Ch7-Bah, Humbug!

CHAPTER SEVEN Bah, Humbug! Night was falling as Charles led Jack and Annie across the street to an old inn. Candles twinkled in the paned windows. Charles ushered them through the door and into a warm dining room. The room had low ceilings with dark wooden beams. A fire crackled in a huge fireplace at one end.

第七章呸，骗子！夜幕降临时，查尔斯领着杰克和安妮穿过街道来到一家老客栈。 蜡烛在玻璃窗里闪烁。 查尔斯领着他们进了门，走进一间温暖的餐厅。 这个房间的天花板很低，有深色的木梁。 一头的大壁炉里火苗噼啪作响。

"Ah, Mr. Dickens, welcome! Welcome!" said a man with a pointed nose and small eyes. He bowed low and rubbed his hands together. "Thank you, Mr. Pinch," said Charles. "What brings you to my humble inn today?" Mr. Pinch asked. "I've come to dine with my two friends, Mr. Pinch," said Charles. The innkeeper looked down at Jack and Annie. He frowned at their ragged, muddy clothes. "These are your friends, Mr. Dickens?" he said. He wrinkled his nose as if he smelled something bad. "Yes. They are hardworking children," said Charles. "And they are quite hungry."

“啊，狄更斯先生，欢迎你！欢迎！”一个尖鼻子小眼睛的男人说。 他深深地鞠了一躬，搓着手。 “谢谢你，平奇先生，”查尔斯说。 “今天什么风把你吹到我这简陋的客栈来了？”平奇先生问。 “我是来和我的两个朋友吃饭的，平奇先生，”查尔斯说。 客栈老板低头看着杰克和安妮。 他皱着眉头看着他们破烂的、泥泞的衣服。 “这些是你的朋友吗，狄更斯先生？” 他皱起鼻子，好像闻到了什么不好的味道。 “是的。他们是勤奋的孩子，”查尔斯说。 “而且他们很饿。”

"I see.…" Mr. Pinch looked fretfully around the room. "Well, what about that table in the corner, Mr. Dickens?" "Yes, Mr. Pinch, that will be fine," said Charles. Mr. Pinch ushered them to the table. A waiter brought them silverware and lit a candle. Some of the diners began to notice Charles Dickens and whispered to one another. An elegantly dressed couple came over to the table. "Excuse me, Mr. Dickens," the woman said shyly. "But I want you to know how much my husband and I love your stories." "Why, thank you!" said Charles, grinning. "Tell me, what do you love most about them?"

“我明白了。平奇先生烦躁地环顾了一下房间。 “那么，角落里那张桌子怎么样，狄更斯先生？”“好的，平奇先生，那很好，”查尔斯说。 平奇先生把他们引到桌旁。 一个侍者给他们拿来银器，点燃了一支蜡烛。 一些就餐者开始注意到查尔斯·狄更斯，互相窃窃私语。 一对穿着考究的夫妇走到桌边。 “对不起，狄更斯先生，”女人害羞地说。 “但我想让你知道，我和我丈夫有多喜欢你的故事。” “啊，谢谢你！”查尔斯笑着说。 “告诉我，你最喜欢他们哪一点？”

As the couple began talking about their favorite scenes from his books, more people gathered around Charles Dickens. At the same time, serving people delivered heaping plates of food to the table: baked apples, turkey drumsticks, steak pie, mashed potatoes, brown bread, buttery cheese, dark jam, and steaming cups of tea. Jack and Annie started to eat at once. Gobbling his mashed potatoes, Jack noticed that Charles Dickens didn't even look at his food. He was too busy laughing and talking with his fans. People all over London love Charles, Jack thought. So why did Merlin send us here? So far

当这对夫妇开始谈论他们最喜欢的狄更斯书中的场景时，更多的人聚集在查尔斯·狄更斯的周围。 与此同时，上菜的人把一盘盘的食物端上餐桌：烤苹果、火鸡鸡腿、牛排派、土豆泥、黑面包、黄油奶酪、黑果酱和热气腾腾的茶。 杰克和安妮马上开始吃饭。 杰克狼吞虎咽地吃着土豆泥，注意到查尔斯·狄更斯连看都没看他的食物。 他忙着和粉丝们谈笑风生。 全伦敦的人都爱查尔斯，杰克想。 梅林为什么派我们来这里？ 到目前为止

Charles was only helping them. They weren't helping him at all. "Jack, look," Annie whispered. She pointed toward a window. A man and a small boy were staring through the glass, their faces lit by candlelight. The man was leaning on a crutch. He and the boy were both thin and sad-looking.

查尔斯只是在帮助他们。 他们根本没有帮助他。 “杰克，看，”安妮小声说。 她指着一扇窗户。 一个男人和一个小男孩透过玻璃凝视着，他们的脸被烛光照亮。 那人拄着拐杖。 他和男孩都很瘦，看起来很悲伤。

"They're staring at Charles," Jack mumbled, his mouth full of potatoes.

“他们在盯着查尔斯看。”杰克嘴里塞满了土豆，喃喃地说。