查尔斯·狄更斯150年前的信被发现

Charles Dickens, best known for writing “A Christmas Carol” nearly 170 years ago, has come back into the spotlight after a 150-year-old letter from the English author was recently discovered.

英国作家查尔斯•狄更斯最著名的作品是近170年前的《圣诞颂歌》，近日他的一封150年前的信被发现后，他又重新成为人们关注的焦点。

The letter was addressed to the Great Western Railway company after a train carriage fire destroyed his turkey, news agency SWNS reports. The railway’s horsebox caught fire and its contents were ruined near Hanwell Railway Station in west London.

据SWNS通讯社报道，这封信是寄给大西部铁路公司的，当时他的火鸡被一节火车车厢的大火烧毁了。铁路的马箱着火了，里面的东西在伦敦西部的汉威尔火车站附近被毁。

The turkey, which weighed nearly 30 pounds, SWNS added, was to be served for Dickens’ holiday dinner. Upon discovering the turkey was destroyed, Dickens wrote a note to his reading tour manager, George Dolby, on Dec. 24, 1869, writing in all capitals: “WHERE IS THAT TURKEY? IT HAS NOT ARRIVED!”

据SWNS网站报道，这只重达30磅的火鸡将成为狄更斯假日晚餐的主菜。1869年12月24日，狄更斯发现这只火鸡被毁后，给他的读书之旅经理乔治·杜比(George Dolby)写了一张纸条，用所有的大写字母写道:“那只火鸡在哪儿?它还没有到!”

GWR superintendent J.C Kingett sent Dickens an apology letter, to which Dickens replied on Feb. 1, 1870:

1870年2月1日，GWR的负责人j.c.金奈特给狄更斯写了一封道歉信，狄更斯回复道:

“Sir, in reply to your letter I beg to say that I have no doubt my Christmas fare was destroyed by an unavoidable accident.

“先生，在给你的信中，我不得不说，毫无疑问，我的圣诞车费是被一场不可避免的事故给毁了。”

“I bore the loss with unbroken good humour towards the Great Western Railway company. Faithfully Yours, Charles Dickens.”

“我对大西部铁路公司的损失毫不掩饰地表示满意。你忠实的朋友，查尔斯·狄更斯。”

Surprisingly enough, the turkey is thought to have been partially saved, with the charred remains handed out to the people of Reading, Berks., for sixpence a portion.

令人惊讶的是，这只火鸡被认为部分保存了下来，烧焦的部分被分发给了伯克郡雷丁的居民。一份六便士。

The letter, which was kept by Kingett at the Paddington station, was eventually published in Great Western’s magazine in 1908, 38 years after Dickens died. It was recently discovered at the National Railway Museum in York, while doing a routine audit.

这封信由金特保存在帕丁顿车站，最终于1908年发表在《西部大开发》杂志上，时隔狄更斯去世38年。它最近在约克郡的国家铁路博物馆被发现，当时正在进行例行审计。