| 目 录 上一节 下一节 
“小心，艾伦！”伊莎贝拉回答，她的眼睛闪着怒火；从这对眼睛的表情看来，无疑的，她的配偶企图使她恨他，已经完全成功了。“他所说的话，你一个字也不要信。他是一个撒谎的恶魔！一个怪物，不是人！以前他也跟我说过我可以离开；我也试过，我可不敢试了！可就是，艾伦，答应我不要把他那无耻的话向我哥哥或凯瑟琳吐露一个字。不论他怎么装假，他只是希望把埃德加惹得拚命：他说他娶我是有意地跟他夺权；他得不到--我会先死的！我只希望，我祈求，他会忘记他那狰狞的谨慎，而把我杀掉！我所能想象到的唯一欢乐就是死去，要不就看他死！” 'There - that will do for the present!' said Heathcliff. 'If you are called upon in a court of law, you'll remember her language, Nelly! And take a good look at that countenance: she's near the point which would suit me. No; you're not fit to be your own guardian, Isabella, now; and I, being your legal protector, must retain you in my custody, however distasteful the obligation may be. Go up-stairs; I have something to say to Ellen Dean in private. That's not the way: up-stairs, I tell you! Why, this is the road upstairs, child!' “好啦--现在够了！”希刺克厉夫说，“耐莉，你要是被传上法庭，可要记住她的话！好好瞧瞧那张脸吧：她已经快要达到配得上我的地步了。不，现在你是不合宜作你自己的保护人了，伊莎贝拉；我，既是你的合法保护人，一定要把你放在我的监护下，不论这义务是怎样的倒胃口。上楼去，我有话要跟丁艾伦私下说。不是这条路：我对你说上楼！对啦，这才是上楼的路啦，孩子！” He seized, and thrust her from the room; and returned muttering - 'I have no pity! I have no pity! The more the worms writhe, the more I yearn to crush out their entrails! It is a moral teething; and I grind with greater energy in proportion to the increase of pain.' 他抓住她，把她推到屋外；边走回头边咕噜着： “我没有怜悯！我没有怜悯！虫子越扭动，我越想挤出它们的内脏！这是一种精神上的出牙；它越是痛，我就越要使劲磨。” 'Do you understand what the word pity means?' I said, hastening to resume my bonnet. 'Did you ever feel a touch of it in your life?' “你懂得怜悯这个字是什么意思吗？”我说，赶快戴上帽子。“你生平就没有感到过一丝怜悯吗？” 'Put that down!' he interrupted, perceiving my intention to depart. 'You are not going yet. Come here now, Nelly: I must either persuade or compel you to aid me in fulfilling my determination to see Catherine, and that without delay. I swear that I meditate no harm: I don't desire to cause any disturbance, or to exasperate or insult Mr. Linton; I only wish to hear from herself how she is, and why she has been ill; and to ask if anything that I could do would be of use to her. Last night I was in the Grange garden six hours, and I'll return there to-night; and every night I'll haunt the place, and every day, till I find an opportunity of entering. If Edgar Linton meets me, I shall not hesitate to knock him down, and give him enough to insure his quiescence while I stay. If his servants oppose me, I shall threaten them off with these pistols. But wouldn't it be better to prevent my coming in contact with them, or their master? And you could do it so easily. I'd warn you when I came, and then you might let me in unobserved, as soon as she was alone, and watch till I departed, your conscience quite calm: you would be hindering mischief.' “放下帽子！”他插嘴，看出来我要走开。“你还不能走。现在走过来，耐莉，我一定要说服你或者强迫你帮我实现我这要见凯瑟琳的决心，而且不要耽搁了。我发誓我不想害人：我并不想引起任何乱子，也不想激怒或侮辱林惇先生；我只想听听她亲自告诉我她怎么样，她为什么生病：问问她我能作些什么对她有用的事。昨天夜里我在田庄花园里待了六个钟头，今夜我还要去；每天每夜我都要到那儿去，直到我能找到机会进去。如果埃德加·林惇遇见我，我将毫不犹豫地一拳打倒他，在我待在那儿的时候保证给他足够的时间休息。如果他的仆人们顽抗，我就要用这些手枪把他们吓走。可是，如果可以不必碰到他们或他们的主人，不是更好些吗？而你可以很容易地做到的。我到时，先让你知道，然后等她一个人的时候，你就可以让我进去不被人看见，而且守着，一直等我离开，你的良心也会十分平静：你可以防止闯出祸来。” 
我抗议不肯在我东家的家里作那不忠的人：而且，我竭力劝说他为了自己的满足而破坏林惇夫人的平静是残酷而自私的。“最平常的事情都能使她痛苦地震动，”我说。“她已经神经过敏，我敢说她禁不住这意外。不要坚持吧，先生！不然我就不得不把你的计划告诉我的主人；他就要采取手段保护他的房屋和里面住的人的安全，以防止任何这类无理的闯入！” 'In that case I'll take measures to secure you, woman!' exclaimed Heathcliff; 'you shall not leave Wuthering Heights till to-morrow morning. It is a foolish story to assert that Catherine could not bear to see me; and as to surprising her, I don't desire it: you must prepare her - ask her if I may come. You say she never mentions my name, and that I am never mentioned to her. To whom should she mention me if I am a forbidden topic in the house? She thinks you are all spies for her husband. Oh, I've no doubt she's in hell among you! I guess by her silence, as much as anything, what she feels. You say she is often restless, and anxious- looking: is that a proof of tranquillity? You talk of her mind being unsettled. How the devil could it be otherwise in her frightful isolation? And that insipid, paltry creature attending her from DUTY and HUMANITY! From PITY and CHARITY! He might as well plant an oak in a flower-pot, and expect it to thrive, as imagine he can restore her to vigour in the soil of his shallow cares? Let us settle it at once: will you stay here, and am I to fight my way to Catherine over Linton and his footman? Or will you be my friend, as you have been hitherto, and do what I request? Decide! because there is no reason for my lingering another minute, if you persist in your stubborn ill-nature!' “若是如此，我就要采取手段来保护你，女人！”希刺克厉夫叫起来，“你在明天早晨以前不能离开呼啸山庄。说凯瑟琳看见了我就受不住，那是胡扯；我也并不想吓她；你先要让她有个准备--问她我可不可以来。你说她从来没提过我的名字，也没有人向她提到我。既是在那个家里我是一个禁止谈论的题目，她能跟谁提到我呢？她以为你们全是她丈夫的密探。啊，我一点也不怀疑，她在你们中间就等于在地狱里！我从她的沉默以及任何其他事中，都可以猜到她感到什么。你说她经常不安宁，露出焦躁的神气：这难道是平静的证据吗？你说她的心绪紊乱，她处在那种可怕的孤独中，不这样又能怎么样呢？而那个没有精神的，卑鄙的东西还出于责任和仁爱来侍候她！出于怜悯和善心罢了！他与其想象他能在他那浮浅的照料中使她恢复精力，还不如说正像把一棵橡树种在一个花盆里！我们马上决定吧：你是要住在这儿，让我去同林惇和他的仆人们打一仗后去看凯瑟琳呢？还是你要作我的朋友，像从前一样，按照我请求的去作？决定吧！如果你还坚持你那顽固不化的本性，我是没有理由再耽搁一分钟了！” Well, Mr. Lockwood, I argued and complained, and flatly refused him fifty times; but in the long run he forced me to an agreement. I engaged to carry a letter from him to my mistress; and should she consent, I promised to let him have intelligence of Linton's next absence from home, when he might come, and get in as he was able: I wouldn't be there, and my fellow-servants should be equally out of the way. Was it right or wrong? I fear it was wrong, though expedient. I thought I prevented another explosion by my compliance; and I thought, too, it might create a favourable crisis in Catherine's mental illness: and then I remembered Mr. Edgar's stern rebuke of my carrying tales; and I tried to smooth away all disquietude on the subject, by affirming, with frequent iteration, that that betrayal of trust, if it merited so harsh an appellation, should be the last. Notwithstanding, my journey homeward was sadder than my journey thither; and many misgivings I had, ere I could prevail on myself to put the missive into Mrs. Linton's hand. 唉，洛克乌德先生，我申辩，抱怨，明白地拒绝他五十次；可是到末了他还是逼得我同意了。我答应把他的一封信带给我的女主人；如果她肯，下一次林惇不在家的时候，我一定让他知道那时他可以来，让他能够进来：我不会在那儿，我的同事们也统统走开。 这是对呢？还是不对呢？恐怕这是不对的，虽然只好这样。我觉得我依从了，可以免去另一场乱子；我也认为，这也许可以在凯瑟琳的心病上创造一个有利的转机：后来我又记起埃德加先生严厉责骂我搬弄是非；我反复肯定说那次背信告密的事，如果该受这样粗暴的名称的话，也该是最后一次了，我借这个肯定来消除我对于这事所感到的一切不安。虽然如此，我在回家的旅途上比我来时更悲哀些；在我能说服自己把信交到林惇夫人的手中之前，我是有着许多忧惧的。 But here is Kenneth; I'll go down, and tell him how much better you are. My history is DREE, as we say, and will serve to while away another morning. 可是肯尼兹来啦；我要下去，告诉他你好多了。我的故事，照我们的说法，是够受的而且还可以再消磨一个早晨哩。 Dree, and dreary! I reflected as the good woman descended to receive the doctor: and not exactly of the kind which I should have chosen to amuse me. But never mind! I'll extract wholesome medicines from Mrs. Dean's bitter herbs; and firstly, let me beware of the fascination that lurks in Catherine Heathcliff's brilliant eyes. I should be in a curious taking if I surrendered my heart to that young person, and the daughter turned out a second edition of the mother. 够受，而且凄惨！这个好女人下楼接医生时，我这样想着：其实并不是我想听来解闷的那类故事。可是没关系！我要从丁太太的苦药草里吸取有益的药品。第一，我要小心那潜藏在凯瑟琳·希刺克厉夫的亮眼睛里的魔力。如果我对那个年轻人倾心，我一定会陷入不可思议的烦恼，那个女儿正是她母亲的再版啊！ 
又过了一个星期--我更接近了健康和春天！我现在已经听完了我的邻人的全部历史，因为这位管家可以从比较重要的工作中腾出空闲常来坐坐。我要用她自己的话继续讲下去，只是压缩一点。总的说，她是一个说故事的能手，我可不认为我能把她的风格改得更好。 In the evening, she said, the evening of my visit to the Heights, I knew, as well as if I saw him, that Mr. Heathcliff was about the place; and I shunned going out, because I still carried his letter in my pocket, and didn't want to be threatened or teased any more. I had made up my mind not to give it till my master went somewhere, as I could not guess how its receipt would affect Catherine. The consequence was, that it did not reach her before the lapse of three days. The fourth was Sunday, and I brought it into her room after the family were gone to church. There was a manservant left to keep the house with me, and we generally made a practice of locking the doors during the hours of service; but on that occasion the weather was so warm and pleasant that I set them wide open, and, to fulfil my engagement, as I knew who would be coming, I told my companion that the mistress wished very much for some oranges, and he must run over to the village and get a few, to be paid for on the morrow. He departed, and I went up-stairs. 晚上，（她说）：就是我去山庄的那天晚上，我知道希刺克厉夫先生又在附近，就像是我看到了他；我不出去，因为我还把他的信搁在口袋里，而且不愿再被吓唬或被揶揄了。我决定现在不交这信，一直等到我主人到什么地方去后再说，因为我拿不准凯瑟琳收到这信后会怎么样。结果是，这信过了三天才到她的手里。第四天是星期日，等到全家都去教堂后，我就把信带到她屋里。还有一个男仆留下来同我看家。我们经常在做礼拜时把门锁住，可是那天天气是这么温暖宜人，我就把门都大开，而且，我既然知道谁会来，为了履行我的诺言，我就告诉我的同伴的说女主人非常想吃桔子，他得跑到村里去买几个，明天再付钱。他走了，我就上了楼。
| |
