The night was bitterly cold. A sharp wind whipped the fallen snow up into the air and blew it into every hole and corner. It was a night for the homeless to lie down and die; and for the luckier people to sit close to their fires and thank God they were at home.
当天夜里很冷，刺骨的寒风将细雪吹散到各个角落。无家可归的人将冻死在寒夜里，幸福的人围坐在炉火前，感恩上帝他们有家可挡寒凉。
In the workhouse where Oliver was born, Mrs Corney - the widow in charge - was making tea by her fire. When she heard a knock at her door, she frowned and called out sharply, 'Come in.' The frown, however, was quickly changed to a sweet smile When she saw Mr Bumble enter.
在奥利弗出生的济贫院里，管事的寡妇科尼太太正在用炉火煮茶。当听到一阵敲门声后，她眉头一皱，不悦道：“进来！”但当她看到进来的是班布尔先生时，紧皱的眉头瞬间换成了甜甜的笑容。
'Hard weather, Mr Bumble,' said the widow.
“天气可真糟糕，班布尔先生，”寡妇说。
'Yes, indeed, ma'am,' replied the beadle. 'We've had to give out to the poor people in this town great quantities of bread and cheese today, and they're still complaining. Why, one man even came back and demanded some free fire-wood! What does he want that for? People are never satisfied. Given them one thing today, and tomorrow they'll ask for something else!'
“真是，冷啊，夫人”教区干事回。“我们今天得去给村里的穷人分许多面包和奶酪，但他们还嫌不够。哎，甚至有个男人跑去教区要些免费材火！他还要木材做什么？人就是这样不知足。今天给他们一些东西，明天他们又要别的。”
Mrs Corney agreed that it was very shocking. They discussed some workhouse business together, and then Mr Bumble looked hopefully at the teapot. Mrs Corney offered him some tea. Instantly, Mr Bumble sat down by the fire and gave the widow such a warm smile that her face turned a delicate pink. She passed Mr Bumble the tea-cup, and as he took it, he managed to give her hand a little stroke. 'You're a kind-hearted woman, Mrs Corney,' said the beadle.
科尼太太也同意人心贪婪。他们说了些济贫院里的事，然后班布尔先生开心地看着茶壶，科尼太太倒些茶给班布尔先生。随即，班布尔先生坐到炉火旁，给寡妇一个大大的笑脸，她脸上一片绯红。她把茶杯递给班布尔先生，他接茶时，伸手摸了摸她的手。“你真是个热心肠的女人，科尼太太。”教区干事说。
'Oh, Mr Bumble!' said the widow, smiling shyly. For a while there was a friendly science between them, then Mr Bumble moved his chair closer to the widow's. Mrs Corney, of course, did not notice this, but when the beadle's arm began to slide around her waist, she felt she must make a small protest.
“哦，班布尔先生！”寡妇说完，羞涩一笑。有一会儿，他们俩谁都没说话，然后班布尔先生把椅子朝寡妇移了移。当然，科尼太太没注意到，但当教区干事伸手揽着她的腰时，她觉得她要有点抵触的。
Encouraged by this response, Mr Bumble immediately gave her a kiss, but at this interesting moment there was a sudden knock at the door. Mr Bumble jumped to his feet and went to the other end of the room.
班布尔先生被寡妇的举动鼓励了，他立马吻住了她，但正在这有意思的时刻，传来一阵敲门声。班布尔先生腾地起身，跑到房间的另一端去了。
'Please, Mrs Corney,' said a voice outside, 'Old Sally is going fast.'
“快开门，科尼太太”门外的声音说，“老萨利快不行了。”
'Well, what can i do to help her?' asked Mrs Corney angrily.
“呃，那我能帮上什么？”科尼太太怒气冲冲地问。
'Nothing, Ma'am,' replied the old woman outside. 'But she says she has something to tell you, which you must hear. She won't die quietly till you come.'
“什么都帮不上，夫人”门外的老女人回。“但她说她有话对你说，要你来。见不到你，她死都不会安心。”
Complaining loudly, Mrs Corney asked Mr Bumble to wait until she came back. Then she followed the old woman up the stairs.
一阵抱怨，科尼太太让班布尔先生等到她回来，然后她跟着老女人上楼了。
Old Sally lay in bed in a freezing cold room. The fire was so small and mean that it gave no warmth at all.
老萨利躺在冷冰冰的房里。炉火很小，房间也就没什么温度。
Mrs Corney bent over the bed, and the dying woman opened her eyes. 'Come closer,' she murmured. 'Let me whisper in your ear,' she held onto Mrs Corney's arm and pulled her down towards her. 'In this same room i once helped a pretty young woman who came in with cut and bleeding feet, who gave birth to a boy and then died.'
科尼太太在床边躬着身子，那将死的妇人睁开双眼。“靠近点”她无力地说。“我在你耳边说，”她拽着科尼太太的胳膊，往自己面前拉了拉。“就是在这房间，我以前帮个漂亮女人接生过，她进来时，身上有伤口，脚在流血，生产完就死了。”
'Well?' asked Mrs Corney impatiently.
“还有呢？”科尼太太焦虑地问。
'I robbed her. She was hardly dead before i stole it'
“我抢了她的东西。她要死时，我偷了她的东西。”
'Stole what?'
“偷了什么？”
'It! the only thing she had. it was gold. It could have saved her life.'
“这！她仅有的东西。是金子，是能救她命的。”
'Gold? Who was this mother? Tell me!'
“金子？这位母亲是谁？说！”
'She told me to look after it when she died.' The old woman's mind was getting confused. 'She trusted me, poor girl, and i stole it.'
“她叫我在她死后拿着它。”这个将死老妇人思维渐渐涣散。“她那么信我，可伶的女人，我还偷了它。”
'Quick, tell me or it may be too late!' said Mrs Corney greedily. 'What was it, and what was the boy's name?'
“快点，告诉我，要不然就来不及了。”科尼太太贪婪地说。“那是什么？那个男孩子叫什么？”
The old woman could hardly speak. 'Oliver. The gold i stole was ― '
老妇人几乎都说不了话。“奥利弗。我偷的金子是…”
'Yes, yes, what?'
“是，是，那是什么？”
The old woman fell back onto the bed, dead.
老妇人跌回床上，落了气。
Mrs Corney hurried back to her room, where Mr Bumble was still admiring her furniture and counting her silver tea-spoons. They sat down again by the fire, and soon Mr Bumble's arm returned to its previous position round Mrs Corney's waist. It was not long before he asked her to marry him, and the widow happily accepted him. While they drank to celebrate the arrangement, Mrs Corney told Mr Bumble about Old Sally's death, and the unknown gold object which she had stolen from the dead body of the young woman.
科尼太太急匆匆地回到屋里，班布尔先生还在看她家具，数她的银茶勺。他们坐到炉火前，班布尔先生不一会儿就像之前一样揽着她的腰。没过多久，他就跟她求婚了，寡妇开心地接受了。婚礼酒宴后，科尼太太跟班布尔先生说了老萨利死时的事，以及老萨利从年轻女子身上偷来的不知道名字的金物件。
更多译文：
PS:本书为牛津系列简易读物，由著名作家查理德·罗杰根据英国作家查尔斯·狄更斯的同名小说改写。英文为书虫系列原文，译文是笔者翻译。
本文仅因个人兴趣而译，故本文谢绝转载和各种商业用途，同时承诺若出现任何责任由作者承担，必要时简书可删除文章。
