目 录 上一节 下一节 
对你说来无疑是这样。早上我仔细观察了你上课时的情形，发现你非常专心。米勒小姐讲解功课，问你问题时，你思想从不开小差。而我的思绪却总是飘忽不定，当我应该听斯卡查德小姐讲课，应该用心把她讲的记住时，我常常连她说话的声音都听不见了。我进入了一种梦境，有时我以为自己到了诺森伯兰郡，以为周围的耳语声，是我家附近流过深谷那条小溪源源的水声，于是轮到我回答时，我得从梦境中被唤醒。而因为倾听着想象中的溪流声，现实中便什么也没有听到，我也就回答不上来了。" "Yet how well you replied this afternoon."" 可是你今天，下午回答得多好！" "It was mere chance; the subject on which we had been reading hadinterested me. This afternoon, instead of dreaming of Deepden, Iwas wondering how a man who wished to do right could act so unjustlyand unwisely as Charles the First sometimes did; and I thought whata pity it was that, with his integrity and conscientiousness, hecould see no farther than the prerogatives of the crown. If he hadbut been able to look to a distance, and see how what they call thespirit of the age was tending! Still, I like Charles--I respecthim--I pity him, poor murdered king! Yes, his enemies were theworst: they shed blood they had no right to shed. How dared theykill him!"" 那只是碰巧，因为我对我们读的内容很感兴趣，今天下午我没有梦游深谷，我在纳闷，一个像查理一世那样希望做好事的人，怎么有时会干出那么不义的蠢事来，我想这多可惜，那么正直真诚的人竟看不到皇权以外的东西。要是他能看得远些，看清了所谓时代精神的走向该多好！虽然这样，我还是喜欢查理一世，我尊敬他，我怜惜他，这位可怜的被谋杀的皇帝。不错，他的仇敌最坏，他们让自己没有权利伤害的人流了血，竟敢杀害了他！" Helen was talking to herself now: she had forgotten I could notvery well understand her--that I was ignorant, or nearly so, of thesubject she discussed. I recalled her to my level. 此刻海伦在自言自语了，她忘了我无法很好理解她的话，忘了我对她谈论的话题一无所知，或者差不多如此。我把她拉回到我的水准上来。 "And when Miss Temple teaches you, do your thoughts wander then?"" 那么坦普尔小姐上课的时候，你也走神吗？" 
当然不是，不常这样。因为坦普尔小姐总是有比我的想法更富有新意的东西要说。她的语言也特别让我喜欢，她所传授的知识常常是我所希望获得的。" "Well, then, with Miss Temple you are good?"" 这么看来，你在坦普尔小姐面前表现很好罗。" "Yes, in a passive way: I make no effort; I follow as inclinationguides me. There is no merit in such goodness."" 是的，出于被动。我没有费力气，只是随心所欲而己，这种表现好没有什么了不起。" "A great deal: you are good to those who are good to you. It isall I ever desire to be. If people were always kind and obedient tothose who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it alltheir own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they wouldnever alter, but would grow worse and worse. When we are struck atwithout a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am surewe should--so hard as to teach the person who struck us never to doit again."" 很了不起，别人待你好，你待别人也好。我就一直希望这样做。要是你对那些强横霸道的人，总是客客气气，说啥听啥，那坏人就会为所欲为，就会天不怕地不怕，非但永远不会改，而且会愈变愈坏。要是无缘无故挨打，那我们就要狠狠地回击，肯定得这样，狠到可以教训那个打我们的人，让他再也洗手不干了。" "You will change your mind, I hope, when you grow older: as yet youare but a little untaught girl."" 我想，等你长大了你的想法会改变的，现在你不过是个没有受过教育的小姑娘。" 
可我是这么感觉的，海伦，那些不管我怎样讨他们欢心，硬是讨厌我的人，我必定会厌恶的。我必须反抗那些无理惩罚我的人。同样自然的是，我会爱那些爱抚我的人，或者当我认为自己该受罚的时候，我会心甘情愿去承受。" "Heathens and savage tribes hold that doctrine, but Christians andcivilised nations disown it."" 那是异教徒和野蛮宗族的信条，基督教徒和开化的民族不信这一套。" "How? I don't understand."" 怎么会呢？我不懂。" "It is not violence that best overcomes hate--nor vengeance thatmost certainly heals injury."" 暴力不是消除仇恨的最好办法--同样，报复也绝对医治不了伤害。" "What then?"" 那么是什么呢？" 
读一读《新约全书》，注意一下基督的言行，把他的话当作你的准绳，把他的行为当你的榜样吧。" "What does He say?"" 他怎么说？" "Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them thathate you and despitefully use you."" 你们的仇敌要爱他，咒诅你们的要为他祝福，恨你们、凌辱你们的要待他好。" "Then I should love Mrs. Reed, which I cannot do; I should bless herson John, which is impossible."" 那我应当爱里德太太了，这我可做不到；我应当祝福他儿子约翰了，但那根本不可能。" In her turn, Helen Burns asked me to explain, and I proceededforthwith to pour out, in my own way, the tale of my sufferings andresentments. Bitter and truculent when excited, I spoke as I felt,without reserve or softening. 这回轮到海伦.彭斯要求我解释明白了。我便以自己特有的方式，一五一十地向她诉说了自己的痛苦和愤懑。心里一激动，说话便尖酸刻薄，但我怎么感觉就怎么说，毫不保留，语气也不婉转。 
海伦耐心地听完了我的话，我以为她会发表点感想，但她什么也没说。 "Well," I asked impatiently, "is not Mrs. Reed a hard-hearted, badwoman?"" 好吧，"我耐不住终于问，"难道里德太太不是一个冷酷无情的坏女人吗？" "She has been unkind to you, no doubt; because you see, she dislikesyour cast of character, as Miss Scatcherd does mine; but howminutely you remember all she has done and said to you! What asingularly deep impression her injustice seems to have made on yourheart! No ill-usage so brands its record on my feelings. Would younot be happier if you tried to forget her severity, together withthe passionate emotions it excited? Life appears to me too short tobe spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs. We are, andmust be, one and all, burdened with faults in this world: but thetime will soon come when, I trust, we shall put them off in puttingoff our corruptible bodies; when debasement and sin will fall fromus with this cumbrous frame of flesh, and only the spark of thespirit will remain,--the impalpable principle of light and thought,pure as when it left the Creator to inspire the creature: whence itcame it will return; perhaps again to be communicated to some beinghigher than man--perhaps to pass through gradations of glory, fromthe pale human soul to brighten to the seraph! Surely it willnever, on the contrary, be suffered to degenerate from man to fiend?No; I cannot believe that: I hold another creed: which no one evertaught me, and which I seldom mention; but in which I delight, andto which I cling: for it extends hope to all: it makes Eternity arest--a mighty home, not a terror and an abyss. Besides, with thiscreed, I can so clearly distinguish between the criminal and hiscrime; I can so sincerely forgive the first while I abhor the last:with this creed revenge never worries my heart, degradation nevertoo deeply disgusts me, injustice never crushes me too low: I livein calm, looking to the end."" 毫无疑问，她对你不客气。因为你瞧，她不喜欢你的性格，就像斯卡查德小姐不喜欢我的脾性一样，可是她的言行你却那么耿耿于怀！她的不公好像已经在你心坎里留下了特别深刻的印象！无论什么虐待都不会在我的情感上烙下这样的印记。要是你忘掉她对你的严厉，忘掉由此而引起的愤慨，你不就会更愉快吗？对我来说，生命似乎太短暂了，不应用来结仇和记恨。人生在世，谁都会有一身罪过，而且必定如此，但我相信，很快就会有这么一天，我们在摆脱腐坏躯体的同时，也会摆脱这些罪过。到那时，堕落与罪过将会随同累赘的肉体离开我们，只留下精神的火花--生命和思想的本源，它像当初离开上帝使万物具有生命时那么纯洁，它从哪里来就回到哪里去，也许又会被传递给比人类更高级的东西一-也许会经过各个荣耀的阶段，从照亮人类的苍白灵魂，到照亮最高级的六翼天使。相反它决不会允许从人类坠落到魔鬼，是吧？是的，我不相信会这样。我持有另一种信条，这种信条没有人教过我，我也很少提起，但我为此感到愉快，我对它坚信不渝，因为它给所有的人都带来了希望。它使永恒成为一种安息，一个宏大的家，而并非恐惧和深渊。此外，有了这个信条，我能够清楚地分辨罪犯和他的罪孽，我可以真诚地宽恕前者，而对后者无比憎恶，有了这个信条，复仇永不会使我操心，坠落不会让我感到过份深恶痛绝，不公平不会把我完全压倒，我平静地生活，期待着末日。" Helen's head, always drooping, sank a little lower as she finishedthis sentence. I saw by her look she wished no longer to talk tome, but rather to converse with her own thoughts. She was notallowed much time for meditation: a monitor, a great rough girl,presently came up, exclaiming in a strong Cumberland accent - 海伦向来耷拉着脑袋，而讲完这句话时她把头垂得更低了。从她的神态上我知道她不想跟我再谈下去了，而情愿同自己的思想交流。她也没有很多时间可以沉思默想了，马上就来了一位班长，一个又大又粗的姑娘，带着很重的昆布兰口音叫道：
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