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唉，爱小姐，尽管罗切斯特先生很少上这儿来，但要来就往往很突然，料也料不到。我发现他最讨厌看到什么都裹得严严实实的，他到了才开始手忙脚乱地张罗，所以我想还是把房间准备停当好。" "Is Mr. Rochester an exacting, fastidious sort of man?"" 罗切斯特先生是那种爱挑剔、难讨好的人吗？" "Not particularly so; but he has a gentleman's tastes and habits,and he expects to have things managed in conformity to them."" 不完全是这样。不过他具有上等人的趣味与习惯，希望按他的趣味和习惯办事。" "Do you like him? Is he generally liked?"" 你喜欢他吗？大家都喜欢他吗？" "Oh, yes; the family have always been respected here. Almost allthe land in this neighbourhood, as far as you can see, has belongedto the Rochesters time out of mind."" 啊，是的。这个家族在这儿一向受人尊敬。很久很久以前，凡是你望得见的附近的土地，几乎都属于罗切斯特家的。" 
哦，不过撇开他的土地不谈，你喜欢他吗？别人喜欢他本人? "I have no cause to do otherwise than like him; and I believe he isconsidered a just and liberal landlord by his tenants: but he hasnever lived much amongst them."" 我没有理由不喜欢他。我相信他的佃户们都认为他是个公正大方的乡绅，不过他从来没有在他们中间生活得很久。" "But has he no peculiarities? What, in short, is his character?"" 但他没有跟别人不一样的地方吗？他的性格究竟怎样？" "Oh! his character is unimpeachable, I suppose. He is ratherpeculiar, perhaps: he has travelled a great deal, and seen a greatdeal of the world, I should think. I dare say he is clever, but Inever had much conversation with him."" 啊，我想他的性格是无可指责的，也许他有些特别。我想他到过很多地方，见过很多世面。他一定很聪明，不过我没有同他说过很多话。" "In what way is he peculiar?"" 他在哪方面跟别人不一样呢？" 
我不知道--不容易说清楚--不很突出，但他同你说话时，你感觉得出来。你总是吃不准他在说笑还是当真，他是高兴，还是恰恰相反。总之，你没法彻底了解他--至少我不行。但这无关紧要，他是一个很好的主人。" This was all the account I got from Mrs. Fairfax of her employer andmine. There are people who seem to have no notion of sketching acharacter, or observing and describing salient points, either inpersons or things: the good lady evidently belonged to this class;my queries puzzled, but did not draw her out. Mr. Rochester was Mr.Rochester in her eyes; a gentleman, a landed proprietor--nothingmore: she inquired and searched no further, and evidently wonderedat my wish to gain a more definite notion of his identity. 这就是我从费尔法克斯太太那儿听来，关于我们两人的雇主的全部情况。有些人似乎不知道如何刻划一个人，不知道观察和描绘人和事的特点，这位善良的太太就属于这类人。我的问话使她大惑不解，却并没有掏出她的话来。在她眼里，罗切斯特先生就是罗切斯特先生。一个绅士，一位土地拥有者--别无其他。她不作进一步询问和探求，显然对我希望进一步确切了解他的个性感到难以理解。 When we left the dining-room, she proposed to show me over the restof the house; and I followed her upstairs and downstairs, admiringas I went; for all was well arranged and handsome. The large frontchambers I thought especially grand: and some of the third-storeyrooms, though dark and low, were interesting from their air ofantiquity. The furniture once appropriated to the lower apartmentshad from time to time been removed here, as fashions changed: andthe imperfect light entering by their narrow casement showedbedsteads of a hundred years old; chests in oak or walnut, looking,with their strange carvings of palm branches and cherubs' heads,like types of the Hebrew ark; rows of venerable chairs, high-backedand narrow; stools still more antiquated, on whose cushioned topswere yet apparent traces of half-effaced embroideries, wrought byfingers that for two generations had been coffin-dust. All theserelics gave to the third storey of Thornfield Hall the aspect of ahome of the past: a shrine of memory. I liked the hush, the gloom,the quaintness of these retreats in the day; but I by no meanscoveted a night's repose on one of those wide and heavy beds: shutin, some of them, with doors of oak; shaded, others, with wroughtold English hangings crusted with thick work, portraying effigies ofstrange flowers, and stranger birds, and strangest human beings,--all which would have looked strange, indeed, by the pallid gleam ofmoonlight. 我们离开餐厅时，她提议带我去看看房子其余的地方。我跟着她上楼下楼，一路走一路羡慕不已。一切都安排得那么妥贴，一切都那么漂亮。我想宽敞的前房特别豪华。还有三楼的某些房间，虽然又暗又低，但从古色古香的气派看来，还是别有情趣的。一度归层次更底房间使用的家具，因为时尚的变更，逐渐搬到了这里。从狭窄的窗扉投射进来的斑驳光影，映照出了有上百年历史的床架；映照出了橡树或胡桃树做的柜子，上面奇怪地雕刻着棕榈树枝和小天使头部，看上去很像各种希伯莱约柜；映照出了一排排历史悠久、窄小高背的椅子；映照出了更加古老的凳子，坐垫上明显留着磨损了一半的刺绣，当年做绣活的手指化为尘土已经有两代之久了。这一切陈迹使桑菲尔德府三楼成了往昔的家园，回忆的圣地。白天我喜欢这些去处的静谧、幽暗和古雅。不过晚上我决不羡慕在那些笨重的大床上睡觉。有些床装着橡木门，可以关闭；有的挂着古老的英国绣花帐幔，上面满布各类绣花，有奇怪的花，更奇怪的乌和最奇怪的人。总之是些在苍白的月光下会显得十分古怪的东西。 "Do the servants sleep in these rooms?" I asked." 仆人们睡在这些房间里吗？"我问。 "No; they occupy a range of smaller apartments to the back; no oneever sleeps here: one would almost say that, if there were a ghostat Thornfield Hall, this would be its haunt."" 不，他们睡在后面一排小房间里，这里从来没有人睡。你几乎可以说，要是桑菲尔德府闹鬼，这里会是鬼魂游荡的地方。" 
我也有同样想法。那你们这儿没有鬼了？" "None that I ever heard of," returned Mrs. Fairfax, smiling." 反正我从没听说过，"费尔法克斯太太笑着说。 "Nor any traditions of one? no legends or ghost stories?"" 鬼的传说也没有？没有传奇或者鬼故事？" "I believe not. And yet it is said the Rochesters have been rathera violent than a quiet race in their time: perhaps, though, that isthe reason they rest tranquilly in their graves now."" 我相信没有。不过据说，罗切斯特家人在世时性格暴烈，而不是文文静静的，也许那正是他们如今平静地安息在坟墓中的原因吧。" "Yes--'after life's fitful fever they sleep well,'" I muttered."Where are you going now, Mrs. Fairfax?" for she was moving away." 是呀，'经过了一场人生的热病，他们现在睡得好好的，'"我喃喃地说，"你现在上哪儿去呀，费尔法克斯太太？"因为她正要走开。 
上铅皮屋顶去走走，你高兴一起去，从那儿眺望一下景致吗？"我默默地跟随着她上了一道狭窄的楼梯，来到顶楼，在那里爬上一架扶梯，穿过活动天窗，到了桑菲尔德府的房顶。这时我与白嘴鸦的领地已处于同一高度，可以窥见他们的巢穴。我倚在城垛上，往下眺望，只见地面恰似一幅地图般展开，鲜嫩的天鹅绒草坪，紧紧围绕着大厦灰色的宅基；与公园差不多大的田野上，古老的树木星罗棋布；深褐色枯萎的树林，被一条小径明显分割开来，小径长满了青苔，看上去比带叶子的树木还绿；门口的教堂、道路和寂静的小山都安卧在秋阳里；地平线上祥和的天空，蔚蓝中夹杂着大理石般的珠白色。这番景色并无出奇之外，但一切都显得赏心悦目。当我转过身，再次经过活动天窗时，我几乎看不清下扶梯的路了。同我刚才抬头观望的蓝色苍穹相比，同我兴致勃勃地俯瞰过，以桑菲尔德府为核心展开的阳光照耀下的树林、牧场和绿色小山的景致相比，这阁楼便犹如墓穴一般黑了。 Mrs. Fairfax stayed behind a moment to fasten the trap-door; I, bydrift of groping, found the outlet from the attic, and proceeded todescend the narrow garret staircase. I lingered in the long passageto which this led, separating the front and back rooms of the thirdstorey: narrow, low, and dim, with only one little window at thefar end, and looking, with its two rows of small black doors allshut, like a corridor in some Bluebeard's castle. 费尔法克斯太太比我晚走一会儿，拴上活动天窗。我摸索着找到了顶楼的出口，并爬下狭窄顶楼的扶梯。我在楼梯口长长的过道上踯躅，这条过道把三楼的前房与后房隔开，又窄、又低、又暗，仅在远远的尽头有一扇小窗，两排黑色的小门全都关着，活像蓝胡子城堡里的一条走廊。 While I paced softly on, the last sound I expected to hear in sostill a region, a laugh, struck my ear. It was a curious laugh;distinct, formal, mirthless. I stopped: the sound ceased, only foran instant; it began again, louder: for at first, though distinct,it was very low. It passed off in a clamorous peal that seemed towake an echo in every lonely chamber; though it originated but inone, and I could have pointed out the door whence the accentsissued. 我正轻轻地缓步往前时，万万没有料到在这个静悄悄的地方，竟然听见了一阵笑声。这笑声很古怪，清晰、拘谨，悲哀。我停下步来，这声音也停止了。刹那间以后，笑声重又响起，声音越来越大，不依才起来时虽然清晰却很低沉。这笑声震耳欲聋般地响了一阵以后便停止了，其声音之大足可以在每间孤寂的房子里引起回声。尽管这声音不过来自一个房间，但我完全能指出是从哪扇门传出来的。
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