《远大前程》第18章 马格韦契的故事结束(4)（在线收听）

Well，well！said Wemmick，still pretending to be sur-prised，here's the Aged，and Miss Skiffins！ Let's have a wedding！

喂，喂！文米克说，仍然假装很吃惊，这是那位老长者和斯基芬小姐！让我们举行一个婚礼！

And so wemmick was married to Miss Skiffins，and we all celebrated afterwards at a little pub near the church．

这样，文米克和斯基芬小姐结了婚。其后，我们大家在教堂附近的一座小饭馆祝贺他们。

I was delighted for Wemmick，but I could not stop worrying about Magwitch．

我为文米克高兴，但是，我抑制不住为马格韦契的担忧。

He had been so badly injured that he was moved to the prison hospital，where I visited him every day．

他伤得如此之重，以致被转住监狱医院，在这里，我每天看看他。

I read to him，and talked to him，and did everything I could to make him comfortable．

我给他读书，给他讲话，我做的每一件事情都能让他愉快起来。

But day by day I watched him becom-ing weaker，although he never complained．

但是，我看到他的体质每况愈下，尽管他从来不说。

To the prison guards he was a dangerous criminal，but to me he was an un-fortunate man，who had at least some goodness in him．I could not leave him now．

对于监狱警卫来说，他是一个危险的罪犯。但是对我来讲，他是一个不幸的人，只有最后一点儿快乐属于他，我不能现在抛弃他。

At his trial Jaggers was proved right． The judge decided that Magwitch，a convict sent away for life who had returned，must be hanged．

在他的判决中，证明贾格斯判断是对的。法官决定，马格韦契，一个被终身发配的罪犯逃回来、必须被绞死。

I could not accept this terrible punishment，and wrote to all the important people I could think of，asking for mercy for Magwitch．But all of them refused to help．

我不能接受这个可怕的惩罚，写信给我能够想起来的所有大人物，请求给予马格韦契宽大处理。但是，他们都拒绝帮助。

I noticed，on my daily visits to him，that he was getting much worse．

我每天去看他，发现他的状况越来越糟。

He lay in bed，looking calmly at the white ceiling．Sometimes he could not speak，and just pressed my hand．

他躺在床上，安静地瞅着天花板。有时，他说不了话，仅仅握着我的手。

One evening as I entered his room，he smiled weakly at me．

一天晚上，当我进到他的房间时，他对我淡淡地一笑。

Dear boy，he said，you're never late．

亲爱的孩子！他说，你从来不晚。

I don't want to lose a moment of the time I'm allowed to visit you，I said．

我不想失去允许我看望你的每一分钟。我说。

Thank you，dear boy．God bless you！You've never de serted me，dear boy！ He had spoken his last words．

谢谢你，亲爱的孩子，上帝保佑你！你从来没有抛弃我，亲爱的孩子！他说了最后一句话。

I touched his chest，remembering that I had wanted to desert him once．He put both his hands on mine．

我摸着他的胸部，想起我曾经要抛弃他。他的双手放在我的手上。

Dear Magwitch，listen to me．You had a child once，who you loved and lost．He pressed my hand gently．She's alive．She's a lady and very beautiful．And I love her！

亲爱的马格韦契，听我说，你曾经有一个你痛爱和失去的孩子，他轻轻地握着我的手，她还活着，她是一位小姐并且十分漂亮，我爱她！

He was too weak to speak any more，but he just managed to lift my hand to his lips．

他太虚弱以致不能说话，但是，他使出最后一点微弱之力，把我的手拉到他的唇边。

Then he looked peacefully up at the white ceiling again．Slowly his eyes closed and his head dropped quietly on to his chest．

他的眼睛慢慢地闭上了，他的头静静地垂在他的胸前。