牛津书虫系列《圣诞欢歌》Chapter4 附中英双语文本

斯克罗吉不知道为什么幽灵想让他听这些谈话。他们是什么意思呢？那个死人不可能是他的合伙人雅各布，因为他已经死了。
Scrooge watched carefully，trying to understand．He looked round for his own shadow，but could not see himself anywhere．‘Perhaps that's not surprising，’he thought，‘because if I change my life，and I'm planning to do that，I won't be the same person in the future！’Just then he noticed the spirit，standing quiet and dark beside him， with its pointing hand．He felt the unseen eyes staring fixedly at him behind the black robe Scrooge's body shook，and he felt cold．
斯克罗吉认真地看着试图搞个明白。他朝四周看了看找他自己的影子，但哪儿也找不到。“也许这不足为奇，”他想，“因为如果我改变我的生活，当然我正打算这样做，将来我就会成为另一个人了！”这时他看到了幽灵，静静地、幽暗地站在他身边，手指着什么地方。他感到那双他看不见的眼睛正从黑袍子后目不转睛地盯着他。斯克罗吉浑身颤抖，他觉得冷。
They left the busy offices and banks，and went to another part of the capital，where Scrooge had never been before．The streets were narrow and dirty，the houses miserably poor，the people unwashed and half-dressed．Down one street there was a small shop， where an old man was sitting waiting for customers．His business was buying old furniture or clothes，and selling them again，to the poorest people in London．As Scrooge and the spirit watched，three women arrived at the shop door at the same time， each carrying a large bundle．They looked very surprised and a little ashamed to see each other．Suddenly they all started laughing．
他们离开了繁忙的办公室和银行来到了都市的另一边，斯克罗吉以前从没有来过这里。街道又窄又脏，房子破烂不堪，人们连脸都没有洗而且衣不蔽体。往南过一条马路有一个小商店，里面坐着一个老头等待着顾客的光临。他的生意是收购旧家具和衣服然后再卖给伦敦最穷的人。当斯克罗吉和幽灵看着的时候，有三个妇女同时来到了商店门口，每个人都拿着一个大包袱。她们相见后感到很吃惊又有些难为情。突然她们开始大笑。
‘Ladies，you couldn't find a better place to meet，’said Joe， the old man，getting up．‘Now come inside，and show me what you've got to sell．’
“女士们，这是你们会面的最好的地方，”老头乔说着，站了起来。“进来，给我看看你们要卖什么。”
Inside，the first woman put her bundle on the table and said，‘I don't care if everybody knows where this comes from！ We all have to take care of ourselves！ He always did！’
在屋里第一个妇女把她的包袱放在桌子上说，“我不在乎是不是大家都知道这是从什么地方弄来的！我们都得关心我们自己！他总是这样做的！”
‘That's right，’agreed the second woman．
“你说得对。”第二个女人表示赞同。
‘Very true，’agreed the third．
“太正确了。”第三个也表示赞同。
‘Does a dead man need these things？’continued the first woman．‘And why was he so mean while he was alive？’We all worked for him，didn't we？ Cleaned his house，washed his clothes，cooked his soup？ And what did we get？Three shillings a week！It's no surprise that he died alone， with no friends around him！’
“死人需要这些东西吗？”第一个女人继续说。“为什么他活着的时候那么吝啬？我们都给他干活儿，是不是？打扫他的房子，给他洗衣服、炖汤？我们又得到什么了呢？一周三个先令！他孤单单地死了，身边一个朋友也没有，这也就没什么可奇怪的了！”
‘You never spoke a truer word，’said the second．
“你从没有说过比这更千真万确的话。”第二个妇女说。
‘He was a bad man，we all know that，’said the third．
“他是一个坏蛋，这点我们都知道。”第三个妇女说。
‘Now what have we here？’said old Joe，opening the women's bundles．‘Buttons，pencils，boots，silver spoons，some excellent bed-curtains，blankets and—a very good shirt，’he added，feeling the fine cotton．
“现在让我看看你们都拿来了些什么？”老乔说着打开了三位的包。“钮扣、铅笔、靴子、银匙、一些很不错的床罩、毯子还有——一件很好的衬衣，”他补充道，手摸着那质地精良的棉布。
‘Yes，it was his best，’said the first woman．‘They put it on him after he died．But he doesn't need it now that he's dead！And the blankets and bed-curtains！He doesn't need them either！
“是的，这是他最好的衣服。”第一个女人说，“他死后他们给他穿上了，但既然他已经死了，所以他现在不需要它了！这些毯子和床罩！他也不需要它们了！”