FOR eleven years, I had not seen Joe nor Biddy with my bodily eyes-though they had both been often before my fancy in the East-when, upon an evening in December, an hour or two after dark, I laid my hand softly on the latch of the old kitchen door. —
十一年来，我没有用肉眼见到乔和比迪–虽然他们经常出现在我脑海中–在12月的一个傍晚，天黑后一两个小时，我轻轻地把手放在旧厨房门的拉手上。 —

I touched it so softly that I was not heard, and looked in unseen. —
我轻轻地触摸，没有被听到，偷偷看了进去。 —

There, smoking his pipe in the old place by the kitchen firelight, as hale and as strong as ever though a little grey, sat Joe; —
在厨房火光中，抽着烟斗的乔就坐在旧地方，依然像以前一样健壮，尽管有点花白。 —

and there, fenced into the corner with Joe’s leg, and sitting on my own little stool looking at the fire, was - I again!
在乔的腿边，和我坐着的那个还是我自己，坐在自己的小凳子上看着火光。

We giv' him the name of Pip for your sake, dear old chap,' said Joe, delighted when I took another stool by the child's side (but I did not rumple his hair),and we hoped he might grow a little bit like you, and we think he do.’
‘我们为了你这位亲爱的老哥取名叫彼普，’乔高兴地说，当我在孩子身边再拿了一个凳子坐下时（但我没有抓乱他的头发），‘希望他长大后多少像你，我们觉得他确实有点像你。

I thought so too, and I took him out for a walk next morning, and we talked immensely, understanding one another to perfection. —
我也这样认为，第二天早上我带他出去散步，我们无比畅谈，完美地理解对方。 —

And I took him down to the churchyard, and set him on a certain tombstone there, and he showed me from that elevation which stone was sacred to the memory of Philip Pirrip, late of this Parish, and Also Georgiana, Wife of the Above.
我带他到教堂墓地，让他坐在一块墓碑上，他从那个高处向我指出了哪块石头是为了纪念此堂区普普里普的菲利普和上述的乔治安娜。

Biddy,' said I, when I talked with her after dinner, as her little girl lay sleeping in her lap,you must give Pip to me, one of these days; —
‘比迪，’我在晚饭后和她交谈时说，她的小女儿躺在她的膝上睡着了，‘你必须把彼普交给我，总有一天； —

or lend him, at all events.’
或者起码借给我。”

No, no,' said Biddy, gently.You must marry.’
‘不行，不行，’比迪轻声说：‘你必须结婚。’

`So Herbert and Clara say, but I don’t think I shall, Biddy. I have so settled down in their home, that it’s not at all likely. —
‘赫伯特和克拉拉说是这样，但我不认为我会，比迪。我在他们家里已经安顿下来，这根本不可能。 —

I am already quite an old bachelor.’
我已经是一个彻头彻尾的老光棍了。

Biddy looked down at her child, and put its little hand to her lips, and then put the good matronly hand with which she had touched it, into mine. —
比迪看着她的孩子，把它的小手放在她的嘴唇上，然后把她曾用来摸他的好母亲手，放在我的手里。 —

There was something in the action and in the light pressure of Biddy’s wedding-ring, that had a very pretty eloquence in it.
比迪的结婚戒指的行动和轻轻的压力中，表达了一种非常美丽的雄辩。

Dear Pip,' said Biddy,you are sure you don’t fret for her?’
‘亲爱的彼普，’比迪说，‘你确定你不为她担心吗？’

O no-I think not, Biddy.' <span><tang1>哦，我想不是，比迪。’

Tell me as an old, old friend. Have you quite forgotten her? <span><tang1>告诉我，作为一个老朋友。你完全忘记了她吗？’

My dear Biddy, I have forgotten nothing in my life that ever had a foremost place there, and little that ever had any place there. --- <span><tang1>亲爱的比迪，我在我的生活中从来没有忘记过任何占据重要位置的事情，也没有忘记过任何曾经在我生活中占有一席之地的事情。’ —

But that poor dream, as I once used to call it, has all gone by, Biddy, all gone by!’
`但那个可怜的梦，正如我曾经称之为的，已经都过去了，比迪，全部都过去了！’

Nevertheless, I knew while I said those words, that I secretly intended to revisit the site of the house that evening, alone, for her sake. —
然而，我说这些话的时候，心里明白我私下打算当天晚上独自造访那所房子的遗址，为了她的缘故。 —

Yes even so. For Estella’s sake.
是的，甚至为了艾丝黛拉的缘故。

I had heard of her as leading a most unhappy life, and as being separated from her husband, who had used her with great cruelty, and who had become quite renowned as a compound of pride, avarice, brutality, and meanness. —
我听说她过着极不幸福的生活，与丈夫分居，丈夫对她极其残忍，变得很有名，因为他自负、贪婪、残暴和卑鄙。 —

And I had heard of the death of her husband, from an accident consequent on his ill-treatment of a horse. —
我曾听说她丈夫死于事故，后果是他虐待一匹马。 —

This release had befallen her some two years before; —
这场释放发生在她大约两年前； —

for anything I knew, she was married again.
据我所知，她可能已经再婚。

The early dinner-hour at Joe’s, left me abundance of time, without hurrying my talk with Biddy, to walk over to the old spot before dark. —
Joe家的早餐时间提供了充裕时间，我不必匆忙与Biddy交谈，可以在天黑前走到旧地之前。 —

But, what with loitering on the way, to look at old objects and to think of old times, the day had quite declined when I came to the place.
但是，因为在路上徘徊，看看旧物，想想旧时光，当我到达那个地方时，白天已经完全过去了。

There was no house now, no brewery, no building whatever left, but the wall of the old garden. —
现在那里没有房子，没有啤酒厂，也没有任何建筑，只剩下旧花园的墙。 —

The cleared space had been enclosed with a rough fence, and, looking over it, I saw that some of the old ivy had struck root anew, and was growing green on low quiet mounds of ruin. —
清理出的空间用粗糙的篱笆围起来，我朝篱笆那边望去，看到一些旧常春藤重新扎根，生长在低矮的废墟上。 —

A gate in the fence standing ajar, I pushed it open, and went in.
篱笆上的一个门半开着，我推开它，进去了。

A cold silvery mist had veiled the afternoon, and the moon was not yet up to scatter it. —
一团冷白色的薄雾弥漫了下午，月亮还没升起来驱散它。 —

But, the stars were shining beyond the mist, and the moon was coming, and the evening was not dark. —
但是，星星在薄雾之外闪耀，月亮即将升起，傍晚并不黑暗。 —

I could trace out where every part of the old house had been, and where the brewery had been, and where the gates, and where the casks. —
我能追溯到旧房子每个部分的位置，啤酒厂的所在地，大门的所在地，桶的所在地。 —

I had done so, and was looking along the desolate gardenwalk, when I beheld a solitary figure in it.
我已经这么做了，当我沿着荒芜的花园小道往前走时，我看见一个孤独的身影在那里。

The figure showed itself aware of me, as I advanced. —
随着我向前走，那身影显示出对我意识到。 —

It had been moving towards me, but it stood still. —
它曾朝我走来，但此刻停在那里。 —

As I drew nearer, I saw it to be the figure of a woman. —
当我靠近时，我看清那是一个女人的身影。 —

As I drew nearer yet, it was about to turn away, when it stopped, and let me come up with it. —
我走得更近时，它似乎要转身离开，但停了下来，让我接近。 —

Then, it faltered as if much surprised, and uttered my name, and I cried out:
然后，它似乎很惊讶地犹豫了一下，喊出了我的名字，我尖叫道：

Estella!' <span><tang1>爱丝黛拉！’

I am greatly changed. I wonder you know me.' <span><tang1>我变化很大。我想你认得出我来很奇怪。’

The freshness of her beauty was indeed gone, but its indescribable majesty and its indescribable charm remained. —
她那美丽的新鲜感确实已经消失，但它难以形容的威严和魅力仍然存在。 —

Those attractions in it, I had seen before; —
它的吸引力以前我已经看到过； —

what I had never seen before, was the saddened softened light of the once proud eyes; —
我以前从未见过的是那双曾经傲慢眼睛中的悲伤和柔和的光芒； —

what I had never felt before, was the friendly touch of the once insensible hand.
我从未感觉到的是曾经冷漠之手的友善触摸。

We sat down on a bench that was near, and I said, After so many years, it is strange that we should thus meet again, Estella, here where our first meeting was! --- <span><tang1> 我们坐在附近的长椅上，我说：这么多年后，我们竟在这里再次相遇，爱丝黛拉，这里是我们第一次相遇的地方！ —

Do you often come back?’
你经常回来吗？’

I have never been here since.' <span><tang1>自从那时以来我再也没有来过。’

Nor I.' <span><tang1>我也没有。’

The moon began to rise, and I thought of the placid look at the white ceiling, which had passed away. The moon began to rise, and I thought of the pressure on my hand when I had spoken the last words he had heard on earth.
月亮开始升起，我想起了那个安详的眼神在洁白天花板上的样子，那已经逝去。月亮开始升起，我想起了在我说出他在人世上最后听到的话时，他压在我手上的压力。

Estella was the next to break the silence that ensued between us.
爱丝黛拉是接着打破我们之间的沉默的。

I have very often hoped and intended to come back, but have been prevented by many circumstances. --- <span><tang1>我一直希望和打算回来，但被很多情况阻止了。’ —

Poor, poor old place!’
可怜的，可怜的老地方！

The silvery mist was touched with the first rays of the moonlight, and the same rays touched the tears that dropped from her eyes. —
银色的薄雾被月光的第一缕光线触及，同样的光线也触及了从她眼中滴下的眼泪。 —

Not knowing that I saw them, and setting herself to get the better of them, she said quietly:
她不知道我看见了，试图克制自己的情绪，平静地说道：

`Were you wondering, as you walked along, how it came to be left in this condition?’
“在你沿着这条路走的时候，是否在想着它是怎样沦为这种状况的？”

`Yes, Estella.’
“是的，Estella。”

`The ground belongs to me. It is the only possession I have not relinquished. —
“这片土地属于我。这是我唯一没有放弃的财产。 —

Everything else has gone from me, little by little, but I have kept this. —
其他一切都渐渐离我而去，但我保留了这个。 —

It was the subject of the only determined resistance I made in all the wretched years.’
这是我在所有那些悲惨的岁月中唯一坚决反抗过的事物。”

`Is it to be built on?’
“会在上面盖建筑物吗？”

`At last it is. I came here to take leave of it before its change. —
“终于会。我来这里是为了在它改变之前告别它。 —

And you,’ she said, in a voice of touching interest to a wanderer, `you live abroad still?’
并且，”她对一个漂泊者说，声音充满温情，“你仍然在国外居住吗？”

`Still.’
“仍然。”

`And do well, I am sure?’
“而且我相信你过得还不错？”

`I work pretty hard for a sufficient living, and therefore - Yes, I do well.’
“我为了维持生计而努力工作，所以 - 是的，我过得不错。”

`I have often thought of you,’ said Estella.
“我经常想起你，”Estella说。

Have you?' <span><tang1>你有吗？’

Of late, very often. There was a long hard time when I kept far from me, the remembrance, of what I had thrown away when I was quite ignorant of its worth. --- <span><tang1>最近，经常。很久以前，我对我当时不知道价值就抛弃的事物保持距离很久。 —

But, since my duty has not been incompatible with the admission of that remembrance, I have given it a place in my heart.’
但是，自从我的职责与那段记忆不矛盾，我已经在我的心中给了它一个位置。’

You have always held your place in my heart,' I answered. <span><tang1>你一直在我心中占有一席之地，’我回答说。

And we were silent again, until she spoke.
然后我们再次保持沉默，直到她开口说话。

I little thought,' said Estella,that I should take leave of you in taking leave of this spot. —
我没想到，'埃斯特拉说，我会在这个地方告别你时离开。 —

I am very glad to do so.’
我很高兴能够这样做。’

Glad to part again, Estella? To me, parting is a painful thing. --- <span><tang1>再次离开，埃斯特拉，你高兴吗？对我来说，离别是一件痛苦的事。 —

To me, the remembrance of our last parting has been ever mournful and painful.’
对我来说，我们上次分别的回忆一直是令人伤心和痛苦的。’

But you said to me,' returned Estella, very earnestly,“God bless you, God forgive you!” —
但你对我说过，'埃斯特拉非常认真地回答道，“上帝保佑你，上帝原谅你！” —

And if you could say that to me then, you will not hesitate to say that to me now - now, when suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. —
如果你那时对我说那句话，你现在就不会犹豫对我说那句话 - 现在，当痛苦比其他一切教诲更加深刻，教导我理解你的内心曾经是什么。 —

I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape. —
我曾经弯曲和破碎，但 - 我希望 - 变得更好。 —

Be as considerate and good to me as you were, and tell me we are friends.’
对我像以前一样体贴和善良，告诉我我们是朋友。’

We are friends,' said I, rising and bending over her, as she rose from the bench. <span><tang1>我们是朋友，’我站起身弯下腰，当她从长椅上站起来时说。

And will continue friends apart,' said Estella. <span><tang1>而且会继续做朋友，即使分开，’埃斯特拉说。

I took her hand in mine, and we went out of the ruined place; —
我握着她的手，我们走出了那个破败的地方； —

and, as the morning mists had risen long ago when I first left the forge, so, the evening mists were rising now, and in all the broad expanse of tranquil light they showed to me, I saw no shadow of another parting from her.
就像当我第一次离开铁匠铺时，晨雾早已散去一样，现在，夜幕升起时，展现在我眼前的一片宁静明亮中，我再也看不到与她分离的阴影。