目 录 上一节 下一节 
他神情很严肃。"怎么啦？你突然显得那么急切，这是什么意思？你打算干什么呢？" "To be active: as active as I can. And first I must beg you to setHannah at liberty, and get somebody else to wait on you."" 要活跃起来，要尽我所能活跃起来，首先我得求你让汉娜走，另找别人服侍你。" "Do you want her?"" 你要她吗？" "Yes, to go with me to Moor House. Diana and Mary will be at homein a week, and I want to have everything in order against theirarrival."" 是的。让她同我一起去沼泽居。黛安娜和玛丽一周之后就回家，我要把一切都拾掇得整整齐齐，迎接她们到来。" "I understand. I thought you were for flying off on some excursion.It is better so: Hannah shall go with you."" 我理解。我还以为你要去远游呢。不过这样也好，汉娜跟你走。" 
那么通知她明天以前作好准备。这是教室钥匙。明天早上我会把小屋的钥匙交给你。" He took it. "You give it up very gleefully," said he; "I don'tquite understand your light-heartedness, because I cannot tell whatemployment you propose to yourself as a substitute for the one youare relinquishing. What aim, what purpose, what ambition in lifehave you now?" 他拿了钥匙。"你高高兴兴地歇手了，"他说，"我并不十分理解你轻松的心情，因为我不知道你放弃这项工作后，要找什么工作来代替。现在你生活中的目标、目的和雄心是什么？" "My first aim will be to CLEAN DOWN (do you comprehend the fullforce of the expression?)--to CLEAN DOWN Moor House from chamber tocellar; my next to rub it up with bees-wax, oil, and an indefinitenumber of cloths, till it glitters again; my third, to arrange everychair, table, bed, carpet, with mathematical precision; afterwards Ishall go near to ruin you in coals and peat to keep up good fires inevery room; and lastly, the two days preceding that on which yoursisters are expected will be devoted by Hannah and me to such abeating of eggs, sorting of currants, grating of spices, compoundingof Christmas cakes, chopping up of materials for mince-pies, andsolemnising of other culinary rites, as words can convey but aninadequate notion of to the uninitiated like you. My purpose, inshort, is to have all things in an absolutely perfect state ofreadiness for Diana and Mary before next Thursday; and my ambitionis to give them a beau-ideal of a welcome when they come."" 我的第一个目标是清理（你理解这个词的全部力量吗？），把沼泽居从房间到地窖清理一遍；第二个目标是用蜂蜡、油和数不清的布头把房子擦得锃亮；第三个目标是按数学的精密度来安排每一件椅子、桌子、床和地毯，再后我要差不多耗尽你的煤和泥炭，把每个房间都生起熊熊的炉火来。最后，你妹妹们预计到达之前的两天，汉娜和我要大打其鸡蛋，细拣葡萄干，研磨调料，做圣诞饼，剁肉馅饼料子，隆重操持其他烹饪习俗。对你这样的门外汉，连语言也难以充分表达这番忙碌。总之，我的目的是下星期四黛安娜和玛丽到家之前，使一切都安排得妥妥贴贴。我的雄心就是她们到时给予最理想的欢迎。" St. John smiled slightly: still he was dissatisfied. 圣.约翰微微一笑，仍不满意。 "It is all very well for the present," said he; "but seriously, Itrust that when the first flush of vivacity is over, you will look alittle higher than domestic endearments and household joys."" 眼下说来这都不错，"他说，"不过认真地说，我相信第一阵快活的冲动过后，你的眼界不会局限于家人的亲热和家庭的欢乐。" 
人世间最好的东西，"我打断了他说。 "No, Jane, no: this world is not the scene of fruition; do notattempt to make it so: nor of rest; do not turn slothful."" 不，简，这个世界不是享乐的天地，别去想把它变成这样，或者变成休憩的乐园，不要懈怠懒惰。" "I mean, on the contrary, to be busy."" 恰恰相反，我的意思是要大忙一番。" "Jane, I excuse you for the present: two months' grace I allow youfor the full enjoyment of your new position, and for pleasingyourself with this late-found charm of relationship; but THEN, Ihope you will begin to look beyond Moor House and Morton, andsisterly society, and the selfish calm and sensual comfort ofcivilised affluence. I hope your energies will then once moretrouble you with their strength."" 简，我暂时谅解你，给你两个月的宽限，充分享受你新职位的乐趣，也为最近找到亲戚而陶醉一番。但以后，我希望你开始把眼光放远些，不要光盯着沼泽居和莫尔顿，盯着姐妹圈子，盯着自己的宁静，盯着文明富裕所带来的肉体享受。我希望到那时你的充沛精力会再次让你不安。" I looked at him with surprise. "St. John," I said, "I think you arealmost wicked to talk so. I am disposed to be as content as aqueen, and you try to stir me up to restlessness! To what end?" 我惊讶地看着他。"圣.约翰，"我说，"我认为你这样说是近乎恶毒了。我本希望象女皇那样称心如意，而你却要弄得我不得安宁！你安的什么心？" 
我的用心是要使上帝赋予你的才能发挥作用，有一天他肯定会对此严加盘问的。简，我会密切而焦急地注意你--我提醒你--要竭力抑制你对庸俗的家庭乐趣所过分流露的热情。不要那么苦苦依恋肉体的关系，把你的坚毅和热诚留给一项适当的事业，不要将它浪费在平凡而短暂的事情上。听见了吗，简？" "Yes; just as if you were speaking Greek. I feel I have adequatecause to be happy, and I WILL be happy. Goodbye!"" 听见了，就仿佛你在说希腊文。我觉得我有充分理由感到愉快，我一定会愉快的。再见！" Happy at Moor House I was, and hard I worked; and so did Hannah:she was charmed to see how jovial I could be amidst the bustle of ahouse turned topsy-turvy--how I could brush, and dust, and clean,and cook. And really, after a day or two of confusion worseconfounded, it was delightful by degrees to invoke order from thechaos ourselves had made. I had previously taken a journey to S- topurchase some new furniture: my cousins having given me CARTEBLANCHE TO effect what alterations I pleased, and a sum having beenset aside for that purpose. The ordinary sitting-room and bedroomsI left much as they were: for I knew Diana and Mary would derivemore pleasure from seeing again the old homely tables, and chairs,and beds, than from the spectacle of the smartest innovations.Still some novelty was necessary, to give to their return thepiquancy with which I wished it to be invested. Dark handsome newcarpets and curtains, an arrangement of some carefully selectedantique ornaments in porcelain and bronze, new coverings, andmirrors, and dressing-cases, for the toilet tables, answered theend: they looked fresh without being glaring. A spare parlour andbedroom I refurnished entirely, with old mahogany and crimsonupholstery: I laid canvas on the passage, and carpets on thestairs. When all was finished, I thought Moor House as complete amodel of bright modest snugness within, as it was, at this season, aspecimen of wintry waste and desert dreariness without. 我在沼泽居很愉快，也干得很起劲，汉娜也一样，她看着我在一片混乱的房子里会忙得乐不可支，看着我会那么扫呀，摔呀，清理呀，烧呀，忙个不停，简直看得入了迷。真的，过了那么一两天最乱的日子后，我们很高兴地从自己所制造的混乱中，逐步恢复了秩序。在此之前我上了Ｓ城，购买了一些新家具，我的表兄表姐们全权委托我，随我高兴对房间的布置作什么改动，并且拿出一笔钱来派这个用处。普通的起居室和寝室我大体保持原样，因为我知道，黛安娜和玛丽又一次看到朴实的桌子、椅子和床，会比看到最时髦的整修更愉快。不过赋予某些新意还是必要的，使她们回家的时候有一种我所希望的生气。添上黑色漂亮的新地毯、新窗帘、几件经过精心挑选的、古色古香的瓷器和铜器摆设，还有新床罩、镜子和化妆台上的化妆盒等等，便达到了这一目的。它们看上去鲜艳而不耀眼。一间空余的客厅和寝室，用旧红木家具和大红套子重新布置了一下。我在过道上铺了帆布，楼梯上铺了地毯。一切都完成以后，我想在这个季节里沼泽居既是室内光亮舒适的典范，又是室外寒冬枯叶、荒芜凄凉的标本。 The eventful Thursday at length came. They were expected aboutdark, and ere dusk fires were lit upstairs and below; the kitchenwas in perfect trim; Hannah and I were dressed, and all was inreadiness. 不平凡的星期四终于到来了。估计她们约摸天黑时到。黄昏前楼上楼下都生了火，厨房里清清爽爽。汉娜和我都穿戴好了，一切都已收拾停当。 St. John arrived first. I had entreated him to keep quite clear ofthe house till everything was arranged: and, indeed, the bare ideaof the commotion, at once sordid and trivial, going on within itswalls sufficed to scare him to estrangement. He found me in thekitchen, watching the progress of certain cakes for tea, thenbaking. Approaching the hearth, he asked, "If I was at lastsatisfied with housemaid's work?" I answered by inviting him toaccompany me on a general inspection of the result of my labours.With some difficulty, I got him to make the tour of the house. Hejust looked in at the doors I opened; and when he had wanderedupstairs and downstairs, he said I must have gone through a greatdeal of fatigue and trouble to have effected such considerablechanges in so short a time: but not a syllable did he utterindicating pleasure in the improved aspect of his abode. 圣.约翰先到。我求他等全都布置好了再进房子。说真的，光想想四壁之内又肮脏又琐碎乱哄哄的样子，足以吓得他躲得远远的。他看见我在厨房里，照管着正在烘烤的茶点用饼，便走近炉子问道，"你是不是终于对女仆的活儿感到满意了？"作为回答，我邀请他陪我全面察看一下我劳动的成果。我好不容易说动他到房子里去走一走，他也不过是往我替他打开的门里瞧了一瞧。他楼上楼下转了一圈后说，准是费了很大一番劳累和麻烦，才能在那么短时间内带来如此可观的变化。但他只字未提住处面貌改变后给他带来了什么愉快。 
他的沉默很使我扫兴。我想也许这些更动扰乱了他所珍惜的某些往事的联想。我问他是不是这么回事，当然语气有点儿灰心丧气。 "Not at all; he had, on the contrary, remarked that I hadscrupulously respected every association: he feared, indeed, I musthave bestowed more thought on the matter than it was worth. Howmany minutes, for instance, had I devoted to studying thearrangement of this very room?--By-the-bye, could I tell him wheresuch a book was?"" 一点也没有。相反，我认为你悉心考虑了每种联想。说真的，我担心你在这上面花的心思太多了，不值得。譬如说吧，你花了多少时间来考虑布置这间房间？--随便问一下，你知道某本书在哪儿吗？"
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