名著·简.爱 - 第38节


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  十月、十一月和十二月过去了。第二年一月的某个下午,因为阿黛勒得了感冒,费尔法克斯太太为她来向我告假。阿黛勒表示热烈附加,这使我想起自己的童年时代,偶尔的假日显得有多可贵。于是便同意了,还认为自己在这点上做得很有灵活性。这是一个十分寒冷却很宁静的好天。我讨厌静坐书房,消磨整个长长的下午。费尔法克斯太太刚写好了一封信,等着去邮奇。于是我戴好帽子,披了斗篷,自告奋勇把信送到海镇去。冬昌下午步行两英里路,不失为一件快事。我看到阿戴勒舒舒服服地坐在费尔法克斯太太的客厅炉火边的小椅子上,给了她最好的蜡制娃娃(平时我用锡纸包好放在抽屉里)玩,还给了一本故事书换换口味。听她说了"Revenez?bientot?ma?bonne?amie,ma?chere Mdlle,Jean?nette"后,我吻了她一下,算是对她的回答,随后便出发了。

   The ground was hard, the air was still, my road was lonely; I walkedfast till I got warm, and then I walked slowly to enjoy and analysethe species of pleasure brooding for me in the hour and situation.It was three o'clock; the church bell tolled as I passed under thebelfry: the charm of the hour lay in its approaching dimness, inthe low-gliding and pale-beaming sun. I was a mile from Thornfield,in a lane noted for wild roses in summer, for nuts and blackberriesin autumn, and even now possessing a few coral treasures in hips andhaws, but whose best winter delight lay in its utter solitude andleafless repose. If a breath of air stirred, it made no sound here;for there was not a holly, not an evergreen to rustle, and thestripped hawthorn and hazel bushes were as still as the white, wornstones which causewayed the middle of the path. Far and wide, oneach side, there were only fields, where no cattle now browsed; andthe little brown birds, which stirred occasionally in the hedge,looked like single russet leaves that had forgotten to drop.

  地面坚硬,空气沉静,路沟寂寞。我走得很快,直到浑身暖和起来才放慢脚步,欣赏和品味此时此景蕴蓄着的种种欢乐。时候是三点,我经过钟楼时,教堂的钟正好敲响。这一时刻的魅力,在于天色渐暗,落日低垂,阳光惨淡。我走在离桑菲尔德一英里的一条小路上。夏天,这里野攻瑰盛开;秋天,坚果与黑草莓累累,就是现在,也还留着珊瑚色珍宝般的蔷薇果和山楂果。但冬日最大的愉悦,却在于极度的幽静和光秃秃的树木所透出的安宁。微风吹来,在这里听不见声息,因为没有一枝冬青,没有一棵常绿树,可以发出婆娑之声。片叶无存的山楂和榛灌木、像小径中间磨损了的白石那样寂静无声。小路两旁。远近只有田野,却不见吃草的牛群。偶尔拨弄着树篱的黄褐色小鸟,看上去像是忘记掉落的零星枯叶。

   This lane inclined up-hill all the way to Hay; having reached themiddle, I sat down on a stile which led thence into a field.Gathering my mantle about me, and sheltering my hands in my muff, Idid not feel the cold, though it froze keenly; as was attested by asheet of ice covering the causeway, where a little brooklet, nowcongealed, had overflowed after a rapid thaw some days since. Frommy seat I could look down on Thornfield: the grey and battlementedhall was the principal object in the vale below me; its woods anddark rookery rose against the west. I lingered till the sun wentdown amongst the trees, and sank crimson and clear behind them. Ithen turned eastward.

  这条小径沿着山坡一路往上直至海镇。步到半路,我在通向田野的台阶上坐了下来。我用斗篷把自己紧紧裹住,把手捂在皮手筒里,所以尽管天寒地冻,却并不觉得很冷。几天前已经融化泛滥的小河,现在又冻结起来。堤坝上结了一层薄冰,这是寒冷的明证。从我落座的地方外以俯视桑菲尔德府。建有城垛的灰色府第是低处溪谷中的主要景物,树林和白嘴鸦黑魈魈的巢穴映衬着西边的天际。我闲荡着,直支太阳落入树丛,树后一片火红,才往东走去。

   On the hill-top above me sat the rising moon; pale yet as a cloud,but brightening momentarily, she looked over Hay, which, half lostin trees, sent up a blue smoke from its few chimneys: it was yet amile distant, but in the absolute hush I could hear plainly its thinmurmurs of life. My ear, too, felt the flow of currents; in whatdales and depths I could not tell: but there were many hills beyondHay, and doubtless many becks threading their passes. That eveningcalm betrayed alike the tinkle of the nearest streams, the sough ofthe most remote.

  在我头顶的山尖上,悬挂着初升的月光,先是像云朵般苍白,但立刻便明亮起来,俯瞰着海村。海村掩映在树丛之中,不多的烟囱里升起了袅袅蓝烟。这里与海村相距一英里,因为万籁俱寂,我可以清晰地听到村落轻微的动静,我的耳朵也感受到了水流声,但来自哪个溪谷和深渊,却无法判断。海村那边有很多小山,无疑会有许多山溪流过隘口。黄昏的宁静,也同样反衬出近处溪流的叮冬声和最遥远处的飒飒风声。

   A rude noise broke on these fine ripplings and whisperings, at onceso far away and so clear: a positive tramp, tramp, a metallicclatter, which effaced the soft wave-wanderings; as, in a picture,the solid mass of a crag, or the rough boles of a great oak, drawnin dark and strong on the foreground, efface the aerial distance ofazure hill, sunny horizon, and blended clouds where tint melts intotint.

  一个粗重的声音,冲破了细微的潺潺水声和沙沙的风声,既遥远而又清晰:一种确确实实的脚步声。刺耳的喀嗒喀嗒声,盖过了柔和的波涛起伏似的声响,犹如在一幅画中。浓墨渲染的前景--一大块峭岩或者一棵大橡树的粗壮树干,消融了远景中青翠的山峦、明亮的天际和斑驳的云彩。

  这声音是从小路上传来的,一匹马过来了,它一直被弯曲的小路遮挡着,这时己渐渐靠近。我正要离开台阶,但因为小路很窄,便端坐不动,让它过去。在那段岁月里,我还年轻,脑海里有着种种光明和黑暗的幻想,记忆中的育儿室故事,和别的无稽之谈交织在一起。这一切在脑际重现时,正在成熟的青春给它们增添了一种童年时所没有的活力和真实感,当这匹马越来越近,而我凝眸等待它在薄暮中出现时,我蓦地记起了贝茜讲的故事中一个英格兰北部的精灵,名叫"盖特拉西",形状像马,也像骡子,或是像一条大狗,出没在偏僻的道路上,有时会扑向迟归的旅人,就像此刻这匹马向我驰来一样。

   It was very near, but not yet in sight; when, in addition to thetramp, tramp, I heard a rush under the hedge, and close down by thehazel stems glided a great dog, whose black and white colour madehim a distinct object against the trees. It was exactly one form ofBessie's Gytrash--a lion-like creature with long hair and a hugehead: it passed me, however, quietly enough; not staying to lookup, with strange pretercanine eyes, in my face, as I half expectedit would. The horse followed,--a tall steed, and on its back arider. The man, the human being, broke the spell at once. Nothingever rode the Gytrash: it was always alone; and goblins, to mynotions, though they might tenant the dumb carcasses of beasts,could scarce covet shelter in the commonplace human form. NoGytrash was this,--only a traveller taking the short cut toMillcote. He passed, and I went on; a few steps, and I turned: asliding sound and an exclamation of "What the deuce is to do now?"and a clattering tumble, arrested my attention. Man and horse weredown; they had slipped on the sheet of ice which glazed thecauseway. The dog came bounding back, and seeing his master in apredicament, and hearing the horse groan, barked till the eveninghills echoed the sound, which was deep in proportion to hismagnitude. He snuffed round the prostrate group, and then he ran upto me; it was all he could do,--there was no other help at hand tosummon. I obeyed him, and walked down to the traveller, by thistime struggling himself free of his steed. His efforts were sovigorous, I thought he could not be much hurt; but I asked him thequestion -

  这匹马已经很近了,但还看不见。除了得得的蹄声,我还听见了树篱下一阵骚动,紧靠地面的榛子树枝下,悄悄地溜出一条大狗,黑白相间的毛色衬着树木,使它成了一个清晰的目标。这正是贝茜故事中,"盖特拉西"的面孔,一个狮子一般的怪物,有着长长的头发和硕大无比的头颅,它从我身旁经过,却同我相安无事。并没有像我有几分担心的那样,停下来用比狗更具智想的奇特目光,抬头看我的面孔。那匹马接跟而来,是匹高头大马,马背上坐着一位骑手。那男人,也就是人本身,立刻驱散了魔气。"盖特拉西"总是独来独往。从来没有被当作坐骑的。而据我所知,尽管妖怪们会寄生在哑巴动物的躯壳之内,却不大可能看中一般人的躯体,把它作为藏身之地。这可不是盖特拉西,而不过是位旅行者,抄近路到米尔科特去。他从我身边走过,我依旧继续赶路。还没走几步,我便回过头来,一阵什么东西滑落的声音,一声"怎么办,活见鬼?"的叫喊和咔啦啦啦翻滚落地的声响,引起了我的注意。人和马都己倒地,是在路当中光滑的薄冰层上滑倒的。那条狗窜了回来,看见主人处境困难,听见马在呻吟,便狂吠着,暮霭中的群山响起了回声,那吠声十分深沉,与它巨大的身躯很相称。它先在倒地的两位周围闻闻,随后跑到了我面前。它也只能如此,因为附近没有别人可以求助。我顺了它,走到了这位旅行者身边,这时他已挣扎着脱离了自己的马,他的动作十分有力、因而我认为他可能伤得不重,但我还是问了这个问题。

   "Are you injured, sir?""

  你伤着了吗,先生?"

   I think he was swearing, but am not certain; however, he waspronouncing some formula which prevented him from replying to medirectly.

  我现在想来他当时在骂骂咧咧,不过我没有把握,然而他口中念念有词,所以无法马上回答我。

   "Can I do anything?" I asked again."

  我能帮忙吗?"我又问。

  你得站到一边来,"他边回答边站起来。先是成跪姿,然后站立起来,我照他的话做了。于是出现了一个人喘马嘶、脚步杂踏和马蹄冲击的场面,伴之以狗的狂吠,结果把我撵到了几码远之外,但还不至于远到看不见这件事情的结局。最后总算万幸,这匹马重新站立起来了,那条狗也在叫了一声"躺下,派洛特!,后便乖乖地不吱声了。此刻这位赶路人弯下身子摸了摸自己的脚和腿,仿佛在试验一下它们是否安然无恙。显然他什么部位有些疼痛,因为他蹒跚地踱向我刚才起身离开的台阶,一屁股坐了下来。

   I was in the mood for being useful, or at least officious, I think,for I now drew near him again.

  我心里很想帮忙,或者我想至少是爱管闲事,这时我再次走近了他。

   "If you are hurt, and want help, sir, I can fetch some one eitherfrom Thornfield Hall or from Hay.""

  要是你伤着了,需要帮忙,先生,我可以去叫人,到桑菲尔德,或音海村。"

   "Thank you: I shall do: I have no broken bones,--only a sprain;"and again he stood up and tried his foot, but the result extorted aninvoluntary "Ugh!""

  谢谢你,我能行,骨头没有跌断,只不过扭坏了脚,"他再次站起来,试了试脚,可是结果却不由自主地叫了声"唉!"

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名著·简.爱 - 第38节