目 录 上一节 下一节 
哦！你现在可回到现实中来了，"我一面按她的话做，一面说。"我马上开始有些相信你了。" I knelt within half a yard of her. She stirred the fire, so that aripple of light broke from the disturbed coal: the glare, however,as she sat, only threw her face into deeper shadow: mine, itillumined. 我跪在离她半码远的地方。她拨着炉火，在翻动过的煤块中，射出了一轮光圈。因为她坐着，那光焰只会使她的脸蒙上更深的阴影，而我的面容却被照亮了。 "I wonder with what feelings you came to me to-night," she said,when she had examined me a while. "I wonder what thoughts are busyin your heart during all the hours you sit in yonder room with thefine people flitting before you like shapes in a magic-lantern:just as little sympathetic communion passing between you and them asif they were really mere shadows of human forms, and not the actualsubstance."" 我不知道你是带着什么样的心情上我这儿来的，"她仔细打量了我一会儿后说。"你在那边房间里，几小时几小时枯坐着，面对一群贵人，象幻灯中的影子那么晃动着，这时你心里会有什么想法呢，这些人与你没有什么情感的交流，好像不过是外表似人的影子，而不是实实在在的人。" "I feel tired often, sleepy sometimes, but seldom sad."" 我常觉得疲倦，有时很困，但很少悲伤。" "Then you have some secret hope to buoy you up and please you withwhispers of the future?"" 那你有某种秘密的愿望支撑着你，预告着你的将来，使你感到高兴。" 
我才不这样呢。我的最大愿望，是积攒下足够的钱，将来自己租一间小小的房子，办起学校来。" "A mean nutriment for the spirit to exist on: and sitting in thatwindow-seat (you see I know your habits )--"" 养料不足，精神无法依存，况且坐在窗台上（你明白了她知道我的习惯）--" "You have learned them from the servants."" 你是从仆人那儿打听来的。" "Ah! you think yourself sharp. Well, perhaps I have: to speaktruth, I have an acquaintance with one of them, Mrs. Poole--"" 呵，你自以为灵敏。好吧--也许我是这样。跟你说实话，我同其中一位--普尔太太--相识。" I started to my feet when I heard the name. 一听到这个名字，我立刻惊跳起来。 
你认识她--是吗？"我思忖道，"那么，这里头看来是有魔法了。" "Don't be alarmed," continued the strange being; "she's a safe handis Mrs. Poole: close and quiet; any one may repose confidence inher. But, as I was saying: sitting in that window-seat, do youthink of nothing but your future school? Have you no presentinterest in any of the company who occupy the sofas and chairsbefore you? Is there not one face you study? one figure whosemovements you follow with at least curiosity?"" 别惊慌，"这个怪人继续说，"普尔太太很可靠，嘴巴紧，话不多。谁都可以信赖。不过像我说的，坐在窗台上，你就光想将来办学校，别的什么也不想？那些坐在你面前沙发上和椅子上的人，眼下你对其中哪一位感兴趣吗？你一张面孔都没有仔细端详过吗？至少出于好奇，你连一个人的举动都没有去注意过？" "I like to observe all the faces and all the figures."" 我喜欢观察所有的面孔和所有的身影。" "But do you never single one from the rest--or it may be, two?"" 可是你没有撇开其余，光盯住一个人--或者，也许两个？" "I do frequently; when the gestures or looks of a pair seem tellinga tale: it amuses me to watch them."" 我经常这么做，那是在两个人的手势和神色似乎在叙述一个故事的时候，注视他们对我来说是一种乐趣。" 
你最喜欢听什么故事？" "Oh, I have not much choice! They generally run on the same theme--courtship; and promise to end in the same catastrophe--marriage."" 呵，我没有多大选择的余地：它们一般奏的都是同一主题--求婚，而且都预示着同一灾难性的结局--结婚。" "And do you like that monotonous theme?"" 你喜欢这单调的主题吗？" "Positively, I don't care about it: it is nothing to me."" 我一点也不在乎，这与我无关。" "Nothing to you? When a lady, young and full of life and health,charming with beauty and endowed with the gifts of rank and fortune,sits and smiles in the eyes of a gentleman you--"" 与你无关？有这样一位小姐，她既年轻活泼健康，又美丽动人，而且财富和地位与生俱来，坐在一位绅士的面前，笑容可掬，而你--" 
我怎么样？" "You know--and perhaps think well of."" 你认识--而且也许还有好感。" "I don't know the gentlemen here. I have scarcely interchanged asyllable with one of them; and as to thinking well of them, Iconsider some respectable, and stately, and middle-aged, and othersyoung, dashing, handsome, and lively: but certainly they are all atliberty to be the recipients of whose smiles they please, without myfeeling disposed to consider the transaction of any moment to me."" 我并不了解这儿的先生们。我几乎同谁都没有说过一句话。至于对他们有没有好感，我认为有几位高雅庄重，已到中年；其余几位年青、潇洒、漂亮、活跃。当然他们有充分自由，爱接受谁的笑就接受谁的笑，我不必把感情介入进去，考虑这件事对我是否至关重要。" "You don't know the gentlemen here? You have not exchanged asyllable with one of them? Will you say that of the master of thehouse!"" 你不了解这儿的先生们吗？你没有同谁说过一句话？你对屋里的主人也这么说吗？" "He is not at home."" 他不在家。" 
讲得多玄妙！多么高明的诡辩：今天早上他上米尔科特去了，要到夜里或者明天早上才回来，难道因为这临时的情况，你就把他排除在熟人之外--仿佛完全抹煞他的存在？" "No; but I can scarcely see what Mr. Rochester has to do with thetheme you had introduced."" 不，但我几乎不明白罗切斯特先生与你提出的主题有什么关系。" "I was talking of ladies smiling in the eyes of gentlemen; and oflate so many smiles have been shed into Mr. Rochester's eyes thatthey overflow like two cups filled above the brim: have you neverremarked that?"" 我刚才谈到女士们在先生们眼前笑容满面，最近那么多笑容注进了罗切斯特先生的眼里，他的双眼就像两只满得快要溢出来的杯子，你对此从来没有想法吗？" "Mr. Rochester has a right to enjoy the society of his guests."" 罗切斯特先生有权享受同宾客们交往的乐趣。" "No question about his right: but have you never observed that, ofall the tales told here about matrimony, Mr. Rochester has beenfavoured with the most lively and the most continuous?"" 毫无问题他有这权利，可是你没有觉察到吗，这里所议论到的婚姻传闻中，罗切斯特先生有幸被人谈得最起劲，而且人们一直兴趣不减吗？" 
听的人越焦急，说的人越起劲。"我与其说是讲给吉卜赛人听，还不如说在自言自语。这时吉卜赛人奇怪的谈话、噪音和举动己使我进入了一种梦境，意外的话从她嘴里一句接一句吐出来，直至我陷进了一张神秘的网络，怀疑有什么看不见的精灵，几周来一直守在我心坎里，观察着心的运转，记录下了每次搏动。 "Eagerness of a listener!" repeated she: "yes; Mr. Rochester hassat by the hour, his ear inclined to the fascinating lips that tooksuch delight in their task of communicating; and Mr. Rochester wasso willing to receive and looked so grateful for the pastime givenhim; you have noticed this?"" 听的人越焦急？"她重复了一遍。"不错，此刻罗切斯特先生是坐在那儿，侧耳倾听着那迷人的嘴巴在兴高彩烈地交谈。罗切斯特先生十分愿意接受，并且后来十分感激提供给他的消遣，你注意到这点了吗？" "Grateful! I cannot remember detecting gratitude in his face."" 感激！我并不记得在他脸上察觉到过感激之情。" "Detecting! You have analysed, then. And what did you detect, ifnot gratitude?"" 察觉！你还分析过呢。如果不是感激之情，那你察觉到了什么？"
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