目 录 上一节 下一节 
那你就不认识我了，先生，我不再是你的简.爱，而是穿了丑角衣装的猴子--一只披了别人羽毛的八哥。那样倒不如看你罗切斯特先生，一身戏装打扮，而我自己则穿上宫庭贵妇的长袍。先生，我并没有说你漂亮，尽管我非常爱你，太爱你了，所以不愿吹捧你。你就别捧我了。" He pursued his theme, however, without noticing my deprecation."This very day I shall take you in the carriage to Millcote, and youmust choose some dresses for yourself. I told you we shall bemarried in four weeks. The wedding is to take place quietly, in thechurch down below yonder; and then I shall waft you away at once totown. After a brief stay there, I shall bear my treasure to regionsnearer the sun: to French vineyards and Italian plains; and sheshall see whatever is famous in old story and in modern record: sheshall taste, too, of the life of cities; and she shall learn tovalue herself by just comparison with others." 然而他不顾我反对，扭住这个话题不放。"今天我就要坐着马车带你上米尔科特，你得为自己挑选些衣服。我同你说过了，四个星期后我们就结婚。婚礼将不事张扬，在下面那个教堂里举行。然后，我就立刻一阵风把你送到城里。短暂逗留后，我将带我的宝贝去阳光明媚的地方，到法国的葡萄园和意大利的平原去。古往今来凡有记载的名胜，她都得看看；城市风光，也该品尝。还得同别人公平地比较比较，让她知道自己的身价。" "Shall I travel?--and with you, sir?"" 我要去旅行？--同你吗，先生？" "You shall sojourn at Paris, Rome, and Naples: at Florence, Venice,and Vienna: all the ground I have wandered over shall be re-troddenby you: wherever I stamped my hoof, your sylph's foot shall stepalso. Ten years since, I flew through Europe half mad; withdisgust, hate, and rage as my companions: now I shall revisit ithealed and cleansed, with a very angel as my comforter."" 你要住在巴黎、罗马和那不列斯，还有佛罗伦萨、威尼斯和维也纳。凡是我漫游过的地方，你都得重新去走走；凡我马蹄所至，你这位精灵也该涉足。十年之前，我几乎疯了似地跑遍了欧洲，只有厌恶、憎恨和愤怒同我作伴。如今我将旧地重游，痼疾己经痊愈，心灵已被涤荡，还有一位真正的天使给我安慰，与我同游。" I laughed at him as he said this. "I am not an angel," I asserted;"and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself. Mr.Rochester, you must neither expect nor exact anything celestial ofme--for you will not get it, any more than I shall get it of you:which I do not at all anticipate." 我笑他这么说话。"我不是天使，"我断言，"就是到死也不会是。我是我自己。罗切斯特先生，你不该在我身上指望或强求天上才有的东西。你不会得到的，就像我无法从你那儿得到一样，而且我是一点也不指望的。" 
那你指望我什么呢？" "For a little while you will perhaps be as you are now,--a verylittle while; and then you will turn cool; and then you will becapricious; and then you will be stern, and I shall have much ado toplease you: but when you get well used to me, you will perhaps likeme again,--LIKE me, I say, not LOVE me. I suppose your love willeffervesce in six months, or less. I have observed in books writtenby men, that period assigned as the farthest to which a husband'sardour extends. Yet, after all, as a friend and companion, I hopenever to become quite distasteful to my dear master."" 在短期内，你也许会同现在一样--很短的时期，随后你会冷静下来，你会反复无常，又会严厉起来，而我得费尽心机，使你高兴，不过等你完全同我习惯了，你也许又会喜欢我--我说呀喜欢我，而不是爱我。我猜想六个月后、或者更短一些，你的爱情就会化为泡影，在由男人撰写的书中，我注意到，那是一个丈夫的热情所能保持的最长时期。不过毕竟作为朋友和伙伴，我希望决不要太讨我亲爱主人的嫌。" "Distasteful! and like you again! I think I shall like you again,and yet again: and I will make you confess I do not only LIKE, butLOVE you--with truth, fervour, constancy."" 讨厌？又会喜欢你呢！我想我会一而再，再而三地喜欢你。我会让你承认，我不仅喜欢你，而且爱你--真挚、热情、始终如一。" "Yet are you not capricious, sir?"" 你不再反反复复了，先生？" "To women who please me only by their faces, I am the very devilwhen I find out they have neither souls nor hearts--when they opento me a perspective of flatness, triviality, and perhaps imbecility,coarseness, and ill-temper: but to the clear eye and eloquenttongue, to the soul made of fire, and the character that bends butdoes not break--at once supple and stable, tractable and consistent--I am ever tender and true."" 对那些光靠容貌吸引我的女人，一旦我发现她们既没有灵魂也没有良心--一旦她们向我展示乏味、浅薄，也许还有愚蠢、粗俗和暴躁，我便成了真正的魔鬼。但是对眼明口快的，对心灵如火的，对既柔顺而又稳重、既驯服而又坚强，可弯而不可折的性格--我会永远温柔和真诚。" 
你遇到过这样的性格吗，先生？你爱上过这样的性格吗？" "I love it now."" 我现在爱它了。" "But before me: if I, indeed, in any respect come up to yourdifficult standard?"" 在我以前呢，假如我真的在各方面都符合你那苛刻的标准？" "I never met your likeness. Jane, you please me, and you master me--you seem to submit, and I like the sense of pliancy you impart; andwhile I am twining the soft, silken skein round my finger, it sendsa thrill up my arm to my heart. I am influenced--conquered; and theinfluence is sweeter than I can express; and the conquest I undergohas a witchery beyond any triumph I can win. Why do you smile,Jane? What does that inexplicable, that uncanny turn of countenancemean?"" 我从来没有遇到过可以跟你相提并论的人，简，你使我愉快。使我倾倒，--你似乎很顺从，而我喜欢你给人的能屈能伸的感觉。我把一束柔软的丝线，绕过手指时，一阵颤栗，从我的胳膊涌向我心里。我受到了感染--我被征服了。这种感染之甜蜜，不是我所能表达，这种被征服感之魅力，远胜于我赢得的任何胜利。你为什么笑了，简？你那令人费解、不可思议的表情变化，有什么含义？" "I was thinking, sir (you will excuse the idea; it was involuntary),I was thinking of Hercules and Samson with their charmers--"" 我在想，先生（你会原谅我这个想法，油然而生的想法），我想起了赫拉克勒斯、参孙和使他们着迷的美女。" 
你就这么想，你这小精灵--" "Hush, sir! You don't talk very wisely just now; any more thanthose gentlemen acted very wisely. However, had they been married,they would no doubt by their severity as husbands have made up fortheir softness as suitors; and so will you, I fear. I wonder howyou will answer me a year hence, should I ask a favour it does notsuit your convenience or pleasure to grant."" 唏，先生！就像那些先生们的举动并不聪明一样，你刚才说的话也并不聪明。不过，要是他们当初结了婚，毫无疑问，他们会一本正经地摆出夫君面孔，不再象求婚的时候那样柔情如水，我担心你也会一样。要是一年以后我请你做一件你不方便或者不乐意的事，不知你会怎样答复我。" "Ask me something now, Jane,--the least thing: I desire to beentreated--"" 你现在就说一件事吧，简--哪怕是件小事，我渴望你求我--" "Indeed I will, sir; I have my petition all ready."" 真的，我会的，先生。我已作好请求的准备。" "Speak! But if you look up and smile with that countenance, I shallswear concession before I know to what, and that will make a fool ofme."" 说出来吧！不过你要是以那种神情抬头含笑，我会不知道你要求什么就满口答应，那就会使我上当。" 
绝对不会，先生。我只有一个要求，就是不要叫人送珠宝，不要让我头上戴满玫瑰花，你还不如把你那块普普通通的手帕镶上一条金边吧。" "I might as well 'gild refined gold.' I know it: you request isgranted then--for the time. I will remand the order I despatched tomy banker. But you have not yet asked for anything; you have prayeda gift to be withdrawn: try again."" 我还不如'给纯金镶上金子'。我知道了，那么你的请求，我同意了--现在就这样。我会撤回送给银行代理人的订单。不过你还没有向我要什么呢，你只要求我收回礼物。再试一下吧。" "Well then, sir, have the goodness to gratify my curiosity, which ismuch piqued on one point."" 那么，好呀，先生。请你满足我在某一个问题上大大激起的好奇心。" He looked disturbed. "What? what?" he said hastily. "Curiosity isa dangerous petition: it is well I have not taken a vow to accordevery request--" 他显得不安了。"什么？什么？"他忙不迭地问。"好奇心是一位危险的请求者：幸亏我没有发誓同意你的每个要求--" "But there can be no danger in complying with this, sir."" 但是答应这个要求并没有什么危险，先生。" 
说吧，简。不过但愿这不只是打听--也许打听一个秘密，而是希望得到我的一半家产。" "Now, King Ahasuerus! What do I want with half your estate? Do youthink I am a Jew-usurer, seeking good investment in land? I wouldmuch rather have all your confidence. You will not exclude me fromyour confidence if you admit me to your heart?"" 哎呀，亚哈随鲁王！我要你一半的家产干什么？你难道以为我是犹太高利贷者，要在土地上好好投资一番。我宁愿能同你推心置腹，要是你已答应向我敞开心扉，那你就不会不让我知道你的隐秘吧。" "You are welcome to all my confidence that is worth having, Jane;but for God's sake, don't desire a useless burden! Don't long forpoison--don't turn out a downright Eve on my hands!"" 凡是一切值得知道的隐秘，简，都欢迎你知道。不过看在上帝面上，不要追求无用的负担！不要向往毒药--不要变成由我照管的十十足足的夏娃！"
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