Great Expectations / Большие надежды

I pointed to where our village lay, a mile or more from the church.

“Now look here!” said the man. “Where’s your mother?”

“There, sir!” said I. “She lies there.”

“Oh!” said he. “And is that your father with your mother?”

“Yes, sir,” said I; “him too.”

“Ha!” he muttered then. “Who do you live with?”

“My sister, sir – Mrs. Joe Gargery – wife of Joe Gargery, the blacksmith, sir.”

“Blacksmith, eh?” said he. And looked down at his leg.

You know what a file is?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you know what wittles[6 - wittles – жратва] is?”

“Yes, sir.”

“So you get me a file. And you get me wittles. Or I’ll have your heart and liver out.[7 - Or I’ll have your heart and liver out. – А не то я вырву у тебя сердце с печёнкой.]”

I was dreadfully frightened. He held me by the arms, and went on in these fearful terms: —

“You bring me, tomorrow morning early, that file and the wittles.

You will do it, and you will never say a word about me. So you will live. If you do not do this, my friend will take your heart and liver out. A boy may lock his door, may be warm in bed, may draw the clothes over his head, may think himself comfortable and safe, but that man will softly creep and creep his way to him and tear him open.[8 - tear him open – зарежет его] Now, what do you say?”

I said that I would get him the file, and I would get him some food I could, and I would come to him early in the morning.

“Now,” he said, “you remember what you’ve promised, and you remember that man, and you get home!”

“Good night, sir,” I faltered and ran away.

Chapter 2

My sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, was more than twenty years older than I, and had established a great reputation with herself and the neighbors because she had brought me up “by hand.

[9 - she had brought me up “by hand” – она воспитала меня «своими руками»]”

She was not a good-looking woman, my sister; and I had a general impression that she must have made Joe Gargery marry her by hand. Joe was a fair man, with curls of flaxen hair on each side of his smooth face, and with blue eyes. He was a mild, good-natured, sweet-tempered, easy-going, foolish, dear fellow.