“If he had had a better position，and been able to keep a workshop and journeymen，” the porters wife said，“he might have been a court tailor.”
看门人的妻子说：“要是他的处境更好一点儿，自己有个门面，雇上个帮工，他很可能成为宫廷的裁缝师呢。”
The clothes were ready，and the candidatecandidate n.候选人，投考者 for confirmation was ready. On his confirmation day，George received a great pinchbeck watch from his godfather，the old iron mongers shopman，the richest of his godfathers. The watch was an old and tried servant. It always went too fast，but that is better than to be lagging behind. That was a costly present. And from the Generals apartment there arrived a hymnbook bound in morocco，sent by the little lady to whom George had given pictures. At the beginning of the book his name was written，and her name，as “his gracious patroness”。 These words had been written at the dictation of the Generals lady，and the General had read the inscription，and pronounced it “Charming”！
衣服准备好了，要去参加仪式的人也准备好了。乔治在参加坚信礼那天，从他的教父那里得到了一块黄铜表。他的教父是一位麻商的老伙计，在乔治的教父中算最富有的一位。表很旧了，用过了多年，走起来总是快，但是总比走得慢要好一些。这是一件很值钱的礼物。将军家则送给他一本羊皮封面的赞美诗，是乔治曾经送画给她的那位小姐送的。书前面有他的名字和她的名字及“敬重恩主”。这是将军夫人口授写下的，将军念了一遍，说“好极了” ！
“That is really a great attention from a family of such position”，said the porters wife； and George was sent up stairs to show himself in his confirmation clothes，with the hymnbook in his hand.
“这么显贵的一家算是看得起我们了。”看门人的妻子说道。乔治则必须穿上他参加坚信礼的衣服，拿着那本赞美诗去道谢。
The Generals lady was sitting very much wrapped up，and had the bad headache she always had when time hung heavy upon her hands. She looked at George very pleasantly，and wished him all prosperityprosperity n.繁荣，and that he might never have her headache. The General was walking about in his dressinggown. He had a cap with a long tassel on his head，and Russian boots with red tops on his feet. He walked three times up and down the room，absorbed in his own thoughts and recollections，and then stopped and said：将军夫人裹得严严实实的，正害着她那心一烦就剧烈头疼的病。她很友善地看着乔治，祝他万事如意，也祝自己永远不再头痛。将军穿着睡袍，戴着一顶拖着丝带的便帽，脚上穿一双俄罗斯红长统靴。他在地板上来回走了三趟，他在沉思中，在回忆中，然后便停住说道：“So little George is a confirmedconfirmed adj.证实的，惯常的，慢性的 Christian now. Be a good man，and honor those in authority over you. Some day，when you are an old man，you can say that the General gave you this preceptprecept n.规则。”
“这么说小乔治也已经是教会的人了！也要成为一个忠诚、尊敬上级的人了！将来有一天你老了的时候，不用费力便会说这是将军教你的！”
That was a longer speech than the General was accustomed to make，and then he went back to his ruminations，and looked very aristocraticaristocratic adj.贵族的，贵族化的，贵族政治的。 But of all that George heard and saw up there，little Miss Emily remained most clear in his thoughts. How graceful she was，how gentle，and fluttering，and pretty she looked. If she were to be drawn，it ought to be on a soapbubble. About her dress，about her yellow curled hair，there was a fragrance as of a freshblown rose； and to think that he had once divided his bread and butter with her，and that she had eaten it with enormous appetite，and nodded to him at every second mouthful！ Did she remember anything about it？ Yes，certainly，for she had given him the beautiful hymnbook in remembrance of this； and when the first new moon in the first new year after this event came round，he took a piece of bread，a penny，and his hymnbook，and went out into the open air，and opened the book to see what psalmpsalm n.圣歌 he should turn up. It was a psalm of praise and thanksgiving. Then he opened the book again to see what would turn up for little Emily. He took great pains not to open the book in the place where the funeral hymns were，and yet he got one that referred to the grave and death. But then he thought this was not a thing in which one must believe； for all that he was startled when soon afterwards the pretty little girl had to lie in bed，and the doctors carriage stopped at the gate every day.
这是将军讲的比平时都长的一段话了。之后，他又回到自己的内心去了，表现出一副庄严的样子。不过在上面，乔治听到看到的一切中，他记得最清晰的是爱米莉小姐。她多么轻盈，多么娇嫩！要是把她画下来，那一定会是画在一个肥皂泡里。她的衣服，她卷曲的金发有一股芳香的气味，简直像一株刚刚出土的玫瑰。她曾经和他分过一次黄油面包。她吃面包时的胃口好极了，每咬一口便要向他点一点头。不知道她还记得这些事吗？会的，很肯定。她就是怀着这样的“回忆”送给他那本美丽的赞美诗集。随后当新年的第一次新月升起的时候，他拿着面包和一枚铜钱走到外面，他把诗集打开，看一看他会翻到哪首赞美诗，是一首颂主感恩的诗；他又一次打开诗集，看看小爱米莉能得到一首什么诗。他很小心地避免翻到悼亡诗文，可是他依然翻到了死与坟墓的那一部分。这事当然并不可信！然而不久，当那位漂亮的小姑娘病倒在床上，每天中午医生的马车都停在大门外面的时候，他不安起来。
“They will not keep her with them”。 said the porters wife. “The good God knows whom He will summon to Himself.”
“他们留不住她了！”看门人的妻子说道。“上帝知道要把谁带走！”
But they kept her after all； and George drew pictures and sent them to her. He drew the Czars palace； the old Kremlin at Moscow，just as it stood，with towers and cupolascupola n.炮塔； and these cupolas looked like gigantic green and gold cucumbers，at least in Georges drawing. Little Emily was highly pleased，and consequently，when a week had elapsed，George sent her a few more pictures，all with buildings in them； for，you see，she could imagine all sorts of things inside the windows and doors.
但是他们留住了她。乔治画了许多画送给她。他画了沙皇的宫殿，画了莫斯科古老的克里姆林宫，跟真的一样，有塔，有圆顶，就像是巨大的绿色和金色的黄瓜，至少在乔治的画上是如此，这使小爱米莉非常高兴。乔治在一个星期内又送去了几张画，全都是建筑物，因为凭这些画她可以充分地想像大门和窗户里面的情形。
