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Miss Tox was of a tender nature, and there was something in this appeal that moved her very much. Whether she saw it in a succession, on the part of the neglected child, to the affectionate concern so often expressed by her dead brother—or a love that sought to twine itself about the heart that had loved him, and that could not bear to be shut out from sympathy with such a sorrow, in such sad community of love and grief—or whether the only recognised the earnest and devoted spirit which, although discarded and repulsed, was wrung with tenderness long unreturned, and in the waste and solitude of this bereavement cried to him to seek a comfort in it, and to give some, by some small response —whatever may have been her understanding of it, it moved Miss Tox. For the moment she forgot the majesty of Mrs Chick, and, patting Florence hastily on the cheek, turned aside and suffered the tears to gush from her eyes, without waiting for a lead from that wise matron.
托克斯小姐是一位心慈善感的人，在这哀求中有一些东西使她深受感动。是不是她在这哀求中看到这位被冷落的女孩子希望能够继续像她死去的弟弟那样，时常向父亲表露出亲切的关怀？还是她在这哀求中看到这女孩子心中怀着一种爱，它想缠绕在曾经爱过她弟弟的那颗心的周围，而不能忍受在这爱与哀伤的交集之中她父亲由于悲痛而拒绝向它表示同情？还是她只不过是在这女孩子身上看出有一种真挚、忠诚的精神，它虽然遭到拒绝和厌弃，却仍痛苦地满怀着长久得不到回报的柔情，在她失去弟弟以后的忧愁和孤独中，它又转向父亲发出了哀求，希望从他微弱的反应中寻求到安慰，同时也去安慰他？——不论托克斯小姐怎样理解弗洛伦斯的哀求，反正这哀求是使她深受感动的。她在片刻间忘记了奇克夫人的尊严，急忙抚摸弗洛伦斯的脸颊，身子转向一旁，没有等待那位贤明的主妇的指示，就听凭泪水从眼睛中涌流出来了。
Mrs Chick herself lost, for a moment, the presence of mind on which she so much prided herself; and remained mute, looking on the beautiful young face that had so long, so steadily, and patiently, been turned towards the little bed. But recovering her voice—which was synonymous with her presence of mind, indeed they were one and the same thing—she replied with dignity:
奇克夫人本人在片刻间也失去了她十分引以自豪的镇静，默默无言地望着那张美丽的年轻的脸，这张脸曾经长久地、耐性地、始终如一地照看过那张小床。可是她在恢复声音——它与镇静是同义的，它们实际上是同一个东西——以后，尊严地回答道：
重点讲解
一.tender:adj.温柔的, 脆弱的, 敏感的, 亲切的, 嫩的, 痛的 v.提出, 投标 n.投标, 照管人, 补给船, 煤水车
【语法用法】
tender表示“提供”时，后可接双宾语。
I wish to tender him my thanks for his kindness.
我想对他的好意表示感谢。
英国人习惯在tender后加services，resignation，thanks，apologies等词作为宾语，一般用于正式文字；
legal tender表示“法定货币”，前面不可与a搭配使用，属单数名词，没有复数形式。
【例句用法】
The old pound note is no longer legal tender.
旧制的英镑纸币已不是法定的货币了。
He gave her a tender kiss.
他给了她一个温柔的吻。
二.pride:n.骄傲, 自豪, 自尊心, 引以自豪的东西 vt.以 ... 自豪 n.全盛期, 狮群
【词义辨析】
boast, brag, crow, pride
这些动词均含有“自夸，吹嘘”之意。
boast普通用词，指对自己所做的事，自己的长处、财富以及家庭等的夸耀，常含言过其实的意味。
brag非正式用词，其夸耀和吹嘘意味强于boast，到了过分夸大，有时令人讨厌的地步。
crow多指大声吵嚷地吹嘘，夸耀自己做某事比他人做得好。
pride与boast的意义较接近，指炫耀、夸口，自鸣得意，常与反身代词连用。
【例句用法】
He prides himself on remaining calm in an emergency.
他在紧急关头十分镇静为此感到骄傲。
She takes great pride in her children's success.
她为自己的孩子取得的成绩感到无比骄傲。
三.indeed:adv.真正地, 的确, 事实上
【词义辨析】
indeed, really, truly, actually
这些副词均有“确实地、真正地”之意。
indeed一般用于肯定或证实对方所说的话，多承接前言，也用来加强或肯定自己说话的语气。
really主要用于强调与事实或现实不相违背，也可表示不快、惊奇或某种含蓄的怀疑。
truly强调客观存在的真实性，没有任何虚假。
actually侧重于实际的事，而不是凭空想象或推测的事。
【例句用法】
The future of this firm will be very bleak indeed if we keep losing money.
要是我们继续亏本的话，这家公司的前途会非常黯淡。
Indeed he has a solemn face, but he is very humorous at heart.
他的确有一副严肃的脸孔，但内心却是很富幽默感。