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He immediately realized his mistake, and went quickly back to his work, but Scrooge had heard him.
但他立刻意识到自己所犯的错误，便又立即埋头工作，但斯克罗吉已经听见了他的话。
'If I hear another sound from you,' said Scrooge, 'you'll lose you job!'
“如果我再听到你发出一点声音的话，”斯克罗吉说，“你就会丢掉这份工作！”
'Don't be angry with him, uncle,' said the nephew. 'come and have dinner with us tomorrow.'
“舅舅，别生他的气，”外甥说。“明天来和我们一起吃晚饭吧。”
'Dinner with you? I'll see you dead first!'
“和你们吃晚饭？门儿也没有！”
'But why won't you come? Why?'
“那你为什么不来呢？为什么？”
'Because Christmas is humbug! Good afternoon!'
“因为圣诞节是个骗人的把戏！再见！”
'I want nothing from you. I ask nothing of you. Why can't we be friends?'
“我什么也不要你送给我，我什么都不问你要。我们为什么不能成为朋友呢？”
'Good afternoon!' said Scrooge.
“再见！”斯克罗吉说。
'I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you like this. I have never wanted to argue with you.
“看到你这样，我真感到难过，我从来就没想过要与你争吵。
But I came to see you and invite you because it's Christmas, and so I'll say, a merry Christmas, uncle!'
但我来是为了看看你并邀请你，因为是圣诞节，所以我要说一声，舅舅，圣诞快乐！”
'Good afternoon,' said Scrooge. 'And a happy new year!'
“再见。”斯克罗吉说。“新年快乐！”
'Good afternoon!' said Scrooge.
“再见！”斯克罗吉说。
His nephew left the room, without an angry word, stopping only to wish Bob Cratchit a merry Christmas.
他外甥离开了房间，没有一句愠怒之言。他停下来只是为了祝鲍勃·克拉奇蒂圣诞快乐。
Then two other gentlemen came in.
然后进来了另外两位绅士。
They were large, round, comfortable-looking men, with books and papers in their hands.
他们身材魁梧，胖胖的，仪表堂堂，手里拿着书和文件。
'This is Scrooge and Marley's, I think,'said one of them, looking at the papers that he was carrying.
“我想，这是斯克罗吉和马利的办公室吧，”其中一位看着手中的文件问到。
'Am I speaking to Mr Scrooge or Mr Marley?'
“你是斯克罗吉先生还是马利先生？”
'Mr Marley is dead,' scrooge replied. 'He died seven years ago today, on Christmas Eve.'
“马利先生死了，”斯克罗吉回答说。“他是七年前的今天死的，死在圣诞夜。”
'I'm sure that you are just as kind to the poor as your partner,' said the gentleman, smiling.
“我肯定你对穷人同你的合伙人的态度一样好，”绅士微笑着说。
What was true was that Scrooge was just as mean as Marley, and Marley had been just as mean as Scrooge.
事实是斯克罗吉同马利一样的吝啬，马利在世时也曾和斯克罗吉一样吝啬。
'At this happy time of year, Mr Scrooge,' the gentleman went on, taking up his pen, 'we should help poor people who have no food or clothes or homes.'
“在一年中这个幸福的日子里，斯克罗吉先生，”绅士拿起笔继续说，“我们应该帮助那些没有衣食和无家可归的穷人。”
'Are there no prisons?' asked Scrooge coldly.
“没有看守所吗？”斯克罗吉冷冷地问。
'Plenty of prisons,' said the gentleman. 'And the workhouses, where poor people can live and work? Are they still open?'
“有很多看守所，”绅士说。“还有可供穷人生活和工作的济贫院呢？它们还开着吗？”
'Yes, they are, I'm sorry to say.'
“是的，它们开着，很抱歉。”
'I'm happy to hear It,' said Scrooge.
“我很高兴听到这个，”斯克罗吉说。
'I thought, from what you said at first, that perhaps these useful places were closed, for some reason.'
“听你最开始说的，我还以为这些能够提供帮助的地方由于某种原因都关掉了呢。”
'But some of us feel,' replied the gentleman, 'that these places don't offer enough to poor people.
“但是我们有些人感到，”绅士回答说，“这些地方无法为穷人提供足够的东西。
We're hoping to give some meat and drink, and wood for a fire, to people who need all these things.
我们希望为那些需要帮助的人提供一些肉类，饮料和柴火。
This is a time when we should all be able to enjoy ourselves.
这个时候我们都应该能够过得开心。
How much will you give, sir?'
你能给多少，先生？”
'Nothing!' scrooge replied. 'I don't have a merry Christmas myself, and I won't pay for other people to be merry.
“什么都不给！”斯克罗吉回答说。“我自己圣诞节都不快乐，所以我也不会花钱去让其他人快乐。
