NOAH CLAYPOLE IS EMPLOYED BY FAGIN ON A SECRET MISSION
诺亚·克莱普尔受雇于费金执行秘密任务。

The old man was up, betimes, next morning, and waited impatiently for the appearance of his new associate, who after a delay that seemed interminable, at length presented himself, and commenced a voracious assault on the breakfast.
早上，老人早早起床，急切地等待他的新伙伴的出现，后者似乎拖延了一段无法估量的时间，最终出现，并开始猛烈地攻击早餐。

‘Bolter,’ said Fagin, drawing up a chair and seating himself opposite Morris Bolter.
‘波尔特，’费金说着，拉过一把椅子坐在摩里斯·波尔特对面。

‘Well, here I am,’ returned Noah. ‘What’s the matter? —
‘嗯，我来了，’诺亚回答道。’怎么了？ —

Don’t yer ask me to do anything till I have done eating. —
在我吃完饭之前别叫我做任何事。 —

That’s a great fault in this place. Yer never get time enough over yer meals.’
这地方的问题就是这样。你永远没时间充分享用饭点。

‘You can talk as you eat, can’t you?’ said Fagin, cursing his dear young friend’s greediness from the very bottom of his heart.
‘你吃东西的时候还能讲话，不是吗？’费金心里诅咒着他亲爱的年轻朋友的贪婪。

‘Oh yes, I can talk. I get on better when I talk,’ said Noah, cutting a monstrous slice of bread. —
‘噢，是的，我可以说话。我说话时效果更好，’诺亚说着，切下一大块面包。 —

‘Where’s Charlotte?’
‘夏洛特在哪？’

‘Out,’ said Fagin. ‘I sent her out this morning with the other young woman, because I wanted us to be alone.’
‘出去了，’费金说。’我今早派她和另一个年轻女人出去，因为我想我们要独处。

‘Oh!’ said Noah. ‘I wish yer’d ordered her to make some buttered toast first. —
‘噢！’诺亚说：’我希望你让她先做点涂了黄油的烤面包。 —

Well. Talk away. Yer won’t interrupt me.’
好吧。继续说吧。你不会打扰我的。

There seemed, indeed, no great fear of anything interrupting him, as he had evidently sat down with a determination to do a great deal of business.
实际上看起来没有什么能打扰他，因为显然他决心做很多事情。

‘You did well yesterday, my dear,’ said Fagin. ‘Beautiful! —
‘你昨天做得很好，亲爱的，’费金说。’太棒了！ —

Six shillings and ninepence halfpenny on the very first day! —
第一天就赚了六先令九便士半！ —

The kinchin lay will be a fortune to you.’
金钱将对你来说是一大幸运。

‘Don’t you forget to add three pint-pots and a milk-can,’ said Mr. Bolter.
“别忘了加上三个品脱和一个牛奶罐，” 波尔特先生说。

‘No, no, my dear. The pint-pots were great strokes of genius: —
“不，亲爱的。品脱是伟大的创举； —

but the milk-can was a perfect masterpiece.’
但是牛奶罐是完美的杰作。”

‘Pretty well, I think, for a beginner,’ remarked Mr. Bolter complacently. —
“对一个初学者来说，我觉得还不错，” 波尔特先生自满地说。 —

‘The pots I took off airy railings, and the milk-can was standing by itself outside a public-house. —
“品脱我从空栏杆上取下来的，牛奶罐是放在一家酒馆外面的。 —

I thought it might get rusty with the rain, or catch cold, yer know. Eh? Ha! ha! ha!’
我想它可能会被雨水锈蚀，或者着凉，你懂吗。对吧？哈！哈！哈！”

Fagin affected to laugh very heartily; and Mr. Bolter having had his laugh out, took a series of large bites, which finished his first hunk of bread and butter, and assisted himself to a second.
菲金假装笑得很开心；波尔特先生笑完后，开始大口吃起第二块面包。

‘I want you, Bolter,’ said Fagin, leaning over the table, ‘to do a piece of work for me, my dear, that needs great care and caution.’
“我需要你帮我做一件工作，波尔特，” 老太婆倚在桌子上说，“这需要极大的细心和谨慎。”

‘I say,’ rejoined Bolter, ‘don’t yer go shoving me into danger, or sending me any more o’ yer police-offices. —
“我说，” 波尔特反驳道，“别把我推向危险，也别再让我去你说的那些警察局。 —

That don’t suit me, that don’t; and so I tell yer.’
这不适合我，我告诉你。”

‘That’s not the smallest danger in it–not the very smallest,’ said the Jew; —
“这一点都不危险，一点都不危险，” 犹太人说； —

‘it’s only to dodge a woman.’
“只是躲避一个女人。”

‘An old woman?’ demanded Mr. Bolter.
“一个老女人吗？” 波尔特先生问。

‘A young one,’ replied Fagin.
“一个年轻人，” 菲金回答。

‘I can do that pretty well, I know,’ said Bolter. —
“我知道，我能做得很好，”波尔特说道。 —

‘I was a regular cunning sneak when I was at school. —
“我在学校的时候经常玩阴险诡计。” —

What am I to dodge her for? Not to–’
“我为了什么要躲开她？不是为了–”

‘Not to do anything, but to tell me where she goes, who she sees, and, if possible, what she says; —
“不是为了做任何事，而是告诉我她去了哪里，见了谁，如果可能的话，她说了什么； —

to remember the street, if it is a street, or the house, if it is a house; —
记住街道，如果是街道，或者房子，如果是房子； —

and to bring me back all the information you can.’
并带回你能收集到的所有信息。”

‘What’ll yer give me?’ asked Noah, setting down his cup, and looking his employer, eagerly, in the face.
“你能给我什么好处？”诺亚问道，放下杯子，急切地看着雇主的脸。

‘If you do it well, a pound, my dear. One pound,’ said Fagin, wishing to interest him in the scent as much as possible. —
“如果你做得好，一磅，亲爱的。一磅。”费金说，希望尽可能地引起他对这种气味的兴趣。 —

‘And that’s what I never gave yet, for any job of work where there wasn’t valuable consideration to be gained.’
“而我从来没有因为任何工作而没拿到有价值的回报。”

‘Who is she?’ inquired Noah.
“她是谁？”诺亚问道。

‘One of us.’
“我们中的一员。”

‘Oh Lor!’ cried Noah, curling up his nose. ‘Yer doubtful of her, are yer?’
“天哪！”诺亚叫了起来，“你对她也有怀疑？”

‘She has found out some new friends, my dear, and I must know who they are,’ replied Fagin.
“她交了一些新朋友，我必须知道他们是谁。”费金回答道。

‘I see,’ said Noah. ‘Just to have the pleasure of knowing them, if they’re respectable people, eh? —
“我明白了。”诺亚说，“只是为了有幸认识他们，如果他们是体面的人，对吗？” —

Ha! ha! ha! I’m your man.’
哈哈哈！我就是你的人。

‘I knew you would be,’ cried Fagin, elated by the success of his proposal.
“我就知道你会来的！”费金高兴地说道，他对自己的提议成功感到欣喜。

‘Of course, of course,’ replied Noah. ‘Where is she? Where am I to wait for her? Where am I to go?’
“当然，当然。”诺亚回答道。“她在哪里？我该在哪里等她？我该去哪里？”

‘All that, my dear, you shall hear from me. —
“亲爱的，所有这些你都会从我这里知道。 —

I’ll point her out at the proper time,’ said Fagin. ‘You keep ready, and leave the rest to me.’
“到了合适的时候我会指给你看的。”费金说。“你准备好，剩下的交给我。”

That night, and the next, and the next again, the spy sat booted and equipped in his carter’s dress: —
那晚，以及接下来的两个晚上，间谍穿着车夫的服装，已经准备好随时听从费金的命令。 —

ready to turn out at a word from Fagin. Six nights passed–six long weary nights–and on each, Fagin came home with a disappointed face, and briefly intimated that it was not yet time. —
一次次地转过六个漫长而疲惫的夜晚，每晚费金回家时都带着失望的表情，并简要地表示还不是时候。 —

On the seventh, he returned earlier, and with an exultation he could not conceal. It was Sunday.
第七天，他提早回家，无法掩饰他的喜悦之情。那是星期天。

‘She goes abroad to-night,’ said Fagin, ‘and on the right errand, I’m sure; —
“她今晚会外出。”费金说，“而且是为了正确的任务，我确信； —

for she has been alone all day, and the man she is afraid of will not be back much before daybreak. —
因为她整天都在一个人，而她害怕的那个人直到天亮前都不会回来。 —

Come with me. Quick!’
跟我来。快！”

Noah started up without saying a word; for the Jew was in a state of such intense excitement that it infected him. —
诺亚立刻站了起来，没有说一句话；因为犹太人激动得不能自已，他的激动感染了诺亚。 —

They left the house stealthily, and hurrying through a labyrinth of streets, arrived at length before a public-house, which Noah recognised as the same in which he had slept, on the night of his arrival in London.
他们悄悄离开房子，穿过一条迷宫般的街道，最终来到了一个酒吧门前，诺亚认出这是他第一次到伦敦时住过的那家酒吧。

It was past eleven o’clock, and the door was closed. —
已经过了十一点，门紧闭。 —

It opened softly on its hinges as Fagin gave a low whistle. —
费金发出低沉的口哨声，门轻轻地开了。 —

They entered, without noise; and the door was closed behind them.
他们静悄悄地进入，门在他们身后关上。

Scarcely venturing to whisper, but substituting dumb show for words, Fagin, and the young Jew who had admitted them, pointed out the pane of glass to Noah, and signed to him to climb up and observe the person in the adjoining room.
几乎不敢低声说话，但用默契的动作取代了言语，费金和那位年轻的犹太人示意诺亚注视隔壁房间的窗格，并示意他爬上去观察那个人。

‘Is that the woman?’ he asked, scarcely above his breath.
“那位就是那个女人吗？”他小声问道。

Fagin nodded yes.
费金点了点头。

‘I can’t see her face well,’ whispered Noah. ‘She is looking down, and the candle is behind her.
“我看不清她的脸,“诺亚低声说道。”她在低头，蜡烛在她的背后。”

‘Stay there,’ whispered Fagin. He signed to Barney, who withdrew. —
“在那里待着,“费金低声说。他示意巴尼，巴尼退出了房间。 —

In an instant, the lad entered the room adjoining, and, under pretence of snuffing the candle, moved it in the required position, and, speaking to the girl, caused her to raise her face.
瞬间，小伙子进入隔壁房间，假装吹灭蜡烛，将它移动到需要的位置，并与女孩交谈，让她抬起脸来。

‘I see her now,’ cried the spy.
“我看到她了,“间谍喊道。

‘Plainly?’
“清晰吗？”

‘I should know her among a thousand.’
“在千人之中我也能认出她来。”

He hastily descended, as the room-door opened, and the girl came out. —
他迅速下去，就在房门打开时，那个女孩走出来。 —

Fagin drew him behind a small partition which was curtained off, and they held their breaths as she passed within a few feet of their place of concealment, and emerged by the door at which they had entered.
费金将他拉到一个被帘子遮挡的小隔间后面，他们屏住呼吸，当她离开藏身处几英尺之远时，从他们入口的门走出来。

‘Hist!’ cried the lad who held the door. ‘Dow.’
“嘘!“守门的少年低声叫道。”下去吧。

Noah exchanged a look with Fagin, and darted out.
诺亚与费金交换了一下眼神，然后冲了出去。

‘To the left,’ whispered the lad; ‘take the left had, and keep od the other side.’
“向左转,“那个少年低声说道。”走左边，保持在另一侧。”

He did so; and, by the light of the lamps, saw the girl’s retreating figure, already at some distance before him. —
他照做了；透过灯光，他看到女孩的身影正在他前方一段距离之外。 —

He advanced as near as he considered prudent, and kept on the opposite side of the street, the better to observe her motions. —
他只朝前走了一段他认为安全的距离，始终保持在街的对面，以更好地观察她的动作。 —

She looked nervously round, twice or thrice, and once stopped to let two men who were following close behind her, pass on. —
她紧张地几次环顾四周，有一次甚至停下来让两个跟在她后面的男人走过。 —

She seemed to gather courage as she advanced, and to walk with a steadier and firmer step. —
随着她走得更远，她似乎变得更加勇敢，脚步也更为坚定。 —

The spy preserved the same relative distance between them, and followed: —
间谍保持着他们之间相同的距离，并紧随其后，眼睛盯着她。 —

with his eye upon her.
眼睛紧盯她。