3 A New Home

CHAPTER 3 A New Home Mr. Bumble went into a back room where the board was having its supper. There was, of course, no gruel in sight at this meal. The board members were dining on roast chicken and roast beef with potatoes, gravy, turnips, and peas. No less than four pies were waiting for them on a side table for dessert. Both the table and the men were filled with rich and delicious food. "I am sorry to deliver bad news," Mr. Bumble said. He was out of breath from

第三章新家班布尔先生走进一间里屋，董事会成员正在那里吃晚饭。 当然，这顿饭没有看到粥。 董事会成员吃的是烤鸡和烤牛肉，配上土豆、肉汁、萝卜和豌豆。 边桌上至少有四个馅饼在等着他们当甜点。 桌上和男人们都摆满了丰盛而美味的食物。 “我很抱歉告诉你一个坏消息，”班布尔说。 他上气不接下气

running. "But Oliver Twist, one of our young charges, has gone mad." Mr. Bumble told the board members the events that happened only minutes ago. They reacted as one might expect, with shock and horror. "Impossible," said a man in a white vest. "Such an ungrateful child does not deserve the comforts of this establishment." The other board members agreed. They banged on the table and said, "Here, here" and "Aye, aye." "I fear that he will only cause more trouble," Mr. Bumble said. "It would do us no good if he convinced other boys to do the same." "Very well then," said the man in the white vest. "Post a sign, Mr. Bumble. Offer this boy and a reward of five pounds to anyone who will take him." The board members once again pounded on the table in agreement.

运行。“但是奥利弗·特威斯特，我们的一个年轻的孩子，已经疯了。” 班布尔先生告诉董事会成员几分钟前发生的事情。 正如人们所预料的那样，他们的反应是震惊和恐惧。 “不可能，”一个穿白色背心的男人说。 “这样一个忘恩负义的孩子不配享受这里的舒适。” 其他董事会成员也表示同意。 他们敲着桌子说，“这儿，这儿”和“呀，呀”。 “我担心他只会制造更多麻烦，”班布尔说。 “如果他说服其他男孩也这样做，对我们没有好处。” “那好吧，”穿白背心的人说。 “布告吧，班布尔先生。把这孩子交给谁，并给他五镑的赏金。” 董事会成员再一次拍桌子表示同意。

Mr. Bumble went to do as he was told. The sign was up for several days before Mr. Sowerberry, the local undertaker, came to the workhouse. He was there on business when he noticed the sign. He was happy to take the five pounds, but he was not so sure about the boy. Mr. Bumble took him straight to the board to discuss Oliver's fate. "Who's to know if the boy will work hard?" Mr. Sowerberry asked. "What good will it do me if I don't get enough work from him? What if it takes too much food and I get too little work in return?" "We've been careful to feed the boy very little," Bumble said. "So he doesn't demand much." Bumble was careful to avoid mentioning the incident in the long hall. "We'll allow a trial period," the man in the white vest said. "If Oliver is to your liking, you will train him as an undertaker's

班布尔先生照办了。 牌子挂了好几天，当地的殡仪馆老板索尔贝里先生才来到济贫院。 他是在那里出差时注意到那个标志的。 他很高兴接受了这五英镑，但他对这个男孩不太确定。 班布尔先生直接把他带到董事会讨论奥利弗的命运。 “谁知道这孩子会不会努力学习呢？”索尔贝里先生问。 “如果我不能从他那里得到足够的工作，这对我有什么好处呢？” 如果这需要太多的食物，而我得到的工作太少怎么办？”班布尔说：“我们一直很小心，只给孩子喂很少的东西。” “所以他要求的不多。” 班布尔小心翼翼地避免提及在长长的大厅里发生的事情。 “我们允许试用一段时间，”穿白色背心的男人说。 “如果你喜欢奥立弗，你可以把他训练成一个殡仪员

assistant. If he does not agree with you, you may bring him back." "And I keep the five pounds, of course," said the undertaker. The man in the white vest cleared his throat. "Of course," he said slowly. "Whatever suits you best, Mr. Sowerberry. We do ask, though, that you take the boy right away. We'll be happy to be rid of him. One less boy to feed and all that." So Oliver Twist was given a small bundle of shirts and a wool blanket. They rushed him out the door with the undertaker. He did not even have time to say good-bye to Dick. Mr. Sowerberry led him away from the workhouse through gently falling snow. For the first time in his ten years, Oliver was away from the Bumbles and the workhouse. It was all very frightening, but Oliver felt some excitement, too. He hoped

助理。如果他不同意，你可以把他带回来。” “那五镑当然归我了，”殡仪馆老板说。 穿白色背心的人清了清喉咙。 “当然，”他慢慢地说。 “随便你怎么想，索尔贝里先生。 但我们要求你，马上带走这孩子。 我们很高兴能摆脱他。 少了一个孩子要养，诸如此类。” 于是，雾都孤儿得到了一小捆衬衫和一条羊毛毯子。 他们把他和殡仪馆的人赶出了门。 他甚至没有时间跟迪克告别。 索尔贝里先生领着他穿过飘落的雪花离开了济贫院。 奥利弗十年来第一次离开了班布尔家和济贫院。 这一切都很可怕，但奥利弗也感到有些兴奋。 他希望

he was on an adventure. He felt certain, however, that no matter what happened, his new life had to be better than the old one.

他在冒险。然而，他确信，无论发生什么事，他的新生活一定要比旧生活好。