目 录 上一节 下一节 
他们来了，夫人，"对方回答道。"十分钟后就到。" Adele flew to the window. I followed, taking care to stand on oneside, so that, screened by the curtain, I could see without beingseen. 阿黛勒朝窗子飞奔过去。我跟在后面，小心地靠一边站立，让窗帘遮掩着，使我可以看得清清楚楚，却不被人看见。 The ten minutes John had given seemed very long, but at last wheelswere heard; four equestrians galloped up the drive, and after themcame two open carriages. Fluttering veils and waving plumes filledthe vehicles; two of the cavaliers were young, dashing-lookinggentlemen; the third was Mr. Rochester, on his black horse, Mesrour,Pilot bounding before him; at his side rode a lady, and he and shewere the first of the party. Her purple riding-habit almost sweptthe ground, her veil streamed long on the breeze; mingling with itstransparent folds, and gleaming through them, shone rich ravenringlets. 约翰所说的那十分钟似乎很长。不过终于听到了车轮声。四位骑手策马驰上了小道，两辆敞开的马车尾随其后。车内面纱飘拂，羽毛起伏。两位年轻骑手，精神抖擞，一付绅士派头；第三位是罗切斯特先生，骑着他的黑马梅斯罗，派洛特跳跃着奔跑在他前面。与他并驾齐驱的是一位女士，这批人中，他们俩一马当先。她那紫色的骑装差不多己扫到了地面，她的面纱长长地在微风中飘动，她那乌黑浓密的卷发，同它透明的折裥绕在一起，透过面纱闪动着光芒。 "Miss Ingram!" exclaimed Mrs. Fairfax, and away she hurried to herpost below." 英格拉姆小姐，"费尔法克斯太太大叫一声，急冲冲下楼去履行她的职务了。 The cavalcade, following the sweep of the drive, quickly turned theangle of the house, and I lost sight of it. Adele now petitioned togo down; but I took her on my knee, and gave her to understand thatshe must not on any account think of venturing in sight of theladies, either now or at any other time, unless expressly sent for:that Mr. Rochester would be very angry, &c. "Some natural tears sheshed" on being told this; but as I began to look very grave, sheconsented at last to wipe them. 这队人马顺着车道的弯势很快转过屋角，在我视线中消失了。这时阿黛勒要求下楼。我把她搂在膝头上，让她明白无论是此刻，还是以后什么时候，除非明确要她去，绝不可以随意闯到女士们跟前去，要不罗切斯特先生会生气的等等。听了这番话，"她淌下了自然的眼泪"不过见我神情严肃，她也终于同意把眼泪抹掉了。 
这时大厅里人声鼎沸，笑语纷纭。男士们深沉的语调，女士们银铃似的嗓音交融在一起。其中最清晰可辨的是桑菲尔德主人那洪亮而声音不大的嗓门，欢迎男女宾客来到府上。随后，这些人脚步轻盈地上了楼梯，轻快地穿过走廊。于是响起了柔和欢快的笑声和开门关门声。一会儿后，便寂然无声了。 "Don't you feel hungry, Adele?"" 你觉得饿了吗，阿黛勒？" "Well now, while the ladies are in their rooms, I will venture downand get you something to eat."" 好吧，就穿戴好了。我立即穿上了自己最好的衣服（银灰色的那一件，专为参加坦普尔小姐的婚礼购置的，后来一直没有穿过），把头发梳得平平伏伏，并戴上了我仅有的饰品，那枚珍珠胸针。随后我们下了楼。 And issuing from my asylum with precaution, I sought a back-stairswhich conducted directly to the kitchen. All in that region wasfire and commotion; the soup and fish were in the last stage ofprojection, and the cook hung over her crucibles in a frame of mindand body threatening spontaneous combustion. In the servants' halltwo coachmen and three gentlemen's gentlemen stood or sat round thefire; the abigails, I suppose, were upstairs with their mistresses;the new servants, that had been hired from Millcote, were bustlingabout everywhere. Threading this chaos, I at last reached thelarder; there I took possession of a cold chicken, a roll of bread,some tarts, a plate or two and a knife and fork: with this booty Imade a hasty retreat. I had regained the gallery, and was justshutting the back-door behind me, when an accelerated hum warned methat the ladies were about to issue from their chambers. I couldnot proceed to the schoolroom without passing some of their doors,and running the risk of being surprised with my cargo of victualage;so I stood still at this end, which, being windowless, was dark:quite dark now, for the sun was set and twilight gathering. 幸亏还有另外一扇门通客厅，不必经过他们都坐着吃饭的餐厅。我们看到房间里空无一人，大理石砌成的壁炉中，一堆旺火静静地燃烧着；桌上装饰着精致的花朵，烛光在花朵中间孤寂地闪亮，平添了几分欢快。拱门前悬挂着大红门帘，虽然我们与毗连的餐室中的客人之间，仅一层之隔，但他们话说得那么轻，除份战利品急忙撤退，重新登上走廊，正要随手关上后门时，一阵越来越响的嗡嗡声提醒我，女士们要从房间里走出来了。要上读书室我非得经过几间房门口不可，非得要冒端着一大堆食品被她们撞见的危险。于是我一动不动地站在这一头。这里没有窗子，光线很暗。此刻天色已黑，因为太阳已经下山，暮色越来越浓了。 Presently the chambers gave up their fair tenants one after another:each came out gaily and airily, with dress that gleamed lustrousthrough the dusk. For a moment they stood grouped together at theother extremity of the gallery, conversing in a key of sweet subduedvivacity: they then descended the staircase almost as noiselesslyas a bright mist rolls down a hill. Their collective appearance hadleft on me an impression of high-born elegance, such as I had neverbefore received. 一会儿工夫，房间里的女房客们一个接一个出来了，个个心情欢快，步履轻盈，身上的衣装在昏黄的暮色中闪闪发光。她们聚集在走廊的另一头，站了片刻，用压低了的轻快动听的语调交谈着。随后走下楼梯，几乎没有声响，仿佛一团明亮的雾从山上降落下来。她们的外表总体上给我留下了这样的印象：这些人具有一种我前所未见的名门望族的典雅。 
我看见阿黛勒扶着半掩的读书室门，往外偷看着。"多漂亮的小姐!"她用英语叫道。"哎呀我真想上她们那儿去！你认为晚饭后罗切斯特先生会派人来叫我们去吗？" "No, indeed, I don't; Mr. Rochester has something else to thinkabout. Never mind the ladies to-night; perhaps you will see themto-morrow: here is your dinner."" 不，说实在，我不这样想。罗切斯特先生有别的事情要考虑。今天晚上就别去想那些小姐们了，也许明天你会见到她们的。这是你的晚饭。" She was really hungry, so the chicken and tarts served to divert herattention for a time. It was well I secured this forage, or bothshe, I, and Sophie, to whom I conveyed a share of our repast, wouldhave run a chance of getting no dinner at all: every one downstairswas too much engaged to think of us. The dessert was not carriedout till after nine and at ten footmen were still running to and frowith trays and coffee-cups. I allowed Adele to sit up much laterthan usual; for she declared she could not possibly go to sleepwhile the doors kept opening and shutting below, and people bustlingabout. Besides, she added, a message might possibly come from Mr.Rochester when she was undressed; "et alors quel dommage!" 她真的饿坏了，因此鸡和馅饼可以暂时分散一下她的注意力。幸亏我弄到了这份食品，不然她和我，还有同我们分享这顿晚餐的索菲娅，都很可能根本吃不上晚饭，楼下的人谁都快忙得顾不上我们了。九点以后才送上甜食。到了十点钟，男仆们还端着托盘和咖啡杯子，来回奔波。我允许阿黛勒呆得比往常晚得多才上床，因为她说楼下的门不断地开呀关呀，人来人往，忙忙碌碌，弄得她没法睡觉。此外，她还说也许她解衣时，罗切斯特先生会让人捎来口信，"etalorsqueldommage！" I told her stories as long as she would listen to them; and then fora change I took her out into the gallery. The hall lamp was nowlit, and it amused her to look over the balustrade and watch theservants passing backwards and forwards. When the evening was faradvanced, a sound of music issued from the drawing-room, whither thepiano had been removed; Adele and I sat down on the top step of thestairs to listen. Presently a voice blent with the rich tones ofthe instrument; it was a lady who sang, and very sweet her noteswere. The solo over, a duet followed, and then a glee: a joyousconversational murmur filled up the intervals. I listened long:suddenly I discovered that my ear was wholly intent on analysing themingled sounds, and trying to discriminate amidst the confusion ofaccents those of Mr. Rochester; and when it caught them, which itsoon did, it found a further task in framing the tones, rendered bydistance inarticulate, into words. 我给她讲故事，她愿意听多久就讲多久。随后我带她到走廊上解解闷。这时大厅的灯已经点上，阿黛勒觉得从栏杆上往下看，瞧着仆人们来往穿梭，十分有趣。夜深了，客厅里传来音乐之声，一架钢琴已经搬到了那里。阿黛勒和我坐在楼梯的顶端台阶上倾听着。刹那之间响起了一个声音，与钢琴低沉的调子相交融。那是一位小姐在唱，歌喉十分动听。独唱过后，二重唱跟上，随后是三重唱，歌唱间歇响起了一阵嗡嗡的谈话声。我久久地听着，突然发现自己的耳朵聚精会神地分析那混杂的声音，竭力要从混沌交融的音调中，分辨出罗切斯特先生的嗓音。我很快将它捕捉住以后，便进而从由于距离太远而变得模糊不清的音调中，猜想出歌词来。 The clock struck eleven. I looked at Adele, whose head leantagainst my shoulder; her eyes were waxing heavy, so I took her up inmy arms and carried her off to bed. It was near one before thegentlemen and ladies sought their chambers. 时钟敲了十一点。我瞧了一眼阿黛勒，她的头已倚在我肩上，眼皮己越来越沉重。我便把她抱在怀里，送她去睡觉。将近一点钟，男女宾客们才各自回房去。 
第二天跟第一天一样，是个晴朗的日子，客人们乘机到临近的某个地方去远足。他们上午很早就出发了，有的骑马，有的坐马车。我亲眼看着他们出发，看着他们归来。像以前一样，英格拉姆小姐是唯一一位女骑手。罗切斯特先生同她并驾齐驱。他们两人骑着马同其余的客人拉开了一段距离。费尔法克斯太太正与我一起站在窗前，我向她指出了这一点： "You said it was not likely they should think of being married,"said I, "but you see Mr. Rochester evidently prefers her to any ofthe other ladies."" 你说他们不可能想到结婚，"我说，"可是你瞧，比起其他女人来，罗切斯特先生明显更喜欢她。" "Yes, I daresay: no doubt he admires her."" 是呀，我猜想他毫无疑问爱慕她。" "And she him," I added; "look how she leans her head towards him asif she were conversing confidentially; I wish I could see her face;I have never had a glimpse of it yet."" 而且她也爱慕他，"我补充说"瞧她的头凑近他，仿佛在说什么知心话呢！但愿能见到她的脸，我还从来没见过一眼呢！" "You will see her this evening," answered Mrs. Fairfax. "I happenedto remark to Mr. Rochester how much Adele wished to be introduced tothe ladies, and he said: 'Oh! let her come into the drawing-roomafter dinner; and request Miss Eyre to accompany her.'"" 今天晚上你会见到她的，"费尔法克斯太太回答说；"我偶然向罗切斯特先生提起，阿黛勒多么希望能见一见小姐们。他说：'呵，那就让她饭后上客厅里来吧，请爱小姐陪她来。'" 
噢，他不过是出于礼貌才那么说的，我不必去了，肯定的。"我回答。
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