《简·爱》 Chapter 10 第十章（4）

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“A new servitude! There is something in that,” I soliloquised (mentally, be it understood. I did not talk aloud).

“一种新的苦役！这有一定道理，”我自言自语（要知道，只是心里想想，没有说出口来）。

“I know there is, because it does not sound too sweet;

“我知道是有道理，因为它并不十分动听，

It is not like such words as Liberty, Excitement, Enjoyment¹.

不像自由、兴奋、享受这些词，

Delightful² sounds truly, but no more than sounds for me;

它们的声音确实很悦耳，而且那么空虚和短暂，

and so hollow and fleeting³ that it is mere⁴ waste of time to listen to them.

听这些徒然是浪费时间。

But Servitude! That must be matter of fact.

但是这苦役却全然不同！它毕竟是实实在在的。

Any one may serve. I have served here eight years.

任何个人都可以服苦役。我在这儿已经服了八年。

Now all I want is to serve elsewhere.

现在我所期求的不过是到别处去服役。

Can I not get so much of my own will?

难道我连这点愿望也达不到？

Is not the thing feasible?

难道这事不可行？

Yes — yes — the end is not so difficult; if I had only a brain active enough to ferret out the means of attaining⁵ it.

是呀，是呀，要达到目的并非难事，只要我肯动脑筋，找到达到目的之手段。

I sat up in bed by way of arousing this said brain.

我从床上坐起来，以便开动脑筋。

it was a chilly⁶ night.

这是一个寒冷的夜晚。

I covered my shoulders with a shawl, and then I proceeded to think again with all my might.

我在肩上围了块披巾，随后便全力以赴地进一步思考起来。

“What do I want? A new place, in a new house, amongst new faces, under new circumstances.

“我需要什么呢？在新的环境、新的面孔、新的房子中一个新的工作。

I want this because it is of no use wanting anything better.

我只要这个，因为好高鹜远是徒劳无益的。

How do people do to get a new place?

人们怎样才能找到一个新工作呢？

They apply to friends, I suppose.

我猜想他们求助于朋友。

I have no friends.

但我没有朋友。

There are many others who have no friends,

很多没有朋友的人

who must look about for themselves and be their own helpers, and what is their resource?”

只好自己动手去找工作，自己救自己，他们采用什么办法呢？”

I could not tell. Nothing answered me.

我说不上来，找不到答案。

I then ordered my brain to find a response, and quickly.

随后我责令自己的头脑找到一个回答，而且要快。

It worked and worked faster.

我动着脑筋，越动越快。

I felt the pulses throb⁷ in my head and temples,

我感到我的脑袋和太阳穴在搏动着。

but for nearly an hour it worked in chaos⁸, and no result came of its efforts.

但将近一个小时，我的脑子乱七八糟，一切努力毫无结果。

Feverish⁹ with vain labour, I got up and took a turn in the room.

我因为徒劳无功而心乱加麻，便立起身来，在房间里转了转。

Undrew the curtain, noted¹⁰ a star or two, shivered with cold, and again crept to bed.

拉开窗帘，望见一两颗星星，在寒夜中颤抖，我再次爬到床上。

A kind fairy, in my absence, had surely dropped the required suggestion on my pillow.

准是有一位善良的仙女，趁我不在时把我需要的主意放到了我枕头上。

For as I lay down, it came quietly and naturally to my mind.

因为我躺下时，这主意悄悄地、自然而然地闪入我脑际。

Those who want situations advertise. You must advertise in the —shire Herald¹¹.

凡是谋职的人都登广告，你必须在《××郡先驱报》上登广告。

How? I know nothing about advertising¹².

怎么登呢？我对广告一无所知。

Replies rose smooth and prompt now:

回答来得自然而又及时：

“You must enclose the advertisement and the money to pay for it under a cover directed to the editor of the Herald.

你必须把广告和广告费放在同一个信封里，寄给《先驱报》的编辑。

You must put it, the first opportunity you have, into the post at Lowton.

你必须立即抓住第一个机会把信投到洛顿邮局。

Answers must be addressed to J.E. , at the post-office there.

回信务必寄往那里邮局的J.E.。

You can go and inquire in about a week after you send your letter, if any are come, and act accordingly.

信寄出后一个星期，你可以去查询。要是来了回音，那就随之行动。

This scheme I went over twice, thrice. It was then digested in my mind.

我把这个计划琢磨了二三回。接着便消化在脑子里。

I had it in a clear practical form.

我非常清晰地把它具体化了。

I felt satisfied, and fell asleep.

我很满意，不久便酣然入睡。

1 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

2 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

3 fleeting   

adj.短暂的，飞逝的

参考例句：

• The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
• Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。

4 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

5 attaining   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• Jim is halfway to attaining his pilot's licence. 吉姆就快要拿到飞行员执照了。
• By that time she was attaining to fifty. 那时她已快到五十岁了。

6 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

7 throb   

v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动

参考例句：

• She felt her heart give a great throb.她感到自己的心怦地跳了一下。
• The drums seemed to throb in his ears.阵阵鼓声彷佛在他耳边震响。

8 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

9 feverish   

adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的

参考例句：

• He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
• They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

12 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。