狄更斯雙語小説:《董貝父子》第28章Part 2

'Not, Miss, but what we talked about the family and visitors,' said Susan, 'and but what I heard much said, although the nurse before Mrs Richards make unpleasant remarks when I was in company, and hint at little Pitchers, but that could only be attributed, poor thing,' observed Susan, with composed forbearance, 'to habits of intoxication, for which she was required to leave, and did.'
Florence, who was seated at her chamber window, with her face resting on her hand, sat looking out, and hardly seemed to hear what Susan said, she was so lost in thought.
'At all events, Miss,' said Susan, 'I remember very well that this same gentleman, Mr Carker, was almost, if not quite, as great a gentleman with your Papa then, as he is now. It used to be said in the house then, Miss, that he was at the head of all your Pa's affairs in the City, and managed the whole, and that your Pa minded him more than anybody, which, begging your pardon, Miss Floy, he might easy do, for he never minded anybody else. I knew that, Pitcher as I might have been.'
Susan Nipper, with an injured remembrance of the nurse before Mrs Richards, emphasised 'Pitcher' strongly.
'And that Mr Carker has not fallen off, Miss,' she pursued, 'but has stood his ground, and kept his credit with your Pa, I know from what is always said among our people by that Perch, whenever he comes to the house; and though he's the weakest weed in the world, Miss Floy, and no one can have a moment's patience with the man, he knows what goes on in the City tolerable well, and says that your Pa does nothing without Mr Carker, and leaves all to Mr Carker, and acts according to Mr Carker, and has Mr Carker always at his elbow, and I do believe that he believes (that washiest of Perches!) that after your Pa, the Emperor of India is the child unborn to Mr Carker.'
Not a word of this was lost on Florence, who, with an awakened interest in Susan's speech, no longer gazed abstractedly on the prospect without, but looked at her, and listened with attention.
'Yes, Susan,' she said, when that young lady had concluded. 'He is in Papa's confidence, and is his friend, I am sure.'

“當然，小姐，我們也談論主人和客人，”蘇珊説道，“我當然還聽到不少談話，雖然當我跟她們在一起的時候，理查茲大嫂以前的保姆曾經講過一些令人不愉快的話，暗示説，有長耳朵的小水罐什麼的，可是這隻能怪她本人愛把自己灌醉，這可憐的人，”蘇珊帶着鎮靜的、寬容的神情，説道，“她就因為這個緣故被解僱了，她也就走了。”

弗洛倫斯坐在卧室的窗口，手支託着臉，向外看着，似乎沒有聽見蘇珊説了些什麼；她深深地陷在沉思中了。
“不管怎麼樣，小姐，”蘇珊説，“我記得很清楚，那時候，這位卡克先生在您爸爸的心目中是一位重要的人物；即使不説跟現在一樣，也跟現在差不多。那時候，小姐，我在屋子裏經常聽説，他在您爸爸城裏的公司裏是個頭，一切事情都歸他管，您爸爸器重他超過任何人，這一點，弗洛伊小姐，請您原諒，他很容易這樣做，因為他從來不重視其他人。我知道這，因為我也許是個長耳朵的水罐，聽到別人這麼説。”
蘇珊·尼珀委屈地回想起理查茲大嫂以前的保姆，説到“長耳朵的水罐”時有力地加重了語氣。
“他們還談到卡克先生沒有失寵，小姐，”她繼續説道，“而是牢牢地保持住自己的地位，繼續受到您爸爸的信任。這些我是從那位珀奇那裏聽到的。他每到這裏來的時候，總要到我們這些人中間聊天，雖然他是世界上最沒骨氣的人，弗洛伊小姐，誰也沒有耐性跟他相處一分鐘，可是他對城裏發生的事情倒知道得很多。他説，您爸爸不論做什麼事，都離不開卡克先生，一切事情都交給卡克先生去辦理，一切都按照卡克先生的意見去做，並讓卡克先生老跟隨在他的身邊。照我看，在珀奇心目中，除了您爸爸之外，印度皇帝跟卡克先生相比還是個沒出生的孩子呢。”
這些話弗洛倫斯沒有聽漏一個字；她對蘇珊的談話產生了興趣，不再心不在焉地望着窗外的景物，而是看着她，並注意地聽着她。
“是的，蘇珊，”當那位姑娘講完時，她説道，“我相信，他得到爸爸的信任，而且是他的朋友。”