01. Oliver's early life(4)

　　The re was no one to look after the baby in the workhouse，so O liver was sent to a special 'baby farm' nearby. The re，he and thirty other children rolled around the floor all day，without the inconvenience of too much food or too much clothing. Mrs Mann，the old woman who 'looked after' them， was very experienced．She knew what was good for children，and a full stomach was very dangerous to their health. She also knew what was good for herself， so she kept for her own use the money that she was given for the children's food．The board responsible for the orphans sometimes checked on the health of the children， but They always sent the beadle，a kind of local policeman，to announce their visit the day before．So whenever the board arrived， of course，the children were always neat and clean．
This was the way O liver was brought up. Consequently， at the age of nine he was a pale，thin child and short for his age．But despite frequent beatings by Mrs Mann， his spirit was strong， which was probably the reason why he managed to reach the age of nine at all．
在济贫院里没有专人照顾婴儿，所以奥利弗被送进了附近一家专门的“育婴堂”。在这里，奥利弗与其他三十多个孩子每天在地上滚爬着，没有过多的衣物和食物来麻烦他们。曼太太“照顾”着这些孩子，这老女人非常有经验。她知道什么对孩子们有好处，知道吃饱肚子对孩子们的身体是非常有害的。同时她也知道什么对她自己有好处，于是她把人家给孩子们的伙食费都留给自己。负责孤儿事务的地方董事会有时会来检查孩子们的健康状况，可他们往往在前一天派执事去通告他们要来访问，执事是一种地方警察。所以，无论他们什么时候来，孩子们准是个个头净脚净的。
　　奥利弗就是这样长大的，因此，他到了九岁时，还非常苍白瘦小，比同龄孩子矮一大截。尽管常常遭到曼太太的毒打，他的意志却很坚强。这大概也是他竟然能活到九岁的缘故吧。