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STAVE THREE

THE SECOND OF THE THREE SPIRITS

Awaking in the middle 中部 of a prodigiously tough 坚强的 snore 鼾, and sitting 坐 up in bed 床 to get his thoughts together 同时, Scrooge had no occasion 机会 to be told tell that the bell 钟 was again upon the stroke 一击;轻抚 of One. He felt feel that he was restored 修复；使复位；使复职 to consciousness 意识 in the right nick 缺口 of time, for the especial purpose 目的 of holding a conference 会议 with the second messenger 信使 dispatched 调度 to him through Jacob Marley's intervention 干涉. But, finding that he turned uncomfortably 不舒服 cold 寒冷的 when he began begin to wonder 琢磨；奇妙 which of his curtains 窗帘 this new spectre would draw 绘画 back, he put them every one aside 在旁边 with his own hands, and, lying 躺；说谎 down again, established 建立 a sharp 敏锐的 look-out all round 圆形的；围绕 the bed 床. For he wished 希望 to challenge 挑战 the Spirit 精神 on the moment 瞬间 of its appearance 外貌, and did not wish 希望 to be taken by surprise 使惊奇 and made nervous 担心的.

Gentlemen of the free 自由的-and-easy 容易的 sort 分类, who plume 羽 themselves 他们自己 on being 存在 acquainted 认识 with a move or two, and being usually equal 相等的 to the time of day, express 表达 the wide 宽的 range 范围；射程；类别 of their capacity 容量 for adventure 冒险活动 by observing 观察 that they are good for any‧thing 任何东西 from pitch 沥青-and-toss 折腾 to man‧slaughter 男人‧屠宰; between which opposite 相对的 extremes 极端的, no doubt 怀疑, there lies 躺；说谎 a tolerably wide 宽的 and comprehensive 全面的；综合的；详尽的 range 范围；射程；类别 of subjects 主题. Without venturing 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 for Scrooge quite 相当 as hardily 耐寒 as this, I don't mind calling on you to believe 信任 that he was ready 准备好的 for a good broad 宽阔的 field 田 of strange 奇怪；陌生 appearances 外貌, and that nothing between a baby 婴儿 and a rhinoceros would have astonished 使惊讶 him very much.

Now, being 存在 prepared 准备 for almost any‧thing 任何东西, he was not by any means prepared for nothing; and consequently 所以, when the bell 钟 struck 敲击:strike One, and no shape 形状 appeared 出现, he was taken with a violent 猛烈 fit 合适 of trembling 发抖. Five minutes 分, ten 十 minutes, a quarter 四分之一 of an hour 小时 went by, yet nothing came. All this time he lay 放置 upon his bed 床, the very core 核心 and centre of a blaze 火焰 of ruddy light, which streamed 河流 upon it when the clock 钟 pro‧claim 宣布 the hour; and which, being 存在 only light, was more many alarming 警告 than a dozen （一）打；十二 ghosts 鬼, as he was power‧less 无力 to make out what it meant mean, or would be at; and was some‧time 有时 apprehensive that he might be at that very moment 瞬间 an interesting case of spontaneous 自发 combustion 燃烧, without having the consolation 安慰 of knowing it. At last, however, he began begin to think—as you or I would have thought think at first; for it is always the person not in the predicament 困境 who knows what ought 应当 to have been done in it, and would unquestionably have done it too—at last, I say, he began begin to think that the source 资源 and secret 秘密 of this ghostly 鬼 light might be in the adjoining 毗 room, from whence, on further 更远的 tracing 跟踪 it, it seemed to shine 发光. This idea 主意 taking full 满的 possession 所有物 of his mind, he got get up softly 软的, and shuffled 拖曳 in his slip‧per 拖鞋 to the door 门.

The moment 瞬间 Scrooge's hand was on the lock 锁, a strange 奇怪；陌生 voice 嗓音 called him by his name, and bade him enter 进入. He obeyed 服从.

It was his own room. There was no doubt 怀疑 about that. But it had undergone a surprising 使惊奇 trans‧formation 转型. The walls 墙 and ceiling 天花板 were so hung 悬挂:hang with living green 绿色的, that it looked a perfect 使完善；完美的 grove 树林; from every part of which bright 明亮的 gleaming 闪光 berries 梅；浆果 glistened 闪亮. The crisp 脆 leaves of holly, mistletoe, and ivy reflected 反射 back the light, as if so many little mirrors 镜子 had been scattered 散落 there; and such a mighty 威武 blaze 火焰 went roaring 咆哮 up the chimney 烟囱 as that dull 钝的；没兴趣 petrifaction of a hearth 炉 had never known know in Scrooge's time, or Marley's, or for many and many a winter 冬 season 季节 gone. Heaped up on the floor 地面, to form a kind of throne 王座, were turkeys 火鸡, geese, game 游戏, poultry 家禽, brawn, great joints 共同的 of meat 肉, sucking 吮吸-pigs 猪, long wreaths of sausages 香肠, mince 剁碎-pies 馅饼, plum 李子-puddings 布丁, barrels 桶 of oysters 牡蛎, red 红色的-hot 热的 chest‧nut 板栗, cherry 樱桃-cheeked 脸颊 apples 苹果, juicy 多汁 oranges 桔子, luscious pears 梨, immense 极大的 twelfth-cakes 蛋糕, and see‧thing 看见‧东西；事件 bowls 碗 of punch 冲床, that made the chamber 室 dim 暗淡 with their delicious 美味的 steam 蒸汽. Ineasy 容易的 state upon this couch 长椅 there sat 坐:sit a jolly 欢乐 Giant 巨人, glorious 辉煌 to see; who bore 厌倦；厌烦；生 a glowing 辉光 torch 火炬, in shape 形状 not unlike 不像 Plenty 丰富's horn 角；喇叭, and held hold it up, high up, to shed its light on Scrooge as he came peeping 窥视 round 圆形的；围绕 the door 门.

"Come in!" exclaimed 喊叫 the Ghost. "Come in! and know me better well, man!"

Scrooge entered 进入 timidly 胆小, and hung 悬挂:hang his head before this Spirit 精神. He was not the dogged 狗 Scrooge he had been; and, though the Spirit's eyes were clear and kind, he did not like to meet them.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas 圣诞节 Present," said the Spirit. "Look upon me!"

Scrooge reverently did so. It was clothed 供穿 in one simple 简单的 deep 深的 green 绿色的 robe 长袍, or mantle 披风, bordered 边；界 with white 白色的 fur 毛皮. This garment 服装 hung 悬挂:hang so loosely 松的 on the figure, that its capacious breast 乳房 was bare 光秃秃的, as if disdaining 蔑视 to be warded 病房 or concealed 隐藏 by any artifice. Its feet, observable beneath 之下 the ample 充足 folds 折叠 of the garment 服装, were also bare; and on its head it wore 穿着:wear no other covering 覆盖 than a holly wreath, set here and there with shining 发光 icicles. Its dark 黑暗的 brown 棕色的 curls 一绺鬈发 were long and free 自由的; free as its genial face, its sparkling 火花 eye, its open hand, its cheery voice 嗓音, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful 快乐 air 天空. Girded round 圆形的；围绕 its middle 中部 was an antique 古董 scabbard; but no sword 剑 was in it, and the ancient 古代的 sheath 鞘 was eaten 吃:eat up with rust 荒废；铁锈.

"You have never seen see the like of me before!" exclaimed 喊叫 the Spirit 精神.

"Never," Scrooge made answer 答复 to it.

"Have never walked 走；步行同道 forth 向前 with the younger members of my family; meaning (for I am very young) my elder 年长的 brothers 兄弟 born 生；熊:bear in these later years?" pursued 追求 the Phantom.

"I don't think I have," said Scrooge. "I am afraid 害怕的 I have not. Have you had many brothers, Spirit 精神?"

"More many than eighteen 十八 hundred 百," said the Ghost.

"A tremendous 巨大 family to provide for," muttered 咕哝 Scrooge.

The Ghost of Christmas 圣诞节 Present rose 上升:rise.

"Spirit 6," said Scrooge submissively, "conduct 进行 me where you will. I went forth 向前 last night on compulsion 义务, and I learnt 学习:learn a lesson 教训 which is working now. To-night, if you have aught to teach 教 me, let me profit 收益 by it."

" Touch 触摸 my robe 长袍!"

Scrooge did as he was told tell, and held hold it fast 快的.

Holly, mistletoe, red 红色的 berries 梅；浆果, ivy, turkeys 火鸡, geese, game 游戏, poultry 家禽, brawn, meat 肉,pigs 猪, sausages 香肠, oysters 牡蛎, pies 馅饼, puddings 布丁, fruit 成果, and punch 冲床, all vanished 消失 instantly 瞬间. So did the room, the fire 火, the ruddy glow 辉光, the hour 小时 of night, and they stood stand in the city streets 街 on Christmas 圣诞节 morning 早晨, where (for the weather 天气 was severe 严峻的) the people made a rough 粗糙的, but brisk 轻快 and not unpleasant 不愉快 kind of music 音乐, in scraping 擦 the snow 雪；下雪 from the pavement 路面 in front 前面 of their dwellings 住, and from the tops 顶 of their houses, whence it was mad 疯狂的 delight 快乐 to the boys to see it come plumping 丰满 down into the road 路 below 在下面, and splitting 分裂 into artificial 人造的 little snow 雪；下雪-storms 暴风雨.

The house-fronts 前面 looked black 黑色 enough, and the windows 窗 blacker 黑色, contrasting 对比 with the smooth 光滑的 white 白色的 sheet 纸 of snow 雪；下雪 upon the roofs 屋顶, and with the dirtier 肮脏 snow upon the ground 地面; which last deposit 留下 had been ploughed up in deep 深的 furrows 畦 by the heavy 厚实；重的 wheels 轮子 of carts 运货马车 and waggons; furrows 畦 that crossed 穿过；十字 and recrossed each other hundreds 百 of times where the great streets 街 branched 树枝 off; and made intricate 错综复杂 channels 渠道, hard 硬；困难的 to trace 跟踪, in the thick 浓的 yellow 黄色的 mud 泥 and icy 冷冰冰 water. The sky 天（空） was gloomy 阴沉, and the shortest 短的 streets 街 were choked 呛 up with a dingy mist 薄雾, half 一半的 thawed 解冻, half frozen 使结冰；不动:freeze, whose 谁的 heavier 厚实；重的 particles 微粒 descended 下来 in a shower 阵雨 of sooty atoms 原子, as if all the chimneys 烟囱 in Great Britain had, by one consent 同意, caught 抓；赶上:catch fire 火, and were blazing 火焰 away to their dear 亲爱的 hearts 心' content 内容. There was nothing very cheerful 快乐 in the climate 气候 or the town 城镇, and yet was there an air 天空 of cheerfulness abroad 到国外 that the clearest summer 夏 air and brightest 明亮的 summer sun 太阳 might have endeavoured to diffuse 扩散 in vain 徒劳的.

For, the people who were shovelling 铲 away on the housetops were jovial and full 满的 of glee; calling out to one another from the parapets, and now and then exchanging 交换 a facetious snow‧ball 雪；下雪‧球—better well-natured missile far than many a wordy jest— laughing 笑 heartily 爽朗 if it went right, and not less little heartily 爽朗 if it went wrong 有毛病的. The poulterers' shops 商店 were still half 一半的 open, and the fruiterers' were radiant 辐射的 in their glory 光荣. There were great, round 圆形的；围绕, pot 罐-bellied 肚皮 baskets 篮 of chest‧nut 板栗, shaped 形状 like the waistcoats of jolly 欢乐 old gentlemen, lolling at the doors 门, and tumbling 下跌 out into the street 街 in their apoplectic opulence. There were ruddy, brown 棕色的-faced, broad 宽阔的-girthed Spanish onions 洋葱, shining 发光 in the fatness of their growth 生长 like Spanish Friars, and winking 眨眼 from their shelves in wanton slyness at the girls as they went by, and glanced 一瞥 demurely at the hung 悬挂:hang-up mistletoe. There were pears 梨 and apples 苹果 clustered 簇 high in blooming 盛开 pyramids 金字塔; there were bunches 束 of grapes 葡萄, made, in the shop‧keeper 店主' benevolence, to dangle 吊着 from conspicuous 显着 hooks 钩 that people's mouths 口 might water gratis as they passed 走过; there were piles 堆 of filberts, mossy and brown 棕色的, recalling 召回, in their fragrance 香味, ancient 古代的 walks 走；步行同道 among 之间 the woods 木材；树林, and pleasant 可爱的 shufflings 拖曳 ankle 踝 deep 深的 through withered 枯萎 leaves; there were Norfolk Biffins, squab and swarthy, setting off the yellow 黄色的 of the oranges 桔子 and lemons 柠檬, and, in the great compactness of their juicy 多汁 persons, urgently 急迫的 entreating and beseeching to be carried 运送；支撑 home in paper 纸；报纸 bags 袋, and eaten 吃:eat after dinner 正餐. The very gold 金 and silver 银 fish 鱼, set forth 向前 among 之间 these choice 选择 fruits 成果 in a bowl 碗, though members of a dull 钝的；没兴趣 and stagnant 滞-blooded 血 race 赛跑, appeared 出现 to know that there was something going on; and, to a fish 鱼, went gasping 喘气 round 圆形的；围绕 and round their little world in slow 慢的 and passion‧less 激情，热情；强烈情感‧少 excitement 激动.

The Grocers'! oh, the Grocers'! nearly closed, with perhaps 或许 two shutters 快门 down, or one; but through those gaps 缺口 such glimpses 一瞥! It was not alone 单独的 that the scales 规模 descending 下来 on the counter 反；表面 made a merry 愉快的 sound 声音, or that the twine and roller 翻滚；摇晃 parted company so briskly 轻快, or that the canisters were rattled 霸王鞭 up and down like juggling 变戏法 tricks 哄骗；诀窍, or even that the blended 混合 scents 香味 of tea 茶水 and coffee 咖啡 were so grateful 感激的 to the nose 鼻子, or even that the raisins were so plentiful 丰富 and rare 罕见的, the almonds 杏仁 so extremely 非常；极端；极其 white 白色的, the sticks 棍；粘贴 of cinnamon so long and straight 直的, the other spices 香料 so delicious 美味的, the candied 糖果 fruits 成果 so caked 蛋糕 and spotted 地点 with molten sugar 食糖 as to make the coldest 寒冷的 lookers-on feel faint 微弱的, and subsequently 随后的，接着的 bilious. Nor 也不 was it that the figs 图 were moist 湿 and pulpy, or that the French plums 李子 blushed 脸红 in modest 谦虚的 tartness from their highly-decorated 装饰 boxes 盒；耳光, or that every‧thing 每件事物 was good to eat 吃 and in its Christmas 圣诞节 dress 衣服; but the customers 顾客 were all so hurried 赶紧 and so eager 渴望的 in the hopeful 有希望 promise 允诺 of the day, that they tumbled 下跌 up against each other at the door 门, crashing 碰撞 their wicker baskets 篮 wildly 野生的, and left 左边；留下；离开 their purchases 采购 upon the counter 反；表面, and came running back to fetch 取 them, and committed 承诺 hundreds 百 of the like mistakes 错误, in the best 最好 humour possible; while the Grocer and his people were so frank 坦率 and fresh 新鲜的, that the polished 擦光 hearts 心 with which they fastened 系牢 their aprons 围裙 behind 之后 might have been their own, worn 穿着:wear out‧side 在外面 for general inspection 检查, and for Christmas 圣诞节 daws to peck 啄 at if they chose 挑选:choose.

But soon 立刻 the steeples called good people all to church and chapel 教堂, and away they came, flocking 群 through the streets 街 in their best 最好 clothes 衣服，衣物, and with their gayest 快乐的 faces. And at the same time there emerged 出现, from scores 得分了 of by- streets, lanes 车道, and name‧less 名字‧少 turnings, innumerable 无数 people, carrying 运送；支撑 their dinners 正餐 to the bakers 面包师傅' shops 商店. The sight 视力 of these poor 贫穷的 revellers appeared 出现 to interest the Spirit 7 very much, for he stood stand with Scrooge beside 旁边；除了 him in a baker 烤's door‧way 门口, and, taking off the covers 覆盖 as their bearers 来人 passed 走过, sprinkled 撒 incense 香 on their dinners 正餐 from his torch 火炬. And it was a very uncommon 罕见 kind of torch 火炬, for once or twice 两次, when there were angry 生气的 words between some dinner 正餐-carriers 支架 who had jostled each other, he shed a few drops 放下；滴；掉 of water on them from it, and their good-humour was restored 修复；使复位；使复职 directly. For they said, it was a shame 羞愧 to quarrel 争吵 upon Christmas 圣诞节-day. And so it was! God love 爱 it, so it was!

In time the bells 钟 ceased 停止, and the bakers 面包师傅 were shut 关闭 up; and yet there was a genial shadowing 阴影 forth 向前 of all these dinners 正餐, and the progress 进步 of their cooking 烹调, in the thawed 解冻 blotch of wet 湿的 above 之上 each baker 烤's oven 烤箱; where the pavement 路面 smoked 烟 as if its stones 石头 were cooking 烹调 too.

"Is there a peculiar 奇怪的 flavour in what you sprinkle 撒 from your torch 火炬?" asked Scrooge.

"There is. My own."

"Would it apply 用于 to any kind of dinner 正餐 on this day?" asked Scrooge.

"To any kindly given give. To a poor 贫穷的 one most many."

"Why to a poor one most many?" asked Scrooge.

"Because it needs it most many."

"Spirit 8!" said Scrooge after a moment 瞬间's thought think. "I wonder 琢磨；奇妙 you, of all the beings 蜜蜂 in the many worlds about us, should desire 希望 to cramp 抽筋 these people's opportunities 机会 of innocent 无辜 enjoyment 享受."

"I!" cried 哭，叫喊 the Spirit 9.

"You would deprive 剥夺 them of their means of dining 吃饭 every seventh day, often the only day on which they can be said to dine 吃饭 at all," said Scrooge; "wouldn't you?"

"I!" cried the Spirit.

"You seek 寻求 to close these places on the Seventh Day," said Scrooge. "And it comes to the same thing."

"I seek 寻求!" exclaimed 喊叫 the Spirit.

" Forgive 原谅 me if I am wrong 有毛病的. It has been done in your name, or at least 最小的 in that of your family," said Scrooge.

"There are some upon this earth 地球 of yours," returned 回转 the Spirit, "who lay 放置 claim 声称 to know us, and who do their deeds 行为 of passion 激情，热情；强烈情感, pride 自尊, ill 生病-will, hatred 仇恨, envy 嫉妒, bigotry, and selfishness in our name, who are as strange 奇怪；陌生 to us, and all our kith and kin 亲属, as if they had never lived. Remember 记得 that, and charge 装载 their doings on themselves 他们自己, not us."

Scrooge promised 允诺 that he would; and they went on, invisible 无形, as they had been before, into the suburbs 市郊 of the town 城镇. It was a remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 quality 质量 of the Ghost (which Scrooge had observed 观察 at the baker 烤's), that, notwithstanding 虽然 his gigantic 巨大 size 大小, he could accommodate 容纳 him‧self 他自己 to any place with ease 轻松; and that he stood stand beneath 之下 a low 低的 roof 屋顶 quite 相当 as gracefully 优美 and like a super‧natural 超自然 creature 动物；生物 as it was possible he could have done in any lofty 高远 hall 过道.

And perhaps 或许 it was the pleasure 愉快 the good Spirit had in showing off this power of his, or else 其他 it was his own kind, generous 慷慨的, hearty 爽朗 nature, and his sympathy 同情 with all poor 贫穷的 men, that led lead him straight 直的 to Scrooge's clerk 店员's; for there he went, and took Scrooge with him, holding to his robe 长袍; and, on the threshold 阈 of the door 门, the Spirit smiled 微笑, and stopped 停止 to bless 祝福 Bob Cratchit's dwelling 住 with the sprinklings 撒 of his torch 火炬. Think of that! Bob had but fifteen 十五 "Bob" a week him‧self 他自己; he pocketed 口袋 on Saturdays but fifteen 十五 copies 复制品 of his Christian name; and yet the Ghost of Christmas 圣诞节 Present blessed 祝福 his four-roomed house!

Then up rose 上升:rise Mrs. Cratchit, Cratchit's wife 妻子, dressed 衣服 out but poorly 贫穷的 in a twice 两次-turned gown 袍, but brave 勇敢的 in ribbons 带, which are cheap 便宜的, and make a goodly show for six‧pence 6‧便士; and she laid 放置:lay the cloth 布, assisted 帮助；协助；援助 by Belinda Cratchit, second of her daughters 女儿, also brave 勇敢的 in ribbons 带; while Master 主人；硕士 Peter Cratchit plunged 跳水 a fork 叉 into the sauce‧pan 平底锅 of potatoes 土豆, and, getting the corners 角落 of his monstrous 滔天 shirt 衬衫 collar 衣领 (Bob's private 私有的 property 特性, conferred 授予 upon his son 儿子 and heir 继承者 in honour of the day) into his mouth 口, rejoiced 欢庆 to find him‧self 他自己 so gallantly attired 服装, and yearned 向往 to show his linen 麻布 in the fashion‧able 时髦 Parks. And now two smaller Cratchits, boy and girl, came tearing 撕裂；泪 in, screaming 叫喊 that out‧side 在外面 the baker 烤's they had smelt 气味；嗅觉:smell the goose 鹅, and known know it for their own; and, basking in luxurious 豪华 thoughts of sage 智者 and onion 洋葱, these young Cratchits danced 跳舞 about the table 桌；表, and exalted Master 主人；硕士 Peter Cratchit to the skies 滑雪, while he (not proud 自豪的, although 尽管 his collars 衣领 nearly choked 呛 him) blew 吹；殴打:blow the fire 火, until the slow 慢的 potatoes 土豆, bubbling 泡沫 up, knocked 敲 loudly 响亮的 at the sauce‧pan 平底锅 lid 盖子 to be let out and peeled 剥.

"What has ever 永远；曾经 got get your precious 宝贵的 father 父亲, then?" said Mrs. Cratchit. "And your brother 兄弟, Tiny 小 Tim? And Martha warn 警告't as late last Christmas 圣诞节-day by half 一半的 an hour 小时!"

"Here's Martha, mother 母亲!" said a girl, appearing 出现 as she spoke 讲:speak.

"Here's Martha, mother!" cried 哭，叫喊 the two young Cratchits. " Hurrah 好哇! There's such a goose 鹅, Martha!"

"Why, bless 祝福 your heart 心 alive 活的；有生命的, my dear 亲爱的, how late you are!" said Mrs. Cratchit, kissing 接吻 her a dozen （一）打；十二 times, and taking off her shawl and bonnet 帽子 for her with officious zeal 热情.

"We'd a deal 很多；对付 of work to finish 完成 up last night," replied 回答 the girl, "and had to clear away this morning 早晨, mother 母亲!"

"Well! never mind so long as you are come," said Mrs. Cratchit. " Sit 坐 ye down before the fire 火, my dear 亲爱的, and have a warm 暖和的, Lord 主 bless 祝福 ye!"

"No, no! There's father 父亲 coming," cried 哭，叫喊 the two young Cratchits, who were every‧where 到处 at once. " Hide 隐藏, Martha, hide!"

So Martha hid 隐藏:hide her‧self 她自己, and in came little Bob, the father, with at least 最小的 three feet of comforter 安慰, exclusive 独家 of the fringe 边缘, hanging 悬挂 down before him; and his thread‧bare 线‧光秃秃的 clothes 衣服，衣物 darned 紩 up and brushed 刷子 to look season‧able 季节‧能够的; and Tiny 小 Tim upon his shoulder 肩膀. Alas for Tiny 小 Tim, he bore 厌倦；厌烦；生 a little crutch, and had his limbs 肢 supported 支持 by an iron 铁器 frame 框架!

"Why, where's our Martha?" cried 哭，叫喊 Bob Cratchit, looking round 圆形的；围绕.

"Not coming," said Mrs. Cratchit.

"Not coming!" said Bob with a sudden 突然的 declension in his high spirits 精神; for he had been Tim's blood 血 horse 马 all the way from church, and had come home rampant 猖獗. "Not coming upon Christmas 圣诞节-day!"

Martha didn't like to see him disappointed 使失望, if it were only in joke 笑话; so she came out pre‧mature 过早 from behind 之后 the closet 壁橱 door 门, and ran run into his arms 手臂, while the two young Cratchits hustled 喧嚣 Tiny 小 Tim, and bore 厌倦；厌烦；生 him off into the wash 洗-house, that he might hear the pudding 布丁 singing 唱 in the copper 铜.

"And how did little Tim behave 表现?" asked Mrs. Cratchit when she had rallied 团结 Bob on his credulity, and Bob had hugged 拥抱 his daughter 女儿 to his heart 心's content 内容.

"As good as gold 金," said Bob, "and better well. Somehow 某种方法, he gets thoughtful 周到, sitting 坐 by him‧self 他自己 so much, and thinks the strangest 奇怪；陌生 things you ever 永远；曾经 heard hear. He told tell me, coming home, that he hoped 希望 the people saw see him in the church, because he was a cripple 削弱, and it might be pleasant 可爱的 to them to remember 记得 upon Christmas 9-day who made lame 瘸 beggars 乞丐 walk 走；步行同道 and blind 失明的 men see."

Bob's voice 嗓音 was tremulous when he told tell them this, and trembled 发抖 more many when he said that Tiny 小 Tim was growing 生长；种植 strong 强的 and hearty 爽朗.

His active 积极的 little crutch was heard hear upon the floor 地面, and back came Tiny 小 Tim before another word was spoken 口头讲的, escorted 护送 by his brother 兄弟 and sister 姐妹 to his stool 粪便 beside 旁边；除了 the fire 火; and while Bob, turning up his cuffs 袖口—as if, poor 贫穷的 fellow 同伴, they were cap‧able 能 of being 存在 made more many shabby 破旧— compounded 组合 somehot 热的 mixture 混合 in a jug 坛子 with gin 杜松子酒 and lemons 柠檬, and stirred 搅动 it round 7 and round 8, and put it on the hob to simmer 煨, Master 主人；硕士 Peter and the two ubiquitous 普及 young Cratchits went to fetch 取 the goose 鹅, with which they soon 立刻 returned 回转 in high procession 队伍.

Such a bustle 忙碌 ensued 接踵而至 that you might have thought think a goose 鹅 the rarest 罕见的 of all birds 鸟; a feathered 羽毛 phenomenon 现象，存在的事物, to which a black 黑色 swan 天鹅 was a matter of course—and, in truth 真理, it was something very like it in that house. Mrs. Cratchit made the gravy 卤 ( ready 准备好的 before‧hand 预先 in a little sauce‧pan 平底锅) hissing 嘶hot 热的; Master 主人；硕士 Peter mashed 糊状物 the potatoes 土豆 with incredible 难以置信 vigour; Miss 错过；想念 Belinda sweetened up the apple 苹果 sauce 调味汁; Martha dusted 灰尘 thehot 热的 plates 盘子; Bob took Tiny 小 Tim beside 旁边；除了 him in a tiny 小 corner 角落 at the table 桌；表; the two young Cratchits set chairs 椅子 for every‧body 每人, not forgetting 忘记 themselves 他们自己, and, mounting 增加 guard 警卫 upon their posts 邮件, crammed 填满 spoons 匙 into their mouths 口, lest 免得 they should shriek 尖叫 for goose 鹅 before their turn came to be helped. At last the dishes 盘 were set on, and grace 优雅；惠赐 was said. It was succeeded 成功 by a breath‧less 咋舌 pause 暂停, as Mrs. Cratchit, looking slowly 缓慢地，慢吞吞地 all along 一起 the carving 雕刻-knife 刀, prepared 准备 to plunge 跳水 it in the breast 乳房; but when she did, and when the long-expected gush 喷 of stuffing 塞满；材料 issued forth 向前, one murmur 私语 of delight 快乐 arose 产生:arise all round 9 the board 板，上船, and even Tiny 小 Tim, excited 使兴奋 by the two young Cratchits, beat 打败 on the table 桌；表 with the handle 操纵 of hisknife 刀, and feebly 微弱 cried 哭，叫喊 Hurrah 好哇!

There never was such a goose 鹅. Bob said he didn't believe 信任 there ever 永远；曾经 was such a goose 鹅 cooked 烹调. Its tenderness 压痛 and flavour, size 大小 and cheapness, were the themes 主题 of universal 普遍的 admiration 钦佩. Eked out by apple 苹果 sauce 调味汁 and mashed 糊状物 potatoes 土豆, it was a sufficient 足够 dinner 正餐 for the whole 全部的 family; indeed 的确, as Mrs. Cratchit said with great delight 快乐 (surveying 调查 one small atom 原子 of a bone 骨头 upon the dish 盘), they hadn't ate 吃:eat it all at last! Yet every one had had enough, and the youngest Cratchits, in particular 特别的, were steeped 陡峭的 in sage 智者 and onion 洋葱 to the eye‧brow 眉! But now, the plates 盘子 being 存在 changed by Miss 错过；想念 Belinda, Mrs. Cratchit left 左边；留下；离开 the room alone 单独的—too nervous 担心的 to bear 生；熊 witnesses 目击；目击者—to take the pudding 布丁 up, and bring it in.

Suppose 假定 it should not be done enough! Suppose it should break 破；断 in turning out! Suppose some‧body 某人 should have got get over the wall 墙 of the back-yard 院子 and stolen it, while they were merry 愉快的 with the goose 鹅—a sup‧position SUP‧位置 at which the two young Cratchits became become livid! All sorts 分类 of horrors 恐怖 were supposed 假定.

Hallo! A great deal 很多；对付 of steam 蒸汽! The pudding 布丁 was out of the copper 铜. A smell 气味；嗅觉 like a washing 洗-day! That was the cloth 布. A smell like an eating 吃-house and a pastry‧cook 糕点‧烹调's next door 门 to each other, with a laundress's next door 6 to that! That was the pudding 布丁! In half 一半的 a minute 分 Mrs. Cratchit entered 进入—flushed 红晕, but smiling 微笑 proudly 自豪的—with the pudding 布丁, like a speckled cannon 大炮-ball 球, so hard 硬；困难的 and firm 坚固的, blazing 火焰 in half 一半的 of half 6-a-quartern of ignited 点燃 brandy 白兰地, and bedight with Christmas 10 holly stuck 棍；粘贴:stick into the top 顶.

Oh, a wonderful 精彩 pudding 布丁! Bob Cratchit said, and calmly 镇定的 too, that he regarded 认为 it as the greatest success 成功 achieved 实现 by Mrs. Cratchit since their marriage 结婚. Mrs. Cratchit said that, now the weight 重量 was off her mind, she would confess 供认 she had her doubts 怀疑 about the quantity 量 of flour 面粉. Everybody 每人 had something to say about it, but nobody 没有人 said or thought think it was at all a small pudding 布丁 for a large family. It would have been flat 平的；公寓 heresy to do so. Any Cratchit would have blushed 脸红 to hint 暗示 at such a thing.

At last the dinner 正餐 was all done, the cloth 布 was cleared, the hearth 炉 swept 打扫:sweep, and the fire 火 made up. The compound 组合 in the jug 坛子 being 存在 tasted 品尝, and considered perfect 使完善；完美的, apples 苹果 and oranges 桔子 were put upon the table 桌；表, and a shovel 铲 full 满的 of chest‧nut 板栗 on the fire 6. Then all the Cratchit family drew 绘画:draw round 10 the hearth 炉 in what Bob Cratchit called a circle 圆, meaning half 7 a one; and at Bob Cratchit's elbow 弯头 stood stand the family display 显示 of glass 玻璃. Two tumblers and a custard cup 杯子 without a handle 操纵.

These held hold thehot 热的 stuff 塞满；材料 from the jug 坛子, however, as well as golden 金色的 goblets would have done; and Bob served 服务；（为…）工作 it out with beaming 梁 looks, while the chest‧nut 板栗 on the fire 7 sputtered and cracked 破裂 noisily 嘈杂. Then Bob proposed 提议:

"A merry 愉快的 Christmas 11 to us all, my dears 亲爱的. God bless 祝福 us!"

Which all the family re-echoed 回声.

"God bless us every one!" said Tiny 小 Tim, the last of all.

He sat 坐:sit very close to his father 父亲's side, upon his little stool 粪便. Bob held hold his withered 枯萎 little hand in his, as if he loved 爱 the child, and wished 希望 to keep him by his side, and dreaded 恐惧 that he might be taken from him.

"Spirit," said Scrooge with an interest he had never felt feel before, "tell me if Tiny 小 Tim will live."

"I see a vacant 空的 seat 席位," replied 回答 the Ghost, "in the poor 贫穷的 chimney 烟囱- corner 角落, and a crutch without an owner, carefully 小心 preserved 保护；保持原状. If these shadows 阴影 remain 留；剩余 unaltered by the Future 将来的, the child will die 死亡."

"No, no," said Scrooge. "Oh, no, kind Spirit! say he will be spared 节省；多余的；备用件."

"If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none 没有人 other of my race 赛跑," returned 回转 the Ghost, "will find him here. What then? If he be like to die 死亡, he had better well do it, and decrease 减少 the surplus 剩余 population 人口."

Scrooge hung 悬挂:hang his head to hear his own words quoted 引用 by the Spirit, and was over‧come 战胜 with penitence and grief 哀思.

"Man," said the Ghost, "if man you be in heart 心, not adamant 坚决, for‧bear 为‧生；熊 that wicked 邪恶的 cant 斜面 until you have discovered 发现 What the surplus 剩余 is, and Where it is. Will you decide 决定 what men shall 将要 live, what men shall die 死亡? It may be that, in the sight 视力 of Heaven 天, you are more many worth‧less 无用 and less little fit 合适 to live than millions like this poor 贫穷的 man's child. Oh God! to hear the Insect 虫 on the leaf 叶子 pronouncing 发音 on the too much life among 之间 his hungry 饥饿 brothers 兄弟 in the dust 灰尘!"

Scrooge bent 弯曲:bend before the Ghost's rebuke 训斥, and, trembling 发抖, cast 投 his eyes upon the ground 地面. But he raised 提升；种 them speedily 迅速 on hearing his own name.

"Mr. Scrooge!" said Bob. "I'll give you Mr. Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast 盛会!"

"The Founder of the Feast, indeed 的确!" cried 6 Mrs. Cratchit, reddening. "I wish 希望 I had him here. I'd give him a piece 块 of my mind to feast upon, and I hope 希望 he'd have a good appetite 食欲 for it."

"My dear 亲爱的," said Bob, "the children! Christmas 12-day."

"It should be Christmas 13-day, I am sure 确信的," said she, "on which one drinks 喝（酒） the health 健康状况 of such an odious, stingy, hard 硬；困难的, unfeeling man as Mr. Scrooge. You know he is, Robert! Nobody 没有人 knows it better well than you do, poor 7 fellow 同伴!"

"My dear 亲爱的!" was Bob's mild 温柔的 answer 答复. "Christmas 14-day."

"I'll drink 喝（酒） his health 健康状况 for your sake 缘故 and the Day's," said Mrs. Cratchit, "not for his. Long life to him! A merry 愉快的 Christmas 15 and a happy 幸福的 New Year! He'll be very merry and very happy, I have no doubt 怀疑!"

The children drank 喝（酒）:drink the toast 烤面包 after her. It was the first of their proceedings 继续 which had no heartiness in it. Tiny 小 Tim drank it last of all, but he didn't care 关心 two‧pence 2‧便士 for it. Scrooge was the Ogre of the family. The mention 提到 of his name cast 投 a dark 黑暗的 shadow 阴影 on the party 社交聚会, which was not dispelled 打消 for full 满的 five minutes 分.

After it had passed 走过 away they were ten 十 times merrier 愉快的 than before, from the mere 仅仅 relief 宽慰 of Scrooge the Baleful being 存在 done with. Bob Cratchit told tell them how he had a situation 处境 in his eye for Master 主人；硕士 Peter, which would bring in, if obtained 获得, full 满的 five-and-six‧pence 6‧便士 weekly. The two young Cratchits laughed 笑 tremendously 异常 at the idea 主意 of Peter's being 8 a man of business; and Peter him‧self 他自己 looked thoughtfully 沉思地 at the fire 8 from between his collars 衣领, as if he were deliberating 商榷 what particular 特别的 investments 投资 he should favour when he came into the receipt 收据 of that bewildering 困惑 income 收入. Martha, who was a poor 8 apprentice 学徒 at a milliner's, then told tell them what kind of work she had to do, and how many hours 小时 she worked at a stretch 伸展, and how she meant mean to lie 躺；说谎 abed to-morrow morning 早晨 for a good long rest 休息，其余; to-morrow being 9 a holiday 假日 she passed 走过 at home. Also how she had seen see a countess and a lord 主 some days before, and how the lord "was much about as tall 身高；高的 as Peter"; at which Peter pulled 拉 up his collars 衣领 so high, that you couldn't have seen see his head if you had been there. All this time the chest‧nut 板栗 and the jug 坛子 went round 11 and round; and by-and-by they had a song 歌曲, about a lost 失去的 child travelling 旅行 in the snow 雪；下雪, from Tiny 小 Tim, who had a plaintive little voice 嗓音, and sang 唱:sing it very well indeed 的确.

There was nothing of high mark 斑点；标注 in this. They were not a hand‧some 英俊 family; they were not well dressed 衣服; their shoes 鞋 were far from being 10 water‧proof 防水; their clothes 衣服，衣物 were scanty; and Peter might have known know, and very likely 可能的 did, the inside 里面的 of a pawn 典当-broker 经纪人's. But they were happy 幸福的, grateful 感激的, pleased 请;讨人喜欢 with one another, and contented 内容 with the time; and when they faded 褪去, and looked happier 幸福的 yet in the bright 明亮的 sprinklings 撒 of the Spirit's torch 火炬 at parting, Scrooge had his eye upon them, and especially 尤其地 on Tiny 小 Tim, until the last.

By this time it was getting dark 黑暗的, and snowing 雪；下雪 pretty 漂亮的 heavily 很大，沉重地; and as Scrooge and the Spirit went along 一起 the streets 街, the brightness 亮度 of the roaring 咆哮 fires 火 in kitchens 厨房, parlours, and all sorts 分类 of rooms was wonderful 精彩. Here, the flickering 闪烁 of the blaze 火焰 showed show preparations 制备 for a cosy dinner 正餐, withhot 热的 plates 盘子 baking 烤 through and through before the fire 9, and deep 深的 red 红色的 curtains 窗帘, ready 准备好的 to be drawn 绘画:draw to shut 关闭 out cold 寒冷的 and darkness 黑暗. There, all the children of the house were running out into the snow 雪；下雪 to meet their married 结婚 sisters 姐妹, brothers 兄弟, cousins 堂兄妹, uncles 叔叔, aunts 阿姨, and be the first to greet 欢迎 them. Here, again, were shadows 阴影 on the window 窗 blinds 失明的 of guests 客人 assembling 集合; and there a group of hand‧some 英俊 girls, all hooded 引擎罩 and fur 毛皮-booted 靴；鞋, and all chattering 喋喋不休 at once, tripped 旅游 lightly off to some near neighbour's house; where, woe 荣辱与共 upon the single 单一的 man who saw see them enter 进入—artful witches 巫婆, well they knew know it—in a glow 辉光!

But, if you had judged 审判 from the numbers of people on their way to friendly 友好的 gatherings 收集, you might have thought think that no one was at home to give them welcome 欢迎 when they got get there, instead 代替 of every house expecting company, and piling 堆 up its fires 火 half 8- chimney 烟囱 high. Blessings on it, how the Ghost exulted! How it bared 光秃秃的 its breadth 宽度 of breast 乳房, and opened its capacious palm 棕榈, and floated 漂浮 on, outpouring, with a generous 慷慨的 hand, its bright 明亮的 and harm‧less 无害 mirth on every‧thing 每件事物 within 在内 its reach 到达! The very lamp 灯-lighter, who ran run on before, dotting 点 the dusky street 街 with specks of light, and who was dressed 衣服 to spend 用钱；消磨时间 the evening 傍晚 some‧where 某处, laughed 笑 out loudly 响亮的 as the Spirit passed 走过, though little kenned the lamp 灯-lighter that he had any company but Christmas.

And now, without a word of warning 警告 from the Ghost, they stood stand upon a bleak 苍凉 and desert 沙漠；抛弃 moor 泊, where monstrous 滔天 masses 大量 of rude 粗鲁的 stone 石头 were cast 投 about, as though it were the burial 葬礼-place or giants 巨人; and water spread 伸开 itself 本身 wheresoever it listed 清单; or would have done so, but for the frost 霜 that held hold it prisoner 犯人，囚犯; and nothing grew 生长；种植:grow but moss 苔藓 and furze, and coarse 粗鄙的, rank 排列 grass 草. Down in the west 西 the setting sun 太阳 had left 左边；留下；离开 a streak 条纹 of fiery 火热 red 红色的, which glared 强光 upon the desolation for an instant 瞬间, like a sullen eye, and, frowning 皱眉 lower 低的, lower, lower yet, was lost 失去的 in the thick 浓的 gloom 愁云 of darkest 黑暗的 night.

"What place is this?" asked Scrooge.

"A place where Miners live, who labour in the bowels 肠 of the earth 地球," returned 回转 the Spirit. "But they know me. See!"

A light shone 发光:shine from the window 窗 of a hut 小屋, and swiftly 如飞 they advanced 往前推 towards it. Passing through the wall 墙 of mud 泥 and stone 石头, they found find a cheerful 快乐 company assembled 集合 round a glowing 辉光 fire. An old, old man and woman, with their children and their children's children, and another generation 代 beyond 超过 that, all decked 甲板 out gaily 快乐的 in their holiday 假日 attire 服装. The old man, in a voice 嗓音 that seldom 很少 rose 上升:rise above 之上 the howling 嗥 of the wind 风 upon the barren 荒芜 waste 浪费, was singing 唱 them a Christmas song 歌曲; it had been a very old song when he was a boy; and from time to time they all joined 连接 in the chorus 合唱. So surely 肯定地，想必，无疑地 as they raised 提升；种 their voices 嗓音, the old man got get quite 相当 blithe and loud 响亮的; and, so surely as they stopped 停止, his vigour sank 淹没:sink again.

The Spirit did not tarry here, but bade Scrooge hold his robe 长袍, and, passing 走过 on above 之上 the moor 泊, sped whither? Not to sea 海? To sea. To Scrooge's horror 恐怖, looking back, he saw see the last of the land 陆地；着陆, a frightful range 范围；射程；类别 of rocks 岩石, behind 之后 them; and his ears 耳朵 were deafened by the thundering 雷声 of water, as it rolled 翻滚；摇晃 and roared 咆哮, and raged 愤怒 among 之间 the dreadful 可怕 caverns it had worn 穿着:wear, and fiercely 凶猛的 tried to under‧mine 破坏 the earth 地球.

Built upon a dismal 惨淡 reef 礁 of sunken rocks 岩石, some league 联盟；联赛 or so from shore 岸, on which the waters chafed and dashed 短跑, the wild 野生的 year through, there stood stand a solitary 孤 light‧house 灯塔. Great heaps 堆 of sea‧weed 海‧杂草 clung to its base 底；基础, and storm 暴风雨- birds 鸟— born 生；熊:bear of the wind 风, one might suppose 假定, as sea‧weed 海‧杂草 of the water— rose 上升:rise and fell 落下:fall about it, like the waves 波浪 they skimmed 撇去.

But, even here, two men who watched 钟表；注视 the light had made a fire that through the loop‧hole 漏洞 in the thick 浓的 stone 石头 wall 墙 shed out a ray 光束 of brightness 亮度 on the awful 糟糕的 sea 海. Joining their horny hands over the rough 粗糙的 table 桌；表 at which they sat 坐:sit, they wished 希望 each other Merry 愉快的 Christmas in their can of grog; and one of them, the elder 年长的 too, with his face all damaged 损害 and scarred 瘢痕 with hard 硬；困难的 weather 天气, as the figure-head of an old ship 船 might be, struck 敲击:strike up a sturdy 粗壮 song 歌曲 that was like a gale 大风 in itself 本身.

Again the Ghost sped on, above 之上 the black 黑色 and heaving 举起 sea 海—on, on—until, being 11 far away, as he told tell Scrooge, from any shore 岸, they lighted light on a ship 船. They stood stand beside 旁边；除了 the helmsman at the wheel 轮子, the look-out in the bow 弓, the officers 军官；指挥官 who had the watch 钟表；注视; dark 黑暗的, ghostly 鬼 figures in their several stations 站; but every man among 之间 them hummed 哼 a Christmas tune 曲调, or had a Christmas thought think, or spoke 讲:speak below 在下面 his breath 呼吸 to his companion 同伴 of some bygone Christmas-day, with home‧ward 家‧病房 hopes 希望 belonging 属于 to it. And every man on board 板，上船, waking 醒 or sleeping 睡, good or bad 坏的, had had a kinder word for one another on that day than on any day in the year; and had shared 股 to some extent 程度 in its festivities 欢宴; and had remembered 记得 those he cared 关心 for at a distance 距离, and had known know that they delighted 快乐 to remember 记得 him.

It was a great surprise 使惊奇 to Scrooge, while listening 倾听 to the moaning 呻吟 of the wind 风, and thinking what a solemn 庄严的 thing it was to move on through the lonely 孤独的 darkness 黑暗 over an unknown 未知 abyss, whose 谁的 depths 深度 were secrets 秘密 as profound 深刻 as death 死亡: it was a great surprise 使惊奇 to Scrooge, while thus 于是 engaged 从事, to hear a hearty 爽朗 laugh 笑. It was a much greater surprise to Scrooge to recognise it as his own nephew 侄子's, and to find him‧self 他自己 in a bright 明亮的, dry 干燥, gleaming 闪光 room, with the Spirit standing smiling 微笑 by his side, and looking at that same nephew with approving 赞成 affability!

"Ha, ha!" laughed 笑 Scrooge's nephew. "Ha, ha, ha!"

If you should happen 发生, by any unlikely 不会 chance 机会, to know a man more many blessed 祝福 in a laugh 笑 than Scrooge's nephew, all I can say is, I should like to know him too. Introduce 提出 him to me, and I'll cultivate 耕作 his acquaintance 熟人.

It is a fair 公平；美丽, even-handed, noble 高尚的 adjustment 调整 of things, that, while there is infection 感染 in disease 疾病 and sorrow 悲痛, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly 不可抗拒 contagious as laughter 笑 and good-humour. When Scrooge's nephew 侄子 laughed 笑 in this way, holding his sides, rolling 翻滚；摇晃 his head, and twisting 扭成一束 his face into the most many extravagant 靡 contortions, Scrooge's niece 外甥女, by marriage 结婚, laughed as heartily 爽朗 as he. And their assembled 集合 friends 朋友, being 12 not a bit 一点 behind‧hand 之后‧手, roared 咆哮 out lustily.

"Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"He said that Christmas was a humbug, as I live!" cried 7 Scrooge's nephew 侄子. "He believed 信任 it, too!"

"More many shame 羞愧 for him, Fred!" said Scrooge's niece 外甥女 indignantly. Bless 祝福 those women! they never do any‧thing 任何东西 by halves 对分. They are always in earnest 热心的.

She was very pretty 漂亮的; exceedingly 非常 pretty. With a dimpled, surprised 使惊奇-looking, capital 首都 face; a ripe 成熟的 little mouth 口, that seemed made to be kissed 接吻—as no doubt 怀疑 it was; all kinds of good little dots 点 about her chin 下巴, that melted 熔化 into one another when she laughed 笑; and the sunniest pair 一副 of eyes you ever 永远；曾经 saw see in any little creature 动物；生物's head. Altogether 全部地 she was what you would have called provoking 惹, you know; but satisfactory 满意, too. Oh, perfectly 完美地，完满地 satisfactory!

"He's a comical old fellow 同伴," said Scrooge's nephew 侄子, "that's the truth 真理; and not so pleasant 可爱的 as he might be. However, his offences carry 运送；支撑 their own punishment 惩罚, and I have nothing to say against him."

"I'm sure 确信的 he is very rich 富有的, Fred," hinted 暗示 Scrooge's niece 外甥女. "At least 最小的, you always tell me so."

"What of that, my dear 亲爱的?" said Scrooge's nephew 侄子. "His wealth 财产 is of no use to him. He don't do any good with it. He don't make himself 6 comfort‧able 舒服；自在 with it. He hasn't the satisfaction 满足 of thinking—ha, ha, ha!—that he is ever 永远；曾经 going to benefit 效益 Us with it."

"I have no patience 耐心 with him," observed 观察 Scrooge's niece 外甥女. Scrooge's niece's sisters 姐妹, and all the other ladies 女士, expressed 表达 the same opinion 意见.

"Oh, I have!" said Scrooge's nephew 侄子. "I am sorry 对不起的 for him; I couldn't be angry 生气的 with him if I tried. Who suffers 受痛苦 by his ill 生病 whims 怪念头? Himself 7 always. Here he takes it into his head to dislike 反感 us, and he won 赢:win't come and dine 吃饭 with us. What's the consequence 后果? He don't lose 失去 much of a dinner 正餐."

" Indeed 的确, I think he loses 失去 a very good dinner 7," interrupted 打断 Scrooge's niece 外甥女. Everybody 每人 else 其他 said the same, and they must be allowed 允许 to have been competent 胜任 judges 审判, because they had just had dinner 8; and, with the dessert 甜点 upon the table 桌；表, were clustered 簇 round the fire, by lamp 灯-light.

"Well! I am very glad 高兴的 to hear it," said Scrooge's nephew 侄子, "because I haven't any great faith 信用 in these young house‧keeper 管家. What do you say, Topper?"

Topper had clearly got get his eye upon one of Scrooge's niece 外甥女's sisters 姐妹, for he answered 答复 that a bachelor 单身汉 was a wretched 不幸的人 out‧cast 出‧演员, who had no right to express 表达 an opinion 意见 on the subject 主题. Whereat Scrooge's niece 外甥女's sister 姐妹—the plump 丰满 one with the lace 花边 tucker 掖, not the one with the roses—blushed 脸红.

"Do go on, Fred," said Scrooge's niece, clapping 拍 her hands. "He never finishes 完成 what he begins to say! He is such a ridiculous 荒谬 fellow 同伴!"

Scrooge's nephew 10 revelled 陶醉 in another laugh 笑, and, as it was impossible 不可能的 to keep the infection 感染 off, though the plump 丰满 sister 姐妹 tried hard 硬；困难的 to do it with aromatic vinegar 尖酸刻薄, his example 例子 was unanimously 一致 followed.

"I was only going to say," said Scrooge's nephew 11, "that the consequence 后果 of his taking a dislike 反感 to us, and not making merry 愉快的 with us, is, as I think, that he loses 失去 some pleasant 可爱的 moments 瞬间, which could do him no harm 损害. I am sure 确信的 he loses pleasanter 可爱的 companions 同伴 than he can find in his own thoughts, either 任一个 in his mouldy old office 办公室 or his dusty 尘土飞扬 chambers 室. I mean to give him the same chance 机会 every year, whether 是否 he likes it or not, for I pity 怜悯 him. He may rail 围栏；钢轨 at Christmas till 到 he dies 死亡, but he can't help thinking better well of it—I defy 违抗 him—if he finds me going there in good temper 性情, year after year, and saying, ' Uncle 叔叔 Scrooge, how are you?' If it only puts him in the vein 静脉 to leave his poor 9 clerk 店员 fifty 五十 pounds 敲打；英镑, that's something; and I think I shook 摇晃:shake him yesterday 昨天."

It was their turn to laugh 笑, now, at the notion 概念 of his shaking 摇晃 Scrooge. But, being 13 thoroughly 彻底 good-natured, and not much caring 关心 what they laughed 6 at, so that they laughed 7 at any rate 速度, he encouraged 鼓励 them in their merriment, and passed 走过 the bottle 瓶子, joyously.

After tea 茶水 they had some music 音乐. For they were a musical 音乐 family, and knew know what they were about when they sung 唱:sing a Glee or Catch 抓；赶上, I can assure 向…保证；肯定地说 you: especially 尤其地 Topper, who could growl 吠声 away in the bass 低音 like a good one, and never swell 膨胀；增强 the large veins 静脉 in his fore‧head 前额, or get red 红色的 in the face over it. Scrooge's niece 外甥女 played well upon the harp 竖琴; and played, among 之间 other tunes 曲调, a simple 简单的 little air 天空 (a mere 仅仅 nothing: you might learn 学习 to whistle 吹口哨 it in two minutes 分), which had been familiar 熟悉的 to the child who fetched 取 Scrooge from the boarding 板，上船-school, as he had been reminded 使想起 by the Ghost of Christmas Past 过去的. When this strain 压力 of music 音乐 sounded 声音, all the things that Ghost had shown show him came upon his mind; he softened 软的:soft more many and more many; and thought think that if he could have listened 倾听 to it often, years ago 以前, he might have cultivated 耕作 the kindnesses 善良 of life for his own happiness 幸福 with his own hands, without resorting 度假胜地 to the sexton's spade 铁锹 that buried 埋葬 Jacob Marley.

But they didn't devote 奉献 the whole 全部的 evening 傍晚 to music 音乐. After awhile 一会儿 they played at forfeits 丧失; for it is good to be children some‧time 有时, and never better well than at Christmas, when its mighty 威武 Founder was a child himself 8. Stop 停止! There was first a game 游戏 at blind‧man 失明的‧男人's buff 浅黄色. Of course there was. And I no more many believe 信任 Topper was really blind 失明的 than I believe he had eyes in his boots 靴；鞋. My opinion 意见 is, that it was a done thing between him and Scrooge's nephew 12; and that the Ghost of Christmas Present knew know it. The way he went after that plump 丰满 sister 姐妹 in the lace 花边 tucker 掖 was an out‧rage 暴行 on the credulity of human 人 nature. Knocking down the fire-irons 铁器, tumbling 下跌 over the chairs 椅子, bumping 磕碰 up against the piano 钢琴, smothering 扼杀 himself 9 amongst 之中 the curtains 窗帘, wherever 随地 she went, there went he! He always knew know where the plump 丰满 sister 姐妹 was. He wouldn't catch 抓；赶上 any‧body 任何人 else 其他. If you had fallen 落下:fall up against him (as some of them did) on purpose 目的, he would have made a feint of endeavouring to seize 抓住 you, which would have been an affront to your under‧stand 懂, and would instantly 瞬间 have sidled off in the direction 方向 of the plump 丰满 sister 姐妹. She often cried 8 out that it wasn't fair 公平；美丽; and it really was not. But when, at last, he caught 抓；赶上:catch her; when, in spite 恶意 of all her silken rustlings 沙沙, and her rapid 快速的 flutterings 扑 past 过去的 him, he got get her into a corner 角落 whence there was no escape 逃脱, then his conduct 进行 was the most many execrable. For his pretending 假装 not to know her; his pretending that it was necessary 必要的 to touch 触摸 her head- dress 衣服, and further 更远的 to assure 向…保证；肯定地说 himself of her identity 身分 by pressing 压 a certain ring 戒指；打电话 upon her finger 手指, and a certain chain 链子 about her neck 颈, was vile, monstrous 滔天! No doubt 怀疑 she told tell him her opinion 意见 of it when, another blind 失明的 man being in office 办公室, they were so very confidential 秘密的 together 同时 behind 之后 the curtains 窗帘.

Scrooge's niece 10 was not one of the blind‧man 失明的‧男人's buff 浅黄色 party 社交聚会, but was made comfort‧able 舒服；自在 with a large chair 椅子 and a foot‧stool 脚；英尺‧粪便, in a snug corner 角落 where the Ghost and Scrooge were close behind her. But she joined 连接 in the forfeits 丧失, and loved 爱 her love 爱 to admiration 钦佩 with all the letters 信 of the alpha‧bet 字母. Likewise at the game 游戏 of How, When, and Where, she was very great, and, to the secret 秘密 joy 喜悦 of Scrooge's nephew 13, beat 打败 her sisters 姐妹 hollow 空的: though they were sharp 敏锐的 girls too, as Topper could have told tell you. There might have been twenty 二十 people there, young and old, but they all played, and so did Scrooge; for, wholly 全 forgetting 忘记, in the interest he had in what was going on, that his voice 嗓音 made no sound 声音 in their ears 耳朵, he some‧time 有时 came out with his guess 推测 quite 相当 loud 响亮的, and very often guessed 推测 right, too, for the sharpest 敏锐的 needle 针, best 最好 Whitechapel, war‧rant 保证 not to cut 砍 in the eye, was not sharper 敏锐的 than Scrooge; blunt 钝 as he took it in his head to be.

The Ghost was greatly pleased 请;讨人喜欢 to find him in this mood 心境, and looked upon him with such favour, that he begged 乞讨 like a boy to be allowed 允许 to stay 停留 until the guests 客人 departed 离开. But this the Spirit said could not be done.

"Here is a new game 游戏," said Scrooge. "One half 9- hour 小时, Spirit, only one!"

It was a game called Yes and No, where Scrooge's nephew 14 had to think of something, and the rest 休息，其余 must find out what; he only answering 答复 to their questions yes or no, as the case was. The brisk 轻快 fire of questioning to which he was exposed 暴露 elicited 引出 from him that he was thinking of an animal 动物, a live animal, rather a disagree‧able 不同意‧能够的 animal, a savage 野蛮人 animal, an animal that growled 吠声 and grunted 咕噜 some‧time 有时, and talked 说话 sometimes, and lived in London, and walked 走；步行同道 about the streets 6, and wasn't made a show of, and wasn't led lead by any‧body 任何人, and didn't live in a menagerie, and was never killed 杀死… in a market 交易, and was not a horse 马, or an ass, or a cow 奶牛, or a bull 公牛, or a tiger 虎, or a dog 狗, or a pig 猪, or a cat 猫, or a bear 生；熊. At every fresh 新鲜的 question that was put to him, this nephew 15 burst 爆裂 into a fresh roar 咆哮 of laughter 笑; and was so inexpressibly tickled 痒痒, that he was obliged 责成 to get up off the sofa 沙发, and stamp 邮票. At last the plump 丰满 sister 姐妹, falling 落下 into a similar 类似 state, cried 9 out:

"I have found find it out! I know what it is, Fred! I know what it is!"

"What is it?" cried Fred.

"It's your uncle 叔叔 Scro-o-o-o-oge!"

Which it certainly was. Admiration was the universal 普遍的 sentiment 情绪, though some objected 物体；反对 that the reply 回答 to "Is it a bear 生；熊?" ought 应当 to have been "Yes": inasmuch as an answer 答复 in the negative 负 was sufficient 足够 to have diverted 转移 their thoughts from Mr. Scrooge, supposing 假定 they had ever 永远；曾经 had any tendency 趋势 that way.

"He has given give us plenty 丰富 of merriment, I am sure 确信的," said Fred, "and it would be ungrateful not to drink 喝（酒） his health 健康状况. Here is a glass 玻璃 of mulled wine 葡萄酒 ready 准备好的 to our hand at the moment 瞬间; and I say, ' Uncle 叔叔 Scrooge!'"

"Well! Uncle Scrooge!" they cried.

"A merry 愉快的 Christmas and a happy 幸福的 New Year to the old man, what‧ever 无论什么 he is!" said Scrooge's nephew 16. "He wouldn't take it from me, but may he have it nevertheless 虽然. Uncle Scrooge!"

Uncle Scrooge had imperceptibly become so gay 快乐的 and light of heart 心, that he would have pledged 保证 the unconscious 无意识 company in return 回转, and thanked 谢谢 them in an inaudible 听不见 speech 演说, if the Ghost had given give him time. But the whole 全部的 scene 场面 passed 6 off in the breath 呼吸 of the last word spoken 口头讲的 by his nephew 17; and he and the Spirit were again upon their travels 旅行.

Much they saw see, and far they went, and many homes they visited 访问, but always with a happy 幸福的 end. The Spirit stood stand beside 旁边；除了 sick 病；恶心-beds 床, and they were cheerful 快乐; on foreign 外国的 lands 陆地；着陆, and they were close at home; by struggling 挣扎；搏斗 men, and they were patient 有耐性的 in their greater hope 希望; by poverty 贫穷, and it was rich 富有的. In almshouse, hospital 医院, and gaol, in misery 痛苦's every refuge 避难所, where vain 徒劳的 man in his little brief 简要 authority 权威 had not made fast 快的 the door 7, and barred 条；酒吧 the Spirit out, he left 左边；留下；离开 his blessing 祝福, and taught 教:teach Scrooge his precepts.

It was a long night, if it were only a night; but Scrooge had his doubts 怀疑 of this, because the Christmas holidays 假日 appeared 出现 to be condensed 凝结 into the space 空间 of time they passed 7 together 同时. It was strange 奇怪；陌生, too, that, while Scrooge remained 留；剩余 unaltered in his outward 向外的 form, the Ghost grew 生长；种植:grow older, clearly older. Scrooge had observed 观察 this change, but never spoke 讲:speak of it, until they left 左边；留下；离开 a children's Twelfth-Night party 社交聚会, when, looking at the Spirit as they stood stand together 同时 in an open place, he noticed 注意 that its hair 头发 was grey 灰色:gray.

"Are spirits 精神' lives so short 短的?" asked Scrooge.

"My life upon this globe 地球 is very brief 简要," replied 回答 the Ghost. "It ends to-night."

"To-night!" cried Scrooge.

"To-night at mid‧night 午夜. Hark! The time is drawing 绘画 near."

The chimes 钟 were ringing 戒指；打电话 the three-quarters 四分之一 past 过去的 eleven 十一 at that moment 瞬间.

" Forgive 原谅 me if I am not justified 为…辩护；证明…正当；是…的正当理由 in what I ask," said Scrooge, looking intently 意图 at the Spirit's robe 长袍, "but I see something strange 奇怪；陌生, and not belonging 属于 to your‧self 你自己, protruding 突出 from your skirts 裙子. Is it a foot 脚；英尺 or a claw 爪?"

"It might be a claw 爪, for the flesh 肉 there is upon it," was the Spirit's sorrowful reply 回答. "Look here."

From the foldings 折叠 of its robe 长袍 it brought bring two children; wretched 不幸的人, abject, frightful, hideous 可怕, miserable 悲惨的. They knelt 跪:kneel down at its feet, and clung upon the out‧side 在外面 of its garment 服装.

"Oh, Man! look here! Look, look, down here!" exclaimed 喊叫 the Ghost.

They were a boy and girl. Yellow 黄色的, meagre, ragged 抹布, scowling, wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility 谦逊. Where graceful 优美 youth 年轻 should have filled 装满 their features 特征 out, and touched 触摸 them with its freshest 新鲜的 tints 着色, a stale 陈旧 and shrivelled hand, like that of age 年龄, had pinched 捏, and twisted 扭成一束 them, and pulled 拉 them into shreds 撕碎. Where angels 天使 might have sat 坐:sit enthroned, devils 魔鬼 lurked 匿伏, and glared 强光 out menacing 威胁. No change, no degradation 降解, no per‧version 每个；依照‧版本；说法 of humanity 人性, in any grade 年级, through all the mysteries 秘密 of wonderful 精彩 creation 创建, has monsters 怪物 half so horrible 可怕 and dread 恐惧.

Scrooge started back, appalled 惊恐. Having them shown show to him in this way, he tried to say they were fine 好的 children, but the words choked 呛 themselves 他们自己, rather than be parties 社交聚会 to a lie 躺；说谎 of such enormous 巨大 magnitude 大小.

"Spirit! are they yours?" Scrooge could say no more many.

"They are Man's," said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing 上诉 from their fathers 父亲. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware of them both, and all of their degree 度, but most many of all beware 谨防 this boy, for on his brow 眉头 I see that written write which is Doom, unless 除非 the writing be erased 抹去. Deny 拒绝 it!" cried the Spirit, stretching 伸展 out its hand towards the city. "Slander those who tell it ye! Admit 许可进入 it for your factious purposes 目的, and make it worse 更坏的! And bide the end!"

"Have they no refuge 避难所 or resource 资源?" cried Scrooge.

"Are there no prisons 监狱?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?"

The bell 钟 struck 敲击:strike Twelve.

Scrooge looked about him for the Ghost, and saw see it not. As the last stroke 一击;轻抚 ceased 停止 to vibrate 颤动, he remembered 记得 the predict‧ion 预测 of old Jacob Marley, and, lifting 举起 up his eyes, beheld a solemn 庄严的 Phantom, draped 悬垂 and hooded 引擎罩, coming like a mist 薄雾 along 一起 the ground 地面 towards him.

---

STAVE FOUR

THE LAST OF THE SPIRITS

The Phantom slowly 缓慢地，慢吞吞地, gravely 坟墓；严重的, silently 沉默的 approached 靠近. When it came near him, Scrooge bent 弯曲:bend down upon his knee 膝; for in the very air 天空 through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter 散落 gloom 愁云 and mystery 秘密.

It was shrouded 裹尸布 in a deep 深的 black 黑色 garment 服装, which concealed 隐藏 its head, its face, its form, and left 左边；留下；离开 nothing of it visible 可以看见的；可视的, save 节省 one outstretched hand. But for this, it would have been difficult 困难的 to detach 分离 its figure from the night, and separate 分开 it from the darkness 黑暗 by which it was surrounded 包围.

He felt feel that it was tall 身高；高的 and stately when it came beside 旁边；除了 him, and that its mysterious 神秘 presence 出席 filled 装满 him with a solemn 庄严的 dread 恐惧. He knew know no more many, for the Spirit neither 都不 spoke 讲:speak nor 也不 moved.

"I am in the presence 出席 of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?" said Scrooge.

The Spirit answered 答复 not, but pointed onward 向前 with its hand.

"You are about to show me shadows 阴影 of the things that have not happened 发生, but will happen 发生 in the time before us," Scrooge pursued 追求. "Is that so, Spirit?"

The upper 上面的 portion 一部分；一份 of the garment 服装 was contracted 合同 for an instant 瞬间 in its folds 折叠, as if the Spirit had inclined 倾斜 its head. That was the only answer 答复 he received 收到.

Although 尽管 well used to ghostly 鬼 company by this time, Scrooge feared 害怕 the silent 沉默的 shape 形状 so much that his legs 腿 trembled 发抖 beneath 之下 him, and he found find that he could hardly 几乎不 stand when he prepared 准备 to follow it. The Spirit paused 暂停 a moment 6, as observing 观察 his condition 状态, and giving him time to recover 恢复.

But Scrooge was all the worse 更坏的 for this. It thrilled 颤抖 him with a vague 模糊 uncertain 不确定 horror 恐怖 to know that, behind 之后 the dusky shroud 裹尸布, there were ghostly 鬼 eyes intently 意图 fixed 固定 upon him, while he, though he stretched 伸展 his own to the utmost 极, could see nothing but a spectral 光谱 hand and one great heap 堆 of black 黑色.

"Ghost of the Future 将来的!" he exclaimed 喊叫, "I fear 害怕 you more many than any spectre I have seen see. But, as I know your purpose 目的 is to do me good, and as I hope 希望 to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared 准备 to bear 生；熊 you company, and do it with a thankful 感谢 heart 心. Will you not speak 讲 to me?"

It gave give him no reply 回答. The hand was pointed straight 直的 before them.

"Lead on!" said Scrooge. "Lead on! The night is waning 没落 fast 快的, and it is precious 宝贵的 time to me, I know. Lead on, Spirit!"

The phantom moved away as it had come towards him. Scrooge followed in the shadow 阴影 of its dress 衣服, which bore 厌倦；厌烦；生 him up, he thought think, and carried 运送；支撑 him along 一起.

They scarcely 缺乏的 seemed to enter 进入 the City; for the City rather seemed to spring 春季 up about them, and encompass 环绕 them of its own act. But there they were in the heart 心 of it; on 'Change, amongst 之中 the merchants 商人; who hurried 赶紧 up and down, and chinked the money 钱 in their pockets 口袋, and con‧verse 交谈 in groups, and looked at their watches 钟表；注视, and trifled 琐事 thoughtfully 沉思地 with their great gold 金 seals 封上，海豹; and so forth 向前, as Scrooge had seen see them often.

The Spirit stopped 停止 beside 旁边；除了 one little knot 结 of business men. Observing that the hand was pointed to them, Scrooge advanced 往前推 to listen 倾听 to their talk 说话.

"No," said a great fat 肥的 man with a monstrous 滔天 chin 下巴, "I don't know much about it either 任一个 way. I only know he's dead 死去的."

"When did he die 死亡?" inquired 打听 another.

"Last night, I believe 信任."

"Why, what was the matter with him?" asked a third, taking a vast 广大 quantity 量 of snuff out of a very large snuff-box 盒；耳光. "I thought think he'd never die."

"God knows," said the first with a yawn 打哈欠.

"What has he done with his money 钱?" asked a red 红色的-faced gentle‧man 先生 with a pendulous excrescence on the end of his nose 鼻子, that shook 摇晃:shake like the gills of a turkey 火鸡-cock 公鸡.

"I haven't heard hear," said the man with the large chin 下巴, yawning 打哈欠 again. " Left 左边；留下；离开 it to his company, perhaps 或许. He hasn't left 7 it to me. That's all I know."

This pleasantry was received 收到 with a general laugh 笑.

"It's likely 可能的 to be a very cheap 便宜的 funeral 葬礼," said the same speaker 发言人，演讲人; "for, upon my life, I don't know of any‧body 任何人 to go to it. Suppose 假定 we make up a party 社交聚会, and volunteer 志愿者?"

"I don't mind going if a lunch 午餐 is provided," observed 观察 the gentle‧man 先生 with the excrescence on his nose 鼻子. "But I must be fed 喂养:feed if I make one."

Another laugh 笑.

"Well, I am the most many disinterested among 6 you, after all," said the first speaker 发言人，演讲人, "for I never wear 穿着 black 黑色 gloves 手套, and I never eat 吃 lunch 午餐. But I'll offer 提供 to go if any‧body 任何人 else 其他 will. When I come to think of it, I'm not at all sure 确信的 that I wasn't his most many particular 特别的 friend 朋友; for we used to stop 停止 and speak 讲 when‧ever 随时 we met meet. Bye, bye 再见!"

Speakers and listeners 倾听者 strolled 漫步 away, and mixed 混合 with other groups. Scrooge knew know the men, and looked towards the Spirit for an explanation 说明.

The Phantom glided 滑行 on into a street 街. Its finger 手指 pointed to two persons meeting. Scrooge listened 倾听 again, thinking that the explanation 说明 might lie 躺；说谎 here.

He knew know these men, also, perfectly 完美地，完满地. They were men of business: very wealthy 富裕, and of great importance 重要性. He had made a point always of standing well in their esteem 尊重: in a business point of view 看法, that is; strictly 严格的 in a business point of view.

"How are you?" said one.

"How are you?" returned 回转 the other.

"Well!" said the first. "Old Scratch 刮 has got get his own at last, hey 嘿?"

"So I am told tell," returned the second. " Cold 寒冷的, isn't it?"

"Seasonable for Christmas-time. You are not a skater 滑冰, I suppose 假定?"

"No. No. Something else 其他 to think of. Good morning 早晨!"

Not another word. That was their meeting, their conversation 交谈, and their parting.

Scrooge was at first inclined 倾斜 to be surprised 使惊奇 that the Spirit should attach 连接 importance 重要性 to conversations 交谈 apparently 据…所知；看来；据说；听说 so trivial 不重要的; but, feeling assured 向…保证；肯定地说 that they must have some hidden 隐藏的 purpose 目的, he set himself to consider what it was likely 可能的 to be. They could scarcely 缺乏的 be supposed 假定 to have any bearing 生；熊 on the death 死亡 of Jacob, his old partner 伙伴, for that was Past 过去的, and this Ghost's province 省 was the Future 将来的. Nor 也不 could he think of any one immediately 立即，马上 connected 连接 with himself, to whom 谁 he could apply 用于 them. But nothing doubting 怀疑 that, to whomsoever they applied 用于, they had some latent 潜 moral 道德的 for his own improvement 起色, he resolved 解决 to treasure 金银财宝 up every word he heard hear, and every‧thing 每件事物 he saw see; and especially 尤其地 to observe 观察 the shadow 阴影 of himself when it appeared 出现. For he had an expectation 期望 that the conduct 进行 of his future 将来的 self 自己 would give him the clue 线索 he missed 错过；想念, and would render 给予 the solution 解决 of these riddles 谜语easy 容易的.

He looked about in that very place for his own image 图片, but another man stood stand in his accustomed 使习惯 corner 角落, and, though the clock 钟 pointed to his usual time of day for being there, he saw see no likeness 像 of himself among 7 the multitudes 苠 that poured 淋；倒 in through the Porch. It gave give him little surprise 使惊奇, however; for he had been revolving 围绕 in his mind a change of life, and thought think and hoped 希望 he saw see his new- born 生；熊:bear resolutions 解析度 carried 运送；支撑 out in this.

Quiet 清静的 and dark 黑暗的, beside 旁边；除了 him stood stand the Phantom, with its outstretched hand. When he roused 唤醒 himself from his thoughtful 周到 quest 寻求, he fancied 想像, from the turn of the hand, and its situation in reference 参考 to himself, that the Unseen Eyes were looking at him keenly 热切的. It made him shudder 不寒而栗, and feel very cold 寒冷的.

They left 8 the busy 忙碌的 scene 场面, and went into an obscure 朦胧 part of the town 城镇, where Scrooge had never penetrated 穿透 before, although 尽管 he recognised its situation 处境 and its bad 坏的 repute 名气. The ways were foul 犯规 and narrow 狭窄的; the shops 商店 and houses wretched 不幸的人; the people half naked 裸, drunken 醉, slipshod, ugly 难看的. Alleys and archways, like so many cesspools, disgorged their offences of smell 气味；嗅觉, and dirt 泥土, and life upon the straggling streets 7; and the whole 全部的 quarter 四分之一 reeked with crime 罪行, with filth and misery 痛苦.

Far in this den 巢穴 of infamous 臭名昭著 resort 度假胜地, there was a low 低的-browed 眉头, beetling 甲虫 shop 商店, below 在下面 a pent-house roof 屋顶, where iron 铁器, old rags 抹布, bottles 瓶子, bones 骨头, and greasy 腻 offal were bought 购买. Upon the floor 地面 within 在内 were piled 堆 up heaps 堆 of rusty 生疏 keys 钥匙, nails 钉子, chains 链子, hinges 合页, files 文件, scales 规模, weights 重量, and refuse 拒绝 iron 铁器 of all kinds. Secrets that few would like to scrutinise were bred 养育；繁殖:breed and hidden 隐藏的 in mountains 山 of unseemly rags 抹布, masses 大量 of corrupted 腐败 fat 肥的, and sepulchres of bones 骨头. Sitting in among 8 the wares 器具 he dealt 很多；对付:deal in, by a char‧coal 木炭 stove 炉 made of old bricks 砖, was a grey 灰色:gray-haired 头发 rascal, nearly seventy 七十 years of age 年龄, who had screened 屏幕 himself from the cold 寒冷的 air 天空 without by a frouzy curtaining 窗帘 of miscellaneous tatters hung 悬挂:hang upon a line, and smoked 烟 his pipe 管子 in all the luxury 豪华 of calm 镇定的 retirement 退休.

Scrooge and the Phantom came into the presence 出席 of this man, just as a woman with a heavy 厚实；重的 bundle 捆 slunk into the shop 商店. But she had scarcely 缺乏的 entered 进入, when another woman, similarly 同样地；相似地 laden 载货, came in too, and she was closely followed by a man in faded 褪去 black 黑色, who was no less little startled 惊吓 by the sight 视力 of them than they had been upon the recognition 认识 of each other. After a short 短的 period 时期，时间 of blank 空白 astonishment 惊愕, in which the old man with the pipe 管子 had joined 连接 them, they all three burst 爆裂 into a laugh 笑.

"Let the char‧woman 烧焦‧女人 alone 单独的 to be the first!" cried she who had entered 进入 first. "Let the laundress alone to be the second; and let the under‧take 承担's man alone to be the third. Look here, old Joe, here's a chance 机会! If we haven't all three met meet here without meaning it!"

"You couldn't have met meet in a better well place," said old Joe, removing 去掉 his pipe 管子 from his mouth 口. "Come into the parlour. You were made free 自由的 of it long ago 以前, you know; and the other two an't strangers 陌生人. Stop 停止 till 到 I shut 关闭 the door 8 of the shop 商店. Ah! How it skreeks! There an't such a rusty 生疏 bit 一点 of metal 金属 in the place as its own hinges 合页, I believe 信任; and I'm sure 确信的 there's no such old bones 骨头 here as mine 我的. Ha! ha! We're all suit‧able 适当 to our calling, we're well matched 比赛；火柴. Come into the parlour. Come into the parlour."

The parlour was the space 空间 behind 6 the screen 屏幕 of rags 抹布. The old man raked 耙子 the fire together 同时 with an old stair 楼梯-rod 杆, and, having trimmed 修剪 his smoky lamp 灯 (for it was night) with the stem 茎 of his pipe 管子, put it into his mouth 口 again.

While he did this, the woman who had already 早已；已经 spoken 口头讲的 threw 投掷:throw her bundle 捆 on the floor 地面, and sat 坐:sit down in a flaunting manner 方式 on a stool 粪便; crossing 穿过；十字 her elbows 弯头 on her knees 膝, and looking with a bold 胆大的；醒目的 defiance 蔑视 at the other two.

"What odds 奇, then? What odds 奇, Mrs. Dilber?" said the woman. "Every person has a right to take care 关心 of themselves 他们自己. He always did!"

"That's true 真正的, indeed 的确!" said the laundress. "No man more many so."

"Why, then, don't stand staring 盯着看，凝视，注视 as if you was afraid 害怕的, woman! Who's the wiser 明智的；聪明的? We're not going to pick 挑选 holes 洞 in each other's coats 上衣, I suppose 假定?"

"No, indeed 的确!" said Mrs. Dilber and the man together 同时. "We should hope 希望 not."

"Very well, then!" cried the woman. "That's enough. Who's the worse 更坏的 for the loss 损失 of a few things like these? Not a dead 死去的 man, I suppose 7?"

"No, indeed 的确," said Mrs. Dilber, laughing 笑.

"If he wanted to keep 'em after he was dead, a wicked 邪恶的 old screw 螺丝钉," pursued 追求 the woman, "why wasn't he natural 自然 in his life‧time 一生? If he had been, he'd have had some‧body 某人 to look after him when he was struck 敲击:strike with Death 死亡, instead 代替 of lying 躺；说谎 gasping 喘气 out his last there, alone 单独的 by himself."

"It's the truest 真正的 word that ever 6 was spoke 讲:speak," said Mrs. Dilber, "It's a judgment 判断 on him."

"I wish 希望 it was a little heavier 厚实；重的 judgment 判断," replied 回答 the woman; "and it should have been, you may depend 依靠 upon it, if I could have laid 放置:lay my hands on any‧thing 任何东西 else 其他. Open that bundle 捆, old Joe, and let me know the value of it. Speak 讲 out plain 平原；明显. I'm not afraid 害怕的 to be the first, nor 也不 afraid for them to see it. We knew know pretty 漂亮的 well that we were helping ourselves 我们自己 before we met meet here, I believe 6. It's no sin 罪. Open the bundle 捆, Joe."

But the gallantry of her friends 朋友 would not allow 允许 of this; and the man in faded 褪去 black 7, mounting 增加 the breach 突破口 first, produced 生产 his plunder 掠夺. It was not extensive 广阔的. A seal 封上，海豹 or two, a pencil 铅笔-case, a pair 一副 of sleeve 袖-buttons 按钮, and a brooch of no great value, were all. They were severally examined 检查 and appraised 评价 by old Joe, who chalked 粉笔 the sums 和 he was disposed 部署 to give for each upon the wall 墙, and added 增加 them up into a total 总共 when he found find that there was nothing more many to come.

"That's your account 账；解释," said Joe, "and I wouldn't give another six‧pence 6‧便士, if I was to be boiled 煮沸 for not doing it. Who's next?"

Mrs. Dilber was next. Sheets and towels 毛巾, a little wearing 穿着 apparel 服饰, two old-fashioned 时尚 silver 银 tea 茶水- spoons 匙, a pair 一副 of sugar 食糖-tongs, and a few boots 靴；鞋. Her account 账；解释 was stated on the wall 墙 in the same manner 方式.

"I always give too much to ladies 女士. It's a weakness 弱点 of mine 我的, and that's the way I ruin 破坏 myself 我," said old Joe. "That's your account 账；解释. If you asked me for another penny 便士, and made it an open question, I'd repent of being so liberal 自由主义的, and knock 敲 off half-a-crown 王冠."

"And now undo 解开 my bundle 捆, Joe," said the first woman.

Joe went down on his knees 膝 for the greater convenience 方便 of opening it, and, having unfastened a great many knots 结, dragged 拖拽 out a large heavy 厚实；重的 roll 翻滚；摇晃 of some dark 黑暗的 stuff 塞满；材料.

"What do you call this?" said Joe. " Bed 床- curtains 窗帘?"

"Ah!" returned 6 the woman, laughing 笑 and leaning 靠 forward 前进地 on her crossed 穿过；十字 arms 手臂. " Bed 床- curtains 窗帘!"

"You don't mean to say you took 'em down, rings 戒指；打电话 and all, with him lying 躺；说谎 there?" said Joe.

"Yes, I do," replied 回答 the woman. "Why not?"

"You were born 生；熊:bear to make your for‧tune 命运," said Joe, "and you'll certainly do it."

"I certainly shan't hold my hand, when I can get any‧thing 任何东西 in it by reaching 到达 it out, for the sake 缘故 of such a man as He was, I promise 允诺 you, Joe," returned 7 the woman coolly 冷静的；酷. "Don't drop 放下；滴；掉 that oil 油 upon the blankets 毯, now."

"His blankets 毯?" asked Joe.

" Whose 谁的 else 其他's do you think?" replied 回答 the woman. "He isn't likely 可能的 to take cold 寒冷的 without 'em, I dare 敢 say."

"I hope 希望 he didn't die 死亡 of any‧thing 任何东西 catching 抓；赶上? Eh?" said old Joe, stopping 停止 in his work, and looking up.

"Don't you be afraid 害怕的 of that," returned 8 the woman. "I an't so fond 喜欢的 of his company that I'd loiter about him for such things, if he did. Ah! You may look through that shirt 衬衫 till 到 your eyes ache 疼痛; but you won 赢:win't find a hole 洞 in it, nor 也不 a thread‧bare 线‧光秃秃的 place. It's the best 最好 he had, and a fine 好的 one too. They'd have wasted 浪费 it, if it hadn't been for me."

"What do you call wasting 浪费 of it?" asked old Joe.

"Putting it on him to be buried 埋葬 in, to be sure 6," replied 6 the woman with a laugh 7. " Somebody 某人 was fool 愚人 enough to do it, but I took it off again. If calico an't good enough for such a purpose 目的, it isn't good enough for anything 6. It's quite 相当 as becoming to the body 身体. He can't look uglier 难看的 than he did in that one."

Scrooge listened 倾听 to this dialogue in horror 恐怖. As they sat 坐:sit grouped about their spoil 损坏；变质, in the scanty light afforded 买得起 by the old man's lamp 灯, he viewed 看法 them with a detestation and disgust 反感 which could hardly 几乎不 have been greater, though they had been obscene 猥亵 demons 恶魔, marketing 交易 the corpse 尸体 itself 本身.

"Ha, ha!" laughed 8 the same woman when old Joe, producing 生产 a flannel bag 袋 with money 钱 in it, told tell out their several gains 获得 upon the ground 地面. "This is the end of it, you see! He frightened 使惊恐 every one away from him when he was alive 活的；有生命的, to profit 收益 us when he was dead 死去的! Ha, ha, ha!"

"Spirit!" said Scrooge, shuddering 不寒而栗 from head to foot 脚；英尺. "I see, I see. The case of this unhappy 不快乐 man might be my own. My life tends 照料 that way now. Merciful Heaven 天, what is this?"

He recoiled in terror 恐怖, for the scene 场面 had changed, and now he almost touched 触摸 a bed 床: a bare 光秃秃的, uncurtained bed: on which, beneath 之下 a ragged 抹布 sheet 纸, there lay 放置 a something covered 覆盖 up, which, though it was dumb 哑, announced 宣布 itself 本身 in awful 糟糕的 language 语言.

The room was very dark 6, too dark 7 to be observed 观察 with any accuracy 准确性, though Scrooge glanced 一瞥 round it in obedience 遵守 to a secret 秘密 impulse 冲动, anxious 焦急的 to know what kind of room it was. A pale 苍白的 light, rising 上升 in the outer air 6, fell 落下:fall straight 直的 upon the bed 7: and on it, plundered 掠夺 and bereft, unwatched, unwept, uncared for, was the body 身体 of this man.

Scrooge glanced 一瞥 towards the Phantom. Its steady 稳定的 hand was pointed to the head. The cover 覆盖 was so care‧less 粗心 adjusted 改变；调节 that the slightest 微小的 raising 提升；种 of it, the motion 运动 of a finger 手指 upon Scrooge's part, would have disclosed 透露 the face. He thought think of it, felt feel howeasy 容易的 it would be to do, and longed to do it; but had no more many power to with‧draw 撤回 the veil 面纱 than to dismiss 解雇 the spectre at his side.

Oh, cold 寒冷的, cold 7, rigid 死板, dreadful 可怕 Death 死亡, set up thine altar 坛 here, and dress 衣服 it with such terrors 恐怖 as thou 汝 hast at thy 你的 command 命令: for this is thy 你的 dominion! But of the loved 爱, revered 尊敬, and honoured head thou 汝 canst not turn one hair 头发 to thy 你的 dread 恐惧 purposes 目的, or make one feature 特征 odious. It is not that the hand is heavy 厚实；重的, and will fall 落下 down when released 发布; it is not that the heart 心 and pulse 脉冲 are still; but that the hand WAS open, generous 慷慨的, and true 真正的; the heart 7 brave 勇敢的, warm 暖和的, and tender 纤弱的; and the pulse 脉冲 a man's. Strike 敲击, Shadow 阴影, strike! And see his good deeds 行为 springing 春季 from the wound 创伤, to sow the world with life immortal 不朽!

No voice 6 pronounced 发音 these words in Scrooge's ears 耳朵, and yet he heard hear them when he looked upon the bed 8. He thought think, if this man could be raised 提升；种 up now, what would be his fore‧most 最重要的是 thoughts? Avarice, hard 硬；困难的 dealing 很多；对付, griping 握 cares 关心? They have brought bring him to a rich 富有的 end, truly 真!

He lay 放置, in the dark 8, empty 空的 house, with not a man, a woman, or a child to say he was kind to me in this or that, and for the memory 记忆 of one kind word I will be kind to him. A cat 猫 was tearing 撕裂；泪 at the door 9, and there was a sound 声音 of gnawing rats 鼠 beneath 之下 the hearth 炉- stone 石头. What they wanted in the room of death 死亡, and why they were so rest‧less 不安 and disturbed 打扰, Scrooge did not dare 敢 to think.

"Spirit!" he said, "this is a fearful 可怕 place. In leaving it, I shall 将要 not leave its lesson 教训, trust 信任 me. Let us go!"

Still the Ghost pointed with an unmoved finger 手指 to the head.

"I under‧stand 懂 you," Scrooge returned 9, "and I would do it if I could. But I have not the power, Spirit. I have not the power."

Again it seemed to look upon him.

"If there is any person in the town 城镇 who feels emotion 情感 caused 原因；引起 by this man's death 死亡," said Scrooge, quite 相当 agonised, "show that person to me, Spirit! I beseech you."

The Phantom spread 伸开 its dark 9 robe 长袍 before him for a moment 7, like a wing 翅膀; and, with‧draw 撤回 it, revealed 揭示 a room by day‧light 日光, where a mother 母亲 and her children were.

She was expecting some one, and with anxious 焦急的 eagerness; for she walked 走；步行同道 up and down the room; started at every sound 声音; looked out from the window 窗; glanced 一瞥 at the clock 钟; tried, but in vain 徒劳的, to work with her needle 针; and could hardly 几乎不 bear 生；熊 the voices 嗓音 of her children in their play.

At length 长度 the long-expected knock 敲 was heard hear. She hurried 赶紧 to the door, and met meet her husband 丈夫; a man whose 谁的 face was careworn and depressed 压抑, though he was young. There was a remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 expression 表现 in it now; a kind of serious 严肃的 delight 快乐 of which he felt feel ashamed 惭愧的, and which he struggled 挣扎；搏斗 to repress 抑.

He sat 6 down to the dinner 9 that had been hoarding 囤 for him by the fire, and, when she asked him faintly 微弱的 what news 新闻 (which was not until after a long silence 沉默), he appeared 出现 embarrassed 阻碍 how to answer 答复.

"Is it good," she said, "or bad 坏的?" to help him.

" Bad," he answered 答复.

"We are quite 6 ruined 破坏?"

"No. There is hope 希望 yet, Caroline."

"If he relents," she said, amazed 惊奇, "there is! Nothing is past 过去的 hope 6, if such a miracle 奇迹 has happened 发生."

"He is past relenting," said her husband 丈夫. "He is dead 死去的."

She was a mild 温柔的 and patient 有耐性的 creature 动物；生物, if her face spoke 讲:speak truth 真理; but she was thankful 感谢 in her soul 灵魂 to hear it, and she said so with clasped 钩 hands. She prayed 祈祷 forgiveness 饶恕 the next moment 8, and was sorry 对不起的; but the first was the emotion 情感 of her heart 8.

"What the half-drunken 醉 woman, whom 谁 I told tell you of last night, said to me when I tried to see him and obtain 获得 a week's delay 延迟, and what I thought think was a mere 仅仅 excuse 原谅 to avoid 避开 me, turns out to have been quite 7 true 真正的. He was not only very ill 生病, but dying 死亡, then."

"To whom 谁 will our debt 债务 be transferred 转让?"

"I don't know. But, before that time, we shall 将要 be ready 准备好的 with the money 钱; and, even though we were not, it would be bad 坏的 for‧tune 命运 indeed 7 to find so merciless a creditor 债权人 in his successor 接班人. We may sleep 睡 to-night with light hearts 心, Caroline!"

Yes. Soften 软的:soft it as they would, their hearts were lighter. The children's faces, hushed 嘘 and clustered 簇 round to hear what they so little understood 懂:understand, were brighter 明亮的; and it was a happier 幸福的 house for this man's death 6! The only emotion 情感 that the Ghost could show him, caused 原因；引起 by the event 事件, was one of pleasure 愉快.

"Let me see some tenderness 压痛 connected 连接 with a death 7," said Scrooge; "or that dark chamber 室, Spirit, which we left 9 just now, will be for ever 7 present to me."

The Ghost conducted 进行 him through several streets 8 familiar 熟悉的 to his feet; and, as they went along 一起, Scrooge looked here and there to find himself, but now‧here 无处 was he to be seen see. They entered 进入 poor 10 Bob Cratchit's house,—the dwelling 住 he had visited 访问 before,—and found find the mother 母亲 and the children seated 席位 round the fire.

Quiet 清静的. Very quiet. The noisy 嘈杂 little Cratchits were as still as statues 雕像 in one corner 角落, and sat 7 looking up at Peter, who had a book 书 before him. The mother and her daughters 女儿 were engaged 从事 in sewing 缝. But surely 肯定地，想必，无疑地 they were very quiet 清静的!

"'And he took a child, and set him in the midst 中间 of them.'"

Where had Scrooge heard hear those words? He had not dreamed 梦想:dream them. The boy must have read them out, as he and the Spirit crossed 穿过；十字 the threshold 阈. Why did he not go on?

The mother 6 laid 放置:lay her work upon the table 6, and put her hand up to her face.

"The colour hurts 损害 my eyes," she said.

The colour? Ah, poor 11 Tiny 小 Tim!

"They're better well now again," said Cratchit's wife 妻子. "It makes them weak 柔弱的 by candle 蜡烛-light; and I wouldn't show weak eyes to your father 父亲, when he comes home, for the world. It must be near his time."

"Past 6 it rather," Peter answered 答复, shutting 关闭 up his book 书. "But I think he has walked 走；步行同道 a little slower 慢的 than he used, these few last evenings 傍晚, mother 7."

They were very quiet 清静的 again. At last she said, and in a steady 稳定的, cheerful 快乐 voice 7, that only faltered 衰退 once:

"I have known know him walk 走；步行同道 with—I have known know him walk with Tiny 小 Tim upon his shoulder 肩膀 very fast 快的 indeed 8."

"And so have I," cried Peter. "Often."

"And so have I," exclaimed 喊叫 another. So had all.

"But he was very light to carry 运送；支撑," she resumed 恢复, intent 意图 upon her work, "and his father 父亲 loved 爱 him so, that it was no trouble 麻烦: no trouble. And there is your father 6 at the door!"

She hurried 赶紧 out to meet him; and little Bob in his comforter 安慰—he had need of it, poor fellow 同伴—came in. His tea 茶水 was ready 准备好的 for him on the hob, and they all tried who should help him to it most many. Then the two young Cratchits got get upon his knees 膝, and laid 放置:lay, each child, a little cheek 脸颊 against his face, as if they said, "Don't mind it, father 7. Don't be grieved 悼!"

Bob was very cheerful 快乐 with them, and spoke 6 pleasantly 可爱的 to all the family. He looked at the work upon the table 7, and praised 赞扬 the industry and speed 速度 of Mrs. Cratchit and the girls. They would be done long before Sunday, he said.

"Sunday! You went to-day, then, Robert?" said his wife 妻子.

"Yes, my dear 亲爱的," returned Bob. "I wish 希望 you could have gone. It would have done you good to see how green 绿色的 a place it is. But you'll see it often. I promised 允诺 him that I would walk 走；步行同道 there on a Sunday. My little, little child!" cried Bob. "My little child!"

He broke 破；断:break down all at once. He couldn't help it. If he could have helped it, he and his child would have been farther far apart 相隔, perhaps 或许, than they were.

He left 10 the room, and went up-stairs 楼梯 into the room above 之上, which was lighted light cheerfully 乐意, and hung 悬挂:hang with Christmas. There was a chair 椅子 set close beside 8 the child, and there were signs 符号 of some one having been there lately 近来. Poor Bob sat 8 down in it, and, when he had thought think a little and composed 组成 himself, he kissed 接吻 the little face. He was reconciled 调和 to what had happened 发生, and went down again quite 8 happy 幸福的.

They drew 绘画:draw about the fire, and talked 说话; the girls and mother 8 working still. Bob told tell them of the extra‧ordinary 非凡的 kindness 善良 of Mr. Scrooge's nephew, whom 谁 he had scarcely 缺乏的 seen see but once, and who, meeting him in the street 街 that day, and seeing that he looked a little—"just a little down, you know," said Bob, inquired 打听 what had happened 发生 to distress 苦难 him. "On which," said Bob, "for he is the pleasantest 可爱的- spoken 口头讲的 gentle‧man 先生 you ever 8 heard hear, I told tell him. 'I am heartily 爽朗 sorry 对不起的 for it, Mr. Cratchit,' he said, 'and heartily 爽朗 sorry for your good wife 妻子.' By-the-bye 再见, how he ever 9 knew know that I don't know."

"Knew what, my dear 亲爱的?"

"Why, that you were a good wife," replied 7 Bob.

" Everybody 每人 knows that," said Peter.

"Very well observed 观察, my boy!" cried Bob. "I hope 7 they do. 'Heartily sorry 对不起的,' he said, 'for your good wife. If I can be of service to you in any way,' he said, giving me his card 卡片, 'that's where I live. Pray 祈祷 come to me.' Now, it wasn't," cried Bob, "for the sake 缘故 of anything 7 he might be able 能够的 to do for us, so much as for his kind way, that this was quite 9 delightful 愉快. It really seemed as if he had known know our Tiny 小 Tim, and felt feel with us."

"I'm sure 7 he's a good soul 灵魂!" said Mrs. Cratchit.

"You would be sure 8 of it, my dear 8," returned Bob, "if you saw see and spoke 7 to him. I shouldn't be at all surprised 使惊奇— mark 斑点；标注 what I say!—if he got get Peter a better well situation 处境."

"Only hear that, Peter," said Mrs. Cratchit.

"And then," cried one of the girls, "Peter will be keeping company with some one, and setting up for himself."

"Get along 一起 with you!" retorted 反驳 Peter, grinning 微笑.

"It's just as likely 可能的 as not," said Bob, "one of these days; though there's plenty 丰富 of time for that, my dear 9. But, however and when‧ever 随时 we part from one another, I am sure 9 we shall 将要 none 没有人 of us forget 忘记 poor Tiny 小 Tim— shall we—or this first parting that there was among 9 us?"

"Never, father 8!" cried they all.

"And I know," said Bob, "I know, my dears 亲爱的, that when we recollect how patient 有耐性的 and how mild 温柔的 he was, although 尽管 he was a little, little child, we shall 6 not quarrel 争吵 easily 轻易地 among ourselves 我们自己, and forget 忘记 poor Tiny 小 Tim in doing it."

"No, never, father 9!" they all cried again.

"I am very happy 幸福的," said little Bob, "I am very happy 7!"

Mrs. Cratchit kissed 接吻 him, his daughters 女儿 kissed him, the two young Cratchits kissed him, and Peter and himself shook 摇晃:shake hands. Spirit of Tiny 小 Tim, thy 你的 childish 幼稚 essence 本质 was from God!

"Spectre," said Scrooge, "something informs 通知 me that our parting moment 9 is at hand. I know it, but I know not how. Tell me what man that was whom 谁 we saw see lying 躺；说谎 dead 死去的?"

The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come conveyed 传达 him, as before—though at a different 不同的 time, he thought think: indeed 9, there seemed no order in these latter 后者的 visions 视力, save 节省 that they were in the Future 将来的—into the resorts 度假胜地 of business men, but showed show him not himself. Indeed 10, the Spirit did not stay 停留 for anything 8, but went straight 直的 on, as to the end just now desired 希望, until besought by Scrooge to tarry for a moment.

"This court 法院," said Scrooge, "through which we hurry 赶紧 now, is where my place of occupation 占用 is, and has been for a length 长度 of time. I see the house. Let me behold 不料 what I shall 7 be in days to come."

The Spirit stopped 停止; the hand was pointed else‧where 在别处.

"The house is yonder," Scrooge exclaimed 喊叫. "Why do you point away?"

The inexorable finger 手指 underwent no change.

Scrooge hastened 加速 to the window 窗 of his office 办公室, and looked in. It was an office still, but not his. The furniture 家具 was not the same, and the figure in the chair 椅子 was not himself. The Phantom pointed as before.

He joined 连接 it once again, and, wondering 琢磨；奇妙 why and whither he had gone, accompanied 陪 it until they reached 到达 an iron 铁器 gate 门. He paused 暂停 to look round before entering 进入.

A church‧yard 墓地. Here, then, the wretched 不幸的人 man, whose 谁的 name he had now to learn 学习, lay 放置 underneath 在...之下 the ground 地面. It was a worthy 值得 place. Walled in by houses; over‧run 泛滥 by grass 草 and weeds 杂草, the growth 生长 of vegetation 植被's death 8, not life; choked 呛 up with too much burying 埋葬; fat 肥的 with repleted appetite 食欲. A worthy 值得 place!

The Spirit stood stand among the graves 坟墓；严重的, and pointed down to One. He advanced 往前推 towards it trembling 发抖. The Phantom was exactly 精确地；确切地 as it had been, but he dreaded 恐惧 that he saw see new meaning in its solemn 庄严的 shape 形状.

"Before I draw 绘画 nearer to that stone 石头 to which you point," said Scrooge, " answer 答复 me one question. Are these the shadows 阴影 of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of the things that May be only?"

Still the Ghost pointed down‧ward 向下 to the grave 坟墓；严重的 by which it stood stand.

"Men's courses will fore‧shadow 前面‧阴影 certain ends, to which, if per‧severe 持之以恒 in, they must lead," said Scrooge. "But if the courses be departed 离开 from, the ends will change. Say it is thus 于是 with what you show me!"

The Spirit was immovable as ever.

Scrooge crept 爬行:creep towards it, trembling 发抖 as he went; and, following the finger 手指, read upon the stone 石头 of the neglected 疏忽 grave 坟墓；严重的 his own name, Ebenezer Scrooge.

"Am I that man who lay 放置 upon the bed 9?" he cried upon his knees 膝.

The finger 手指 pointed from the grave to him, and back again.

"No, Spirit! Oh no, no!"

The finger 7 still was there.

"Spirit!" he cried, tight 紧的 clutching 离合器 at its robe 长袍, "hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this inter‧course 交往. Why show me this, if I am past 7 all hope 8?"

For the first time the hand appeared 6 to shake 摇晃.

"Good Spirit," he pursued 追求, as down upon the ground 地面 he fell 落下:fall before it: "your nature intercedes for me, and pities 怜悯 me. Assure 向…保证；肯定地说 me that I yet may change these shadows 6 you have shown show me by an altered 改变 life?"

The kind hand trembled 发抖.

"I will honour Christmas in my heart 9, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past 8, the Present, and the Future 6. The Spirits of all Three shall 8 strive 努力 within 在内 me. I will not shut 关闭 out the lessons 教训 that they teach 教. Oh, tell me I may sponge 海绵 away the writing on this stone 石头!"

In his agony 痛苦, he caught 抓；赶上:catch the spectral 光谱 hand. It sought to free 自由的 itself 本身, but he was strong 强的 in his entreaty, and detained 扣留 it. The Spirit, stronger 强的 yet, repulsed him.

Holding up his hands in a last prayer 祈祷 to have his fate 命运 reversed 反向；倒转, he saw see an alteration 改造 in the Phantom's hood 引擎罩 and dress 衣服. It shrunk, collapsed 坍方, and dwindled 缩小 down into a bed‧post 床‧邮件.

---

STAVE FIVE

THE END OF IT

Yes! and the bed‧post 床‧邮件 was his own. The bed 10 was his own, the room was his own. Best 最好 and happiest of all, the Time before him was his own, to make amends 修改 in!

"I will live in the Past 9, the Present, and the Future 7!" Scrooge repeated 重复 as he scrambled 争夺 out of bed 11. "The Spirits of all Three shall 9 strive 努力 within 在内 me. Oh, Jacob Marley! Heaven 天 and the Christmas Time be praised 赞扬 for this! I say it on my knees 膝, old Jacob; on my knees!"

He was so fluttered 扑 and so glowing 辉光 with his good intentions 意图, that his broken 破碎的 voice 8 would scarcely 缺乏的 answer 6 to his call. He had been sobbing 哭泣 violently 猛烈 in his conflict 冲突 with the Spirit, and his face was wet 湿的 with tears 撕裂；泪.

"They are not torn 撕裂；泪:tear down," cried Scrooge, folding 折叠 one of his bed-curtains 6 in his arms 手臂, "they are not torn down, rings 戒指；打电话 and all. They are here—I am here—the shadows 7 of the things that would have been may be dispelled 打消. They will be. I know they will!"

His hands were busy 忙碌的 with his garments 服装 all this time; turning them inside 里面的 out, putting them on upside 上边 down, tearing 撕裂；泪 them, mislaying them, making them parties 社交聚会 to every kind of extravagance.

"I don't know what to do!" cried Scrooge, laughing 笑 and crying 哭，叫喊 in the same breath 呼吸; and making a perfect 使完善；完美的 Laocoön of himself with his stockings 股份. "I am as light as a feather 羽毛, I am as happy 8 as an angel 天使, I am as merry 愉快的 as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken 醉 man. A merry Christmas to every‧body 每人! A happy 9 New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!"

He had frisked into the sitting 坐-room, and was now standing there: perfectly 完美地，完满地 winded 风.

"There's the sauce‧pan 平底锅 that the gruel was in!" cried Scrooge, starting off again, and going round the fire-place. "There's the door by which the Ghost of Jacob Marley entered 进入! There's the corner 角落 where the Ghost of Christmas Present sat 9! There's the window 窗 where I saw see the wandering 漫步 Spirits! It's all right, it's all true 真正的, it all happened 发生. Ha, ha, ha!"

Really, for a man who had been out of practice 练习 for so many years, it was a splendid 壮观的 laugh 8, a most many illustrious laugh 9. The father of a long, long line of brilliant 出色的 laughs 笑!

"I don't know what day of the month 月 it is," said Scrooge. "I don't know how long I have been among the Spirits. I don't know anything 9. I'm quite a baby 婴儿. Never mind. I don't care 关心. I'd rather be a baby. Hallo! Whoop! Hallo here!"

He was checked 检查 in his transports 运输 by the churches ringing 戒指；打电话 out the lustiest peals he had ever heard hear. Clash, clash 冲突, hammer 铁锤; ding, dong, bell 钟! Bell, dong, ding; hammer, clang, clash 冲突! Oh, glorious 辉煌, glorious 辉煌!

Running to the window 窗, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog 多雾路段, no mist 薄雾; clear, bright 明亮的, jovial, stirring 搅动, cold 8; cold 9, piping 管子 for the blood 血 to dance 跳舞 to; Golden 金色的 sun 太阳-light; Heavenly 神圣的 sky 天（空）; sweet 甜的 fresh 新鲜的 air 7; merry 10 bells 钟. Oh, glorious 辉煌! Glorious!

"What's to-day?" cried Scrooge, calling down‧ward 向下 to a boy in Sunday clothes 衣服，衣物, who perhaps 或许 had loitered in to look about him.

"Eh?" returned the boy with all his might of wonder 琢磨；奇妙.

"What's to-day, my fine 好的 fellow 同伴?" said Scrooge.

"To-day!" replied 8 the boy. "Why, Christmas Day."

"It's Christmas Day!" said Scrooge to himself. "I haven't missed 错过；想念 it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can. Hallo, my fine fellow!"

"Hallo!" returned the boy.

"Do you know the Poulterer's in the next street 街 but one, at the corner 7?" Scrooge inquired 打听.

"I should hope 9 I did," replied 9 the lad 小伙子.

"An intelligent 智能 boy!" said Scrooge. "A remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的 boy! Do you know whether 是否 they've sold 卖:sell the prize 奖赏 Turkey that was hanging 悬挂 up there?—Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?"

"What! the one as big as me?" returned the boy.

"What a delightful 愉快 boy!" said Scrooge. "It's a pleasure 愉快 to talk 说话 to him. Yes, my buck 降压!"

"It's hanging there now," replied the boy.

"Is it?" said Scrooge. "Go and buy 购买 it."

" Walk 走；步行同道-ER!" exclaimed 喊叫 the boy.

"No, no," said Scrooge, "I am in earnest 热心的. Go and buy it, and tell 'em to bring it here, that I may give them the directions 方向 where to take it. Come back with the man, and I'll give you a shilling 一毛钱. Come back with him in less little than five minutes 分, and I'll give you half-a-crown 王冠!"

The boy was off like a shot 射击；拍摄:shoot. He must have had a steady 稳定的 hand at a trigger 触发 who could have got get a shot off half so fast 快的.

"I'll send 派遣；送 it to Bob Cratchit's," whispered 低声说 Scrooge, rubbing 擦 his hands, and splitting 分裂 with a laugh 10. "He shan't know who sends 派遣；送 it. It's twice 两次 the size 大小 of Tiny 小 Tim. Joe Miller never made such a joke 笑话 as sending 派遣；送 it to Bob's will be!"

The hand in which he wrote write the address 地址 was not a steady 稳定的 one; but write it he did, some‧how 某种方法, and went down-stairs 楼梯 to open the street 街-door, ready 准备好的 for the coming of the poulterer's man. As he stood stand there, waiting 等候 his arrival 到达, the knocker 敲 caught 抓；赶上:catch his eye.

"I shall love 爱 it as long as I live!" cried Scrooge, patting 拍 it with his hand. "I scarcely 缺乏的 ever looked at it before. What an honest 诚实的 expression 表现 it has in its face! It's a wonderful 精彩 knocker 敲!—Here's the Turkey. Hallo! Whoop! How are you? Merry 11 Christmas!"

It was a Turkey! He never could have stood stand upon his legs 腿, that bird 鸟. He would have snapped 卡 'em short 短的 off in a minute 分, like sticks 棍；粘贴 of sealing 封上，海豹-wax 蜡.

"Why, it's impossible 不可能的 to carry 运送；支撑 that to Camden Town 城镇," said Scrooge. "You must have a cab 出租车."

The chuckle 暗笑 with which he said this, and the chuckle 暗笑 with which he paid pay for the Turkey, and the chuckle 暗笑 with which he paid pay for the cab 出租车, and the chuckle 暗笑 with which he recompensed the boy, were only to be exceeded 超过 by the chuckle 暗笑 with which he sat down breath‧less 咋舌 in his chair 椅子 again, and chuckled 暗笑 till 到 he cried.

Shaving was not aneasy 容易的 task 任务, for his hand continued to shake 摇晃 very much; and shaving 剃须 requires 需要；有赖于；要求 attention 注意, even when you don't dance 跳舞 while you are at it. But, if he had cut 砍 the end of his nose 鼻子 off, he would have put a piece 块 of sticking 棍；粘贴-plaster 灰泥 over it, and been quite satisfied 使满意.

He dressed 衣服 himself "all in his best 最好," and at last got get out into the streets 9. The people were by this time pouring 淋；倒 forth 向前, as he had seen see them with the Ghost of Christmas Present; and, walking 走；步行同道 with his hands behind 7 him, Scrooge regarded 认为 every one with a delighted 快乐 smile 微笑. He looked so irresistibly 不可抗拒 pleasant 可爱的, in a word, that three or four good-humoured fellows 同伴 said, "Good morning 早晨, sir 先生! A merry 12 Christmas to you!" And Scrooge said often after‧ward 之后 that, of all the blithe sounds 声音 he had ever heard hear, those were the blithest in his ears 耳朵.

He had not gone far when, coming on towards him, he beheld the portly 港口 gentle‧man 先生 who had walked 走；步行同道 into his counting 数；总数-house the day before, and said, "Scrooge and Marley's, I believe 7?" It sent 派遣；送:send a pang across 穿过 his heart 10 to think how this old gentleman would look upon him when they met meet; but he knew know what path 小路 lay 放置 straight 直的 before him, and he took it.

"My dear 10 sir 先生," said Scrooge, quickening 加速 his pace 步伐，速度, and taking the old gentle‧man 先生 by both his hands, "how do you do? I hope you succeeded 成功 yesterday 昨天. It was very kind of you. A merry 13 Christmas to you, sir!"

"Mr. Scrooge?"

"Yes," said Scrooge. "That is my name, and I fear 害怕 it may not be pleasant 可爱的 to you. Allow 允许 me to ask your pardon 宽恕；说啥？. And will you have the goodness 善良——" Here Scrooge whispered 低声说 in his ear 耳朵.

" Lord 主 bless 祝福 me!" cried the gentle‧man 先生, as if his breath 呼吸 were taken away. "My dear 11 Mr. Scrooge, are you serious 严肃的?"

"If you please 请;讨人喜欢," said Scrooge. "Not a far‧thing 远‧东西；事件 less little. A great many back-payments 付款 are included in it, I assure 向…保证；肯定地说 you. Will you do me that favour?"

"My dear 12 sir 先生," said the other, shaking 摇晃 hands with him, "I don't know what to say to such munifi——"

"Don't say anything, please," retorted 反驳 Scrooge. "Come and see me. Will you come and see me?"

"I will!" cried the old gentle‧man 先生. And it was clear he meant mean to do it.

"Thankee," said Scrooge. "I am much obliged 责成 to you. I thank 谢谢 you fifty 五十 times. Bless 祝福 you!"

He went to church, and walked 走；步行同道 about the streets, and watched 钟表；注视 the people hurrying 赶紧 to and fro 来来往往, and patted 拍 the children on the head, and questioned beggars 乞丐, and looked down into the kitchens 厨房 of houses, and up to the windows 窗; and found find that every‧thing 每件事物 could yield 屈服 him pleasure 愉快. He had never dreamed 梦想:dream that any walk 走；步行同道—that anything—could give him so much happiness 幸福. In the after‧noon 下午 he turned his steps 步；走 towards his nephew's house.

He passed 8 the door a dozen （一）打；十二 times before he had the courage 勇气 to go up and knock 敲. But he made a dash 短跑, and did it.

"Is your master 主人；硕士 at home, my dear 13?" said Scrooge to the girl. Nice 美好的 girl! Very.

"Yes sir 先生."

"Where is he, my love 爱?" said Scrooge.

"He's in the dining 吃饭-room, sir, along 6 with mistress 情妇. I'll show you up-stairs 楼梯, if you please 请;讨人喜欢."

"Thankee. He knows me," said Scrooge, with his hand already 早已；已经 on the dining-room lock 锁. "I'll go in here, my dear."

He turned it gently 温和的, and sidled his face in round the door. They were looking at the table 8 (which was spread 伸开 out in great array 排列); for these young house‧keeper 管家 are always nervous 担心的 on such points, and like to see that every‧thing 每件事物 is right.

"Fred!" said Scrooge.

Dear heart 11 alive 活的；有生命的, how his niece 11 by marriage 结婚 started! Scrooge had forgotten 忘记:forget, for the moment, about her sitting 坐 in the corner 8 with the foot‧stool 脚；英尺‧粪便, or he wouldn't have done it on any account 账；解释.

"Why, bless 祝福 my soul 灵魂!" cried Fred, "who's that?"

"It's I. Your uncle 叔叔 Scrooge. I have come to dinner 10. Will you let me in, Fred?"

Let him in! It is a mercy 宽容 he didn't shake 摇晃 his arm 手臂 off. He was at home in five minutes 分. Nothing could be heartier 爽朗. His niece 12 looked just the same. So did Topper when he came. So did the plump 丰满 sister 姐妹 when she came. So did every one when they came. Wonderful 精彩 party 社交聚会, wonderful 精彩 games 游戏, wonderful 精彩 unanimity, won 赢:win-der-ful happiness 幸福!

But he was early at the office 办公室 next morning 早晨. Oh, he was early there! If he could only be there first, and catch 抓；赶上 Bob Cratchit coming late! That was the thing he had set his heart upon.

And he did it; yes, he did! The clock 钟 struck 敲击:strike nine 九. No Bob. A quarter 四分之一 past. No Bob. He was full 满的 eighteen 十八 minutes 6 and a half behind 8 his time. Scrooge sat with his door wide 宽的 open, that he might see him come into the tank 容器.

His hat 帽子 was off before he opened the door; his comforter 安慰 too. He was on his stool 粪便 in a jiffy; driving 驾驶 away with his pen 笔, as if he were trying to overtake nine 九 o' clock 钟.

"Hallo!" growled 吠声 Scrooge in his accustomed 使习惯 voice 9 as near as he could feign it. "What do you mean by coming here at this time of day?"

"I am very sorry 对不起的, sir 先生," said Bob. "I am behind 9 my time."

"You are!" repeated 重复 Scrooge. "Yes. I think you are. Step 步；走 this way, sir, if you please 请;讨人喜欢."

"It's only once a year, sir," pleaded 求情 Bob, appearing 出现 from the tank 容器. "It shall not be repeated 重复. I was making rather merry 14 yesterday 昨天, sir 9."

"Now, I'll tell you what, my friend 朋友," said Scrooge. "I am not going to stand this sort 分类 of thing any longer. And therefore 因此," he continued, leaping 飞跃 from his stool 粪便, and giving Bob such a dig 挖 in the waist‧coat 腰‧上衣 that he staggered 错开 back into the tank 容器 again: "and therefore I am about to raise 提升；种 your salary 薪水!"

Bob trembled 发抖, and got get a little nearer to the ruler 规则. He had a momentary 短暂的 idea 主意 of knocking 敲 Scrooge down with it, holding him, and calling to the people in the court 法院 for help and a strait-waist‧coat 腰‧上衣.

"A merry 15 Christmas, Bob!" said Scrooge with an earnestness that could not be mistaken 错误, as he clapped 拍 him on the back. "A merrier 愉快的 Christmas, Bob, my good fellow 同伴, than I have given give you for many a year! I'll raise 提升；种 your salary 薪水, and endeavour to assist 帮助；协助；援助 your struggling 挣扎；搏斗 family, and we will discuss 讨论 your affairs 事情 this very after‧noon 下午, over a Christmas bowl 碗 of smoking 烟 bishop 主教, Bob! Make up the fires 火 and buy 购买 another coal 煤-scuttle before you dot 点 another i, Bob Cratchit!"

---

Scrooge was better well than his word. He did it all, and infinitely 无限地 more many; and to Tiny 小 Tim, who did NOT die 死亡, he was a second father. He became become as good a friend 朋友, as good a master 主人；硕士, and as good a man as the good old City knew know, or any other good old city, town 城镇, or borough 镇 in the good old world. Some people laughed 9 to see the alteration 改造 in him, but he let them laugh 11, and little heeded 注意 them; for he was wise 明智的；聪明的 enough to know that nothing ever happened 发生 on this globe 地球, for good, at which some people did not have their fill 装满 of laughter 笑 in the outset 开始; and, knowing that such as these would be blind 失明的 anyway 无论如何, he thought think it quite as well that they should wrinkle 皱纹 up their eyes in grins 微笑 as have the malady in less little attractive 有魅力的 forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.

He had no further 更远的 inter‧course 交往 with Spirits, but lived upon the Total 总共-Abstinence Principle 原理 ever after‧ward 之后; and it was always said of him that he knew know how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive 活的；有生命的 possessed 拥有 the knowledge 知识；了解. May that be truly 真 said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny 小 Tim observed 6, God bless 9 Us, Every One!