雙語小說連載:《董貝父子》第14章 Part 14

But notwithstanding this modest confidence in himself, Mr Toots appeared to be involved in a good deal of uncertainty whether, on the whole, it was judicious to button the bottom button of his waistcoat, and whether, on a calm revision of all the circumstances, it was best to wear his waistbands turned up or turned down. Observing that Mr Feeder's were turned up, Mr Toots turned his up; but the waistbands of the next arrival being turned down, Mr Toots turned his down. The differences in point of waistcoat—buttoning, not only at the bottom, but at the top too, became so numerous and complicated as the arrivals thickened, that Mr Toots was continually fingering that article of dress, as if he were performing on some instrument; and appeared to find the incessant execution it demanded, quite bewildering. All the young gentlemen, tightly cravatted, curled, and pumped, and with their best hats in their hands, having been at different times announced and introduced, Mr Baps, the dancing—master, came, accompanied by Mrs Baps, to whom Mrs Blimber was extremely kind and condescending. Mr Baps was a very grave gentleman, with a slow and measured manner of speaking; and before he had stood under the lamp five minutes, he began to talk to Toots (who had been silently comparing pumps with him) about what you were to do with your raw materials when they came into your ports in return for your drain of gold. Mr Toots, to whom the question seemed perplexing, suggested 'Cook 'em.' But Mr Baps did not appear to think that would do.

圖茨先生雖然懷有適度的自信心，但是總的來說，他背心上最下面的一顆鈕釦究竟扣上是不是合適，同時把一切情況冷靜思考過之後，他的袖口究竟最好是捲上來還是卷下去，他好像都很猶豫不決。當他看到菲德先生的袖口是捲上的，他就把自己的袖口也捲上，但下一個來的人的袖口是卷下的，他就把自己的袖口也卷下。背心的鈕釦的扣法不僅在最下面的一顆，而且在最上面的一顆也有差別；隨着來到的人們愈來愈多，這些差別變得那麼多那麼複雜，因此圖茨先生的手指就不斷地翻動着衣服上的那個附屬品，彷彿在操作某個儀器似的；他覺得這種要求不停進行的動作真使人不知該怎麼辦纔好。所有這些年輕的先生們，領帶系得緊緊的，頭髮燙得卷卷曲曲，腳上穿着輕舞鞋，手裏拿着最好的禮帽，都在不同的時間被通報和介紹了；在這之後，舞蹈教師巴普斯先生在巴普斯夫人的陪同下來到了，布林伯夫人對他們特別親切友好和謙虛有禮。巴普斯先生是一位很莊重的先生，講話慢條斯理，字斟句酌；他在燈下站了不到五分鐘，就開始跟圖茨先生談話（圖茨先生一直在默默地跟他比較輕舞鞋），談的是：當別人把原料送到您的港口跟您交換金子的時候，您該怎麼處理您的原料。這個問題對圖茨先生來說是複雜難解的，他就建議說，“把它們煮了。”可是巴普斯先生看來並不認爲那是個可行的辦法。

Paul now slipped away from the cushioned corner of a sofa, which had been his post of observation, and went downstairs into the tea—room to be ready for Florence, whom he had not seen for nearly a fortnight, as he had remained at Doctor Blimber's on the previous Saturday and Sunday, lest he should take cold. Presently she came: looking so beautiful in her simple ball dress, with her fresh flowers in her hand, that when she knelt down on the ground to take Paul round the neck and kiss him (for there was no one there, but his friend and another young woman waiting to serve out the tea), he could hardly make up his mind to let her go again, or to take away her bright and loving eyes from his face.

這時保羅從沙發中墊上墊子的一個角落（他把它作爲他的觀察哨）中悄悄地溜開，走到樓下一個喝茶的房間中，準備迎接弗洛倫斯；他已經將近兩個星期沒有看到她了；因爲唯恐會着涼，他在上星期六和星期天都留在布林伯博士的學校中。不一會兒她來了；她穿着樸素的舞衣，手裏拿着鮮花，看上去是那麼美麗；她跪到地上，摟着保羅的脖子，並吻着他（因爲除了他的朋友梅麗亞和在那裏等着向外端茶的另一位年輕的婦女外，沒有其他人在那裏），這時候他簡直下不了決心讓她再走開，或把她的明亮的、喜愛他的眼睛從他的臉上移開。

'But what is the matter, Floy?' asked Paul, almost sure that he saw a tear there.

“可是這是怎麼回事，弗洛伊？”保羅問道；他幾乎可以肯定，他在那裏看到一顆眼淚。

'Nothing, darling; nothing,' returned Florence.

“沒有什麼，親愛的，沒有什麼，”弗洛倫斯回答道。

Paul touched her cheek gently with his finger — and it was a tear! 'Why,Floy!' said he.

保羅用手指輕輕地摸摸她的臉頰——不錯，那確實是一顆眼淚！“啊，弗洛伊！”他說道。

'We'll go home together, and I'll nurse you, love,' said Florence.

“我們將一起回家去；我將護理您，親愛的，”弗洛倫斯說道。

'Nurse me!' echoed Paul.

“護理我！”保羅重複地說道。

Paul couldn't understand what that had to do with it, nor why the two young women looked on so seriously, nor why Florence turned away her face for a moment, and then turned it back, lighted up again with smiles.

保羅不明白這跟眼淚有什麼關係，也不明白爲什麼這兩位年輕的婦女這麼認真地看着，也不明白爲什麼弗洛倫斯把臉轉過去片刻，然後又轉回來，閃露着微笑。

'Floy,' said Paul, holding a ringlet of her dark hair in his hand. 'Tell me, dear, Do you think I have grown old—fashioned?'

“弗洛伊，”保羅手中握着她的一束黑色的捲髮，說道，“告訴我，親愛的。你是不是認爲我變得老氣了？”

'Because I know they say so,' returned Paul, 'and I want to know what they mean, Floy.' But a loud double knock coming at the door, and Florence hurrying to the table, there was no more said between them. Paul wondered again when he saw his friend whisper to Florence, as if she were comforting her; but a new arrival put that out of his head speedily.

“因爲我知道他們這麼說，”保羅回答道，“我想知道他們這麼說是什麼意思，弗洛伊。”可是門上傳來很響的敲門聲，弗洛倫斯急忙走到桌旁，姐弟兩人就沒有再說什麼話。保羅看到他的朋友梅麗亞向弗洛倫斯低聲說了些什麼，彷彿在安慰她似的，這又使他感到奇怪；但是一位新來的人迅速地驅除了他頭腦中的詫異。

註釋：turn up
1. 向上(翻、翹)，翻起，翹起，捲起：
e.g. He turned up the ends of his trousers and waded across the river.
他捲起褲腳蹚過河。

2. 把……翻轉過來；使……面朝上，把……向上翻；使仰臥：
e.g. They turned up the soil and planted trees.
他們翻土種樹。

3. 旋大，開大(以增加流量、速度、強度、響度等)：
e.g. Please turn up the desk lamp a bit.
請把檯燈扭亮一點。

4. 有向上的趨勢；上升，增加；改進；好轉：
e.g. The economy seems to be turning up.
經濟似乎在復甦。

slip vi. 滑動；滑倒；犯錯；失足；減退
vt. 使滑動；滑過；擺脫；塞入；閃開
n. 滑，滑倒；片，紙片；錯誤；下跌；事故
adj. 滑動的；有活結的；活絡的
[ 過去式slipped 或slip 過去分詞slipped 現在分詞slipping ]
詞組：
call slip索書單；借書單；借書證；索書條
Time Slip歲月流逝；序曲；錯亂時空；歲月消逝
let slip 錯過；無意中吐露；放走
slip away 逃走；悄悄溜走
slip in 悄悄溜入；偷偷溜進去
slip into v. 溜進；使滑入；匆忙穿上；[俚]大吃

例句：
(1) You might slip!
你會滑倒的！
(2) Yet one slip, and the damage cannot be undone.
稍一犯錯，就會造成無法彌補的損害。
(3) Profits continue to slip this year.
利潤今年呈持續下跌趨勢。
(4) She fumbled her purse which contained the address slip.
她在錢包裏摸索着那張寫着地址的紙片。
(5) Carol Thatcher said of the slip—up: "I almost fell off my chair."
卡羅爾.撒切爾談論起這一錯誤:“我幾乎要跌下椅子”。
(6) We are too close to allow success to slip through our fingers.
我們已經如此接近成功，不能聽任它從指縫中溜走。