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我还是不要久待好，先生。准己快十一点了。呵！你可知道，罗切斯特先生，你早晨走后，有位陌生人到了。" "A stranger!--no; who can it be? I expected no one; is he gone?"" 陌生人！--不，会是谁呢？我并没有盼谁来，他走了吗？" "No; he said he had known you long, and that he could take theliberty of installing himself here till you returned."" 没有呢，他说他与你相识很久，可以冒昧地住下等到你回来。" "The devil he did! Did he give his name?"" 见鬼！他可说了姓名？" "His name is Mason, sir; and he comes from the West Indies; fromSpanish Town, in Jamaica, I think."" 他的名字叫梅森，先生，他是从西印度群岛来的，我想是牙买加的西班牙城。" 
罗切斯特先生正站在我身旁。他拉住了我的手，仿佛要领我坐到一条椅子上。我一说出口，他便一阵痉挛，紧紧抓住我的手，嘴上的笑容冻结了，显然一阵抽搐使他透不过气来。 "Mason!--the West Indies!" he said, in the tone one might fancy aspeaking automaton to enounce its single words; "Mason!--the WestIndies!" he reiterated; and he went over the syllables three times,growing, in the intervals of speaking, whiter than ashes: he hardlyseemed to know what he was doing." 梅森！--西印度群岛！"他说，那口气使人想起一架自动说话机，吐着单个词汇："梅森！--西印度群岛！"他念念有词，把那几个字重复了三遍，说话的间隙，脸色白加死灰，几乎不知道自己在干什么。 "Do you feel ill, sir?" I inquired." 你不舒服，先生？"我问。 "Jane, I've got a blow; I've got a blow, Jane!" He staggered." 简，我受了打击，--我受了打击，简！"他身子摇摇晃晃。 "Oh, lean on me, sir."" 呵！--靠在我身上，先生。" 
简，你的肩膀曾支撑过我，现在再支撑一回吧。" "Yes, sir, yes; and my arm."" 好的，先生，好的，还有我的胳膊。" He sat down, and made me sit beside him. Holding my hand in bothhis own, he chafed it; gazing on me, at the same time, with the mosttroubled and dreary look. 他坐了下来，让我坐在他旁边，用双手握住我的手，搓了起来，同时黯然神伤地凝视着我。 "My little friend!" said he, "I wish I were in a quiet island withonly you; and trouble, and danger, and hideous recollections removedfrom me."" 我的小朋友，"他说，"我真希望呆在一个平静的小岛上，只有你我在一起，烦恼、危险、讨厌的往事都离我们远远的。" "Can I help you, sir?--I'd give my life to serve you."" 我能帮助你吗，先生？--我愿献出生命，为你效劳。" 
简，要是我需要援手，我会找你帮忙，我答应你。" "Thank you, sir. Tell me what to do,--I'll try, at least, to doit."" 谢谢你，先生。告诉我该干什么--至少我会尽力的。" "Fetch me now, Jane, a glass of wine from the dining-room: theywill be at supper there; and tell me if Mason is with them, and whathe is doing."" 简，替我从餐室里拿杯酒来，他们会都在那里吃晚饭，告诉我梅森是不是同他们在一起，他在干什么？" I went. I found all the party in the dining-room at supper, as Mr.Rochester had said; they were not seated at table,--the supper wasarranged on the sideboard; each had taken what he chose, and theystood about here and there in groups, their plates and glasses intheir hands. Every one seemed in high glee; laughter andconversation were general and animated. Mr. Mason stood near thefire, talking to Colonel and Mrs. Dent, and appeared as merry as anyof them. I filled a wine-glass (I saw Miss Ingram watch mefrowningly as I did so: she thought I was taking a liberty, Idaresay), and I returned to the library. 我去了。如罗切斯特先生所说，众人都在餐室用晚饭。他们没有围桌而坐，晚餐摆在餐具柜上，各人取了自已爱吃的东西，零零落落地成群站着，手里端了盘子和杯子。大家似乎都兴致勃勃，谈笑风生，气氛十分活跃。梅森先生站在火炉旁，同登特上校和登特太太在交谈，显得和其余的人一样愉快。我斟满酒（我看见英格拉姆小姐皱眉蹙额地看着我，我猜想她认为我太放肆了），回到了图书室。 Mr. Rochester's extreme pallor had disappeared, and he looked oncemore firm and stern. He took the glass from my hand. 罗切斯特先生极度苍白的脸已经恢复神色，再次显得镇定自若了。他从我手里接过酒杯。 
祝你健康，助人的精灵！"他说着，一口气喝下了酒，把杯子还给我。"他们在干什么呀，简？" "Laughing and talking, sir."" 谈天说笑，先生。" "They don't look grave and mysterious, as if they had heardsomething strange?"" 他们看上去不像是听到过什么奇闻那般显得严肃和神秘吗！" "Not at all: they are full of jests and gaiety."" 一点也没有--大家都开开玩笑，快快乐乐。" "And Mason?"" 梅森呢？" 
也在一起说笑。" "If all these people came in a body and spat at me, what would youdo, Jane?"" 要是这些人抱成一团唾弃我，你会怎么办呢？" "Turn them out of the room, sir, if I could."" 把他们赶出去，先生，要是我能够。" He half smiled. "But if I were to go to them, and they only lookedat me coldly, and whispered sneeringly amongst each other, and thendropped off and left me one by one, what then? Would you go withthem?" 他欲笑又止。"如果我上他们那儿去，他们只是冷冷地看着我，彼此还讥嘲地窃窃私语，随后便一个个离去，那怎么办呢？你会同他们一起走吗？" "I rather think not, sir: I should have more pleasure in stayingwith you."" 我想我不会走，先生。同你在一起我会更愉快。" 
为了安慰我？" "Yes, sir, to comfort you, as well as I could."" 是的，先生，尽我的力量安慰你。" "And if they laid you under a ban for adhering to me?"" 要是他们禁止你跟着我呢？" "I, probably, should know nothing about their ban; and if I did, Ishould care nothing about it."" 很可能我对他们的禁令一无所知，就是知道我也根本不在乎。" "Then, you could dare censure for my sake?"" 那你为了我就不顾别人责难了？" 
任何一位朋友，如值得我相守，我会全然不顾责难。我深信你就是这样一位朋友。" "Go back now into the room; step quietly up to Mason, and whisper inhis ear that Mr. Rochester is come and wishes to see him: show himin here and then leave me."" 回到客厅去吧，轻轻走到梅森身边，悄悄地告诉他罗切斯特先生已经到了，希望见他。把他领到这里来，随后你就走。" "Yes, sir."" 好的，先生。" I did his behest. The company all stared at me as I passed straightamong them. I sought Mr. Mason, delivered the message, and precededhim from the room: I ushered him into the library, and then I wentupstairs. 我按他的吩咐办了。宾客们都瞪着眼睛看我从他们中间直穿而过。我找到了梅森先生，传递了信息，走在他前面离开了房间。领他进了图书室后，我便上楼去了。 At a late hour, after I had been in bed some time, I heard thevisitors repair to their chambers: I distinguished Mr. Rochester'svoice, and heard him say, "This way, Mason; this is your room." 深夜时分，我上床后过了好些时候，我听见客人们才各自回房，也听得出罗切斯特先生的嗓音，只听见他说："这儿走，梅森，这是你的房间。"
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