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顽固不化的姑娘！"斯卡查德小姐嚷道，"什么都改不掉你邋遢的习性，把木条拿走。" Burns obeyed: I looked at her narrowly as she emerged from thebook-closet; she was just putting back her handkerchief into herpocket, and the trace of a tear glistened on her thin cheek. 彭斯听从吩咐。她从藏书室里出来时，我细细打量了她，她正把手帕放回自己的口袋，瘦瘦的脸颊闪着泪痕。 The play-hour in the evening I thought the pleasantest fraction ofthe day at Lowood: the bit of bread, the draught of coffeeswallowed at five o'clock had revived vitality, if it had notsatisfied hunger: the long restraint of the day was slackened; theschoolroom felt warmer than in the morning--its fires being allowedto burn a little more brightly, to supply, in some measure, theplace of candles, not yet introduced: the ruddy gloaming, thelicensed uproar, the confusion of many voices gave one a welcomesense of liberty. 晚间的玩耍时光，我想是罗沃德一天中最愉快的一丁点儿时间。五点钟吞下的一小块面包和几口咖啡，虽然没有消除饥饿感，却恢复了活力。一整天的清规戒律放松了；教室里比早上要暖和；炉火允许燃得比平时旺，多少代替了尚未点燃的蜡烛。红通通的火光，放肆的喧闹，嘈杂的人声，给人以一种值得欢迎的自由感。 On the evening of the day on which I had seen Miss Scatcherd flogher pupil, Burns, I wandered as usual among the forms and tables andlaughing groups without a companion, yet not feeling lonely: when Ipassed the windows, I now and then lifted a blind, and looked out;it snowed fast, a drift was already forming against the lower panes;putting my ear close to the window, I could distinguish from thegleeful tumult within, the disconsolate moan of the wind outside. 在我看见斯卡查德小姐鞭打她的学生彭斯的那天晚上，我照例在长凳、桌子和笑声不绝的人群中间穿来穿去，虽然无人作伴，倒也并不寂寞。经过窗户时，我不时拉起百叶窗，向外眺望。雪下得很紧，下端的窗玻璃上已经积起了一层，我把耳朵贴在窗上，分辩得出里面轻快的喧哗和外面寒风凄厉的呻吟。 Probably, if I had lately left a good home and kind parents, thiswould have been the hour when I should most keenly have regrettedthe separation; that wind would then have saddened my heart; thisobscure chaos would have disturbed my peace! as it was, I derivedfrom both a strange excitement, and reckless and feverish, I wishedthe wind to howl more wildly, the gloom to deepen to darkness, andthe confusion to rise to clamour. 如果我刚离开了一个温暖的家和慈祥的双亲，这一时刻也许会非常后悔当初的离别；那风会使我伤心不已：这种模糊的混沌会打破我的平静，但实际上两者激起了我一莫名的兴奋，在不安和狂热之中，我盼望风会咆哮得更猛烈；天色会更加昏暗变得一团漆黑，嗡嗡的人声会进而成为喧嚣。 
我跨过凳子钻过桌子，寻路来到一个壁炉跟前，跪在高高的铁丝防护板旁边，我发现彭斯有一本书作伴，全神贯注，沉默不语，忘掉了周围的一切，借着余火灰暗的闪光读着书。 "Is it still 'Rasselas'?" I asked, coming behind her." 还是那本《拉塞拉斯》吗？"我来到她背后说。 "Yes," she said, "and I have just finished it."" 是的，"她说，"我刚读完它。" And in five minutes more she shut it up. I was glad of this."Now," thought I, "I can perhaps get her to talk." I sat down byher on the floor. 过了五分钟她掩上了书。这正合我心意。?""现在，"我想，"我也许能使她开口了吧。"我-屁股坐在她旁边的地板上。 "What is your name besides Burns" 除了彭斯，你还叫什么？" 
海伦。" "Do you come a long way from here?"" 你从很远的地方来吗？" "I come from a place farther north, quite on the borders ofScotland."" 我来自很靠北的一个地方，靠近苏格兰边界了。" "Will you ever go back?"" 你还回去吗？" "I hope so; but nobody can be sure of the future."" 我希望能这样，可是对未来谁也没有把握。" 
你想必很希望离开罗沃德，是吗？" "No! why should I? I was sent to Lowood to get an education; and itwould be of no use going away until I have attained that object."" 不，干嘛要这样呢？送我到罗沃德来是接受教育的，没有达到这个目的就走才没有意思呢。" "But that teacher, Miss Scatcherd, is so cruel to you?"" 可是那位教师，就是斯卡查德小姐，对你那么凶狠。" "Cruel? Not at all! She is severe: she dislikes my faults."" 凶狠？一点也没有！她很严格。她不喜欢我的缺点。" "And if I were in your place I should dislike her; I should resisther. If she struck me with that rod, I should get it from her hand;I should break it under her nose."" 如果我是你，我会讨厌她的，我会抵制。要是她用那束木条打我，我会从她手里夺过来，当着她的面把它折断。" 
兴许你根本不会干那类事。但要是你干了，布罗克赫斯特先生会把你撵出学校的，那会使你的亲戚感到难过。耐心忍受只有自己感到的痛苦，远比草率行动，产生连累亲朋的恶果要好，更何况《圣经》上嘱咐我们要以德报怨。" "But then it seems disgraceful to be flogged, and to be sent tostand in the middle of a room full of people; and you are such agreat girl: I am far younger than you, and I could not bear it."" 可是挨鞭子，罚站在满屋子是人的房间当中，毕竟是丢脸的呀！而且你己经是那么个大姑娘了。我比你小得多还受不了呢。" "Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it:it is weak and silly to say you CANNOT BEAR what it is your fate tobe required to bear."" 不过，要是你无法避免，那你的职责就是忍受。如果你命里注定需要忍受，那么说自己不能忍受就是软弱，就是犯傻。" I heard her with wonder: I could not comprehend this doctrine ofendurance; and still less could I understand or sympathise with theforbearance she expressed for her chastiser. Still I felt thatHelen Burns considered things by a light invisible to my eyes. Isuspected she might be right and I wrong; but I would not ponder thematter deeply; like Felix, I put it off to a more convenient season. 我听了感到不胜惊讶。我不能理解这"忍受"信条，更无法明白或同情她对惩罚者所表现出的宽容。不过我仍觉得海伦.彭斯是根据一种我所看不见的眼光来考虑事情的。我怀疑可能她对，我不对。但是我对这事不想再去深究，像费利克斯一样，我将它推迟到以后方便的时候去考虑。 "You say you have faults, Helen: what are they? To me you seemvery good."" 你说你有缺陷，海伦，什么缺陷？我看你很好嘛。" 
那你就听我说吧，别以貌取人，像斯卡查德小姐说的那样，我很邋遢。我难得把东西整理好，永远那么乱糟糟。我很粗心，总把规则忘掉，应当学习功课时却看闲书。我做事没有条理。有时像你一样会说，我受不了那种井井有条的管束。这一桩桩都使斯卡查德小姐很恼火，她天生讲究整洁，遵守时刻，一丝不苟。" "And cross and cruel," I added; but Helen Burns would not admit myaddition: she kept silence." 而且脾气急躁，强横霸道，"我补充说，但海论并没有附和，却依然沉默不语。 "Is Miss Temple as severe to you as Miss Scatcherd?"" 坦普尔小姐跟斯卡查德小姐对你一样严厉吗？" At the utterance of Miss Temple's name, a soft smile flitted overher grave face. 一提到坦普尔小姐的名字，她阴沉的脸上便掠过了一丝温柔的微笑。 "Miss Temple is full of goodness; it pains her to be severe to anyone, even the worst in the school: she sees my errors, and tells meof them gently; and, if I do anything worthy of praise, she gives memy meed liberally. One strong proof of my wretchedly defectivenature is, that even her expostulations, so mild, so rational, havenot influence to cure me of my faults; and even her praise, though Ivalue it most highly, cannot stimulate me to continued care andforesight."" 坦普尔小姐非常善良，不忍心对任何人严厉，即使是校里最差的学生。她看到我的错误，便和颜悦色地向我指出。要是我做了值得称赞的事情，她就慷慨地赞扬我。我的本性有严重缺陷，一个有力的证据是，尽管她的规劝那么恰到好处，那么合情合理，却依旧治不了我那些毛病。甚至她的赞扬，虽然我非常看重，却无法激励我始终小心谨慎，高瞻远瞩。" 
那倒是奇怪的，"我说，"要做到小心还不容易。"
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