《简·爱》 Chapter 14 第十四章（10）

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When fate wronged me, I had not the wisdom to remain cool.

当命运亏待了我时，我没有明智地保持冷静。

I turned desperate; then I degenerated².

我开始绝望，随后坠落了。

Now, when any vicious simpleton excites my disgust by his paltry³ ribaldry,

现在要是一个可恶的傻瓜用卑俗的下流话激起我的厌恶，

I cannot flatter myself that I am better than he.

我并不以为我的表现会比他好些。

I am forced to confess that he and I are on a level.

我不得不承认我与他彼此彼此而已。

I wish I had stood firm — God knows I do!

我真希望当初自己能不为所动 — 上帝知道我是这么希望的。

Dread⁴ remorse⁵ when you are tempted⁶ to err⁷, Miss Eyre.

爱小姐，当你受到诱惑要做错事的时候，你要视悔恨为畏途。

Remorse is the poison of life.

悔恨是生活的毒药。

Repentance⁸ is said to be its cure, sir.

据说忏悔是治疗的良药，生先。

It is not its cure. Reformation may be its cure.

忏悔治不了它。悔改也许可以疗救。

And I could reform — I have strength yet for that — if...

而我能悔改—我有力量这么做—如果...

But where is the use of thinking of it, hampered⁹, burdened, cursed as I am?

不过既然我已经负荷沉重、步履艰难该受诅咒了，现在想这管什么用呢？

Besides, since happiness is irrevocably denied me,

既然我已被无可挽回地剥夺了幸福，

I have a right to get pleasure out of life, and I will get it, cost what it may.

那我就有权利从生活中获得快乐。我一定要得到它，不管代价有多大。

Then you will degenerate¹ still more, sir.

那你会进一步沉沦的，先生。

Possibly. Yet why should I, if I can get sweet, fresh pleasure?

可能如此。不过要是我能获得新鲜甜蜜的欢乐，为什么我必定要沉沦呢？

And I may get it as sweet and fresh as the wild honey the bee gathers on the moor¹⁰.

也许我所得到的，同蜜蜂在沼泽地上酿成的野蜂蜜一样甜蜜，一样新鲜。

It will sting — it will taste bitter, sir.

它会螯人的 —而且有苦味，先生。

How do you know? You never tried it.

你怎么知道？你从来没有试过。

How very serious. How very solemn you look.

多严肃！你看上去多一本正经呀。

And you are as ignorant of the matter as this cameo head (taking one from the mantelpiece) .

而你对这种事情一无所知，跟这个浮雕头像一模一样（从壁炉上取了一个）！

You have no right to preach to me, you neophyte¹¹,

你无权对我说教，你这位新教士，

that have not passed the porch of life, and are absolutely unacquainted with its mysteries.

你还没有步入生活之门，对内中的奥秘毫不知情。

I only remind you of your own words, sir.

我不过是提醒一下你自己的话，先生。

You said error brought remorse, and you pronounced remorse the poison of existence.

你说错误带来悔恨，而你又说悔恨是生活的毒药。

And who talks of error now?

现在谁说起错误啦？

I scarcely think the notion that flittered across my brain was an error.

我并不以为，刚才闪过我脑际的想法是个错误。

I believe it was an inspiration rather than a temptation.

我相信这是一种灵感，而不是一种诱惑，

It was very genial¹², very soothing¹³. I know that.

它非常亲切，非常令人欣慰。这我清楚。

Here it comes again! It is no devil, I assure you.

瞧，它又现形了。我敢肯定，它不是魔鬼。

Or if it be, it has put on the robes of an angel of light.

或者要真是的话，它披着光明天使的外衣。

I think I must admit so fair a guest when it asks entrance to my heart.

我认为这样一位美丽的宾客要求进入我心扉的时候，我应当允许她进来。

Distrust it, sir; it is not a true angel.

别相信它，先生。它不是一个真正的天使

1 degenerate   

v.退步，堕落；adj.退步的，堕落的；n.堕落者

参考例句：

• He didn't let riches and luxury make him degenerate.他不因财富和奢华而自甘堕落。
• Will too much freedom make them degenerate?太多的自由会令他们堕落吗？

2 degenerated   

衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The march degenerated into a riot. 示威游行变成了暴动。
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track. 铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。

3 paltry   

adj.无价值的，微不足道的

参考例句：

• The parents had little interest in paltry domestic concerns.那些家长对家里鸡毛蒜皮的小事没什么兴趣。
• I'm getting angry;and if you don't command that paltry spirit of yours.我要生气了，如果你不能振作你那点元气。

4 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

5 remorse   

n.痛恨，悔恨，自责

参考例句：

• She had no remorse about what she had said.她对所说的话不后悔。
• He has shown no remorse for his actions.他对自己的行为没有任何悔恨之意。

6 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

7 err   

vi.犯错误，出差错

参考例句：

• He did not err by a hair's breadth in his calculation.他的计算结果一丝不差。
• The arrows err not from their aim.箭无虚发。

8 repentance   

n.懊悔

参考例句：

• He shows no repentance for what he has done.他对他的所作所为一点也不懊悔。
• Christ is inviting sinners to repentance.基督正在敦请有罪的人悔悟。

9 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

10 moor   

n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊

参考例句：

• I decided to moor near some tourist boats.我决定在一些观光船附近停泊。
• There were hundreds of the old huts on the moor.沼地上有成百上千的古老的石屋。

11 neophyte   

n.新信徒；开始者

参考例句：

• The neophyte began to stammer out a reply,but fell silent.新门徒嗫嚅了两句，然后沉默了。
• He is a neophyte at politics.他是个初涉政界的人。

12 genial   

adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的

参考例句：

• Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
• He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友，也是友善待客的主人。

13 soothing   

adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的

参考例句：

• Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
• His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。