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“这就是你所谓的苛刻吗?”凯瑟琳说,笑起来,“这并不是暗示你的陪伴是多余的,我们才不在乎你跟不跟我们在一起。我只不过以为希刺克厉夫的话你听着也未必有趣。” 'Oh, no,' wept the young lady; 'you wished me away, because you knew I liked to be there!' “啊,不,”小姐哭着,“你愿意我走开,因为你知道我喜欢在那儿!” 'Is she sane?' asked Mrs. Linton, appealing to me. 'I'll repeat our conversation, word for word, Isabella; and you point out any charm it could have had for you.' “她神智清楚吗?”林惇夫人对我说。“我要把我们的谈话一个字一个字地背出来,伊莎贝拉,你把其中对你有任何吸引力的话指出来吧。” 'I don't mind the conversation,' she answered: 'I wanted to be with - ' “我不在乎谈话,”她回答,“我要跟--” "Well?' said Catherine, perceiving her hesitate to complete the sentence. “怎么!”凯瑟琳说,看出她犹豫着,不知要不要说全这句话。 
“跟他在一起,我不要总是给人打发走!”她接着说,激动起来。“你是马槽里的一只狗,凯蒂,而且希望谁也不要被人爱上,除了你自己!” 'You are an impertinent little monkey!' exclaimed Mrs. Linton, in surprise. 'But I'll not believe this idiotcy! It is impossible that you can covet the admiration of Heathcliff - that you consider him an agreeable person! I hope I have misunderstood you, Isabella?' “你是一个胡闹的小猴子!”林惇夫人惊奇地叫起来。“可我不能相信这件蠢事!你没法博得希刺克厉夫的爱慕--你不能把他当作情投意合的人!但愿是我误解你的话啦,伊莎贝拉?” 'No, you have not,' said the infatuated girl. 'I love him more than ever you loved Edgar, and he might love me, if you would let him!' “不,你没有,”这入了迷的姑娘说,“我爱他胜过你爱埃德加,而且他可以爱我的,只要你让他爱!” 'I wouldn't be you for a kingdom, then!' Catherine declared, emphatically: and she seemed to speak sincerely. 'Nelly, help me to convince her of her madness. Tell her what Heathcliff is: an unreclaimed creature, without refinement, without cultivation; an arid wilderness of furze and whinstone. I'd as soon put that little canary into the park on a winter's day, as recommend you to bestow your heart on him! It is deplorable ignorance of his character, child, and nothing else, which makes that dream enter your head. Pray, don't imagine that he conceals depths of benevolence and affection beneath a stern exterior! He's not a rough diamond - a pearl-containing oyster of a rustic: he's a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man. I never say to him, "Let this or that enemy alone, because it would be ungenerous or cruel to harm them;" I say, "Let them alone, because I should hate them to be wronged:" and he'd crush you like a sparrow's egg, Isabella, if he found you a troublesome charge. I know he couldn't love a Linton; and yet he'd be quite capable of marrying your fortune and expectations: avarice is growing with him a besetting sin. There's my picture: and I'm his friend - so much so, that had he thought seriously to catch you, I should, perhaps, have held my tongue, and let you fall into his trap.' “那么,就是给我王位,我也不愿意是你!”凯瑟琳断然声明,她好像很诚恳地说着。“耐莉,帮帮我让她明白她在发疯。告诉她希刺克厉夫是什么样的人:一个没驯服的人,不懂文雅,没有教养,一片长着金雀花和岩石的荒野。要叫我把你的心交给他,我宁可在冬天把那只小金丝雀放到园子里!可惜你不懂他的性格,孩子,没有别的原因,就是这种可悲的糊涂,才会让那个梦钻进你的头脑里。求求你别妄想他在一副严峻的外表下深深埋藏着善心和恋情!他不是一块粗糙的钻石--乡下人当中的一个含珠之蚌,而是一个凶恶的,无情的,像狼一样残忍的人。我从来不对他说,‘放开这个或那个敌人吧,因为伤害他们是不正大光明的,残酷的。’我说,‘放开他们吧,因为我可不愿意他们被冤枉。’伊莎贝拉,如果他发现你是一个麻烦的负担,他会把你当作麻雀蛋似的捏碎。我知道他不会爱上一个林惇家的人。但是他也很可能跟你的财产和继承财产的希望结婚的。贪婪跟着他成长起来,成了易犯的罪恶。这就是我对他的写照。而且我是他的朋友--就因为如此,如果他真打算提到你,也许我应该不开口,让你掉在他的陷阱里去哩。” Miss Linton regarded her sister-in-law with indignation. 林惇小姐对她嫂嫂大怒。 
“羞,羞!”她生气地重复着,“你比二十个敌人还坏,你这恶毒的朋友!” 'Ah! you won't believe me, then?' said Catherine. 'You think I speak from wicked selfishness?' “啊,那么你不肯相信我?”凯瑟琳说,“你以为我说这些是出于阴险的自私心么?” 'I'm certain you do,' retorted Isabella; 'and I shudder at you!' “我确实知道你是的,”伊莎贝拉反唇相讥,“而且我一想到你就发抖!” 'Good!' cried the other. 'Try for yourself, if that be your spirit: I have done, and yield the argument to your saucy insolence.' - “好!”另一个喊着。“如果你有那勇气,你就自己试试吧,我已经吃了亏。对于你的傲慢无礼,我也不跟你辩了。” 'And I must suffer for her egotism!' she sobbed, as Mrs. Linton left the room. 'All, all is against me: she has blighted my single consolation. But she uttered falsehoods, didn't she? Mr. Heathcliff is not a fiend: he has an honourable soul, and a true one, or how could he remember her?' “可我还得为了她的自私自利活受罪!”当林惇夫人离开这屋子时,她抽泣着。“一切,一切都反对我。她把我的唯一的安慰也毁掉啦。可是她说的是假话,不是吗?希刺克厉夫先生不是一个恶魔,他有一个可尊敬的心灵,一个真实的灵魂,不然他怎么还会记得她呢?” 
“把他从你的思想里撵出去吧,小姐,”我说。“他是一只不祥的鸟,不是你的配偶。林惇夫人说得过火些,可我驳不倒她。她比我,或比其他任何人,更熟悉他的心。而且她绝不会把他说得比他本人更坏。诚实的人不隐瞒他们所作的事。他怎么生活过来的?他怎么阔起来的?他为什么要住在呼啸山庄,那是他所痛恨的人的房子呀?他们说恩萧先生自从他到来之后越来越糟了。他们接二连三地整夜不睡,辛德雷把他的地也抵押出去了,什么事也不作,除了打牌喝酒。我只是在一星期以前才听说的--是约瑟夫告诉我的--我在吉默吞遇见他。‘耐莉!’他说,‘我们房子里的人得请个验尸官来验尸啦。都要死掉的一个为了拦住另一个像呆子似地扎自己,他本人也差点把手指头砍断。那就是主人,你知道,他想去受最高审判。他不怕那些裁判官,不怕保罗、彼得、约翰、马太①,他一个也不怕!他挺像--他还想厚着脸皮去见他们哩!还有你那个好孩子希刺克厉夫,你记得吧,他可是个宝贝!哪怕真正的魔鬼来玩把戏,他也会笑,把别人送掉。他去田庄时,就从来没说过他在我们这儿过的美妙的生活么?是这样的方式--太阳落时起床,掷骰子,白兰地,关上百叶窗,还有蜡烛,直到第二天中午--然后,那傻瓜就在他卧房里乒乒乓乓乱闹一场,使体面人都羞得用手指头堵起耳朵来。那个坏蛋呢,他倒能恬不知耻地又吃又喝,到邻居家跟人家老婆瞎扯去。当然啦,他会告诉凯瑟琳小姐她父亲的金钱是如何流到他口袋里去,她父亲的儿子倒如何流落在大街上,同时他跑到前面去给他打开栅栏吗?’听着,林惇小姐,约瑟夫是个老流氓,可不是撒谎的人。如果他所说的关于希刺克厉夫的行为是真实的话,你绝不会想要这么一个丈夫吧,你会吗?” 'You are leagued with the rest, Ellen!' she replied. 'I'll not listen to your slanders. What malevolence you must have to wish to convince me that there is no happiness in the world!' “你跟别人勾结在一起,艾伦!”她回答。“我不要听你这些诽谤。你真是多毒辣呀,想让我相信这世界上没有幸福!” Whether she would have got over this fancy if left to herself, or persevered in nursing it perpetually, I cannot say: she had little time to reflect. The day after, there was a justice-meeting at the next town; my master was obliged to attend; and Mr. Heathcliff, aware of his absence, called rather earlier than usual. Catherine and Isabella were sitting in the library, on hostile terms, but silent: the latter alarmed at her recent indiscretion, and the disclosure she had made of her secret feelings in a transient fit of passion; the former, on mature consideration, really offended with her companion; and, if she laughed again at her pertness, inclined to make it no laughing matter to her. She did laugh as she saw Heathcliff pass the window. I was sweeping the hearth, and I noticed a mischievous smile on her lips. Isabella, absorbed in her meditations, or a book, remained till the door opened; and it was too late to attempt an escape, which she would gladly have done had it been practicable. 如果让她自己想去,她是不是会丢开这场幻想,还是永久保存它呢,我从不能断定。她也没有什么时间多想了。第二天,邻城有个审判会议,我的主人不得不去参加,希刺克厉夫知道他不在,就来得比平时早些。凯瑟琳和伊莎贝拉坐在书房里,彼此敌对,可是谁也不吭声。小姐由于她最近的卤莽,还有她在一阵暴怒之下泄露了秘密的感情,颇感惊惶不安。而夫人已经考虑成熟,真的在对她的同伴呕气。如果她再笑她的无礼,就得让她瞧瞧对她这可不是什么可笑的事。当她看见希刺克厉夫走过窗前时,她真的笑了。我正在扫炉子,我注意到她嘴角上露出恶意的微笑。伊莎贝拉专心在冥想,也许在专心看书,直到门开时还那样呆着。再打算逃掉已是太迟了,如果办得到的话,她真愿意逃掉的。
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