When dinner was done, and the cloth was cleared away (the entertainment had been brought from a neighbouring eating-house), he lighted a candle, and went down below into a little cellar, while his nephew, standing on the mouldy staircase, dutifully held the light.
晚飯是從附近的館子店里拿來的，飯吃完了，桌布就拿開了，所羅門點亮了一支蠟燭，走到一間小地下室里，他的外甥站在潮濕發(fā)霉的樓梯上，恭恭敬敬地拿著蠟燭。
After a moment's groping here and there, he presently returned with a very ancient-looking bottle, covered with dust and dirt.
四處尋找了一會兒之后，所羅門很快回到樓梯上，手里拿著一只古色古香、布滿著灰塵的瓶子。
'Why, Uncle Sol!' said the boy, 'what are you about? that's the wonderful Madeira! - there's only one more bottle!'
“怎么，所爾舅舅！”男孩說，“你干什么呀？這是好寶貴的馬德拉島 白葡萄酒！——那里只剩一瓶了！”
Uncle Sol nodded his head, implying that he knew very well what he was about;
所爾舅舅點了點頭，意思是說他當(dāng)然知道他想干什么。
and having drawn the cork in solemn silence, filled two glasses and set the bottle and a third clean glass on the table.
在莊嚴(yán)的沉默中他揭開了瓶塞，倒?jié)M了兩只玻璃杯，然后把酒瓶和一只空玻璃杯放在桌上。
'You shall drink the other bottle, Wally,' he said, 'when you come to good fortune; when you are a thriving, respected, happy man; when the start in life you have made to-day shall have brought you, as I pray Heaven it may! - to a smooth part of the course you have to run, my child. My love to you!'
“另外一個瓶子的酒，沃利，”他說，“當(dāng)你以后有了錢，成為一個事業(yè)有成、受人尊敬、幸福的人，當(dāng)你今天開始的生活把你帶到你未來的成功的道路——這是我向上天祈禱的愿望！——那時候，我的孩子，就讓你喝那瓶酒了。祝你成功！”
Some of the fog that hung about old Sol seemed to have got into his throat; for he spoke huskily.
老所爾四周的霧氣似乎滲入了他的喉嚨，因為他講話的聲音是沙啞的。
His hand shook too, as he clinked his glass against his nephew's. But having once got the wine to his lips, he tossed it off like a man, and smacked them afterwards.
當(dāng)他拿著他的酒杯和外甥的酒杯相碰的時候，他的手在發(fā)抖，可是當(dāng)酒一沾上唇，他就干凈利落地一飲而盡，過后還咂咂嘴。?
'Dear Uncle,' said the boy, affecting to make light of it, while the tears stood in his eyes, 'for the honour you have done me, et cetera, et cetera. I shall now beg to propose Mr Solomon Gills with three times three and one cheer more. Hurrah! and you'll return thanks, Uncle, when we drink the last bottle together; won't you?'
“親愛的舅舅，”男孩說，他裝著若無其事，其實已經(jīng)淚水盈眶了，“為你給我的愛護(hù)，還有一切一切，現(xiàn)在我懇請為所羅門·吉爾士先生的健康十次祝酒、干杯。萬歲！舅舅，以后待我們喝那最后一瓶酒的時候，你再來回敬我這次祝酒，好嗎？”
They clinked their glasses again;
他們又一次碰杯。
and Walter, who was hoarding his wine, took a sip of it, and held the glass up to his eye with as critical an air as he could possibly assume.
沃爾特沒有把酒喝光，他啜了一口，然后拿起酒杯放在眼睛前面，一絲不茍地加以品鑒。
His Uncle sat looking at him for some time in silence.
他舅舅坐在那里默默地看著他。
When their eyes at last met, he began at once to pursue the theme that had occupied his thoughts, aloud, as if he had been speaking all the time.
過了一會兒，四目相遇時舅舅急忙開始大聲地談著早就想說的話題，仿佛他一直都在講著似的。
'You see, Walter,' he said, 'in truth this business is merely a habit with me. I am so accustomed to the habit that I could hardly live if I relinquished it: but there's nothing doing, nothing doing. When that uniform was worn,' pointing out towards the little Midshipman, 'then indeed, fortunes were to be made, and were made. But competition, competition - new invention, new invention - alteration, alteration - the world's gone past me. I hardly know where I am myself, much less where my customers are.”
“你看，沃特爾，”他說，“老實說，這個行業(yè)對我來說只是做慣了的事情，是一種生活習(xí)慣。要是把生活習(xí)慣丟掉的話，我就很難活下去了，可是沒有辦法呵，沒有辦法呵。穿上那件制服的時候，”他指著小小的海軍候補(bǔ)生，“真是那么想，財源就會滾滾而來了，財源確是滾滾而來了?？墒翘幪幎际歉偁?、競爭，新的發(fā)明一個接一個，一個接一個，天天都在改變、改變，這個世界從我身邊走過去了，我簡直不知道我在哪里，更不知道我的買主在哪里！”
'Never mind 'em, Uncle!'
“別去管他們吧，舅舅！”
'Since you came home from weekly boarding-school at Peckham, for instance - and that's ten days,' said Solomon, 'I don't remember more than one person that has come into the shop.'
“舉個例子吧，你從佩克姆寄宿學(xué)?；貋硪院螅呀?jīng)有十天了，”所羅門說，“我只記得到我店里來買東西的人只有一個。”
'Two, Uncle, don't you recollect? There was the man who came to ask for change for a sovereign - '
“有兩個，舅舅，你不記得了嗎？有一個男的，他拿了一個英鎊想換零錢。”
'That's the one,' said Solomon.
“就是這一個。”所羅門說。
'Why Uncle! don't you call the woman anybody, who came to ask the way to Mile-End Turnpike?'
“舅舅！有一個女人走進(jìn)來問，到邁爾·恩德路怎么走。你難道不把她算作一個？”
'Oh! it's true,' said Solomon, 'I forgot her. Two persons.'
“哦！一點也不錯，”所羅門說，“我把她忘了。一共兩個?！?/p>
'To be sure, they didn't buy anything,' cried the boy.
“肯定他們沒有買東西的?！蹦泻⒋舐曊f。
'No. They didn't buy anything,' said Solomon, quietly.
“沒有，他們一樣?xùn)|西也沒有買?！彼_門平靜地說。
'Nor want anything,' cried the boy.
“也不想要買什么東西?！蹦泻⒋舐曊f。
'No. If they had, they'd gone to another shop,' said Solomon, in the same tone.
“不想買。要是他們想買什么東西的話，他們早就到別的店里去了?！彼_門依舊平靜地說。
'But there were two of 'em, Uncle,' cried the boy, as if that were a great triumph. 'You said only one.'
“可是有兩個呵，舅舅，”男孩高聲說，仿佛這是很大的勝利，“你剛才說只有一個的?！?/p>
'Well, Wally,' resumed the old man, after a short pause: 'not being like the Savages who came on Robinson Crusoe's Island, we can't live on a man who asks for change for a sovereign, and a woman who inquires the way to Mile-End Turnpike. As I said just now, the world has gone past me. I don't blame it; but I no longer understand it. Tradesmen are not the same as they used to be, apprentices are not the same, business is not the same, business commodities are not the same. Seven-eighths of my stock is old-fashioned. I am an old-fashioned man in an old-fashioned shop, in a street that is not the same as I remember it. I have fallen behind the time, and am too old to catch it again. Even the noise it makes a long way ahead, confuses me.'
“你看，沃利，”老人停了一會兒又說，“我們不是魯濱孫 荒島上的野人，我們不能靠一個拿著金鎊來換零錢的男人和一個問到邁爾·恩德收稅柵怎么走的女人過活嘛。我剛才講的，這個世界從我身邊走過去了。對于這個世界我不埋怨，不過我再也搞不清楚它是怎么回事了。做生意的人同以前做生意的人不一樣，學(xué)徒同以前的學(xué)徒不一樣，生意同以前的生意不一樣，貨物同以前的貨物不一樣。我店里的貨物有八之七是過時的，我的店鋪是過時的，我也是過時的，我住的這條街道已經(jīng)不是我腦子里還記得的那個樣子了。我已經(jīng)掉在時代的后面了，我年紀(jì)太大，再也跟不上了。連前面好遠(yuǎn)的地方那個嘈雜的聲音也叫我莫名其妙?！?/p>
Walter was going to speak, but his Uncle held up his hand.
沃爾特正待講話，他的舅舅把手舉了起來。
'Therefore, Wally - therefore it is that I am anxious you should be early in the busy world, and on the world's track. I am only the ghost of this business - its substance vanished long ago; and when I die, its ghost will be laid. As it is clearly no inheritance for you then, I have thought it best to use for your advantage, almost the only fragment of the old connexion that stands by me, through long habit. Some people suppose me to be wealthy. I wish for your sake they were right. But whatever I leave behind me, or whatever I can give you, you in such a House as Dombey's are in the road to use well and make the most of. Be diligent, try to like it, my dear boy, work for a steady independence, and be happy!'
“所以，沃利——所以我心里很焦慮，希望你小小年紀(jì)就來到這個熙熙攘攘的世界，走上世界的征途。我只是這個事業(yè)的鬼魂，事業(yè)的實體早就沒有了，我一死，我這個鬼魂也就沒有了。很清楚，既然沒有什么家當(dāng)留給你，我一直在想，為了你的利益起見，最好的辦法就是不妨利用我長年積累起來的還剩下的一點點老交道。有些人以為我很有錢。為了你的緣故，我真希望他們講得對。不管吃我留給你什么，不管我能給你什么，你在董貝公司的差使是一個很好的機(jī)遇，你可以充分享受，充分利用它。親愛的孩子，你要喜歡這個工作，好好地干，不要靠別人，要靠自己，快快活活地干吧！”
'I'll do everything I can, Uncle, to deserve your affection. Indeed I will,' said the boy, earnestly
“舅舅，我要好好地干，不辜負(fù)你對我的深情，我一定好好地干。”男孩熱切地說。
'I know it,' said Solomon. 'I am sure of it,' and he applied himself to a second glass of the old Madeira, with increased relish. 'As to the Sea,' he pursued, 'that's well enough in fiction, Wally, but it won't do in fact: it won't do at all. It's natural enough that you should think about it, associating it with all these familiar things; but it won't do, it won't do.'
“我知道的，我知道你一定會的，”所羅門說過后就又拿起一杯馬德拉島白葡萄陳酒更開心地喝起來，然后繼續(xù)說下去，“海這個東西，在想象里是蠻好的，沃利，不過在生活里就不對了，根本不對了。你把大海和其他這些很熟悉的東西湊在一起，你就想入非非了，這當(dāng)然是很自然的，可事實不是這樣，絕對不是的。”
Solomon Gills rubbed his hands with an air of stealthy enjoyment, as he talked of the sea, though; and looked on the seafaring objects about him with inexpressible complacency.
所羅門一邊談?wù)撝蠛Ｒ贿叴曛p手，暗自高興，并且用一種難以言傳的自得其樂環(huán)顧四周的航海器具。
