《简·爱》 Chapter 10 第十章（5）

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With earliest day, I was up.

第二天我一大早就起来了。

I had my advertisement written, enclosed, and directed before the bell rang to rouse the school.

没等起床铃把全校吵醒就写好了广告，封入信封，写上了地址。

It ran thus: "A young lady accustomed to tuition" (had I not been a teacher two years? )

信上说：“现有一位年轻女士，熟悉教学（我不是做了两年的教师吗？）。

Is desirous of meeting with a situation in a private family where the children are under fourteen.

愿谋一家庭教师职位，儿童年龄须幼于十四岁。

I thought that as I was barely eighteen, it would not do to undertake the guidance of pupils nearer my own age.

我想自己才十八岁，要指导一个跟我年龄相仿的人是断然不行的。

She is qualified¹ to teach the usual branches of a good English education, together with French, Drawing, and Music,

该女士能胜任良好的英国教育所含的普通课科，以及法文、绘画和音乐的教学，

in those days, reader, this now narrow catalogue of accomplishments², would have been held tolerably comprehensive.

读者呀，现在这张狭窄的技能表，在那个时代还算是比较广博的。

Address, J.E. , Post-office, Lowton.

回信请寄××郡洛顿邮局，J.E.。

This document remained locked in my drawer all day.

这份文件在我抽屉里整整锁了一天。

After tea, I asked leave of the new superintendent³ to go to Lowton,

用完茶点以后，我向新来的校长请假去洛顿，

in order to perform some small commissions for myself and one or two of my fellow-teachers.

为自己也为一两位共事的老师办些小事。

Permission was readily granted. I went.

她欣然允诺，于是我便去了。

It was a walk of two miles, and the evening was wet, but the days were still long.

一共有两英里步行路程，傍晚还下着雨，好在白昼依然很长。

I visited a shop or two, slipped the letter into the post-office,

我逛了一两家商店，把信塞进邮局，

and came back through heavy rain, with streaming garments, but with a relieved heart.

冒着大雨回来，外衣都淌着水，但心里如释重负。

The succeeding week seemed long.

接着的那个星期似乎很长。

It came to an end at last, however, like all sublunary things,

然而，它像世间的万物一样，终于到了尽头。

and once more, towards the close of a pleasant autumn day, I found myself afoot on the road to Lowton.

一个秋高气爽的傍晚，我再次踏上了去洛顿的路途。

A picturesque⁴ track it was, by the way, lying along the side of the beck and through the sweetest curves of the dale:

顺便提一句，小路风景如画，沿着小溪向前延伸，穿过弯弯曲曲秀色诱人的山谷。

But that day I thought more of the letters,

不过那天我想得更多的是那封可能在，

that might or might not be awaiting me at the little burgh whither I was bound, than of the charms of lea and water.

可能不在小城等着我的信，而不是草地和溪水的魅力。

My ostensible⁵ errand on this occasion was to get measured for a pair of shoes.

这时我冠冕堂皇的差使是度量脚码做一双鞋。

So I discharged that business first, and when it was done,

所以我先去干这件事。了却以后，

I stepped across the clean and quiet little street from the shoemaker's to the post-office.

从鞋匠那儿出来，穿过洁净安宁的小街，来到邮局。

It was kept by an old dame⁶, who wore horn spectacles on her nose, and black mittens⁷ on her hands.

管理员是位老妇人，鼻梁上架着角质眼镜，手上戴着黑色露指手套。

"Are there any letters for J.E. ?" I asked.

“有写给J.E的信吗？”我问。

She peered at me over her spectacles, and then she opened a drawer and fumbled⁸ among its contents for a long time,

她从眼镜上方盯着我，随后打开一个抽屉，在里面放着的东西中间翻了好久好久。

so long that my hopes began to falter⁹.

时间那么长，我简直开始有些泄气了。

At last, having held a document before her glasses for nearly five minutes,

最后，她终于把一份文件放到眼镜底上，过了将近五分钟，

she presented it across the counter, accompanying the act by another inquisitive¹⁰ and mistrustful glance — it was for J.E.

才越过柜台，递给我，同时投过来刨根究底，疑虑重重的一瞥，这封信是写给J.E.的。

"Is there only one?" I demanded.

“就只有这么一封？”我问。

"There are no more," said she.

“没有了，”她说。

And I put it in my pocket and turned my face homeward.

我把信放进口袋，回头就走。

I could not open it then.

当时我不能拆开。

Rules obliged me to be back by eight, and it was already half-past seven.

按照规定我得八点前返回，而这时已经七点半了。

Various duties awaited me on my arrival.

一到家便有种种事务等着我去做。

I had to sit with the girls during their hour of study.

姑娘们做功课时我得陪坐着。

Then it was my turn to read prayers; to see them to bed.

随后是轮到我读祷告，照应她们上床。

Afterwards I supped with the other teachers.

在此之后，我与其他教师吃了晚饭。

1 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

2 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

4 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。

5 ostensible   

adj.(指理由)表面的，假装的

参考例句：

• The ostensible reason wasn't the real reason.表面上的理由并不是真正的理由。
• He resigned secretaryship on the ostensible ground of health.他借口身体不好，辞去书记的职务。

6 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

7 mittens   

不分指手套

参考例句：

• Cotton mittens will prevent the baby from scratching his own face. 棉的连指手套使婴儿不会抓伤自己的脸。
• I'd fisted my hands inside their mittens to keep the fingers warm. 我在手套中握拳头来保暖手指。

8 fumbled   

（笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下

参考例句：

• She fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief. 她在她口袋里胡乱摸找手帕。
• He fumbled about in his pockets for the ticket. 他（瞎）摸着衣兜找票。

9 falter   

vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚

参考例句：

• His voice began to falter.他的声音开始发颤。
• As he neared the house his steps faltered.当他走近房子时，脚步迟疑了起来。

10 inquisitive   

adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的

参考例句：

• Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
• A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。