牛津书虫系列《雾都孤儿》Chapter1 附中英双语文本

1 Oliver’s early life
1 奥利弗的童年
Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse，and when he arrived in this hard world，it was very doubtful whether he would live beyond the first three minutes．He lay on a hard little bed and struggled to start breathing．
奥利弗·特威斯特出生在一家济贫院里，他来到这个艰难的人世的那一刻，是否能活过三分钟都是很难说的。他躺在一张小硬板床上，挣扎着开始呼吸。
Oliver fought his first battle without much assistance from the two people present at his birth．One was an old woman，who was nearly always drunk， and the other was a busy local doctor，who was not paid enough to be very interested in Oliver’s survival． After all，death was a common event in the workhouse，where only the poor and homeless lived．
他出生时在场的两个人没有给他什么帮助，这使得奥利弗要独自承当他的第一场战斗。其中一个是位老妇人，她几乎总是喝得醉醺醺的；另一个则是当地一位忙碌的医生，这位医生没有得到足够的报酬，所以对奥利弗能否活下来并不很在意。在济贫院这个只有穷人和无家可归的人待的地方，死亡毕竟是一件非常平常的事。
However，Oliver managed to draw his first breath，and the n announced his arrival to the rest of the workhouse by crying loudly．His mother raised her pale young face from the pillow and whispered， ‘Let me see the child， and die．’
不管怎样，奥利弗总算尽力吸进了第一口气，然后，他以响亮的哭声向济贫院里其他的人宣告自己的到来。他的母亲从枕头上抬起了年轻而苍白的脸，用微弱的声音说：“让我看一眼孩子，我就可以死了。”
The doctor turned away from the fire， where he had been warming his hands． ‘You must not talk about dying yet，’he said to her kindly．He gave her the child to hold．Lovingly，she kissed the baby on its forehead with her cold white lips，the n stared wildly around the room，fell back-and died. ‘Poor dear！’said the nurse，hurriedly putting a green glass bottle back in the pocket of her long skirt.
正在火炉上烤手取暖的医生转过身来，好心地对她说：“别说什么死不死的了。”他把孩子递过去让她抱在怀里。她用冰冷而毫无血色的嘴唇怜爱地在孩子的额头上亲了一下，然后急切地在屋里四处环顾一圈，便向后倒去，咽了气。“可怜的东西！”老看护说着，急忙将一个绿色的小玻璃瓶揣回长裙子的兜里。
The doctor began to put on his coat． ‘The baby is weak and will probably have difficulties，’ he said． ‘If so， give it a little milk to keep it quiet．’The n he looked at the dead woman. ‘The mother was a good－looking girl．Where did she come from？’
这时医生开始穿外衣。“这孩子太弱，恐怕会有麻烦，”他说，“如果真是这样，给他喂点牛奶，好让他别哭。”然后，他又转过脸看了一眼死去的女人，说：“这母亲长得还挺漂亮。她是从哪儿来的？”
‘She was brought here last night，’replied the old woman. ‘She was found lying in the street. She’d walked some distance，judging by her shoes，which were worn to pieces．Where she came from，where she was going to，or what her name was，nobody knows.’
“她是昨天夜里被送到这儿来的，”老妇人回答道。“她倒在马路上，被人发现了。她脚上那双鞋子已经磨得破破烂烂的了，由此可以看出她是从很远的地方来的。她从哪儿来，要到哪儿去，叫什么名字，没人知道。”
The doctor lifted the girl’s left hand. ‘The old story，’he said sadly，shaking his head． ‘No wedding ring， I see．Ah！Good night.’
医生拉起那年轻女人的左手，摇摇头，伤心地说：“又是老一套。没有结婚戒指，果然如此。唉！晚安。”
And so Oliver was left with only the drunken nurse．Without clothe s，under his first blanket， he could have been the child of a king or a beggar．But when the woman dressed him later in rough cotton clothe s， yellow with age，he looked exactly what he was - an orphan in a workhouse， ready for a life of misery，hunger， and neglect.
奥利弗就这样被留下了，由那位醉醺醺的看护一个人看着。他光着身子，裹在毕生第一块毯子里，既可以是国王的儿子，也可以是乞丐的儿子。可后来老妇人给他穿上了由于年头太久而发了黄的粗棉布衣服，这时，他看上去和他的身份完全一致了——一个济贫院的孤儿，准备好了去过一种充满苦难、饥饿和忽视的生活。
Oliver cried loudly．If he could have known that he was a workhouse orphan， perhaps he would have cried even more loudly.
奥利弗大声哭着。假如他已经知道自己是一个济贫院的孤儿，他可能会哭得更响些。