It was a strange condition of things, the honeymoon being over, and the bridesmaids gone home, when I found myself sitting down in my own small house with Dora; —
在蜜月结束、伴娘们离开后，我发现自己和多拉坐在自己的小屋里，实在是一种奇怪的状态； —

quite thrown out of employment, as I may say, in respect of the delicious old occupation of making love.
在占据心爱的旧工作——谈恋爱这个美妙的职业方面，我可以说是完全失去了工作；

It seemed such an extraordinary thing to have Dora always there. —
多拉总是在那里，这种情形真是不可思议； —

It was so unaccountable not to be obliged to go out to see her, not to have any occasion to be tormenting myself about her, not to have to write to her, not to be scheming and devising opportunities of being alone with her. —
不必出门去见她，不必为她苦恼，不必给她写信，不必精心策划争取和她独处的机会，这一切都是这么难以理解； —

Sometimes of an evening, when I looked up from my writing, and saw her seated opposite, I would lean back in my chair, and think how queer it was that there we were, alone together as a matter of course - nobody’s business any more - all the romance of our engagement put away upon a shelf, to rust - no one to please but one another - one another to please, for life.
有时晚上写作时，抬头看见她坐在对面，我会靠在椅子上，思考我们如此自然地独处的情况 - 这不再是别人的事 - 订婚时的浪漫早已被束之高阁 - 没有其他人需要高兴，只需彼此高兴一辈子；

When there was a debate, and I was kept out very late, it seemed so strange to me, as I was walking home, to think that Dora was at home! —
当有辩论导致我很晚才能回家时，在回家的路上，想到多拉在家里，感觉如此奇怪！ —

It was such a wonderful thing, at first, to have her coming softly down to talk to me as I ate my supper. —
她悄悄走下来和我交谈，吃晚饭时，这真是一件奇妙的事情； —

It was such a stupendous thing to know for certain that she put her hair in papers. —
知道她确实用纸卷她的头发，这真是一件巨大的事情； —

It was altogether such an astonishing event to see her do it!
看到她这样做，真是一场令人叹为观止的事件！

I doubt whether two young birds could have known less about keeping house, than I and my pretty Dora did. —
我和漂亮的多拉对于照料家务可能比两只幼鸟还不懂； —

We had a servant, of course. She kept house for us. —
我们当然有女仆。她替我们料理家务； —

I have still a latent belief that she must have been Mrs. Crupp’s daughter in disguise, we had such an awful time of it with Mary Anne.
我仍然隐约认为她必定是克鲁普夫人的女儿，只不过伪装起来，因为我们与玛丽安相处得非常艰难；

Her name was Paragon. Her nature was represented to us, when we engaged her, as being feebly expressed in her name. —
她的名字是帕拉冈。当我们雇佣她时，据说她的性情就如她的名字一般温和； —

She had a written character, as large as a proclamation; —
她有一封书面推荐，篇幅如宣言一样； —

and, according to this document, could do everything of a domestic nature that ever I heard of, and a great many things that I never did hear of. —
据这份文件，她能做所有我听说过的家务活，还有很多我没听说过的。 —

She was a woman in the prime of life; of a severe countenance; —
她是一个处于壮年的女人；脸上带着一种严厉的表情； —

and subject (particularly in the arms) to a sort of perpetual measles or fiery rash. —
尤其是在手臂上，总是有一种持续不断的麻疹或火热的皮疹。 —

She had a cousin in the Life-Guards, with such long legs that he looked like the afternoon shadow of somebody else. —
她有一个侄子在皇家近卫军，他的腿太长了，看起来像别人的午后影子。 —

His shell-jacket was as much too little for him as he was too big for the premises. —
他的贝雷帽外套对他来说太小，对房间来说太大。 —

He made the cottage smaller than it need have been, by being so very much out of proportion to it. —
他的体型使这座小屋比必要的要小得多。 —

Besides which, the walls were not thick, and, whenever he passed the evening at our house, we always knew of it by hearing one continual growl in the kitchen.
除此之外，墙壁也不厚，每当他在我们家过夜时，我们总是能听到厨房里持续不断的抱怨声。

Our treasure was warranted sober and honest. —
我们的管家是个保证稳重和诚实的。 —

I am therefore willing to believe that she was in a fit when we found her under the boiler; —
所以我愿意相信我们找到她时她正处于一种状态； —

and that the deficient tea-spoons were attributable to the dustman.
而缺少的茶匙是由垃圾清运工人造成的。

But she preyed upon our minds dreadfully. —
但她让我们非常焦心。 —

We felt our inexperience, and were unable to help ourselves. —
我们感到自己无经验，无法自助。 —

We should have been at her mercy, if she had had any; —
如果她有任何怜悯心，我们本应完全听任她摆布； —

but she was a remorseless woman, and had none. —
但她是一个无情的女人，一点都不怜悯。 —

She was the cause of our first little quarrel.
她是我们第一次小争吵的起因。

‘My dearest life,’ I said one day to Dora, ‘do you think Mary Anne has any idea of time?’
‘我最亲爱的，’有一天我对朵拉说，‘你认为玛丽安意识到时间了吗？’

‘Why, Doady?’ inquired Dora, looking up, innocently, from her drawing.
“为什么，朵迪？”朵拉天真地从她的画作中抬起头来询问道。

‘My love, because it’s five, and we were to have dined at four.’
“亲爱的，因为现在是五点了，我们本来四点就该吃饭了。”

Dora glanced wistfully at the clock, and hinted that she thought it was too fast.
朵拉略带期盼地看了一眼钟表，暗示着她觉得钟表走得太快了。

‘On the contrary, my love,’ said I, referring to my watch, ‘it’s a few minutes too slow.’
“相反，亲爱的，”我指着手表说，“它慢了几分钟。”

My little wife came and sat upon my knee, to coax me to be quiet, and drew a line with her pencil down the middle of my nose; —
我小小的妻子走过来坐在我的腿上，哄我安静下来，用铅笔在我的鼻子中间划了一条线； —

but I couldn’t dine off that, though it was very agreeable.
尽管这很讨人喜欢，但我可不能靠它吃饭。

‘Don’t you think, my dear,’ said I, ‘it would be better for you to remonstrate with Mary Anne?’
“亲爱的，你觉得，和玛丽安沟通一下会更好吗？”我说。

‘Oh no, please! I couldn’t, Doady!’ said Dora.
“哦，不要，求求你！我做不到，朵迪！”朵拉说。

‘Why not, my love?’ I gently asked.
“为什么不行，我亲爱的？”我温柔地问道。

‘Oh, because I am such a little goose,’ said Dora, ‘and she knows I am!’
“哦，因为我是个小傻瓜，”朵拉说，“而她知道我是！”

I thought this sentiment so incompatible with the establishment of any system of check on Mary Anne, that I frowned a little.
我觉得这种情绪与对玛丽安施加任何监督系统的建立是不相容的，于是我皱了皱眉头。

‘Oh, what ugly wrinkles in my bad boy’s forehead!’ —
“哦，我的坏男孩的额头上出现了多难看的皱纹！”朵拉说，依然坐在我的腿上，她用铅笔在我的额头上画着这些皱纹； —

said Dora, and still being on my knee, she traced them with her pencil; —
她把铅笔放到她红润的嘴唇上，使它更黑，还用一种滑稽的假装勤奋的方式在我的额头上工作，这让我很开心尽管我很不情愿。 —

putting it to her rosy lips to make it mark blacker, and working at my forehead with a quaint little mockery of being industrious, that quite delighted me in spite of myself.
“乖孩子，”朵拉说，“笑一笑会使脸更漂亮。”

‘There’s a good child,’ said Dora, ‘it makes its face so much prettier to laugh.’ —
朵拉的话让我很高兴，尽管我很不情愿。 —

‘But, my love,’ said I.
“但是，我的爱”，我说道。

‘No, no! please!’ cried Dora, with a kiss, ‘don’t be a naughty Blue Beard! Don’t be serious!’
“不，不！拜托！”多拉哭着，亲吻我，“别当个调皮的蓝胡子！别这么认真！”

‘my precious wife,’ said I, ‘we must be serious sometimes. Come! —
“我亲爱的妻子”，我说道，“有时我们必须认真一点。来吧！ —

Sit down on this chair, close beside me! Give me the pencil! There! Now let us talk sensibly. —
坐在我旁边的椅子上！把铅笔给我！好！现在让我们理性地谈谈。 —

You know, dear’; what a little hand it was to hold, and what a tiny wedding-ring it was to see! —
亲爱的，你知道”；那只小手拿着，看着那枚微小的结婚戒指！ —

‘You know, my love, it is not exactly comfortable to have to go out without one’s dinner. Now, is it?’
“你知道，亲爱的，没有晚饭就出门不是很舒服。现在，是吧？”

‘N-n-no!’ replied Dora, faintly.
“嗯-嗯-不！”，多拉虚弱地回答。

‘My love, how you tremble!’
“我亲爱的，你为什么发抖！”

‘Because I KNOW you’re going to scold me,’ exclaimed Dora, in a piteous voice.
“因为我知道你要责骂我”，多拉以可怜的声音喊道。

‘My sweet, I am only going to reason.’
“我的宝贝，我只是要理性地谈。”

‘Oh, but reasoning is worse than scolding!’ exclaimed Dora, in despair. —
“噢，但是理性比责骂更糟糕！”多拉绝望地喊道。 —

‘I didn’t marry to be reasoned with. If you meant to reason with such a poor little thing as I am, you ought to have told me so, you cruel boy!’
“我可不是为了被理性对待才结婚的。如果你打算跟一个像我这么弱小的人理性地讲的话，你本该告诉我，你这个残忍的男孩！”

I tried to pacify Dora, but she turned away her face, and shook her curls from side to side, and said, ‘You cruel, cruel boy!’ —
我试图安抚多拉，但她转过脸去，摇着头发，说，“你这个残忍的、残忍的男孩！” —

so many times, that I really did not exactly know what to do: —
如此多次，以至于我真的不太确定该怎么办： —

so I took a few turns up and down the room in my uncertainty, and came back again.
所以我在犹豫中走来走去几步，然后又回来了。

‘Dora, my darling!’
“多拉，我的宝贝！”

‘No, I am not your darling. Because you must be sorry that you married me, or else you wouldn’t reason with me!’ returned Dora.
“不，我不是你的宝贝。因为你肯定后悔嫁给了我，否则你不会和我理论！” 多拉回答道。

I felt so injured by the inconsequential nature of this charge, that it gave me courage to be grave.
我对这个毫无意义的指责感到受伤，这使我有勇气变得严肃起来。

‘Now, my own Dora,’ said I, ‘you are very childish, and are talking nonsense. —
“现在，我亲爱的多拉，”我说，“你真是太孩子气了，说些无聊的话。” —

You must remember, I am sure, that I was obliged to go out yesterday when dinner was half over; —
你一定记得，我昨天正在吃午饭的时候不得不出去； —

and that, the day before, I was made quite unwell by being obliged to eat underdone veal in a hurry; today, I don’t dine at all - and I am afraid to say how long we waited for breakfast - and then the water didn’t boil. —
而且，前一天，因为被迫匆忙吃油腻的牛肉而感到非常不舒服；今天，我一顿饭都没吃——我都不好意思说我们等了多久的早餐——然后水都没煮开。 —

I don’t mean to reproach you, my dear, but this is not comfortable.’
“我不是要责备你，亲爱的，但这真不舒服。”

‘Oh, you cruel, cruel boy, to say I am a disagreeable wife!’ cried Dora.
“哦，你这个残忍的男孩，说我是个讨厌的妻子！”多拉喊道。

‘Now, my dear Dora, you must know that I never said that!’
“现在，亲爱的多拉，你必须知道我从来没有说过那样的话！”

‘You said, I wasn’t comfortable!’ cried Dora. ‘I said the housekeeping was not comfortable!’
“你说我不舒服！”多拉喊道。“我说的是家务不舒服！”

‘It’s exactly the same thing!’ cried Dora. And she evidently thought so, for she wept most grievously.
“这完全一样！”多拉喊道。她显然是这么想的，因为她伤心得哭泣。

I took another turn across the room, full of love for my pretty wife, and distracted by self-accusatory inclinations to knock my head against the door. —
我再次在房间里走了一圈，对我漂亮的妻子充满爱意，心里充满了自责的倾向，想把头撞在门上。 —

I sat down again, and said:
我再次坐下来，说：

‘I am not blaming you, Dora. We have both a great deal to learn. —
“我不是责怪你，多拉。我们都有很多东西要学习。 —

I am only trying to show you, my dear, that you must - you really must’ (I was resolved not to give this up) - ‘accustom yourself to look after Mary Anne. Likewise to act a little for yourself, and me.’
“我只是想告诉你，亲爱的，你必须——确实必须”（我决心不放弃）“习惯照顾玛丽安。同样也要为自己和我做些事情。”

‘I wonder, I do, at your making such ungrateful speeches,’ sobbed Dora. ‘When you know that the other day, when you said you would like a little bit of fish, I went out myself, miles and miles, and ordered it, to surprise you.’
“我真纳闷，你为什么要说这样不知感激的话呢，”朵拉抽泣着说。“你明明知道，前几天你说想吃点鱼，我自己跑了好远好远，订了鱼，就是为了给你一个惊喜。”

‘And it was very kind of you, my own darling,’ said I. ‘I felt it so much that I wouldn’t on any account have even mentioned that you bought a Salmon - which was too much for two. —
“我的宝贝，你真是太好了，”我说。“我感激不尽，所以我干脆什么都没提，你买的那条三文鱼-这对两个人来说太多了。 —

Or that it cost one pound six - which was more than we can afford.’
或者它花了一镑六-这已经超出我们的负担了。”

‘You enjoyed it very much,’ sobbed Dora. ‘And you said I was a Mouse.’
“你那么开心，”朵拉抽泣着。“你还说我是只小老鼠。”

‘And I’ll say so again, my love,’ I returned, ‘a thousand times!’
“我会再说一千遍的，我爱人，”我回答。

But I had wounded Dora’s soft little heart, and she was not to be comforted. —
但我伤透了朵拉那柔软的小心灵，她无法得到安慰。 —

She was so pathetic in her sobbing and bewailing, that I felt as if I had said I don’t know what to hurt her. —
她在抽泣和悲叹中是那么可怜，我感觉就像我说了什么伤害她。 —

I was obliged to hurry away; I was kept out late; —
我被迫赶紧离开；我在外面呆得很晚； —

and I felt all night such pangs of remorse as made me miserable. —
整晚我都感到如此深深的自责，让我痛苦不堪。 —

I had the conscience of an assassin, and was haunted by a vague sense of enormous wickedness.
我有一个凶手般的良心，被一种巨大邪恶的感觉所困扰。

It was two or three hours past midnight when I got home. —
我到家已经过了两三个小时的半夜。 —

I found my aunt, in our house, sitting up for me.
我发现我的姑姑，坐在我们家里，等我回来。

‘Is anything the matter, aunt?’ said I, alarmed.
“姑姑，有什么事吗？”我很害怕地问道。

‘Nothing, Trot,’ she replied. ‘Sit down, sit down. —
“没有，特罗特，”她回答。“坐下，坐下。 —

Little Blossom has been rather out of spirits, and I have been keeping her company. That’s all.’
小花朵有点情绪低落，我一直陪着她。就这样。”

I leaned my head upon my hand; and felt more sorry and downcast, as I sat looking at the fire, than I could have supposed possible so soon after the fulfilment of my brightest hopes. —
我把头靠在手上，看着火炉，感到比我最明亮的希望实现后想象的更难过和沮丧。 —

As I sat thinking, I happened to meet my aunt’s eyes, which were resting on my face. —
正在思考的时候，我偶然遇到了我姨妈的目光，她的目光落在我的脸上。 —

There was an anxious expression in them, but it cleared directly.
她的眼神里有些焦虑，但很快就消失了。

‘I assure you, aunt,’ said I, ‘I have been quite unhappy myself all night, to think of Dora’s being so. —
“姨妈，我保证，我昨晚也很不开心，想到多拉这样。” —

But I had no other intention than to speak to her tenderly and lovingly about our home-affairs.’
“但我与她谈论家里事情时，没有别的意图，只是想温柔体贴地与她交谈。”

MY aunt nodded encouragement.
我的姨妈鼓励地点点头。

‘You must have patience, Trot,’ said she.
“你必须要有耐心，特罗特，”她说。

‘Of course. Heaven knows I don’t mean to be unreasonable, aunt!’
“当然。天知道我并不想要不合理，姨妈！”

‘No, no,’ said my aunt. ‘But Little Blossom is a very tender little blossom, and the wind must be gentle with her.’
“不，不，”我姨妈说。“但小花朵是一朵非常娇嫩的小花朵，风必须温和对待她。”

I thanked my good aunt, in my heart, for her tenderness towards my wife; —
我心里感激我善良的姨妈对待我妻子的温柔； —

and I was sure that she knew I did.
我确信她知道我心里这样想。

‘Don’t you think, aunt,’ said I, after some further contemplation of the fire, ‘that you could advise and counsel Dora a little, for our mutual advantage, now and then?’
“你不觉得，姨妈，”我看着火炉，思考着说，“你能偶尔给多拉一些建议和指导，对我们双方都有好处吗？”

‘Trot,’ returned my aunt, with some emotion, ‘no! Don’t ask me such a thing.’
“特罗特，”我姨妈带着一些激动说，“不要问我这样的事。”

Her tone was so very earnest that I raised my eyes in surprise.
她的语气非常认真，让我惊讶地抬起了眼睛。

‘I look back on my life, child,’ said my aunt, ‘and I think of some who are in their graves, with whom I might have been on kinder terms. —
“回想起我的一生，孩子，”我姨妈说，“我想起了一些已经去世的人，我本可以与他们关系更友好。” —

If I judged harshly of other people’s mistakes in marriage, it may have been because I had bitter reason to judge harshly of my own. —
如果我对别人在婚姻中犯的错误进行了严厉的批判，可能是因为我自己有苦涩的理由来严厉地批判自己。 —

Let that pass. I have been a grumpy, frumpy, wayward sort of a woman, a good many years. —
让这些都过去吧。我过去几年一直是一个脾气坏、邋遢、任性的女人。 —

I am still, and I always shall be. But you and I have done one another some good, Trot, - at all events, you have done me good, my dear; —
我现在仍然如此，而且永远都会是。但是你和我彼此之间确实产生了一些好的影响，亲爱的； —

and division must not come between us, at this time of day.’
在这个时候，我们之间不应该有分歧。

‘Division between us!’ cried I.
‘我们之间有分歧！’我喊道。

‘Child, child!’ said my aunt, smoothing her dress, ‘how soon it might come between us, or how unhappy I might make our Little Blossom, if I meddled in anything, a prophet couldn’t say. —
‘孩子，孩子！’我姨妈说着，整理着她的衣裙，’分歧可能很快就会出现在我们之间，或者我可能会让我们的小花蝴蝶感到不开心，如果我参与其中的任何事情，连一个预言者都说不好。 —

I want our pet to like me, and be as gay as a butterfly. —
我希望我们的小宝贝喜欢我，像一只快乐的蝴蝶一样。 —

Remember your own home, in that second marriage; —
请记住你自己的家庭，在第二次婚姻中； —

and never do both me and her the injury you have hinted at!’
永远不要给我和她都暗示过的伤害！’

I comprehended, at once, that my aunt was right; —
我立刻明白我姨妈是对的； —

and I comprehended the full extent of her generous feeling towards my dear wife.
我理解了她对我亲爱的妻子表现出的慷慨感情的完整程度。

‘These are early days, Trot,’ she pursued, ‘and Rome was not built in a day, nor in a year. —
‘这还只是开始，特罗特，’她继续说，’罗马城不是一天，也不是一年建成的。 —

You have chosen freely for yourself’; a cloud passed over her face for a moment, I thought; —
你已经自由选择了自己’; 我觉得她的脸上一瞬间掠过一丝阴霾； —

‘and you have chosen a very pretty and a very affectionate creature. —
‘而且你选择了一个非常漂亮、非常亲爱的人。 —

It will be your duty, and it will be your pleasure too - of course I know that; —
这将是你的责任，也将是你的乐趣-当然我知道。 —

I am not delivering a lecture - to estimate her (as you chose her) by the qualities she has, and not by the qualities she may not have. —
我并不是在发表演讲 - 估计她（正如你选择了她那样）应该根据她所拥有的品质，而不是根据她可能没有的品质。 —

The latter you must develop in her, if you can. —
如果你能的话，你必须在她身上培养后者。 —

And if you cannot, child,’ here my aunt rubbed her nose, ‘you must just accustom yourself to do without ‘em. —
如果你做不到，孩子，’这时我阿姨摩擦着她的鼻子，’你就得适应没有她们的生活。 —

But remember, my dear, your future is between you two. No one can assist you; —
但记住，亲爱的，你们的未来只关乎你们两个人。没有人可以帮助你们； —

you are to work it out for yourselves. This is marriage, Trot; —
你们必须自己解决。这就是婚姻，张爷； —

and Heaven bless you both, in it, for a pair of babes in the wood as you are!’
上帝保佑你们，让你们两个像你们现在这样的小孩子在树林里！’

My aunt said this in a sprightly way, and gave me a kiss to ratify the blessing.
我阿姨轻快地说完这句话，接着给了我一个吻来祝福我。

‘Now,’ said she, ‘light my little lantern, and see me into my bandbox by the garden path’; —
‘现在，’她说，’点亮我的小灯笼，并带我沿着花园小径走进我的带子；’ —

for there was a communication between our cottages in that direction. —
因为我们的小屋之间在那个方向上有一条连接。 —

‘Give Betsey Trotwood’s love to Blossom, when you come back; —
‘给贝茜·特洛特伯爵的爱送给布洛萨姆，当你回来的时候； —

and whatever you do, Trot, never dream of setting Betsey up as a scarecrow, for if I ever saw her in the glass, she’s quite grim enough and gaunt enough in her private capacity!’
不管你做什么，张爷，永远不要想着把贝茜当作稻草人，因为如果我在镜子里看到她，她私下里是够严肃和消瘦的！’

With this my aunt tied her head up in a handkerchief, with which she was accustomed to make a bundle of it on such occasions; —
这时我阿姨用手帕把她的头包了起来，就像她在这种场合经常做的那样； —

and I escorted her home. As she stood in her garden, holding up her little lantern to light me back, I thought her observation of me had an anxious air again; —
然后我陪她回家。当她站在花园里，举着小灯笼为我照路时，我觉得她再次对我有一种焦虑的表情； —

but I was too much occupied in pondering on what she had said, and too much impressed - for the first time, in reality - by the conviction that Dora and I had indeed to work out our future for ourselves, and that no one could assist us, to take much notice of it.
但我太过于思考她所说的话，太过于第一次真正感受到了我们确实需要自己为未来打拼，没有人可以帮助我们这一信念所深深打动，而没太注意到它。

Dora came stealing down in her little slippers, to meet me, now that I was alone; —
现在，我独自一人，多拉穿着她的小拖鞋悄悄下来迎接我； —

and cried upon my shoulder, and said I had been hard-hearted and she had been naughty; —
她哭着靠在我肩膀上说我心硬，她自己有些淘气； —

and I said much the same thing in effect, I believe; —
我似乎也是持相同观点的，我相信； —

and we made it up, and agreed that our first little difference was to be our last, and that we were never to have another if we lived a hundred years.
我们和好了，商定我们的第一个小分歧将是最后一个，如果我们再活上一百年也不会有其他分歧；

The next domestic trial we went through, was the Ordeal of Servants. —
我们接下来经历的家庭考验是佣人的考验； —

Mary Anne’s cousin deserted into our coal-hole, and was brought out, to our great amazement, by a piquet of his companions in arms, who took him away handcuffed in a procession that covered our front-garden with ignominy. —
玛丽安的表亲逃到我们的煤洞里，被他的战友队伍拿出来，我们大为惊讶，他们用手铐把他带走，整个前花园被耻辱覆盖； —

This nerved me to get rid of Mary Anne, who went so mildly, on receipt of wages, that I was surprised, until I found out about the tea-spoons, and also about the little sums she had borrowed in my name of the tradespeople without authority. —
这让我下决心摆脱玛丽安，她收到工资后如此和气，让我感到惊讶，直到我发现关于茶匙的事情，以及她未经授权在我的名字向商人借的小额钱款； —

After an interval of Mrs. Kidgerbury - the oldest inhabitant of Kentish Town, I believe, who went out charing, but was too feeble to execute her conceptions of that art - we found another treasure, who was one of the most amiable of women, but who generally made a point of falling either up or down the kitchen stairs with the tray, and almost plunged into the parlour, as into a bath, with the tea-things. —
经过一段时间的基奇伯里太太 - 我相信是坎特伦镇最老的居民，她去做杂活，但太虚弱无法完成她对这种艺术的设想 - 我们又找到了另一个宝贵的人，她是最和蔼的女人之一，但通常弄得托盘要么向上掉要么向下掉，几乎把茶具一起倒进客厅里，仿佛是跳进一个浴缸； —

The ravages committed by this unfortunate, rendering her dismissal necessary, she was succeeded (with intervals of Mrs. Kidgerbury) by a long line of Incapables; —
这个不幸事件造成的损害使她必须被解雇，接替她（有基奇伯里太太的间隔）的是一长串无能之辈； —

terminating in a young person of genteel appearance, who went to Greenwich Fair in Dora’s bonnet. —
最后是一个外表优雅的年轻人，穿着朵拉的帽子去了格林威治市集； —

After whom I remember nothing but an average equality of failure.
之后我记得的只是一系列平庸的失败；

Everybody we had anything to do with seemed to cheat us. —
我们和所有有关系的人似乎都被欺骗了； —

Our appearance in a shop was a signal for the damaged goods to be brought out immediately. —
我们进店就是受损货品被立即拿出来的信号； —

If we bought a lobster, it was full of water. —
如果我们买了龙虾，它里面全是水； —

All our meat turned out to be tough, and there was hardly any crust to our loaves. —
我们所有的肉都很老，面包的外皮几乎没有； —

In search of the principle on which joints ought to be roasted, to be roasted enough, and not too much, I myself referred to the Cookery Book, and found it there established as the allowance of a quarter of an hour to every pound, and say a quarter over. —
为了找到关节烤制的原则，烤得刚刚好，不要过熟，我自己查阅了烹饪书，发现每磅肉烤制需要15分钟，并且说多烤15分钟。 —

But the principle always failed us by some curious fatality, and we never could hit any medium between redness and cinders.
但是这个原则总是以某种奇怪的命运使我们失败，我们永远无法在红色和灰烬之间找到中间地带。

I had reason to believe that in accomplishing these failures we incurred a far greater expense than if we had achieved a series of triumphs. —
我有理由相信，通过完成这些失败，我们承担了比取得一系列胜利更大的开支。 —

It appeared to me, on looking over the tradesmen’s books, as if we might have kept the basement storey paved with butter, such was the extensive scale of our consumption of that article. —
在查看了商人的账单后，我觉得我们可能把地下室的地面铺满了黄油，因为我们消费这种物品的规模如此之大。 —

I don’t know whether the Excise returns of the period may have exhibited any increase in the demand for pepper; —
我不知道那个时期的税收数据是否显示出对胡椒的需求有所增加； —

but if our performances did not affect the market, I should say several families must have left off using it. —
但是如果我们的表现对市场没有影响，我想说有几家人一定已经停止使用它。 —

And the most wonderful fact of all was, that we never had anything in the house.
最令人惊奇的事实是，我们家从来没有任何存货。

As to the washerwoman pawning the clothes, and coming in a state of penitent intoxication to apologize, I suppose that might have happened several times to anybody. —
至于洗衣妇典当衣服，然后醉醺醺地道歉的事，我想这可能多次发生在任何人身上。 —

Also the chimney on fire, the parish engine, and perjury on the part of the Beadle. —
还有关于烟囱着火、教区消防队和牧师代理人作伪证的事。 —

But I apprehend that we were personally fortunate in engaging a servant with a taste for cordials, who swelled our running account for porter at the public-house by such inexplicable items as ‘quartern rum shrub (Mrs. C.)’; —
但我认为我们幸运地雇佣了一个喜欢饮料的仆人，她通过在酒吧买的“四分之一兰姆朗姆酒（C夫人）”等莫名其妙的项目，大大增加了我们在那里的花销； —

‘Half-quartern gin and cloves (Mrs. C.)’; —
“半四分之一吉利面包和丁香（C 夫人）”； —

‘Glass rum and peppermint (Mrs. C.)’ - the parentheses always referring to Dora, who was supposed, it appeared on explanation, to have imbibed the whole of these refreshments.
“一杯兰姆朗姆酒和薄荷酒（C 夫人）” - 括号总是指 Dora，据解释，这些提神饮料全都被她消耗了。

One of our first feats in the housekeeping way was a little dinner to Traddles. —
我们在家庭管理方面的首次壮举之一是为特拉德尔举办了一顿小饭。 —

I met him in town, and asked him to walk out with me that afternoon. —
我在城里遇见了他，邀请他下午同我一起散步。 —

He readily consenting, I wrote to Dora, saying I would bring him home. —
他欣然同意，我写信给朵拉，说我会把他带回家。 —

It was pleasant weather, and on the road we made my domestic happiness the theme of conversation. —
天气很好，一路上我们讨论着我家庭的幸福生活主题。 —

Traddles was very full of it; and said, that, picturing himself with such a home, and Sophy waiting and preparing for him, he could think of nothing wanting to complete his bliss.
特拉德尔斯自得其乐,说着,想象着拥有这样一个家,有索菲在等待着他和为他准备,他觉得再没有什么能让他的幸福更完美了。

I could not have wished for a prettier little wife at the opposite end of the table, but I certainly could have wished, when we sat down, for a little more room. —
我不能想象还有比桌子对面那位更漂亮的小妻子了,但当我们坐下来时,我确实希望有更多的空间。 —

I did not know how it was, but though there were only two of us, we were at once always cramped for room, and yet had always room enough to lose everything in. —
我不知道为什么,虽然我们只有两个人,但我们总是感到空间太小,却又有足够的房间可以把一切东西丢失。 —

I suspect it may have been because nothing had a place of its own, except Jip’s pagoda, which invariably blocked up the main thoroughfare. —
我怀疑这可能是因为除了Jip的塔楼以外,没有任何东西有自己的固定位置,这座塔楼总是堵住主要通道。 —

On the present occasion, Traddles was so hemmed in by the pagoda and the guitar-case, and Dora’s flower-painting, and my writing-table, that I had serious doubts of the possibility of his using his knife and fork; —
在这个场合,特拉德尔斯被塔楼,吉他盒,朵拉的花画和我的写字桌挡住了,我对他能否用他的刀叉表示怀疑; —

but he protested, with his own good-humour, ‘Oceans of room, Copperfield! —
但他用他的好脾气说,“空间充足,柯波菲尔德!我向你保证,空间充足！” —

I assure you, Oceans!’
另一件我希望有的事情是,我希望Jip从来没有被鼓励在餐桌上走动。

There was another thing I could have wished, namely, that Jip had never been encouraged to walk about the tablecloth during dinner. —
我开始觉得他在那里真是件混乱的事情,即使他没有习惯于把脚放在盐或融化的黄油里。 —

I began to think there was something disorderly in his being there at all, even if he had not been in the habit of putting his foot in the salt or the melted butter. —
这一次他似乎认为自己是被特意介绍来阻止特拉德尔斯的; —

On this occasion he seemed to think he was introduced expressly to keep Traddles at bay; —
他朝我老朋友吠叫,短跑至他的盘子,表现出坚定不移的顽皮,可以说他已经占据了谈话。 —

and he barked at my old friend, and made short runs at his plate, with such undaunted pertinacity, that he may be said to have engrossed the conversation.
但是,因为我知道我亲爱的朵拉是多么善良和多么敏感,对她的宠物受到任何轻视都会很反感,我没有提出任何异议。

However, as I knew how tender-hearted my dear Dora was, and how sensitive she would be to any slight upon her favourite, I hinted no objection. —
出于类似的原因,我也没有提到地板上散落的盘子; —

For similar reasons I made no allusion to the skirmishing plates upon the floor; —
或者提到脏兮兮的脚轮看起来像是喝醉了一样; —

or to the disreputable appearance of the castors, which were all at sixes and sevens, and looked drunk; —
或者提到再次被飘忽不定的蔬菜盘和水罐挡住的特拉德尔斯。 —

or to the further blockade of Traddles by wandering vegetable dishes and jugs. —
然而,尽管如此,作为主人和女主人,我有权利指出一两点小问题。 —

I could not help wondering in my own mind, as I contemplated the boiled leg of mutton before me, previous to carving it, how it came to pass that our joints of meat were of such extraordinary shapes - and whether our butcher contracted for all the deformed sheep that came into the world; —
在我切开面前的煮熟羊腿之前，当我自己沉思着肉的关节形状为何如此奇特时，不禁让我想知道我们的羊肉为什么形状如此非同寻常 - 是否我们的屠夫承包了世界上所有畸形的羊； —

but I kept my reflections to myself.
但我把我的思考留在心里。

‘My love,’ said I to Dora, ‘what have you got in that dish?’
“亲爱的，”我对朵拉说，“那个盘子里面是什么？”

I could not imagine why Dora had been making tempting little faces at me, as if she wanted to kiss me.
我无法想像为什么朵拉一直在对我做出诱人的小脸，好像她想亲吻我。

‘Oysters, dear,’ said Dora, timidly.
“牡蛎，亲爱的，”朵拉胆怯地说。

‘Was that YOUR thought?’ said I, delighted.
“那是你的想法吗？”我高兴地说。

‘Ye-yes, Doady,’ said Dora.
“是-是，朵迪，”朵拉说。

‘There never was a happier one!’ I exclaimed, laying down the carving-knife and fork. —
“这绝对是最让人开心的！”，我放下把刀和叉。 —

‘There is nothing Traddles likes so much!’
“特拉德尔斯最喜欢的东西就是这个！”

‘Ye-yes, Doady,’ said Dora, ‘and so I bought a beautiful little barrel of them, and the man said they were very good. —
“是的，朵迪，”朵拉说，“所以我买了一小桶漂亮的牡蛎，那人说味道很不错。 —

But I - I am afraid there’s something the matter with them. They don’t seem right.’ —
但是我 - 我担心有些问题。它们好像不对。” —

Here Dora shook her head, and diamonds twinkled in her eyes.
这时朵拉摇了摇头，眼睛里闪烁着钻石光。

‘They are only opened in both shells,’ said I. ‘Take the top one off, my love.’
“它们两壳都没被打开呢，”我说，“把上面的壳拿掉，我亲爱的。”

‘But it won’t come off!’ said Dora, trying very hard, and looking very much distressed.
“但它不动！”朵拉说着，努力尝试，看上去很烦恼。

‘Do you know, Copperfield,’ said Traddles, cheerfully examining the dish, ‘I think it is in consequence - they are capital oysters, but I think it is in consequence - of their never having been opened.’
“你知道，科波菲尔德，”特拉德尔斯愉快地查看着盘子，“我想这是因为 - 它们是优质的牡蛎，但我想这是因为 - 它们从来没有被打开过。”

They never had been opened; and we had no oyster-knives - and couldn’t have used them if we had; —
它们从来没有被打开过；我们也没有牡蛎刀——即使我们有也无法使用； —

so we looked at the oysters and ate the mutton. —
所以我们看着牡蛎，吃了羊肉； —

At least we ate as much of it as was done, and made up with capers. —
至少我们吃了尽可能多的羊肉，并配上了洋葱； —

If I had permitted him, I am satisfied that Traddles would have made a perfect savage of himself, and eaten a plateful of raw meat, to express enjoyment of the repast; —
如果我让他这样做，我相信特拉德尔斯会变成一个完美的野蛮人，并吃下一盘生肉，以表达享受这顿饭； —

but I would hear of no such immolation on the altar of friendship, and we had a course of bacon instead; —
但我绝不允许友情的祭坛上发生这样的牺牲，于是我们吃了一道培根； —

there happening, by good fortune, to be cold bacon in the larder.
幸亏冰箱里正好有冷培根；

My poor little wife was in such affliction when she thought I should be annoyed, and in such a state of joy when she found I was not, that the discomfiture I had subdued, very soon vanished, and we passed a happy evening; —
当我想象到我会被惹恼时，我的可怜的小妻子感到如此痛苦，并且在发现我并没有生气时又感到如此开心，我所抑制的难受很快消失了，我们度过了一个愉快的夜晚； —

Dora sitting with her arm on my chair while Traddles and I discussed a glass of wine, and taking every opportunity of whispering in my ear that it was so good of me not to be a cruel, cross old boy. —
多拉一只手扶着我的椅子，而特拉德尔斯和我在一旁喝酒，请你们喝，她不时在我耳边低语，感谢我不是个残酷、暴躁的老男孩； —

By and by she made tea for us; which it was so pretty to see her do, as if she was busying herself with a set of doll’s tea-things, that I was not particular about the quality of the beverage. —
之后她为我们沏茶，看着她忙着弄一套娃娃的茶具，真是太美了，我对茶质毫不挑剔； —

Then Traddles and I played a game or two at cribbage; —
然后特拉德尔斯和我玩了一两局cribbage； —

and Dora singing to the guitar the while, it seemed to me as if our courtship and marriage were a tender dream of mine, and the night when I first listened to her voice were not yet over.
多拉边弹吉他边唱歌，我觉得我们的求爱和结婚就像是我的一个温馨梦境，而我第一次听到她声音的夜晚似乎还没有结束；

When Traddles went away, and I came back into the parlour from seeing him out, my wife planted her chair close to mine, and sat down by my side. —
当特拉德尔斯离去，我把他送出去后回到客厅时，我妻子把椅子靠近我，坐在我旁边； —

‘I am very sorry,’ she said. ‘Will you try to teach me, Doady?’
“很抱歉，”她说。 “你愿意教我，道迪吗？”

‘I must teach myself first, Dora,’ said I. ‘I am as bad as you, love.’
“多拉，我必须先教好自己，”我说。 “我和你一样糟糕，亲爱的。”

‘Ah! But you can learn,’ she returned; ‘and you are a clever, clever man!’
“啊！但你能学会的，”她回答说，”你是个聪明、聪明的人！”

‘Nonsense, mouse!’ said I.
“胡说八道，老鼠！”我说。

‘I wish,’ resumed my wife, after a long silence, ‘that I could have gone down into the country for a whole year, and lived with Agnes!’
‘我希望，’我妻子在长时间的沉默后继续说道，‘我能够去乡下一整年，和阿格尼斯一起生活！’

Her hands were clasped upon my shoulder, and her chin rested on them, and her blue eyes looked quietly into mine.
她双手搭在我的肩膀上，下巴靠在她的双手上，她那双蓝色的眼睛静静地看着我的眼睛。

‘Why so?’ I asked.
“为什么呢？”我问道。

‘I think she might have improved me, and I think I might have learned from her,’ said Dora.
“我觉得她可能会改善我，我也觉得我可能从她那里学到东西，”朵拉说。

‘All in good time, my love. Agnes has had her father to take care of for these many years, you should remember. —
“一切都会有时的，亲爱的。阿格尼斯这些年来一直在照顾她的父亲，你应该记得。 —

Even when she was quite a child, she was the Agnes whom we know,’ said I.
即使她还是个孩子的时候，她就是我们所认识的那个阿格尼斯，”我说。

‘Will you call me a name I want you to call me?’ inquired Dora, without moving.
“你能不能叫我一个我想让你叫的名字？”朵拉不动声色地问道。

‘What is it?’ I asked with a smile.
“是什么？”我笑着问道。

‘It’s a stupid name,’ she said, shaking her curls for a moment. ‘Child-wife.’
“这是一个愚蠢的名字，”她摇着头发说。“孩子妻。”

I laughingly asked my child-wife what her fancy was in desiring to be so called. —
我笑着问我的孩子妻为什么想被这样称呼。 —

She answered without moving, otherwise than as the arm I twined about her may have brought her blue eyes nearer to me:
她不动声色地回答，除非我环绕着她的胳膊把她的蓝眼睛拉近我：

‘I don’t mean, you silly fellow, that you should use the name instead of Dora. I only mean that you should think of me that way. —
“你这个傻家伙，我并不是说你应该用那个名字代替多拉。我只是希望你用那种方式来思考我。 —

When you are going to be angry with me, say to yourself, “it’s only my child-wife!” —
当你要对我生气时，对自己说，“这只是我的孩子妻！” —

When I am very disappointing, say, “I knew, a long time ago, that she would make but a child-wife!” —
当我让你很失望时，说，“我很久以前就知道她只会成为一个孩子妻！” —

When you miss what I should like to be, and I think can never be, say, “still my foolish child-wife loves me!” For indeed I do.’
当你错过了我所希望成为的那个人，而我认为可能永远不会成为那个人时，说，“依然愚蠢的孩子妻子爱着我！”因为事实上我是的。

I had not been serious with her; having no idea until now, that she was serious herself. —
我并没有认真对待她；直到现在我才意识到，她自己是认真的。 —

But her affectionate nature was so happy in what I now said to her with my whole heart, that her face became a laughing one before her glittering eyes were dry. —
但她充满爱心的本性如此快乐地听到我真心的话，她的脸在那闪亮的眼睛未干的时候就变得笑容满面。 —

She was soon my child-wife indeed; sitting down on the floor outside the Chinese House, ringing all the little bells one after another, to punish Jip for his recent bad behaviour; —
她很快就成了我的孩子妻子；坐在中国房子外面的地板上，一个接着一个地敲响所有小铃铛，惩罚Jip最近的不良行为； —

while Jip lay blinking in the doorway with his head out, even too lazy to be teased.
而Jip则懒散地躺在门口眯着眼睛，甚至懒得被逗弄。

This appeal of Dora’s made a strong impression on me. I look back on the time I write of; —
多拉的这一种对我的恳求给我留下了深刻的印象。我回顾我所写的时光； —

I invoke the innocent figure that I dearly loved, to come out from the mists and shadows of the past, and turn its gentle head towards me once again; —
我呼唤我深爱的无辜的形象，走出过去的梦雾和阴影，再次把它温柔的头转向我； —

and I can still declare that this one little speech was constantly in my memory. —
我依然能够断言，这句小小的话语一直留存在我的记忆中。 —

I may not have used it to the best account; I was young and inexperienced; —
我可能没有好好利用它；我年轻又没有经验； —

but I never turned a deaf ear to its artless pleading.
但我从未对它无动于衷。

Dora told me, shortly afterwards, that she was going to be a wonderful housekeeper. —
多拉随后告诉我，她将成为一个出色的家庭主妇。 —

Accordingly, she polished the tablets, pointed the pencil, bought an immense account-book, carefully stitched up with a needle and thread all the leaves of the Cookery Book which Jip had torn, and made quite a desperate little attempt ‘to be good’, as she called it. —
因此，她擦拭记事板，削尖铅笔，买了一本巨大的账簿，用针线仔细地把Jip撕破的《烹饪书》所有的页码都缝在一起，然后做了一个相当不折不扣的小小努力，像她所说的那样‘做个好人’。 —

But the figures had the old obstinate propensity - they WOULD NOT add up. —
但数字还是老样子倔强 - 它们就是不加起来。 —

When she had entered two or three laborious items in the account-book, Jip would walk over the page, wagging his tail, and smear them all out. —
当她在账簿里输入了两三个辛苦的条目时，Jip会走过来，摇着尾巴，在页面上涂上一切。 —

Her own little right-hand middle finger got steeped to the very bone in ink; —
她自己的右手中指沾满了墨水，浸透至指骨。 —

and I think that was the only decided result obtained.
而我想那可能是唯一得出的决定性结果。

Sometimes, of an evening, when I was at home and at work - for I wrote a good deal now, and was beginning in a small way to be known as a writer - I would lay down my pen, and watch my child-wife trying to be good. —
有时候，晚上，当我在家工作的时候 - 因为我现在写了很多，并且开始逐渐被人认识为一个作家 - 我会放下笔，看着我那年幼的妻子努力做事。 —

First of all, she would bring out the immense account-book, and lay it down upon the table, with a deep sigh. —
首先，她会拿出那本巨大的账本，放在桌子上，深深地叹了口气。 —

Then she would open it at the place where Jip had made it illegible last night, and call Jip up, to look at his misdeeds. —
然后她会翻开昨晚Jip搞得一团糟的地方，把Jip叫过来，让他看看自己的过错。 —

This would occasion a diversion in Jip’s favour, and some inking of his nose, perhaps, as a penalty. Then she would tell Jip to lie down on the table instantly, ‘like a lion’ - which was one of his tricks, though I cannot say the likeness was striking - and, if he were in an obedient humour, he would obey. —
这会让Jip受益，也许他的鼻子会被沾上墨水，作为一种惩罚。然后她会告诉Jip立刻躺到桌子上，“像只狮子”一样 - 这是他的一个技巧，虽然我不能说相似度很高 - 如果他心情好，他会听话。 —

Then she would take up a pen, and begin to write, and find a hair in it. —
然后她会拿起一支笔开始写，发现里面夹着一根头发。 —

Then she would take up another pen, and begin to write, and find that it spluttered. —
然后她会拿起另一支笔开始写，发现它溅起墨水来。 —

Then she would take up another pen, and begin to write, and say in a low voice, ‘Oh, it’s a talking pen, and will disturb Doady!’ —
然后她会拿起另一个笔，开始写字，低声说道，“哦，这是一支会说话的笔，会打扰到多迪！” —

And then she would give it up as a bad job, and put the account-book away, after pretending to crush the lion with it.
然后她会放弃这个不好的工作，假装用账本把狮子压扁。

Or, if she were in a very sedate and serious state of mind, she would sit down with the tablets, and a little basket of bills and other documents, which looked more like curl-papers than anything else, and endeavour to get some result out of them. —
或者，如果她心情非常沉着认真，她会坐下来拿着写字板，还有一篮子账单和其他文件，看起来更像是卷发器，试图从中得出一些结果。 —

After severely comparing one with another, and making entries on the tablets, and blotting them out, and counting all the fingers of her left hand over and over again, backwards and forwards, she would be so vexed and discouraged, and would look so unhappy, that it gave me pain to see her bright face clouded - and for me! —
经过严格地互相比较，在写字板上做记录，擦掉记录，反复数遍她的左手所有的手指，她会感到非常烦恼和气馁，看起来很不开心，让我心疼地看着她的明亮脸庞被乌云笼罩－而且还是因为我！ —

• and I would go softly to her, and say:
  - 然后我会悄悄走向她，说：
  

‘What’s the matter, Dora?’
“怎么了，多拉？”

Dora would look up hopelessly, and reply, ‘They won’t come right. —
多拉无望地抬起头，回答说，“它们就是对不了。它们让我的头疼。而且它们不听我的！” —

They make my head ache so. And they won’t do anything I want!’
然后我会说，“现在让我们一起试试。让我来教你，多拉。”

Then I would say, ‘Now let us try together. Let me show you, Dora.’
然后我会开始一个实际演示，多拉会非常认真地关注，也许持续了五分钟；

Then I would commence a practical demonstration, to which Dora would pay profound attention, perhaps for five minutes; —
当她变得非常累的时候，会用卷曲我的头发，或者试着看看我把衬衫领子翻下来的样子来缓和话题。 —

when she would begin to be dreadfully tired, and would lighten the subject by curling my hair, or trying the effect of my face with my shirt-collar turned down. —
如果我默认了这种俏皮，坚持下去，她会看起来如此受惊和沮丧，变得越来越困惑，导致我开始想起她刚入我视线时天生的快乐本性，想起她是我的幼妻，这种快乐会让我内疚； —

If I tacitly checked this playfulness, and persisted, she would look so scared and disconsolate, as she became more and more bewildered, that the remembrance of her natural gaiety when I first strayed into her path, and of her being my child-wife, would come reproachfully upon me; —
我会放下铅笔，取出吉他。 —

and I would lay the pencil down, and call for the guitar.
我有很多工作要做，也有许多忧虑，但同样的考虑使我把它们留在心里。

I had a great deal of work to do, and had many anxieties, but the same considerations made me keep them to myself. —
现在我远非确定这样做是正确的，但我是为了我的幼妻。 —

I am far from sure, now, that it was right to do this, but I did it for my child-wife’s sake. —
我并不确定这样做是正确的，但我是为了我的幼妻的缘故。 —

I search my breast, and I commit its secrets, if I know them, without any reservation to this paper. The old unhappy loss or want of something had, I am conscious, some place in my heart; —
我搜寻着我的内心，将它的秘密，如果我知晓的话，毫不保留地交托于这张纸。旧时的不幸丧失或渴望某物的心情，我意识到，一直存在于我心中； —

but not to the embitterment of my life. When I walked alone in the fine weather, and thought of the summer days when all the air had been filled with my boyish enchantment, I did miss something of the realization of my dreams; —
但并没有苦涩了我的人生。当我独自在好天气中漫步，想起那些整个空气都充满了我的少年魔力的夏日时，我确实感到梦想的实现中有一些东西不见了； —

but I thought it was a softened glory of the Past, which nothing could have thrown upon the present time. —
但我认为这是过去柔和的荣耀，是无法投射到当下的时光中的。 —

I did feel, sometimes, for a little while, that I could have wished my wife had been my counsellor; —
有时我确实想过，希望我的妻子能成为我的顾问； —

had had more character and purpose, to sustain me and improve me by; —
拥有更多的性格和目标，来支持我，让我进步； —

had been endowed with power to fill up the void which somewhere seemed to be about me; —
拥有填补我周围空虚之处的力量； —

but I felt as if this were an unearthly consummation of my happiness, that never had been meant to be, and never could have been.
但我感觉这仿佛是我幸福的某种超凡完成，从来不曾被意图和不可能被实现。

I was a boyish husband as to years. I had known the softening influence of no other sorrows or experiences than those recorded in these leaves. —
相比岁数，我算是一个少不更事的丈夫。我的心灵曾经只经历过这些记载在这些纸页上的一些软化的影响忿或经历。 —

If I did any wrong, as I may have done much, I did it in mistaken love, and in my want of wisdom. I write the exact truth. —
如果我犯了错误，可能犯了许多，那也是出于错误的爱和无知。我写的是精确的真相。 —

It would avail me nothing to extenuate it now.
现在掩饰它对我毫无裨益。

Thus it was that I took upon myself the toils and cares of our life, and had no partner in them. —
因此我承担了我们生活中的辛劳和忧虑，并没有人与我分担。 —

We lived much as before, in reference to our scrambling household arrangements; —
我们的生活方式基本保持不变，关于家庭琐事的处理方式； —

but I had got used to those, and Dora I was pleased to see was seldom vexed now. —
但我渐渐习惯了这些，而且我很高兴看到多拉现在很少生气。 —

She was bright and cheerful in the old childish way, loved me dearly, and was happy with her old trifles.
她像以前那样明亮开朗，深爱着我，对她的旧玩意感到快乐。

When the debates were heavy - I mean as to length, not quality, for in the last respect they were not often otherwise - and I went home late, Dora would never rest when she heard my footsteps, but would always come downstairs to meet me. —
当辩论进行得很晚-我是指时间长短，而不是质量，因为在后一个方面它们往往不尽人意-我回家晚了，但每当听到我的脚步声，多拉都会非得下楼来迎接我。 —

When my evenings were unoccupied by the pursuit for which I had qualified myself with so much pains, and I was engaged in writing at home, she would sit quietly near me, however late the hour, and be so mute, that I would often think she had dropped asleep. —
当我晚上不再忙于为自己费尽心机取得资格的追求时，在家写作时，她会静静地坐在我旁边，无论多晚，都会那么沉默，以至于我经常会以为她已经睡着了。 —

But generally, when I raised my head, I saw her blue eyes looking at me with the quiet attention of which I have already spoken.
但通常，当我抬起头时，我会看到她那双蓝色的眼睛静静地看着我，就像我之前提到的那种注意力一样。

‘Oh, what a weary boy!’ said Dora one night, when I met her eyes as I was shutting up my desk.
“哦，这个疲惫的男孩！”有一天晚上，当我在整理桌子时，多拉看着我说。

‘What a weary girl!’ said I. ‘That’s more to the purpose. —
“多么疲惫的女孩！”我回答道。“那才是关键。” —

You must go to bed another time, my love. —
“你下次必须早点睡，亲爱的。” —

It’s far too late for you.’
“现在已经太晚了。”

‘No, don’t send me to bed!’ pleaded Dora, coming to my side. ‘Pray, don’t do that!’
“不要送我去睡觉！”多拉恳求着走到我身边。“求求你，不要这样！”

‘Dora!’ To my amazement she was sobbing on my neck. ‘Not well, my dear! not happy!’
“多拉！”令我惊讶的是，她抱着我的脖子哭泣。“亲爱的，不舒服！不开心！”

‘Yes! quite well, and very happy!’ said Dora. ‘But say you’ll let me stop, and see you write.’
“是的！我很好，也很开心！”多拉说。“但请说你会让我留下来，看你写作。”

‘Why, what a sight for such bright eyes at midnight!’ I replied.
“为这样一双明亮的眼睛在半夜看这些东西！”我回答道。

‘Are they bright, though?’ returned Dora, laughing. —
“尽管它们很明亮吗？”多拉笑着回答。 —

‘I’m so glad they’re bright.’ ‘Little Vanity!’ said I.
“我很高兴它们很明亮。”“一点虚荣心！”我说。

But it was not vanity; it was only harmless delight in my admiration. —
但那并不是自负；只是 harmless delight in my admiration。 —

I knew that very well, before she told me so.
她告诉我之前，我已经很清楚了。

‘If you think them pretty, say I may always stop, and see you write!’ —
“如果你觉得它们漂亮，说我可以一直留下来看你写作！” —

said Dora. ‘Do you think them pretty?’
朵拉说。’你觉得它们漂亮吗？’

‘Very pretty.’
‘很漂亮。’

‘Then let me always stop and see you write.’
‘那么让我总是停下来看你写字吧。’

‘I am afraid that won’t improve their brightness, Dora.’
‘我担心那样做并不能让它们更加明亮，朵拉。’

‘Yes, it will! Because, you clever boy, you’ll not forget me then, while you are full of silent fancies. —
‘会的！因为，聪明的男孩，那时你会想起我，而不会充满无言的幻想。 —

Will you mind it, if I say something very, very silly? - more than usual?’ —
如果我说一些非常非常愚蠢的事情，你会介意吗？-比平常更愚蠢吗？ —

inquired Dora, peeping over my shoulder into my face.
朵拉探头看着我的脸说。

‘What wonderful thing is that?’ said I.
‘那是什么奇妙的事情？’我说。

‘Please let me hold the pens,’ said Dora. ‘I want to have something to do with all those many hours when you are so industrious. —
‘请让我拿着笔吧，’朵拉说。’我想在你勤劳的时光里做点什么。 —

May I hold the pens?’
我可以拿着笔吗？

The remembrance of her pretty joy when I said yes, brings tears into my eyes. —
我说是的时，她高兴的模样让我眼含泪水。 —

The next time I sat down to write, and regularly afterwards, she sat in her old place, with a spare bundle of pens at her side. —
接下来写字的时候，以及以后，她会坐在旧地方，身边放着一堆备用的笔。 —

Her triumph in this connexion with my work, and her delight when I wanted a new pen - which I very often feigned to do - suggested to me a new way of pleasing my child-wife. —
和我的工作有关的她的胜利和她需要一支新笔时的快乐，启发了我一种讨好我的小妻子的新方法。 —

I occasionally made a pretence of wanting a page or two of manuscript copied. —
我偶尔会假装需要抄录一页或两页手稿。 —

Then Dora was in her glory. The preparations she made for this great work, the aprons she put on, the bibs she borrowed from the kitchen to keep off the ink, the time she took, the innumerable stoppages she made to have a laugh with Jip as if he understood it all, her conviction that her work was incomplete unless she signed her name at the end, and the way in which she would bring it to me, like a school-copy, and then, when I praised it, clasp me round the neck, are touching recollections to me, simple as they might appear to other men.
然后朵拉会乐不可支。为这项伟大的工作她做的准备，她穿的围裙，从厨房借来的围兜防止墨水飞溅，她花费的时间，她炫耀的无数停顿以和吉普开心地笑一笑，她坚信，除非她在结尾签上她的名字，否则她的作品还不完整，以及她给我拿来的时候像给我看校样，然后当我表扬她的时候，紧紧搂着我的脖子，这些对我来说是触动人心的回忆，尽管对其他人来说似乎简单。

She took possession of the keys soon after this, and went jingling about the house with the whole bunch in a little basket, tied to her slender waist. —
在此之后不久，她拿到了钥匙，把一大串钥匙放在一个小篮子里，系在自己纤细的腰上，然后在房子里叮当作响地走动。 —

I seldom found that the places to which they belonged were locked, or that they were of any use except as a plaything for Jip - but Dora was pleased, and that pleased me. —
我很少发现它们对应的地方是上锁的，或者它们的任何用途，除了给Jip当玩具 - 但是多拉很高兴，这就让我高兴。 —

She was quite satisfied that a good deal was effected by this make-belief of housekeeping; —
她非常满意，认为通过这种假装做家务成了很大的事情； —

and was as merry as if we had been keeping a baby-house, for a joke.
就像我们开玩笑似的玩玩做娃娃屋时一样，她一直很快活。

So we went on. Dora was hardly less affectionate to my aunt than to me, and often told her of the time when she was afraid she was ‘a cross old thing’. —
我们就这样继续着。多拉对我姑姑的爱比对我差不多，经常跟她讲她害怕她“脾气暴躁”的时候。 —

I never saw my aunt unbend more systematically to anyone. —
我从未见过我姑姑对任何人如此有计划地放下身段。 —

She courted Jip, though Jip never responded; —
她追逐Jip，虽然Jip从未回应； —

listened, day after day, to the guitar, though I am afraid she had no taste for music; —
每天听吉他，虽然恐怕她并不懂音乐； —

never attacked the Incapables, though the temptation must have been severe; —
从未责备那些无能者，虽然诱惑一定很大； —

went wonderful distances on foot to purchase, as surprises, any trifles that she found out Dora wanted; —
步行走很长的距离去买任何她发现多拉想要的小东西作为惊喜； —

and never came in by the garden, and missed her from the room, but she would call out, at the foot of the stairs, in a voice that sounded cheerfully all over the house:
从花园进来，却发现她不在房间里时，她就会在楼梯脚下的地方用一个声音欢快地对整个房子说：“小花儿在哪里？”

‘Where’s Little Blossom?’
‘Where’s Little Blossom?’