12 Nancy keeps an appointment
12 南希赴约
On exactly the same night as Nancy had met Rose Maylie, two people from Oliver’s home town were making their way towards London.
就在南希与罗斯·梅利见面的那个晚上，两个来自奥利弗故乡的人正前往伦敦。
Their progress was slow, since they travelled on foot, and in addition, the girl was carrying a heavy bag on her back.
他们走得很慢，因为是步行，而且女孩背上还背着一个沉重的包裹。
The young man carried nothing.
那个年轻男子什么也没拿。
From time to time he turned to shout at the girl behind him. ‘Hurry up! What a lazy creature you are, Charlotte! I’ll come and give you a kick if you don’t move faster!’
他不时回头朝身后的女孩吼叫：“快点！你这懒东西，夏洛特！再不快点我就过来踢你一脚！”
The young man was Noah Claypole, who had made Oliver’s life so miserable at Mr Sowerberry’s house.
这个年轻人是诺亚·克莱波尔，当初在索尔贝里先生家时，他曾让奥利弗的日子苦不堪言。
He was now taller and uglier but otherwise little changed.
他现在个子更高了，也更丑了，但除此之外没什么变化。
He and Charlotte had grown tired of the undertaking business and had set off to London to start a new life — with all the money from Mr Sowerberry’s shop in their pockets.
他和夏洛特厌倦了殡葬生意，便动身前往伦敦开始新生活——口袋里还装着从索尔贝里先生店里偷来的所有钱。
Eventually, they entered London, and Noah began to look for a quiet, cheap pub where they could spend the night.
最终，他们进入了伦敦，诺亚开始寻找一家安静、便宜的小酒馆过夜。
Charlotte followed obediently at his heels as they walked through a district of narrow, dirty streets.
当他们穿过一片狭窄肮脏的街道时，夏洛特顺从地紧跟在他身后。
At last Noah found a pub that he thought was suitable.
最后，诺亚找到了一家他认为合适的酒馆。
It was dark and dirty, with a few rough-looking men in the bar.
酒馆又暗又脏，吧台边坐着几个长相粗鲁的男人。
They entered and asked for a room for the night and a meal of cold meat and beer, which they ate in the bar.
他们进去要了一间过夜的房间和一份冷肉加啤酒，就在吧台边吃了起来。
The beer made Noah talkative and he began to boast. ‘So it’s no more coffins for us, my girl. We can do better than just robbing Mr Sowerberry. In London there are pockets, houses, coaches even banks!’
啤酒让诺亚变得话多起来，他开始吹嘘：“所以我们不用再跟棺材打交道了，姑娘。我们可以做得比抢劫索尔贝里先生更好。在伦敦，有口袋、房子、马车，甚至还有银行可抢！”
‘I like the sound of it, Noah, but how are we going to do all this?’ asked Charlotte.
“听起来不错，诺亚，但我们怎么干这些事呢？”夏洛特问。
‘We can meet people who know about these things. I’d like to be the leader of some gang, if there’s a good profit to be made in that kind of work.’ Noah felt very pleased with himself, and looked forward to an easy life of crime in the capital.
“我们可以结识懂行的人。如果那种活利润丰厚，我倒想当个团伙的头目。”诺亚洋洋自得，憧憬着在首都过上轻松的犯罪生活。
They talked about their plans for a few minutes. Then a stranger, who had been sitting unseen round the corner, came up to them.
他们谈论了几分钟计划。这时，一个一直坐在角落里没被注意到的陌生人向他们走来。
The stranger was Fagin. He greeted them in a very friendly and cheerful way, sat down with them, and immediately ordered more beer for Noah.
陌生人是费金。他非常友好愉快地跟他们打招呼，和他们坐在一起，并立刻给诺亚又叫了些啤酒。
‘That’s good beer,’ said Noah, already a little drunk. He thanked the stranger for the drink.
“这啤酒真不错，”已经有点醉意的诺亚说道。他感谢陌生人的酒。
‘Expensive, too,’ said Fagin. ‘If you drink that every day, my dear, you’ll need to empty pockets, houses, coaches, even banks.’
“也很贵，”费金说，“亲爱的，如果你天天喝这种酒，你就得去掏空别人的口袋、房子、马车，甚至银行。”
When he heard his own words repeated, Noah went pale with terror. The stranger must have heard everything, even how they had robbed Mr Sowerberry!
听到自己的话被重复，诺亚吓得脸色苍白。这个陌生人一定什么都听到了，甚至连他们如何抢劫索尔贝里先生的事也知道！
‘Don’t worry,’ laughed Fagin, pulling his chair closer. ‘You’re lucky it was only me who heard you.’
“别担心，”费金笑着把椅子拉近些，“算你走运，只有我听到了你的话。”
‘I didn’t take it,’ said Noah quickly. ‘It was the woman who did it!’
“不是我拿的，”诺亚急忙说，“是那女人干的！”
‘It doesn’t matter who did it, my dear,’ replied Fagin, looking quickly at Charlotte. ‘Because I’m in that business myself. And the people in my house as well. I can introduce you to the right people, if you’re interested. You both look like good workers.’
“谁干的都无所谓，亲爱的，”费金答道，迅速看了夏洛特一眼，“因为我自己就是干这一行的。我家里那些人也是。如果你感兴趣，我可以把你介绍给合适的人。你们俩看起来都是干活的好手。”
Charlotte and Noah felt a mixture of fear and pleasure. ‘What would you want me to do?’ asked Noah. ‘Something light, if possible,’ he added.
夏洛特和诺亚既害怕又高兴。“你想让我干什么？”诺亚问。“如果可能的话，最好是轻松点的活，”他补充道。
‘What about spying on people?’ asked Fagin. ‘Or robbing young children who are going shopping for their mothers? That’s light work, and easy.’
“监视别人怎么样？”费金问，“或者抢劫替母亲出门买东西的小孩？那是轻松活，很容易。”
Noah laughed. ‘That sounds like just the thing for me! And what will I earn for this work?’
诺亚笑了。“这听起来正合我意！干这活我能赚多少？”
‘You can live free in my house, and give me half of what you earn.’
“你可以免费住在我家，把你赚的钱分一半给我就行。”
After further discussion, and the transfer of Mr Sowerberry’s money from Noah’s pocket to Fagin’s, agreement was reached.
经过进一步商讨，加上索尔贝里先生的钱从诺亚的口袋转到了费金的口袋，双方达成了协议。
The next day Noah and Charlotte went to live in Fagin’s house and began to be instructed in their new profession.
第二天，诺亚和夏洛特搬进了费金的家，开始接受新行当的培训。
Although training and experience had made Nancy an expert liar, she could not completely hide the fear in her mind.
尽管训练和经验使南希成了一个撒谎高手，但她无法完全掩饰内心的恐惧。
She knew she had taken an enormous risk in going to see Rose Maylie. If Fagin or Sikes ever found out… But she pushed these fears away. She was determined to keep her promise to Rose Maylie, and meet her as arranged.
她知道去见罗斯·梅利冒了极大的风险。如果费金或赛克斯发现了……但她把这些恐惧抛在脑后。她决心信守对罗斯·梅利的承诺，按约定与她见面。
On the first Sunday night after her meeting with Rose, she was in Sikes’ room when the clock struck eleven.
在与罗斯见面后的第一个周日晚上，时钟敲响十一点时，她正在赛克斯的房间里。
Fagin was there, too, discussing some business with Sikes. Nancy stood up and put on her coat. Sikes watched her, surprised.
费金也在，正和赛克斯谈生意。南希站起来穿上外套。赛克斯惊讶地看着她。
‘Nancy! Where are you going at this time of night?’
“南希！这么晚了你上哪儿去？”
‘Not far.’
“不远。”
‘What kind of answer is that? Where are you going?’
“这算什么回答？你要去哪儿？”
‘I don’t know,’ replied the girl.
“我不知道，”女孩回答。
‘Then I do. Nowhere. Sit down.’
“那我知道。哪儿也不许去。坐下。”
‘I’m not well. I want a breath of air.’
“我不舒服。我想出去透透气。”
Sikes got up and locked the door.
赛克斯起身锁上了门。
‘Let me go!’ said the girl with great force. ‘Just for one hour — let me go!’
“让我出去！”女孩用力喊道，“就一个小时——让我出去！”
Sikes seized her arms roughly. ‘The girl’s gone mad!’
赛克斯粗暴地抓住她的胳膊。“这丫头疯了！”
Nancy fought wildly, and Sikes had to hold her down in a chair. She continued to scream and fight until midnight, when, exhausted and tearful, she stopped struggling. She went into another room and threw herself on a bed.
南希拼命挣扎，赛克斯不得不把她按在椅子上。她继续尖叫反抗直到午夜，终于筋疲力尽、泪流满面地停止了挣扎。她走进另一个房间，扑倒在床上。
‘She’s a strange girl,’ Sikes said to Fagin, shaking his head. ‘Why did she suddenly decide to go out tonight? I thought that after all these years I’d finally tamed her. She must be ill — perhaps she’s still got a bit of fever.’
“她真是个怪丫头，”赛克斯摇着头对费金说，“为什么今晚突然非要出去？我以为这么多年过去，我终于把她驯服了。她肯定是病了——也许还有点发烧。”
‘That must be it,’ said Fagin, nodding thoughtfully.
“一定是这样，”费金若有所思地点点头说。
As he walked home, Fagin’s eyes were sharp with suspicion. He had suspected for a while that Nancy had become tired of Bill Sikes’ brutality and violence, and that she had found a new friend to take his place.
回家的路上，费金眼中闪烁着敏锐的疑光。他怀疑了一段时间，觉得南希已经厌倦了比尔·赛克斯的残暴，并且找到了一个新朋友来取代他的位置。
Her manner was different; she often left home alone, and she seemed less interested in the gang. And tonight, her desperate impatience to go out at a particular hour… He was certain he was right. He began to make plans.
她的举止变了；她经常独自出门，对团伙的事似乎也不那么上心了。而今晚，她在特定时间不顾一切地急着要出去……他确信自己猜对了。他开始制定计划。
First, he wanted to know who Nancy’s new friend was. He could make him a valuable new member of the gang, with Nancy as his assistant. But there was another, darker reason.
首先，他想知道南希的新朋友是谁。他可以把那人变成团伙中有价值的新成员，让南希做助手。但还有一个更阴暗的原因。
Fagin, too, had become tired of Sikes. Sikes knew too much — too many dangerous secrets about Fagin himself. Fagin distrusted everybody, but he hated and distrusted Sikes most of all. It would be very convenient if Sikes could be… removed.
费金也厌倦了赛克斯。赛克斯知道得太多了——太多关于费金本人的危险秘密。费金不信任任何人，但他最痛恨、最不信任的就是赛克斯。如果赛克斯能被……除掉，那就太方便了。
‘With a little persuasion,’ Fagin thought, ‘perhaps the girl would poison Sikes.’ Suddenly, his eyes narrowed in delight. ‘Yes! First, I must have her watched, and find out who her new man is. Then I shall threaten to tell Sikes everything. She knows that neither she nor her new man will ever be safe from Sikes’ violent jealousy. She will have no choice except to do as I ask her — and then, once the murder is done, she will be in my power for ever!’
“稍微劝一劝，”费金心想，“也许这丫头就会毒死赛克斯。”突然，他眯起眼睛，露出得意的神色。“对！首先，我得派人监视她，查出她的新男人是谁。然后我就威胁要把一切都告诉赛克斯。她知道，无论是她还是她的新男人，都永远逃不过赛克斯狂暴的嫉妒心。她将别无选择，只能照我说的做——而一旦谋杀完成，她就永远落入我的掌控之中了！”
Early next morning Fagin called the newest member of his gang. Noah was doing very well. He had already brought home quite a lot of money. He had found that robbing small children was indeed light, easy work, and he was proud of his success.
第二天一早，费金叫来了团伙的最新成员。诺亚干得很出色，已经带回来不少钱。他发现抢劫小孩确实是轻松容易的活儿，对自己的成功颇为得意。
‘I have another job for you now,’ Fagin told him. ‘It needs great care and secrecy. I want you to follow a woman. I want to know where she goes, who she sees, and if possible, what she says. I will pay you a pound for this information.’
“我现在有另一项任务给你，”费金告诉他，“这需要格外小心和保密。我要你跟踪一个女人。我要知道她去了哪里，见了谁，如果可能的话，还要知道她说了什么。我会付你一英镑来获取这些情报。”
Noah’s eyes were wide with greed. ‘I’m the right man for this job. Who is she?’
诺亚贪婪地睁大了眼睛。“这活我最合适。她是谁？”
‘One of us.’
“我们中的一员。”
‘What? You don’t trust her, then?’
“什么？那你不信任她？”
‘Exactly so, my dear. Exactly so,’ smiled Fagin.
“正是如此，亲爱的。正是如此，”费金微笑着说。
The following Sunday, soon after eleven o’clock, a woman walked quickly through the dark streets towards London Bridge. A mist hung over the river, and the buildings on the far bank could hardly be seen.
接下来的那个周日，刚过十一点，一个女人快步穿过黑暗的街道走向伦敦桥。河面上笼罩着薄雾，几乎看不清对岸的建筑。
A man followed some distance behind her, keeping to the darkest shadows. It was a cold, damp night, and there were very few people on the streets at this late hour.
一个男人在她身后一段距离外跟着，始终躲在最暗的阴影里。这是一个寒冷潮湿的夜晚，这么晚了街上几乎没有人。
When the woman reached the centre of the bridge, she stopped and looked around anxiously. The man following her stopped too.
当女人走到桥中央时，她停下来焦急地四处张望。跟踪她的男人也停了下来。
The heavy bell of St Paul’s cathedral rang out, announcing the death of another day. Just as it finished, a grey-haired man and a young woman got out of a coach and walked across the bridge.
圣保罗大教堂沉重的钟声响起，宣告又一天的逝去。钟声刚落，一位白发男子和一位年轻女子从马车上下来，走过桥面。
They met the woman, who took them down some steps leading to the river bank. They stood in deep shadow by the wall of the bridge. The man hurried down some other steps, crept up to the corner of the wall, and listened.
他们与那个女人会合，女人带着他们走下通往河岸的台阶。他们站在桥墙边浓重的阴影里。跟踪的男人急忙走下另一组台阶，悄悄爬到墙角偷听。
Nancy spoke first. ‘I’m so frightened tonight I can hardly breathe.’
南希先开口了：“今晚我太害怕了，几乎喘不过气来。”
‘Frightened of what?’ asked Mr Brownlow. He seemed to pity her.
“怕什么？”布朗洛先生问。他似乎很同情她。
‘I wish I knew. Horrible thoughts of death, and blood, have been with me all day. I don’t know why.’
“我也希望知道。可怕的死亡和流血的念头缠了我一整天。我不知道为什么。”
‘Speak to her kindly,’ said Rose to Mr Brownlow. ‘Poor girl! She seems to need it.’
“对她说话温和些，”罗斯对布朗洛先生说，“可怜的姑娘！她似乎需要安慰。”
‘I couldn’t come last Sunday,’ continued the girl. ‘I was kept in by force. But tonight he’ll be out all night until daylight. Now, before I tell you anything else, I must tell you that I don’t want Fagin, or any of the other members of the gang, to be handed to the police.’
“上个星期天我来不了，”女孩继续说，“我被强行关在家里。但今晚他会整夜不归直到天亮。现在，在告诉你们其他事情之前，我必须说明，我不希望费金或团伙中的任何其他成员被交给警察。”
‘Why not?’
“为什么？”
‘Because I couldn’t betray them. They’ve been loyal to me, and I’ll stay loyal to them.’
“因为我不能背叛他们。他们对我忠诚，我也要忠于他们。”
‘Then just tell us how we can get Monks, and I promise none of your friends will be harmed,’ said Mr Brownlow.
“那你只需告诉我们怎样才能抓到蒙克斯，我保证你的朋友们不会受到伤害，”布朗洛先生说。
‘And Monks will never know how you found out about him?’ she asked.
“而且蒙克斯永远不会知道你们是怎么查到他的？”她问。
‘We promise,’ said Rose gently.
“我们保证，”罗斯温柔地说。
Nancy then told them, in so low a voice that the listener round the corner could hardly hear her, where Monks often went for a drink, and what he looked like. She finished by saying, ‘On his throat, high up, there is —’
于是南希用极低的声音告诉他们蒙克斯常去哪里喝酒以及他的长相，低到角落里的偷听者几乎听不见。她最后说道：“在他的喉咙上方，有一个——”
‘A bright red mark?’ asked Mr Brownlow.
“鲜红的印记？”布朗洛先生问。
‘Do you know him?’ asked Nancy in surprise.
“你认识他？”南希惊讶地问。
‘I think I do.’ Mr Brownlow murmured to himself, ‘It must be him!’ Then more loudly, he said to Nancy, ‘Thank you for everything you’ve told us. But now — how can you go back to these people? Come with us now, tonight. We can arrange for you to be hidden from them all forever, if you want us to.’
“我想我认识。”布朗洛先生自言自语道，“一定是他！”然后他提高声音对南希说：“谢谢你告诉我们这一切。但现在——你怎么能回到那些人身边？今晚就跟我们走吧。如果你愿意，我们可以安排把你永远藏起来，让他们再也找不到你。”
The girl shook her head. ‘I’m chained to him, bad as they are. I’ve gone too far to change my life now.’ She looked nervously over her shoulder. ‘I can feel those dreadful terrors again — visions of blood and death. I must go home.’
女孩摇了摇头。“我已经和他拴在一起了，尽管他们很坏。我已经陷得太深，无法改变自己的生活了。”她紧张地回头看了看。“我又感到了那些可怕的恐惧——血腥和死亡的幻象。我必须回家了。”
Mr Brownlow and Rose could not persuade her to change her mind. Sadly, they turned to leave, and when they had gone, Nancy fell to the ground in a storm of tears.
布朗洛先生和罗斯没能说服她改变主意。他们悲伤地转身离开，等他们走后，南希倒在地上泪如雨下。
Meanwhile, Noah Claypole, amazed by all that he had heard, crept up the steps and ran for Fagin’s house as fast as his legs could carry him.
与此同时，诺亚·克莱波尔对所听到的一切感到震惊，他悄悄爬上台阶，撒腿向费金的家狂奔而去。
Some hours later, nearly two hours before dawn, Noah lay asleep in Fagin’s house. But Fagin sat silently by a dead fire, staring at the flame of a candle on the table beside him.
几个小时后，离天亮还有近两个小时，诺亚躺在费金家里睡着了。但费金默默地坐在熄灭的炉火旁，盯着身旁桌上蜡烛的火苗。
With his pale, wrinkled face and his red, staring eyes, he looked like a devil out of hell. Hatred ran like poison through his every thought. Hatred for the girl who had dared to talk to strangers, who had ruined his plan to get rid of Sikes.
他那苍白多皱的脸庞和通红直视的眼睛，看起来就像地狱里出来的魔鬼。仇恨像毒药一样渗透了他的每一个念头。他恨那个竟敢跟陌生人说话的女孩，她毁了他除掉赛克斯的计划。
He did not believe her promise not to betray him, and he feared that he would now be caught, and hung.
他不相信她不背叛的承诺，他害怕自己现在会被抓住并被绞死。
Just before dawn Sikes entered the room, carrying a bundle which contained the results of his night’s work. Fagin took what Sikes gave him, then stared at the robber for a long time without speaking.
天快亮时，赛克斯走进房间，手里拿着一个包裹，里面装着他一夜作案的成果。费金接过赛克斯给他的东西，然后长时间地盯着这个强盗，一言不发。
‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ asked Sikes, uneasy at the old man’s strange expression.
“你为什么那样看着我？”赛克斯问道，老人奇怪的表情让他感到不安。
Fagin raised his hand, but his passion was so great that he could not speak.
费金举起手，但他情绪太过激动，说不出话来。
‘Say something, will you!’ shouted Sikes, placing his huge hand on Fagin’s collar and shaking him in his anger and fear. ‘Open your mouth and say what you’ve got to say!’
“说句话啊！”赛克斯怒吼道，把大手放在费金的衣领上，又怒又怕地摇晃着他，“张嘴把你该说的话说出来！”
Eventually Fagin found his voice. ‘Bill, what would you do if one of the gang went out at night and told someone all about us, and what we’d done? What would you do to him?’
费金终于找回了声音。“比尔，如果团伙里有人晚上跑出去，把我们的一切和我们做过的事都告诉了别人，你会怎么做？你会怎么处置他？”
‘I’d smash his head into little pieces,’ said the robber, swearing violently.
“我会把他的脑袋砸个粉碎，”强盗恶狠狠地骂道。
‘And what if it was me, who knows so much about all of us, and could put us all in prison and get us all hanged?’ whispered Fagin, his eyes flashing with hate.
“如果是像我这样，知道我们所有人那么多事，能把我们都送进监狱、让我们都被绞死的人呢？”费金低声说，眼中闪烁着仇恨的光芒。
‘I’d beat your brains out in public. Even in the law-court, I’d run over and kill you with my bare hands,’ said Sikes, showing his teeth in his anger. ‘I don’t care who it was, that’s what I’d do.’
“我会在大庭广众之下把你的脑浆打出来。就算在法庭上，我也会冲过去徒手杀了你，”赛克斯愤怒地龇着牙说，“不管是谁，我都会这么做。”
Fagin woke Noah. ‘Tell Bill what you told me, what you saw, what she did. Tell him!’
费金叫醒诺亚。“把你告诉我的、你看到的、她做的事都告诉比尔。告诉他！”
Noah rubbed his sleep from his eyes and told Sikes everything. His face white with passion, Sikes listened to the end, then, swearing furiously, he rushed from the room and down the stairs.
诺亚揉去睡意，把一切都告诉了赛克斯。赛克斯气得脸色煞白，听完后狂骂着冲出房间，奔下楼梯。
‘Bill!’ Fagin called after him. ‘You won’t be… too violent?’
“比尔！”费金在他身后喊道，“你不会……太暴力吧？”
Sikes made no reply, but, pulling open the door, ran out into the silent streets. He did not turn his head to right or left, but looked straight in front of him with wild determination.
赛克斯没有回答，而是拉开门冲进寂静的街道。他没有左右顾盼，只是带着疯狂的决绝直视前方。
He ran at great speed, his eyes on fire, his teeth tight together, and did not pause until he reached his own door. He ran up to his room, entered and locked the door, put a table against it, then woke Nancy.
他飞速奔跑，眼中喷火，咬牙切齿，直到跑到自家门前才停下。他冲上楼进入房间，锁上门，用桌子顶住，然后叫醒了南希。
‘Bill!’ she said, pleased to see him. But when she saw his expression, the colour went out of her face. ‘What’s the matter?’ she said in alarm.
“比尔！”她说，见到他很高兴。但当她看到他的表情时，脸上的血色顿时褪去。“怎么了？”她惊慌地问。
‘You know what.’ Sikes took out his gun, but realizing, even in his madness, that a shot might be heard, he beat her twice across the face with it as hard as he could. She fell, with a low cry of pain and terror, almost blinded by the blood that flowed from the cut on her forehead. The murderer staggered to a corner, seized a heavy stick and struck her down.
“你自己清楚。”赛克斯掏出枪，但即使在疯狂中也意识到枪声可能会被人听见，便用枪托狠狠在她脸上砸了两下。她倒下了，发出一声痛苦和恐惧的低吟，额头上伤口涌出的鲜血几乎让她失明。凶手踉跄着走到角落，抓起一根沉重的棍子，将她击倒在地。
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