I put Miss Murdstone out of my mind, and for several weeks after meeting Dora, I lived in a dream. I did my work automatically, and I never stopped thinking of her. The greatest happiness I could imagine was being engaged to Dora. I dared not hope that one day we would be married.
摩德斯通小姐很快被我忘在脑后。遇见朵拉后的几个星期,我都生活在梦境之中。我机械地工作着,却无时不刻地想她。我最大的快乐就是想象跟朵拉订婚的情景。我不敢奢望有一天我俩会结成夫妻。
While walking round London one day, hoping to meet Dora out shopping, I met my old schoolfriend Tommy Traddles. He was living in the city, like me, and was also studying to become a lawyer. I arranged to visit him, and went to his house after work the next day. He lived in one room in a rented house, in a very poor part of the city. His room was small, and almost empty.
一天,我在伦敦街头溜达,指望能看见朵拉从哪家商场出来。这时,我遇见了老同学汤米·特拉德尔。他住在伦敦城,也跟我一样在学做律师。我安排了时间去看他。第二天下了班,我来到了他的住处。他住的是一个租来的房间,位于城市的贫民窟。房间很小,差不多是空的。
"Copperfield! I'm glad to see you! "he said warmly. "you can see I haven't got much furniture, but I'm hoping to earn more money later, when I've finished my studies."
“科波菲尔!真高兴见到你!”他热情地说,“你看我这儿没什么家什,可我希望我不久就能赚钱,就在我学完之后。”
"Didn't you have a rich uncle, Traddles? "I asked.
“你不是有一个很富有的叔叔吗,特拉德尔?”我问道。
"Yes, but I've always been unlucky, you know. He decided he didn't like me, so he didn't leave me anything when he died. I'm really very poor, and I have to do several jobs to pay for my studies. "Traddles looked surprisingly cheerful. "But I must tell you, Copperfield, as you're an old friend, that I'm engaged! To a lovely girl, who comes from a large family, and lives in Devon! "
“是的,可是你要知道,我总是不走运。他认为他不喜欢我,所以在他死后,没留下任何东西给我。我的确很穷,而且不得不做好几份工作来支付我的学费。”特拉德尔的情绪出奇地好。“可我必须告诉你,科波菲尔,因为你是我的好朋友,我一定得告诉你,我已经订婚了!跟一个很可爱的女孩,她出生于一个大家庭,就住在德文!”