| 目 录 上一节 
我与书中的人物相处了这样久，但仍愿意陪着他们再走一程，我要奋笔疾书他们的欢乐，分享他们的幸福。我很想让新婚的露丝·梅莱展示出全部的风采和韵致，将柔和的清辉撒在她那与世无争的人生道路上，撒在所有与她一起走在这条路上的人们身上，并且照进他们的心田。我要描绘她冬日围炉和生气盎然的夏日长聚的活力与欢乐。中午，我要跟着她穿过酷热的原野，月夜漫步时，我要聆听她用甜美的嗓音低声唱出的曲调。我要注视着她出门乐善好施，在家含着微笑、孜孜不倦地履行天职。我要描述她和她姐姐的遗孤的幸福，她俩相亲相爱，常常在一起想像失去的亲人长得像什么样子，一想就是几个小时。我要再一次把围聚在她膝前的那些欢乐的小脸蛋召到跟前，听一听他们那快活的卿卿喳喳。我要在记忆中唤起那清脆的笑语欢声，刻画在她那双温柔的蓝眼睛里闪动着的同情的泪花。这一切，以及千百次的眼神与微笑，数不清的思想和言语--我都想-一记录下来。 How Mr. Brownlow went on, from day to day, filling the mind of his adopted child with stores of knowledge, and becoming attached to him, more and more, as his nature developed itself, and showed the thriving seeds of all he wished him to become--how he traced in him new traits of his early friend, that awakened in his own bosom old remembrances, melancholy and yet sweet and soothing--how the two orphans, tried by adversity, remembered its lessons in mercy to others, and mutual love, and fervent thanks to Him who had protected and preserved them--these are all matters which need not to be told. I have said that they were truly happy; and without strong affection and humanity of heart, and gratitude to that Being whose code is Mercy, and whose great attribute is Benevolence to all things that breathe, happiness can never be attained. 日复一日，布朗罗先生怎样继续用丰富的学识充实他的养子的头脑，随着孩子的天性不断发展，希望的种子已经破土而出，大有可能成为老先生希望看到的那种人，布朗罗先生对他的钟爱也日益加深--他又是怎样在孩子身上不断找到老朋友的特征，这些特征在他自己的心坎上唤起了久已逝去的回忆，既牵动忧伤，又带来甜蜜与温馨--两个孤儿经历了磨难，他们如何记取教训，善待他人，互敬互爱，热诚感谢庇护、保全了他俩的上帝--这一切都是毋庸赘述的事情。我已经说过了，他们确实很幸福。如果没有强烈的爱，没有仁爱之心，如果对以慈悲为信条、以博爱一切生灵为最高标志的上帝不知感恩，是绝对得不到幸福的。 Within the altar of the old village church there stands a white marble tablet, which bears as yet but one word: 'AGNES.' There is no coffin in that tomb; and may it be many, many years, before another name is placed above it! But, if the spirits of the Dead ever come back to earth, to visit spots hallowed by the love--the love beyond the grave--of those whom they knew in life, I believe that the shade of Agnes sometimes hovers round that solemn nook. I believe it none the less because that nook is in a Church, and she was weak and erring. 在那个古老乡村的教堂墓地里，矗立着一块白色的大理石墓碑，上边直到今日还只刻着一个名宇：艾格尼丝。墓穴里没有灵柩，也许要过许多年，才会有另外一个名字刻上去。然而坟墓隔不断死者生前友人对他们的爱，如果他们身后时常回返尘世，魂游一处处爱的圣地，我相信艾格尼丝的阴魂有时就在这个神圣的角落盘旋。尽管这个角落是在教堂里，柔弱的她又曾迷途忘返，我还是相信她会到这里来的。
| |
