第 9 节
作者:不受约束      更新:2021-05-04 17:22      字数:9273
  David Copperfield
  Chapter 3
  I HAVE A CHANGE
  The carrier’s horse was the laziest horse in the world; I
  should hope; and shuffled along; with his head down; as if
  he liked to keep people waiting to whom the packages
  were directed。 I fancied; indeed; that he sometimes chuckled
  audibly over this reflection; but the carrier said he was only
  troubled with a cough。 The carrier had a way of keeping his head
  down; like his horse; and of drooping sleepily forward as he drove;
  with one of his arms on each of his knees。 I say ‘drove’; but it
  struck me that the cart would have gone to Yarmouth quite as well
  without him; for the horse did all that; and as to conversation; he
  had no idea of it but whistling。
  Peggotty had a basket of refreshments on her knee; which
  would have lasted us out handsomely; if we had been going to
  London by the same conveyance。 We ate a good deal; and slept a
  good deal。 Peggotty always went to sleep with her chin upon the
  handle of the basket; her hold of which never relaxed; and I could
  not have believed unless I had heard her do it; that one
  defenceless woman could have snored so much。
  We made so many deviations up and down lanes; and were
  such a long time delivering a bedstead at a public…house; and
  calling at other places; that I was quite tired; and very glad; when
  we saw Yarmouth。 It looked rather spongy and soppy; I thought;
  as I carried my eye over the great dull waste that lay across the
  river; and I could not help wondering; if the world were really as
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  round as my geography book said; how any part of it came to be so
  flat。 But I reflected that Yarmouth might be situated at one of the
  poles; which would account for it。
  As we drew a little nearer; and saw the whole adjacent prospect
  lying a straight low line under the sky; I hinted to Peggotty that a
  mound or so might have improved it; and also that if the land had
  been a little more separated from the sea; and the town and the
  tide had not been quite so much mixed up; like toast and water; it
  would have been nicer。 But Peggotty said; with greater emphasis
  than usual; that we must take things as we found them; and that;
  for her part; she was proud to call herself a Yarmouth Bloater。
  When we got into the street (which was strange enough to me)
  and smelt the fish; and pitch; and oakum; and tar; and saw the
  sailors walking about; and the carts jingling up and down over the
  stones; I felt that I had done so busy a place an injustice; and said
  as much to Peggotty; who heard my expressions of delight with
  great complacency; and told me it was well known (I suppose to
  those who had the good fortune to be born Bloaters) that
  Yarmouth was; upon the whole; the finest place in the universe。
  ‘Here’s my Am!’ screamed Peggotty; ‘growed out of knowledge!’
  He was waiting for us; in fact; at the public…house; and asked
  me how I found myself; like an old acquaintance。 I did not feel; at
  first; that I knew him as well as he knew me; because he had never
  come to our house since the night I was born; and naturally he had
  the advantage of me。 But our intimacy was much advanced by his
  taking me on his back to carry me home。 He was; now; a huge;
  strong fellow of six feet high; broad in proportion; and round…
  shouldered; but with a simpering boy’s face and curly light hair
  that gave him quite a sheepish look。 He was dressed in a canvas
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  David Copperfield
  jacket; and a pair of such very stiff trousers that they would have
  stood quite as well alone; without any legs in them。 And you
  couldn’t so properly have said he wore a hat; as that he was
  covered in a…top; like an old building; with something pitchy。
  Ham carrying me on his back and a small box of ours under his
  arm; and Peggotty carrying another small box of ours; we turned
  down lanes bestrewn with bits of chips and little hillocks of sand;
  and went past gas…works; rope…walks; boat…builders’ yards;
  shipwrights’ yards; ship…breakers’ yards; caulkers’ yards; riggers’
  lofts; smiths’ forges; and a great litter of such places; until we came
  out upon the dull waste I had already seen at a distance; when
  Ham said;
  ‘Yon’s our house; Mas’r Davy!’
  I looked in all directions; as far as I could stare over the
  wilderness; and away at the sea; and away at the river; but no
  house could I make out。 There was a black barge; or some other
  kind of superannuated boat; not far off; high and dry on the
  ground; with an iron funnel sticking out of it for a chimney and
  smoking very cosily; but nothing else in the way of a habitation
  that was visible to me。
  ‘That’s not it?’ said I。 ‘That ship…looking thing?’
  ‘That’s it; Mas’r Davy;’ returned Ham。
  If it had been Aladdin’s palace; roc’s egg and all; I suppose I
  could not have been more charmed with the romantic idea of
  living in it。 There was a delightful door cut in the side; and it was
  roofed in; and there were little windows in it; but the wonderful
  charm of it was; that it was a real boat which had no doubt been
  upon the water hundreds of times; and which had never been
  intended to be lived in; on dry land。 That was the captivation of it
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  to me。 If it had ever been meant to be lived in; I might have
  thought it small; or inconvenient; or lonely; but never having been
  designed for any such use; it became a perfect abode。
  It was beautifully clean inside; and as tidy as possible。 There
  was a table; and a Dutch clock; and a chest of drawers; and on the
  chest of drawers there was a tea…tray with a painting on it of a lady
  with a parasol; taking a walk with a military…looking child who was
  trundling a hoop。 The tray was kept from tumbling down; by a
  bible; and the tray; if it had tumbled down; would have smashed a
  quantity of cups and saucers and a teapot that were grouped
  around the book。 On the walls there were some common coloured
  pictures; framed and glazed; of scripture subjects; such as I have
  never seen since in the hands of pedlars; without seeing the whole
  interior of Peggotty’s brother’s house again; at one view。 Abraham
  in red going to sacrifice Isaac in blue; and Daniel in yellow cast
  into a den of green lions; were the most prominent of these。 Over
  the little mantelshelf; was a picture of the ‘Sarah Jane’ lugger;
  built at Sunderland; with a real little wooden stern stuck on to it; a
  work of art; combining composition with carpentry; which I
  considered to be one of the most enviable possessions that the
  world could afford。 There were some hooks in the beams of the
  ceiling; the use of which I did not divine then; and some lockers
  and boxes and conveniences of that sort; which served for seats
  and eked out the chairs。
  All this I saw in the first glance after I crossed the threshold—
  child…like; according to my theory—and then Peggotty opened a
  little door and showed me my bedroom。 It was the completest and
  most desirable bedroom ever seen—in the stern of the vessel; with
  a little window; where the rudder used to go through; a little
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  looking…glass; just the right height for me; nailed against the wall;
  and framed with oyster…shells; a little bed; which there was just
  room enough to get into; and a nosegay of seaweed in a blue mug
  on the table。 The walls were whitewashed as white as milk; and
  the patchwork counterpane made my eyes quite ache with its
  brightness。 One thing I particularly noticed in this delightful
  house; was the smell of fish; which was so searching; that when I
  took out my pocket…handkerchief to wipe my nose; I found it smelt
  exactly as if it had wrapped up a lobster。 On my imparting this
  discovery in confidence to Peggotty; she informed me that her
  brother dealt in lobsters; crabs; and crawfish; and I afterwards
  found that a heap of these creatures; in a state of wonderful
  conglomeration with one another; and never leaving off pinching
  whatever they laid hold of; were usually to be found in a little
  wooden outhouse where the pots and kettles were kept。
  We were welcomed by a very civil woman in a white apron;
  whom I had seen curtseying at the door when I was on Ham’s
  back; about a quarter of a mile off。 Likewise by a most beautiful
  little girl (or I thought her so) with a necklace of blue beads on;
  who wouldn’t let me kiss her when I offered to; but ran away and
  hid herself。 By and by; when we had dined in a sumptuous
  manner off boiled dabs; melted butter; and potatoes; with a chop
  for me; a hairy man with a very good…natured face came home。 As
  he called Peggotty ‘Lass’; and gave her a hearty smack on the
  cheek; I had no doubt; from the general propriety of her conduct;
  that he was her brother; and so he turned out—being presently
  introduced to me as Mr。 Peggotty; the master of the house。
  ‘Glad to see you; sir;’ said Mr。 Peggotty。 ‘You’ll find us rough;
  sir; but you’ll find us ready。’
  Charles Di