05-01-远大前程 [32]
星期天的早晨,要走几英里到镇上乘去伦敦的马车,出发之前,我急急忙忙地要走,以便赶快和家里的人说再见。当我离开这个宁静沉睡的村庄时,笼罩着沼泽地的迷雾正在升起,它向我显示,我正进入这神秘的大千世界。突然我意识到,我正在离开已成为过去的——我的童年,我的家和乔。这时,我希望我要求他和我一起走去坐马车,我不能停止喊叫。在旅途中,无论什么时候换乘马车,我良心上在想能不能让我下车,回过头来礼貌地说声再见。但是,现在大雾已经完全升起来了,并笼罩着前面给我铺设的新世界。
■ 7 Pip arrives in London
At that time everybody in England agreed that London was a wonderful city.So I was surprised to find it rather ugly, with narrow dirty streets, and people crowded into tiny houses. I was frightened by its huge size. At Smith-field, the meat market, I was shocked by the dirt and blood everywhere Then I came to Newgate Prison, where a drunk old man showed me the place where prisoners were hanged,and told me excitedly that four men would die there tomorrow. I was disgusted by this news.My first impression of London could not have been worse.
However I managed to find Mr Jaggers’ office, noticing that other people were waiting for the great man too. After some time he appeared, walking towards me. His clients all rushed at him together. He spoke to some, and pushed others away.One man held on to the lawyer's sleeve.
‘Please, Mr Jaggers,’he begged,‘my brother is accused of stealing silver. Only you can save him! I'm ready to pay any-thing!’
‘Your brother?’repeated the lawyer.‘And the trial is to-morrow? Well,I'm sorry for you, and him.I'm on the other side.’
‘No,Mr Jaggers!’ cried the man desperately, tears in his eyes.‘Don't say you're against him!I'll pay anything!’
‘Get out of my way,'said Mr Jaggers and we left the man on his knees on the pavement.
Now Mr Jaggers turned to me and told me that on Monday I would go to Matthew Pocket's house to start my studies, but until then I would stay with his son, Herbert, who lived near-by.
Wemmick, Mr Jaggers’ clerk,showed me the way to Mr Pocket's rooms.He was a short, dry man, with a square, expressionless face,between forty and fifty years old. His mouth was so wide that it looked like a post-box,and gave the impression of smiling all the time.
‘Is London a very wicked place?’I asked him, trying to make conversation as we walked.
‘You may be robbed or murdered in London. But that may happen to you anywhere, if there is any profit in it for the criminal.’
I was not sure whether I looked forward to living in London, where people like Wemmick accepted crime so calmly.
We arrived at Herbert Pocket's rented rooms. The building was the dirtiest I had ever seen, with broken windows and dusty doors.It stood in a little square with dying trees around it.I looked in horror at Mr Wemmick.
‘Ah!’ he said,not understanding my look.‘Its quiet position makes you think of the country.I quite agree.Goodbye,Mr Pip.’
I went up the stairs, where there was a note on Mr Pocket's door, saying ‘Returning soon.’His idea of ‘soon’was not the same as mine. About half an hour later I heard footsteps rushing upstairs, and a young man of my age appeared breath-less at the door.‘Mr Pip?’he said.‘I'm so sorry I'm late!’
I greeted him in a confused manner, unable to believe my eyes Suddenly he looked closely at me and gasped.
‘But you're the boy at Miss Havisham's!’
‘And you,’ I said,‘are the pale young gentleman!’
We both started laughing, and shook hands.
‘Well!’ he said,‘I hope you'll forgive me for having
■ 7 Pip arrives in London
At that time everybody in England agreed that London was a wonderful city.So I was surprised to find it rather ugly, with narrow dirty streets, and people crowded into tiny houses. I was frightened by its huge size. At Smith-field, the meat market, I was shocked by the dirt and blood everywhere Then I came to Newgate Prison, where a drunk old man showed me the place where prisoners were hanged,and told me excitedly that four men would die there tomorrow. I was disgusted by this news.My first impression of London could not have been worse.
However I managed to find Mr Jaggers’ office, noticing that other people were waiting for the great man too. After some time he appeared, walking towards me. His clients all rushed at him together. He spoke to some, and pushed others away.One man held on to the lawyer's sleeve.
‘Please, Mr Jaggers,’he begged,‘my brother is accused of stealing silver. Only you can save him! I'm ready to pay any-thing!’
‘Your brother?’repeated the lawyer.‘And the trial is to-morrow? Well,I'm sorry for you, and him.I'm on the other side.’
‘No,Mr Jaggers!’ cried the man desperately, tears in his eyes.‘Don't say you're against him!I'll pay anything!’
‘Get out of my way,'said Mr Jaggers and we left the man on his knees on the pavement.
Now Mr Jaggers turned to me and told me that on Monday I would go to Matthew Pocket's house to start my studies, but until then I would stay with his son, Herbert, who lived near-by.
Wemmick, Mr Jaggers’ clerk,showed me the way to Mr Pocket's rooms.He was a short, dry man, with a square, expressionless face,between forty and fifty years old. His mouth was so wide that it looked like a post-box,and gave the impression of smiling all the time.
‘Is London a very wicked place?’I asked him, trying to make conversation as we walked.
‘You may be robbed or murdered in London. But that may happen to you anywhere, if there is any profit in it for the criminal.’
I was not sure whether I looked forward to living in London, where people like Wemmick accepted crime so calmly.
We arrived at Herbert Pocket's rented rooms. The building was the dirtiest I had ever seen, with broken windows and dusty doors.It stood in a little square with dying trees around it.I looked in horror at Mr Wemmick.
‘Ah!’ he said,not understanding my look.‘Its quiet position makes you think of the country.I quite agree.Goodbye,Mr Pip.’
I went up the stairs, where there was a note on Mr Pocket's door, saying ‘Returning soon.’His idea of ‘soon’was not the same as mine. About half an hour later I heard footsteps rushing upstairs, and a young man of my age appeared breath-less at the door.‘Mr Pip?’he said.‘I'm so sorry I'm late!’
I greeted him in a confused manner, unable to believe my eyes Suddenly he looked closely at me and gasped.
‘But you're the boy at Miss Havisham's!’
‘And you,’ I said,‘are the pale young gentleman!’
We both started laughing, and shook hands.
‘Well!’ he said,‘I hope you'll forgive me for having