名著·简.爱 - 第14节


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  有点累,太太。"

   "And hungry too, no doubt: let her have some supper before she goesto bed, Miss Miller. Is this the first time you have left yourparents to come to school, my little girl?""

  肯定也饿了。米勒小姐,让她睡前吃些晚饭。你是第一次离开父母来上学吗,我的小姑娘?"

   I explained to her that I had no parents. She inquired how longthey had been dead: then how old I was, what was my name, whether Icould read, write, and sew a little: then she touched my cheekgently with her forefinger, and saying, "She hoped I should be agood child," dismissed me along with Miss Miller.

  我向她解释说我没有父母。她问我他们去世多久了,还问我自已几岁,叫什么名字,会不会一点读、写和缝纫,随后用食指轻轻碰了碰我脸颊说,但愿我是一个好孩子,说完便打发我与米勒小姐走了。

   The lady I had left might be about twenty-nine; the one who wentwith me appeared some years younger: the first impressed me by hervoice, look, and air. Miss Miller was more ordinary; ruddy incomplexion, though of a careworn countenance; hurried in gait andaction, like one who had always a multiplicity of tasks on hand:she looked, indeed, what I afterwards found she really was, anunder-teacher. Led by her, I passed from compartment tocompartment, from passage to passage, of a large and irregularbuilding; till, emerging from the total and somewhat dreary silencepervading that portion of the house we had traversed, we came uponthe hum of many voices, and presently entered a wide, long room,with great deal tables, two at each end, on each of which burnt apair of candles, and seated all round on benches, a congregation ofgirls of every age, from nine or ten to twenty. Seen by the dimlight of the dips, their number to me appeared countless, though notin reality exceeding eighty; they were uniformly dressed in brownstuff frocks of quaint fashion, and long holland pinafores. It wasthe hour of study; they were engaged in conning over their to-morrow's task, and the hum I had heard was the combined result oftheir whispered repetitions.

  那位刚离开的小姐约摸二十九岁,跟我一起走的那位比她略小几岁,前者的腔调、目光和神态给我印象很深,而米勒小姐比较平淡无奇,显得身心交瘁,但面色却还红润。她的步态和动作十分匆忙,仿佛手头总有忙不完的事情。说真的好看上去像个助理教师,后来我发现果真如此,我被她领着在一个形状不规则的大楼里,走过一个又一个房间,穿过一条又一条过道,这些地方都是那么悄无声息,甚至还有几分凄切。后来我们突然听到嗡嗡的嘈杂的人声,顷刻之间便走进了一个又阔又长的房间,两头各摆着两张大木板桌。每张桌子上点着两支蜡烛,一群年龄在九岁、十岁到二十岁之间的姑娘,围着桌子坐在长凳上。在昏暗的烛光下,我感到她们似乎多得难以计数,尽管实际上不会超过八十人。她们清一色地穿着式样古怪的毛料上衣,系着长长的亚麻细布围涎。那正是学习时间,他们正忙于默记第二天的功课,我所听的的嗡嗡之声,正是集体小声读书所发出来的。

   Miss Miller signed to me to sit on a bench near the door, thenwalking up to the top of the long room she cried out -

  米勒小姐示意我坐在门边的长凳上,随后走到这个长房间的头上,大声嚷道:

  班长们,收好书本,放到一边!"四位个子很高的姑娘从各张桌子旁站起来,兜了一圈,把书收集起来放好。米勒小姐再次发布命令。

   "Monitors, fetch the supper-trays!""

  班长们,去端晚饭盘子!"

   The tall girls went out and returned presently, each bearing a tray,with portions of something, I knew not what, arranged thereon, and apitcher of water and mug in the middle of each tray. The portionswere handed round; those who liked took a draught of the water, themug being common to all. When it came to my turn, I drank, for Iwas thirsty, but did not touch the food, excitement and fatiguerendering me incapable of eating: I now saw, however, that it was athin oaten cake shared into fragments.

  高个子姑娘们走了出去,很快又回来了,每人端了个大盘子, 盘子里放着一份份不知什么东西,中间是一大罐水和一只大杯子。那一份份东西都分发了出去,高兴喝水的人还喝了口水,那大杯子是公用的。轮到我的时候,因为口渴,我喝了点水、但没有去碰食品,激动和疲倦已使我胃口全无。不过我倒是看清楚了,那是一个薄薄的燕麦饼,平均分成了几小块。

   The meal over, prayers were read by Miss Miller, and the classesfiled off, two and two, upstairs. Overpowered by this time withweariness, I scarcely noticed what sort of a place the bedroom was,except that, like the schoolroom, I saw it was very long. To-nightI was to be Miss Miller's bed-fellow; she helped me to undress:when laid down I glanced at the long rows of beds, each of which wasquickly filled with two occupants; in ten minutes the single lightwas extinguished, and amidst silence and complete darkness I fellasleep.

  吃完饭,米勒小姐念了祷告,各班鱼贯而出,成双成对走上楼梯。这时我己经疲惫不堪,几乎没有注意到寝室的模样,只看清了它像教室一样很长。今晚我同米勒小姐同睡一张床,她帮我脱掉衣服,并让我躺下。这时我瞥了一眼一长排一长排床,每张床很快睡好了两个人,十分钟后那仅有的灯光也熄灭了,在寂静无声与一片漆黑中,我沉沉睡去。

   The night passed rapidly. I was too tired even to dream; I onlyonce awoke to hear the wind rave in furious gusts, and the rain fallin torrents, and to be sensible that Miss Miller had taken her placeby my side. When I again unclosed my eyes, a loud bell was ringing;the girls were up and dressing; day had not yet begun to dawn, and arushlight or two burned in the room. I too rose reluctantly; it wasbitter cold, and I dressed as well as I could for shivering, andwashed when there was a basin at liberty, which did not occur soon,as there was but one basin to six girls, on the stands down themiddle of the room. Again the bell rang: all formed in file, twoand two, and in that order descended the stairs and entered the coldand dimly lit schoolroom: here prayers were read by Miss Miller;afterwards she called out -

  夜很快逝去了,我累得连梦也没有做,只醒来过一次,听见狂风阵阵,大雨倾盆,还知道米勒小姐睡在我身边。我再次睁开眼睛时,只听见铃声喧嚷,姑娘们已穿衣起身。天色未明,房间里燃着一两支灯心草蜡烛。我也无可奈何地起床了。天气冷得刺骨,我颤抖着尽力把衣服穿好,等脸盆空着时洗了脸。但我并没有马上等到,因为六个姑娘才合一个脸盆,摆在楼下房间正中的架子上。铃声再次响起,大家排好队,成双成对地走下搂梯,进了冷飕飕暗洞洞的教室。米勒小姐读了祷告,随后便大声唱:

  按班级集中!"

   A great tumult succeeded for some minutes, during which Miss Millerrepeatedly exclaimed, "Silence!" and "Order!" When it subsided, Isaw them all drawn up in four semicircles, before four chairs,placed at the four tables; all held books in their hands, and agreat book, like a Bible, lay on each table, before the vacant seat.A pause of some seconds succeeded, filled up by the low, vague humof numbers; Miss Miller walked from class to class, hushing thisindefinite sound.

  接着引起了一阵几分钟的大骚动,米勒小姐反复叫喊着:"不要作声!""遵守秩序!"喧闹声平息下来之后,我看到她们排成了四个半园形,站在四把椅子前面,这四把椅子分别放在四张桌子旁边。每人手里都拿着书,有一本《圣经》模样的大书,搁在空椅子跟前的每张桌子上。几秒钟肃静之后,响起了低沉而含糊的嗡嗡声,米勒小姐从-个班兜到另一个班,把这种模糊的喧声压下去。

   A distant bell tinkled: immediately three ladies entered the room,each walked to a table and took her seat. Miss Miller assumed thefourth vacant chair, which was that nearest the door, and aroundwhich the smallest of the children were assembled: to this inferiorclass I was called, and placed at the bottom of it.

  远处传来了叮咚的铃声,立刻有三位小姐进了房间,分别走向一张桌子,并在椅子上就座。米勒小姐坐了靠门最近的第四把空椅子,椅子周围是一群年龄最小的孩子,我被叫到了这个低级班,安排在末位。

   Business now began, the day's Collect was repeated, then certaintexts of Scripture were said, and to these succeeded a protractedreading of chapters in the Bible, which lasted an hour. By the timethat exercise was terminated, day had fully dawned. Theindefatigable bell now sounded for the fourth time: the classeswere marshalled and marched into another room to breakfast: howglad I was to behold a prospect of getting something to eat! I wasnow nearly sick from inanition, having taken so little the daybefore.

  这时,功课开始了。先是反复念诵那天的短祷告、接着读了几篇经文,最后是慢声朗读《圣经》的章节,用了一个小时。这项议程结束时,天色已经大亮,不知疲倦的钟声第四次响起,各个班级整好队伍,大步走进另一个房间去吃早饭。想到马上有东西可以裹腹,我是何等高兴啊!由于前一天吃得大少,这时我简直饿坏了。

   The refectory was a great, low-ceiled, gloomy room; on two longtables smoked basins of something hot, which, however, to my dismay,sent forth an odour far from inviting. I saw a universalmanifestation of discontent when the fumes of the repast met thenostrils of those destined to swallow it; from the van of theprocession, the tall girls of the first class, rose the whisperedwords -

  饭厅是个又低又暗的大房间,两张长桌上放着两大盆热气腾腾的东西。但令人失望的是,散发出来的气味却并不诱人,它一钻进那些非吃不可的人的鼻孔、我便发现她们都露出不满的表情。站在排头第一班的高个子姑娘们开始窃窃私语。

  真讨厌,粥又烧焦了!"

   "Silence!" ejaculated a voice; not that of Miss Miller, but one ofthe upper teachers, a little and dark personage, smartly dressed,but of somewhat morose aspect, who installed herself at the top ofone table, while a more buxom lady presided at the other. I lookedin vain for her I had first seen the night before; she was notvisible: Miss Miller occupied the foot of the table where I sat,and a strange, foreign-looking, elderly lady, the French teacher, asI afterwards found, took the corresponding seat at the other board.A long grace was said and a hymn sung; then a servant brought insome tea for the teachers, and the meal began."

  安静!"一个嗓音叫道。说这话的不是米勒小姐。却是一个高级教师。她小个子,黑皮肤,打扮入时,脸色有些阴沉。她站在桌子上首,另一位更为丰满的女人主持着另一张桌子。我想找第一天晚上见到过的那个女人,但没有找着,连她影子也没有见到,米勒小姐在我坐着的那张桌子占了个下首位置。而一位看上去很怪,颇像外国人的年长妇女--后来才发现她是法语教师--在另外一张餐桌的相对位置就座。大家做了一个长长的感恩祷告,还唱了一支圣歌,随后一个仆人给教师们送来了茶点,早餐就这样开始了。

   Ravenous, and now very faint, I devoured a spoonful or two of myportion without thinking of its taste; but the first edge of hungerblunted, I perceived I had got in hand a nauseous mess; burntporridge is almost as bad as rotten potatoes; famine itself soonsickens over it. The spoons were moved slowly: I saw each girltaste her food and try to swallow it; but in most cases the effortwas soon relinquished. Breakfast was over, and none hadbreakfasted. Thanks being returned for what we had not got, and asecond hymn chanted, the refectory was evacuated for the schoolroom.I was one of the last to go out, and in passing the tables, I sawone teacher take a basin of the porridge and taste it; she looked atthe others; all their countenances expressed displeasure, and one ofthem, the stout one, whispered -

  我饿慌了,这会儿已经头昏眼花,便把自己那份粥吞下了一两调羹,也顾不上是什么滋味。但最初的饥饿感一消失,我便发觉手里拿着的东西令人作呕,烧焦的粥同烂马铃薯一样糟糕,连饥饿本身也很快厌恶起它来。勺匙在各人手里缓慢地移动着,我看见每个姑娘尝了尝自己的食物,竭力想把它吞下去,但大多立刻放弃了努力。早餐结束了,可是谁也没有吃。我们作了感恩祷告,对我们没有得到的东西表示感谢,同时还唱了第二首赞美诗,接着便离开餐厅到教室去。我是最后一批走的,经过餐桌时,看见一位教师舀了一碗粥,尝了一尝,又看了看其他人,她们脸上都露出了不快的神色,其中一个胖胖的教师说:

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名著·简.爱 - 第14节