名著·简.爱 - 第22节


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  好粗心的姑娘!"布罗克赫斯特先生说,随后立刻又说,"是个新来的学生,我看出来了,"我还没喘过气来,他又说下去,"我可别忘了,有句关于她的话要说,"随后大着嗓门说。在我听来,那声音有多响啊!"让那个打破写字板的孩子到前面来!"

   Of my own accord I could not have stirred; I was paralysed: but thetwo great girls who sit on each side of me, set me on my legs andpushed me towards the dread judge, and then Miss Temple gentlyassisted me to his very feet, and I caught her whispered counsel -

  我自己已经无法动弹了,我瘫了下来。可是坐在我两边的两个大姑娘,扶我站了起来,把我推向那位可怖的法官。随后坦普尔小姐轻轻地搀着我来到他的脚跟前,我听见她小声地劝导我:

   "Don't be afraid, Jane, I saw it was an accident; you shall not bepunished.""

  别怕,简,我知道这不是故意的,你不会受罚。"

   The kind whisper went to my heart like a dagger.

  这善意的耳语像匕首一样直刺我心扉。

   "Another minute, and she will despise me for a hypocrite," thoughtI; and an impulse of fury against Reed, Brocklehurst, and Co.bounded in my pulses at the conviction. I was no Helen Burns."

  再过一分钟,她就会把我当作伪君子而瞧不起我了,"我想。一想到这点,心中便激起了一腔怒火,冲着里德太太和布罗克赫斯特一伙们,我可不是海伦.彭斯。

  把那条凳子拿来,"布罗克赫斯特先生指着一条很高的凳子说一位班长刚从那儿站起来。凳子给端来了。

   "Place the child upon it.""

  把这孩子放上去。"

   And I was placed there, by whom I don't know: I was in no conditionto note particulars; I was only aware that they had hoisted me up tothe height of Mr. Brocklehurst's nose, that he was within a yard ofme, and that a spread of shot orange and purple silk pelisses and acloud of silvery plumage extended and waved below me.

  我被抱到了凳子上,是谁抱的,我并不知道,我已经不可能去注意细枝末节了。我只知道他们把我摆到了跟布罗克赫斯特先生鼻子一般高的地方;知道他离我只有一码远;知道在我下面,一片桔黄色和紫色的闪缎饰皮外衣和浓雾般银色的羽毛在扩展,在飘拂。

   Mr. Brocklehurst hemmed.

  布罗克赫斯特先生清了清嗓子。

   "Ladies," said he, turning to his family, "Miss Temple, teachers,and children, you all see this girl?""

  女士们,"他说着转向他的家人,"坦普尔小姐,教师们和孩子们,你们都看到了这个女孩子了吧?"

  她们当然是看到了。我觉到她们的眼睛像凸透镜那样对准了我烧灼的皮肤。

   "You see she is yet young; you observe she possesses the ordinaryform of childhood; God has graciously given her the shape that Hehas given to all of us; no signal deformity points her out as amarked character. Who would think that the Evil One had alreadyfound a servant and agent in her? Yet such, I grieve to say, is thecase.""

  你们瞧,她还很小。你们看到了,她的外貌与一般孩子没有什么两样,上帝仁慈地把赐与我们大家的外形,一样赐给了她,没有什么明显的残疾表明她是个特殊人物。谁能想到魔鬼已经在她身上找到了一个奴仆和代理人呢?而我痛心地说,这就是事实。"

   A pause--in which I began to steady the palsy of my nerves, and tofeel that the Rubicon was passed; and that the trial, no longer tobe shirked, must be firmly sustained.

  他又停顿了一下。在这间隙,我开始让自己紧张的神经稳定下来,并觉得鲁比孔河已经渡过,既然审判已无法回避,那就只得硬着头去忍受了。

   "My dear children," pursued the black marble clergyman, with pathos,"this is a sad, a melancholy occasion; for it becomes my duty towarn you, that this girl, who might be one of God's own lambs, is alittle castaway: not a member of the true flock, but evidently aninterloper and an alien. You must be on your guard against her; youmust shun her example; if necessary, avoid her company, exclude herfrom your sports, and shut her out from your converse. Teachers,you must watch her: keep your eyes on her movements, weigh well herwords, scrutinise her actions, punish her body to save her soul:if, indeed, such salvation be possible, for (my tongue falters whileI tell it) this girl, this child, the native of a Christian land,worse than many a little heathen who says its prayers to Brahma andkneels before Juggernaut--this girl is--a liar!""

  我的可爱的孩子们,"这位黑大理石般的牧师悲切地继续说下去,"这是一个悲哀而令人忧伤的场合,因为我有责任告诫大家,这个本可以成为上帝自己羔羊的女孩子,是个小小的被遗弃者,不属于真正的羊群中的一员,而显然是一个闯入者,一个异己。你们必须提防她,不要学她样子。必要的话避免与她作伴,不要同她一起游戏,不要与她交谈。教师们,你们必须看住她,注意她的行踪,掂量她的话语,监视她的行动,惩罚她的肉体以拯救她的灵魂,如果有可能挽救的话,因为(我实在说不出口),这个姑娘,这个孩子,基督国土上的本地子民,比很多向梵天祈祷,向讫里什那神像跪拜的小异教徒还坏,这个女孩子是一个--说谎者!"

   Now came a pause of ten minutes, during which I, by this time inperfect possession of my wits, observed all the female Brocklehurstsproduce their pocket-handkerchiefs and apply them to their optics,while the elderly lady swayed herself to and fro, and the twoyounger ones whispered, "How shocking!" Mr. Brocklehurst resumed.

  这时开始了十分钟的停顿。而此时我己经镇定自若,看到布罗克赫斯特家的三个女人都拿出了手帕,揩了揩眼镜,年长的一位身子前后摇晃着,年轻的两位耳语着说:"多可怕!"布罗克赫斯特先生继续说。

  我是从她的恩人,一位廉诚慈善的太太那儿知道的。她成了孤儿的时候,是这位太太收养了她,把她作为亲生女儿来养育。这位不幸的姑娘竟以忘恩负义来报答她的善良和慷慨。这种行为那么恶劣,那么可怕,那位出色的恩主终于不得不把她同自己幼小的孩子们分开,生怕她的坏样子会沾污他们的纯洁。她被送到这里来治疗,就像古时的犹太人把病人送往毕士大搅动着的池水中一样。教师们,校长们,我请求你们不要让她周围成为一潭死水。"

   With this sublime conclusion, Mr. Brocklehurst adjusted the topbutton of his surtout, muttered something to his family, who rose,bowed to Miss Temple, and then all the great people sailed in statefrom the room. Turning at the door, my judge said -

  说了这样精彩的结语以后,布罗克赫斯特先生整了一下长大衣最上头的一个钮扣,同他的家属嘀咕了几句,后者站起来,向坦普尔小姐鞠了一躬。随后所有的大人物都堂而皇之地走出了房间。在门边拐弯时,我的这位法官说:

   "Let her stand half-an-hour longer on that stool, and let no onespeak to her during the remainder of the day.""

  让她在那条凳子上再站半个小时,在今天的其余时间里,不要同她说话。"

   There was I, then, mounted aloft; I, who had said I could not bearthe shame of standing on my natural feet in the middle of the room,was now exposed to general view on a pedestal of infamy. What mysensations were no language can describe; but just as they all rose,stifling my breath and constricting my throat, a girl came up andpassed me: in passing, she lifted her eyes. What a strange lightinspired them! What an extraordinary sensation that ray sentthrough me! How the new feeling bore me up! It was as if a martyr,a hero, had passed a slave or victim, and imparted strength in thetransit. I mastered the rising hysteria, lifted up my head, andtook a firm stand on the stool. Helen Burns asked some slightquestion about her work of Miss Smith, was chidden for thetriviality of the inquiry, returned to her place, and smiled at meas she again went by. What a smile! I remember it now, and I knowthat it was the effluence of fine intellect, of true courage; it litup her marked lineaments, her thin face, her sunken grey eye, like areflection from the aspect of an angel. Yet at that moment HelenBurns wore on her arm "the untidy badge;" scarcely an hour ago I hadheard her condemned by Miss Scatcherd to a dinner of bread and wateron the morrow because she had blotted an exercise in copying it out.Such is the imperfect nature of man! such spots are there on thedisc of the clearest planet; and eyes like Miss Scatcherd's can onlysee those minute defects, and are blind to the full brightness ofthe orb.

  于是我就这么高高地站着。而我曾说过,我不能忍受双脚站立于房间正中的耻辱,但此刻我却站在耻辱台上示众。我的感触非语言所能形容。但是正当全体起立,使我呼吸困难,喉头紧缩的时候,一位姑娘走上前来,从我身边经过。她在走过时抬起了眼睛。那双眼睛闪着多么奇怪的光芒!那道光芒使我浑身充满了一种多么异乎寻常的感觉!这种新感觉给予我多大的支持!仿佛一位殉道者、一个英雄走过一个奴隶或者牺牲者的身边,刹那之间把力量也传给了他。我控制住了正待发作的歇斯底里,抬起头来,坚定地站在凳子上。海伦.彭斯问了史密斯小姐某个关于她作业的小问题,因为问题琐碎而被申斥了一通。她回到自己的位置上去时,再次走过我,对我微微一笑。多好的微笑!我至今还记得,而且知道,这是睿智和真正的勇气的流露,它像天使脸上的反光一样,照亮了她富有特征的面容、瘦削的脸庞和深陷的灰眼睛。然而就在那一刻,海伦.彭斯的胳膊上还佩戴着"不整洁标记";不到一小时之前我听见斯卡查德小姐罚她明天中饭只吃面包和清水,就因为她在抄写习题时弄脏了练习簿。人的天性就是这样的不完美!即使是最明亮的行星也有这类黑斑,而斯卡查德小姐这样的眼睛只能看到细微的缺陷,却对星球的万丈光芒视而不见。

   Ere the half-hour ended, five o'clock struck; school was dismissed,and all were gone into the refectory to tea. I now ventured todescend: it was deep dusk; I retired into a corner and sat down onthe floor. The spell by which I had been so far supported began todissolve; reaction took place, and soon, so overwhelming was thegrief that seized me, I sank prostrate with my face to the ground.Now I wept: Helen Burns was not here; nothing sustained me; left tomyself I abandoned myself, and my tears watered the boards. I hadmeant to be so good, and to do so much at Lowood: to make so manyfriends, to earn respect and win affection. Already I had madevisible progress: that very morning I had reached the head of myclass; Miss Miller had praised me warmly; Miss Temple had smiledapprobation; she had promised to teach me drawing, and to let melearn French, if I continued to make similar improvement two monthslonger: and then I was well received by my fellow-pupils; treatedas an equal by those of my own age, and not molested by any; now,here I lay again crushed and trodden on; and could I ever rise more?

  半个小时不到,钟就敲响了五点。散课了,大家都进饭厅去吃茶点,我这才大着胆走下凳子。这时暮色正浓,我躲进一个角落,在地板上坐了下来。一直支撑着我的魔力消失了,被不良反应所取代。我伤心不已,脸朝下扑倒在地,嚎啕大哭起来。海伦.彭斯不在,没有东西支撑我。孤身独处,我难以自制,眼泪洒到了地板上。我曾打算在罗沃德表现那么出色,做那么多事情,交那么多朋友,博得别人的尊敬,赢得大家的爱护,而且已经取得了明显的进步。就在那天早上,我在班上己经名列前矛,米勒小姐热情夸奖我,坦普尔小姐微笑着表 示 赞许,还答应教我绘画,让我学法文、只要我在两个月之内继续取得同样的进步,此外,我也深受同学们的欢迎,同我年龄相仿的人也对我平等相待,我已不再受人欺悔。然而此刻,我又被打倒在地,遭人践踏。我还有翻身之日吗?

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名著·简.爱 - 第22节