guān yú dí gèng sī hé tā de xiǎo shuō yì shù, xīn lǐ zǎo yòu yī xiē xiǎng fǎ, chèn xiě zhè piān qián yán zhī biàn, shuō chū lái, jiù zhèng yú guǎng dà dí gèng sī 'àihào zhě。
《 wù dū gū 'ér》 shì dí gèng sī dì 'èr bù cháng piān xiǎo shuō。 zhè wèi nián jǐn 'èr shí wǔ suì de xiǎo shuō jiā jué xīn xué xí yīng guó xiàn shí zhù yì huà jiā wēi lián · hé jiā sī( WilliamHogarth,1697 yī 1764) de bǎng yàng, yǒng gǎn dì zhí miàn rén shēng, zhēn shí dì biǎo xiàn dāng shí lún dūn pín mín kū de bēi cǎn shēng huó。 tā bào zhe yī gè chóng gāo de dào dé yì tú: shè huì de bù gōng, bìng huàn qǐ shè huì, tuī xíng gǎi gé, shǐ chǔyú shuǐ shēn huǒ rè zhōng de pín mín dé dào jiù zhù。 zhèng yīn wéi rú cǐ, dí gèng sī lì lái bèi wǒ guó jí qián sū lián xué zhě jiè dìng wéi “ yīng guó wén xué shàng pī pàn xiàn shí zhù yì de chuàng shǐ rén hé zuì wěi dà de dài biǎo ”。 duì cǐ, wǒ yòu yī xiē bù tóng de jiàn jiě: wén xué yì shù shì yī zhǒng tè shū de shè huì yì shí xíng tài, tā bì rán shì shè huì cún zài de fǎn yìng。 dàn shì, wǒ men jué bù néng bǎ fǎn yìng xiàn shí de wén xué dōushuō chéng shì xiàn shí zhù yì wén xué, bǎ“ xiàn shí zhù yì” de wài yán wú xiàn kuò zhǎn。 shì shí shàng, zuò jiā yùn yòng de chuàng zuò fāng fǎ duō zhǒng duō yàng, yīn rén 'ér yì, zhè hé zuò jiā de tè shū qì zhì hé xìng gé tè diǎn mìqiè xiāng guān。 dí gèng sī de chuàng zuò, xiǎng xiàng lì jí wéi fēng fù, chōng mǎn shī de, tā zhuóyì xuàn rǎn zì jǐ de dào dé lǐ xiǎng, chù chù tū pò zì rán de zhōng shí lín mó, jiè yòng yī jù gē dé de huà: tā bǐ zì rán gāo liǎo yī céng。 zhè hé sà kè léi、 tè luò luó pǔ děng jiān chí de kè guān。 lěng jìng、 yán gé xiě shí de fāng fǎ yòu xiǎn zhù de qū bié。
shì yǐ《 wù dū gū 'ér》 wéi lì,( yī) gè xìng huà de yǔ yán shì dí gèng sī zài rén wù sù zào shàng yùn yòng dé shí fēn chū sè de yī zhǒng shǒu duàn。 shū zhōng de liú máng、 dào zéi、 jì nǚ de yǔ yán dū qièhé qí shēn fèn, shèn zhì hái yòng liǎo hángyè de hēi huà。 rán 'ér, dí gèng sī jué bù zuò zì rán zhù yì de zài xiàn, ér shì jìn xíng jiā gōng、 tí liàn hé xuǎn zé, bì miǎn shǐ yòng wū huì、 xià liú de huà yǔ。 zhù rén gōng 'ào lì fú yǔ yán guī fàn、 tán tù wén yǎ, tā shèn zhì bù zhī tōu qiè wèihé wù。 tā shì zài jì pín yuàn zhǎngdà de gū 'ér, cóng wèi shòu dào liáng hǎo de jiào yù, suǒ jiē chù dedōu shì zuì 'è lěi lěi、 duò luò bù kān zhī bèi, tā zěn me huì jiǎng zhè me hǎo de yīng wén ní? zhè yòng“ rén shì yī qiē shè huì guān xì zǒng hé” de lì shǐ wéi wù zhù yì guān diǎn shì wú fǎ jiě shì de。 kě jiàn, dí gèng sī zhuólì biǎo xiàn de shì zì jǐ de dào dé lǐ xiǎng, ér bù shì zhuī qiú wán quán de bī zhēn。( èr) zài yōu xiù de xiàn shí zhù yì xiǎo shuō zhōng, gù shì qíng jié wǎng wǎng shì zài huán jìng zuò yòng xià de rén wù xìng gé fā zhǎn shǐ, jí gāo 'ěr jī suǒ shuō de“ mǒu zhǒng xìng gé、 diǎn xíng de chéng cháng hé gòu chéng de lì shǐ”。 rán 'ér, dí gèng sī bù jū rèn hé gé tào, xiǎng yào duō shǎo qiǎo hé jiù 'ān pái duō shǎo qiǎo hé。 ào lì fú dì yī cì gēn xiǎo tōu shàng jiē, bèi tāo dōu de dì yī rén qià qiǎo jiù shì tā wáng fù de hǎo yǒu bù lǎng luó。 dì 'èr cì, tā zài fěi tú sài kè sī de jié chí xià rù shì xíng qiè, bèi tōu de qià hǎo shì tā qīn yí mā lù sī · méi lāi jiā。 zhè zài qíng lǐ shàng wú lùn rú hé shì shuō bù guò qù de。 dàn dí gèng sī zì yòu tiān dà de běn lǐng, zài jù tǐ de xì jié miáo xiě zhōng chōng mǎn shēng huó qì xī hé, shǐ nǐ dú shí jǐn zhāng dé chuǎn bù guò qì lái, duì zhè zhǒng běn lái shì qiānqiǎng de、 bù zì rán de qíng jié yě bù dé bù xìn yǐ wéi zhēn。 zhè jiù shì dí gèng sī de yì shù shì jiè de mèi lì。( sān) dí gèng sī xiě zuò shí, shǐ zhōng yòu yī zhǒng“ gǎn tóng shēn shòu de xiǎng xiàng lì”( Sympatheticimagination), jí shǐ duì shí 'è bù shè de rén wù yě yī yàng。 shū zhōng zéi shǒu、 lǎo yóu tài fèi jīn shòu shěn de yīcháng shǐ zhōng cóng fèi jīn de xīn lǐ shì jiǎo chū fā。 tā cóng tiān huā bǎn kàn dào dì bǎn, zhǐ jiàn chóngchóng dié dié de yǎn jīng dōuzài zhù shì zhe zì jǐ。 tā tīng dào duì tā zuì xíng de chén shù bào gào, tā bǎ kěn qiú de mù guāng zhuànxiàng lǜ shī, xī wàng néng wèitā biàn hù jǐ jù。 rén qún zhōng yòu rén zài chī dōng xī, yòu rén yòng shǒu juàn shānfēng, hái yòu yī míng qīng nián huà jiā zài huà tā de sù miáo, tā xīn xiǎng: bù zhī dào xiàng bù xiàng, zhēn xiǎng shēn guò bó zǐ qù kàn yī kàn …… yī wèi shēn shì chū qù yòu jìn lái, tā xiǎng: zhǔn shì chī fàn qù liǎo, bù zhī chī de shénme fàn? kàn dào tiě lán gān shàng yòu jiān cì, tā zhuó mó zhe: zhè hěn róng yì zhé duàn。 cóng cǐ yòu xiǎng dào jiǎo xíng jià, zhè shí, tā tīng dào zì jǐ bèi chù jiǎo xíng。 tā zhǐ shì nán nán dì shuō, zì jǐ suì shù dà liǎo, dà liǎo, jiē zhe jiù shénme shēng yīn yě fā bù chū lái liǎo。 zài zhè lǐ, dí gèng sī jīng xīn xuǎn zé liǎo yī xì liè xì jié, bù dàn miáo huì liǎo kè guān shì wù, ér qiě qiē rù liǎo rén wù de nèi xīn shì jiè, biǎo xiàn liǎo tā jí qí fēng fù de xiǎng xiàng lì。 tā yùn yòng de yì shù fāng fǎ, bù shì“ pī pàn xiàn shí zhù yì” suǒ néng gài kuò de。 wǒ dǎo shì zàn shǎng yīng guó zuò jiā、 dí gèng sī zhuān jiā qiáo zhì · jí xīn( GeorgeGiss - ing, 1857 héng 1903) de biǎo shù, tā bǎ dí gèng sī de chuàng zuò fāng fǎ chēng wéi“ làng màn de xiàn shí zhù yì”( romanticrealism)。 wǒ rèn wéi zhè yī biǎo shù cái gòu zhǔn què, cái fú hé dí gèng sī xiǎo shuō yì shù de shí jì。
zuì hòu hái yào tǎo lùn yī xià E . M. fú sī tè zài tā de míng zhù《 xiǎo shuō miàn miàn guān》 zhōng duì dí gèng sī rén wù sù zào de biǎn dī。 jù tā shuō, dí gèng sī zhǐ huì sù zào“ biǎn xíng rén wù”, ér bù huì sù zào“ hún yuán rén wù”, zài xiǎo shuō yì shù shàng shǔ yú“ jiào dī céng cì”。 shì shí zhēn shì zhè yàng má? shì yǐ《 wù dū gū 'ér》 zhōng de nán xī wéi lì, zuò yī fān yán jiū fēn xī。 wǒ rèn wéi, nán xī zhè gè rén wù yòu wú bǐ fēng fù、 fù zá de nèi xīn shì jiè, yuǎn bǐ E.M. fú sī tè suǒ chēng xiàn de yī qiē“ hún yuán rén wù” gèng fù yú lì tǐ gǎn hé huó yuè de shēng mìng lì。 nán xī shì gè bù xìng de gū niàn, zì yòu lún luò zéi kū, bìng yǐ chéng wéi dì 'èr hào zéi shǒu sài kè sī de qíng fù。 chú liǎo jiǎo jià, tā kàn bù dào rèn hé bié de qián jǐng。 dàn shì, tā tiān liáng wèi mǐn, zài tiān zhēn chún jié de 'ào lì fú, kàn dào wǎng rì qīng bái de zì jǐ, tóng qíng zhī xīn yóu rán 'ér shēng。 tā lián fèng zéi shǒu zhī mìng, mào chēng shì 'ào lì fú de jiě jiě, yìng bǎ tā bǎng jià huí zéi kū shí, nèi xīn chōng mǎn máo dùn。 guī tú zhōng, tā hé sài kè sī tán qǐ jiān yù jiǎo sǐ fàn rén de shì, ào lì fú gǎn jué dào nán xī jǐn zuàn zhe tā de nà zhǐ shǒu zài fā dǒu, tái yǎn yī kàn, tā de liǎn sè biàn dé shàbái。 hòu lái, tā mào zhe shēng mìng de wēi xiǎn tōu tōu dì gěi méi lāi xiǎo jiě hé bù lǎng luó tōng fēng bào xìn, zhōng yú bǎ 'ào lì fú jiù liǎo chū lái。 méi lāi hé bù lǎng luó lì quàn nán xī zhèng tuō guò qù de shēng huó, zǒu shàng xīn shēng zhī lù, dàn nán xī bù rěn xīn bǎ qíng rén sài kè sī piē xià。 sài kè sī zài dé zhī nán xī suǒ zuò suǒ wéi hòu, tā zhǐ néng chí dào fěi de dào dé biāo zhǔn, bǎ nán xī shì wéi bù kě ráo shù de pàn tú, qīn shǒu bǎ tā cán kù dì shā hài。 dí gèng sī zài gěi zhè liǎng gè rén wù qǔ míng shí shì yòu hěn shēn de yòng yì de, nán xī( Nancy) hé sài kè sī( Sikes) yīng wén suō xiě shì N hé S, zhèng shì cí zhēn de liǎng jí。 tā liǎ gòu chéng yī duì máo dùn, jì duì lì yòu tǒng yī, jì xiāng fǎn yòu xiāng chéng, yǒng yuǎn bù kě fēn lí。 nán xī lí bù kāi sài kè sī, nìngyuàn bèi tā shā hài yě bù kěn pāo qì tā; ér sài kè sī yě lí bù kāi nán xī, yī dàn shī qù tā, tā jiù sàng hún shī bó, zhōng yú zài fáng dǐng diē luò, bó zǐ bèi zì jǐ de yī tiáo shéng zǐ de huó kòu tào zhù 'ér qì jué shēn sǐ。 nán xī de xíng xiàng fù zá、 fēng fù yòu shēn kè, bù dàn bù shì“ biǎn píng” de, ér qiě dá dào jí gāo de yì shù chéng jiù。
dí gèng sī de xiǎo shuō jīng dé qǐ gè zhǒng xiàn dài pī píng lǐ lùn de fā jué hé chǎn shì, bù duàn chǎn shēng fā rén shēn shěng de xīn yì, jiāng yǒng jiǔ bǎo chí dú zhě de jiàn shǎng xīng qù hé zhuān jiā men de yán jiū xīng qù。
xuē hóng shí
yī jiǔ jiǔ bā nián wǔ yuè yú
zhōng guó shè huì kē xué yuàn wài guó wén xué yán jiū suǒ
Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is one anciently common to most towns, great or small: to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse was born; on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events; the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter.
For a long time after it was ushered into this world of sorrow and trouble, by the parish surgeon, it remained a matter of considerable doubt whether the child would survive to bear any name at all; in which case it is somewhat more than probable that these memoirs would never have appeared; or, if they had, that being comprised within a couple of pages, they would have possessed the inestimable merit of being the most concise and faithful specimen of biography, extant in the literature of any age or country.
Although I am not disposed to maintain that the being born in a workhouse, is in itself the most fortunate and enviable circumstance that can possibly befall a human being, I do mean to say that in this particular instance, it was the best thing for Oliver Twist that could by possibility have occurred. The fact is, that there was considerable difficulty in inducing Oliver to take upon himself the office of respiration,--a troublesome practice, but one which custom has rendered necessary to our easy existence; and for some time he lay gasping on a little flock mattress, rather unequally poised between this world and the next: the balance being decidedly in favour of the latter. Now, if, during this brief period, Oliver had been surrounded by careful grandmothers, anxious aunts, experienced nurses, and doctors of profound wisdom, he would most inevitably and indubitably have been killed in no time. There being nobody by, however, but a pauper old woman, who was rendered rather misty by an unwonted allowance of beer; and a parish surgeon who did such matters by contract; Oliver and Nature fought out the point between them. The result was, that, after a few struggles, Oliver breathed, sneezed, and proceeded to advertise to the inmates of the workhouse the fact of a new burden having been imposed upon the parish, by setting up as loud a cry as could reasonably have been expected from a male infant who had not been possessed of that very useful appendage, a voice, for a much longer space of time than three minutes and a quarter.
As Oliver gave this first proof of the free and proper action of his lungs, the patchwork coverlet which was carelessly flung over the iron bedstead, rustled; the pale face of a young woman was raised feebly from the pillow; and a faint voice imperfectly articulated the words, 'Let me see the child, and die.'
The surgeon had been sitting with his face turned towards the fire: giving the palms of his hands a warm and a rub alternately. As the young woman spoke, he rose, and advancing to the bed's head, said, with more kindness than might have been expected of him:
'Oh, you must not talk about dying yet.'
'Lor bless her dear heart, no!' interposed the nurse, hastily depositing in her pocket a green glass bottle, the contents of which she had been tasting in a corner with evident satisfaction.
'Lor bless her dear heart, when she has lived as long as I have, sir, and had thirteen children of her own, and all on 'em dead except two, and them in the wurkus with me, she'll know better than to take on in that way, bless her dear heart! Think what it is to be a mother, there's a dear young lamb do.'
Apparently this consolatory perspective of a mother's prospects failed in producing its due effect. The patient shook her head, and stretched out her hand towards the child.
The surgeon deposited it in her arms. She imprinted her cold white lips passionately on its forehead; passed her hands over her face; gazed wildly round; shuddered; fell back--and died. They chafed her breast, hands, and temples; but the blood had stopped forever. They talked of hope and comfort. They had been strangers too long.
'It's all over, Mrs. Thingummy!' said the surgeon at last.
'Ah, poor dear, so it is!' said the nurse, picking up the cork of the green bottle, which had fallen out on the pillow, as she stooped to take up the child. 'Poor dear!'
'You needn't mind sending up to me, if the child cries, nurse,' said the surgeon, putting on his gloves with great deliberation. 'It's very likely it _will_ be troublesome. Give it a little gruel if it is.' He put on his hat, and, pausing by the bed-side on his way to the door, added, 'She was a good-looking girl, too; where did she come from?'
'She was brought here last night,' replied the old woman, 'by the overseer's order. She was found lying in the street. She had walked some distance, for her shoes were worn to pieces; but where she came from, or where she was going to, nobody knows.'
The surgeon leaned over the body, and raised the left hand. 'The old story,' he said, shaking his head: 'no wedding-ring, I see. Ah! Good-night!'
The medical gentleman walked away to dinner; and the nurse, having once more applied herself to the green bottle, sat down on a low chair before the fire, and proceeded to dress the infant.
What an excellent example of the power of dress, young Oliver Twist was! Wrapped in the blanket which had hitherto formed his only covering, he might have been the child of a nobleman or a beggar; it would have been hard for the haughtiest stranger to have assigned him his proper station in society. But now that he was enveloped in the old calico robes which had grown yellow in the same service, he was badged and ticketed, and fell into his place at once--a parish child--the orphan of a workhouse--the humble, half-starved drudge--to be cuffed and buffeted through the world--despised by all, and pitied by none.
Oliver cried lustily. If he could have known that he was an orphan, left to the tender mercies of church-wardens and overseers, perhaps he would have cried the louder.
《 wù dū gū 'ér》 shì dí gèng sī dì 'èr bù cháng piān xiǎo shuō。 zhè wèi nián jǐn 'èr shí wǔ suì de xiǎo shuō jiā jué xīn xué xí yīng guó xiàn shí zhù yì huà jiā wēi lián · hé jiā sī( WilliamHogarth,1697 yī 1764) de bǎng yàng, yǒng gǎn dì zhí miàn rén shēng, zhēn shí dì biǎo xiàn dāng shí lún dūn pín mín kū de bēi cǎn shēng huó。 tā bào zhe yī gè chóng gāo de dào dé yì tú: shè huì de bù gōng, bìng huàn qǐ shè huì, tuī xíng gǎi gé, shǐ chǔyú shuǐ shēn huǒ rè zhōng de pín mín dé dào jiù zhù。 zhèng yīn wéi rú cǐ, dí gèng sī lì lái bèi wǒ guó jí qián sū lián xué zhě jiè dìng wéi “ yīng guó wén xué shàng pī pàn xiàn shí zhù yì de chuàng shǐ rén hé zuì wěi dà de dài biǎo ”。 duì cǐ, wǒ yòu yī xiē bù tóng de jiàn jiě: wén xué yì shù shì yī zhǒng tè shū de shè huì yì shí xíng tài, tā bì rán shì shè huì cún zài de fǎn yìng。 dàn shì, wǒ men jué bù néng bǎ fǎn yìng xiàn shí de wén xué dōushuō chéng shì xiàn shí zhù yì wén xué, bǎ“ xiàn shí zhù yì” de wài yán wú xiàn kuò zhǎn。 shì shí shàng, zuò jiā yùn yòng de chuàng zuò fāng fǎ duō zhǒng duō yàng, yīn rén 'ér yì, zhè hé zuò jiā de tè shū qì zhì hé xìng gé tè diǎn mìqiè xiāng guān。 dí gèng sī de chuàng zuò, xiǎng xiàng lì jí wéi fēng fù, chōng mǎn shī de, tā zhuóyì xuàn rǎn zì jǐ de dào dé lǐ xiǎng, chù chù tū pò zì rán de zhōng shí lín mó, jiè yòng yī jù gē dé de huà: tā bǐ zì rán gāo liǎo yī céng。 zhè hé sà kè léi、 tè luò luó pǔ děng jiān chí de kè guān。 lěng jìng、 yán gé xiě shí de fāng fǎ yòu xiǎn zhù de qū bié。
shì yǐ《 wù dū gū 'ér》 wéi lì,( yī) gè xìng huà de yǔ yán shì dí gèng sī zài rén wù sù zào shàng yùn yòng dé shí fēn chū sè de yī zhǒng shǒu duàn。 shū zhōng de liú máng、 dào zéi、 jì nǚ de yǔ yán dū qièhé qí shēn fèn, shèn zhì hái yòng liǎo hángyè de hēi huà。 rán 'ér, dí gèng sī jué bù zuò zì rán zhù yì de zài xiàn, ér shì jìn xíng jiā gōng、 tí liàn hé xuǎn zé, bì miǎn shǐ yòng wū huì、 xià liú de huà yǔ。 zhù rén gōng 'ào lì fú yǔ yán guī fàn、 tán tù wén yǎ, tā shèn zhì bù zhī tōu qiè wèihé wù。 tā shì zài jì pín yuàn zhǎngdà de gū 'ér, cóng wèi shòu dào liáng hǎo de jiào yù, suǒ jiē chù dedōu shì zuì 'è lěi lěi、 duò luò bù kān zhī bèi, tā zěn me huì jiǎng zhè me hǎo de yīng wén ní? zhè yòng“ rén shì yī qiē shè huì guān xì zǒng hé” de lì shǐ wéi wù zhù yì guān diǎn shì wú fǎ jiě shì de。 kě jiàn, dí gèng sī zhuólì biǎo xiàn de shì zì jǐ de dào dé lǐ xiǎng, ér bù shì zhuī qiú wán quán de bī zhēn。( èr) zài yōu xiù de xiàn shí zhù yì xiǎo shuō zhōng, gù shì qíng jié wǎng wǎng shì zài huán jìng zuò yòng xià de rén wù xìng gé fā zhǎn shǐ, jí gāo 'ěr jī suǒ shuō de“ mǒu zhǒng xìng gé、 diǎn xíng de chéng cháng hé gòu chéng de lì shǐ”。 rán 'ér, dí gèng sī bù jū rèn hé gé tào, xiǎng yào duō shǎo qiǎo hé jiù 'ān pái duō shǎo qiǎo hé。 ào lì fú dì yī cì gēn xiǎo tōu shàng jiē, bèi tāo dōu de dì yī rén qià qiǎo jiù shì tā wáng fù de hǎo yǒu bù lǎng luó。 dì 'èr cì, tā zài fěi tú sài kè sī de jié chí xià rù shì xíng qiè, bèi tōu de qià hǎo shì tā qīn yí mā lù sī · méi lāi jiā。 zhè zài qíng lǐ shàng wú lùn rú hé shì shuō bù guò qù de。 dàn dí gèng sī zì yòu tiān dà de běn lǐng, zài jù tǐ de xì jié miáo xiě zhōng chōng mǎn shēng huó qì xī hé, shǐ nǐ dú shí jǐn zhāng dé chuǎn bù guò qì lái, duì zhè zhǒng běn lái shì qiānqiǎng de、 bù zì rán de qíng jié yě bù dé bù xìn yǐ wéi zhēn。 zhè jiù shì dí gèng sī de yì shù shì jiè de mèi lì。( sān) dí gèng sī xiě zuò shí, shǐ zhōng yòu yī zhǒng“ gǎn tóng shēn shòu de xiǎng xiàng lì”( Sympatheticimagination), jí shǐ duì shí 'è bù shè de rén wù yě yī yàng。 shū zhōng zéi shǒu、 lǎo yóu tài fèi jīn shòu shěn de yīcháng shǐ zhōng cóng fèi jīn de xīn lǐ shì jiǎo chū fā。 tā cóng tiān huā bǎn kàn dào dì bǎn, zhǐ jiàn chóngchóng dié dié de yǎn jīng dōuzài zhù shì zhe zì jǐ。 tā tīng dào duì tā zuì xíng de chén shù bào gào, tā bǎ kěn qiú de mù guāng zhuànxiàng lǜ shī, xī wàng néng wèitā biàn hù jǐ jù。 rén qún zhōng yòu rén zài chī dōng xī, yòu rén yòng shǒu juàn shānfēng, hái yòu yī míng qīng nián huà jiā zài huà tā de sù miáo, tā xīn xiǎng: bù zhī dào xiàng bù xiàng, zhēn xiǎng shēn guò bó zǐ qù kàn yī kàn …… yī wèi shēn shì chū qù yòu jìn lái, tā xiǎng: zhǔn shì chī fàn qù liǎo, bù zhī chī de shénme fàn? kàn dào tiě lán gān shàng yòu jiān cì, tā zhuó mó zhe: zhè hěn róng yì zhé duàn。 cóng cǐ yòu xiǎng dào jiǎo xíng jià, zhè shí, tā tīng dào zì jǐ bèi chù jiǎo xíng。 tā zhǐ shì nán nán dì shuō, zì jǐ suì shù dà liǎo, dà liǎo, jiē zhe jiù shénme shēng yīn yě fā bù chū lái liǎo。 zài zhè lǐ, dí gèng sī jīng xīn xuǎn zé liǎo yī xì liè xì jié, bù dàn miáo huì liǎo kè guān shì wù, ér qiě qiē rù liǎo rén wù de nèi xīn shì jiè, biǎo xiàn liǎo tā jí qí fēng fù de xiǎng xiàng lì。 tā yùn yòng de yì shù fāng fǎ, bù shì“ pī pàn xiàn shí zhù yì” suǒ néng gài kuò de。 wǒ dǎo shì zàn shǎng yīng guó zuò jiā、 dí gèng sī zhuān jiā qiáo zhì · jí xīn( GeorgeGiss - ing, 1857 héng 1903) de biǎo shù, tā bǎ dí gèng sī de chuàng zuò fāng fǎ chēng wéi“ làng màn de xiàn shí zhù yì”( romanticrealism)。 wǒ rèn wéi zhè yī biǎo shù cái gòu zhǔn què, cái fú hé dí gèng sī xiǎo shuō yì shù de shí jì。
zuì hòu hái yào tǎo lùn yī xià E . M. fú sī tè zài tā de míng zhù《 xiǎo shuō miàn miàn guān》 zhōng duì dí gèng sī rén wù sù zào de biǎn dī。 jù tā shuō, dí gèng sī zhǐ huì sù zào“ biǎn xíng rén wù”, ér bù huì sù zào“ hún yuán rén wù”, zài xiǎo shuō yì shù shàng shǔ yú“ jiào dī céng cì”。 shì shí zhēn shì zhè yàng má? shì yǐ《 wù dū gū 'ér》 zhōng de nán xī wéi lì, zuò yī fān yán jiū fēn xī。 wǒ rèn wéi, nán xī zhè gè rén wù yòu wú bǐ fēng fù、 fù zá de nèi xīn shì jiè, yuǎn bǐ E.M. fú sī tè suǒ chēng xiàn de yī qiē“ hún yuán rén wù” gèng fù yú lì tǐ gǎn hé huó yuè de shēng mìng lì。 nán xī shì gè bù xìng de gū niàn, zì yòu lún luò zéi kū, bìng yǐ chéng wéi dì 'èr hào zéi shǒu sài kè sī de qíng fù。 chú liǎo jiǎo jià, tā kàn bù dào rèn hé bié de qián jǐng。 dàn shì, tā tiān liáng wèi mǐn, zài tiān zhēn chún jié de 'ào lì fú, kàn dào wǎng rì qīng bái de zì jǐ, tóng qíng zhī xīn yóu rán 'ér shēng。 tā lián fèng zéi shǒu zhī mìng, mào chēng shì 'ào lì fú de jiě jiě, yìng bǎ tā bǎng jià huí zéi kū shí, nèi xīn chōng mǎn máo dùn。 guī tú zhōng, tā hé sài kè sī tán qǐ jiān yù jiǎo sǐ fàn rén de shì, ào lì fú gǎn jué dào nán xī jǐn zuàn zhe tā de nà zhǐ shǒu zài fā dǒu, tái yǎn yī kàn, tā de liǎn sè biàn dé shàbái。 hòu lái, tā mào zhe shēng mìng de wēi xiǎn tōu tōu dì gěi méi lāi xiǎo jiě hé bù lǎng luó tōng fēng bào xìn, zhōng yú bǎ 'ào lì fú jiù liǎo chū lái。 méi lāi hé bù lǎng luó lì quàn nán xī zhèng tuō guò qù de shēng huó, zǒu shàng xīn shēng zhī lù, dàn nán xī bù rěn xīn bǎ qíng rén sài kè sī piē xià。 sài kè sī zài dé zhī nán xī suǒ zuò suǒ wéi hòu, tā zhǐ néng chí dào fěi de dào dé biāo zhǔn, bǎ nán xī shì wéi bù kě ráo shù de pàn tú, qīn shǒu bǎ tā cán kù dì shā hài。 dí gèng sī zài gěi zhè liǎng gè rén wù qǔ míng shí shì yòu hěn shēn de yòng yì de, nán xī( Nancy) hé sài kè sī( Sikes) yīng wén suō xiě shì N hé S, zhèng shì cí zhēn de liǎng jí。 tā liǎ gòu chéng yī duì máo dùn, jì duì lì yòu tǒng yī, jì xiāng fǎn yòu xiāng chéng, yǒng yuǎn bù kě fēn lí。 nán xī lí bù kāi sài kè sī, nìngyuàn bèi tā shā hài yě bù kěn pāo qì tā; ér sài kè sī yě lí bù kāi nán xī, yī dàn shī qù tā, tā jiù sàng hún shī bó, zhōng yú zài fáng dǐng diē luò, bó zǐ bèi zì jǐ de yī tiáo shéng zǐ de huó kòu tào zhù 'ér qì jué shēn sǐ。 nán xī de xíng xiàng fù zá、 fēng fù yòu shēn kè, bù dàn bù shì“ biǎn píng” de, ér qiě dá dào jí gāo de yì shù chéng jiù。
dí gèng sī de xiǎo shuō jīng dé qǐ gè zhǒng xiàn dài pī píng lǐ lùn de fā jué hé chǎn shì, bù duàn chǎn shēng fā rén shēn shěng de xīn yì, jiāng yǒng jiǔ bǎo chí dú zhě de jiàn shǎng xīng qù hé zhuān jiā men de yán jiū xīng qù。
xuē hóng shí
yī jiǔ jiǔ bā nián wǔ yuè yú
zhōng guó shè huì kē xué yuàn wài guó wén xué yán jiū suǒ
Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is one anciently common to most towns, great or small: to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse was born; on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events; the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter.
For a long time after it was ushered into this world of sorrow and trouble, by the parish surgeon, it remained a matter of considerable doubt whether the child would survive to bear any name at all; in which case it is somewhat more than probable that these memoirs would never have appeared; or, if they had, that being comprised within a couple of pages, they would have possessed the inestimable merit of being the most concise and faithful specimen of biography, extant in the literature of any age or country.
Although I am not disposed to maintain that the being born in a workhouse, is in itself the most fortunate and enviable circumstance that can possibly befall a human being, I do mean to say that in this particular instance, it was the best thing for Oliver Twist that could by possibility have occurred. The fact is, that there was considerable difficulty in inducing Oliver to take upon himself the office of respiration,--a troublesome practice, but one which custom has rendered necessary to our easy existence; and for some time he lay gasping on a little flock mattress, rather unequally poised between this world and the next: the balance being decidedly in favour of the latter. Now, if, during this brief period, Oliver had been surrounded by careful grandmothers, anxious aunts, experienced nurses, and doctors of profound wisdom, he would most inevitably and indubitably have been killed in no time. There being nobody by, however, but a pauper old woman, who was rendered rather misty by an unwonted allowance of beer; and a parish surgeon who did such matters by contract; Oliver and Nature fought out the point between them. The result was, that, after a few struggles, Oliver breathed, sneezed, and proceeded to advertise to the inmates of the workhouse the fact of a new burden having been imposed upon the parish, by setting up as loud a cry as could reasonably have been expected from a male infant who had not been possessed of that very useful appendage, a voice, for a much longer space of time than three minutes and a quarter.
As Oliver gave this first proof of the free and proper action of his lungs, the patchwork coverlet which was carelessly flung over the iron bedstead, rustled; the pale face of a young woman was raised feebly from the pillow; and a faint voice imperfectly articulated the words, 'Let me see the child, and die.'
The surgeon had been sitting with his face turned towards the fire: giving the palms of his hands a warm and a rub alternately. As the young woman spoke, he rose, and advancing to the bed's head, said, with more kindness than might have been expected of him:
'Oh, you must not talk about dying yet.'
'Lor bless her dear heart, no!' interposed the nurse, hastily depositing in her pocket a green glass bottle, the contents of which she had been tasting in a corner with evident satisfaction.
'Lor bless her dear heart, when she has lived as long as I have, sir, and had thirteen children of her own, and all on 'em dead except two, and them in the wurkus with me, she'll know better than to take on in that way, bless her dear heart! Think what it is to be a mother, there's a dear young lamb do.'
Apparently this consolatory perspective of a mother's prospects failed in producing its due effect. The patient shook her head, and stretched out her hand towards the child.
The surgeon deposited it in her arms. She imprinted her cold white lips passionately on its forehead; passed her hands over her face; gazed wildly round; shuddered; fell back--and died. They chafed her breast, hands, and temples; but the blood had stopped forever. They talked of hope and comfort. They had been strangers too long.
'It's all over, Mrs. Thingummy!' said the surgeon at last.
'Ah, poor dear, so it is!' said the nurse, picking up the cork of the green bottle, which had fallen out on the pillow, as she stooped to take up the child. 'Poor dear!'
'You needn't mind sending up to me, if the child cries, nurse,' said the surgeon, putting on his gloves with great deliberation. 'It's very likely it _will_ be troublesome. Give it a little gruel if it is.' He put on his hat, and, pausing by the bed-side on his way to the door, added, 'She was a good-looking girl, too; where did she come from?'
'She was brought here last night,' replied the old woman, 'by the overseer's order. She was found lying in the street. She had walked some distance, for her shoes were worn to pieces; but where she came from, or where she was going to, nobody knows.'
The surgeon leaned over the body, and raised the left hand. 'The old story,' he said, shaking his head: 'no wedding-ring, I see. Ah! Good-night!'
The medical gentleman walked away to dinner; and the nurse, having once more applied herself to the green bottle, sat down on a low chair before the fire, and proceeded to dress the infant.
What an excellent example of the power of dress, young Oliver Twist was! Wrapped in the blanket which had hitherto formed his only covering, he might have been the child of a nobleman or a beggar; it would have been hard for the haughtiest stranger to have assigned him his proper station in society. But now that he was enveloped in the old calico robes which had grown yellow in the same service, he was badged and ticketed, and fell into his place at once--a parish child--the orphan of a workhouse--the humble, half-starved drudge--to be cuffed and buffeted through the world--despised by all, and pitied by none.
Oliver cried lustily. If he could have known that he was an orphan, left to the tender mercies of church-wardens and overseers, perhaps he would have cried the louder.
tǎo lùn 'ào lì fú · tuì sī tè de chū shēng dì diǎn, yǐ jí yòu guān tā chū shēng de zhǒng zhǒng qíng xíng。
zài mǒu yī gè xiǎo chéng, yóu yú zhū duō yuán yīn, duì gāi chéng de dà míng hái shì bù tí wéi hǎo, wǒ lián jiǎ míng yě bù gěi tā qǔ yī gè。 cǐ dì hé wú shù dà dà xiǎo xiǎo de chéng zhèn yī yàng, zài nà lǐ de gōng gòng jiàn zhù wù zhī zhōng yě yòu yī gè gǔ yǐ yòu zhī de jī gòu, zhè jiù shì jì pín yuàn。 běn zhāng tí mù zhōng tí dào liǎo xìng míng de nà gè rén jiù chū shēng zài zhè suǒ jì pín yuàn lǐ, jù tǐ rì qī wú xū zhuì shù, fǎn zhèng zhè yī diǎn duì dú zhě lái shuō wú guān jǐn yào héng héng zhì shǎo zài mù qián zhè gè jiē duàn shì zhè yàng。
zhè hái zǐ yóu jiào qū wài kē yī shēng lǐng zhe, lái dào liǎo zhè yī gè kǔ nán 'ér dòng dàng de shì jiè, zài hěn cháng yī duàn shí jiān lǐ, réng rán cún zài zhe yī jiàn xiāng dāng shāng nǎo jīn de wèn tí, zhè hái zǐ dào dǐ shì bù shì néng gòu yòu míng yòu xìng dì huó xià qù。 rú guǒ shì zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng, běn chuán jì hěn yòu kě néng huì yǒng wú miàn shì zhī rì, huò zhě shuō, jí biàn néng wèn shì yě zhǐ yòu liáo liáo shù yè, bù guò dǎo yě yòu yī tiáo wú kě gūliáng de yōu diǎn, jí chéng wéi gǔ wǎng jīn lái shì jiè gè guó xiàn cún wén xiàn zhōng zuì jiǎn míng zuì zhōng shí de zhuànjì fàn běn。
wǒ dǎo yě wú yì jiān chí shuō, chū shēng zài pín mín shōu róng yuàn zhè jiàn shì běn shēn nǎi shì yī gè rén suǒ néng zhǐ wàng dé dào de zuì měi miào、 zuì rě rén xiàn mù de yùn qì, dàn wǒ díquè xiǎng zhǐ chū, cǐ shí cǐ kè, duì 'ào lì fú · tuì sī tè shuō lái, zhè yě xǔ shì zuì xìng yùn de yī jiàn shì liǎo。 bù mán nǐ shuō, dāng shí yào 'ào lì fú zì gè 'ér chéng dān hū xī kōng qì de zhí néng dū xiāng dāng kùn nán héng héng hū xī běn lái jiù shì yī jiàn má fán shì, piān piān xí guàn yòu shǐ zhè xiàng zhí néng chéng liǎo wǒ men wéi chí shēng cún bì bù kě shǎo de shì qíng。 hǎo yī zhèn zǐ, tā tǎng zài yī zhāng xiǎo xiǎo de máo tǎn shàng zhí chuǎn qì, zài jīn shēng yǔ lái shì zhī jiān yáo bǎi bù dìng, tiān píng jué dìng xìng dì qīng xiàng yú hòu zhě。 bié de qiě bù shuō, zài zhè gè duǎn zàn de shí guāng lǐ, cháng ruò 'ào lì fú de zhōu wéi shì yī bān xì zhì zhōu dào de lǎo nǎi nǎi、 rè xīn rè cháng de dà niàn dà shěn、 jīng yàn fēng fù de hù tǔ yǐ jí xué shí yuān bó de dà fū, háo wú yí yì, tā bì dìng yī xià zǐ jiù bèi jiēguǒ liǎo。 xìng hǎo zài chǎng de zhǐ yòu yī gè jì pín yuàn de lǎo tài pó, tā yǐ jīng jiào bù dà róng yì dào shǒu de yī diǎn pí jiǔ nòng dé yòu xiē yùn hū hū de liǎo, wài jiā yī wèi 'àn hé tóng bàn lǐ zhè lèi shì qíng de jiào qū wài kē yī shēng。 chú cǐ zhī wài, méi yòu bàng rén。 ào lì fú yǔ zào huà zhī jiān de jiào liàng jiàn liǎo fēn xiǎo liǎo。 jiēguǒ shì, jǐ gè huí hé xià lái, ào lì fú hū xī píng wěn liǎo, dǎ liǎo yī gè pentì, fā chū yī zhèn gāo shēng tí kū, zuò wéi yī míng nán yīng, kū shēng zhī xiǎng shì kě yǐ xiǎng jiàn de, yào zhī dào tā zài yuǎn yuǎn chāo guò sān fēn shí wǔ miǎo de shí jiān lǐ hái shǐ zhōng bù céng jù yòu sǎng mén zhè yàng yī zhǒng hěn yòu yòng chù de fù jiàn。 tā kāi shǐ xiàng quán yuàn shàng xià gōng bù yī gè shì shí: běn jiào qū yòu bèi shàng liǎo yī gè xīn de bāo fú。
ào lì fú gāng yǐ zhè yī fān huó dòng zhèng míng zì jǐ de fèi bù gōng néng zhèng cháng, yùn zhuǎn zì rú, zhè shí, hú luàn dā zài tiě chuáng jià shàng de nà zhāng bǔ dīng luò bǔ dīng de chuáng dān sà sà dì xiǎng liǎo qǐ lái, yī gè nián qīng nǚ zǐ yòu qì wú lì dì cóng zhěn tóu shàng tái qǐ cāng bái de miàn kǒng, yòng wēi ruò de shēng yīn bù shí fēn qīng xī dì tù chū liǎo jǐ gè zì:“ ràng wǒ kàn yī kàn hái zǐ zài sǐ bā。”
yī shēng miàn duì bì lú zuò zài yī biān, shí 'ér kǎo kǎo shǒu xīn, shí 'ér yòu cuō cuō shǒu, tīng dào de shēng yīn, tā zhàn qǐ lái, zǒu dào chuáng tóu, kǒu qì hé shàn dé chū rén yì liào, shuō:
“ ō, nǐ xiàn zài hái tán bù shàng sǐ。”
“ shàng dì bǎo yòu, tā kě shì sǐ bù dé, sǐ bù dé。” hù shì chā zuǐ shuō, yī biān huāng huāng zhāng zhāng dì bǎ yī zhǐ lǜ sè bō lí píng fàng jìn yī dài lǐ, píng zhōng zhī wù tā yǐ jīng zài jiǎo luò lǐ cháng guò liǎo, xiǎn rán shí fēn zhòngyì。“ shàng dì bǎo yòu, kě sǐ bù dé, děng tā huó dào wǒ zhè bǎ suì shù, dà fū, zì jiā yǎng shàng shí sān gè hái zǐ, chú kāi liǎng gè, quán dū dé sòng mìng, nà liǎng gè jiù gēn wǒ yī kuài 'ér dài zài jì pín yuàn lǐ hǎo liǎo, dào shí hòu tā jiù míng bái liǎo, fàn bù zhe zhè yàng jī dòng, sǐ bù dé de, xún sī xún sī dāng mā shì zěn me huí shì, kě 'ài de xiǎo yáng gāo zài zhè 'ér ní, méi cuò。”
zhè fān huà běn lái shì xiǎng yòng zuò mǔ qīn de qián jǐng lái kāi dǎo chǎn fù, dàn xiǎn rán méi yòu chǎn shēng yīngyǒu de xiào guǒ。 chǎn fù yáo yáo tóu, cháo hái zǐ shēn chū shǒu qù。
yī shēng jiāng hái zǐ fàng jìn tā de huái lǐ, tā shēn qíng dì bǎ bīng liáng bái xī de shuāng chún yìn zài hái zǐ de 'é tóu shàng, jiē zhe tā yòng shuāng shǒu cā liǎo cā liǎn, kuáng luàn dì huán gù liǎo yī xià zhōu wéi, zhàn lì zhe xiàng hòu yī yǎng héng héng sǐ liǎo。 tā men mó cā tā de xiōng bù、 shuāng shǒu、 tài yáng xué, dàn xuè yè yǐ jīng yǒng yuǎn níng zhì liǎo。 yī shēng hé hù tǔ shuō liǎo yī xiē xī wàng hé 'ān wèi de huà。 xī wàng hé 'ān wèi yǐ jīng jiǔ wéi duō shí liǎo。
“ yī qiēdōu wán liǎo, xīn gé mì tài tài。” mò liǎo, yī shēng shuō dào。
“ hē, kě lián de hái zǐ, shì zhè me huí shì。” hù shì shuō zhe, cóng zhěn tóu shàng shí qǐ nà zhǐ lǜ píng de píngsāi, nà shì tā wān yāo bào hái zǐ de shí hòu diào xià lái de。“ kě lián de hái zǐ。”
“ hù shì, hái zǐ yào shì kū de huà, nǐ jìn guǎn jiào rén lái zhǎo wǒ,” yī shēng màn tiáo sī lǐ dì dài shàng shǒu tào, shuō dào,“ xiǎo jiā huǒ hěn kě néng huì zhēténg yī qì, yào shì nà yàng, jiù gěi tā hē diǎn mài piàn yù。” tā dài shàng mào zǐ, hái méi zǒu dào mén kǒu, yòu zài chuáng biān tíng liǎo xià lái, tiān shàng liǎo yī jù,“ zhè gū niàn hái tǐng piào liàng, nǎ 'ér lái de?”
“ tā shì zuó tiān wǎn shàng sòng lái de,” lǎo pó zǐ huí dá,“ yòu jiào qū pín mín jiù jì chù cháng guān de fēn fù。 yòu rén kàn jiàn tā dǎo zài jiē shàng。 tā zǒu liǎo hěn yuǎn de lù, xié dū chuān chéng shuà zǐ liǎo。 yào shuō tā cóng nǎ 'ér lái, dào nǎ 'ér qù, nà kě méi rén zhī dào。”
yī shēng wān xià yāo, ná qǐ sǐ zhě de zuǒ shǒu。“ yòu shì nà zhǒng shì,” tā yáo yáo tóu shuō,“ míng bái liǎo, méi dài jié hūn jiè zhǐ。 ā。 wǎn 'ān。”
dǒng yī dào de shēn shì wài chū chī wǎn fàn qù liǎo, hù shì běn rén jiù zhe nà zhǐ lǜ sè bō lí píng yòu shòu yòng liǎo yī fān, zài lú qián yī gè 'ǎi yǐ zǐ shàng zuò xià lái, zhuóshǒu tì yīng 'ér chuān yī fú。
xiǎo 'ào lì fú zhēn kě yǐ chēng wéi rén kào yī zhuāng de yī gè jié chū diǎn fàn。 tā dǎ cóng yī chū shì wéi yī yǎn shēn bì tǐ de dōng xī jiù shì guǒ zài tā shēn shàng de nà tiáo tǎn zǐ, nǐ shuō tā shì guì jiā gōng zǐ yě xíng, shì qǐ gài de pín 'ér yì kě。 jiù shì zuì zì fù de wài rén yě hěn nán què dìng tā de shè huì dì wèi。 bù guò zhè dāng 'ér, tā gěi guǒ jìn yī jiàn bái bù jiù zhào shān lǐ biān, yóu yú duō cì shǐ yòng, zhào shān yǐ jīng kāi shǐ fàn huáng, dǎ shàng yìn zhāng, tiē shàng biāo qiān, yī zhuǎn yǎn yǐ jīng zhèng shì dào wèi héng héng chéng wéi jiào qū de hái zǐ héng héng jì pín yuàn de gū 'ér héng héng chī bù bǎo yě 'è bù sǐ de kǔ lì héng héng lái dào shì shàng jiù yào cháng quán tóu, āi bā zhǎng yī yī gè gè miǎo shì, wú rén lián mǐn。
ào lì fú jìn qíng dì kū qǐ lái。 tā yào shì néng gòu yì shí dào zì jǐ chéng liǎo gū 'ér, mìng yùn rú hé quán dé kàn jiào qū wěi yuán hé pín mín jiù jì chù guān yuán huì bù huì fā cí bēi, kě néng hái huì kū dé gèng xiǎng liàng yī xiē。
For the next eight or ten months, Oliver was the victim of a systematic course of treachery and deception. He was brought up by hand. The hungry and destitute situation of the infant orphan was duly reported by the workhouse authorities to the parish authorities. The parish authorities inquired with dignity of the workhouse authorities, whether there was no female then domiciled in 'the house' who was in a situation to impart to Oliver Twist, the consolation and nourishment of which he stood in need. The workhouse authorities replied with humility, that there was not. Upon this, the parish authorities magnanimously and humanely resolved, that Oliver should be 'farmed,' or, in other words, that he should be dispatched to a branch-workhouse some three miles off, where twenty or thirty other juvenile offenders against the poor-laws, rolled about the floor all day, without the inconvenience of too much food or too much clothing, under the parental superintendence of an elderly female, who received the culprits at and for the consideration of sevenpence-halfpenny per small head per week. Sevenpence-halfpenny's worth per week is a good round diet for a child; a great deal may be got for sevenpence-halfpenny, quite enough to overload its stomach, and make it uncomfortable. The elderly female was a woman of wisdom and experience; she knew what was good for children; and she had a very accurate perception of what was good for herself. So, she appropriated the greater part of the weekly stipend to her own use, and consigned the rising parochial generation to even a shorter allowance than was originally provided for them. Thereby finding in the lowest depth a deeper still; and proving herself a very great experimental philosopher.
Everybody knows the story of another experimental philosopher who had a great theory about a horse being able to live without eating, and who demonstrated it so well, that he had got his own horse down to a straw a day, and would unquestionably have rendered him a very spirited and rampacious animal on nothing at all, if he had not died, four-and-twenty hours before he was to have had his first comfortable bait of air. Unfortunately for, the experimental philosophy of the female to whose protecting care Oliver Twist was delivered over, a similar result usually attended the operation of _her_ system; for at the very moment when the child had contrived to exist upon the smallest possible portion of the weakest possible food, it did perversely happen in eight and a half cases out of ten, either that it sickened from want and cold, or fell into the fire from neglect, or got half-smothered by accident; in any one of which cases, the miserable little being was usually summoned into another world, and there gathered to the fathers it had never known in this.
Occasionally, when there was some more than usually interesting inquest upon a parish child who had been overlooked in turning up a bedstead, or inadvertently scalded to death when there happened to be a washing--though the latter accident was very scarce, anything approaching to a washing being of rare occurrence in the farm--the jury would take it into their heads to ask troublesome questions, or the parishioners would rebelliously affix their signatures to a remonstrance. But these impertinences were speedily checked by the evidence of the surgeon, and the testimony of the beadle; the former of whom had always opened the body and found nothing inside (which was very probable indeed), and the latter of whom invariably swore whatever the parish wanted; which was very self-devotional. Besides, the board made periodical pilgrimages to the farm, and always sent the beadle the day before, to say they were going. The children were neat and clean to behold, when _they_ went; and what more would the people have!
It cannot be expected that this system of farming would produce any very extraordinary or luxuriant crop. Oliver Twist's ninth birthday found him a pale thin child, somewhat diminutive in stature, and decidedly small in circumference. But nature or inheritance had implanted a good sturdy spirit in Oliver's breast. It had had plenty of room to expand, thanks to the spare diet of the establishment; and perhaps to this circumstance may be attributed his having any ninth birth-day at all. Be this as it may, however, it was his ninth birthday; and he was keeping it in the coal-cellar with a select party of two other young gentleman, who, after participating with him in a sound thrashing, had been locked up for atrociously presuming to be hungry, when Mrs. Mann, the good lady of the house, was unexpectedly startled by the apparition of Mr. Bumble, the beadle, striving to undo the wicket of the garden-gate.
'Goodness gracious! Is that you, Mr. Bumble, sir?' said Mrs. Mann, thrusting her head out of the window in well-affected ecstasies of joy. '(Susan, take Oliver and them two brats upstairs, and wash 'em directly.)--My heart alive! Mr. Bumble, how glad I am to see you, sure-ly!'
Now, Mr. Bumble was a fat man, and a choleric; so, instead of responding to this open-hearted salutation in a kindred spirit, he gave the little wicket a tremendous shake, and then bestowed upon it a kick which could have emanated from no leg but a beadle's.
'Lor, only think,' said Mrs. Mann, running out,--for the three boys had been removed by this time,--'only think of that! That I should have forgotten that the gate was bolted on the inside, on account of them dear children! Walk in sir; walk in, pray, Mr. Bumble, do, sir.'
Although this invitation was accompanied with a curtsey that might have softened the heart of a church-warden, it by no means mollified the beadle.
'Do you think this respectful or proper conduct, Mrs. Mann,' inquired Mr. Bumble, grasping his cane, 'to keep the parish officers a waiting at your garden-gate, when they come here upon porochial business with the porochial orphans? Are you aweer, Mrs. Mann, that you are, as I may say, a porochial delegate, and a stipendiary?'
'I'm sure Mr. Bumble, that I was only a telling one or two of the dear children as is so fond of you, that it was you a coming,' replied Mrs. Mann with great humility.
Mr. Bumble had a great idea of his oratorical powers and his importance. He had displayed the one, and vindicated the other. He relaxed.
'Well, well, Mrs. Mann,' he replied in a calmer tone; 'it may be as you say; it may be. Lead the way in, Mrs. Mann, for I come on business, and have something to say.'
Mrs. Mann ushered the beadle into a small parlour with a brick floor; placed a seat for him; and officiously deposited his cocked hat and cane on the table before him. Mr. Bumble wiped from his forehead the perspiration which his walk had engendered, glanced complacently at the cocked hat, and smiled. Yes, he smiled. Beadles are but men: and Mr. Bumble smiled.
'Now don't you be offended at what I'm a going to say,' observed Mrs. Mann, with captivating sweetness. 'You've had a long walk, you know, or I wouldn't mention it. Now, will you take a little drop of somethink, Mr. Bumble?'
'Not a drop. Nor a drop,' said Mr. Bumble, waving his right hand in a dignified, but placid manner.
'I think you will,' said Mrs. Mann, who had noticed the tone of the refusal, and the gesture that had accompanied it. 'Just a leetle drop, with a little cold water, and a lump of sugar.'
Mr. Bumble coughed.
'Now, just a leetle drop,' said Mrs. Mann persuasively.
'What is it?' inquired the beadle.
'Why, it's what I'm obliged to keep a little of in the house, to put into the blessed infants' Daffy, when they ain't well, Mr. Bumble,' replied Mrs. Mann as she opened a corner cupboard, and took down a bottle and glass. 'It's gin. I'll not deceive you, Mr. B. It's gin.'
'Do you give the children Daffy, Mrs. Mann?' inquired Bumble, following with his eyes the interesting process of mixing.
'Ah, bless 'em, that I do, dear as it is,' replied the nurse. 'I couldn't see 'em suffer before my very eyes, you know sir.'
'No'; said Mr. Bumble approvingly; 'no, you could not. You are a humane woman, Mrs. Mann.' (Here she set down the glass.) 'I shall take a early opportunity of mentioning it to the board, Mrs. Mann.' (He drew it towards him.) 'You feel as a mother, Mrs. Mann.' (He stirred the gin-and-water.) 'I--I drink your health with cheerfulness, Mrs. Mann'; and he swallowed half of it.
'And now about business,' said the beadle, taking out a leathern pocket-book. 'The child that was half-baptized Oliver Twist, is nine year old to-day.'
'Bless him!' interposed Mrs. Mann, inflaming her left eye with the corner of her apron.
'And notwithstanding a offered reward of ten pound, which was afterwards increased to twenty pound. Notwithstanding the most superlative, and, I may say, supernat'ral exertions on the part of this parish,' said Bumble, 'we have never been able to discover who is his father, or what was his mother's settlement, name, or con--dition.'
Mrs. Mann raised her hands in astonishment; but added, after a moment's reflection, 'How comes he to have any name at all, then?'
The beadle drew himself up with great pride, and said, 'I inwented it.'
'You, Mr. Bumble!'
'I, Mrs. Mann. We name our fondlings in alphabetical order. The last was a S,--Swubble, I named him. This was a T,--Twist, I named _him_. The next one comes will be Unwin, and the next Vilkins. I have got names ready made to the end of the alphabet, and all the way through it again, when we come to Z.'
'Why, you're quite a literary character, sir!' said Mrs. Mann.
'Well, well,' said the beadle, evidently gratified with the compliment; 'perhaps I may be. Perhaps I may be, Mrs. Mann.' He finished the gin-and-water, and added, 'Oliver being now too old to remain here, the board have determined to have him back into the house. I have come out myself to take him there. So let me see him at once.'
'I'll fetch him directly,' said Mrs. Mann, leaving the room for that purpose. Oliver, having had by this time as much of the outer coat of dirt which encrusted his face and hands, removed, as could be scrubbed off in one washing, was led into the room by his benevolent protectress.
'Make a bow to the gentleman, Oliver,' said Mrs. Mann.
Oliver made a bow, which was divided between the beadle on the chair, and the cocked hat on the table.
'Will you go along with me, Oliver?' said Mr. Bumble, in a majestic voice.
Oliver was about to say that he would go along with anybody with great readiness, when, glancing upward, he caught sight of Mrs. Mann, who had got behind the beadle's chair, and was shaking her fist at him with a furious countenance. He took the hint at once, for the fist had been too often impressed upon his body not to be deeply impressed upon his recollection.
'Will she go with me?' inquired poor Oliver.
'No, she can't,' replied Mr. Bumble. 'But she'll come and see you sometimes.'
This was no very great consolation to the child. Young as he was, however, he had sense enough to make a feint of feeling great regret at going away. It was no very difficult matter for the boy to call tears into his eyes. Hunger and recent ill-usage are great assistants if you want to cry; and Oliver cried very naturally indeed. Mrs. Mann gave him a thousand embraces, and what Oliver wanted a great deal more, a piece of bread and butter, less he should seem too hungry when he got to the workhouse. With the slice of bread in his hand, and the little brown-cloth parish cap on his head, Oliver was then led away by Mr. Bumble from the wretched home where one kind word or look had never lighted the gloom of his infant years. And yet he burst into an agony of childish grief, as the cottage-gate closed after him. Wretched as were the little companions in misery he was leaving behind, they were the only friends he had ever known; and a sense of his loneliness in the great wide world, sank into the child's heart for the first time.
Mr. Bumble walked on with long strides; little Oliver, firmly grasping his gold-laced cuff, trotted beside him, inquiring at the end of every quarter of a mile whether they were 'nearly there.' To these interrogations Mr. Bumble returned very brief and snappish replies; for the temporary blandness which gin-and-water awakens in some bosoms had by this time evaporated; and he was once again a beadle.
Oliver had not been within the walls of the workhouse a quarter of an hour, and had scarcely completed the demolition of a second slice of bread, when Mr. Bumble, who had handed him over to the care of an old woman, returned; and, telling him it was a board night, informed him that the board had said he was to appear before it forthwith.
Not having a very clearly defined notion of what a live board was, Oliver was rather astounded by this intelligence, and was not quite certain whether he ought to laugh or cry. He had no time to think about the matter, however; for Mr. Bumble gave him a tap on the head, with his cane, to wake him up: and another on the back to make him lively: and bidding him to follow, conducted him into a large white-washed room, where eight or ten fat gentlemen were sitting round a table. At the top of the table, seated in an arm-chair rather higher than the rest, was a particularly fat gentleman with a very round, red face.
'Bow to the board,' said Bumble. Oliver brushed away two or three tears that were lingering in his eyes; and seeing no board but the table, fortunately bowed to that.
'What's your name, boy?' said the gentleman in the high chair.
Oliver was frightened at the sight of so many gentlemen, which made him tremble: and the beadle gave him another tap behind, which made him cry. These two causes made him answer in a very low and hesitating voice; whereupon a gentleman in a white waistcoat said he was a fool. Which was a capital way of raising his spirits, and putting him quite at his ease.
'Boy,' said the gentleman in the high chair, 'listen to me. You know you're an orphan, I suppose?'
'What's that, sir?' inquired poor Oliver.
'The boy _is_ a fool--I thought he was,' said the gentleman in the white waistcoat.
'Hush!' said the gentleman who had spoken first. 'You know you've got no father or mother, and that you were brought up by the parish, don't you?'
'Yes, sir,' replied Oliver, weeping bitterly.
'What are you crying for?' inquired the gentleman in the white waistcoat. And to be sure it was very extraordinary. What _could_ the boy be crying for?
'I hope you say your prayers every night,' said another gentleman in a gruff voice; 'and pray for the people who feed you, and take care of you--like a Christian.'
'Yes, sir,' stammered the boy. The gentleman who spoke last was unconsciously right. It would have been very like a Christian, and a marvellously good Christian too, if Oliver had prayed for the people who fed and took care of _him_. But he hadn't, because nobody had taught him.
'Well! You have come here to be educated, and taught a useful trade,' said the red-faced gentleman in the high chair.
'So you'll begin to pick oakum to-morrow morning at six o'clock,' added the surly one in the white waistcoat.
For the combination of both these blessings in the one simple process of picking oakum, Oliver bowed low by the direction of the beadle, and was then hurried away to a large ward; where, on a rough, hard bed, he sobbed himself to sleep. What a novel illustration of the tender laws of England! They let the paupers go to sleep!
Poor Oliver! He little thought, as he lay sleeping in happy unconsciousness of all around him, that the board had that very day arrived at a decision which would exercise the most material influence over all his future fortunes. But they had. And this was it:
The members of this board were very sage, deep, philosophical men; and when they came to turn their attention to the workhouse, they found out at once, what ordinary folks would never have discovered--the poor people liked it! It was a regular place of public entertainment for the poorer classes; a tavern where there was nothing to pay; a public breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper all the year round; a brick and mortar elysium, where it was all play and no work. 'Oho!' said the board, looking very knowing; 'we are the fellows to set this to rights; we'll stop it all, in no time.' So, they established the rule, that all poor people should have the alternative (for they would compel nobody, not they), of being starved by a gradual process in the house, or by a quick one out of it. With this view, they contracted with the water-works to lay on an unlimited supply of water; and with a corn-factor to supply periodically small quantities of oatmeal; and issued three meals of thin gruel a day, with an onion twice a week, and half a roll of Sundays. They made a great many other wise and humane regulations, having reference to the ladies, which it is not necessary to repeat; kindly undertook to divorce poor married people, in consequence of the great expense of a suit in Doctors' Commons; and, instead of compelling a man to support his family, as they had theretofore done, took his family away from him, and made him a bachelor! There is no saying how many applicants for relief, under these last two heads, might have started up in all classes of society, if it had not been coupled with the workhouse; but the board were long-headed men, and had provided for this difficulty. The relief was inseparable from the workhouse and the gruel; and that frightened people.
For the first six months after Oliver Twist was removed, the system was in full operation. It was rather expensive at first, in consequence of the increase in the undertaker's bill, and the necessity of taking in the clothes of all the paupers, which fluttered loosely on their wasted, shrunken forms, after a week or two's gruel. But the number of workhouse inmates got thin as well as the paupers; and the board were in ecstasies.
The room in which the boys were fed, was a large stone hall, with a copper at one end: out of which the master, dressed in an apron for the purpose, and assisted by one or two women, ladled the gruel at mealtimes. Of this festive composition each boy had one porringer, and no more--except on occasions of great public rejoicing, when he had two ounces and a quarter of bread besides.
The bowls never wanted washing. The boys polished them with their spoons till they shone again; and when they had performed this operation (which never took very long, the spoons being nearly as large as the bowls), they would sit staring at the copper, with such eager eyes, as if they could have devoured the very bricks of which it was composed; employing themselves, meanwhile, in sucking their fingers most assiduously, with the view of catching up any stray splashes of gruel that might have been cast thereon. Boys have generally excellent appetites. Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the tortures of slow starvation for three months: at last they got so voracious and wild with hunger, that one boy, who was tall for his age, and hadn't been used to that sort of thing (for his father had kept a small cook-shop), hinted darkly to his companions, that unless he had another basin of gruel per diem, he was afraid he might some night happen to eat the boy who slept next him, who happened to be a weakly youth of tender age. He had a wild, hungry eye; and they implicitly believed him. A council was held; lots were cast who should walk up to the master after supper that evening, and ask for more; and it fell to Oliver Twist.
The evening arrived; the boys took their places. The master, in his cook's uniform, stationed himself at the copper; his pauper assistants ranged themselves behind him; the gruel was served out; and a long grace was said over the short commons. The gruel disappeared; the boys whispered each other, and winked at Oliver; while his next neighbors nudged him. Child as he was, he was desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery. He rose from the table; and advancing to the master, basin and spoon in hand, said: somewhat alarmed at his own temerity:
'Please, sir, I want some more.'
The master was a fat, healthy man; but he turned very pale. He gazed in stupefied astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds, and then clung for support to the copper. The assistants were paralysed with wonder; the boys with fear.
'What!' said the master at length, in a faint voice.
'Please, sir,' replied Oliver, 'I want some more.'
The master aimed a blow at Oliver's head with the ladle; pinioned him in his arm; and shrieked aloud for the beadle.
The board were sitting in solemn conclave, when Mr. Bumble rushed into the room in great excitement, and addressing the gentleman in the high chair, said,
'Mr. Limbkins, I beg your pardon, sir! Oliver Twist has asked for more!'
There was a general start. Horror was depicted on every countenance.
'For _more_!' said Mr. Limbkins. 'Compose yourself, Bumble, and answer me distinctly. Do I understand that he asked for more, after he had eaten the supper allotted by the dietary?'
'He did, sir,' replied Bumble.
'That boy will be hung,' said the gentleman in the white waistcoat. 'I know that boy will be hung.'
Nobody controverted the prophetic gentleman's opinion. An animated discussion took place. Oliver was ordered into instant confinement; and a bill was next morning pasted on the outside of the gate, offering a reward of five pounds to anybody who would take Oliver Twist off the hands of the parish. In other words, five pounds and Oliver Twist were offered to any man or woman who wanted an apprentice to any trade, business, or calling.
'I never was more convinced of anything in my life,' said the gentleman in the white waistcoat, as he knocked at the gate and read the bill next morning: 'I never was more convinced of anything in my life, than I am that that boy will come to be hung.'
As I purpose to show in the sequel whether the white waistcoated gentleman was right or not, I should perhaps mar the interest of this narrative (supposing it to possess any at all), if I ventured to hint just yet, whether the life of Oliver Twist had this violent termination or no.
zài mǒu yī gè xiǎo chéng, yóu yú zhū duō yuán yīn, duì gāi chéng de dà míng hái shì bù tí wéi hǎo, wǒ lián jiǎ míng yě bù gěi tā qǔ yī gè。 cǐ dì hé wú shù dà dà xiǎo xiǎo de chéng zhèn yī yàng, zài nà lǐ de gōng gòng jiàn zhù wù zhī zhōng yě yòu yī gè gǔ yǐ yòu zhī de jī gòu, zhè jiù shì jì pín yuàn。 běn zhāng tí mù zhōng tí dào liǎo xìng míng de nà gè rén jiù chū shēng zài zhè suǒ jì pín yuàn lǐ, jù tǐ rì qī wú xū zhuì shù, fǎn zhèng zhè yī diǎn duì dú zhě lái shuō wú guān jǐn yào héng héng zhì shǎo zài mù qián zhè gè jiē duàn shì zhè yàng。
zhè hái zǐ yóu jiào qū wài kē yī shēng lǐng zhe, lái dào liǎo zhè yī gè kǔ nán 'ér dòng dàng de shì jiè, zài hěn cháng yī duàn shí jiān lǐ, réng rán cún zài zhe yī jiàn xiāng dāng shāng nǎo jīn de wèn tí, zhè hái zǐ dào dǐ shì bù shì néng gòu yòu míng yòu xìng dì huó xià qù。 rú guǒ shì zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng, běn chuán jì hěn yòu kě néng huì yǒng wú miàn shì zhī rì, huò zhě shuō, jí biàn néng wèn shì yě zhǐ yòu liáo liáo shù yè, bù guò dǎo yě yòu yī tiáo wú kě gūliáng de yōu diǎn, jí chéng wéi gǔ wǎng jīn lái shì jiè gè guó xiàn cún wén xiàn zhōng zuì jiǎn míng zuì zhōng shí de zhuànjì fàn běn。
wǒ dǎo yě wú yì jiān chí shuō, chū shēng zài pín mín shōu róng yuàn zhè jiàn shì běn shēn nǎi shì yī gè rén suǒ néng zhǐ wàng dé dào de zuì měi miào、 zuì rě rén xiàn mù de yùn qì, dàn wǒ díquè xiǎng zhǐ chū, cǐ shí cǐ kè, duì 'ào lì fú · tuì sī tè shuō lái, zhè yě xǔ shì zuì xìng yùn de yī jiàn shì liǎo。 bù mán nǐ shuō, dāng shí yào 'ào lì fú zì gè 'ér chéng dān hū xī kōng qì de zhí néng dū xiāng dāng kùn nán héng héng hū xī běn lái jiù shì yī jiàn má fán shì, piān piān xí guàn yòu shǐ zhè xiàng zhí néng chéng liǎo wǒ men wéi chí shēng cún bì bù kě shǎo de shì qíng。 hǎo yī zhèn zǐ, tā tǎng zài yī zhāng xiǎo xiǎo de máo tǎn shàng zhí chuǎn qì, zài jīn shēng yǔ lái shì zhī jiān yáo bǎi bù dìng, tiān píng jué dìng xìng dì qīng xiàng yú hòu zhě。 bié de qiě bù shuō, zài zhè gè duǎn zàn de shí guāng lǐ, cháng ruò 'ào lì fú de zhōu wéi shì yī bān xì zhì zhōu dào de lǎo nǎi nǎi、 rè xīn rè cháng de dà niàn dà shěn、 jīng yàn fēng fù de hù tǔ yǐ jí xué shí yuān bó de dà fū, háo wú yí yì, tā bì dìng yī xià zǐ jiù bèi jiēguǒ liǎo。 xìng hǎo zài chǎng de zhǐ yòu yī gè jì pín yuàn de lǎo tài pó, tā yǐ jīng jiào bù dà róng yì dào shǒu de yī diǎn pí jiǔ nòng dé yòu xiē yùn hū hū de liǎo, wài jiā yī wèi 'àn hé tóng bàn lǐ zhè lèi shì qíng de jiào qū wài kē yī shēng。 chú cǐ zhī wài, méi yòu bàng rén。 ào lì fú yǔ zào huà zhī jiān de jiào liàng jiàn liǎo fēn xiǎo liǎo。 jiēguǒ shì, jǐ gè huí hé xià lái, ào lì fú hū xī píng wěn liǎo, dǎ liǎo yī gè pentì, fā chū yī zhèn gāo shēng tí kū, zuò wéi yī míng nán yīng, kū shēng zhī xiǎng shì kě yǐ xiǎng jiàn de, yào zhī dào tā zài yuǎn yuǎn chāo guò sān fēn shí wǔ miǎo de shí jiān lǐ hái shǐ zhōng bù céng jù yòu sǎng mén zhè yàng yī zhǒng hěn yòu yòng chù de fù jiàn。 tā kāi shǐ xiàng quán yuàn shàng xià gōng bù yī gè shì shí: běn jiào qū yòu bèi shàng liǎo yī gè xīn de bāo fú。
ào lì fú gāng yǐ zhè yī fān huó dòng zhèng míng zì jǐ de fèi bù gōng néng zhèng cháng, yùn zhuǎn zì rú, zhè shí, hú luàn dā zài tiě chuáng jià shàng de nà zhāng bǔ dīng luò bǔ dīng de chuáng dān sà sà dì xiǎng liǎo qǐ lái, yī gè nián qīng nǚ zǐ yòu qì wú lì dì cóng zhěn tóu shàng tái qǐ cāng bái de miàn kǒng, yòng wēi ruò de shēng yīn bù shí fēn qīng xī dì tù chū liǎo jǐ gè zì:“ ràng wǒ kàn yī kàn hái zǐ zài sǐ bā。”
yī shēng miàn duì bì lú zuò zài yī biān, shí 'ér kǎo kǎo shǒu xīn, shí 'ér yòu cuō cuō shǒu, tīng dào de shēng yīn, tā zhàn qǐ lái, zǒu dào chuáng tóu, kǒu qì hé shàn dé chū rén yì liào, shuō:
“ ō, nǐ xiàn zài hái tán bù shàng sǐ。”
“ shàng dì bǎo yòu, tā kě shì sǐ bù dé, sǐ bù dé。” hù shì chā zuǐ shuō, yī biān huāng huāng zhāng zhāng dì bǎ yī zhǐ lǜ sè bō lí píng fàng jìn yī dài lǐ, píng zhōng zhī wù tā yǐ jīng zài jiǎo luò lǐ cháng guò liǎo, xiǎn rán shí fēn zhòngyì。“ shàng dì bǎo yòu, kě sǐ bù dé, děng tā huó dào wǒ zhè bǎ suì shù, dà fū, zì jiā yǎng shàng shí sān gè hái zǐ, chú kāi liǎng gè, quán dū dé sòng mìng, nà liǎng gè jiù gēn wǒ yī kuài 'ér dài zài jì pín yuàn lǐ hǎo liǎo, dào shí hòu tā jiù míng bái liǎo, fàn bù zhe zhè yàng jī dòng, sǐ bù dé de, xún sī xún sī dāng mā shì zěn me huí shì, kě 'ài de xiǎo yáng gāo zài zhè 'ér ní, méi cuò。”
zhè fān huà běn lái shì xiǎng yòng zuò mǔ qīn de qián jǐng lái kāi dǎo chǎn fù, dàn xiǎn rán méi yòu chǎn shēng yīngyǒu de xiào guǒ。 chǎn fù yáo yáo tóu, cháo hái zǐ shēn chū shǒu qù。
yī shēng jiāng hái zǐ fàng jìn tā de huái lǐ, tā shēn qíng dì bǎ bīng liáng bái xī de shuāng chún yìn zài hái zǐ de 'é tóu shàng, jiē zhe tā yòng shuāng shǒu cā liǎo cā liǎn, kuáng luàn dì huán gù liǎo yī xià zhōu wéi, zhàn lì zhe xiàng hòu yī yǎng héng héng sǐ liǎo。 tā men mó cā tā de xiōng bù、 shuāng shǒu、 tài yáng xué, dàn xuè yè yǐ jīng yǒng yuǎn níng zhì liǎo。 yī shēng hé hù tǔ shuō liǎo yī xiē xī wàng hé 'ān wèi de huà。 xī wàng hé 'ān wèi yǐ jīng jiǔ wéi duō shí liǎo。
“ yī qiēdōu wán liǎo, xīn gé mì tài tài。” mò liǎo, yī shēng shuō dào。
“ hē, kě lián de hái zǐ, shì zhè me huí shì。” hù shì shuō zhe, cóng zhěn tóu shàng shí qǐ nà zhǐ lǜ píng de píngsāi, nà shì tā wān yāo bào hái zǐ de shí hòu diào xià lái de。“ kě lián de hái zǐ。”
“ hù shì, hái zǐ yào shì kū de huà, nǐ jìn guǎn jiào rén lái zhǎo wǒ,” yī shēng màn tiáo sī lǐ dì dài shàng shǒu tào, shuō dào,“ xiǎo jiā huǒ hěn kě néng huì zhēténg yī qì, yào shì nà yàng, jiù gěi tā hē diǎn mài piàn yù。” tā dài shàng mào zǐ, hái méi zǒu dào mén kǒu, yòu zài chuáng biān tíng liǎo xià lái, tiān shàng liǎo yī jù,“ zhè gū niàn hái tǐng piào liàng, nǎ 'ér lái de?”
“ tā shì zuó tiān wǎn shàng sòng lái de,” lǎo pó zǐ huí dá,“ yòu jiào qū pín mín jiù jì chù cháng guān de fēn fù。 yòu rén kàn jiàn tā dǎo zài jiē shàng。 tā zǒu liǎo hěn yuǎn de lù, xié dū chuān chéng shuà zǐ liǎo。 yào shuō tā cóng nǎ 'ér lái, dào nǎ 'ér qù, nà kě méi rén zhī dào。”
yī shēng wān xià yāo, ná qǐ sǐ zhě de zuǒ shǒu。“ yòu shì nà zhǒng shì,” tā yáo yáo tóu shuō,“ míng bái liǎo, méi dài jié hūn jiè zhǐ。 ā。 wǎn 'ān。”
dǒng yī dào de shēn shì wài chū chī wǎn fàn qù liǎo, hù shì běn rén jiù zhe nà zhǐ lǜ sè bō lí píng yòu shòu yòng liǎo yī fān, zài lú qián yī gè 'ǎi yǐ zǐ shàng zuò xià lái, zhuóshǒu tì yīng 'ér chuān yī fú。
xiǎo 'ào lì fú zhēn kě yǐ chēng wéi rén kào yī zhuāng de yī gè jié chū diǎn fàn。 tā dǎ cóng yī chū shì wéi yī yǎn shēn bì tǐ de dōng xī jiù shì guǒ zài tā shēn shàng de nà tiáo tǎn zǐ, nǐ shuō tā shì guì jiā gōng zǐ yě xíng, shì qǐ gài de pín 'ér yì kě。 jiù shì zuì zì fù de wài rén yě hěn nán què dìng tā de shè huì dì wèi。 bù guò zhè dāng 'ér, tā gěi guǒ jìn yī jiàn bái bù jiù zhào shān lǐ biān, yóu yú duō cì shǐ yòng, zhào shān yǐ jīng kāi shǐ fàn huáng, dǎ shàng yìn zhāng, tiē shàng biāo qiān, yī zhuǎn yǎn yǐ jīng zhèng shì dào wèi héng héng chéng wéi jiào qū de hái zǐ héng héng jì pín yuàn de gū 'ér héng héng chī bù bǎo yě 'è bù sǐ de kǔ lì héng héng lái dào shì shàng jiù yào cháng quán tóu, āi bā zhǎng yī yī gè gè miǎo shì, wú rén lián mǐn。
ào lì fú jìn qíng dì kū qǐ lái。 tā yào shì néng gòu yì shí dào zì jǐ chéng liǎo gū 'ér, mìng yùn rú hé quán dé kàn jiào qū wěi yuán hé pín mín jiù jì chù guān yuán huì bù huì fā cí bēi, kě néng hái huì kū dé gèng xiǎng liàng yī xiē。
For the next eight or ten months, Oliver was the victim of a systematic course of treachery and deception. He was brought up by hand. The hungry and destitute situation of the infant orphan was duly reported by the workhouse authorities to the parish authorities. The parish authorities inquired with dignity of the workhouse authorities, whether there was no female then domiciled in 'the house' who was in a situation to impart to Oliver Twist, the consolation and nourishment of which he stood in need. The workhouse authorities replied with humility, that there was not. Upon this, the parish authorities magnanimously and humanely resolved, that Oliver should be 'farmed,' or, in other words, that he should be dispatched to a branch-workhouse some three miles off, where twenty or thirty other juvenile offenders against the poor-laws, rolled about the floor all day, without the inconvenience of too much food or too much clothing, under the parental superintendence of an elderly female, who received the culprits at and for the consideration of sevenpence-halfpenny per small head per week. Sevenpence-halfpenny's worth per week is a good round diet for a child; a great deal may be got for sevenpence-halfpenny, quite enough to overload its stomach, and make it uncomfortable. The elderly female was a woman of wisdom and experience; she knew what was good for children; and she had a very accurate perception of what was good for herself. So, she appropriated the greater part of the weekly stipend to her own use, and consigned the rising parochial generation to even a shorter allowance than was originally provided for them. Thereby finding in the lowest depth a deeper still; and proving herself a very great experimental philosopher.
Everybody knows the story of another experimental philosopher who had a great theory about a horse being able to live without eating, and who demonstrated it so well, that he had got his own horse down to a straw a day, and would unquestionably have rendered him a very spirited and rampacious animal on nothing at all, if he had not died, four-and-twenty hours before he was to have had his first comfortable bait of air. Unfortunately for, the experimental philosophy of the female to whose protecting care Oliver Twist was delivered over, a similar result usually attended the operation of _her_ system; for at the very moment when the child had contrived to exist upon the smallest possible portion of the weakest possible food, it did perversely happen in eight and a half cases out of ten, either that it sickened from want and cold, or fell into the fire from neglect, or got half-smothered by accident; in any one of which cases, the miserable little being was usually summoned into another world, and there gathered to the fathers it had never known in this.
Occasionally, when there was some more than usually interesting inquest upon a parish child who had been overlooked in turning up a bedstead, or inadvertently scalded to death when there happened to be a washing--though the latter accident was very scarce, anything approaching to a washing being of rare occurrence in the farm--the jury would take it into their heads to ask troublesome questions, or the parishioners would rebelliously affix their signatures to a remonstrance. But these impertinences were speedily checked by the evidence of the surgeon, and the testimony of the beadle; the former of whom had always opened the body and found nothing inside (which was very probable indeed), and the latter of whom invariably swore whatever the parish wanted; which was very self-devotional. Besides, the board made periodical pilgrimages to the farm, and always sent the beadle the day before, to say they were going. The children were neat and clean to behold, when _they_ went; and what more would the people have!
It cannot be expected that this system of farming would produce any very extraordinary or luxuriant crop. Oliver Twist's ninth birthday found him a pale thin child, somewhat diminutive in stature, and decidedly small in circumference. But nature or inheritance had implanted a good sturdy spirit in Oliver's breast. It had had plenty of room to expand, thanks to the spare diet of the establishment; and perhaps to this circumstance may be attributed his having any ninth birth-day at all. Be this as it may, however, it was his ninth birthday; and he was keeping it in the coal-cellar with a select party of two other young gentleman, who, after participating with him in a sound thrashing, had been locked up for atrociously presuming to be hungry, when Mrs. Mann, the good lady of the house, was unexpectedly startled by the apparition of Mr. Bumble, the beadle, striving to undo the wicket of the garden-gate.
'Goodness gracious! Is that you, Mr. Bumble, sir?' said Mrs. Mann, thrusting her head out of the window in well-affected ecstasies of joy. '(Susan, take Oliver and them two brats upstairs, and wash 'em directly.)--My heart alive! Mr. Bumble, how glad I am to see you, sure-ly!'
Now, Mr. Bumble was a fat man, and a choleric; so, instead of responding to this open-hearted salutation in a kindred spirit, he gave the little wicket a tremendous shake, and then bestowed upon it a kick which could have emanated from no leg but a beadle's.
'Lor, only think,' said Mrs. Mann, running out,--for the three boys had been removed by this time,--'only think of that! That I should have forgotten that the gate was bolted on the inside, on account of them dear children! Walk in sir; walk in, pray, Mr. Bumble, do, sir.'
Although this invitation was accompanied with a curtsey that might have softened the heart of a church-warden, it by no means mollified the beadle.
'Do you think this respectful or proper conduct, Mrs. Mann,' inquired Mr. Bumble, grasping his cane, 'to keep the parish officers a waiting at your garden-gate, when they come here upon porochial business with the porochial orphans? Are you aweer, Mrs. Mann, that you are, as I may say, a porochial delegate, and a stipendiary?'
'I'm sure Mr. Bumble, that I was only a telling one or two of the dear children as is so fond of you, that it was you a coming,' replied Mrs. Mann with great humility.
Mr. Bumble had a great idea of his oratorical powers and his importance. He had displayed the one, and vindicated the other. He relaxed.
'Well, well, Mrs. Mann,' he replied in a calmer tone; 'it may be as you say; it may be. Lead the way in, Mrs. Mann, for I come on business, and have something to say.'
Mrs. Mann ushered the beadle into a small parlour with a brick floor; placed a seat for him; and officiously deposited his cocked hat and cane on the table before him. Mr. Bumble wiped from his forehead the perspiration which his walk had engendered, glanced complacently at the cocked hat, and smiled. Yes, he smiled. Beadles are but men: and Mr. Bumble smiled.
'Now don't you be offended at what I'm a going to say,' observed Mrs. Mann, with captivating sweetness. 'You've had a long walk, you know, or I wouldn't mention it. Now, will you take a little drop of somethink, Mr. Bumble?'
'Not a drop. Nor a drop,' said Mr. Bumble, waving his right hand in a dignified, but placid manner.
'I think you will,' said Mrs. Mann, who had noticed the tone of the refusal, and the gesture that had accompanied it. 'Just a leetle drop, with a little cold water, and a lump of sugar.'
Mr. Bumble coughed.
'Now, just a leetle drop,' said Mrs. Mann persuasively.
'What is it?' inquired the beadle.
'Why, it's what I'm obliged to keep a little of in the house, to put into the blessed infants' Daffy, when they ain't well, Mr. Bumble,' replied Mrs. Mann as she opened a corner cupboard, and took down a bottle and glass. 'It's gin. I'll not deceive you, Mr. B. It's gin.'
'Do you give the children Daffy, Mrs. Mann?' inquired Bumble, following with his eyes the interesting process of mixing.
'Ah, bless 'em, that I do, dear as it is,' replied the nurse. 'I couldn't see 'em suffer before my very eyes, you know sir.'
'No'; said Mr. Bumble approvingly; 'no, you could not. You are a humane woman, Mrs. Mann.' (Here she set down the glass.) 'I shall take a early opportunity of mentioning it to the board, Mrs. Mann.' (He drew it towards him.) 'You feel as a mother, Mrs. Mann.' (He stirred the gin-and-water.) 'I--I drink your health with cheerfulness, Mrs. Mann'; and he swallowed half of it.
'And now about business,' said the beadle, taking out a leathern pocket-book. 'The child that was half-baptized Oliver Twist, is nine year old to-day.'
'Bless him!' interposed Mrs. Mann, inflaming her left eye with the corner of her apron.
'And notwithstanding a offered reward of ten pound, which was afterwards increased to twenty pound. Notwithstanding the most superlative, and, I may say, supernat'ral exertions on the part of this parish,' said Bumble, 'we have never been able to discover who is his father, or what was his mother's settlement, name, or con--dition.'
Mrs. Mann raised her hands in astonishment; but added, after a moment's reflection, 'How comes he to have any name at all, then?'
The beadle drew himself up with great pride, and said, 'I inwented it.'
'You, Mr. Bumble!'
'I, Mrs. Mann. We name our fondlings in alphabetical order. The last was a S,--Swubble, I named him. This was a T,--Twist, I named _him_. The next one comes will be Unwin, and the next Vilkins. I have got names ready made to the end of the alphabet, and all the way through it again, when we come to Z.'
'Why, you're quite a literary character, sir!' said Mrs. Mann.
'Well, well,' said the beadle, evidently gratified with the compliment; 'perhaps I may be. Perhaps I may be, Mrs. Mann.' He finished the gin-and-water, and added, 'Oliver being now too old to remain here, the board have determined to have him back into the house. I have come out myself to take him there. So let me see him at once.'
'I'll fetch him directly,' said Mrs. Mann, leaving the room for that purpose. Oliver, having had by this time as much of the outer coat of dirt which encrusted his face and hands, removed, as could be scrubbed off in one washing, was led into the room by his benevolent protectress.
'Make a bow to the gentleman, Oliver,' said Mrs. Mann.
Oliver made a bow, which was divided between the beadle on the chair, and the cocked hat on the table.
'Will you go along with me, Oliver?' said Mr. Bumble, in a majestic voice.
Oliver was about to say that he would go along with anybody with great readiness, when, glancing upward, he caught sight of Mrs. Mann, who had got behind the beadle's chair, and was shaking her fist at him with a furious countenance. He took the hint at once, for the fist had been too often impressed upon his body not to be deeply impressed upon his recollection.
'Will she go with me?' inquired poor Oliver.
'No, she can't,' replied Mr. Bumble. 'But she'll come and see you sometimes.'
This was no very great consolation to the child. Young as he was, however, he had sense enough to make a feint of feeling great regret at going away. It was no very difficult matter for the boy to call tears into his eyes. Hunger and recent ill-usage are great assistants if you want to cry; and Oliver cried very naturally indeed. Mrs. Mann gave him a thousand embraces, and what Oliver wanted a great deal more, a piece of bread and butter, less he should seem too hungry when he got to the workhouse. With the slice of bread in his hand, and the little brown-cloth parish cap on his head, Oliver was then led away by Mr. Bumble from the wretched home where one kind word or look had never lighted the gloom of his infant years. And yet he burst into an agony of childish grief, as the cottage-gate closed after him. Wretched as were the little companions in misery he was leaving behind, they were the only friends he had ever known; and a sense of his loneliness in the great wide world, sank into the child's heart for the first time.
Mr. Bumble walked on with long strides; little Oliver, firmly grasping his gold-laced cuff, trotted beside him, inquiring at the end of every quarter of a mile whether they were 'nearly there.' To these interrogations Mr. Bumble returned very brief and snappish replies; for the temporary blandness which gin-and-water awakens in some bosoms had by this time evaporated; and he was once again a beadle.
Oliver had not been within the walls of the workhouse a quarter of an hour, and had scarcely completed the demolition of a second slice of bread, when Mr. Bumble, who had handed him over to the care of an old woman, returned; and, telling him it was a board night, informed him that the board had said he was to appear before it forthwith.
Not having a very clearly defined notion of what a live board was, Oliver was rather astounded by this intelligence, and was not quite certain whether he ought to laugh or cry. He had no time to think about the matter, however; for Mr. Bumble gave him a tap on the head, with his cane, to wake him up: and another on the back to make him lively: and bidding him to follow, conducted him into a large white-washed room, where eight or ten fat gentlemen were sitting round a table. At the top of the table, seated in an arm-chair rather higher than the rest, was a particularly fat gentleman with a very round, red face.
'Bow to the board,' said Bumble. Oliver brushed away two or three tears that were lingering in his eyes; and seeing no board but the table, fortunately bowed to that.
'What's your name, boy?' said the gentleman in the high chair.
Oliver was frightened at the sight of so many gentlemen, which made him tremble: and the beadle gave him another tap behind, which made him cry. These two causes made him answer in a very low and hesitating voice; whereupon a gentleman in a white waistcoat said he was a fool. Which was a capital way of raising his spirits, and putting him quite at his ease.
'Boy,' said the gentleman in the high chair, 'listen to me. You know you're an orphan, I suppose?'
'What's that, sir?' inquired poor Oliver.
'The boy _is_ a fool--I thought he was,' said the gentleman in the white waistcoat.
'Hush!' said the gentleman who had spoken first. 'You know you've got no father or mother, and that you were brought up by the parish, don't you?'
'Yes, sir,' replied Oliver, weeping bitterly.
'What are you crying for?' inquired the gentleman in the white waistcoat. And to be sure it was very extraordinary. What _could_ the boy be crying for?
'I hope you say your prayers every night,' said another gentleman in a gruff voice; 'and pray for the people who feed you, and take care of you--like a Christian.'
'Yes, sir,' stammered the boy. The gentleman who spoke last was unconsciously right. It would have been very like a Christian, and a marvellously good Christian too, if Oliver had prayed for the people who fed and took care of _him_. But he hadn't, because nobody had taught him.
'Well! You have come here to be educated, and taught a useful trade,' said the red-faced gentleman in the high chair.
'So you'll begin to pick oakum to-morrow morning at six o'clock,' added the surly one in the white waistcoat.
For the combination of both these blessings in the one simple process of picking oakum, Oliver bowed low by the direction of the beadle, and was then hurried away to a large ward; where, on a rough, hard bed, he sobbed himself to sleep. What a novel illustration of the tender laws of England! They let the paupers go to sleep!
Poor Oliver! He little thought, as he lay sleeping in happy unconsciousness of all around him, that the board had that very day arrived at a decision which would exercise the most material influence over all his future fortunes. But they had. And this was it:
The members of this board were very sage, deep, philosophical men; and when they came to turn their attention to the workhouse, they found out at once, what ordinary folks would never have discovered--the poor people liked it! It was a regular place of public entertainment for the poorer classes; a tavern where there was nothing to pay; a public breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper all the year round; a brick and mortar elysium, where it was all play and no work. 'Oho!' said the board, looking very knowing; 'we are the fellows to set this to rights; we'll stop it all, in no time.' So, they established the rule, that all poor people should have the alternative (for they would compel nobody, not they), of being starved by a gradual process in the house, or by a quick one out of it. With this view, they contracted with the water-works to lay on an unlimited supply of water; and with a corn-factor to supply periodically small quantities of oatmeal; and issued three meals of thin gruel a day, with an onion twice a week, and half a roll of Sundays. They made a great many other wise and humane regulations, having reference to the ladies, which it is not necessary to repeat; kindly undertook to divorce poor married people, in consequence of the great expense of a suit in Doctors' Commons; and, instead of compelling a man to support his family, as they had theretofore done, took his family away from him, and made him a bachelor! There is no saying how many applicants for relief, under these last two heads, might have started up in all classes of society, if it had not been coupled with the workhouse; but the board were long-headed men, and had provided for this difficulty. The relief was inseparable from the workhouse and the gruel; and that frightened people.
For the first six months after Oliver Twist was removed, the system was in full operation. It was rather expensive at first, in consequence of the increase in the undertaker's bill, and the necessity of taking in the clothes of all the paupers, which fluttered loosely on their wasted, shrunken forms, after a week or two's gruel. But the number of workhouse inmates got thin as well as the paupers; and the board were in ecstasies.
The room in which the boys were fed, was a large stone hall, with a copper at one end: out of which the master, dressed in an apron for the purpose, and assisted by one or two women, ladled the gruel at mealtimes. Of this festive composition each boy had one porringer, and no more--except on occasions of great public rejoicing, when he had two ounces and a quarter of bread besides.
The bowls never wanted washing. The boys polished them with their spoons till they shone again; and when they had performed this operation (which never took very long, the spoons being nearly as large as the bowls), they would sit staring at the copper, with such eager eyes, as if they could have devoured the very bricks of which it was composed; employing themselves, meanwhile, in sucking their fingers most assiduously, with the view of catching up any stray splashes of gruel that might have been cast thereon. Boys have generally excellent appetites. Oliver Twist and his companions suffered the tortures of slow starvation for three months: at last they got so voracious and wild with hunger, that one boy, who was tall for his age, and hadn't been used to that sort of thing (for his father had kept a small cook-shop), hinted darkly to his companions, that unless he had another basin of gruel per diem, he was afraid he might some night happen to eat the boy who slept next him, who happened to be a weakly youth of tender age. He had a wild, hungry eye; and they implicitly believed him. A council was held; lots were cast who should walk up to the master after supper that evening, and ask for more; and it fell to Oliver Twist.
The evening arrived; the boys took their places. The master, in his cook's uniform, stationed himself at the copper; his pauper assistants ranged themselves behind him; the gruel was served out; and a long grace was said over the short commons. The gruel disappeared; the boys whispered each other, and winked at Oliver; while his next neighbors nudged him. Child as he was, he was desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery. He rose from the table; and advancing to the master, basin and spoon in hand, said: somewhat alarmed at his own temerity:
'Please, sir, I want some more.'
The master was a fat, healthy man; but he turned very pale. He gazed in stupefied astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds, and then clung for support to the copper. The assistants were paralysed with wonder; the boys with fear.
'What!' said the master at length, in a faint voice.
'Please, sir,' replied Oliver, 'I want some more.'
The master aimed a blow at Oliver's head with the ladle; pinioned him in his arm; and shrieked aloud for the beadle.
The board were sitting in solemn conclave, when Mr. Bumble rushed into the room in great excitement, and addressing the gentleman in the high chair, said,
'Mr. Limbkins, I beg your pardon, sir! Oliver Twist has asked for more!'
There was a general start. Horror was depicted on every countenance.
'For _more_!' said Mr. Limbkins. 'Compose yourself, Bumble, and answer me distinctly. Do I understand that he asked for more, after he had eaten the supper allotted by the dietary?'
'He did, sir,' replied Bumble.
'That boy will be hung,' said the gentleman in the white waistcoat. 'I know that boy will be hung.'
Nobody controverted the prophetic gentleman's opinion. An animated discussion took place. Oliver was ordered into instant confinement; and a bill was next morning pasted on the outside of the gate, offering a reward of five pounds to anybody who would take Oliver Twist off the hands of the parish. In other words, five pounds and Oliver Twist were offered to any man or woman who wanted an apprentice to any trade, business, or calling.
'I never was more convinced of anything in my life,' said the gentleman in the white waistcoat, as he knocked at the gate and read the bill next morning: 'I never was more convinced of anything in my life, than I am that that boy will come to be hung.'
As I purpose to show in the sequel whether the white waistcoated gentleman was right or not, I should perhaps mar the interest of this narrative (supposing it to possess any at all), if I ventured to hint just yet, whether the life of Oliver Twist had this violent termination or no.