名著·呼啸山庄 - 第8节


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  “啊,上帝惩罚你,洛克乌德先生!但愿你在--”我的主人开始说,把蜡烛放在一张椅子上,因为他发现不可能拿着它不晃。“谁把你带到这间屋子里来的?”他接着说,并把指甲掐进他的手心,磨着牙齿,为的是制止腭骨的颤动。“是谁带你来的?我真想把他们就在这会儿撵出门去!”

   'It was your servant Zillah,' I replied, flinging myself on to the floor, and rapidly resuming my garments. 'I should not care if you did, Mr. Heathcliff; she richly deserves it. I suppose that she wanted to get another proof that the place was haunted, at my expense. Well, it is - swarming with ghosts and goblins! You have reason in shutting it up, I assure you. No one will thank you for a doze in such a den!'

  “是你的佣人,齐拉,”我回答,跳到地板上,急急忙忙穿衣服。“你撵,我也不管,希刺克厉夫先生。她活该,我猜想她是打算利用我来再证明一下这地方闹鬼罢了。咳,是闹鬼--满屋是妖魔鬼怪!我对你说,你是有理由把它关起来的。凡是在这么一个洞里睡过觉的人是不会感谢你的!”

   'What do you mean?' asked Heathcliff, 'and what are you doing? Lie down and finish out the night, since you ARE here; but, for heaven's sake! don't repeat that horrid noise: nothing could excuse it, unless you were having your throat cut!'

  “你是什么意思?”希刺克厉夫问道,“你在干吗?既然你已经在这儿了,就躺下,睡完这一夜!可是,看在老天的份上!别再发出那种可怕的叫声啦。那没法叫人原谅,除非你的喉咙正在给人切断!”

   'If the little fiend had got in at the window, she probably would have strangled me!' I returned. 'I'm not going to endure the persecutions of your hospitable ancestors again. Was not the Reverend Jabez Branderham akin to you on the mother's side? And that minx, Catherine Linton, or Earnshaw, or however she was called - she must have been a changeling - wicked little soul! She told me she had been walking the earth these twenty years: a just punishment for her mortal transgressions, I've no doubt!'

  “要是那个小妖精从窗子进来了,她大概就会把我掐死的!”我回嘴说。“我不预备再受你那些好客的祖先们的迫害了。杰别斯·伯兰德罕牧师是不是你母亲的亲戚?还有那个疯丫头,凯瑟琳·林惇,或是恩萧,不管她姓什么吧--她一定是个容易变心的--恶毒的小灵魂!她告诉我这二十年来她就在地面上流浪--我不怀疑,她正是罪有应得啊!’

   Scarcely were these words uttered when I recollected the association of Heathcliff's with Catherine's name in the book, which had completely slipped from my memory, till thus awakened. I blushed at my inconsideration: but, without showing further consciousness of the offence, I hastened to add - 'The truth is, sir, I passed the first part of the night in - ' Here I stopped afresh - I was about to say 'perusing those old volumes,' then it would have revealed my knowledge of their written, as well as their printed, contents; so, correcting myself, I went on - 'in spelling over the name scratched on that window-ledge. A monotonous occupation, calculated to set me asleep, like counting, or - '

  这些话还没落音,我立刻想起那本书上希刺克厉夫与凯瑟琳两个名字的联系,这点我完全忘了,这时才醒过来。我为我的粗心脸红,可是,为了表示我并不觉察到我的冒失,我赶紧加一句,“事实是,先生,前半夜我在--”说到这儿我又顿时停住了--我差点说出“阅读那些旧书”,那就表明我不但知道书中印刷的内容,也知道那些用笔写出的内容了。因此,我纠正自己,这样往下说--“在拼读刻在窗台上的名字。一种很单调的工作,打算使我睡着,像数数目似的,或是--”

  “你这样对我滔滔不绝,到底是什么意思?”希刺克厉夫大吼一声,蛮性发作。“怎么--你怎么敢在我的家里?--天呀!他这样说话必是发疯啦!”他愤怒地敲着他的额头。

   I did not know whether to resent this language or pursue my explanation; but he seemed so powerfully affected that I took pity and proceeded with my dreams; affirming I had never heard the appellation of 'Catherine Linton' before, but reading it often over produced an impression which personified itself when I had no longer my imagination under control. Heathcliff gradually fell back into the shelter of the bed, as I spoke; finally sitting down almost concealed behind it. I guessed, however, by his irregular and intercepted breathing, that he struggled to vanquish an excess of violent emotion. Not liking to show him that I had heard the conflict, I continued my toilette rather noisily, looked at my watch, and soliloquised on the length of the night: 'Not three o'clock yet! I could have taken oath it had been six. Time stagnates here: we must surely have retired to rest at eight!'

  我不知道是跟他抬杠好,还是继续解释好。可是他仿佛大受震动,我都可怜他了,于是继续说我的梦,肯定说我以前绝没有听过“凯瑟琳·林惇”这名字,可是念得过多才产生了一个印象,当我不能再约束我的想象时,这印象就化为真人了。希刺克厉夫在我说话的时候,慢慢地往床后靠,最后坐下来差不多是在后面隐藏起来了。但是,听他那不规则的上气不接下气的呼吸,我猜想他是拚命克制过分强烈的情感。我不想让他看出我已觉察出了他处在矛盾中,就继续梳洗,发出很大的声响,又看看我的表,自言自语地抱怨夜长。

   'Always at nine in winter, and rise at four,' said my host, suppressing a groan: and, as I fancied, by the motion of his arm's shadow, dashing a tear from his eyes. 'Mr. Lockwood,' he added, 'you may go into my room: you'll only be in the way, coming down- stairs so early: and your childish outcry has sent sleep to the devil for me.'

  “还没到三点钟哪!我本来想发誓说已经六点了,时间在这儿停滞不动啦:我们一定是八点钟就睡了!” “在冬天总是九点睡,总是四点起床,”我的主人说,压住一声呻吟。看他胳臂的影子的动作,我猜想他从眼里抹去一滴眼泪。“洛克乌德先生,”他又说,“你可以到我屋里去。你这么早下楼也妨碍别人,你这孩子气的大叫已经把我的睡魔赶掉了。”

   'And for me, too,' I replied. 'I'll walk in the yard till daylight, and then I'll be off; and you need not dread a repetition of my intrusion. I'm now quite cured of seeking pleasure in society, be it country or town. A sensible man ought to find sufficient company in himself.'

  “我也一样。”我回答。“我要在院子里走走,等到天亮我就走。你不必怕我再来打搅。我这想交友寻乐的毛病现在治好了,不管是在乡间或在城里。一个头脑清醒的人应该发现跟自己作伴就够了。”

   'Delightful company!' muttered Heathcliff. 'Take the candle, and go where you please. I shall join you directly. Keep out of the yard, though, the dogs are unchained; and the house - Juno mounts sentinel there, and - nay, you can only ramble about the steps and passages. But, away with you! I'll come in two minutes!'

  “愉快的作伴!”希刺克厉夫咕噜着,“拿着蜡烛,你爱去哪儿就去吧。我就来找你。不过,别到院子里去,狗都没拴住。大厅里--朱诺在那儿站岗,还有--不,你只能在楼梯和过道那儿溜达。可是,你去吧!我过两分钟就来。”

  我服从了,就离开了这间卧室。当时不知道那狭窄的小屋通到哪里,就只好还站在那儿,不料却无意亲眼看见我的房东做出一种迷信的动作,这很奇怪,看来他不过是表面上有头脑罢了。

   He got on to the bed, and wrenched open the lattice, bursting, as he pulled at it, into an uncontrollable passion of tears. 'Come in! come in!' he sobbed. 'Cathy, do come. Oh, do - ONCE more! Oh! my heart's darling! hear me THIS time, Catherine, at last!' The spectre showed a spectre's ordinary caprice: it gave no sign of being; but the snow and wind whirled wildly through, even reaching my station, and blowing out the light.

  他上了床,扭开窗子,一边开窗,一边涌出压抑不住的热泪。“进来吧!进来吧!”他抽泣着。“凯蒂,来吧!啊,来呀--再来一次!啊!我的心爱的!这回听我的话吧,凯蒂,最后一次!”幽灵显示出幽灵素有的反复无常,它偏偏不来!只有风雪猛烈地急速吹过,甚至吹到我站的地方,而且吹灭了蜡烛。

   There was such anguish in the gush of grief that accompanied this raving, that my compassion made me overlook its folly, and I drew off, half angry to have listened at all, and vexed at having related my ridiculous nightmare, since it produced that agony; though WHY was beyond my comprehension. I descended cautiously to the lower regions, and landed in the back-kitchen, where a gleam of fire, raked compactly together, enabled me to rekindle my candle. Nothing was stirring except a brindled, grey cat, which crept from the ashes, and saluted me with a querulous mew.

  在这突然涌出的悲哀中,竟有这样的痛苦伴随着这段发狂的话,以致我对他的怜悯之情使我忽视了他举止的愚蠢。我避开了,一面由于自己听到了他这番话而暗自生气,一面又因自己诉说了我那荒唐的恶梦而烦躁不安,因为就是那梦产生了这种悲恸。至于为什么会产生,我就不懂了。我小心地下楼,到了后厨房,那儿有一星火苗,拨拢在一起,使我点着了蜡烛。没有一点动静,只有一只斑纹灰猫从灰烬里爬出来,怨声怨气地咪唔一声向我致敬。

   Two benches, shaped in sections of a circle, nearly enclosed the hearth; on one of these I stretched myself, and Grimalkin mounted the other. We were both of us nodding ere any one invaded our retreat, and then it was Joseph, shuffling down a wooden ladder that vanished in the roof, through a trap: the ascent to his garret, I suppose. He cast a sinister look at the little flame which I had enticed to play between the ribs, swept the cat from its elevation, and bestowing himself in the vacancy, commenced the operation of stuffing a three-inch pipe with tobacco. My presence in his sanctum was evidently esteemed a piece of impudence too shameful for remark: he silently applied the tube to his lips, folded his arms, and puffed away. I let him enjoy the luxury unannoyed; and after sucking out his last wreath, and heaving a profound sigh, he got up, and departed as solemnly as he came.

  两条长凳,摆成半圆形,几乎把炉火围起来了。我躺在一条凳子上,老母猫跳上了另一条。我们两个都在打盹,不料有人来捣乱,那就是约瑟夫放下一个木梯,它经过一个活门直通阁楼里:我猜想这就是他上升阁楼之路了。他向着我拨弄起来的火苗狠狠地望了一眼,把猫从它的高座下撵下来,自己安坐在空出的位子上,开始了把烟叶填进三寸长的烟斗里的动作。我在他的圣地出现,显然被他看作是羞于提及的莽撞事情。他默默地把烟管递到嘴里,胳臂交叉着,喷云吐雾。我让他享受安逸,不打搅他。他吸完最后一口,深深地吁出一口气,站起来,像走进来时那样庄严地又走出去了。

   A more elastic footstep entered next; and now I opened my mouth for a 'good-morning,' but closed it again, the salutation unachieved; for Hareton Earnshaw was performing his orison SOTTO VOCE, in a series of curses directed against every object he touched, while he rummaged a corner for a spade or shovel to dig through the drifts. He glanced over the back of the bench, dilating his nostrils, and thought as little of exchanging civilities with me as with my companion the cat. I guessed, by his preparations, that egress was allowed, and, leaving my hard couch, made a movement to follow him. He noticed this, and thrust at an inner door with the end of his spade, intimating by an inarticulate sound that there was the place where I must go, if I changed my locality.

  跟着有人踏着轻快的脚步进来了;现在我张开口正要说早安,可又闭上了,敬礼未能完成,因为哈里顿·恩萧正在SottoVoce作他的早祷,也就是说他在屋角搜寻一把铲子或是铁锹去铲除积雪时,他碰到每样东西都要对它发出一串的咒骂。他向凳子后面溜了一眼,张大鼻孔,认为对我用不着客气,就像对我那猫伴一样。看他作的准备,我猜他允许我走了,我离开我的硬座,打算跟他走。他注意到这点,就用他的铲子头戳戳一扇黑门,不出声的表示如果我要改变住处,就非走这儿不可。

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名著·呼啸山庄 - 第8节