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如上周四在郡《先驱报》上登了广告的Ｊ.Ｅ.具备她所提及的修养，如她能为自己的品格与能力提供满意的证明人，即可获得一份工作，仅需教一名学生，一个不满十岁的小女孩，年薪为三十英镑。务请将证明人及其姓名、地址和详情寄往下列姓名和地址："××郡，米尔科特附近，桑菲尔德，费尔法克斯太太收。" I examined the document long: the writing was old-fashioned andrather uncertain, like that of in elderly lady. This circumstancewas satisfactory: a private fear had haunted me, that in thusacting for myself, and by my own guidance, I ran the risk of gettinginto some scrape; and, above all things, I wished the result of myendeavours to be respectable, proper, en regle. I now felt that anelderly lady was no bad ingredient in the business I had on hand.Mrs. Fairfax! I saw her in a black gown and widow's cap; frigid,perhaps, but not uncivil: a model of elderly Englishrespectability. Thornfield! that, doubtless, was the name of herhouse: a neat orderly spot, I was sure; though I failed in myefforts to conceive a correct plan of the premises. Millcote, -shire; I brushed up my recollections of the map of England, yes, Isaw it; both the shire and the town. -shire was seventy milesnearer London than the remote county where I now resided: that wasa recommendation to me. I longed to go where there was life andmovement: Millcote was a large manufacturing town on the banks ofthe A-; a busy place enough, doubtless: so much the better; itwould be a complete change at least. Not that my fancy was muchcaptivated by the idea of long chimneys and clouds of smoke--"but,"I argued, "Thornfield will, probably, be a good way from the town." 我把文件细看了很久。字体很老式，笔迹不大稳，像是一位老年妇女写的。这一情况倒是让人满意的。我曾暗自担心，我自作主张，独自行动，会有陷入某种困境的危险。尤其是我希望自己努力得来的成果是体面的、正当的、en regle。我现在觉得手头的这件事涉及一位老年妇女倒是好事。费尔法克斯太太！我想象她穿着黑色的长袍，戴着寡妇帽，也许索然无味，但井不失为一位典型的英国老派体面人物。桑菲尔德！毫无疑问，那是她住宅的名称，肯定是个整洁而井井有条的地方，尽管我无力设想这幢房子的确切结构。××郡的米尔科特，我重温了记忆中的英国地图。不错，郡和镇都看到了。××郡比我现在居住的最偏远的郡，离伦敦要近七十英里。这对我来说是十分可取的。我向往活跃热闹的地方。禾尔科特是个大工业城市，坐落在埃×河岸上，无疑是够热闹的。这样岂不更好，至少也是个彻底的改变。倒不是我的想象被那些高高的烟囱和团团烟雾所吸引，"不过，"我争辩着，"或许桑菲尔德离镇很远呢。" Here the socket of the candle dropped, and the wick went out. 这时残烛落入了烛台孔中，烛芯熄灭了。 Next day new steps were to be taken; my plans could no longer beconfined to my own breast; I must impart them in order to achievetheir success. Having sought and obtained an audience of thesuperintendent during the noontide recreation, I told her I had aprospect of getting a new situation where the salary would be doublewhat I now received (for at Lowood I only got 15 pounds per annum);and requested she would break the matter for me to Mr. Brocklehurst,or some of the committee, and ascertain whether they would permit meto mention them as references. She obligingly consented to act asmediatrix in the matter. The next day she laid the affair beforeMr. Brocklehurst, who said that Mrs. Reed must be written to, as shewas my natural guardian. A note was accordingly addressed to thatlady, who returned for answer, that "I might do as I pleased: shehad long relinquished all interference in my affairs." This notewent the round of the committee, and at last, after what appeared tome most tedious delay, formal leave was given me to better mycondition if I could; and an assurance added, that as I had alwaysconducted myself well, both as teacher and pupil, at Lowood, atestimonial of character and capacity, signed by the inspectors ofthat institution, should forthwith be furnished me. 第二天我得采取一些新的措施，这个计划不能再闷在自己心里了。为了获得成功我必须说出口。下午娱乐活动时间，我去拜见了校长，告诉她我有可能找到一个新的职位，薪金是我目前所得的两倍（在罗沃德我的年薪为十五镑），请她替我把这事透露给布罗克赫斯特先生或委员会里的某些人，并问明白他们是否允许我把他们作为证明人提出来。她一口答应充当这件事情的协调人。第二天，她向布罗克赫斯特先生提出了这件事，而他说必须写信通知里德太太，因为她是我的当然监护人。结果便向那位太太发了封简函。她回信说，一切悉听尊便，她已久不干预我的事务了。这封信函在委员会里传阅，并经过了在我看来是极其今人厌烦的拖延后，我终于得到了正式许可，在可能情况下改善自己的处境。附带还保证，由于我在罗沃德当教师和当学生时，一向表现很好，为此即将为我提供一份由学校督导签字的品格和能力证明书。 This testimonial I accordingly received in about a month, forwardeda copy of it to Mrs. Fairfax, and got that lady's reply, statingthat she was satisfied, and fixing that day fortnight as the periodfor my assuming the post of governess in her house. 大约一周以后，我收到了这份证明，抄寄了一份给费尔法克斯太太，并得到了那位太太的回复，说是对我感到满意，并定于两周后我去那位太太家担任家庭教师。 
现在我忙于作准备了。两周时间一晃而过。我的衣装不多，只是够穿罢了。最后一天也完全够我整理箱子--还是八年前从盖茨黑德带来的那一只. The box was corded, the card nailed on. In half-an-hour the carrierwas to call for it to take it to Lowton, whether I myself was torepair at an early hour the next morning to meet the coach. I hadbrushed my black stuff travelling-dress, prepared my bonnet, gloves,and muff; sought in all my drawers to see that no article was leftbehind; and now having nothing more to do, I sat down and tried torest. I could not; though I had been on foot all day, I could notnow repose an instant; I was too much excited. A phase of my lifewas closing to-night, a new one opening to-morrow: impossible toslumber in the interval; I must watch feverishly while the changewas being accomplished. 箱子已用绳子捆好，贴上了标签。半小时之后有脚夫来把它取走，送往洛顿，我自己则第二天一早要赶到那里去等公共马车。我刷好了我的黑呢旅行装，备好帽子、手套和皮手筒，把所有的抽屉翻了一遍，免得丢下什么东西。此刻，我已无事可做，便想坐下来休息一下。但我做不到，尽管我已奔忙了一整天，却一刻也无法休息，我太兴奋了。我生活的一个阶段今晚就要结束，明天将开始一个新的阶段。在两者的间隙，我难以入睡，我必须满腔热情地观看这变化的完成。 "Miss," said a servant who met me in the lobby, where I waswandering like a troubled spirit, "a person below wishes to seeyou."" 小姐，"一个在门厅碰到我的仆人说。这会儿我正像一个不安的幽灵似地在那里徘徊，"楼下有个人要见你。" "The carrier, no doubt," I thought, and ran downstairs withoutinquiry. I was passing the back-parlour or teachers' sitting-room,the door of which was half open, to go to the kitchen, when some oneran out -" 准是脚夫，"我想，问也没问一声就奔下了楼去。我正经过半开着的后客厅，也就是教师休息室，向厨房走去，有人却从里面跑了出来 "It's her, I am sure!--I could have told her anywhere!" cried theindividual who stopped my progress and took my hand. 。"准是她！--在哪儿我都认得出她来！"那人拦住我，一把抓过我的手叫道。 
我定睛一看，见是一个少妇，穿戴得像一个衣着讲究的仆人，一付已婚妇女模样，却不失年轻漂亮，头发和眸子乌黑，脸色红润。 "Well, who is it?" she asked, in a voice and with a smile I halfrecognised; "you've not quite forgotten me, I think, Miss Jane?"." 瞧，是谁来了？"她回话的嗓音和笑容我似曾相识，"我想你没有把我完全忘记吧，简小姐？" In another second I was embracing and kissing her rapturously:"Bessie! Bessie! Bessie!" that was all I said; whereat she halflaughed, half cried, and we both went into the parlour. By the firestood a little fellow of three years old, in plaid frock andtrousers. 顷刻之间我便喜不自禁地拥抱她，吻她了。"贝茜！贝茜！贝茜！"我光这么叫着，而她听了又是笑又是哭，两人都进了后客厅。壁炉旁边站着一个三岁左右的小家伙，穿着花格呢外衣和裤子。 "That is my little boy," said Bessie directly." 那是我的儿子，"贝茜立刻说。 "Then you are married, Bessie?"" 这么说，你结婚了，贝茜？" 
是呀，己经快五年了，嫁给了马车夫罗伯特.利文，除了站在那儿的鲍比，我还有一个小女孩，我把她的教名取作简。" "And you don't live at Gateshead?"" 你不住在盖茨黑德了？" "I live at the lodge: the old porter has left."" 我住在门房里，原来那个看门的走了。" "Well, and how do they all get on? Tell me everything about them,Bessie: but sit down first; and, Bobby, come and sit on my knee,will you?" but Bobby preferred sidling over to his mother." 噢，他们都过得怎么样？把他们的事情统统都告诉我，贝茜。不过先坐下来，还有鲍比，过来坐在我的膝头上好吗？"但鲍比还是喜欢侧着身子挨近他妈妈。 "You're not grown so very tall, Miss Jane, nor so very stout,"continued Mrs. Leaven. "I dare say they've not kept you too well atschool: Miss Reed is the head and shoulders taller than you are;and Miss Georgiana would make two of you in breadth."" 你长得那么高了，简小姐，而又没有发胖，"利文太太继续说。"我猜想学校里没有把你照看得太好吧，里德小姐要比你高得多呢。而乔治亚娜小姐有你两个人那么阔。" 
乔治亚娜想来很漂亮吧，贝茜？" "Very. She went up to London last winter with her mama, and thereeverybody admired her, and a young lord fell in love with her: buthis relations were against the match; and--what do you think?--heand Miss Georgiana made it up to run away; but they were found outand stopped. It was Miss Reed that found them out: I believe shewas envious; and now she and her sister lead a cat and dog lifetogether; they are always quarrelling--"" 很漂亮。去年冬天她同妈妈上了伦敦，在那儿人见人爱，一个年轻勋爵爱上了她，但勋爵的亲戚反对这门亲事，而--你认为怎么样--他和乔治亚娜小姐决定私奔，于是让人发现了，受到了阻止。发现他们的正是里德小姐，我想她是出于妒嫉，如今她们姐妹俩像猫和狗一样不合，老是吵架。"
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