今年是英國著名作家查爾斯·狄更斯(Charles Dickens)誕辰200周年。作為一名作家，他一生著作無數(shù)，代表作《霧都孤兒》《雙城記》《大衛(wèi)·科波菲爾》《遠大前程》等多部小說影響深遠，成為世界經(jīng)典名著；作為一位父親，他對兒女那溫柔的關懷和體貼的愛護絲毫不亞于一個慈母。下文節(jié)選自狄更斯的女兒瑪米·狄更斯(Mamie Dickens)所寫的回憶錄《回憶我的父親》(My Father as I Recall Him)，描繪了狄更斯鮮為人知的慈父形象，字里行間透露出一個女兒對父親深深的愛。

From his earliest childhood， throughout his earliest married life to the day of his death， his nature was home-loving. He was a \"home man\" in every respect2). When he became celebrated at a very early age， as we know， all his joys and sorrows were taken home; and he found there sympathy and the companionship3) of his \"own familiar friends\". In his letters to these latter， in his letters to my mother， to my aunt， and， later on， to us his children， he never forgot anything that he knew would be of interest about his work， his successes， his hopes or fears. And there was a sweet simplicity in his belief that such news would most certainly be acceptable to all; that is wonderfully touching and child-like coming from a man of genius.

His care and thoughtfulness about home matters， nothing being deemed4) too small or trivial to claim his attention and consideration， were really marvelous5) when we remember his active， eager， restless， working brain. No man was so inclined6) naturally to derive his happiness from home affairs. He was full of the kind of interest in a house which is commonly confined7) to women， and his care of and for us as little children did most certainly \"pass the love of women\"! His was a tender and most affectionate8) nature.

For many consecutive9) summers we used to be taken to Broadstairs. This little place became a great favorite with my father. He was always very happy there， and delighted in10) wandering about the garden of his house， generally accompanied by one or other of his children. In later years， at Boulogne， he would often have his youngest boy， \"The Noble Plorn11)\"， trotting12) by his side. These two were constant companions in those days， and after these walks my father would always have some funny anecdote to tell us. And when years later the time came for the boy of his heart to go out into the world， my father， after seeing him off， wrote: \"Poor Plorn has gone to Australia. It was a hard parting at the last. He seemed to become once more my youngest and favorite little child as the day drew near， and I did not think I could have been so shaken. These are hard， hard things， but they might have to be done without means or influence， and then they would be far harder. God bless him!\"

When my father was arranging and rehearsing13) his readings from \"Dombey14)\"， the death of \"little Paul\" caused him such real anguish15)， the reading being so difficult to him， that he told us he could only master his intense emotion by keeping the picture of Plorn， well， strong and hearty， steadily before his eyes. We can see by the different child characters in his books what a wonderful knowledge he had of children， and what a wonderful and truly womanly sympathy he had with them in all their childish joys and griefs. I can remember with us， his own children， how kind， considerate and patient he always was. But we were never afraid to go to him in any trouble， and never had a snub16) from him or a cross17) word under any circumstances. He was always glad to give us \"treats\"， as he called them， and used to conceive all manner of18) those \"treats\" for us， and if any favor had to be asked we were always sure of a favorable answer. On these occasions my sister \"Katie\" was generally our messenger， we others waiting outside the study door to hear the verdict19). She and I used to have delightful treats in those summer evenings， driving up to Hampstead20) in the open carriage with him， our mother， and \"Auntie\"， and getting out for a long walk through the lovely country lanes， picking wild roses and other flowers， or walking hand in hand with him listening to some story.

In later years there came changes in our home， inevitable21) changes. But no changes could ever alter22) my father's home-loving nature. As he wrote to Mr. Forster， as a young man， so it was with him to the time of his death: \"We shall soon meet， please God， and be happier than ever we were in all our lives. Oh! Home—home—home!!!\"

父親從幼年起，到新婚燕爾，直至辭世的那一天，都是一個愛家的人。不論從哪方面看，父親都是一個“顧家的男人”。眾所周知，父親少年成名，從那時起，他就把自己在外所有的快樂與憂傷帶回家中，而父親自己也從家里獲得了慰藉以及他“熟悉的朋友們”的相伴情誼。在他給這些朋友、給我母親和姨媽以及后來給我們這些孩子們寫的信中，他從未忘記過分享任何他覺得我們感興趣的事——關于他的工作、他的成功、他的期盼抑或擔心。而他這么做的原因簡單得可愛：因為他相信這樣的消息大家肯定最愿意聽。這樣的想法出自一個天才真的很令人感動，也很可愛。

在父親眼中，家事無小事，事無巨細都值得他關心和思慮。每當我們想到他的大腦總是在高速運轉(zhuǎn)，他在飽含激情、筆耕不輟的時候還能對家事如此關注和細心，都覺得這真是太不可思議了。沒有哪一個男人像他那樣天性愛家，把家事當成快樂的源泉。通常只有女性才會喜歡家事，可父親卻對家里的一切都充滿興趣，他對我們這些小孩子的關心和照顧也的確完全“超越了女性的那種愛”！他就是這樣天性溫柔，充滿慈愛。

連著好幾年夏天，父親都帶我們?nèi)ゲ剂_德斯泰斯避暑。這個小地方成了父親的最愛。在那里，他總是很快樂，很享受在家里的花園漫步的愉悅，大部分時候身旁都有自己的這個或那個孩子陪著。后來在布洛涅的那幾年里，他總是讓自己最小的兒子“高雅的普羅恩”小跑著跟在他身邊陪他散步。那段日子里，兩人常常形影不離。和普羅恩一起散完步后，父親總會有一些好玩的趣聞軼事要講給我們聽。多年以后，當他心愛的兒子普羅恩離家步入社會的那一刻到來時，父親在親自為他送行之后寫道：“可憐的普羅恩已經(jīng)去了澳大利亞。最后的分別尤為艱難。隨著離別的日子越來越近，他似乎又一次變回了那個年齡最小、最讓我疼愛的小男孩。我從未想過自己竟會如此不安。離別總有千愁萬苦，可你卻不得不裝作若無其事、毫不在意，于是這樣的離別就變得更加令人難過。愿上帝保佑他！”

父親在準備和排練《董貝父子》的作品朗誦表演時(編注：狄更斯從1858年起經(jīng)常舉辦作品朗誦會)，“小保羅之死”這個部分讓他真切地感到了深深的痛苦，朗讀的過程于他太過艱難，他告訴我們他只有一直把普羅恩的照片擺在眼前，看著照片中兒子健康強壯、活力四射的樣子才能控制住自己心中涌動的強烈情感。父親在他的作品中塑造了許多不同的兒童形象，從中我們可以看出父親對兒童的了解多么深刻，他對孩子們所有的快樂與悲傷抱有多么美好而又真誠的、如母性般的同情。我記得父親和我們這些孩子在一起的時候，總是那么和藹可親、體貼入微、無比耐心。而且無論遇到什么麻煩，我們都不會怕去找他，而他無論如何也不會斥責我們，甚至連一句生氣的話也從未說過。他總是樂于“款待”我們——他稱之為“款待”，而且總能想出各種“款待”我們的法子。如果真有什么事必須要找他幫忙，我們也很有信心能得到想要的答復。每當這種時候，我的妹妹凱蒂一般就負責當我們的信使，而我們其他人就守在書房外面敬候佳音。在那些年的夏天傍晚，我和凱蒂就常?？梢蚤_心地享受這樣的“款待”。我們倆與父親、母親還有“姨媽”一起坐上敞篷馬車前往漢普斯特德公園，等下了馬車，便沿著長長的、美麗的鄉(xiāng)間小路一起散步，一邊摘一些野玫瑰或其他野花，或是和父親手拉著手，邊走邊聽他給我們講某個故事。

在后來的幾年里，家里發(fā)生了一些變故，一些不可避免的變故。但無論發(fā)生什么變故，都無法改變父親愛家的本性。正如他年輕時寫給福斯特先生的信中所說(這也是他至死都一直堅守的信念)：“如系天意，我們很快會相聚，未來的日子里，我們將擁有前所未有的快樂。哦！家啊——我親愛的家?。?！”

1.Mamie Dickens: 瑪米·狄更斯(1838~1896)，狄更斯的大女兒。她在狄更斯的十個孩子中排行老二，一生未婚，陪狄更斯安度晚年直至他去世。

2.in every respect: 在各方面

3.companionship [k#601;m#712;paelig;ni#601;n#643;#618;p] n. 友誼；交往

4.deem [di#720;m] vt. 認為，以為，視為

5.marvelous [#712;mɑ#720;v#601;l#601;s] adj. 令人驚奇的；不可思議的

6.inclined [#618;n#712;kla#618;nd] adj. 傾向于……的

7.confine [k#601;n#712;fa#618;n] vt. 限制，使局限

8.affectionate [#601;#712;fek#643;#601;n#601;t] adj. 溫柔親切的；出于柔情的

9.consecutive [k#601;n#712;sekj#601;t#618;v] adj. 連續(xù)的

10.delighted in (doing): 從(做某事)中獲得快樂

11.The Noble Plorn: 狄更斯對小兒子愛德華·狄更斯(Edward Dickens)的愛稱。愛德華·狄更斯(1852~1902)是狄更斯最小的孩子，在狄更斯的鼓勵下于1869年移民澳大利亞。

12.trot [tr#594;t] vi. (人)小步跑，慢跑

13.rehearse [r#618;#712;h#604;#720;s] vt. 排練；排演；預演(戲劇、舞蹈或音樂作品)

14.Dombey: 指《董貝父子》(Dombey and Son)。《董貝父子》是狄更斯最重要的作品之一，從1846年開始在雜志上連載，至1848年連載完畢。小說主人公Dombey是個冷酷無情的大資本家，視妻兒為他追逐利潤的工具。兒子Paul的出生帶給他莫大的希望，他從Paul很小的時候就把他當成繼承人來培養(yǎng)，剝奪了Paul應有的快樂童年。后來，體弱多病的Paul被送進一所以填塞死知識著稱的學校學習，在那里精神飽受摧殘，不久以后便死去。

15.anguish [#712;aelig;#331;ɡw#618;#643;] n. (精神上的)極度痛苦，悲痛

16.snub [sn#652;b] n. 冷落，怠慢

17.cross [kr#594;s] adj. 生氣的；惱怒的

18.all manner of: 形形色色的，各種各樣的

19.verdict [#712;v#604;#720;d#618;kt] n. 定論

20.Hampstead: 指漢普斯特德希思高地公園(Hampstead Heath)。它是倫敦一個著名的古老公園，占地320公頃，其歷史可追溯至公元986年，至今仍是倫敦人散步和休閑的首選地之一。

21.inevitable [#618;n#712;ev#618;t#601;bl] adj. 不可避免的，無法規(guī)避的

22.alter [#712;#596;#720;lt#601;(r)] vt. 改動，變動