牛津书虫系列 远大前程 Chapter 13
13 Planning Magwitch’s futureand hearing about his past
13 规划马格韦契的未来和听他讲述自己的身世
I slept a little，but woke early.I felt I needed some fresh air，and went downstairs and out of the building.On the way down I fell over a man hiding in a dark corner，who ran away immediately.This worried me.I suspected he had followed my convict to the house.Would he now inform the police?
我睡了一会儿，但是醒得很早，我感到需要吸点新鲜空气。于是，我下了楼走出了这座楼房。沿着路走，我发现一个人躲在黑暗角落里，这个家伙立刻跑掉。这使我忧虑，我猜想他在这座房子已经盯上我那个囚犯了。现在，他会通知警察吗?
My guest and I had breakfast together.He ate noisily and greedily，like an animal.I tried hard not to be disgusted by his manners.He told me his name was Abel Magwitch，and after breakfast he lit his pipe and held out his hands for mine again.
我和我的客人共进早餐，他狼吞虎咽地吃着。对他的行为，我极力控制厌烦的情绪。他告诉我，他叫阿伯尔·马格韦契。早餐后，他点上烟斗，又向我伸出手来。
‘All I want is to stand and look at you，dear boy!’he said.‘A real gentleman，made by me!You’re going to have every-thing a London gentleman should have，a carriage，and horses，and everything!’He threw a great thick wallet on to the table.‘All that is yours.I’ve come back to England to watch you spend it.’
“我所要求的就是能站在这里瞧瞧你，亲爱的孩子!”他说，“我一手培养出来的一名真正绅士!伦敦的绅士有的东西你也会有：一辆马车，还有马匹，样样东西都有!”他把一个很厚的皮夹子扔到桌子上，“这都是你的，我回到英国就是要看你花钱。”
‘Stop!’I cried desperately.‘We must discuss your plans.How long are you going to stay here?’
“停!”我拼命地喊着，“我们必须讨论一下你的打算，你打算在这里呆多久?”
‘How long?’he repeated，surprised.‘I’m not going back.’
“多长时间?”他吃惊地回答，“我不打算回去了。”
‘But where will yon be safe?’
“可是你住在哪里才安全?”
‘Dear boy，who knows I’m here?You，Jaggers and Wemmick，that’s all.Anyway，I know I can live with the fear of death.I’ve done that all my life.’
“亲爱的孩子，谁会知道我在这儿?只有你、贾格斯和文米克，再没有人知道了。无论怎样，我知道死亡的恐惧伴随我的生活，我已经完成了我的一生。”
All I knew was that I must keep him out of sight until Herbert returned Then we could produce a better plan for the future.I decided to rent a room for him in a house near ours，where I thought he would be safe for the moment.I bought him different clothes，and had his hair cut，but to me he looked just the same，and I lived in constant fear that he would he recognized by someone who had known him in the past.
我知道，在赫伯特回来之前，我必须把他藏起来。然后，我们能够为将来提出一个更好的计划。我决定在我们的附近为他租一套房子，在这儿，我想他会安全一点儿。我带着他换了服装，给他理了发。但是，对我来讲，也和过去没有什么两样，我生活得提心吊胆，生怕过去了解他的人会认出他来。
My unwanted guest and I spent five long days and evenings together，with the wind and rain beating on the windows.Those few days seemed more like a year to me.He slept，or ate，or played cards.Sometimes he listened to me reading，with a proud smile on his face.I could not sleep or eat. I used to watch him sleep，wondering what bloody crimes lay in his past，and knowing that I alone protected him from a horrible death.
我和我不想要的客人在伴随着风雨敲打着窗户的气候中一起度过了5昼夜。对我来讲，那几天好像是度日如年。他睡觉，或者吃饭，或者玩牌。有时，他带着自豪的笑脸听我念书。我吃不下，睡不香，常常看着他睡觉，不知道发生在过去他血腥腥的罪行，却知道我独自从可怕的死亡中保护他。
I cannot describe my joy when Herbert finally returned. At last I could share my terrible news with my friend.He，too，was shocked to hear that my great expectations came from the prisoner I had helped so long ago，and when I introduced him to our guest，Herbert could hardly hide his dislike.
当赫伯特总算回来时，我不能形容我的快乐，最终我能把那可怕的消息与我的朋友分担。听说我的远大前程是来自很久以前我救过的罪犯，他也被震惊了。当我把我们的客人介绍给他时，赫伯特尽可能地隐瞒自己的反感情绪。
When we were alone，he said to me，‘You look so pale，Handel.This has been a painful time for you.’
当我们俩独自在一起时，他对我说，“你看上去很苍白，汉德尔，这对你来说是痛苦的时刻。”
‘Herbert，something must be done.He wants to spend even more on me!He must be stopped!’
“赫伯特，有些事情要去做。他想在我身上投入更多!必须阻止他!”
‘You mean you can’t accept any more of his money?’
“你的意思是说再也不接受他的钱了?”
‘How can I? You know he’s a criminal!How do I know where his money comes from? And think what I owe him al-ready!I have no way of paying him back.Oh Herbert，if I didn’t have you as a friend，I’d be desperate!’I could only just control my tears.Herbert kindly pretended not to notice.
“我怎么能接受?你知道他是一个逃犯!我怎么知道他的钱是从哪儿来的?想想我已经欠下他的账!我没有办法还他。哦，赫伯特，如果我没有你作为一个朋友，我会绝望的!”我能勉强地控制住眼泪，赫伯特友好地假装没看见。
‘My dear Handel，’he said，‘if you want to pay back what you owe him，you could always join my company，Clarrikers.I’m going to be a partner there soon，you know.’Poor Her-bert!He did not suspect whose money was helping him be-come a partner.
“我亲爱的汉德尔，”他说，“如果您要想不欠他的钱，你随时可以参加我的公司，克拉雷克斯，我马上就是那儿的一个股东，你知道。”可怜的赫伯特!他确实没有对帮助他成为股东的这些钱产生怀疑。
‘But there’s another thing，’added Herbert.‘This man has a fierce and violent character.He’s come here with a fixed idea，which he’s been looking forward to for half his life.If you destroy his idea，his life will be worthless.’
“不过，另有一件事情，”他补充着说，“这个家伙有一个凶恶、暴烈的性格，他带着一个固执的想法来到这儿，在这里他盼望着度过后半生。如果你破坏了他的想法，他的生活将失去意义。”
‘And he will allow himself to be arrested and hanged，’I continued，nodding.‘Yes，I’ve thought that ever since he arrived.If that happened，I’d feel guilty for ever.’
“他会让自己被捕，被拖上绞刑架”，我点着头继续说，“是的，我想过了，自从他到来以前，如果那是碰巧发生的，我对以前感到有罪。”
‘So you cannot destroy his dream now.First we must get him out of England，where he risks death every moment.Then you will explain that you can’t accept his money.I’ll help you all the way，trust me.’I shook Herbert’s hand gratefully.
“因此，你现在不能破坏他的梦想。首先，我们必须把他弄出英格兰。在这儿，他随时都有死的危险。然后，你将说明你不能接受他的钱。我将设法帮助你，相信我。”我感激地握着赫伯特的手。
Next morning after breakfast we asked Magwitch to tell us more about his past life，so that we could protect him better.
第二天上午，早饭后，我们让马格韦契多给我们讲点他过去的经历，以便我们能够更好地保护他。
‘You promise to keep it a secret，Pip’s friend?’he said to Herbert.‘Well I’ll put it in a few words.In prison and out of prison.That’s been my life，more or less.Don’t remember my parents.No idea where I was born.I slept in fields，I stole food，sometimes I worked.And I grew to be a man.It was about twenty years ago I met Compeyson.I’d kill him now，at once，if I met him!He’s the man I was fighting when the soldiers found me on the marshes，Pip.He was handsome and educated，so people thought he was a gentleman and trusted him.I was a partner in his business，and a dirty business it was，too.We persuaded rich people to invest their money with us，we used stolen banknotes，we wrote false cheques.Compeyson was clever，but what a wicked，cold hear the had!He always got the profits but never the blame.
“你许诺为此事保密，匹普的朋友。”他对赫伯特说，“我将用几句话就能讲清楚，进过监狱和出过监狱，那或多或少就是我的生活。不记得我的父母，不记得自己在哪儿出生。我在田间睡过，我偷过吃的，有时我也干活，我就是这样长大成人的。20多年前，我遇见了康培生，如果我现在遇见他，我会立刻杀了他!他就是士兵在沼泽地里发现我和他正在厮打的那个家伙。匹普，他清秀漂亮有教养，因此，人们认为他是一名绅士并相信他。我是他生意上的合伙人，也是一个不干净的生意。我们说服有钱的人向我们投资。我们经常偷钞票，伪造支票，康培生很精明。但是，他有一个很毒辣、冷酷的心!他总是得到好处却从来没有受到谴责。”
‘His former partner，Arthur，lived in Compeyson’s house and was very ill.In fact he was dying.He and Compeyson had got a lot of money out of a rich lady some years before，and Arthur kept dreaming of this lady.Late one night he appeared at the sitting-room door，pale and shaking，crying，“Compeyson，she’s there!In my room!All dressed in white，ready for the wedding!She’s angry，she says she wants revenge!You brobke her heart，you know you did!And now she say I’m going to die!”
“他以前的合伙人，阿瑟，住在康培生家里，病得很重，事实上已是垂死挣扎。几年以前，他和康培生从一位富贵小姐那里得到一大笔钱，阿瑟梦想得到这位小姐。后来的一个晚上，他脸色苍白全身颤抖着出现在会客厅门口，叫喊起来，“康培生，她在这儿!在我的房间!全身穿着白色衣服，准备结婚!她发怒了，她说她要报仇!你伤透她的心，你知道你干的事!他现在说我将会死掉”!
‘Compeyson and his wife put Arthur back to bed，but at five o’clock in the morning we heard screams coming from his room，and he died soon after.
“康培生和他妻子把阿瑟放回床上。但是，在早晨5点钟，我们听到来自他房间的尖叫声。不久，他死了。”
‘I should have realized it was a mistake getting involved with Compeyson.In the end we were both arrested for several crimes.And what happened?At the trial he lied and lied.I was the criminal，in and out of prison all my life，and I got fourteen years on the prison-ship.He was the gentleman，of good character and with important friends，and only got seven years.
“我应当认识到让康培生缠住是一个错误，最后我们俩因为种种罪行被逮捕。接着发生什么事情?在审判中，他撒谎不眨眼。我是罪犯，我的全部生活是进出监狱，我被判了14年船上监狱徒刑。他是绅士，有良好的品行，又有大人物的朋友，才判了他7年徒刑。”
Magwitch had become very excited，and had to breathe deeply to calm himself.‘I promised myself I’d smash his handsome face when I saw him on the prison-ship.I was just going to，when a guard caught hold of me.I managed to escape by diving into the river.That’s how I reached the marshes，and the churchyard.And then Pip，my boy，you told me Compeyson was on the marshes too.He must have escaped，like me.So I hunted him and smashed his face，and I was going to take him back to the prison-ship，so that he wouldn’t have the pleasure of being free，when the soldiers caught us.Again he was clever.His punishment for escaping was light.But I was brought to trial again，and sent to Australia for life.’
马格韦契变得十分兴奋，不得不深吸一口气，使自己平静下来，“我向自己许诺，当我在船上监狱见到他时，我要打烂他漂亮的脸蛋。我刚要动手，一名警卫把我拦祝我设法潜入水中逃跑，那就是我怎么到了沼泽地，到了教堂墓地。这时，匹普，我的孩子，你告诉我康培生也在沼泽地里。他和我一样越狱逃跑出来。因此，我搜索他，毁他的容。当士兵们抓住我们时，我打算把他带回船上监狱，以便他没有人身自由的快乐。又是他的精明，他的越狱惩罚很轻，而我再一次受到审判，被终身发配到澳大利亚。”
‘Is Compeyson dead?’I asked after a silence.
“康培生死了吗?”沉默了一会儿我问道。
‘Heard no more of him，’he said，shaking his head.‘But if he’s alive，he hopes I’m dead，that’s certain!’
“没有再听到他的消息”，他摇着脑袋说，“但是，如果他还活着，他会希望我死，那是肯定的!”
Herbert passed me a note he had been writing.It said：
赫伯特把他写的条于递给我，上面写到：
‘The name of Miss Havisham’s half-brother was Arthur.Compeyson is the man who pretended to be in love with her.’
“郝薇香小姐的同父异母兄弟的名字就是阿瑟，康培生就是假装和她相爱的那个家伙。”
