名著阅读

'He has been a little wild, Sir,' returned Polly, checking the baby, who was making convulsive efforts with his arms and legs to launch himself on Biler, through the ambient air, 'and has gone with wrong companions: but I hope he has seen the misery of that, Sir, and will do well again.'
Mr Carker looked at Polly, and the clean room, and the clean children, and the simple Toodle face, combined of father and mother, that was reflected and repeated everywhere about him - and seemed to have achieved the real purpose of his visit.
'Your husband, I take it, is not at home?' he said.
'No, Sir,' replied Polly. 'He's down the line at present.'
The prodigal Rob seemed very much relieved to hear it: though still in the absorption of all his faculties in his patron, he hardly took his eyes from Mr Carker's face, unless for a moment at a time to steal a sorrowful glance at his mother.
'Then,' said Mr Carker, 'I'll tell you how I have stumbled on this boy of yours, and who I am, and what I am going to do for him.'
This Mr Carker did, in his own way; saying that he at first intended to have accumulated nameless terrors on his presumptuous head, for coming to the whereabout of Dombey and Son. That he had relented, in consideration of his youth, his professed contrition, and his friends. That he was afraid he took a rash step in doing anything for the boy, and one that might expose him to the censure of the prudent; but that he did it of himself and for himself, and risked the consequences single-handed; and that his mother's past connexion with Mr Dombey's family had nothing to do with it, and that Mr Dombey had nothing to do with it, but that he, Mr Carker, was the be-all and the end-all of this business. Taking great credit to himself for his goodness, and receiving no less from all the family then present, Mr Carker signified, indirectly but still pretty plainly, that Rob's implicit fidelity, attachment, and devotion, were for evermore his due, and the least homage he could receive. And with this great truth Rob himself was so impressed, that, standing gazing on his patron with tears rolling down his cheeks, he nodded his shiny head until it seemed almost as loose as it had done under the same patron's hands that morning.
Polly, who had passed Heaven knows how many sleepless nights on account of this her dissipated firstborn, and had not seen him for weeks and weeks, could have almost kneeled to Mr Carker the Manager, as to a Good Spirit - in spite of his teeth. But Mr Carker rising to depart, she only thanked him with her mother's prayers and blessings; thanks so rich when paid out of the Heart's mint, especially for any service Mr Carker had rendered, that he might have given back a large amount of change, and yet been overpaid.
As that gentleman made his way among the crowding children to the door, Rob retreated on his mother, and took her and the baby in the same repentant hug.
'I'll try hard, dear mother, now. Upon my soul I will!' said Rob.
'Oh do, my dear boy! I am sure you will, for our sakes and your own!' cried Polly, kissing him. 'But you're coming back to speak to me, when you have seen the gentleman away?'
'I don't know, mother.' Rob hesitated, and looked down. 'Father - when's he coming home?'
'Not till two o'clock to-morrow morning.'
“他有些顽皮，先生，”波利回答道，一边制止住伸手伸脚，想通过周围的空气向拜勒扑过去的婴孩，“又交上了坏朋友，不过，我希望他吃过那种苦头以后，又会重新变好的。”
卡克先生看了看波利，看了看清洁的房间、清洁的孩子和那兼有父亲和母亲的特征、在他周围处处重复出现的、纯朴的图德尔式的脸孔。
“我想您的丈夫不在家吧？”他问道。
“是的，先生。”波利回答道，“他现在在铁路线上。”
浪子罗布听到这句话，似乎大大地松了口气，虽然他仍和先前一样把注意力集中在恩人身上，除了向母亲偷偷地投去悲伤的眼光外，眼睛几乎没有离开过卡克先生的脸孔。
“那么，”卡克先生说道，“我就跟您说说，我是怎么碰见您这个儿子的，我是什么人以及我打算为他做什么事。”
卡克先生按照他自己的方式叙述了这一切；他说，罗布放肆地闯到董贝父子公司附近一带地方来，他本打算因为这个原因让他的头吃上无数苦头的。但考虑到他年轻，又已经表示悔恨，又考虑到他的亲属，所以他宽大为怀，不再追究。他担心他为了帮助这个孩子采取了一个轻率的步骤，这会引起那些谨小慎微的人们对他进行指责，但是他还是独自决定这样做了，由他本人承担风险，并由他独自对后果负责。罗布母亲过去和董贝先生家庭的关系与这毫无关系；董贝先生与这毫无关系；所有这一切全都是由他，卡克先生一手操办，全都是他一个人作出决定的。他把他做了好事的功劳全都归属于他自己；全家在场的人也全都同样把功劳归属于他。卡克先生间接地，但却仍相当明白无误地表示，罗布对他应绝对忠诚，死心塌地，不怀二心；这应当永远是罗布应尽的本分，也是卡克至少应当受到的尊敬。罗布本人对这个伟大的真理深刻领会，他站在那里望着恩人，眼泪滚滚流下脸颊，不住地点着闪闪发亮的头，直到它似乎就要从肩膀上脱落下来，就像当天早上在这同一个恩人的手下的情形一样。
波利曾经为了她这个游荡不正的大儿子度过了天老爷才知道有多少个不眠的夜晚，她也已有好几个星期没有见到他的面了，所以她现在几乎可以像跪在善良的天神面前一样，跪在经理卡克先生的面前，不顾他的牙齿如何。但是卡克先生站起身来要走，因此她只是用母亲的祈祷和祝福来感谢他；她对他千谢万谢，句句出自内心，对卡克先生所做的好事，更是感恩戴德；即使卡克先生没有把这些感谢全部领受过去，他所带走的也还是大大超过他所应得的。
当这位先生从拥挤的孩子们中间打开道路走向门口的时候，罗布往回跑到母亲跟前，悔恨万分地把她和她手中的婴儿一起紧紧地抱住。
“我现在将好好努力，亲爱的妈妈；我凭良心发誓，我一定会的！”罗布说道。
“啊，努力吧，我亲爱的孩子！我相信你会的，为了我们，也为了你自己！”波利吻着他说道，“可是你把这位先生送走了以后是不是还回来跟我说话呢？”
“我不知道，妈妈，”罗布低垂着眼睛，迟疑不定地说道，“爸爸——什么时候回家？”
“总得到夜里两点钟以后。”
背景阅读

本书简介：
《董贝父子》是狄更斯最重要的作品之一，发表于1848年。小说描写了董贝父子公司的盛衰史。董贝是个贪得无厌的大资本家，妻子儿女都成了他追逐利润的工具和摆设。公司经理卡克尔是个奸诈小人，骗取了董贝的信任后又一手造成了他的破产。在现实的教训中，董贝的思想发生了转变。最后，虽然他已无法重整家业，却成全了真正的家庭幸福。

作者简介：

英国小说家查尔斯·约翰·赫芬姆·狄更斯（Charles John Huffam Dickens，1812年2月7日~1870年6月9日） 英国维多利亚时期的著名小说家，他的作品至今依然盛行，并对英国文学发展起到重要影响。 狄更斯1812年出生于英国朴次茅斯（Portsmouth），是海军职员约翰·狄更斯和伊丽莎白·巴洛所生的第二个孩子。狄更斯5岁时全家就迁居占松（Chatham），10岁时又搬到康登镇（Camden Town）。 小时候狄更斯曾经在一所私立学校接受过一段时间的教育，但是12岁时，狄更斯的父亲就因债务问题而入狱，狄更斯也因此被送到伦敦一家鞋油场当学徒，每天工作10个小时。或许是由于这段经历，使得狄更斯的作品更关注底层社会劳动人民的生活状态。 不过后来由于父亲继承了一笔遗产而令家庭经济状况有所好转，狄更斯也才有机会重新回到学校。15岁时他从威灵顿学院毕业，随后进入一家律师行工作，后来又转入报馆，成为一名报导国会辩论的记者。狄更斯并没有接受很多的正规教育，基本上是靠自学成才。