05-02-大卫·科波菲尔 [4]
是的，爱德华，恐怕你是对的，”母亲赶紧答道，“我很抱歉，我会尽量对他严厉些。”
她离开房间后，摩德斯通先生压低声音，愤愤地说道，“大卫，你知道你要是不听话我会怎么对待你吗？我会像揍一条狗一样揍你！”
我当时还小，很怕他。当时他要是跟我说上一句和蔼的话，或许我会喜欢他，信任他，我后来的生活也就会完全不同。然而，我恨他给我亲爱的母亲施加压力，她总想好好待我，可还得讨好她的新丈夫。
当天晚上，摩德斯通先生的姐姐来到家中“帮助”我母亲料理家务。她又高又黑，眉头紧锁，板着面孔，神态和说话声音和她兄弟别无两样。我想她可能要长期和我们呆在一起了，果不出所料，她准备永远住下去。第二天一早她就开始行动起来了。
“现在，克拉拉，”早餐时她严肃地告诉我母亲，“我到这儿是来帮助你的。你在安排用人、食品等方面显得太幼稚，太没主意。所以你把所有橱子、柜子的钥匙交给我，我来为你照料一切。”
可怜的母亲只是一阵阵脸红，显得很羞愧，最终还是同意了。从那以后，摩德斯通小姐完全掌管了家事，她把钥匙挂在手腕上，来回地穿梭在屋里屋外，检查着每一件事是否照她的意思办了。
■ 2 David is sent away to school
I was very unhappy during this time. Mr Murdstone insisted on my studying， and so my mother gave me lessons． In the past she and I had enjoyed our studies together， and she had taught me a lot in her gentle way. But now both Mr and Miss Murdstone were present during my lessons， and somehow I could not concentrate or remember what I had learnt. My poor mother was very sympathetic，and tried to encourage me，sometimes even whispering the answer to me. But the Murdstones had sharp ears． ‘Clara，my love！ ’Mr Murdstone used to say crossly.‘Remember！Be firm！You’ re making the boy's character worse by helping him like that！’ ‘Oh，Edward, I'm sorry,’my mother replied, looking embarrassed and hanging her head like a guilty child． One morning when I arrived in the sittingroom as usual for my lesson，I saw that Mr Murd stone had a thin stick in his hand. I could not take my eyes off it.
‘You must be very careful today， David,’ he said with his unpleasant smile， holding the stick in both hands． I knew what would happen then. A terrible fear took hold of me， and all that I had learnt disappeared immediately from my memory， so that I could not answer any of my mother's questions. Mr Murdstone got up from his chair. ‘Well David，’he said heavily,‘ I think you've worried your mother enough today. We'll go upstairs， boy. Come，’and he picked up the stick. I heard my mother crying as we went upstairs. ‘Please，Mr Murdstone！’I cried. ‘Don't beat me！I've tried to learn，really I have, sir！’ But he did not listen to me. In my bedroom，he held my arms and started hitting me with the stick. I managed to get hold of his hand， and bit deep into it. He cried out angrily，and began to hit me as hard as he could．Above the noise of my screams， I could hear my mother and Peggotty crying outside the door. Then the next moment， he was gone. I heard him lock the door. And I was lying， sore and bleeding, on the floor. The whole house seemed suddenly very quiet. I stayed there for a time， without moving. In the evening Miss Murdstone brought me some bread and milk， which she left on the floor beside me，frowning angrily at me as she went out. I was kept locked in that room for five days and nights，and saw nobody except Miss Murdstone， who brought me food but never spoke to me. To a small boy， the five days seemed like years，and I can still remember how frightened and guilty I felt． But during the fifth night I heard a strange noise at the key-hole. It was Peggotty，trying to give me a message
她离开房间后，摩德斯通先生压低声音，愤愤地说道，“大卫，你知道你要是不听话我会怎么对待你吗？我会像揍一条狗一样揍你！”
我当时还小，很怕他。当时他要是跟我说上一句和蔼的话，或许我会喜欢他，信任他，我后来的生活也就会完全不同。然而，我恨他给我亲爱的母亲施加压力，她总想好好待我，可还得讨好她的新丈夫。
当天晚上，摩德斯通先生的姐姐来到家中“帮助”我母亲料理家务。她又高又黑，眉头紧锁，板着面孔，神态和说话声音和她兄弟别无两样。我想她可能要长期和我们呆在一起了，果不出所料，她准备永远住下去。第二天一早她就开始行动起来了。
“现在，克拉拉，”早餐时她严肃地告诉我母亲，“我到这儿是来帮助你的。你在安排用人、食品等方面显得太幼稚，太没主意。所以你把所有橱子、柜子的钥匙交给我，我来为你照料一切。”
可怜的母亲只是一阵阵脸红，显得很羞愧，最终还是同意了。从那以后，摩德斯通小姐完全掌管了家事，她把钥匙挂在手腕上，来回地穿梭在屋里屋外，检查着每一件事是否照她的意思办了。
■ 2 David is sent away to school
I was very unhappy during this time. Mr Murdstone insisted on my studying， and so my mother gave me lessons． In the past she and I had enjoyed our studies together， and she had taught me a lot in her gentle way. But now both Mr and Miss Murdstone were present during my lessons， and somehow I could not concentrate or remember what I had learnt. My poor mother was very sympathetic，and tried to encourage me，sometimes even whispering the answer to me. But the Murdstones had sharp ears． ‘Clara，my love！ ’Mr Murdstone used to say crossly.‘Remember！Be firm！You’ re making the boy's character worse by helping him like that！’ ‘Oh，Edward, I'm sorry,’my mother replied, looking embarrassed and hanging her head like a guilty child． One morning when I arrived in the sittingroom as usual for my lesson，I saw that Mr Murd stone had a thin stick in his hand. I could not take my eyes off it.
‘You must be very careful today， David,’ he said with his unpleasant smile， holding the stick in both hands． I knew what would happen then. A terrible fear took hold of me， and all that I had learnt disappeared immediately from my memory， so that I could not answer any of my mother's questions. Mr Murdstone got up from his chair. ‘Well David，’he said heavily,‘ I think you've worried your mother enough today. We'll go upstairs， boy. Come，’and he picked up the stick. I heard my mother crying as we went upstairs. ‘Please，Mr Murdstone！’I cried. ‘Don't beat me！I've tried to learn，really I have, sir！’ But he did not listen to me. In my bedroom，he held my arms and started hitting me with the stick. I managed to get hold of his hand， and bit deep into it. He cried out angrily，and began to hit me as hard as he could．Above the noise of my screams， I could hear my mother and Peggotty crying outside the door. Then the next moment， he was gone. I heard him lock the door. And I was lying， sore and bleeding, on the floor. The whole house seemed suddenly very quiet. I stayed there for a time， without moving. In the evening Miss Murdstone brought me some bread and milk， which she left on the floor beside me，frowning angrily at me as she went out. I was kept locked in that room for five days and nights，and saw nobody except Miss Murdstone， who brought me food but never spoke to me. To a small boy， the five days seemed like years，and I can still remember how frightened and guilty I felt． But during the fifth night I heard a strange noise at the key-hole. It was Peggotty，trying to give me a message