Presentiments are strange things! and so are sympathies; and so are signs; —
预感是奇怪的事情！同理，同情心也是如此；标志也是如此； —

and the three combined make one mystery to which humanity has not yet found the key. —
而这三者的结合又构成了一个尚未被人类找到钥匙的谜团。 —

I never laughed at presentiments in my life, because I have had strange ones of my own. —
我一生中从未对预感发笑，因为我自己也有奇怪的预感。 —

Sympathies, I believe, exist (for instance, between far-distant, long-absent, wholly estranged relatives asserting, notwithstanding their alienation, the unity of the source to which each traces his origin) whose workings baffle mortal comprehension. —
我相信共鸣存在（比如，遥远、长时间离别、完全疏远的亲戚之间存在，尽管彼此疏离，但他们都追溯到同一源头），其运作使人类难以理解。 —

And signs, for aught we know, may be but the sympathies of Nature with man.
至于迹象，我们不知道，可能只是大自然与人类的共鸣。

When I was a little girl, only six years old, I one night heard Bessie Leaven say to Martha Abbot that she had been dreaming about a little child; —
当我还是个六岁的小女孩时，我听到贝西·利文对玛莎·阿博特说她曾经梦见一个小孩； —

and that to dream of children was a sure sign of trouble, either to one’s self or one’s kin. —
并且她说梦到孩子是一个自己或亲人遭遇麻烦的明确征兆。 —

The saying might have worn out of my memory, had not a circumstance immediately followed which served indelibly to fix it there. —
如果不是紧接着发生的一件事，这句话可能已经从我的记忆中消失了，但这件事却使其深深地刻在了我的心里。 —

The next day Bessie was sent for home to the deathbed of her little sister.
第二天，贝西被召回家，因为她的小妹妹病重濒临死亡。

Of late I had often recalled this saying and this incident; —
最近我经常回想起这句话和这个事情； —

for during the past week scarcely a night had gone over my couch that had not brought with it a dream of an infant, which I sometimes hushed in my arms, sometimes dandled on my knee, sometimes watched playing with daisies on a lawn, or again, dabbling its hands in running water. —
因为过去的一周里几乎每个晚上都会梦到一个婴儿，有时我会抱着他在怀里，有时抱在膝盖上摇晃，有时看着他在草坪上玩着雏菊，又或者看着他将手浸在流动的水中。 —

It was a wailing child this night, and a laughing one the next: —
这个晚上是一个哭泣的孩子，下一个晚上却是一个笑着的孩子； —

now it nestled close to me, and now it ran from me; —
它时而靠近我，时而离开我； —

but whatever mood the apparition evinced, whatever aspect it wore, it failed not for seven successive nights to meet me the moment I entered the land of slumber.
但无论这个幻像表现出什么情绪，无论它呈现的相貌如何，在连续的七个晚上中都会在我进入梦乡的那一刻与我相遇。

I did not like this iteration of one idea—this strange recurrence of one image, and I grew nervous as bedtime approached and the hour of the vision drew near. —
我不喜欢这个想法的重复，这个形象的奇怪重演，随着晚上的临近，我变得紧张起来。 —

It was from companionship with this baby-phantom I had been roused on that moonlight night when I heard the cry; —
正是因为与这个幻影婴儿相伴，那个月光之夜我才被惊醒，听到了哭声。 —

and it was on the afternoon of the day following I was summoned downstairs by a message that some one wanted me in Mrs. Fairfax’s room. —
那是在第二天下午，我被一条消息召唤到楼下，有人想见我，我被召到了费尔法克斯夫人的房间里。 —

On repairing thither, I found a man waiting for me, having the appearance of a gentleman’s servant: —
我走过去时，发现有个人在等我，看上去像是绅士的仆人。 —

he was dressed in deep mourning, and the hat he held in his hand was surrounded with a crape band.
他身穿深色丧服，手里拿着带有黑纱带的帽子。

“I daresay you hardly remember me, Miss,” he said, rising as I entered; —
“我想你可能不太记得我，小姐，”他站起身，我走进来时说道。 —

“but my name is Leaven: I lived coachman with Mrs. Reed when you were at Gateshead, eight or nine years since, and I live there still.”
“但我的名字叫利文：在你在盖茨黑德的时候，八九年前，我是里德夫人的马车夫，现在我还在那儿住着。”

“Oh, Robert! how do you do? I remember you very well: —
“哦，罗伯特！你好吗？我记得你很清楚：你以前有时会让我骑乘乔治安娜小姐的那匹栗色马驹。” —

you used to give me a ride sometimes on Miss Georgiana’s bay pony. —
“是的，小姐，我一直记得那段时光，你可有好好过日子吗？” —

And how is Bessie? You are married to Bessie?”
“贝西好吗？你和贝西结婚了吗？”

“Yes, Miss: my wife is very hearty, thank you; —
“是的，小姐：我的妻子非常健康，谢谢您； —

she brought me another little one about two months since—we have three now—and both mother and child are thriving.”
她在大约两个月前给我带来了另一个小孩——我们现在有三个孩子了——母子都很健康。”

“And are the family well at the house, Robert?”
“罗伯特，你家里的人都好吗？”

“I am sorry I can’t give you better news of them, Miss: —
“很抱歉我不能给您更好的消息，小姐： —

they are very badly at present—in great trouble.”
他们目前状况很糟糕——非常困扰。”

“I hope no one is dead,” I said, glancing at his black dress. —
“我希望没有人死了，”我一边看着他的黑色服装，一边说道。 —

He too looked down at the crape round his hat and replied—
他也看着帽子上的丝绸带回答道——

“Mr. John died yesterday was a week, at his chambers in London.”
“约翰先生上周的昨天去世了，在伦敦的办公室里。”

“Mr. John?”
“约翰先生？”

“Yes.”
“是的。”

“And how does his mother bear it?”
“他的母亲怎么样忍受这个？”

“Why, you see, Miss Eyre, it is not a common mishap: his life has been very wild: —
“嗯，你知道，艾尔小姐，这不是一起普通的不幸：他的生活一直很糟糕： —

these last three years he gave himself up to strange ways, and his death was shocking.”
过去三年里他沉溺于一些奇怪的生活方式，他的死亡令人震惊。”

“I heard from Bessie he was not doing well.”
“贝西告诉我他过得不太好。”

“Doing well! He could not do worse: he ruined his health and his estate amongst the worst men and the worst women. —
“好得很！他无法再更糟：他毁了自己的健康和财产，嬉皮士和糟糕女人们中间。” —

He got into debt and into jail: his mother helped him out twice, but as soon as he was free he returned to his old companions and habits. —
他欠下债务又进了监狱：他母亲帮了他两次，但他刚一自由就回到了老伙伴和旧习惯身边。 —

His head was not strong: the knaves he lived amongst fooled him beyond anything I ever heard. —
他脑袋不太好使：他与那些骗子们生活在一起，对他比我听说的任何人都糊涂。 —

He came down to Gateshead about three weeks ago and wanted missis to give up all to him. —
他大约三周前来到了盖茨黑德，希望夫人把一切都让给他。 —

Missis refused: her means have long been much reduced by his extravagance; —
夫人拒绝了：他的奢侈行为很早就使她的财产大大减少了； —

so he went back again, and the next news was that he was dead. —
所以他又回去了，接下来的消息是他死了。 —

How he died, God knows!—they say he killed himself.”
他怎么死的，只有上帝知道！大家说他自杀了。”

I was silent: the tidings were frightful. Robert Leaven resumed—
我沉默了：这个消息太可怕了。罗伯特·里文继续说道—

“Missis had been out of health herself for some time: —
“夫人自己身体不好有一段时间了： —

she had got very stout, but was not strong with it; —
她变得很胖，但身体并不好； —

and the loss of money and fear of poverty were quite breaking her down. —
财产的损失和担心贫困都使她崩溃了。 —

The information about Mr. John’s death and the manner of it came too suddenly: —
关于约翰先生的死讯和死因传来得太突然： —

it brought on a stroke. She was three days without speaking; —
这导致了一次中风。她三天没有说话； —

but last Tuesday she seemed rather better: —
但上周二她似乎好些了： —

she appeared as if she wanted to say something, and kept making signs to my wife and mumbling. —
她看起来好像想说些什么，一直给我妻子打手势，咕哝着。 —

It was only yesterday morning, however, that Bessie understood she was pronouncing your name; —
然而直到昨天早上贝西才明白她在说你的名字； —

and at last she made out the words, ‘Bring Jane—fetch Jane Eyre: I want to speak to her. —
最后她说出了这句话：“带简来——带简·爱尔回来，我想和她说话。” —

’ Bessie is not sure whether she is in her right mind, or means anything by the words; —
贝西不确定她是否清醒，或者这些话是否有什么意义； —

but she told Miss Reed and Miss Georgiana, and advised them to send for you. —
但她告诉了瑞德小姐和乔治安娜小姐，并建议他们请你过来。 —

The young ladies put it off at first; but their mother grew so restless, and said, ‘Jane, Jane,’ so many times, that at last they consented. —
起初两位年轻女士推迟了，但是她们的母亲变得如此焦躁，一再说着“简，简”，最后她们同意了。 —

I left Gateshead yesterday: and if you can get ready, Miss, I should like to take you back with me early to-morrow morning.”
我昨天离开了盖茨黑德：如果你能准备好，小姐，明天一早我愿意带你回去。”

“Yes, Robert, I shall be ready: it seems to me that I ought to go.”
“是的，罗伯特，我会准备好的：我觉得我应该去。”

“I think so too, Miss. Bessie said she was sure you would not refuse: —
“我也这么认为，小姐。贝西说她肯定你不会拒绝。” —

but I suppose you will have to ask leave before you can get off?”
但我想你在离开之前可能得请假才行吧？

“Yes; and I will do it now;” and having directed him to the servants’ hall, and recommended him to the care of John’s wife, and the attentions of John himself, I went in search of Mr. Rochester.
“是的；我现在就去办；”我把他指引到仆人厅，并推荐他给约翰的妻子照顾，约翰本人也要关注他，然后我去找罗切斯特先生。

He was not in any of the lower rooms; he was not in the yard, the stables, or the grounds. —
他不在任何底层的房间里；也不在院子、马厩或园地里。 —

I asked Mrs. Fairfax if she had seen him;—yes: —
我问费尔法克斯夫人是否见过他；是的： —

she believed he was playing billiards with Miss Ingram. To the billiard-room I hastened: —
她认为他正在和英格拉姆小姐一起打台球。我匆忙赶到台球室： —

the click of balls and the hum of voices resounded thence; —
球的碰撞声和人声此起彼伏； —

Mr. Rochester, Miss Ingram, the two Misses Eshton, and their admirers, were all busied in the game. —
罗切斯特先生、英格拉姆小姐、艾什顿小姐和她们的追求者们正忙于比赛。 —

It required some courage to disturb so interesting a party; —
打扰如此有趣的一群人需要一些勇气； —

my errand, however, was one I could not defer, so I approached the master where he stood at Miss Ingram’s side. —
然而，我的任务是不能拖延的，所以我走近站在英格拉姆小姐身边的主人。 —

She turned as I drew near, and looked at me haughtily: —
我靠近时，她转过身来，高傲地看着我。 —

her eyes seemed to demand, “What can the creeping creature want now? —
她的眼睛似乎在问：“这只爬行动物现在又想要什么？” —

” and when I said, in a low voice, “Mr. Rochester,” she made a movement as if tempted to order me away. —
我用低声说：“罗切斯特先生”，她似乎想命令我离开。 —

I remember her appearance at the moment—it was very graceful and very striking: —
我记得她当时的样子——非常优雅和引人注目： —

she wore a morning robe of sky-blue crape; a gauzy azure scarf was twisted in her hair. —
她穿着一件天蓝色的晨礼服；一条薄纱的天蓝色围巾扭在她的头发上。 —

She had been all animation with the game, and irritated pride did not lower the expression of her haughty lineaments.
她在游戏中充满活力，骄傲的神态并没有降低她高傲的面容。

“Does that person want you?” she inquired of Mr. Rochester; —
“那个人要找你吗？”她问罗切斯特先生； —

and Mr. Rochester turned to see who the “person” was. —
罗切斯特先生转过身去看那个“人”是谁。 —

He made a curious grimace—one of his strange and equivocal demonstrations—threw down his cue and followed me from the room.
他做了一个奇怪的怪相，其中之一是他奇特而暧昧的表情，放下球杆，跟着我离开了房间。

“Well, Jane?” he said, as he rested his back against the schoolroom door, which he had shut.
“嗯，简？”他说着，把背靠在他关上的教室门上。

“If you please, sir, I want leave of absence for a week or two.”
“如果您愿意，先生，我想请假一两个星期。”

“What to do?—where to go?”
“去做什么？——去哪里？”

“To see a sick lady who has sent for me.”
“去看望一个生病的女士，她派人来找我。”

“What sick lady?—where does she live?”
“什么样的病人？她住在哪里？”

“At Gateshead; in ——shire.”
“在盖茨黑德，在……郡。”

“-shire? That is a hundred miles off! Who may she be that sends for people to see her that distance?”
“郡？那有100英里远！她是谁？那么远还要请人来看她？”

“Her name is Reed, sir—Mrs. Reed.”
“她的名字叫里德，先生，里德夫人。”

“Reed of Gateshead? There was a Reed of Gateshead, a magistrate.”
“盖茨黑德的里德？那里有一个里德，是位法官。”

“It is his widow, sir.”
“她是他的寡妇，先生。”

“And what have you to do with her? How do you know her?”
“那你和她有什么关系？你怎么认识她？”

“Mr. Reed was my uncle—my mother’s brother.”
“里德先生是我的叔叔，是我妈妈的兄弟。”

“The deuce he was! You never told me that before: you always said you had no relations.”
“天哪！你从未告诉过我！你一直说你没有亲戚。”

“None that would own me, sir. Mr. Reed is dead, and his wife cast me off.”
“没有人承认我，先生。里德先生已经去世了，他的妻子抛弃了我。”

“Why?”
“为什么？”

“Because I was poor, and burdensome, and she disliked me.”
“因为我贫穷，沉重负担，并且她讨厌我。”

“But Reed left children?—you must have cousins? —
“但是里德夫妇有孩子吧？你应该有堂兄弟姐妹吧？” —

Sir George Lynn was talking of a Reed of Gateshead yesterday, who, he said, was one of the veriest rascals on town; —
“乔治·林恩先生昨天提到了盖茨黑德的一个里德，他说那是个十足的无赖； —

and Ingram was mentioning a Georgiana Reed of the same place, who was much admired for her beauty a season or two ago in London.”
英格拉姆也提到了盖茨黑德的一位乔治亚娜·里德，她在伦敦的某个季节里很受人们欢迎。”

“John Reed is dead, too, sir: he ruined himself and half-ruined his family, and is supposed to have committed suicide. —
“约翰·里德也已经去世了，先生：他自毁了自己，半毁了自己的家庭，据说他自杀了。” —

The news so shocked his mother that it brought on an apoplectic attack.”
这个消息让他的母亲震惊得发了一次中风。

“And what good can you do her? Nonsense, Jane! —
“那你能对她有什么好处？胡说，简！ —

I would never think of running a hundred miles to see an old lady who will, perhaps, be dead before you reach her: —
我可不会想跑一百英里去看一个也许在你到达之前就已经去世的老太太： —

besides, you say she cast you off.”
况且，你说她把你踢了出去。”

“Yes, sir, but that is long ago; and when her circumstances were very different: —
“是的，先生，但那是很久以前的事了；而且她的情况当时与现在完全不同： —

I could not be easy to neglect her wishes now.”
如果现在忽视她的愿望，我会过不去自己的心。”

“How long will you stay?”
“你要在那里待多久？”

“As short a time as possible, sir.”
“尽可能短的时间，先生。”

“Promise me only to stay a week—”
“只许我待一个星期——”

“I had better not pass my word: I might be obliged to break it.”
“我不应该承诺，我可能会被迫打破诺言。”

“At all events you will come back: you will not be induced under any pretext to take up a permanent residence with her?”
“无论如何，你会回来的：无论如何，你不会因任何借口而与她长久住在一起？”

“Oh, no! I shall certainly return if all be well.”
“哦，不会！如果一切顺利的话，我肯定会回来。”

“And who goes with you? You don’t travel a hundred miles alone.”
“和你一起去的人是谁？你不会孤身一人走一百英里。”

“No, sir, she has sent her coachman.”
“不，先生，是她派来的马车夫。”

“A person to be trusted?”
“一个可以信任的人吗？”

“Yes, sir, he has lived ten years in the family.”
“是的，先生，他在这个家庭已经住了十年。”

Mr. Rochester meditated. “When do you wish to go?”
罗切斯特先生沉思了一会儿，“你希望什么时候走？”

“Early to-morrow morning, sir.”
“明天早上，先生。”

“Well, you must have some money; you can’t travel without money, and I daresay you have not much: I have given you no salary yet. —
“嗯，你必须有些钱；没有钱不能旅行，而且我想你没有多少钱：我还没有给你工资。” —

How much have you in the world, Jane?” he asked, smiling.
“你在这个世界上有多少钱，简？”他笑着问道。

I drew out my purse; a meagre thing it was. “Five shillings, sir. —
我取出钱包；一个贫乏的东西。“五先令，先生。” —

” He took the purse, poured the hoard into his palm, and chuckled over it as if its scantiness amused him. —
他接过钱包，将这笔钱倒在手掌中，咯咯地笑，好像这点少得可笑。 —

Soon he produced his pocket-book: “Here,” said he, offering me a note; —
很快他拿出了皮夹：“在这里，”他说，递给我一张纸币； —

it was fifty pounds, and he owed me but fifteen. —
那是五十镑，而他欠我的只有十五镑。 —

I told him I had no change.
我告诉他我没有零钱。

“I don’t want change; you know that. Take your wages.”
“我不要找零；你知道的，拿你的工资。”

I declined accepting more than was my due. He scowled at first; —
我拒绝接受超过我应得的。他起初皱着眉头； —

then, as if recollecting something, he said—
然后，好像想起了什么，他说-

“Right, right! Better not give you all now: —
“对，对！最好不要都给你： —

you would, perhaps, stay away three months if you had fifty pounds. —
也许如果你有五十镑，你会离开三个月。” —

There are ten; is it not plenty?”
有十个；这不是够多了吗？

“Yes, sir, but now you owe me five.”
是的先生，但是现在你欠我五个。

“Come back for it, then; I am your banker for forty pounds.”
那么就回来拿吧，我是你的银行家，借给你四十磅。

“Mr. Rochester, I may as well mention another matter of business to you while I have the opportunity.”
罗切斯特先生，在我有机会的时候，我也可以提及另一件事情。

“Matter of business? I am curious to hear it.”
商务事宜？我很好奇听听。

“You have as good as informed me, sir, that you are going shortly to be married?”
你差不多已经告诉我了，先生，你很快就要结婚了？

“Yes; what then?”
是的，那又怎么样？

“In that case, sir, Adèle ought to go to school: —
“既然这样，先生，阿黛勒应该去上学： —

I am sure you will perceive the necessity of it.”
“我相信您会意识到这是必要的。”

“To get her out of my bride’s way, who might otherwise walk over her rather too emphatically? —
“为了让她离开我新娘的视线，否则她可能会过于强调地对待她？ —

There’s sense in the suggestion; not a doubt of it. —
“这个建议是有道理的；毫无疑问。 —

Adèle, as you say, must go to school; and you, of course, must march straight to—the devil?”
正如您所说，阿黛勒必须去上学；而您，当然，必须直接走向——地狱？”

“I hope not, sir; but I must seek another situation somewhere.”
“我希望不是，先生；但我必须在别处寻找另一份工作。”

“In course!” he exclaimed, with a twang of voice and a distortion of features equally fantastic and ludicrous. —
“当然！”他大声说道，声音带着一种奇怪而滑稽的旋律。 —

He looked at me some minutes.
他盯着我看了几分钟。

“And old Madam Reed, or the Misses, her daughters, will be solicited by you to seek a place, I suppose?”
“您会请求瑞德夫人，或者她的女儿们找一个位置，我猜测？”

“No, sir; I am not on such terms with my relatives as would justify me in asking favours of them—but I shall advertise.”
“不，先生；我与我的亲戚们没有这种关系，不能让我向他们请求恩惠——但我将会刊登广告。”

“You shall walk up the pyramids of Egypt!” he growled. “At your peril you advertise! —
“您会爬上埃及的金字塔！”他咆哮道。“以你的危险你广告！ —

I wish I had only offered you a sovereign instead of ten pounds. —
“我希望我只给了您一枚主权而不是十磅。” —

Give me back nine pounds, Jane; I’ve a use for it.”
把九英镑还给我吧，简；我有用途。

“And so have I, sir,” I returned, putting my hands and my purse behind me. —
“我也有用途，先生，”我回答道，把我的手和钱包都放在了身后。 —

“I could not spare the money on any account.”
“我无论如何都不能舍得那笔钱。”

“Little niggard!” said he, “refusing me a pecuniary request! Give me five pounds, Jane.”
“小气鬼！”他说，“连一点钱都不愿意借给我吗，简？”

“Not five shillings, sir; nor five pence.”
“不是五先令，先生；也不是五便士。”

“Just let me look at the cash.”
“让我看看现金。”

“No, sir; you are not to be trusted.”
“不，先生；我不能相信你。”

“Jane!”
“简！”

“Sir?”
“先生？”

“Promise me one thing.”
“答应我一件事。”

“I’ll promise you anything, sir, that I think I am likely to perform.”
“我什么都答应你，先生，只要我觉得我能做到。”

“Not to advertise: and to trust this quest of a situation to me. I’ll find you one in time.”
“不要登广告，把找工作的事情交给我吧。我会帮你找到一个合适的。”

“I shall be glad so to do, sir, if you, in your turn, will promise that I and Adèle shall be both safe out of the house before your bride enters it.”
“如果你能保证在你的新娘进来之前，我和阿黛勒都能安然离开这个房子，我会很高兴答应的。”

“Very well! very well! I’ll pledge my word on it. You go to-morrow, then?”
“很好！很好！我保证。那你明天走，对吗？”

“Yes, sir; early.”
“是的，先生；早上。”

“Shall you come down to the drawing-room after dinner?”
“晚饭后，你愿意下来客厅吗？”

“No, sir, I must prepare for the journey.”
“不，先生，我必须为旅程做准备。”

“Then you and I must bid good-bye for a little while?”
“那么我们要暂时道别了吗？”

“I suppose so, sir.”
“我想是的，先生。”

“And how do people perform that ceremony of parting, Jane? Teach me; I’m not quite up to it.”
“那么人们是如何进行这个离别仪式的，简？教教我吧，我对这个不太熟悉。”

“They say, Farewell, or any other form they prefer.”
“他们会说‘再见’，或者其他他们喜欢的形式。”

“Then say it.”
“那就这样说吧。”

“Farewell, Mr. Rochester, for the present.”
“再见，罗切斯特先生，暂时告别。”

“What must I say?”
“我应该说什么？”

“The same, if you like, sir.”
“如果你愿意的话，也可以说一样。”

“Farewell, Miss Eyre, for the present; is that all?”
“再见，爱尔小姐，暂时告别；就这样吗？”

“Yes.”
“是的。”

“It seems stingy, to my notions, and dry, and unfriendly. I should like something else: —
“在我看来，这似乎有些吝啬、枯燥和不友好。我想要加点什么： —

a little addition to the rite. If one shook hands, for instance; —
比如握手； —

but no—that would not content me either. —
但不，那也不能满足我。” —

So you’ll do no more than say Farewell, Jane?”
那么，你只是说再见，简？

“It is enough, sir: as much good-will may be conveyed in one hearty word as in many.”
“先生，这已经足够了：一个真心的话能够传递出很多善意。”

“Very likely; but it is blank and cool—‘Farewell.’”
“很可能；但它很空洞、冷淡——‘再见’。”

“How long is he going to stand with his back against that door?” I asked myself; —
“他会一直背靠着门站多久？” 我心里想着； —

“I want to commence my packing.” The dinner-bell rang, and suddenly away he bolted, without another syllable: —
“我想要开始收拾行李。” 晚饭铃响了，他突然间飞快地离开了，再没有说一句话： —

I saw him no more during the day, and was off before he had risen in the morning.
我整天都没再见到他，第二天早上我离开时他还没起床。

I reached the lodge at Gateshead about five o’clock in the afternoon of the first of May: —
我在五月一日下午五点左右到达了盖茨黑德的门房： —

I stepped in there before going up to the hall. It was very clean and neat: —
在上楼去大厅之前，我先走进了那里。它非常干净整洁： —

the ornamental windows were hung with little white curtains; the floor was spotless; —
装饰窗户上挂着小白色窗帘；地板一尘不染； —

the grate and fire-irons were burnished bright, and the fire burnt clear. —
壁炉和炉具擦得闪闪发亮，火焰燃烧明亮。 —

Bessie sat on the hearth, nursing her last-born, and Robert and his sister played quietly in a corner.
贝西坐在炉边，抱着最近出生的孩子，罗伯特和他的妹妹安静地在角落里玩耍。

“Bless you!—I knew you would come!” exclaimed Mrs. Leaven, as I entered.
“天啊！—我就知道你会来！”莉芬太太兴奋地喊道，当我进来时。

“Yes, Bessie,” said I, after I had kissed her; —
“是的，贝西，”我亲吻了她之后说道； —

“and I trust I am not too late. How is Mrs. Reed?—Alive still, I hope.”
“我希望我没有来得太晚。里德夫人还好吗？—希望她还活着。”

“Yes, she is alive; and more sensible and collected than she was. —
“是的，她还活着；而且比以前更明智和冷静。 —

The doctor says she may linger a week or two yet; —
医生说她可能还能苟延残喘一两周； —

but he hardly thinks she will finally recover.”
但他几乎不认为她最后会康复。”

“Has she mentioned me lately?”
“她最近有没有提到过我？”

“She was talking of you only this morning, and wishing you would come, but she is sleeping now, or was ten minutes ago, when I was up at the house. —
“她今天早上只谈论过你，并希望你能来，但她现在正在睡觉，或者在十分钟前我上楼的时候还在睡觉。 —

She generally lies in a kind of lethargy all the afternoon, and wakes up about six or seven. —
她通常在下午都处于一种昏睡状态，并在六七点左右醒来。 —

Will you rest yourself here an hour, Miss, and then I will go up with you?”
小姐，你在这里休息一小时，然后我会陪你上楼。”

Robert here entered, and Bessie laid her sleeping child in the cradle and went to welcome him: —
罗伯特进来了，贝西把她沉睡的孩子放进摇篮，去迎接他： —

afterwards she insisted on my taking off my bonnet and having some tea; —
之后她坚持让我脱下帽子喝点茶； —

for she said I looked pale and tired. I was glad to accept her hospitality; —
因为她说我看起来苍白而疲倦。我很高兴接受她的款待； —

and I submitted to be relieved of my travelling garb just as passively as I used to let her undress me when a child.
当被请求脱下旅行服的时候，我像小时候被她脱衣服一样被动地接受了。

Old times crowded fast back on me as I watched her bustling about—setting out the tea-tray with her best china, cutting bread and butter, toasting a tea-cake, and, between whiles, giving little Robert or Jane an occasional tap or push, just as she used to give me in former days. —
当我看着她忙碌地来回走动时，旧时光涌上心头——她用最好的瓷器摆放茶盘，切着面包和黄油，烤着茶饼，同时偶尔对小罗伯特或简进行轻拍或推搡，就像她以前对我做的那样。 —

Bessie had retained her quick temper as well as her light foot and good looks.
贝西不仅保留了她易怒的脾气，还保持着她轻快的脚步和好看的外貌。

Tea ready, I was going to approach the table; —
茶准备好了，我正要走向桌子； —

but she desired me to sit still, quite in her old peremptory tones. —
但她以她以前的命令声要求我静静坐着。 —

I must be served at the fireside, she said; —
她说我必须在壁炉旁被招待； —

and she placed before me a little round stand with my cup and a plate of toast, absolutely as she used to accommodate me with some privately purloined dainty on a nursery chair: —
她在我面前放了一个小圆桌，上面放着我的茶杯和一盘烤面包，就像她以前在儿童餐椅上给我私自偷来的一点点美味一样； —

and I smiled and obeyed her as in bygone days.
我微笑着服从她，就像往昔的日子一样。

She wanted to know if I was happy at Thornfield Hall, and what sort of a person the mistress was; —
她想知道我在索恩菲尔德庄园过得开不开心，主人是什么样的人； —

and when I told her there was only a master, whether he was a nice gentleman, and if I liked him. —
当我告诉她只有一个主人，不管他是个好人还是我喜欢他。 —

I told her he was rather an ugly man, but quite a gentleman; —
我告诉她，他长得相当丑，但是非常绅士； 2，I told her that he was rather an ugly man, but quite a gentleman. —

and that he treated me kindly, and I was content. —
贝西听得很感兴趣，并且我谈到他对待我很友善，我感到很满足。 —

Then I went on to describe to her the gay company that had lately been staying at the house; —
然后我向她描述了最近在屋子里住的快乐的人群。 —

and to these details Bessie listened with interest: —
她对这些细节很感兴趣，而且正是她喜欢的那种类型。 —

they were precisely of the kind she relished.
在这样的对话中，时间很快就过去了：贝西还给了我我的帽子等。

In such conversation an hour was soon gone: Bessie restored to me my bonnet, &c. —
然后我和她一起离开了门房，前往大厅。 —

, and, accompanied by her, I quitted the lodge for the hall. —
还是和她一起，几乎九年前，我曾走下这条我现在正在往上走的小路。 —

It was also accompanied by her that I had, nearly nine years ago, walked down the path I was now ascending. —
九年前的一个黑暗、雾蒙蒙、寒冷的一月早晨，我带着绝望和怨恨的心情离开了一座敌对的屋顶，感到了被剥夺权利和几乎被谴责的感觉，去寻找洛伍德那个遥远而未知的避难所。现在同样的敌对屋顶再次出现在我面前，我的前景仍然不确定，我仍然心痛。 —

On a dark, misty, raw morning in January, I had left a hostile roof with a desperate and embittered heart—a sense of outlawry and almost of reprobation—to seek the chilly harbourage of Lowood: —
我仍然感觉自己是世界上的流浪者。 —

that bourne so far away and unexplored. The same hostile roof now again rose before me: —
那时的贝西帮着我恢复了我心中的希望，但仍然没有办法从根本上安定下来。 —

my prospects were doubtful yet; and I had yet an aching heart. —
现在的贝西再次陪伴着我，希望如同那些年一般。 —

I still felt as a wanderer on the face of the earth; —
贝西的陪伴是我发现了一种温暖和安慰的宝贵礼物。 —

but I experienced firmer trust in myself and my own powers, and less withering dread of oppression. —
然而，我对自己和自己的力量有了更坚定的信任，对压迫的恐惧也减少了。 —

The gaping wound of my wrongs, too, was now quite healed; —
我的伤痛也完全愈合了，被冤屈的伤口已经平复。 —

and the flame of resentment extinguished.
怨恨的火焰也熄灭了。

“You shall go into the breakfast-room first,” said Bessie, as she preceded me through the hall; —
“你先去早餐厅，”贝西说着，领着我穿过大厅。 —

“the young ladies will be there.”
“年轻姑娘们会在那里的。”

In another moment I was within that apartment. —
转眼间，我就进入了那个房间。 —

There was every article of furniture looking just as it did on the morning I was first introduced to Mr. Brocklehurst: —
房间里的每一件家具看起来都和我第一次见到布罗克尔斯特先生的那天早上一模一样： —

the very rug he had stood upon still covered the hearth. —
在壁炉上还铺着他曾经站立过的那块地毯。 —

Glancing at the bookcases, I thought I could distinguish the two volumes of Bewick’s British Birds occupying their old place on the third shelf, and Gulliver’s Travels and the Arabian Nights ranged just above. —
扫视书架，我觉得我可以辨认出比威克的《英国鸟类》两卷还安放在第三层，格列佛游记和《一千零一夜》则排在上面。 —

The inanimate objects were not changed; but the living things had altered past recognition.
这些静止的物体没有改变，但活物已经变得面目全非。

Two young ladies appeared before me; one very tall, almost as tall as Miss Ingram—very thin too, with a sallow face and severe mien. —
有两个年轻的女士站在我面前；一个非常高，几乎和英格拉姆小姐一样高——而且非常瘦，面色晦暗，神情凝重。 —

There was something ascetic in her look, which was augmented by the extreme plainness of a straight-skirted, black, stuff dress, a starched linen collar, hair combed away from the temples, and the nun-like ornament of a string of ebony beads and a crucifix. —
她的样子里有一种苦行的气质，被一件黑色直筒的平凡布料连身裙、一条涤纶领子、发梳过太阳穴以及一串黑檀木珠和十字架装点的仿若修女般的饰品衬托得更加明显。 —

This I felt sure was Eliza, though I could trace little resemblance to her former self in that elongated and colourless visage.
这个我确信是伊莱扎，尽管在那张细长而毫无血色的面容中我很难看出她曾经的模样。

The other was as certainly Georgiana: but not the Georgiana I remembered—the slim and fairy-like girl of eleven. —
另一个则肯定是乔治安娜：但不是我记得的那个十一岁的那个苗条而娇小的女孩。 —

This was a full-blown, very plump damsel, fair as waxwork, with handsome and regular features, languishing blue eyes, and ringleted yellow hair. —
她是一个丰腴得如同蜡像的女孩，面容美丽而端庄，睁着引人注目的蓝眼睛，满头黄色的卷发。 —

The hue of her dress was black too; but its fashion was so different from her sister’s—so much more flowing and becoming—it looked as stylish as the other’s looked puritanical.
她的服装也是黑色的，但和姐姐的的款式非常不同——更加飘逸和合身，看起来就像姐姐的穿着显得独具清教色彩一样。

In each of the sisters there was one trait of the mother—and only one; —
每个姐妹身上都有母亲的一个特征-只有一个； —

the thin and pallid elder daughter had her parent’s Cairngorm eye: —
消瘦苍白的姐姐有着母亲那双咖啡色的眼睛： —

the blooming and luxuriant younger girl had her contour of jaw and chin—perhaps a little softened, but still imparting an indescribable hardness to the countenance otherwise so voluptuous and buxom.
红润而丰满的妹妹有着母亲的下巴轮廓和下颚，或许稍微柔和了一些，但仍给身材丰满而宽松的脸庞带来了一种难以形容的坚硬之感。

Both ladies, as I advanced, rose to welcome me, and both addressed me by the name of “Miss Eyre.” Eliza’s greeting was delivered in a short, abrupt voice, without a smile; —
当我走近时，两位女士站起来欢迎我，并称呼我为“爱尔小姐”。伊莱扎用短促而生硬的语调向我问候，没有微笑； —

and then she sat down again, fixed her eyes on the fire, and seemed to forget me. —
然后她又坐了下来，把目光投向火炉，似乎把我忘了。 —

Georgiana added to her “How d’ye do? —
乔治安娜补充说：“你好吗？然后以一种拉长的语调说了几句关于我的旅途，天气等等的陈词滥调，并伴以几个从头到脚的斜视，现在穿越我深褐色细梭绒大衣的褶皱，现在停留在我平整的山寨礼帽的简单装饰上。 —

” several commonplaces about my journey, the weather, and so on, uttered in rather a drawling tone: and accompanied by sundry side-glances that measured me from head to foot—now traversing the folds of my drab merino pelisse, and now lingering on the plain trimming of my cottage bonnet. —
乔治娜用一种拖沓的语调说：“你好吗？”并伴以几个从头到脚的斜视，现在穿越我深褐色细梭绒大衣的褶皱，现在停留在我山寨式帽子的简单装饰上。 —

Young ladies have a remarkable way of letting you know that they think you a “quiz” without actually saying the words. —
年轻女子有一种独特的方式，让你知道她们认为你很无聊，即使她们没有直接说出来。 —

A certain superciliousness of look, coolness of manner, nonchalance of tone, express fully their sentiments on the point, without committing them by any positive rudeness in word or deed.
那种高人一等的表情、冷漠的态度和无所谓的语气充分表达了她们的意见，不会通过任何积极的粗鲁言行来表明。

A sneer, however, whether covert or open, had now no longer that power over me it once possessed: —
然而，现在嘲笑，无论是暗地里还是公开的，已经失去了它曾经拥有的对我产生的影响力： —

as I sat between my cousins, I was surprised to find how easy I felt under the total neglect of the one and the semi-sarcastic attentions of the other—Eliza did not mortify, nor Georgiana ruffle me. —
当我坐在我的表兄妹中间时，我惊讶地发现自己对一个人的完全忽视和另一个人半嘲讽的关注感到很轻松—伊莱扎没有使我感到羞辱，乔治安娜也没有让我心烦意乱。 —

The fact was, I had other things to think about; —
事实是，我还有其他事情要考虑； —

within the last few months feelings had been stirred in me so much more potent than any they could raise—pains and pleasures so much more acute and exquisite had been excited than any it was in their power to inflict or bestow—that their airs gave me no concern either for good or bad.
在过去几个月里，我激发起的感情比他们能引起的任何感情更加强烈和美妙—我经历的痛苦和快乐比他们能给予或带来的任何东西都更加尖锐和细腻，所以他们的态度对我来说无关紧要，不管是好是坏。

“How is Mrs. Reed?” I asked soon, looking calmly at Georgiana, who thought fit to bridle at the direct address, as if it were an unexpected liberty.
“伊莱扎，你见过瑞德夫人吗？”我一边平静地看着乔治娜，一边问道。乔治娜听到直接的称呼竟然有些生气，好像这是一种出人意料的侵犯。

“Mrs. Reed? Ah! mama, you mean; she is extremely poorly: I doubt if you can see her to-night.”
“瑞德夫人？啊！妈妈，你是指她吧；她病得很重：我怀疑你今晚是否能见到她。”

“If,” said I, “you would just step upstairs and tell her I am come, I should be much obliged to you.”
“如果你愿意上楼告诉她我来了，我会非常感激的。”

Georgiana almost started, and she opened her blue eyes wild and wide. —
乔治娜几乎吓了一跳，她睁大了蓝色的眼睛看着我。 —

“I know she had a particular wish to see me,” I added, “and I would not defer attending to her desire longer than is absolutely necessary.”
“我知道她特别希望见到我，”我补充道，“我不会迟延满足她的愿望的时间超过绝对必要的。”

“Mama dislikes being disturbed in an evening,” remarked Eliza. I soon rose, quietly took off my bonnet and gloves, uninvited, and said I would just step out to Bessie—who was, I dared say, in the kitchen—and ask her to ascertain whether Mrs. Reed was disposed to receive me or not to-night. —
“妈妈不喜欢晚上被打扰，”伊莱扎说道。我很快安静地脱下了帽子和手套，并说我只是出去找贝西一下——我敢肯定她在厨房——并让她确认一下瑞德夫人今晚是否愿意接见我。 —

I went, and having found Bessie and despatched her on my errand, I proceeded to take further measures. —
我出去了，找到了贝西，派她去办我的事，然后我继续采取进一步的措施。 —

It had heretofore been my habit always to shrink from arrogance: —
到目前为止，我总是厌恶傲慢自大； —

received as I had been to-day, I should, a year ago, have resolved to quit Gateshead the very next morning; —
如果是一年前，要是我像今天这样被接待，我会下决心明天早上就离开盖茨黑德； —

now, it was disclosed to me all at once that that would be a foolish plan. —
现在，这突然对我来说是个愚蠢的计划。 —

I had taken a journey of a hundred miles to see my aunt, and I must stay with her till she was better—or dead: —
我已经走了一百英里的路去看望我的姑姑，我必须等到她好起来或者去世； —

as to her daughters’ pride or folly, I must put it on one side, make myself independent of it. —
至于她女儿的骄傲和愚蠢，我必须把它放在一边，让自己独立于它。 —

So I addressed the housekeeper; asked her to show me a room, told her I should probably be a visitor here for a week or two, had my trunk conveyed to my chamber, and followed it thither myself: —
于是我对女管家说话，让她给我看一个房间，告诉她我可能会在这里做客一两个星期，让人把我的大衣箱送到我的房间，然后我自己跟了过去； —

I met Bessie on the landing.
我在楼梯上遇见了贝西。

“Missis is awake,” said she; “I have told her you are here: —
“女主人醒了，”她说，“我告诉她你在这里，我们来看看她是否能认出你来。” —

come and let us see if she will know you.”
我不需要被引导到那个我在以前被叫去接受训斥或训斥的熟悉房间。

I did not need to be guided to the well-known room, to which I had so often been summoned for chastisement or reprimand in former days. —
这是我所了解的那个房间，我在以前经常被叫去的房间。 —

I hastened before Bessie; I softly opened the door: —
我快步走过去贝西面前；我轻轻打开了门： —

a shaded light stood on the table, for it was now getting dark. —
桌子上放着一盏遮蔽着的灯，因为天色渐渐暗下来了。 —

There was the great four-post bed with amber hangings as of old; —
那里还有那张有琥珀色帷幕的大四柱床，就像以前一样； —

there the toilet-table, the armchair, and the footstool, at which I had a hundred times been sentenced to kneel, to ask pardon for offences by me uncommitted. —
还有那张梳妆台，那把扶手椅，还有那个我曾经被判去跪下为没有犯下的罪行请求宽恕的脚凳。 —

I looked into a certain corner near, half-expecting to see the slim outline of a once dreaded switch which used to lurk there, waiting to leap out imp-like and lace my quivering palm or shrinking neck. —
我望向附近的一个角落，半期望着能看到曾经可怕的小棍的轮廓，在那里躲藏着，等待着扑向我颤抖的手掌或者怯懦的脖子。 —

I approached the bed; I opened the curtains and leant over the high-piled pillows.
我走近床边；我拉开帷幕，俯身在高高堆起的枕头上。

Well did I remember Mrs. Reed’s face, and I eagerly sought the familiar image. —
我对着候深刻记忆的里德夫人脸庞，渴望寻找那熟悉的形象。 —

It is a happy thing that time quells the longings of vengeance and hushes the promptings of rage and aversion. —
时间能够平息复仇的渴望，使愤怒和厌恶的冲动消弱是一件幸福的事情。 —

I had left this woman in bitterness and hate, and I came back to her now with no other emotion than a sort of ruth for her great sufferings, and a strong yearning to forget and forgive all injuries—to be reconciled and clasp hands in amity.
我曾以痛苦和仇恨离开过这个女人，现在我回到她身边，心中只剩下对她巨大痛苦的怜悯，和强烈的渴望忘记和宽恕所有冤枉，和她重新和好，握手言和。

The well-known face was there: stern, relentless as ever—there was that peculiar eye which nothing could melt, and the somewhat raised, imperious, despotic eyebrow. —
那熟悉的面孔还在：严厉、无情如往常-那只坚硬、无法融化的眼睛，还有那微微上扬、专横、独裁的眉毛。 —

How often had it lowered on me menace and hate! —
它曾多少次对我充满威胁和仇恨！ —

and how the recollection of childhood’s terrors and sorrows revived as I traced its harsh line now! —
当我追踪着它严厉的线条时，多少次回想起童年的恐惧和悲伤！ —

And yet I stooped down and kissed her: she looked at me.
然而我低下了头亲吻她：她看着我。

“Is this Jane Eyre?” she said.
“这是简·爱吗？”她说。

“Yes, Aunt Reed. How are you, dear aunt?”
“是的，里德阿姨。阿姨，你好吗？”

I had once vowed that I would never call her aunt again: —
我曾经发誓再也不称她为阿姨： —

I thought it no sin to forget and break that vow now. —
我认为现在忘记并且违背那个誓言并不是罪过。 —

My fingers had fastened on her hand which lay outside the sheet: —
我的手指扣住了她的手，它们从床单的外面伸出来： —

had she pressed mine kindly, I should at that moment have experienced true pleasure. —
如果她亲切地握住我的手，那一刻我会真正感到愉悦。 —

But unimpressionable natures are not so soon softened, nor are natural antipathies so readily eradicated. —
但不易受影响的天性并不容易软化，自然的反感也不容易被根除。 —

Mrs. Reed took her hand away, and, turning her face rather from me, she remarked that the night was warm. —
瑞德夫人拿开了手，把脸稍微别开，她说夜晚很暖和。 —

Again she regarded me so icily, I felt at once that her opinion of me—her feeling towards me—was unchanged and unchangeable. —
她再次冷冷地看着我，我立刻感觉到她对我持有的意见和感情没有改变和改善的可能性。 —

I knew by her stony eye—opaque to tenderness, indissoluble to tears—that she was resolved to consider me bad to the last; —
我从她石化的眼神中知道，对于温柔她毫不动容，对于眼泪她坚不可摧，她决定视我为不好的人； —

because to believe me good would give her no generous pleasure: —
因为相信我是好人不会给她带来任何慷慨的喜悦： —

only a sense of mortification.
只会让她感到羞愧。

I felt pain, and then I felt ire; and then I felt a determination to subdue her—to be her mistress in spite both of her nature and her will. —
我感到痛苦，然后感到愤怒，然后决心要征服她，无论她的天性和意愿如何。 —

My tears had risen, just as in childhood: I ordered them back to their source. —
我的眼泪像小时候一样涌上来，我命令它们退回到源头。 —

I brought a chair to the bed-head: I sat down and leaned over the pillow.
我把一把椅子放到床头，坐了下来，俯身看着枕头。

“You sent for me,” I said, “and I am here; —
“你派人叫我来，”我说，“我在这里， —

and it is my intention to stay till I see how you get on.”
我打算一直待下去，直到看到你的病情好转。”

“Oh, of course! You have seen my daughters?”
“哦，当然！你见过我的女儿们吗？”

“Yes.”
“是的。”

“Well, you may tell them I wish you to stay till I can talk some things over with you I have on my mind: —
“好吧，你可以告诉她们，我希望你在我能与你谈谈我心里想的一些事情之前待在这里。” —

to-night it is too late, and I have a difficulty in recalling them. —
“今晚太晚了，我难以回忆起她们。” —

But there was something I wished to say—let me see—”
“但有些话我想说——让我想想——”

The wandering look and changed utterance told what wreck had taken place in her once vigorous frame. —
她目光游离，言辞也发生了改变，这表明了曾经健壮的身体发生了何种崩溃。 —

Turning restlessly, she drew the bedclothes round her; —
不安地转动着身子，她将被褥围在身边。 —

my elbow, resting on a corner of the quilt, fixed it down: —
我靠在被子的一角上，将手肘固定住。 —

she was at once irritated.
她立刻感到烦躁。

“Sit up!” said she; “don’t annoy me with holding the clothes fast. Are you Jane Eyre?”
“坐直！”她说，“别让我生气，别死死地抓着衣服。你是简·爱尔吗？”

“I am Jane Eyre.”
“是的，我是简·爱尔。”

“I have had more trouble with that child than any one would believe. —
“我跟那个孩子相处的麻烦多过任何人能相信的。” —

Such a burden to be left on my hands—and so much annoyance as she caused me, daily and hourly, with her incomprehensible disposition, and her sudden starts of temper, and her continual, unnatural watchings of one’s movements! —
“她成了我肩头的沉重包袱，每天每时都给我带来烦恼，她无法理解的脾气，突然的发脾气和对人的持续而又不自然的监视！” —

I declare she talked to me once like something mad, or like a fiend—no child ever spoke or looked as she did; —
“我发誓她曾经跟我说话时像是个疯子，或者像个恶魔——没一个孩子说话或看人的神情像她那样。” —

I was glad to get her away from the house. What did they do with her at Lowood? —
“我很高兴把她送走了。他们在洛伍德怎么对待她？” —

The fever broke out there, and many of the pupils died. —
“那儿爆发了疫情，很多学生都死了。” —

She, however, did not die: but I said she did—I wish she had died!”
“然而她没死，不过我说她死了——我希望她死了！”

“A strange wish, Mrs. Reed; why do you hate her so?”
“太奇怪了，里德夫人，你为什么这么讨厌她？”

“I had a dislike to her mother always; for she was my husband’s only sister, and a great favourite with him: —
“我一直不喜欢她的母亲；因为她是我丈夫的独生妹妹，对他来说是个极受喜爱的人。” —

he opposed the family’s disowning her when she made her low marriage; —
“当她嫁给一个卑微的人时，我反对家族抛弃她。” —

and when news came of her death, he wept like a simpleton. He would send for the baby; —
“当听到她去世的消息时，他像个傻瓜一样哭了起来。他会派人接那个婴儿来。” —

though I entreated him rather to put it out to nurse and pay for its maintenance. —
“尽管我请求他把它送养并支付抚养费。” —

I hated it the first time I set my eyes on it—a sickly, whining, pining thing! —
“我第一次见到它就讨厌它——一个病懨懨的、哭哭啼啼的东西！” —

It would wail in its cradle all night long—not screaming heartily like any other child, but whimpering and moaning. —
“它会在摇篮里整夜哭泣——不像其他孩子那样大声尖叫，而是呜咽和呻吟。” —

Reed pitied it; and he used to nurse it and notice it as if it had been his own: —
“瑞德可怜它，他习惯性地照顾它，对它很上心，就像是他自己的孩子一样。” —

more, indeed, than he ever noticed his own at that age. —
“实际上，他对待它的注意力甚至超过了他对待他自己孩子的方式。” —

He would try to make my children friendly to the little beggar: —
“他试图让我的孩子对这个可怜的孩子友好起来。” —

the darlings could not bear it, and he was angry with them when they showed their dislike. —
“可是，我亲爱的孩子们无法忍受，当他们表现出反感时，他反而对他们生气。” —

In his last illness, he had it brought continually to his bedside; —
“在他的最后病中，他让人一直把它带到床边。” —

and but an hour before he died, he bound me by vow to keep the creature. —
但是在他临死前一个小时，他让我以誓言将这个生物保留下来。 —

I would as soon have been charged with a pauper brat out of a workhouse: —
我宁愿被指控把一个贫民院的孩子带出来。 —

but he was weak, naturally weak. John does not at all resemble his father, and I am glad of it: —
但他很薄弱，天生就薄弱。约翰一点也不像他父亲，这让我很高兴。 —

John is like me and like my brothers—he is quite a Gibson. —
约翰像我和我兄弟们一样——他完全是吉布森。 —

Oh, I wish he would cease tormenting me with letters for money! I have no more money to give him: —
哦，我希望他别再用要钱的信件折磨我了！我已经没有钱给他了。 —

we are getting poor. I must send away half the servants and shut up part of the house; —
我们变得越来越穷。我必须解雇一半的仆人，部分房屋也要关起来； —

or let it off. I can never submit to do that—yet how are we to get on? —
或者出租掉。我绝不会屈服于那样做——但我们该怎么过下去呢？ —

Two-thirds of my income goes in paying the interest of mortgages. —
我的收入的三分之二都用来偿还抵押贷款的利息。 —

John gambles dreadfully, and always loses—poor boy! He is beset by sharpers: —
约翰赌博非常厉害，而且总是输——可怜的孩子！他被骗子困扰。 —

John is sunk and degraded—his look is frightful—I feel ashamed for him when I see him.”
约翰沉沦了，堕落了——他的样子很可怕——每当我看到他，我都为他感到羞愧。

She was getting much excited. “I think I had better leave her now,” said I to Bessie, who stood on the other side of the bed.
她越来越兴奋了。“我想我最好现在离开她，”我对站在床另一边的贝西说。

“Perhaps you had, Miss: but she often talks in this way towards night—in the morning she is calmer.”
“也许你失眠了，小姐：但她通常在晚上这样说话—早晨她会冷静些。”

I rose. “Stop!” exclaimed Mrs. Reed, “there is another thing I wished to say. —
我起身。“等一下！”里德夫人叫道，“还有一件事我想说。 —

He threatens me—he continually threatens me with his own death, or mine: —
他威胁我—他不停地威胁我他自己会死，或者我会死： —

and I dream sometimes that I see him laid out with a great wound in his throat, or with a swollen and blackened face. —
有时我梦见他躺在那里，喉咙里有一个大伤口，或者脸肿得黑乎乎的。 —

I am come to a strange pass: I have heavy troubles. —
我的处境很陌生：我有很大的困扰。 —

What is to be done? How is the money to be had?”
该怎么办呢？钱从哪里来？”

Bessie now endeavoured to persuade her to take a sedative draught: she succeeded with difficulty. —
贝西试图说服她喝一杯镇静剂：她费了很大劲才成功。 —

Soon after, Mrs. Reed grew more composed, and sank into a dozing state. I then left her.
不久之后，里德夫人更加镇定，并进入了一种打瞌睡的状态。然后我离开了她。

More than ten days elapsed before I had again any conversation with her. —
整整十天过去了，我才再次和她交谈。 —

She continued either delirious or lethargic; —
她要么神志不清，要么昏睡不醒； —

and the doctor forbade everything which could painfully excite her. —
医生禁止任何可能使她痛苦的事情。 —

Meantime, I got on as well as I could with Georgiana and Eliza. They were very cold, indeed, at first. —
与此同时，我尽我所能和乔治安娜和伊莱扎相处。起初，她们非常冷淡。 —

Eliza would sit half the day sewing, reading, or writing, and scarcely utter a word either to me or her sister. —
伊莱扎一天的一半时间都会坐在那里缝纫、阅读或写作，几乎不和我或她妹妹说上几句话。 —

Georgiana would chatter nonsense to her canary bird by the hour, and take no notice of me. —
乔治安娜会和她的金丝雀唠唠叨叨地讲着胡话，完全不理我。 —

But I was determined not to seem at a loss for occupation or amusement: —
但我决定不去显露出对工作或娱乐的迷失感。 —

I had brought my drawing materials with me, and they served me for both.
我带了绘画工具，它们同时也服务于这两种需求。

Provided with a case of pencils, and some sheets of paper, I used to take a seat apart from them, near the window, and busy myself in sketching fancy vignettes, representing any scene that happened momentarily to shape itself in the ever-shifting kaleidoscope of imagination: —
我随身携带一盒铅笔和一些纸张，经常会坐在离她们远一点的窗户旁，忙着勾画想象中的花边图案，代表那些瞬间在变幻多样的想象万花筒中出现的场景： —

a glimpse of sea between two rocks; the rising moon, and a ship crossing its disk; —
两块岩石之间的海景一瞥，升起的月亮和一艘横渡月亮的船； —

a group of reeds and water-flags, and a naiad’s head, crowned with lotus-flowers, rising out of them; —
一群芦苇和水旗帜，以及一个被莲花花冠加冕的女水神的头部从其中升起； —

an elf sitting in a hedge-sparrow’s nest, under a wreath of hawthorn-bloom.
一个精灵坐在一只画眉鸟巢上，周围是一圈山楂花环。

One morning I fell to sketching a face: what sort of a face it was to be, I did not care or know. —
有一天早上，我决定画一个脸：我不在乎或者不知道它应该是什么样子。 —

I took a soft black pencil, gave it a broad point, and worked away. —
我拿了一支柔软的黑铅笔，使它的笔尖较宽，然后开始工作。 —

Soon I had traced on the paper a broad and prominent forehead and a square lower outline of visage: —
很快，我在纸上描绘出一个宽广而突出的额头和一个方形的下部轮廓。 —

that contour gave me pleasure; my fingers proceeded actively to fill it with features. —
那个轮廓给了我快乐；我的手指活跃地填满了它的特征。 —

Strongly-marked horizontal eyebrows must be traced under that brow; —
应该在那道眉毛下方勾勒出明显的水平眉毛； —

then followed, naturally, a well-defined nose, with a straight ridge and full nostrils; —
然后自然而然地画了一个轮廓明确的鼻子，有一道直直的鼻梁和饱满的鼻孔； —

then a flexible-looking mouth, by no means narrow; —
紧接着是一个灵活的嘴巴，绝不窄； —

then a firm chin, with a decided cleft down the middle of it: —
然后是一个坚定的下巴，在中间有一个明显的裂口： —

of course, some black whiskers were wanted, and some jetty hair, tufted on the temples, and waved above the forehead. —
当然，需要一些黑色的胡须，和一些在太阳穴上拢起来的黑发，额头上方有些波浪。 —

Now for the eyes: I had left them to the last, because they required the most careful working. —
现在该画眼睛了：我把它们留到最后，因为需要最细心的描绘。 —

I drew them large; I shaped them well: the eyelashes I traced long and sombre; —
我把它们画得很大；我塑造得很好：睫毛我画得又长又阴郁； —

the irids lustrous and large. “Good! but not quite the thing,” I thought, as I surveyed the effect: —
那双眼睛明亮而宽大。“不错！但还差一点点，”我想着，审视着效果。 —

“they want more force and spirit;” and I wrought the shades blacker, that the lights might flash more brilliantly—a happy touch or two secured success. —
“它们需要更多力量和活力；”于是我加深了阴影，让光线更加闪亮——几个妙手笔确保了成功。 —

There, I had a friend’s face under my gaze; —
我眼前出现了一张朋友的脸； —

and what did it signify that those young ladies turned their backs on me? —
那几个年轻女士对我转过身来又有何意义呢？ —

I looked at it; I smiled at the speaking likeness: —
我看着它；对这个生动的肖像我微笑着： —

I was absorbed and content.
我全神贯注，心满意足。

“Is that a portrait of some one you know?” asked Eliza, who had approached me unnoticed. —
没有被我注意到，伊莱扎问我：“这是你认识的人的画像吗?” —

I responded that it was merely a fancy head, and hurried it beneath the other sheets. —
我回答说这只是一个想象的头像，然后匆匆地把它藏在其他画纸下。 —

Of course, I lied: it was, in fact, a very faithful representation of Mr. Rochester. —
当然，我撒了谎：实际上，它是对罗切斯特先生非常忠实的再现。 —

But what was that to her, or to any one but myself? Georgiana also advanced to look. —
但对她们或者除了我自己之外的任何人来说，那又有何关系呢？乔治安娜也走过来看了。 —

The other drawings pleased her much, but she called that “an ugly man. —
她们都对其他的画作很满意，但她称那幅是“一个丑陋的男人。” —

” They both seemed surprised at my skill. I offered to sketch their portraits; —
她们似乎都对我的技巧感到惊讶。我主动提出为她们画肖像； —

and each, in turn, sat for a pencil outline. Then Georgiana produced her album. —
依次轮到每个人都为一支铅笔进行了轮廓画。然后乔治安娜拿出了她的相册。 —

I promised to contribute a water-colour drawing: this put her at once into good humour. —
我答应了贡献一幅水彩画，这一下立刻使她高兴起来。 —

She proposed a walk in the grounds. Before we had been out two hours, we were deep in a confidential conversation: —
她提议在庭园里散步。在我们出去两个小时之前，我们已经陷入了一个私密的谈话中： —

she had favoured me with a description of the brilliant winter she had spent in London two seasons ago—of the admiration she had there excited—the attention she had received; —
她给我描述了她两个季节前在伦敦度过的辉煌冬天，她在那里引起的崇拜和受到的关注； —

and I even got hints of the titled conquest she had made. —
我甚至得到了她取得的贵族征服的线索。 —

In the course of the afternoon and evening these hints were enlarged on: —
在下午和晚上的过程中，这些线索被扩大了： —

various soft conversations were reported, and sentimental scenes represented; —
各种柔软的对话被传达出来，情感场景被描述出来； —

and, in short, a volume of a novel of fashionable life was that day improvised by her for my benefit. —
在简短的时间内，她为了我好处而即兴创作了一本关于时尚生活的小说。 —

The communications were renewed from day to day: —
沟通从一天到另一天重新开始： —

they always ran on the same theme—herself, her loves, and woes. —
它们总是围绕着同一个主题展开-她自己，她的爱情和痛苦。 —

It was strange she never once adverted either to her mother’s illness, or her brother’s death, or the present gloomy state of the family prospects. —
她从未提及过母亲的疾病、兄弟的死亡，或者家庭前景的阴暗状态，这让人感到奇怪。 —

Her mind seemed wholly taken up with reminiscences of past gaiety, and aspirations after dissipations to come. —
她的脑海似乎完全被过去的快乐回忆和对即将来临的放纵所占据。 —

She passed about five minutes each day in her mother’s sick-room, and no more.
她每天只在母亲的病房里停留了大约五分钟，没有更多时间了。

Eliza still spoke little: she had evidently no time to talk. —
伊莱扎几乎不说话，显然她没有时间交谈。 —

I never saw a busier person than she seemed to be; yet it was difficult to say what she did: —
我从未见过比她更忙碌的人，然而很难说她具体做了什么。 —

or rather, to discover any result of her diligence. She had an alarm to call her up early. —
或者说，很难找到她勤恳工作的具体成果。她有一个闹钟早早叫她起床。 —

I know not how she occupied herself before breakfast, but after that meal she divided her time into regular portions, and each hour had its allotted task. —
我不知道早餐前她是如何占用自己的时间的，但在那顿饭之后，她把时间划分成固定的部分，每个小时都有确定的任务。 —

Three times a day she studied a little book, which I found, on inspection, was a Common Prayer Book. I asked her once what was the great attraction of that volume, and she said, “the Rubric. —
每天她会学习一本小书，经过我观察，那是一本普通的祈祷书。我曾问过她，那本书的吸引力在哪里，她说“是经文。” —

” Three hours she gave to stitching, with gold thread, the border of a square crimson cloth, almost large enough for a carpet. —
她花了三个小时用金线给一块方形的深红色布料绣上边框，几乎够做地毯大小。 —

In answer to my inquiries after the use of this article, she informed me it was a covering for the altar of a new church lately erected near Gateshead. —
在我询问这件物品的用途之后，她告诉我它是为靠近盖茨黑德新建的一座教堂的祭坛做的覆盖品。 —

Two hours she devoted to her diary; two to working by herself in the kitchen-garden; —
她花了两个小时写她的日记，两个小时独自在厨园工作； —

and one to the regulation of her accounts. She seemed to want no company; no conversation. —
还花了一个小时整理她的账目。她似乎不需要任何伴侣，也不需要交谈。 —

I believe she was happy in her way: this routine sufficed for her; —
我相信她以自己的方式很快乐，这个日程对她来说已经足够了； —

and nothing annoyed her so much as the occurrence of any incident which forced her to vary its clockwork regularity.
没有什么比强迫她改变这个像钟表一般规律的日程更让她烦恼的了。

She told me one evening, when more disposed to be communicative than usual, that John’s conduct, and the threatened ruin of the family, had been a source of profound affliction to her: —
有一天晚上，她比平常更愿意交流时，告诉我约翰的行为和家庭的崩溃威胁让她深受痛苦： —

but she had now, she said, settled her mind, and formed her resolution. —
但她现在说她已经稳定了心态，做出了决定。 —

Her own fortune she had taken care to secure; —
她自己的财产她已经确保了。 —

and when her mother died—and it was wholly improbable, she tranquilly remarked, that she should either recover or linger long—she would execute a long-cherished project: —
当她母亲去世时——这完全是不可置信的，她平静地说道，她要么会康复，要么会长时间挣扎——她将执行一个长久以来渴望的计划： —

seek a retirement where punctual habits would be permanently secured from disturbance, and place safe barriers between herself and a frivolous world. —
寻找一处能永久保持有规律的生活习惯不受干扰的地方，并在自己与虚浮的世界之间设下安全屏障。 —

I asked if Georgiana would accompany her.
我问乔治亚娜是否会陪她去。

“Of course not. Georgiana and she had nothing in common: they never had had. —
“当然不会。乔治亚娜和她没有任何共同之处：从来就没有过。 —

She would not be burdened with her society for any consideration. —
她不想因为任何考虑而受到她的伴侣的负担。 —

Georgiana should take her own course; and she, Eliza, would take hers.”
乔治亚娜应该按照自己的方式去，而她，伊莱扎，将按照自己的方式行事。”

Georgiana, when not unburdening her heart to me, spent most of her time in lying on the sofa, fretting about the dulness of the house, and wishing over and over again that her aunt Gibson would send her an invitation up to town. —
乔治亚娜在没有向我抒发心事的时候，大部分时间都躺在沙发上，抱怨着房子的无聊，并一次又一次地希望吉布森阿姨能给她寄一封去伦敦的邀请函。 —

“It would be so much better,” she said, “if she could only get out of the way for a month or two, till all was over. —
“如果她只能躲开一个或两个月直到一切结束，那会好得多，”她说道。 —

” I did not ask what she meant by “all being over,” but I suppose she referred to the expected decease of her mother and the gloomy sequel of funeral rites. —
“我没有问她所说的‘一切都结束了’是指什么，但我想她应该是指她母亲即将去世和接下来阴沉的葬礼仪式。” —

Eliza generally took no more notice of her sister’s indolence and complaints than if no such murmuring, lounging object had been before her. —
伊莱扎对于她妹妹的懒散和抱怨一般不予理会，仿佛面前没有这样一个喃喃自语、懒散无所事事的存在。 —

One day, however, as she put away her account-book and unfolded her embroidery, she suddenly took her up thus—
然而，有一天，她将账本收起，展开她的刺绣，突然对她说：

“Georgiana, a more vain and absurd animal than you was certainly never allowed to cumber the earth. You had no right to be born, for you make no use of life. —
“乔治安娜，世上绝对不会有比你更虚荣荒诞的动物存在。你出生是没有道理的，因为你对生活毫无利用之处。 —

Instead of living for, in, and with yourself, as a reasonable being ought, you seek only to fasten your feebleness on some other person’s strength: —
你不像一个合理的人那样为自己而活，与自己为伴，而是只想依附在别人的力量上： —

if no one can be found willing to burden her or himself with such a fat, weak, puffy, useless thing, you cry out that you are ill-treated, neglected, miserable. —
如果没有人愿意负担这样一个肥胖、虚弱、松弛无用的家伙，你就大声抱怨自己受到不公平对待、被忽视和不幸。 —

Then, too, existence for you must be a scene of continual change and excitement, or else the world is a dungeon: —
而且，对你来说，存在必须是一场持续变化和兴奋的场景，否则这个世界就是一个地牢。 —

you must be admired, you must be courted, you must be flattered—you must have music, dancing, and society—or you languish, you die away. —
你必须受人钦佩，你必须被追求，你必须受到奉承 - 你必须有音乐，跳舞和社交 - 否则你会憔悴，消瘦。 —

Have you no sense to devise a system which will make you independent of all efforts, and all wills, but your own? —
难道你没有能力设计一个使你独立于所有努力和意愿的系统吗？ —

Take one day; share it into sections; to each section apportion its task: —
把一天分割成几个小段，给每个小段分配任务。 —

leave no stray unemployed quarters of an hour, ten minutes, five minutes—include all; —
不要浪费一刻钟、十分钟、五分钟的时间 - 包括全部。 —

do each piece of business in its turn with method, with rigid regularity. —
按照顺序有条不紊地完成每一项任务。 —

The day will close almost before you are aware it has begun; —
在你意识到一天已经结束之前，它几乎就要结束了。 —

and you are indebted to no one for helping you to get rid of one vacant moment: —
你不需要向任何人借助帮助来摆脱空闲的时刻。 —

you have had to seek no one’s company, conversation, sympathy, forbearance; —
你不需要寻找任何人的陪伴、交谈、同情和忍耐。 —

you have lived, in short, as an independent being ought to do. Take this advice: —
总之，你像一个独立的存在应该做的那样生活。请接受这个建议。 —

the first and last I shall offer you; then you will not want me or any one else, happen what may. —
我将先给你第一份也是最后一份；然后无论发生什么，你都不会再想要我或任何其他人。 —

Neglect it—go on as heretofore, craving, whining, and idling—and suffer the results of your idiocy, however bad and insufferable they may be. —
忽视它吧——像以前一样，渴望、哀求、懒散——然后忍受你愚蠢的结果，无论它们有多糟糕和让人难受。 —

I tell you this plainly; and listen: for though I shall no more repeat what I am now about to say, I shall steadily act on it. —
我坦率地告诉你这一点；你要听着：尽管我不会再重复我现在要说的话，但我会坚定地行动。 —

After my mother’s death, I wash my hands of you: —
在我母亲去世之后，我与你再无关系： —

from the day her coffin is carried to the vault in Gateshead Church, you and I will be as separate as if we had never known each other. —
从她的棺材被送到盖茨赫德教堂的墓穴的那天起，你和我将像没有互相认识过一样独立。 —

You need not think that because we chanced to be born of the same parents, I shall suffer you to fasten me down by even the feeblest claim: —
你不要以为仅仅因为我们碰巧是同样的父母所生，我会允许你通过甚至是最微弱的要求来束缚我： —

I can tell you this—if the whole human race, ourselves excepted, were swept away, and we two stood alone on the earth, I would leave you in the old world, and betake myself to the new.”
我告诉你，如果整个人类除了我们之外都消失了，在地球上只剩下我们两个，我会离开你留在这个旧世界上，去追寻新世界。

She closed her lips.
她闭上了嘴唇。

“You might have spared yourself the trouble of delivering that tirade,” answered Georgiana. —
“你完全可以省下发表长篇大论的麻烦，”乔治安娜回答道。 —

“Everybody knows you are the most selfish, heartless creature in existence: —
“大家都知道你是最自私、无情的存在： —

and I know your spiteful hatred towards me: —
而且我知道你对我怀有恶意的仇恨： —

I have had a specimen of it before in the trick you played me about Lord Edwin Vere: —
在你玩弄我关于埃德温·维尔勋爵的把戏之前，我就已经见过你的恶毒： —

you could not bear me to be raised above you, to have a title, to be received into circles where you dare not show your face, and so you acted the spy and informer, and ruined my prospects for ever. —
你不能忍受我超过你，拥有一个头衔，并被那些你不敢露面的圈子接纳，所以你充当了间谍和告密者，永远毁了我的前途。 —

” Georgiana took out her handkerchief and blew her nose for an hour afterwards; —
”乔治安娜拿出手帕擤了一个小时的鼻涕; —

Eliza sat cold, impassable, and assiduously industrious.
伊莱扎冷漠、冷静，孜孜不倦地工作着。

True, generous feeling is made small account of by some, but here were two natures rendered, the one intolerably acrid, the other despicably savourless for the want of it. —
确实，一些人对真正的慷慨感不屑一顾，但这里有两种本质，一种难以忍受的尖酸刻薄，一种因为缺乏它而卑微无味。 —

Feeling without judgment is a washy draught indeed; —
只有情感而没有判断力，就如喝了一杯稀薄的液体； —

but judgment untempered by feeling is too bitter and husky a morsel for human deglutition.
但判断力没有情感的调和，对人类来说是一口苦涩且滞留于喉间的东西。

It was a wet and windy afternoon: Georgiana had fallen asleep on the sofa over the perusal of a novel; —
这是一个湿漉漉且刮风的下午：乔治安娜在沙发上看小说看着睡着了； —

Eliza was gone to attend a saint’s-day service at the new church—for in matters of religion she was a rigid formalist: —
伊莱扎去新教堂参加了一个圣人的纪念日仪式——因为她在宗教方面是一个严格的形式主义者； —

no weather ever prevented the punctual discharge of what she considered her devotional duties; —
任何天气都不会妨碍她按时履行她所认为的宗教职责； —

fair or foul, she went to church thrice every Sunday, and as often on week-days as there were prayers.
不论晴天还是雨天，她每个星期天去教堂三次，每个工作日有祈祷活动时也同样如此；

I bethought myself to go upstairs and see how the dying woman sped, who lay there almost unheeded: —
我想起要上楼去看看那位即将离世的女人情况如何，她几乎被人忽视了； —

the very servants paid her but a remittent attention: —
甚至仆人们也只是偶尔关注她； —

the hired nurse, being little looked after, would slip out of the room whenever she could. —
雇来的护士没有受到太多关注，能在能溜出房间时就溜出去； —

Bessie was faithful; but she had her own family to mind, and could only come occasionally to the hall. —
贝西很忠诚，但她有自己的家庭要照顾，只能偶尔来庄园一趟； —

I found the sick-room unwatched, as I had expected: no nurse was there; —
我发现病房无人看守，正如我所预料的那样：没有护士在那里； —

the patient lay still, and seemingly lethargic; her livid face sunk in the pillows: —
病人仍然躺着，看上去似乎是昏迷的：她的脸色苍白地陷在枕头里。 —

the fire was dying in the grate. I renewed the fuel, re-arranged the bedclothes, gazed awhile on her who could not now gaze on me, and then I moved away to the window.
火在炉中渐渐熄灭。我加了燃料，重新整理了被褥，凝视着不能再凝视着我的人，然后我走到了窗前。

The rain beat strongly against the panes, the wind blew tempestuously: —
雨水猛烈地打在窗格上，风暴骤然吹来。 —

“One lies there,” I thought, “who will soon be beyond the war of earthly elements. —
“一个人躺在那里”，我心想，“他很快就会超越尘世的战争了。 —

Whither will that spirit—now struggling to quit its material tenement—flit when at length released?”
当解脱出来的时候，那灵魂会飞往何处呢？”

In pondering the great mystery, I thought of Helen Burns, recalled her dying words—her faith—her doctrine of the equality of disembodied souls. —
思考着这个伟大的谜团，我想起了海伦·伯恩斯，回忆起她临终时的话语——她的信念——她对无形灵魂的平等教义。 —

I was still listening in thought to her well-remembered tones—still picturing her pale and spiritual aspect, her wasted face and sublime gaze, as she lay on her placid deathbed, and whispered her longing to be restored to her divine Father’s bosom—when a feeble voice murmured from the couch behind: “Who is that?”
当我仍然在思维中倾听着她深记的音调——仍然描绘着她苍白而灵性的表情，她消瘦的脸庞和崇高的凝视，当她躺在安详的临终床上低语着她渴望回到她神圣父亲的怀抱时，一阵微弱的声音从床榻后传来：“是谁？”

I knew Mrs. Reed had not spoken for days: was she reviving? I went up to her.
我知道里德夫人已经几天没有说话了：她在复苏吗？我走上前去。

“It is I, Aunt Reed.”
“我就是，雷德阿姨。”

“Who—I?” was her answer. “Who are you? —
“谁——我？”她回答道。“你是谁？ —

” looking at me with surprise and a sort of alarm, but still not wildly. —
“望着我，她惊讶而有些惊恐，但并不狂躁。 —

“You are quite a stranger to me—where is Bessie?”
“你对我来说完全是个陌生人——贝西在哪里？”

“She is at the lodge, aunt.”
“她在门房，阿姨。”

“Aunt,” she repeated. “Who calls me aunt? You are not one of the Gibsons; —
“阿姨，”她重复道。“谁称呼我阿姨？你不是吉布森斯家的人； —

and yet I know you—that face, and the eyes and forehead, are quiet familiar to me: —
然而我认识你——那张脸，眼睛和额头，对我来说很熟悉： —

you are like—why, you are like Jane Eyre!”
你很像——哦，你很像简·爱尔！”

I said nothing: I was afraid of occasioning some shock by declaring my identity.
我什么也没说：我害怕通过宣布我的身份而引起某种震动。

“Yet,” said she, “I am afraid it is a mistake: my thoughts deceive me. —
“然而，”她说，“我怕是个错误：我的思想欺骗了我。 —

I wished to see Jane Eyre, and I fancy a likeness where none exists: —
我想见简·爱尔，却在不存在之处发现了相似之处： —

besides, in eight years she must be so changed. —
而且，八年后，她一定变化很大。 —

” I now gently assured her that I was the person she supposed and desired me to be: —
“我现在温柔地向她保证我就是她认为并且希望见到的人： —

and seeing that I was understood, and that her senses were quite collected, I explained how Bessie had sent her husband to fetch me from Thornfield.
并且看到她明白了，感觉完全恢复了，我解释了贝西是如何派她的丈夫来索恩菲尔德接我的。

“I am very ill, I know,” she said ere long. —
“我很病了，我知道，”她不久之后说道。 —

“I was trying to turn myself a few minutes since, and find I cannot move a limb. —
“刚才我还试图移动一下自己，但发现四肢都动不了。” —

It is as well I should ease my mind before I die: —
“在我临终之前，我最好把心里的话说出来：” —

what we think little of in health, burdens us at such an hour as the present is to me. Is the nurse here? —
“在健康的时候，我们对一些事情不以为然，但在这样的时刻却成了负担。护士在这里吗？ —

or is there no one in the room but you?”
“还是屋子里只有你一个人？”

I assured her we were alone.
我向她保证我们现在是独处的。

“Well, I have twice done you a wrong which I regret now. —
“好吧，我曾经两次做了对不起你的事，现在我后悔了。 —

One was in breaking the promise which I gave my husband to bring you up as my own child; —
“一次是违背了我给我丈夫的承诺，不把你当作我自己的孩子抚养； —

the other—” she stopped. “After all, it is of no great importance, perhaps,” she murmured to herself: —
“另一次——”她停住了，“反正也不是什么重要的事，”她自言自语道。 —

“and then I may get better; and to humble myself so to her is painful.”
而且我也可能会好起来；对她屈服如此痛苦。”

She made an effort to alter her position, but failed: her face changed; —
她试图改变一下身体的姿势，但未能成功；她的脸色变了， —

she seemed to experience some inward sensation—the precursor, perhaps, of the last pang.
她似乎感受到了一些内在的感觉——也许是最后的痛苦的前兆。

“Well, I must get it over. Eternity is before me: I had better tell her. —
“好吧，我得把话说出来。永恒在我面前：我最好告诉她。 —

—Go to my dressing-case, open it, and take out a letter you will see there.”
“去我的化妆箱，打开它，然后取出一个你会看到的信。”

I obeyed her directions. “Read the letter,” she said.
我按照她的指示去做。“读这封信，”她说。

It was short, and thus conceived:—
信很短，内容如下：

“MADAM,— “Will you have the goodness to send me the address of my niece, Jane Eyre, and to tell me how she is? —
“夫人，您能给我提供我侄女简爱的地址吗？并告诉我她的状况吗？ —

It is my intention to write shortly and desire her to come to me at Madeira. —
我打算很快给她写信，要求她来马德拉见我。 —

Providence has blessed my endeavours to secure a competency; —
我努力获得了一份足够的财产，感谢上帝的眷顾； —

and as I am unmarried and childless, I wish to adopt her during my life, and bequeath her at my death whatever I may have to leave.
由于我未婚且无子女，我希望在我有生之年收养她，并将我能留下的一切遗赠给她。

I am, Madam, &c., &c., “JOHN EYRE, Madeira.”
我是，夫人等等，“约翰·爱尔，马德拉。”

It was dated three years back.
信的日期是三年前的。

“Why did I never hear of this?” I asked.
“为什么我从未听说过这件事？”我问道。

“Because I disliked you too fixedly and thoroughly ever to lend a hand in lifting you to prosperity. —
“因为我对你的厌恶是如此根深蒂固和彻底的，以至于从不愿意帮你一把，使你富裕起来。 —

I could not forget your conduct to me, Jane—the fury with which you once turned on me; —
我无法忘记你对我的行为，简——你曾经向我发起的狂怒； —

the tone in which you declared you abhorred me the worst of anybody in the world; —
以及你宣称你是世界上最讨厌我的人的语气； —

the unchildlike look and voice with which you affirmed that the very thought of me made you sick, and asserted that I had treated you with miserable cruelty. —
你非常不像一个孩子，你的神色和声音都表明，一想到我就让你作呕，并且你还声称我对你施加了可怕的残酷。 —

I could not forget my own sensations when you thus started up and poured out the venom of your mind: I felt fear as if an animal that I had struck or pushed had looked up at me with human eyes and cursed me in a man’s voice. —
当你突然站起来，倾吐出你心中的毒药时，我无法忘记当时的感觉：我感到恐惧，就像我打击或推开了一只动物，它竟然用人的眼睛看着我，并用一个男人的声音诅咒我。 —

—Bring me some water! Oh, make haste!”
给我拿点水！噢，快点！

“Dear Mrs. Reed,” said I, as I offered her the draught she required, “think no more of all this, let it pass away from your mind. —
“亲爱的里德夫人，”当我递给她所需的饮品时，我说道，“请不要再想这一切，让它从你的脑海中消失吧。” —

Forgive me for my passionate language: I was a child then; —
请原谅我那激烈的措辞：那时我还只是个孩子； —

eight, nine years have passed since that day.”
自从那天过去了八年、九年。

She heeded nothing of what I said; but when she had tasted the water and drawn breath, she went on thus—
她完全没有听进我说的任何话；但当她尝了一口水，吸了一口气后，她继续说道——

“I tell you I could not forget it; and I took my revenge: —
“我告诉你，我无法忘记那件事；我报了复仇： —

for you to be adopted by your uncle, and placed in a state of ease and comfort, was what I could not endure. —
我不能忍受你被你的叔叔领养，过上舒适安乐的生活。” —

I wrote to him; I said I was sorry for his disappointment, but Jane Eyre was dead: —
我写信给他，说对他的失望感到抱歉，但简·爱尔已经去世了。 —

she had died of typhus fever at Lowood. Now act as you please: —
她死于洛伍德的伤寒热。现在你可以随意行事： —

write and contradict my assertion—expose my falsehood as soon as you like. —
写信反驳我的说法，尽快揭露我的谎言。 —

You were born, I think, to be my torment: —
我认为你生来就是我的痛苦所在： —

my last hour is racked by the recollection of a deed which, but for you, I should never have been tempted to commit.”
我的最后一刻被一件事情的回忆所折磨，如果没有你，我永远不会被诱使去犯下那样的行为。”

“If you could but be persuaded to think no more of it, aunt, and to regard me with kindness and forgiveness——”
“如果你能被劝说不再想那件事，并且以友善和宽恕的心态对待我——”

“You have a very bad disposition,” said she, “and one to this day I feel it impossible to understand: —
“你的脾气真是太坏了，”她说，“直到今天我都觉得无法理解： —

how for nine years you could be patient and quiescent under any treatment, and in the tenth break out all fire and violence, I can never comprehend.”
为什么你可以在九年里耐心和安静地忍受任何对待，在第十年却突然变得暴躁和激烈，我永远无法理解。”

“My disposition is not so bad as you think: I am passionate, but not vindictive. —
“我的脾气并不像你想的那么糟糕：我易怒，但并不报复。” —

Many a time, as a little child, I should have been glad to love you if you would have let me; and I long earnestly to be reconciled to you now: kiss me, aunt.”
作为一个小孩子的时候，有很多时候我真希望能够爱你，如果你愿意的话；而现在我真心渴望与你和解，亲一下我，阿姨。

I approached my cheek to her lips: she would not touch it. —
我把脸颊凑到她的嘴唇旁边，她没有碰触它。 —

She said I oppressed her by leaning over the bed, and again demanded water. —
她说我靠在床边让她感到压抑，并再次要求水。 —

As I laid her down—for I raised her and supported her on my arm while she drank—I covered her ice-cold and clammy hand with mine: —
当我放下她时——因为在她喝水时我将她抬起并用手臂扶着她——我用我的手盖住了她冰凉而湿漉漉的手： —

the feeble fingers shrank from my touch—the glazing eyes shunned my gaze.
虚弱的手指躲避着我的触碰——无神的眼睛躲开了我的目光。

“Love me, then, or hate me, as you will,” I said at last, “you have my full and free forgiveness: —
“喜欢我，或者恨我，随你便吧，”我最后说道，“我已经完全宽恕了你： —

ask now for God’s, and be at peace.”
现在向上帝祈求，以得到内心的平静吧。”

Poor, suffering woman! it was too late for her to make now the effort to change her habitual frame of mind: —
可怜的、受苦的女人！她已经来不及努力改变她习惯的心态了： —

living, she had ever hated me—dying, she must hate me still.
在她活着的时候，她一直憎恨我——在她临死之际，她必然仍然憎恨着我。

The nurse now entered, and Bessie followed. —
护士此时进来了，贝西跟在她后面。 —

I yet lingered half-an-hour longer, hoping to see some sign of amity: but she gave none. —
我还逗留了半个小时，希望能看到一点和解的迹象：但她没有给出任何一个。 —

She was fast relapsing into stupor; nor did her mind again rally: —
她正在迅速陷入昏迷中，她的思维再次没有恢复过来。 —

at twelve o’clock that night she died. —
那天晚上十二点，她去世了。 —

I was not present to close her eyes, nor were either of her daughters. —
我不在场，也没有她的两个女儿。 —

They came to tell us the next morning that all was over. She was by that time laid out. —
第二天早上他们来告诉我们一切都结束了。那时候她已经被安置好了。 —

Eliza and I went to look at her: Georgiana, who had burst out into loud weeping, said she dared not go. —
伊莱扎和我去看她。吉奥尔吉亚娜爆发出哭泣声，她说她不敢去。 —

There was stretched Sarah Reed’s once robust and active frame, rigid and still: —
那里展示出莎拉·里德曾经强壮而活跃的身体，僵硬而静止。 —

her eye of flint was covered with its cold lid; —
她那冷酷的眼睛被冰冷的眼帘遮住。 —

her brow and strong traits wore yet the impress of her inexorable soul. —
她的额头和强烈的特征仍然显现出无情的灵魂印记。 —

A strange and solemn object was that corpse to me. I gazed on it with gloom and pain: —
对我来说，那具尸体是一个奇异而庄重的对象。我阴郁而痛苦地凝视着它。 —

nothing soft, nothing sweet, nothing pitying, or hopeful, or subduing did it inspire; —
它没有激发出任何温柔、甜美、怜悯、希望或降服的感觉。 —

only a grating anguish for her woes—not my loss—and a sombre tearless dismay at the fearfulness of death in such a form.
只有对她的痛苦感到痛苦的振声，而不是对我的损失，以及对如此形态的死亡的阴森眼泪无声的惊愕。

Eliza surveyed her parent calmly. After a silence of some minutes she observed—
伊莱扎平静地观察着她的父亲。沉默了几分钟后，她说-

“With her constitution she should have lived to a good old age: her life was shortened by trouble. —
“她的体质应该能活到很大年纪：她的生命被困扰缩短了。 —

” And then a spasm constricted her mouth for an instant: —
“然后一阵痉挛收缩了她的嘴唇： —

as it passed away she turned and left the room, and so did I. Neither of us had dropt a tear.
当痉挛过去后，她转身离开了房间，我也跟着走了。我们俩都没有流泪。