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A Christmas Carol, 3: THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS

3: THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS

When Scrooge awoke it was so dark that, looking out of bed, he could scarcely distinguish the window from the walls of his chamber. He was endeavouring to pierce the darkness when the chimes of a neighbouring church struck the four quarters. So he listened for the hour. To his great astonishment the heavy bell went on from six to seven, and from seven to eight, and regularly up to twelve; then stopped. Twelve! It was past two when he went to bed. ‘Why, it isn't possible,' said Scrooge, ‘that I can have slept through a whole day and far into another night.' He scrambled out of bed, and groped his way to the window. All he could make out was that it was still very foggy and extremely cold. He went over to bed again and thought, and thought, and thought it over and over - and could make nothing of it. Every time he resolved within himself that it was all a dream, his mind flew back to its frst position and presented the same problem to be worked all through, ‘Was it a dream or not?' Scrooge lay in this state until the chime had gone three quarters more, when he remembered that the Ghost had warned him of a visitation when the bell tolled one. He resolved to lie awake until the hour was past; and, considering that he could not go to sleep, this was perhaps the wisest resolution in his power. The quarter hour was so long, that he was more than once convinced he must have sunk into a doze and missed the clock. At length it broke upon his listening ear. ‘Ding, dong!' ‘A quarter past,' said Scrooge, counting. ‘Ding, dong!' ‘Half past!' said Scrooge. ‘Ding, dong!' ‘A quarter to it,' said Scrooge. ‘Ding, dong!' ‘The hour itself,' said Scrooge, triumphantly, ‘and nothing else!' He spoke before the hour bell sounded, which it now did with a deep, dull, hollow, melancholy one. Light flashed up in the room upon the instant, and the curtains of his bed were drawn aside by a hand and Scrooge, starting up, found himself face to face with an unearthly visitor. It was a strange fgure - like a child, yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium, which gave him the appearance of having diminished to a child's proportions. Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle in it. It wore a tunic of the purest white and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible. ‘Are you the Spirit, sir, whose coming was foretold to me?' asked Scrooge. ‘I am!' The voice was soft and gentle, as if, instead of being so close beside him, it were at a distance. ‘Who...and what are you?' Scrooge demanded. ‘I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.' ‘Long past?' inquired Scrooge. ‘No. Your past.' Scrooge then made bold to inquire what business brought him there. ‘Your welfare!' said the Ghost. Scrooge expressed himself much obliged, but could not help thinking that a night of unbroken rest would have been more conducive to that end. The Spirit must have heard him thinking, for it said immediately: ‘Your reclamation, then. Take heed!' It put out its hand as it spoke, and clasped Scrooge gently by the arm. ‘Rise! and walk with me!' It would have been in vain for Scrooge to plead that the bed was warm and the thermometer a long way below freezing; the grasp, though gentle as a woman's hand, was not to be resisted. Scrooge rose: but fnding that the Spirit made towards the window, clasped its robe in supplication. ‘I am mortal,' Scrooge remonstrated, ‘and liable to fall.' ‘Let me touch my hand there,' said the Spirit, laying it upon his heart, ‘and you shall be upheld!' As the words were spoken, they passed through the wall...and stood upon an open country road, with felds on either side. The city had entirely vanished. The darkness and the mist had vanished with it, for it was a clear, cold, winter day, with snow upon the ground. ‘Good Heaven!' said Scrooge, clasping his hands together, as he looked about him. ‘I know this place. I was a boy here!' Scrooge was conscious of a thousand thoughts, and hopes, and joys, and cares long, long, forgotten. ‘Your lip is trembling,' said the Ghost. Scrooge muttered, and begged the Ghost to lead him where he would. ‘You recollect the way?' inquired the Spirit. ‘Remember it!' cried Scrooge with fervour; ‘I could walk it blindfold.' ‘Strange to have forgotten it for so many years!' observed the Ghost. ‘Let us go on.' They walked along the road; Scrooge recognising every gate, and post, and tree; until a little market 23 town appeared in the distance, with its bridge, its church, and winding river. Some shaggy ponies now were seen trotting towards them with boys upon their backs, who called to other boys in carts driven by farmers. All these boys were in great spirits, and shouted to each other, until the broad felds were so full of merry music, that the crisp air laughed to hear it. ‘These are but shadows of the things that have been,' said the Ghost. ‘They have no consciousness of us.' The merry travellers came on; and as they came, Scrooge knew and named them every one. Why was he rejoiced beyond all bounds to see them! Why did his cold eye glisten, and his heart leap as they went past! Why was he flled with gladness when he heard them give each other Merry Christmas, as they parted at crossroads and bye-ways, for their several homes! What was merry Christmas to Scrooge? What good had it ever done to him? ‘The school is not quite deserted,' said the Ghost. ‘A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still.' Scrooge said he knew it. And he sobbed. They left the high-road, by a well-remembered lane, and soon approached a mansion of dull red brick. It was a large house, but one of broken fortunes; for the spacious rooms were little used, their walls were damp and mossy, their windows broken, and their gates decayed. Entering the dreary hall, and glancing through the open doors of many rooms, they found them poorly furnished, cold, and vast. There was an earthy smell in the air, a chilly bareness in the place, which associated itself somehow with too much getting up by candlelight, and not too much to eat. They went, the Ghost and Scrooge, across the hall, to a door at the back of the house. It opened before them, and disclosed a long, bare, melancholy room, made barer still by lines of plain benches and desks. At one of these a lonely boy was reading near a feeble fre; and Scrooge sat down upon a bench, and wept to see his poor forgotten self as he used to be. The Spirit touched him on the arm, and pointed to his younger self, intent upon his reading. Suddenly a man, in foreign garments, wonderfully real and distinct to look at, stood outside the window, with an axe stuck in his belt, and leading an ass laden with wood by the bridle. ‘Why, it's Ali Baba!' Scrooge exclaimed in ecstasy. ‘It's dear old honest Ali Baba! Yes, yes, I know! One Christmas time, when this solitary child was left here all alone, he did come, just like that. And Valentine,' said Scrooge, ‘and his wild brother, Orson; there they go!' To hear Scrooge expending all the earnestness of his nature on such subjects, in a most extraordinary voice between laughing and crying; and to see his heightened and excited face; would have been a surprise to his business friends in the city, indeed. Then, with a rapidity of transition very foreign to his usual character, he said, in pity for his former self, ‘Poor boy!' and cried again. ‘I wish,' Scrooge muttered, putting his hand in his pocket, and looking about him, after drying his eyes with his cuff: ‘but it's too late now.' ‘What's the matter?' asked the Spirit. ‘Nothing,' said Scrooge. ‘Nothing. There was a boy singing aChristmas Carol at my door last night. I should like to have given him something: that's all.' The Ghost smiled thoughtfully, and waved its hand: saying as it did so, ‘Let us see another Christmas!' Scrooge's former self grew larger at the words, and the room became a little darker and more dirty. The panels shrunk, the windows cracked and fragments of plaster fell out of the ceiling. But how all this was brought about, Scrooge knew not. He only knew that there he was, alone again, when all the other boys had gone home for the jolly holidays. He was not reading now, but walking up and down despairingly. Scrooge looked at the Ghost, and with a mournful shaking of his head, glanced anxiously towards the door. It opened; and a little girl, much younger than the boy, came darting in, and putting her arms about his neck, and often kissing him, addressed him as her ‘Dear, dear brother.' ‘I have come to bring you home, dear brother!' said the child, clapping her tiny hands, and bending down to laugh. ‘To bring you home, home, home!' ‘Home, little Fan?' returned the boy. ‘Yes!' said the child, brimful of glee. ‘Home, for good and all. Home, for ever and ever. Father is so much kinder than he used to be. He spoke so gently to me one dear night when I was going to bed, that I was not afraid to ask him once more if you might come home; and he said Yes, you should; and sent me in a coach to bring you. And you're to be a man!' said the child, opening her eyes, ‘and you are never to come back here; but frst, we're to be together all Christmas long, and have the merriest time in all the world.' She clapped her hands and laughed, and tried to touch his head; but being too little, laughed again, and stood on tiptoe to embrace him. Then she began to drag him, in her childish eagerness, towards the door. A voice in the hall cried. ‘Bring down Master Scrooge's box, there!' and in the hall appeared the schoolmaster himself, who showed young Scrooge and his sister into the parlour. Here he produced a decanter of curiously light wine, and a block of curiously heavy cake and, at the same time, sent out a servant to offer a glass of something to the postboy. Master Scrooge's trunk being by this time tied to the top of the coach, the children bade the schoolmaster good-bye right willingly; and getting into it, drove gaily down the garden-sweep, the quick wheels dashing the frost and snow from the dark leaves of the evergreens like spray. ‘Always a delicate creature, your sister,' said the Ghost. ‘But she had a large heart!' ‘So she had!' cried Scrooge. ‘You're right, I will not deny it!' ‘She died a woman,' said the Ghost, ‘and had, as I think, children.' ‘One child,' Scrooge returned. ‘True,' said the Ghost. ‘Your nephew!' Scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind; and answered briefly, ‘Yes.'

3: THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS 3: ПЕРВЫЙ ИЗ ТРЕХ ДУХОВ 3: ПЕРШИЙ З ТРЬОХ ДУХІВ

When Scrooge awoke it was so dark that, looking out of bed, he could scarcely distinguish the window from the walls of his chamber. When Scrooge awoke it was so dark that, looking out of bed, he could scarcely distinguish the window from the walls of his chamber. Kiedy Scrooge się obudził, było tak ciemno, że wyglądając z łóżka, ledwo mógł odróżnić okno od ścian swojej komnaty. Когда Скрудж проснулся, было так темно, что, выглянув из постели, он едва мог отличить окно от стен своей комнаты. Scrooge uyandığında ortalık o kadar karanlıktı ki yataktan dışarı baktığında odasının penceresini duvarlardan zar zor ayırt edebiliyordu. He was endeavouring to pierce the darkness when the chimes of a neighbouring church struck the four quarters. Próbował przebić ciemność, gdy kuranty sąsiedniego kościoła wybiły cztery kwadranse. Он пытался пробиться сквозь тьму, когда колокола соседней церкви ударили в четыре стороны света. Komşu bir kilisenin çanları dört köşeyi vurduğunda karanlığı delmeye çalışıyordu. So he listened for the hour. Słuchał więc przez godzinę. Так он слушал в течение часа. To his great astonishment the heavy bell went on from six to seven, and from seven to eight, and regularly up to twelve; then stopped. Ku jego wielkiemu zdumieniu, ciężki dzwon zaczął bić od szóstej do siódmej, od siódmej do ósmej i regularnie aż do dwunastej, po czym się zatrzymał. К его великому удивлению, тяжелый звон звенел с шести до семи, с семи до восьми и регулярно до двенадцати; затем остановился. Twelve! It was past two when he went to bed. Было два часа ночи, когда он лег спать. ‘Why, it isn't possible,' said Scrooge, ‘that I can have slept through a whole day and far into another night.' «Да ведь не может быть, — сказал Скрудж, — чтобы я проспал целый день и еще целую ночь». He scrambled out of bed, and groped his way to the window. Levantou-se da cama e dirigiu-se à janela. All he could make out was that it was still very foggy and extremely cold. Все, что он мог разглядеть, это то, что было все еще очень туманно и очень холодно. He went over to bed again and thought, and thought, and thought it over and over - and could make nothing of it. Он снова лег в постель и думал, и думал, и думал, и снова, и снова, и ничего не мог понять. Every time he resolved within himself that it was all a dream, his mind flew back to its frst position and presented the same problem to be worked all through, ‘Was it a dream or not?' Za każdym razem, gdy dochodził do wniosku, że to wszystko było snem, jego umysł powracał do swojej pierwszej pozycji i przedstawiał ten sam problem do przepracowania: "Czy to był sen, czy nie?". Каждый раз, когда он решал внутри себя, что все это был сон, его разум возвращался к своему первоначальному положению и представлял одну и ту же проблему, которую нужно было проработать: «Был ли это сон или нет?» Scrooge lay in this state until the chime had gone three quarters more, when he remembered that the Ghost had warned him of a visitation when the bell tolled one. Scrooge leżał w tym stanie, dopóki dzwon nie wybił jeszcze trzech czwartych, kiedy przypomniał sobie, że Duch ostrzegł go przed wizytą, gdy dzwon wybił jedną. Скрудж лежал в таком состоянии до тех пор, пока колокол не пробил еще три четверти, когда он вспомнил, что Призрак предупредил его о посещении, когда колокол пробил час. He resolved to lie awake until the hour was past; and, considering that he could not go to sleep, this was perhaps the wisest resolution in his power. Postanowił nie spać, dopóki nie minie godzina; a biorąc pod uwagę, że nie mógł zasnąć, było to być może najmądrzejsze postanowienie w jego mocy. Он решил не спать, пока час не пройдет; и, учитывая, что он не мог заснуть, это было, пожалуй, самое мудрое решение в его силах. Saat geçene kadar uyanık kalmaya karar verdi; ve uyuyamayacağını düşünürsek, bu belki de elindeki en akıllıca karardı. The quarter hour was so long, that he was more than once convinced he must have sunk into a doze and missed the clock. Kwadrans był tak długi, że niejednokrotnie był przekonany, że musiał zapaść w drzemkę i przegapić zegar. At length it broke upon his listening ear. Наконец он разбился о его слушающее ухо. ‘Ding, dong!' ‘A quarter past,' said Scrooge, counting. — Четверть первого, — сказал Скрудж, считая. ‘Ding, dong!' ‘Half past!' said Scrooge. ‘Ding, dong!' ‘A quarter to it,' said Scrooge. ‘Ding, dong!' ‘The hour itself,' said Scrooge, triumphantly, ‘and nothing else!' He spoke before the hour bell sounded, which it now did with a deep, dull, hollow, melancholy one. Odezwał się, zanim zabrzmiał dzwon godzinowy, który teraz zabrzmiał głębokim, tępym, pustym, melancholijnym dźwiękiem. Он заговорил еще до того, как прозвенел часовой колокол, и теперь он прозвучал глубоко, глухо, глухо, меланхолично. Light flashed up in the room upon the instant, and the curtains of his bed were drawn aside by a hand and Scrooge, starting up, found himself face to face with an unearthly visitor. В комнате мигом вспыхнул свет, и полог его кровати был отдернут рукой, и Скрудж, вздрогнув, очутился лицом к лицу с неземным гостем. It was a strange fgure - like a child, yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium, which gave him the appearance of having diminished to a child's proportions. To była dziwna postać - jak dziecko, ale nie tak jak dziecko, ale jak starzec, oglądany przez jakieś nadprzyrodzone medium, które sprawiało wrażenie, że zmniejszył się do proporcji dziecka. Это была странная фигура — похожая на ребенка, но не столько на ребенка, сколько на старика, увиденного через какое-то сверхъестественное средство, которое придавало ему вид уменьшенного до размеров ребенка. Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle in it. Jego włosy, które zwisały na szyi i plecach, były białe jak ze starości, a mimo to na twarzy nie było ani jednej zmarszczki. Его волосы, ниспадавшие на шею и спускавшиеся на спину, были белыми, словно от старости; и все же на лице не было ни морщинки. It wore a tunic of the purest white and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. Он был одет в чистейшую белую тунику, а вокруг его талии был перевязан блестящий пояс, от которого было прекрасно сияние. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand. W dłoni trzymała gałązkę świeżego, zielonego ostrokrzewu. В руке он держал ветку свежего зеленого падуба. Elinde taze yeşil kutsal bir dalı tutuyordu. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible. Ale najdziwniejsze było to, że z korony jego głowy tryskał jasny, czysty strumień światła, przez który wszystko to było widoczne. Но самое странное в нем было то, что из макушки его головы вырывалась яркая ясная струя света, при которой все это было видно. ‘Are you the Spirit, sir, whose coming was foretold to me?' "Geleceği bana önceden bildirilen Ruh siz misiniz efendim?" asked Scrooge. ‘I am!' The voice was soft and gentle, as if, instead of being so close beside him, it were at a distance. ‘Who...and what are you?' Scrooge demanded. ‘I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.' ‘Long past?' inquired Scrooge. ‘No. Your past.' Scrooge then made bold to inquire what business brought him there. ‘Your welfare!' "Twoje dobro! «Ваше благополучие!» said the Ghost. Scrooge expressed himself much obliged, but could not help thinking that a night of unbroken rest would have been more conducive to that end. Scrooge okazał się bardzo zobowiązany, ale nie mógł oprzeć się wrażeniu, że noc nieprzerwanego odpoczynku byłaby bardziej sprzyjająca temu celowi. Scrooge mostrou-se muito agradecido, mas não pôde deixar de pensar que uma noite de descanso ininterrupto teria sido mais propícia para esse fim. Скрудж выразил свою благодарность, но не мог отделаться от мысли, что ночь непрерывного отдыха была бы более подходящей для этой цели. Scrooge çok memnun olduğunu ifade etti, ancak kesintisiz bir dinlenme gecesinin bu amaç için daha elverişli olacağını düşünmekten kendini alamadı. The Spirit must have heard him thinking, for it said immediately: ‘Your reclamation, then. Duch musiał usłyszeć jego myśli, ponieważ natychmiast powiedział: "A więc twoje odkupienie". Дух, должно быть, услышал его мысли, потому что тут же сказал: «Тогда ваше возражение. Take heed!' Uważaj! Будьте осторожны! Dikkat etmek!' It put out its hand as it spoke, and clasped Scrooge gently by the arm. Wyciągnął rękę i delikatnie złapał Scrooge'a za ramię. Говоря это, он протянул руку и нежно сжал Скруджа за руку. ‘Rise! and walk with me!' It would have been in vain for Scrooge to plead that the bed was warm and the thermometer a long way below freezing; the grasp, though gentle as a woman's hand, was not to be resisted. Na próżno byłoby Scrooge'owi błagać, że łóżko było ciepłe, a termometr znacznie poniżej zera; uścisk, choć delikatny jak kobieca dłoń, nie mógł się oprzeć. Было бы напрасно со стороны Скруджа ссылаться на то, что постель теплая, а термометр далеко от нуля; хватке, хотя и нежной, как женская рука, сопротивляться было нельзя. Scrooge rose: but fnding that the Spirit made towards the window, clasped its robe in supplication. Scrooge podniósł się, ale widząc, że Duch skierował się w stronę okna, ścisnął jego szatę w błaganiu. Scrooge levantou-se, mas ao ver que o Espírito se dirigia para a janela, agarrou-se ao seu manto em súplica. Скрудж встал, но, увидев, что Дух направился к окну, в мольбе застегнул свою одежду. Scrooge ayağa kalktı: ama Ruh'un pencereye doğru yaptığını görünce, yakarış için cüppesini kavradı. ‘I am mortal,' Scrooge remonstrated, ‘and liable to fall.' "Jestem śmiertelny", upomniał Scrooge, "i mogę upaść". ‘Let me touch my hand there,' said the Spirit, laying it upon his heart, ‘and you shall be upheld!' 'Deixa-me tocar a minha mão aí', disse o Espírito, colocando-a sobre o seu coração, 'e serás amparado! «Дай мне коснуться Моей руки там, — сказал Дух, приложив ее к его сердцу, — и ты будешь поддержан!» As the words were spoken, they passed through the wall...and stood upon an open country road, with felds on either side. The city had entirely vanished. The darkness and the mist had vanished with it, for it was a clear, cold, winter day, with snow upon the ground. ‘Good Heaven!' said Scrooge, clasping his hands together, as he looked about him. disse Scrooge, juntando as mãos, enquanto olhava à sua volta. — сказал Скрудж, сложив руки вместе и оглядевшись. ‘I know this place. I was a boy here!' Scrooge was conscious of a thousand thoughts, and hopes, and joys, and cares long, long, forgotten. Scrooge był świadomy tysiąca myśli, nadziei, radości i trosk dawno, dawno zapomnianych. Скрудж сознавал тысячи мыслей, и надежд, и радостей, и забот, давно, давно забытых. ‘Your lip is trembling,' said the Ghost. Scrooge muttered, and begged the Ghost to lead him where he would. Scrooge mruknął i błagał Ducha, by zaprowadził go tam, gdzie chce. — пробормотал Скрудж и умолял Призрака вести его туда, куда он хочет. ‘You recollect the way?' inquired the Spirit. ‘Remember it!' cried Scrooge with fervour; ‘I could walk it blindfold.' zawołał Scrooge z zapałem; "Mógłbym przejść ją z zawiązanymi oczami". ‘Strange to have forgotten it for so many years!' — Странно, что забыли его на столько лет! observed the Ghost. ‘Let us go on.' They walked along the road; Scrooge recognising every gate, and post, and tree; until a little market 23 town appeared in the distance, with its bridge, its church, and winding river. Szli wzdłuż drogi, Scrooge rozpoznawał każdą bramę, słup i drzewo, aż w oddali pojawiło się małe miasteczko z mostem, kościołem i krętą rzeką. Они шли по дороге; Скрудж узнает каждую калитку, столб и дерево; пока вдалеке не показался рыночный городок с мостом, церковью и извилистой рекой. Yol boyunca yürüdüler; Her kapıyı, direği ve ağacı tanıyan Scrooge; ta ki uzaklarda köprüsü, kilisesi ve dolambaçlı nehri ile küçük bir pazar yeri göründü. Some shaggy ponies now were seen trotting towards them with boys upon their backs, who called to other boys in carts driven by farmers. Widziano teraz kilka kudłatych kucyków kłusujących w ich kierunku z chłopcami na grzbietach, którzy wołali innych chłopców na wozach prowadzonych przez rolników. Теперь к ним бежали лохматые пони с мальчишками на спинах, которые звали других мальчишек в телегах, которые везли фермеры. All these boys were in great spirits, and shouted to each other, until the broad felds were so full of merry music, that the crisp air laughed to hear it. Wszyscy ci chłopcy byli w świetnych nastrojach i przekrzykiwali się nawzajem, aż szerokie pola były tak pełne wesołej muzyki, że rześkie powietrze śmiało się, słysząc ją. Все эти мальчики были в приподнятом настроении и кричали друг другу, пока широкие поля не наполнились веселой музыкой, так что свежий воздух рассмеялся, услышав ее. ‘These are but shadows of the things that have been,' said the Ghost. Hayalet, "Bunlar, olan şeylerin gölgelerinden başka bir şey değil," dedi. ‘They have no consciousness of us.' The merry travellers came on; and as they came, Scrooge knew and named them every one. Weseli wędrowcy szli dalej, a Scrooge znał i nazywał każdego z nich. Why was he rejoiced beyond all bounds to see them! Cieszył się bezgranicznie na ich widok! Porque é que ele se alegrou para além de todos os limites ao vê-los! Почему он безмерно обрадовался, увидев их! Why did his cold eye glisten, and his heart leap as they went past! Porque é que os seus olhos frios brilhavam e o seu coração saltava quando eles passavam! Почему его холодный глаз блестел, а сердце подпрыгивало, когда они проходили мимо! Neden soğuk gözleri parlıyordu ve onlar geçerken yüreği hopladı! Why was he flled with gladness when he heard them give each other Merry Christmas, as they parted at crossroads and bye-ways, for their several homes! Dlaczego był przepełniony radością, gdy słyszał, jak składali sobie nawzajem życzenia Wesołych Świąt, gdy rozchodzili się na skrzyżowaniach i bocznych drogach, by udać się do swoich domów! Почему же он так обрадовался, услышав, как они поздравляют друг друга с Рождеством, расставаясь на перекрестках и переулках по своим разным домам! What was merry Christmas to Scrooge? What good had it ever done to him? Что хорошего это когда-либо сделало для него? ‘The school is not quite deserted,' said the Ghost. ‘A solitary child, neglected by his friends, is left there still.' Scrooge said he knew it. Скрудж сказал, что знал это. And he sobbed. И он зарыдал. They left the high-road, by a well-remembered lane, and soon approached a mansion of dull red brick. Zjechali z autostrady dobrze pamiętaną uliczką i wkrótce zbliżyli się do rezydencji z matowej czerwonej cegły. Saíram da estrada principal, por um caminho bem lembrado, e aproximaram-se de uma mansão de tijolo vermelho baço. It was a large house, but one of broken fortunes; for the spacious rooms were little used, their walls were damp and mossy, their windows broken, and their gates decayed. Był to duży dom, ale zrujnowany; przestronne pokoje były mało używane, ich ściany były wilgotne i omszałe, okna wybite, a bramy spróchniałe. Era uma casa grande, mas de fortuna quebrada, pois as salas espaçosas eram pouco utilizadas, as paredes eram húmidas e musgosas, as janelas estavam partidas e os portões deteriorados. Это был большой дом, но разбитого состояния; потому что просторные комнаты мало использовались, их стены были сырыми и замшелыми, их окна разбиты, а ворота обветшали. Entering the dreary hall, and glancing through the open doors of many rooms, they found them poorly furnished, cold, and vast. Ao entrarem no salão sombrio e ao espreitarem pelas portas abertas de muitas salas, encontraram-nas mal mobiladas, frias e vastas. Войдя в унылый зал и заглянув в открытые двери многих комнат, они нашли их плохо обставленными, холодными и огромными. There was an earthy smell in the air, a chilly bareness in the place, which associated itself somehow with too much getting up by candlelight, and not too much to eat. W powietrzu unosił się ziemisty zapach, chłodna nagość, która kojarzyła się ze zbyt długim wstawaniem przy świecach i niezbyt dużą ilością jedzenia. Havia um cheiro a terra no ar, uma nudez fria no local, que se associava de alguma forma a levantar-se demasiado à luz das velas e a não comer muito. В воздухе пахло землей, в помещении была холодная пустота, которая как-то ассоциировалась с тем, что слишком много вставал при свечах и не слишком много ел. They went, the Ghost and Scrooge, across the hall, to a door at the back of the house. Они прошли, Призрак и Скрудж, через холл к двери в задней части дома. It opened before them, and disclosed a long, bare, melancholy room, made barer still by lines of plain benches and desks. Otworzyło się przed nimi i ukazało długie, nagie, melancholijne pomieszczenie, jeszcze bardziej zabarwione rzędami prostych ławek i biurek. Перед ними открылась длинная, голая, унылая комната, еще более пустая из-за рядов простых скамеек и столов. At one of these a lonely boy was reading near a feeble fre; and Scrooge sat down upon a bench, and wept to see his poor forgotten self as he used to be. На одном из них одинокий мальчик читал возле слабого друга; и Скрудж сел на скамейку и заплакал, увидев свое бедное забытое «я», каким он был раньше. The Spirit touched him on the arm, and pointed to his younger self, intent upon his reading. Duch dotknął go w ramię i wskazał na jego młodszą postać, pogrążoną w lekturze. Дух коснулся его руки и указал на его молодое «я», сосредоточенное на чтении. Suddenly a man, in foreign garments, wonderfully real and distinct to look at, stood outside the window, with an axe stuck in his belt, and leading an ass laden with wood by the bridle. Nagle za oknem stanął mężczyzna w obcym ubraniu, cudownie realny i wyraźny, z siekierą zatkniętą za pas, prowadzący za uzdę osła obładowanego drewnem. Внезапно за окном стоял человек в чужой одежде, удивительно живой и отчетливый, с топором за поясом и ведя под уздцы осла, нагруженного дровами. ‘Why, it's Ali Baba!' — Да ведь это Али-Баба! Scrooge exclaimed in ecstasy. ‘It's dear old honest Ali Baba! — Это дорогой старый честный Али-Баба! Yes, yes, I know! One Christmas time, when this solitary child was left here all alone, he did come, just like that. And Valentine,' said Scrooge, ‘and his wild brother, Orson; there they go!' И Валентин, — сказал Скрудж, — и его дикий брат Орсон; вот они! To hear Scrooge expending all the earnestness of his nature on such subjects, in a most extraordinary voice between laughing and crying; and to see his heightened and excited face; would have been a surprise to his business friends in the city, indeed. Usłyszeć Scrooge'a wypowiadającego się z całą powagą swojej natury na takie tematy, niezwykłym głosem między śmiechem a płaczem; i zobaczyć jego podekscytowaną i podekscytowaną twarz; byłoby naprawdę zaskoczeniem dla jego przyjaciół biznesowych w mieście. Слышать, как Скрудж тратит всю серьезность своей натуры на такие темы самым необыкновенным голосом между смехом и плачем; и видеть его возвышенное и взволнованное лицо; действительно, было бы сюрпризом для его деловых друзей в городе. Then, with a rapidity of transition very foreign to his usual character, he said, in pity for his former self, ‘Poor boy!' Następnie, z gwałtownością bardzo obcą jego zwykłemu charakterowi, powiedział z litością dla swojego dawnego ja: "Biedny chłopiec!". Затем с быстротой перехода, очень несвойственной его обычному характеру, он сказал, жалея себя прежнего: «Бедный мальчик!» and cried again. ‘I wish,' Scrooge muttered, putting his hand in his pocket, and looking about him, after drying his eyes with his cuff: ‘but it's too late now.' "Chciałbym", mruknął Scrooge, wkładając rękę do kieszeni i rozglądając się wokół, po osuszeniu oczu mankietem: "ale teraz jest już za późno". Quem me dera", murmurou Scrooge, metendo a mão no bolso e olhando à sua volta, depois de secar os olhos com o punho: "mas agora é demasiado tarde". — Хотел бы я, — пробормотал Скрудж, сунув руку в карман и оглядевшись, предварительно вытерев глаза манжетой, — но уже слишком поздно. ‘What's the matter?' asked the Spirit. ‘Nothing,' said Scrooge. ‘Nothing. There was a boy singing aChristmas Carol at my door last night. Wczoraj wieczorem pod moimi drzwiami był chłopiec śpiewający kolędę. I should like to have given him something: that's all.' Chciałbym mu coś dać: to wszystko". The Ghost smiled thoughtfully, and waved its hand: saying as it did so, ‘Let us see another Christmas!' Призрак задумчиво улыбнулся и махнул рукой, сказав при этом: «Давайте встретим еще одно Рождество!» Scrooge's former self grew larger at the words, and the room became a little darker and more dirty. Dawna postać Scrooge'a powiększyła się na te słowa, a pokój stał się nieco ciemniejszy i bardziej brudny. The panels shrunk, the windows cracked and fragments of plaster fell out of the ceiling. Panele skurczyły się, okna popękały, a z sufitu odpadły fragmenty tynku. Панели расселись, окна треснули, с потолка посыпались обломки штукатурки. But how all this was brought about, Scrooge knew not. Но как все это произошло, Скрудж не знал. He only knew that there he was, alone again, when all the other boys had gone home for the jolly holidays. He was not reading now, but walking up and down despairingly. Scrooge looked at the Ghost, and with a mournful shaking of his head, glanced anxiously towards the door. Scrooge spojrzał na Ducha i z żałobnym potrząśnięciem głowy zerknął z niepokojem w stronę drzwi. Скрудж взглянул на Призрака и, скорбно покачав головой, тревожно взглянул на дверь. It opened; and a little girl, much younger than the boy, came darting in, and putting her arms about his neck, and often kissing him, addressed him as her ‘Dear, dear brother.' Otworzyły się, a mała dziewczynka, znacznie młodsza od chłopca, wbiegła do środka, zarzucając mu ręce na szyję i często go całując, zwracając się do niego "Drogi, kochany braciszku". ‘I have come to bring you home, dear brother!' said the child, clapping her tiny hands, and bending down to laugh. powiedziało dziecko, klaszcząc w swoje małe rączki i pochylając się, by się roześmiać. — сказала девочка, хлопая в ладоши своими крошечными ручонками и наклоняясь, чтобы рассмеяться. ‘To bring you home, home, home!' ‘Home, little Fan?' "Do domu, mała Fan? returned the boy. ‘Yes!' said the child, brimful of glee. powiedziało dziecko, pełne radości. disse a criança, cheia de alegria. ‘Home, for good and all. «Домой, навсегда и все такое. Home, for ever and ever. Father is so much kinder than he used to be. He spoke so gently to me one dear night when I was going to bed, that I was not afraid to ask him once more if you might come home; and he said Yes, you should; and sent me in a coach to bring you. Pewnej nocy, gdy kładłam się spać, przemówił do mnie tak łagodnie, że nie bałam się zapytać go jeszcze raz, czy możesz wrócić do domu; a on odpowiedział, że tak, powinnaś, i wysłał mnie powozem, bym cię przywiozła. And you're to be a man!' A ty masz być mężczyzną! said the child, opening her eyes, ‘and you are never to come back here; but frst, we're to be together all Christmas long, and have the merriest time in all the world.' powiedziało dziecko, otwierając oczy - "i nigdy tu nie wrócisz; ale po pierwsze, będziemy razem przez całe Boże Narodzenie i będziemy się bawić najweselej na świecie". — сказала девочка, открывая глаза. — И ты никогда не вернешься сюда; но во-первых, мы будем вместе все Рождество и проведем самое веселое время на свете. She clapped her hands and laughed, and tried to touch his head; but being too little, laughed again, and stood on tiptoe to embrace him. Она хлопала в ладоши, смеялась и пыталась дотронуться до его головы; но, будучи слишком мал, снова засмеялся и встал на цыпочки, чтобы обнять его. Then she began to drag him, in her childish eagerness, towards the door. A voice in the hall cried. ‘Bring down Master Scrooge's box, there!' — Принеси сюда ящик Мастера Скруджа! and in the hall appeared the schoolmaster himself, who showed young Scrooge and his sister into the parlour. а в передней появился сам школьный учитель, который провел юного Скруджа и его сестру в гостиную. Here he produced a decanter of curiously light wine, and a block of curiously heavy cake and, at the same time, sent out a servant to offer a glass of something to the postboy. Wyciągnął karafkę z dziwnie lekkim winem i blok dziwnie ciężkiego ciasta, a w tym samym czasie wysłał służącego, by zaproponował listonoszowi kieliszek czegoś. Здесь он достал графин необычайно легкого вина и кусок необычайно тяжелого пирога и в то же время послал слугу предложить стакан чего-то форейтору. Master Scrooge's trunk being by this time tied to the top of the coach, the children bade the schoolmaster good-bye right willingly; and getting into it, drove gaily down the garden-sweep, the quick wheels dashing the frost and snow from the dark leaves of the evergreens like spray. W tym czasie kufer mistrza Scrooge'a był już przywiązany do górnej części powozu, więc dzieci chętnie pożegnały się z nauczycielem i wsiadły do powozu, zjeżdżając wesoło po ogrodowej trawie, a szybkie koła strącały mróz i śnieg z ciemnych liści wiecznie zielonych drzew. Чемодан мастера Скруджа к этому времени был привязан к крыше кареты, дети охотно попрощались с учителем; и, сев в нее, весело поехал по садовой щетке, быстрые колеса стряхивали иней и снег с темных листьев вечнозеленых растений, как брызги. ‘Always a delicate creature, your sister,' said the Ghost. — Всегда нежное существо, твоя сестра, — сказал Призрак. ‘But she had a large heart!' ‘So she had!' cried Scrooge. ‘You're right, I will not deny it!' ‘She died a woman,' said the Ghost, ‘and had, as I think, children.' ‘One child,' Scrooge returned. ‘True,' said the Ghost. ‘Your nephew!' Scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind; and answered briefly, ‘Yes.' Скрудж, казалось, чувствовал себя неловко; и коротко ответил: «Да».