TREATS OF THE PLACE WHERE OLIVER TWIST WAS BORN AND OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING HIS BIRTH
谈论奥利弗·特威斯特出生的地方以及出生时的情况

Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is one anciently common to most towns, great or small: —
在某个不便具体提及的城镇内，有一座众所周知的公共建筑，我不会给它取虚构的名字，这座建筑对大大小小的城镇来说是古老的： —

to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse was born; —
这就是说，一个救济院；而在这个救济院里出生了； —

on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events; —
在一个我无需再次提及的日期和日子，因为在这一阶段对读者来说毫无意义； —

the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter.
导致这一章标题上列明的那个人命的产物。

For a long time after it was ushered into this world of sorrow and trouble, by the parish surgeon, it remained a matter of considerable doubt whether the child would survive to bear any name at all; —
在它被接生者接生进入这个充满悲伤和困苦的世界之后，很长一段时间内，这个孩子能否活下来取名字都是一个相当值得怀疑的事； —

in which case it is somewhat more than probable that these memoirs would never have appeared; —
在这种情况下，这部回忆录很可能永远也不会问世； —

or, if they had, that being comprised within a couple of pages, they would have possessed the inestimable merit of being the most concise and faithful specimen of biography, extant in the literature of any age or country.
或者，如果问世了，就算内容被压缩在两页内，也将具有无可估量的价值，成为所有时代和国家文学中最简洁忠实的传记范本。

Although I am not disposed to maintain that the being born in a workhouse, is in itself the most fortunate and enviable circumstance that can possibly befall a human being, I do mean to say that in this particular instance, it was the best thing for Oliver Twist that could by possibility have occurred. —
虽然我不认为在救济院出生本身就是一个人类有可能遇到的最幸运和令人向往的情况，但在这个特殊情况中，我确实认为对于奥利弗·特威斯特来说，这是可能发生的最好事情。 —

The fact is, that there was considerable difficulty in inducing Oliver to take upon himself the office of respiration,–a troublesome practice, but one which custom has rendered necessary to our easy existence; —
事实上，奥利弗很难被说服去开始呼吸这一行为，–这是一种令人烦恼的习惯，但习惯使之成为我们轻松生活所必需的； —

and for some time he lay gasping on a little flock mattress, rather unequally poised between this world and the next: —
有段时间，他躺在一张不太平衡的小羊毛垫上，呼吸困难，处于这个世界和下一个世界之间： —

the balance being decidedly in favour of the latter. —
明显地倾向于后者。 —

Now, if, during this brief period, Oliver had been surrounded by careful grandmothers, anxious aunts, experienced nurses, and doctors of profound wisdom, he would most inevitably and indubitably have been killed in no time. —
现在，如果在这短暂时期内奥利弗周围有细心的祖母、担心的姑姑、经验丰富的护士和博学的医生，他肯定会毫无疑问地很快就死了。 —

There being nobody by, however, but a pauper old woman, who was rendered rather misty by an unwonted allowance of beer; —
然而，周围只有一名乞丐老妇和一名由于喝了不寻常的啤酒而头晕的救济院外科医生； —

and a parish surgeon who did such matters by contract; —
并且一个按合同办理类似事务的救济院外科医生。 —

Oliver and Nature fought out the point between them. —
奥利弗和自然之间争执着这件事。 —

The result was, that, after a few struggles, Oliver breathed, sneezed, and proceeded to advertise to the inmates of the workhouse the fact of a new burden having been imposed upon the parish, by setting up as loud a cry as could reasonably have been expected from a male infant who had not been possessed of that very useful appendage, a voice, for a much longer space of time than three minutes and a quarter.
结果是，在经过几次挣扎后，奥利弗呼吸起来，打了个喷嚏，然后通过尽可能长达三分之一的时间发出了一声大哭，宣告着救济院再次被强加了一个新的负担。

As Oliver gave this first proof of the free and proper action of his lungs, the patchwork coverlet which was carelessly flung over the iron bedstead, rustled; —
当奥利弗展示了他的肺部自由和正常的运作时，不经意地掩盖在铁床上的拼图棉被沙沙作响。 —

the pale face of a young woman was raised feebly from the pillow; —
一位年轻女子苍白的脸颊微弱地从枕头上抬起; —

and a faint voice imperfectly articulated the words, ‘Let me see the child, and die.’
一个微弱的声音含糊地说出了：“让我看看孩子，然后就死吧。”

The surgeon had been sitting with his face turned towards the fire: —
外科医生一直坐在火炉边，脸朝火炉： —

giving the palms of his hands a warm and a rub alternately. —
把手掌温暖地来回擦拭。 —

As the young woman spoke, he rose, and advancing to the bed’s head, said, with more kindness than might have been expected of him:
当年轻女子讲话时，他起身，走到床头，比预期中更加友善地说：

‘Oh, you must not talk about dying yet.’
“哦，你现在可不要谈论死啊。”

‘Lor bless her dear heart, no!’ interposed the nurse, hastily depositing in her pocket a green glass bottle, the contents of which she had been tasting in a corner with evident satisfaction.
“啊，天哪，别说这种死话！”护士急忙将一只瓶子放回口袋里，她在一个角落里尝了一口，显然很满意。

‘Lor bless her dear heart, when she has lived as long as I have, sir, and had thirteen children of her own, and all on ‘em dead except two, and them in the wurkus with me, she’ll know better than to take on in that way, bless her dear heart! —
“啊，天哪，她亲爱的心肝，当她活了像我这么长时间，有了十三个孩子，除了两个在工作坊和我在一起，其他所有的孩子都去世了，她就会知道不应该这样悲伤，祝福她的心肝！ —

Think what it is to be a mother, there’s a dear young lamb do.’
想想做母亲是什么感受，亲爱的小羔羊。”

Apparently this consolatory perspective of a mother’s prospects failed in producing its due effect. —
显然，这种母亲前景的安慰性展望未能产生应有的效果。 —

The patient shook her head, and stretched out her hand towards the child.
病人摇了摇头，伸出手向孩子伸去。

The surgeon deposited it in her arms. She imprinted her cold white lips passionately on its forehead; passed her hands over her face; —
外科医生把孩子放在她的怀里。她热烈地在孩子的额头上印上了她冰冷的白唇; 滑过她的脸颊; —

gazed wildly round; shuddered; fell back–and died. They chafed her breast, hands, and temples; —
疯狂地四处张望着；颤抖着；向后倒下——然后死去了。他们擦拭她的胸部、手和太阳穴； —

but the blood had stopped forever. They talked of hope and comfort. —
但血液永远停止了。他们谈论希望和安慰。 —

They had been strangers too long.
他们已经是陌生人太久了。

‘It’s all over, Mrs. Thingummy!’ said the surgeon at last.
‘一切都结束了，辛姆太太！’外科医生最后说道。

‘Ah, poor dear, so it is!’ said the nurse, picking up the cork of the green bottle, which had fallen out on the pillow, as she stooped to take up the child. ‘Poor dear!’
‘啊，可怜的亲爱的，是啊！’护士说道，顺便拾起绿瓶的软木塞，它掉在枕头上，她弯腰去接那个孩子。‘可怜的亲爱的！’

‘You needn’t mind sending up to me, if the child cries, nurse,’ said the surgeon, putting on his gloves with great deliberation. —
‘如果孩子哭闹，不需要打发人叫我，护士，’外科医生戴上手套，非常从容地说道。 —

‘It’s very likely it will be troublesome. Give it a little gruel if it is.’ —
‘它很可能会很烦人。如果是这样，给它些粥吧。’ —

He put on his hat, and, pausing by the bed-side on his way to the door, added, ‘She was a good-looking girl, too; —
戴上帽子后，他在去门口的路上顺便停在床边，补充说道，’她也是一个长得漂亮的姑娘； —

where did she come from?’
她从哪里来的？’

‘She was brought here last night,’ replied the old woman, ‘by the overseer’s order. —
‘昨晚她被送到这里，’老妇人回答说，’是监护人的命令。 —

She was found lying in the street. She had walked some distance, for her shoes were worn to pieces; —
她被发现躺在街上。她走了一段路，因为她的鞋已经磨破了； —

but where she came from, or where she was going to, nobody knows.’
但没人知道她来自哪里，或者她要去哪里。’

The surgeon leaned over the body, and raised the left hand. —
外科医生俯身看向尸体，抬起左手。 —

‘The old story,’ he said, shaking his head: —
‘老生常谈，’他摇着头说： —

‘no wedding-ring, I see. Ah! Good-night!’
‘我看到了，没有结婚戒指。啊！晚安！’

The medical gentleman walked away to dinner; —
医生先生走开去吃晚饭； —

and the nurse, having once more applied herself to the green bottle, sat down on a low chair before the fire, and proceeded to dress the infant.
护士继续拿起那瓶绿色药水，坐在火炉前的小椅子上，开始给婴儿换尿布；

What an excellent example of the power of dress, young Oliver Twist was! —
奥利弗·特维斯是时尚魅力的绝佳体现！ —

Wrapped in the blanket which had hitherto formed his only covering, he might have been the child of a nobleman or a beggar; —
裹在一条毯子里，这也许是一个贵族或者乞丐的孩子； —

it would have been hard for the haughtiest stranger to have assigned him his proper station in society. —
对于最傲慢的陌生人而言，也很难确定他在社会中的真正身份； —

But now that he was enveloped in the old calico robes which had grown yellow in the same service, he was badged and ticketed, and fell into his place at once–a parish child–the orphan of a workhouse–the humble, half-starved drudge–to be cuffed and buffeted through the world–despised by all, and pitied by none.
但是现在，他身上裹着那些因长期使用而发黄的旧卡里克布袍，他被标注着，被贴上标签，立刻降为一个之孩–一个教区里的孤儿–一个半饥饿、卑微的苦力–在世界上受打受骂–所有人都唾弃他，却没有一人可怜他；

Oliver cried lustily. If he could have known that he was an orphan, left to the tender mercies of church-wardens and overseers, perhaps he would have cried the louder.
奥利弗哭得撕心裂肺。如果他知道自己是一个孤儿，被教堂事务管理者和监护人遗弃，也许他会哭得更为响亮。