“听着，您看这些怎么样？”卡特尔船长问道。

　　’Why, Lord help you!’ returned the broker; ’you don’t suppose that property’s of any use, do you?’

　　“啊，上帝保佑您！”经纪人回答道；“难道您以为那些财产有什么用处吗？”

　　’Why not?’ inquired the Captain.

　　“为什么没有用处？”船长问道。

　　’Why? The amount’s three hundred and seventy, odd,’ replied the broker.

　　“为什么？总共是三百七十多镑，”经纪人回答道。

　　’Never mind,’ returned the Captain, though he was evidently dismayed by the figures: ’all’s fish that comes to your net, I suppose?’

　　“不要紧，”船长回答道，虽然这个数字显然使他吃惊，“我想，跑进您网里来的都是鱼吧？”

　　’Certainly,’ said Mr Brogley. ’But sprats ain’t whales, you know.’

　　“当然，”布罗格利先生说道。“但是您知道，西鲱鱼并不是鲸鱼。”

　　The philosophy of this observation seemed to strike the Captain. He ruminated for a minute; eyeing the broker, meanwhile, as a deep genius; and then called the Instrument-maker aside.

　　这句话的哲理似乎击中了船长。他沉思了一会儿；同时目不转睛地看着经纪人，像是在看一位思想深奥的天才似的。然后他把仪器制造商叫到一旁。

　　’Gills,’ said Captain Cuttle, ’what’s the bearings of this business? Who’s the creditor?’

　　“吉尔斯，”卡特尔船长说道，“这是什么样的一笔债务？债权人是谁？”

　　’Hush!’ returned the old man. ’Come away. Don’t speak before Wally. It’s a matter of security for Wally’s father - an old bond. I’ve paid a good deal of it, Ned, but the times are so bad with me that I can’t do more just now. I’ve foreseen it, but I couldn’t help it. Not a word before Wally, for all the world.’

　　“说轻一些！”老人回答道。“我们走开一些，别当着沃利的面说。这是为了给沃利的父亲担保而发生的事情。——一笔老债务。我已经偿付了好多，内德，可是我的日子过得很艰难，目前我不能再做什么了。我预见到这件事，可是我无能为力。无论如何，在沃利面前一句话也别说。”

　　’You’ve got some money, haven’t you?’ whispered the Captain.

　　“你有一些钱吧，是不是？”船长低声问道。

　　’Yes, yes - oh yes- I’ve got some,’ returned old Sol, first putting his hands into his empty pockets, and then squeezing his Welsh wig between them, as if he thought he might wring some gold out of it; ’but I - the little I have got, isn’t convertible, Ned; it can’t be got at. I have been trying to do something with it for Wally, and I’m old fashioned, and behind the time. It’s here and there, and - and, in short, it’s as good as nowhere,’ said the old man, looking in bewilderment about him.

　　“是的，是的，——啊，是的。——我有一些，”老所尔回答道；他首先把手伸进两只空空的衣袋，然后用它们紧紧挤着他的威尔士假发，仿佛他以为他可以从那里挤出一些金子似的。“但是我，——我有一点钱是不能兑换成现钱的，内德；它是不能立刻拿来用的。我一直在想用它来给沃利做点什么事。可是我已过时了，落在时代后面了。这里那里都是钱，但同时——同时，总之，实际上等于什么地方都没有钱。”老人手足无措地看着四周，说道。

　　He had so much the air of a half-witted person who had been hiding his money in a variety of places, and had forgotten where, that the Captain followed his eyes, not without a faint hope that he might remember some few hundred pounds concealed up the chimney, or down in the cellar. But Solomon Gills knew better than that.

　　他那样子很像是个神志恍惚的人，把钱藏在许多地方，但却忘记藏在哪里了，所以船长跟随着他的眼光，心里怀着一丝微弱的希望，也许他会记起来在上面的烟囱里或在下面的地窖里隐藏着几百镑。可是所罗门·吉尔斯心里很清楚，这是决不会发生的事情。