Mrs Chick took Miss Tox's hand in hers, rested the foot of her wine glass upon it, repressed a tear, and said in a low voice, 'God bless you!'
'My dear Louisa then,' said Miss Tox, 'my sweet friend, how are you now?'
'Better,' Mrs Chick returned. 'Take some wine. You have been almost as anxious as I have been, and must want it, I am sure.'
Mr Dombey of course officiated, and also refilled his sister's glass, which she (looking another way, and unconscious of his intention) held straight and steady the while, and then regarded with great astonishment, saying, 'My dear Paul, what have you been doing!'
'Miss Tox, Paul,' pursued Mrs Chick, still retaining her hand, 'knowing how much I have been interested in the anticipation of the event of to-day, and how trembly and shaky I have been from head to foot in expectation of it, has been working at a little gift for Fanny, which I promised to present. Miss Tox is ingenuity itself.'
'My dear Louisa,' said Miss Tox. 'Don't say so.”
'It is only a pincushion for the toilette table, Paul,' resumed his sister; 'one of those trifles which are insignificant to your sex in general, as it's very natural they should be - we have no business to expect they should be otherwise - but to which we attach some interest.
'Miss Tox is very good,' said Mr Dombey.
'And I do say, and will say, and must say,' pursued his sister, pressing the foot of the wine-glass on Miss Tox's hand, at each of the three clauses, 'that Miss Tox has very prettily adapted the sentiment to the occasion. I call "Welcome little Dombey" Poetry, myself!'
'Is that the device?' inquired her brother.
'That is the device,' returned Louisa.

奇克夫人把托克斯小姐的手握在她的手里，把酒杯的底座放在她的手上，并忍住一滴眼泪，低声说道，“上帝保佑您！”
“我亲爱的路易莎，”托克斯小姐说道，“我可爱的朋友，您现在觉得怎么样了？
“好些了，”奇克夫人回答道，“喝点酒吧。您一直几乎跟我一样焦急不安，毫无疑问，一定需要喝点酒了。”
董贝先生自然尽了东道主的情谊。
“保罗，”奇克夫人仍旧握着她的手，继续说道，“托克斯小姐知道我一直万分关怀地期待着今天这件事情，她就忙着给范妮做了一个小礼物，我答应把它送给她。这只不过是一个可以摆在梳妆台上的针插，保罗，但是我说，我将要说，我必须说，托克斯小姐所表达的感情十分美妙地适合当前的情况。‘欢迎小董贝’，我说，这是一首诗！”
“这是针插上的题词吗？”她的哥哥问道。
“这是针插上的题词，”路易莎回答道。

'But do me the justice to remember, my dear Louisa,' said Miss Toxin a tone of low and earnest entreaty, 'that nothing but the - I have some difficulty in expressing myself the dubiousness of the result would have induced me to take so great a liberty: "Welcome, Master Dombey," would have been much more congenial to my feelings, as I am sure you know. But the uncertainty attendant on angelic strangers, will, I hope, excuse what must otherwise appear an unwarrantable familiarity.' Miss Tox made a graceful bend as she spoke, in favour of Mr Dombey, which that gentleman graciously acknowledged. Even the sort of recognition of Dombey and Son, conveyed in the foregoing conversation, was so palatable to him, that his sister, Mrs Chick - though he affected to consider her a weak good-natured person - had perhaps more influence over him than anybody else.
'My dear Paul,' that lady broke out afresh, after silently contemplating his features for a few moments, 'I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I look at you, I declare, you do so remind me of that dear baby upstairs.'
'Well!' said Mrs Chick, with a sweet smile, 'after this, I forgive Fanny everything!'

“不过，您得记住下面的情形，这对我才是公道的，我亲爱的路易莎，”托克斯小姐用低沉的、恳切的、请求的声调说道，“只是由于——我表达我的思想有些困难——只是由于最后是男是女当时不能肯定，这才使我很冒昧地采用了这样的题词。‘欢迎您，董贝少爷！’这才更确切地符合我的感情，我相信您是知道的。不过，我希望，这天使般新来的客人的不确定性，能成为原谅我的理由，否则那就会显得是不谅解我的冒昧了。”托克斯小姐说时向董贝先生优雅地鞠了一个躬，董贝先生和蔼亲切地还了礼。甚至在上面谈话中对董贝父子公司所表示的敬意也很投合他的心意，因此虽然他爱把他的妹妹奇克夫人看作是个软弱的、性格善良的人，但她对他的影响也许比任何人都更大。
“好啦，”奇克夫人亲切地微笑了一下，说道，“在这之后，我对范妮一切都宽恕了！”

注释: be interested in: 对……感兴趣
1. Would you be interested in going sightseeing?
你有兴趣去旅游观光吗?
2. Everyone must be interested in the subject.
这个题目每个人都会感到兴趣的。

It was a declaration in a Christian spirit, and Mrs Chick felt that it did her good. Not that she had anything particular to forgive in her sister-in-law, nor indeed anything at all, except her having married her brother in itself a species of audacity and her having, in the course of events, given birth to a girl instead of a boy: which, as Mrs Chick had frequently observed, was not quite what she had expected of her, and was not a pleasant return for all the attention and distinction she had met with. Mr Dombey being hastily summoned out of the room at this moment, the two ladies were left alone together. Miss Tox immediately became spasmodic.
'I knew you would admire my brother. I told you so beforehand, my dear,' said Louisa. Miss Tox's hands and eyes expressed how much. 'And as to his property, my dear!'
'Ah!' said Miss Tox, with deep feeling. 'Im-mense!'
'But his deportment, my dear Louisa!' said Miss Tox. 'His presence! His dignity! No portrait that I have ever seen of anyone has been half so replete with those qualities. Something so stately, you know: so uncompromising: so very wide across the chest: so upright! A pecuniary Duke of York, my love, and nothing short of it!' said Miss Tox. 'That's what I should designate him.'
'Why, my dear Paul!' exclaimed his sister, as he returned, 'you look quite pale! There's nothing the matter?'
'I am sorry to say, Louisa, that they tell me that Fanny - '
'Now, my dear Paul,' returned his sister rising, 'don't believe it. Do not allow yourself to receive a turn unnecessarily. Remember of what importance you are to society, and do not allow yourself to be worried by what is so very inconsiderately told you by people who ought to know better. Really I'm surprised at them.'
'I hope I know, Louisa,' said Mr Dombey, stiffly, 'how to bear myself before the world.'
'Nobody better, my dear Paul. Nobody half so well. They would be ignorant and base indeed who doubted it.'
'Ignorant and base indeed!' echoed Miss Tox softly.
'But,' pursued Louisa, 'if you have any reliance on my experience, Paul, you may rest assured that there is nothing wanting but an effort on Fanny's part. And that effort,' she continued, taking off her bonnet, and adjusting her cap and gloves, in a business-like manner, 'she must be encouraged, and really, if necessary, urged to make. Now, my dear ,Paul, come upstairs with me.'

这是按照基督精神所作的一项声明，奇克夫人说了以后觉得心情轻松了。并不是她有什么具体的事情需要宽恕她的嫂子，确实也没有任何事情需要她宽恕的，只有一个例外，就是她嫁给了她的哥哥——这件事情本身是大胆无礼的——，而且随着时间的推移，又生了一个女孩子，而不是男孩子；奇克夫人常常提起这件事，说这完全不符合她的期望，也不是她这位嫂子对她所受到的一切厚待与光荣所应作出的令人愉快的报答。
董贝先生这时被急忙请求离开，房间里只剩下两位女士在一起。托克斯小姐立刻痉挛起来。
“我早知道您会仰慕我哥哥的。我以前跟您说过，我亲爱的，”路易莎说道。
托克斯小姐的手和眼睛表示出她是多么仰慕。
“至于他的财产，我亲爱的！”
“啊！”托克斯小姐怀着深切的感情说道。
“大得——不得了！”
“啊，他的品行，我亲爱的路易莎！”托克斯小姐说道，“他的仪表！他的尊严！我这一生中所见到过的肖像没有一个能完全具备这些优美的品质，一半也没有。多么庄严，您知道，多么坚决，胸膛是多么宽阔，身躯是多么挺直！他是一位财力雄厚的约克郡①公爵，我亲爱的，不比约克郡公爵欠缺什么！”托克斯小姐说道。“我要这样称呼他。”
“你怎么了，我亲爱的保罗！”他妹妹看到他回来的时候，高声喊道，“你的脸色这么苍白！没出什么事吧？”
“我很遗憾地告诉你，路易莎，他们告诉我，范妮——”
“啊，我亲爱的保罗！”他的妹妹站起来，说道，“别相信它！如果你觉得我的经验可靠的话，那么，保罗，你尽可以放心，只要范妮作出努力就行；”她有条有理地脱下软帽，整整便帽和手套，继续说道，“应该鼓励她作出那个努力；真的，如果必要的话，那就应该强迫她作出那个努力。我亲爱的保罗，现在请跟我一起上楼去。”

注释: have reliance on: 对......有依赖; 相信
1. Don't place too much reliance on his advice.
别太相信他的意见。
2. A child has reliance on his or her mother.
孩子都依赖于母亲。

Mr Dombey, who, besides being generally influenced by his sister for the reason already mentioned, had really faith in her as an experienced and bustling matron, acquiesced; and followed her, at once, to the sick chamber.
The lady lay upon her bed as he had left her, clasping her little daughter to her breast. The child clung close about her, with the same intensity as before, and never raised her head, or moved her soft cheek from her mother's face, or looked on those who stood around, or spoke, or moved, or shed a tear.'Restless without the little girl,' the Doctor whispered Mr Dombey. 'We found it best to have her in again.'
'Can nothing be done?' asked Mr Dombey.
The Doctor shook his head. 'We can do no more.'
The windows stood open, and the twilight was gathering without.
The scent of the restoratives that had been tried was pungent in the room, but had no fragrance in the dull and languid air the lady breathed.
There was such a solemn stillness round the bed; and the two medical attendants seemed to look on the impassive form with so much compassion and so little hope, that Mrs Chick was for the moment diverted from her purpose. But presently summoning courage, and what she called presence of mind, she sat down by the bedside, and said in the low precise tone of one who endeavours to awaken a sleeper:
'Fanny! Fanny!'

董贝先生除了由于前面所说的理由一般受他的妹妹的影响外，还把她当作一位有经验的和能干的主妇，真正相信她，所以默默地同意，立刻跟着她到病人的房间里去。
他的夫人就像他离开她时那样躺在床上，把她的小女儿紧紧地抱在怀中。这个女孩子怀着跟先前一样强烈的感情，紧紧地抱着她，从不抬起头，或把脸颊从她妈妈的脸上移开，或看看站在周围的人们，或说句话，或移动身子，或掉一滴眼泪。
“没有小女孩在身边她就烦躁不安，”大夫对董贝先生低声说道，“因此我们觉得最好还是让她重新进来。”
病床周围一片深沉的寂静；两位医生似乎十分同情而又很少希望地看着这个失去知觉的人，因此奇克夫人一时忘掉了她到这里来的目的，可是她立刻鼓起勇气，并像她所说的，镇静下来，在床边坐下，并用一个竭力想要唤醒一位睡眠者的人的那种同样低微的声调，喊道：“范妮！范妮！”

There was no sound in answer but the loud ticking of Mr Dombey's watch and Doctor Parker Peps's watch, which seemed in the silence to be running a race.
'Fanny, my dear,' said Mrs Chick, with assumed lightness, 'here's Mr Dombey come to see you. Won't you speak to him? They want to lay your little boy - the baby, Fanny, you know; you have hardly seen him yet, I think - in bed; but they can't till you rouse yourself a little. Don't you think it's time you roused yourself a little? Eh?'
She bent her ear to the bed, and listened: at the same time looking round at the bystanders, and holding up her finger.
'Eh?' she repeated, 'what was it you said, Fanny? I didn't hear you.'
No word or sound in answer. Mr Dombey's watch and Dr Parker Peps's watch seemed to be racing faster.
'Now, really, Fanny my dear,' said the sister-in-law, altering her position, and speaking less confidently, and more earnestly, in spite of herself, 'I shall have to be quite cross with you, if you don't rouse yourself. It's necessary for you to make an effort, and perhaps a very great and painful effort which you are not disposed to make; but this is a world of effort you know, Fanny, and we must never yield, when so much depends upon us. Come! Try! I must really scold you if you don't!'
The race in the ensuing pause was fierce and furious. The watches seemed to jostle, and to trip each other up.
'Fanny!' said Louisa, glancing round, with a gathering alarm. 'Only look at me. Only open your eyes to show me that you hear and understand me; will you? Good Heaven, gentlemen, what is to be done!'

没有回答的声音，而只有董贝先生的表和帕克•佩普斯大夫的表的滴嗒滴嗒走得很响的声音。这两只表似乎正在寂静中赛跑。
“范妮，我亲爱的，”奇克夫人假装出轻松愉快的语气，说道，“董贝先生到这里来看您了。您是不是要跟他讲话？他们想把您的小男孩放到床上——范妮，您知道，就是那个小娃娃，我想您还没有看到过他吧！不过，他们不能放，除非您把精神稍稍振作起来一些才行。您是不是认为，这该是您把精神振作起来一些的时候了？嗯？”
她把耳朵凑近床上听着，一边向四周站着的人环视着，并举起一个指头。
“嗯？”她重复说道，“您说什么，范妮？我听不见。”
没有一个字，也没有一个声音回答。董贝先生的表与帕克•佩普斯大夫的表似乎跑得更快了。
“啊，真的，我亲爱的范妮，”她的小姑子说道；她改变了姿势，不由自主地说得不很有信心，但却更认真了，“如果您不振作起精神的话，那么我就不得不跟您生气了。您有必要作出努力，也许是您不愿作出的很大的、很痛苦的努力；可是您知道，这是个需要作出努力的世界呀，范妮；当这么多的事情取决于我们的时候，我们应该永不退让。来吧，试一试吧！如果您不试的话，那么我真的一定要骂您了！”
在随即而来的沉寂中，两只表的赛跑是猛烈的、狂暴的。
它们似乎在相互推撞，相互绊倒对方。
“范妮！”路易莎怀着愈益增长的恐怖，环视四周，说道，“只要看我一下就行。只要张开您的眼睛表示一下您听到了我的话，明白了我的话就行，好不好？我的天呀，先生们，现在该怎么办呢！”

The two medical attendants exchanged a look across the bed; and the Physician, stooping down, whispered in the child's ear. Not having understood the purport of his whisper, the little creature turned her perfectly colourless face and deep dark eyes towards him; but without loosening her hold in the least.
The whisper was repeated.
'Mama!' said the child.
The little voice, familiar and dearly loved, awakened some show of consciousness, even at that ebb. For a moment, the closed eye lids trembled, and the nostril quivered, and the faintest shadow of a smile was seen.
'Mama!' cried the child sobbing aloud. 'Oh dear Mama! oh dear Mama!'
The Doctor gently brushed the scattered ringlets of the child, aside from the face and mouth of the mother. Alas how calm they lay there; how little breath there was to stir them!
Thus, clinging fast to that slight spar within her arms, the mother drifted out upon the dark and unknown sea that rolls round all the world.

两位医生隔着床交换了一下眼光。家庭医生弯下身子，在女孩子的耳旁轻声地说了一些什么。小女孩子没有听懂他耳语的意思，向他转过她的毫无血色的面孔和凹陷的、乌黑的眼睛，但丝毫没有放松她的拥抱。
家庭医生又把他的耳语重复了一次。
“妈妈！”女孩子说道。
这熟悉的、受到热烈喜爱的孩子的声音把甚至是那么奄奄一息的知觉也唤醒过来，稍稍地显示了一下。片刻间，闭合的眼睑颤动了一下，鼻孔翕动了一下，还可以看到那极为微弱的笑影。
“妈妈！”女孩子大声地抽泣着，喊道。“啊，亲爱的妈妈！
啊，亲爱的妈妈！”
大夫轻轻地把女孩子散乱的长卷发从母亲的脸上和嘴上拂开。啊，它们是多么安静地躺在那里，呼吸是多么微弱，它不能把它们吹动了！
就这样，母亲用她的胳膊紧紧地抱住那根不结实的圆材，在环绕全世界的黑暗的、未知的海洋上漂流出去了。

注释: make an effort: 努力;作出努力
1. To make an effort to achieve an objective.
瞄准努力达到一个目标。
2. I have to make an effort to work up an appetite for reading.
我得努力使自己产生天天想读书的愿望。