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这里偏偏又翻出一张新牌来了！读者呀，刹那之间从贫困升迁到富裕，总归是件好事--好是很好，但不是一下子就能理解，或者因此就能欣赏的。此外，生活中还有比这更惊心动魄，更让人销魂的东西。现在这件事很实在，很具体，丝毫没有理想的成份。它所联系着的一切实实在在，朴朴素素，它所体现的也完全一样。你一听到自己得到一笔财产，不会一跃而起，高呼万岁！而是开始考虑自己的责任，谋划正经事儿。称心满意之余倒生出某种重重的心事来了--我们克制自己，皱起眉头为幸福陷入了沉思。 Besides, the words Legacy, Bequest, go side by side with the words,Death, Funeral. My uncle I had heard was dead--my only relative;ever since being made aware of his existence, I had cherished thehope of one day seeing him: now, I never should. And then thismoney came only to me: not to me and a rejoicing family, but to myisolated self. It was a grand boon doubtless; and independencewould be glorious--yes, I felt that--that thought swelled my heart. 此外，遗产、遗赠这类字眼伴随着死亡、葬礼一类词。我听到我的叔父，我唯一一位亲戚故去了。打从知道他存在的一天起，我便怀着有朝一日要见他的希望，而现在，是永远别想见他了。而且这笔钱只留给我。不是给我和一个高高兴兴的家庭，而是我孤孤单单的本人。当然这笔钱很有用，而且独立自主是件大好事--，是的，我已经感觉到了--那种想法涌上了我心头。 "You unbend your forehead at last," said Mr. Rivers. "I thoughtMedusa had looked at you, and that you were turning to stone.Perhaps now you will ask how much you are worth?"" 你终于抬起头来了，"里弗斯先生说，"我以为美杜莎已经瞧过你，而你正变成石头--也许这会儿你会问你的身价有多少？" "How much am I worth?"" 我的身价多少？" "Oh, a trifle! Nothing of course to speak of--twenty thousandpounds, I think they say--but what is that?"" 呵，小得可怜！当然不值一提-一我想他们说二万英镑--但那又怎么样？" 
二万英镑！" Here was a new stunner--I had been calculating on four or fivethousand. This news actually took my breath for a moment: Mr. St.John, whom I had never heard laugh before, laughed now. 又是一件惊人的事情--我原来估计四、五干。这个消息让我目瞪口呆了好一会儿。我从没有听到过圣.约翰先生的笑声，这时他却大笑起来。 "Well," said he, "if you had committed a murder, and I had told youyour crime was discovered, you could scarcely look more aghast."" 嗯，"他说，"就是你杀了人，而我告诉你你的罪行已经被发现了，也不会比你刚才更惊呆了。" "It is a large sum--don't you think there is a mistake?"" 这是一笔很大的款子--你不会弄错了吧？" "No mistake at all."" 一点也没有弄错。" 
也许你把数字看错了--可能是二千？" "It is written in letters, not figures,--twenty thousand."" 它不是用数字，而是用字母写的--二万。" I again felt rather like an individual of but average gastronomicalpowers sitting down to feast alone at a table spread with provisionsfor a hundred. Mr. Rivers rose now and put his cloak on. 我再次感觉到颇象一个中等胃口的人，独自坐在可供一百个人吃的盛宴面前。这会儿里弗斯先生站起来，穿上了斗篷。 "If it were not such a very wild night," he said, "I would sendHannah down to keep you company: you look too desperately miserableto be left alone. But Hannah, poor woman! could not stride thedrifts so well as I: her legs are not quite so long: so I muste'en leave you to your sorrows. Good-night."" 要不是这么个风雪弥漫的夜晚，"他说，"我会叫汉娜来同你作伴。你看上去太可怜了，不能让你一个儿呆着。不过汉娜这位可怜的女人，不像我这样善于走积雪的路，腿又不够长。因此我只好让你独自哀伤了。晚安。" He was lifting the latch: a sudden thought occurred to me. "Stopone minute!" I cried. 他提起门栓时，一个念头蓦地闪过我脑际。"再呆一分钟！"我叫道。 
怎么？" "It puzzles me to know why Mr. Briggs wrote to you about me; or howhe knew you, or could fancy that you, living in such an out-of-the-way place, had the power to aid in my discovery."" 我不明白为什么布里格斯先生会为我的事写信给你，或者他怎么知道你，或者设想你住在这么个偏僻的地方，会有能力帮助他找到我呢。" "Oh! I am a clergyman," he said; "and the clergy are often appealedto about odd matters." Again the latch rattled." 呵，我是个牧师，"他说，"而奇奇怪怪的事往往求牧师解决。"门栓又一次格格响了起来。 "No; that does not satisfy me!" I exclaimed: and indeed there wassomething in the hasty and unexplanatory reply which, instead ofallaying, piqued my curiosity more than ever." 不，那不能使我满意！"我嚷道，其实他那么匆忙而不作解释的回答，不但没有消除我的好奇心，反而更刺激了它。 "It is a very strange piece of business," I added; "I must know moreabout it."" 这件事非常奇怪，"我补充说，"我得再了解一些。" 
改天再谈吧。"， "No; to-night!--to-night!" and as he turned from the door, I placedmyself between it and him. He looked rather embarrassed." 不行，今天晚上！--今天晚上！"他从门边转过身来时，我站到了他与门之间，弄得他有些尴尬。 "You certainly shall not go till you have told me all," I said." 你不统统告诉我就别想走？"我说。 "I would rather not just now."" 现在我还是不讲为好。" "You shall!--you must!"" 你要讲！--一定得讲：" 
我情愿让黛安娜和玛丽告诉你。" Of course these objections wrought my eagerness to a climax:gratified it must be, and that without delay; and I told him so. 当然，他的反复拒绝把我的焦急之情推向了高潮：我必须得到满足，而且不容拖延。我把这告诉了他。 "But I apprised you that I was a hard man," said he, "difficult topersuade."" 不过我告诉过你，我是个铁石心肠的男人，"他说，"很难说服。" "And I am a hard woman,--impossible to put off."" 而我是个铁石心肠的女人-一无法拖延。" "And then," he pursued, "I am cold: no fervour infects me."" 那么，"他继续说，"我很冷漠，对任何热情都无动于衷。" 
而我很热，火要把冰融化。那边的火已经化掉了你斗篷上的所有的雪，由于同样原因，雪水淌到了我地板上，弄得像踩踏过的衔道。里弗斯先生，正因为你希望我宽恕你毁我砂石厨房的弥天大罪和不端行为，那你就把我想知道的告诉我吧。" "Well, then," he said, "I yield; if not to your earnestness, to yourperseverance: as stone is worn by continual dropping. Besides, youmust know some day,--as well now as later. Your name is Jane Eyre?"" 那么好吧，"他说，"我让步了，要不是向你的真诚屈服，就是向你滴水穿石的恒心投降。另外，有一天你还得知道，早知晚知都一样。你的名字是叫简.爱吗？" "Of course: that was all settled before."" 当然，这以前已全解决了。" "You are not, perhaps, aware that I am your namesake?--that I waschristened St. John Eyre Rivers?"" 你也许没有意识到我跟你同姓？我施洗礼时被命名为圣.约翰.爱.里弗斯？" "No, indeed! I remember now seeing the letter E. comprised in yourinitials written in books you have at different times lent me; but Inever asked for what name it stood. But what then? Surely--"" 确实没有！现在可记起来了，我曾在你不同时间借给我的书里，看到你名字开头的几个字母中有一个Ｅ，但我从来没有问过它代表什么。不过那又怎么样？当然--"
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