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'With
your
usual
happy
discrimination,
my
dear
Paul,
'
resumed
Mrs
Chick,
'you
have
hit
the
point
at
once.
Our
darling
is
altogether
as
stout
as
we
could
wish.
The
fact
is,
that
his
mind
is
too
much
for
him.
His
soul
is
a
great
deal
too
large
for
his
frame.
I
am
sure
the
way
in
which
that
dear
child
talks!
'said
Mrs
Chick,
shaking
her
head;
'no
one
would
believe.
His
expressions,
Lucretia,
only
yesterday
upon
the
subject
of
Funerals!
“你一向明察秋毫，我亲爱的保罗，”奇克夫人回答道，“你一下就说对了。我们的小乖乖完全不像我们所希望的那么健壮。事实是：他脑子里想的事情太多了。就他那小小的身体来说，他的心灵太大了。说实在的，这乖孩子说话的方式，”奇克夫人摇摇头，说道，“没有谁能相信。就在昨天，卢克丽霞，他关于殡葬所说的那些话！”
'I
am
afraid,
'
said
Mr
Dombey,
interrupting
her
testily,
'that
some
of
those
persons
upstairs
suggest
improper
subjects
to
the
child.
He
was
speaking
to
me
last
night
about
his
-
about
his
Bones,
'
said
Mr
Dombey,
laying
an
irritated
stress
upon
the
word.
'What
on
earth
has
anybody
to
do
with
the
-
with
the
-
Bones
of
my
son?
He
is
not
a
living
skeleton,
I
suppose.
“我担心，”董贝先生急躁地打断了她的话，“楼上那些人当中有什么人向这孩子谈到了一些不合适的话题。昨天夜里他跟我说起他的——说起他的骨头，”董贝先生在这个词上愤怒地加重了语气，“世界上谁跟——跟我的儿子的骨头有什么关系？我想，他不是一个活着的骷髅①。”
-------- ①活着的骷髅：狄更斯写作《董贝父子》时，伦敦杂耍场中演出的人物中有一位绰号为“活着的骷髅”（
livingskeleton）的极坏的人。
'Very
far
from
it,
'
said
Mrs
Chick,
with
unspeakable
expression.
'I
hope
so,
'
returned
her
brother.
'Funerals
again!
who
talks
to
the
child
of
funerals?
We
are
not
undertakers,
or
mutes,
or
grave-
diggers,
I
believe.
'
“完全不是，”奇克夫人用难以形容的表情说道。 “我希望是这样，”她的哥哥回答道。“又说什么殡葬的事情！谁向孩子 说起殡葬的事情的？我相信，我们不是殡仪事业的经营人，不是雇用的送丧人，也不是掘墓人。”
'Very
far
from
it,
'
interposed
Mrs
Chick,
with
the
same
profound
expression
as
before.
“完全不是，”奇克夫人插嘴道，她的表情与刚才同样意味深长。
'Then
who
puts
such
things
into
his
head?
'
said
Mr
Dombey.
'Really
I
was
quite
dismayed
and
shocked
last
night.
Who
puts
such
things
into
his
head,
Louisa?
'
“那么是谁把这些东西装进他的脑子里的呢？”董贝先生说道。“我昨天夜里确实十分惊奇，十分愤慨。谁把这些东西装进他的脑子里的呢，路易莎？”
'My
dear
Paul,
'
said
Mrs
Chick,
after
a
moment's
silence,
'it
is
of
no
use
inquiring.
I
do
not
think,
I
will
tell
you
candidly
that
Wickam
is
a
person
of
very
cheerful
spirit,
or
what
one
would
call
a
-
'
'A
daughter
of
Momus,
'
Miss
Tox
softly
suggested.
“我亲爱的保罗，”奇克夫人沉默了片刻，说道，“问这个问题没有用。坦率地跟你说吧，我认为威肯姆大嫂并不是一位性格快快活活的人，人们不可能把她称为——” “莫墨斯的女儿①，”托克斯小姐轻声提示道。
-------- ①莫墨斯的女儿（
daughterofMomus）：莫墨斯亦译摩摩斯，是希腊神话中夜神的儿子，嘲弄之神。据说，他曾责怪赫费斯托斯创造人时没有在胸口留下小洞以便能看出人的内心思想活动；又传说，他因为未能在阿佛罗狄忒身上找到任何可以嘲笑的不是之处而气得炸裂开来。莫墨斯的女儿或儿子：指爱嘲弄的人，滑稽的人，也就是性格快活的人。
'Exactly
so,
'
said
Mrs
Chick;
'but
she
is
exceedingly
attentive
and
useful,
and
not
at
all
presumptuous;
indeed
I
never
saw
a
more
biddable
woman.
I
would
say
that
for
her,
if
I
was
put
upon
my
trial
before
a
Court
of
Justice.
'
'Well!
you
are
not
put
upon
your
trial
before
a
Court
of
Justice,
at
present,
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