目 录 上一节 下一节 
咖啡端来了。男宾们一进屋，女士们便象百灵鸟般活跃起来。谈话转为轻松欢快。登特上校和埃希领先生在政治问题上争论了起来，他们的太太们侧耳静听着。林恩太太和英格拉姆太太两位高傲的寡妇，在促膝谈心。还有乔治爵士，顺便说一句，我忘记描述他了。他是一位个子高大、精神十足的乡绅。这会儿手里端着咖啡杯，站在沙发跟前，偶尔插上一句话。弗雷德里克.林恩先生坐在玛丽.英格拉姆旁边，给她看着一本装帧豪华的书籍里的插画。她看着，不时微笑着，但显然说话不多。高大冷漠的英格拉姆勋爵，抱着双肩，斜倚在小巧活泼的艾米.埃希顿的椅背上。她抬头看着他，像鹪鹩似的叽叽喳喳。在罗切斯特先生与这位勋爵之间，她更喜欢勋爵。亨利.林恩在路易莎的脚边占了一条脚凳，与阿黛勒合用着。他努力同她说法语，一说错，路易莎就笑他。布兰奇.英格拉姆会跟谁结伴呢？她孤零零地站在桌边，很有风度地俯身看着一本簿册。她似乎在等人来邀请，不过她不愿久等，便自己选了个伴。 Mr. Rochester, having quitted the Eshtons, stands on the hearth assolitary as she stands by the table: she confronts him, taking herstation on the opposite side of the mantelpiece. 罗切斯特先生离开了两位埃希顿小姐后，一如英格拉姆小姐孤单地站在桌旁一样，不然独立在火炉跟前。她在壁炉架的另一边站定，面对着他。 "Mr. Rochester, I thought you were not fond of children?"" 罗切斯特先生，我想你并不喜欢孩子？" "Nor am I."" 我是不喜欢。" "Then, what induced you to take charge of such a little doll asthat?" (pointing to Adele). "Where did you pick her up?"" 那你怎么会想到去抚养这样一个小娃娃呢（指了指阿黛勒）？你在哪儿把她捡来的？" 
我并没有去抢，是别人托付给我的。" "You should have sent her to school."" 你早该送她进学校了。" "I could not afford it: schools are so dear."" 我付不起，学费那么贵。" "Why, I suppose you have a governess for her: I saw a person withher just now--is she gone? Oh, no! there she is still, behind thewindow-curtain. You pay her, of course; I should think it quite asexpensive,--more so; for you have them both to keep in addition."" 哈，我想你为她请了个家庭教师，刚才我还看到有个人同她在一起呢--她走了吗？呵，没有！她还在那边窗帘的后面。当然你付她工钱。我想这一样很贵--更贵，因为你得额外养两个人。" I feared--or should I say, hoped?--the allusion to me would make Mr.Rochester glance my way; and I involuntarily shrank farther into theshade: but he never turned his eyes. 我担心--或者我是否该说，我希望？-一因为提到了我，罗切斯特先生会朝我这边张望，所以我不由自主地更往阴影里躲进去，可是他根本没有把目光转移到这边来。 
我没有考虑过这个问题，"他冷冷地说，眼睛直楞楞地望着前面。 "No, you men never do consider economy and common sense. You shouldhear mama on the chapter of governesses: Mary and I have had, Ishould think, a dozen at least in our day; half of them detestableand the rest ridiculous, and all incubi--were they not, mama?"" 可不--你们男人从来不考虑经济和常识问题，在留家庭教师事儿上，你该听听我妈妈。我想，玛丽和我小时候跟过至少一打家庭教师，一半让人讨厌，其余的十分可笑，而个个都是妖魔--是不是，妈妈？" "Did you speak, my own?"" 你说什么来着，我的宝贝蛋？" The young lady thus claimed as the dowager's special property,reiterated her question with an explanation. 这位被那个遗孀称为特殊财产的小姐，重新说了一遍她的问题，并作了解释。 "My dearest, don't mention governesses; the word makes me nervous.I have suffered a martyrdom from their incompetency and caprice. Ithank Heaven I have now done with them!"" 我的宝贝，别提那些家庭教师了，这个字眼本身就便我不安。她们反复无常，毫不称职，让我吃尽了苦头。谢天谢地，现在我总算同她们摆脱关系了。" 
登特太太向这位虔诚的太太俯下身子，向她耳语了一阵。我从对方作出的回答中推测，那是提醒她，她们所诅咒的那类人中的一位，就在现场。 "Tant pis!" said her Ladyship, "I hope it may do her good!" Then,in a lower tone, but still loud enough for me to hear, "I noticedher; I am a judge of physiognomy, and in hers I see all the faultsof her class.""Tant pis!" 这位太太说，"我希望这对她有好处！"随后她压低了嗓门，不过还是响得让我能听见。"我注意到了她，我善观面相，在她身上我看到了她那类人的通病。" "What are they, madam?" inquired Mr. Rochester aloud." 表现在哪些方面，夫人？"罗切斯特先生大声问道。 "I will tell you in your private ear," replied she, wagging herturban three times with portentous significancy." 我会私下告诉你的，"她答道，意味深长地把头巾甩了三下。 "But my curiosity will be past its appetite; it craves food now."" 不过我的好奇心会掉胃口：现在它急于要吃东西。" 
问问布兰奇吧，她比我更靠近你。" "Oh, don't refer him to me, mama! I have just one word to say ofthe whole tribe; they are a nuisance. Not that I ever suffered muchfrom them; I took care to turn the tables. What tricks Theodore andI used to play on our Miss Wilsons, and Mrs. Greys, and MadameJouberts! Mary was always too sleepy to join in a plot with spirit.The best fun was with Madame Joubert: Miss Wilson was a poor sicklything, lachrymose and low-spirited, not worth the trouble ofvanquishing, in short; and Mrs. Grey was coarse and insensible; noblow took effect on her. But poor Madame Joubert! I see her yet inher raging passions, when we had driven her to extremities--spiltour tea, crumbled our bread and butter, tossed our books up to theceiling, and played a charivari with the ruler and desk, the fenderand fire-irons. Theodore, do you remember those merry days?"" 唉呀，可别把他交给我，妈妈！对于她们那号人，我只有一句话要说：她们真讨厌。并不是说我吃过她们很多苦头，我倒是刻意要把局面扭转过来。西奥多和我过去是怎样作弄威尔逊小姐、格雷太太和朱伯特夫人的呀！玛丽常常困得厉害，提不起精神来参与我们的阴谋。戏弄朱伯特夫人最有趣。威尔逊小姐是个病弱的可怜虫，情绪低沉，好伤心落泪。总之，不值得费那番劲去征服她。格雷太太又粗俗又麻木，对什么打击都不在乎。但是可怜的朱伯特夫人就不一样啦！我们把她逼得急了，我见她会大发雷霆--我们把茶泼掉，把面包和奶油弄得稀巴烂，把书扔到天花板上，捣弄着尺、书桌、火炉围栏和用具，闹得震天价响。西奥多，你还记得那些欢乐的日子吗？" "Yaas, to be sure I do," drawled Lord Ingram; "and the poor oldstick used to cry out 'Oh you villains childs!'--and then wesermonised her on the presumption of attempting to teach such cleverblades as we were, when she was herself so ignorant."" 是--呀，当然记得，"英格拉姆勋爵慢吞吞地说。"这可怜的老木瓜还常常大叫'哎呀，你们这帮坏孩子？'--随后我们教训了她一顿，其实是她自己那么无知，竟还想来教我们这些聪明的公子小姐。" "We did; and, Tedo, you know, I helped you in prosecuting (orpersecuting) your tutor, whey-faced Mr. Vining--the parson in thepip, as we used to call him. He and Miss Wilson took the liberty offalling in love with each other--at least Tedo and I thought so; wesurprised sundry tender glances and sighs which we interpreted astokens of 'la belle passion,' and I promise you the public soon hadthe benefit of our discovery; we employed it as a sort of lever tohoist our dead-weights from the house. Dear mama, there, as soon asshe got an inkling of the business, found out that it was of animmoral tendency. Did you not, my lady-mother?"" 我们确实这么做了，特多，你知道我帮你告发（或者是迫害）你的家庭教师，面无血色的维宁先生，我们管他叫病态教师。他和威尔逊小姐胆大妄为，竟谈情说爱起来--至少特多和我是这么想的。我们当场看到他们温存地眉目传情，哀声叹气，并把这些理解为"labellepassion"的表现，我敢担保，大家很快就会得益于我们的发现，我们要将它作为杠杆，把压在身上的两个沉重包袱，撬出门去。亲爱的妈妈，瞧她一风闻这件事儿，便发觉是种歪风邪气。你不就是这么看的吗，我的母亲大人？" "Certainly, my best. And I was quite right: depend on that: thereare a thousand reasons why liaisons between governesses and tutorsshould never be tolerated a moment in any well-regulated house;firstly--"" 当然，我的宝贝。而且我十分正确。毫无疑问，在任何一个管教出色的家庭里，有干万条理由，一刻都不能容忍家庭男女教师之间的私通。第一--" 
哎呀，妈妈，别给我们一一列举啦！Au reste，我们都知道。坏样子会危害儿童的纯真；热恋者相依相伴，神不守舍，会导致失责；而狂妄自恃--傲馒无礼伴之而生--会造成冲突和对抗的总爆发。我说得对吗，英格拉姆花园的英格拉姆男爵夫人？"
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