着脑袋，对这位地位仅次于他的助手所显示的关心表示感谢。
“您生来就是属于社会的人，”卡克说道，“在我所认识的人们当中，从性格和地位来说，您都是最适合于进入社会开展活动的。您可知道，您过去竟这么长久地和社会保持着一定距离，我一直感到惊奇！”
“我有我的理由，卡克。我是个独立门户，不求助于他人的人，所以我对社会漠不关心，但是您本人是位有出色社交才能的人，因此就更容易感到惊奇了。”
“哦，我！”那一位敏捷地用自我贬低的口吻回答道，“像我这样的人那是完全另外一码事。我根本不能和您相比。”
董贝先生把手伸向领带，下巴缩在里面，咳嗽了一声，然后站在那里，向他忠实的朋友和奴仆默默地看了几秒钟。
“卡克，”董贝先生终于说道，他这时的表情就仿佛是咽下对他的喉咙有些过大的什么东西似的，“我将高兴把您介绍给我的——介绍给少校的朋友们。她们是很使人感到愉快的人们。”
“我想他们当中也有女士吧，”圆滑的经理旁敲侧击地问道。
“他们全是，——就是说，她们两人全是女士，”董贝先生回答道。
“只有两人吗？”卡克笑嘻嘻地问道。
“只有两人。我在这里只是到她们的住所里去拜访过，没有结识其他什么人。”
“也许是姐妹俩吧？”卡克问道。
“母亲和女儿，”董贝先生回答道。
董贝先生低下眼睛，又把领带整整好，这时候经理卡克先生笑嘻嘻的脸容，没有经过任何过渡阶段，突然一下子转变成目不转睛、皱眉蹙额的脸容，眼光全神贯注地细细观察着董贝先生的脸，并露出丑恶的讥笑。当董贝先生抬起眼睛的时候，卡克先生的脸孔又以同样敏捷的速度恢复了原来的表情，向他露出全部牙床。
“谢谢您的好意，”卡克说道，“我将高兴认识她们。说到女儿，使我想起，我见到过董贝小姐呢。”
血流突然涌上了董贝先生的脸。
“我冒昧地去看望了她，”卡克说道，“问她有什么事要交我办的，可是很不幸，除了——除了她的亲切的爱之外，我没能给她带来别的东西。”
这真像狼一般的脸孔啊！当他的眼光碰到了董贝先生的眼光时，从他张开的嘴巴中甚至可以看到那火热的舌头！
“公司里的业务情况怎么样？”那一位先生沉默了一会儿之后问道；在沉默的时间中，卡克先生取出了一些便函和其他文件、票据。
“生意很清淡，”卡克回答道，“总的来说，我们最近运气不像往常那样好，不过这对于您来说没什么要紧。劳埃德商船协会①认为‘儿子和继承人’已经沉没了。幸好它从龙骨到桅顶都是保了险的。”
“卡克，”董贝先生把一把椅子移近身边，说道，“我不能说那位年轻人盖伊曾给我留下好印象。”
“也没有给我留下好印象，”经理插话道。