目 录 上一节 下一节 
一月十九日早晨，还没到五点钟贝茜就端了蜡烛来到我房间，看见我己经起身，并差不多梳理完毕。她进来之前半小时，我就已起床。一轮半月正在下沉、月光从床边狭窄的窗户泻进房间，我借着月光洗了脸，穿好了衣服，那天我就要离开盖茨黑德，乘坐早晨六点钟经过院子门口的马车，只有贝茜己经起来了。她在保育室里生了火，这会儿正动手给我做早饭。孩子们想到出门而兴奋不已，是很少能吃得下饭的，我也是如此，贝茜硬劝我吃几口为我准备的热牛奶和面包，但白费工夫，只得用纸包了些饼干，塞进了我兜里。随后她帮我穿上长外衣，戴上宽边帽，又用披巾把她自己包裹好，两人便离开了保育室，经过里德太太卧房时，她说："想进去同太太说声再见吗。" "No, Bessie: she came to my crib last night when you were gone downto supper, and said I need not disturb her in the morning, or mycousins either; and she told me to remember that she had always beenmy best friend, and to speak of her and be grateful to heraccordingly."" 算啦，贝茜，昨天晚上你下楼去吃晚饭的时候，她走到我床边，说是早晨我不必打搅她或表妹们了，她让我记住，她永远是我最好的朋友，让我以后这么谈起她，对她感激万分。" "What did you say, Miss?"" 你怎么回答她呢，小姐？" "Nothing: I covered my face with the bedclothes, and turned fromher to the wall."" 我什么也没说，只是用床单蒙住脸，转过身去对着墙壁，" "That was wrong, Miss Jane."" 那就是你的不是了，简小姐。" 
我做得很对，贝茜。你的太太向来不是我的朋友，她是我的敌人。" "O Miss Jane! don't say so!"" 简小姐！别这样说！" "Good-bye to Gateshead!" cried I, as we passed through the hall andwent out at the front door." 再见了盖茨黑德！"我路过大厅走出前门时说。 The moon was set, and it was very dark; Bessie carried a lantern,whose light glanced on wet steps and gravel road sodden by a recentthaw. Raw and chill was the winter morning: my teeth chattered asI hastened down the drive. There was a light in the porter's lodge:when we reached it, we found the porter's wife just kindling herfire: my trunk, which had been carried down the evening before,stood corded at the door. It wanted but a few minutes of six, andshortly after that hour had struck, the distant roll of wheelsannounced the coming coach; I went to the door and watched its lampsapproach rapidly through the gloom. 月亮已经下沉，天空一片漆黑。贝茜打着灯，灯光闪烁在刚刚解冻而湿漉漉的台阶和砂石路上。冬天的清晨阴湿寒冷。我匆匆沿着车道走去，牙齿直打哆棘，看门人的卧室亮着灯光。到了那里，只见他妻子正在生火。前一天晚上我的箱子就已经拿下楼，捆好绳子放在门边。这时离六点还差几分。不一会钟响了，远处传来辚辚的车声，宣告马车已经到来。我走到门边，凝望着车灯迅速冲破黑暗，渐渐靠近。 "Is she going by herself?" asked the porter's wife." 她一个人走吗？"门房的妻子问。 
是呀。" "And how far is it?"" 离这儿多远？" "Fifty miles."" 五十英里。" "What a long way! I wonder Mrs. Reed is not afraid to trust her sofar alone."" 多远啊！真奇怪，里德太太竟让她一个人走得那么远，却一点也不担心。" The coach drew up; there it was at the gates with its four horsesand its top laden with passengers: the guard and coachman loudlyurged haste; my trunk was hoisted up; I was taken from Bessie'sneck, to which I clung with kisses. 马车停了下来，就在大门口，由四匹马拖着，车顶上坐满了乘客。车夫和护车的大声催促我快些上车，我的箱子给递了上去，我自己则从贝茜的脖子上被拖下来带走，因为我正贴着她脖子亲吻呢 
千万好好照应她呀，"护车人把我提起来放进车里时，贝茜对他说。 "Ay, ay!" was the answer: the door was slapped to, a voiceexclaimed "All right," and on we drove. Thus was I severed fromBessie and Gateshead; thus whirled away to unknown, and, as I thendeemed, remote and mysterious regions." 行啊，行啊！"那人回答。车门关上了，"好啦，"一声大叫，我们便上路了。就这样我告别了贝茜和盖茨黑德，一阵风似地被卷往陌生的、当时看来遥远和神秘的地方。 I remember but little of the journey; I only know that the dayseemed to me of a preternatural length, and that we appeared totravel over hundreds of miles of road. We passed through severaltowns, and in one, a very large one, the coach stopped; the horseswere taken out, and the passengers alighted to dine. I was carriedinto an inn, where the guard wanted me to have some dinner; but, asI had no appetite, he left me in an immense room with a fireplace ateach end, a chandelier pendent from the ceiling, and a little redgallery high up against the wall filled with musical instruments.Here I walked about for a long time, feeling very strange, andmortally apprehensive of some one coming in and kidnapping me; for Ibelieved in kidnappers, their exploits having frequently figured inBessie's fireside chronicles. At last the guard returned; once moreI was stowed away in the coach, my protector mounted his own seat,sounded his hollow horn, and away we rattled over the "stony street"of L-. 一路行程，我已记得不多。只知道那天长得出奇，而且似乎赶了几百里路。我们经过几个城镇，在其中很大的一个停了下来。车夫卸了马，让乘客们下车吃饭。我被带进一家客找，护车人要我吃些中饭，我却没有胃口，他便扔下我走了，让我留在-个巨大无比的房间里，房间的两头都有一个火炉，天花板上悬挂着一盏枝形吊灯，高高的墙上有一个小小的红色陈列窗，里面放满了乐器。我在房间里来回走了很久，心里很不自在，害怕有人会进来把我拐走。我相信确有拐子，他们所干的勾当常常出现在贝茜火炉旁所讲的故事中。护车人终于回来了，我再次被塞进马车，我的保护人登上座位，吹起了闷声闷气的号角，车子一阵丁当，驶过了Ｌ镇的"石子街"。 The afternoon came on wet and somewhat misty: as it waned intodusk, I began to feel that we were getting very far indeed fromGateshead: we ceased to pass through towns; the country changed;great grey hills heaved up round the horizon: as twilight deepened,we descended a valley, dark with wood, and long after night hadoverclouded the prospect, I heard a wild wind rushing amongst trees. 下午，天气潮湿，雾气迷蒙。白昼溶入黄昏时，我开始感到离开盖茨黑德真的很远了。我们再也没有路过城镇，乡村的景色也起了变化，一座座灰色的大山耸立在地平线上。暮色渐浓，车子驶进一个山谷，那里长着黑乎乎一片森林。夜幕遮盖了一切景物之后很久，我听见狂风在林中呼啸。 Lulled by the sound, I at last dropped asleep; I had not longslumbered when the sudden cessation of motion awoke me; the coach-door was open, and a person like a servant was standing at it: Isaw her face and dress by the light of the lamps. 那声音仿佛像催眠曲，我终于倒头睡着了。没过多久，车子突然停了下来，我被惊醒了。马车的门开着，一个仆人模样的人站在门边。藉着灯光，我看得清她的面容和衣装。 
有个叫简.爱的小姑娘吗？"她问。我回答了，声"有"之后便被抱了出去，箱子也卸了下来，随后马车立即驶走了。 I was stiff with long sitting, and bewildered with the noise andmotion of the coach: Gathering my faculties, I looked about me.Rain, wind, and darkness filled the air; nevertheless, I dimlydiscerned a wall before me and a door open in it; through this doorI passed with my new guide: she shut and locked it behind her.There was now visible a house or houses--for the building spreadfar--with many windows, and lights burning in some; we went up abroad pebbly path, splashing wet, and were admitted at a door; thenthe servant led me through a passage into a room with a fire, whereshe left me alone. 因为久坐，我身子都发僵了，马车的喧声和震动弄得我迷迷糊糊，我定下神来，环顾左右。只见雨在下，风在刮，周围一片黑暗。不过我隐约看到面前有一堵墙，墙上有一扇门，新来的向导领我进去，把门关上，随手上了锁。这时看得见一间，也许是几间房子，因为那建筑物铺展得很开，上面有很多窗子，其中几扇里亮着灯。我们踏上一条水沫飞溅的宽阔石子路，后来又进了一扇门。接着仆人带我穿过一条过道，进了一个生着火的房间，撇下我走了。 I stood and warmed my numbed fingers over the blaze, then I lookedround; there was no candle, but the uncertain light from the hearthshowed, by intervals, papered walls, carpet, curtains, shiningmahogany furniture: it was a parlour, not so spacious or splendidas the drawing-room at Gateshead, but comfortable enough. I waspuzzling to make out the subject of a picture on the wall, when thedoor opened, and an individual carrying a light entered; anotherfollowed close behind. 我站着，在火上烘着冻僵了的手指。我举目四顾，房间里没有蜡烛，壁炉中摇曳的火光，间或照出了糊过壁纸的墙、地毯、窗帘、闪光的红木家具。这是一间客厅，虽不及盖茨黑德客厅宽敞堂皇，却十分舒服。我正迷惑不解地猜测着墙上一幅画的画意时，门开了，进来了一个人，手里提着一盏灯，后面紧跟着另一个人。 The first was a tall lady with dark hair, dark eyes, and a pale andlarge forehead; her figure was partly enveloped in a shawl, hercountenance was grave, her bearing erect. 先进门的是个高个子女人、黑头发，黑眼睛，白皙宽大的额角。她半个身子裹在披巾里，神情严肃，体态挺直。 "The child is very young to be sent alone," said she, putting hercandle down on the table. She considered me attentively for aminute or two, then further added -" 这孩子年纪这么小，真不该让她独个儿来，"她说着，把蜡烛放在桌子上，细细端详了我一两分钟，随后补充道。 
还是快点送她上床吧，她看来累了，你累吗？"她把手放在我肩上问道。
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