《简·爱》 Chapter 16 第十六章（2）

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There she sat, staid and taciturn-looking, as usual, in her brown stuff gown, her check apron¹, white handkerchief, and cap.

她坐在那里，还是往常那付沉默寡言的样子，穿着褐色料子服，系着格子围裙，揣着白手帕，戴着帽子。

She was intent on her work, in which her whole thoughts seemed absorbed.

她专心致志地忙着手头的活儿，似乎全身心都扑上去了。

On her hard forehead, and in her commonplace features, was nothing either of the paleness or desperation

她冷漠的额头和普普通通的五官，既不显得苍白，也不见绝望的表情，

one would have expected to see marking the countenance² of a woman who had attempted murder,

那种人们期望在一个蓄谋杀人的女人脸上看到的表情特征，

and whose intended victim had followed her last night to her lair³, and (as I believed) , charged her with the crime she wished to perpetrate.

而且那位受害者昨晚跟踪到了她的藏身之处，并（如我所相信）指控她蓄意犯罪。

I was amazed — confounded.

我十分惊讶，甚至感到惶惑。

She looked up, while I still gazed at her.

我继续盯着她看时，她抬起了头来。

No start, no increase or failure of colour betrayed emotion, consciousness of guilt⁴, or fear of detection.

没有惊慌之态，没有变脸色，而因此泄露她的情绪和负罪感，以及害怕被发现的恐惧心理。

She said "Good morning, Miss," in her usual phlegmatic⁵ and brief manner, and taking up another ring and more tape, went on with her sewing.

她以平时那种冷淡和简慢的态度说了声："早安，小姐，"又拿起一个挂环和一圈线带，继续缝了起来。

"I will put her to some test," thought I: "such absolute impenetrability is past comprehension."

"我倒要试试她看，"我想，"那么丝毫不露声色是令人难以理解的"。

"Good morning, Grace," I said.

"早安，格雷斯，"我说。

Has anything happened here? I thought I heard the servants all talking together a while ago.

这儿发生了什么事吗？我想刚才我听到仆人们都议论纷纷呢。

Only master had been reading in his bed last night.

不过是昨晚老爷躺在床上看书。

He fell asleep with his candle lit, and the curtains got on fire.

亮着蜡烛就睡着了，床幔起了火。

But, fortunately, he awoke before the bed-clothes or the wood-work caught, and contrived⁶ to quench⁷ the flames with the water in the ewer⁸.

幸亏床单或木板还没着火他就醒了，想法用罐子里的水浇灭了火焰。

"A strange affair!" I said, in a low voice.

"怪事！"我低声说。

Then, looking at her fixedly⁹, "Did Mr. Rochester wake nobody? Did no one hear him move?"

随后目光紧盯着她，"罗切斯特先生没有弄醒谁吗！你没有听到他走动？"

She again raised her eyes to me, and this time there was something of consciousness in their expression.

她再次抬眼看我，这回她的眸子里露出了一种若有所悟的表情。

She seemed to examine me warily¹⁰.

她似乎先警惕地审视我。

Then she answered:The servants sleep so far off, you know, Miss, they would not be likely to hear.

然后才回答道：仆人们睡的地方离得很远，你知道的，小姐，她们不可能听到。

Mrs. Fairfax's room and yours are the nearest to master's, but Mrs. Fairfax said she heard nothing.

费尔法克斯太太的房间和你的离老爷的卧室最近，但费尔法克斯太太说她没有听到什么。

1 apron   

n.围裙；工作裙

参考例句：

• We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
• She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。

2 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

3 lair   

n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处

参考例句：

• How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair?不入虎穴，焉得虎子？
• I retired to my lair,and wrote some letters.我回到自己的躲藏处，写了几封信。

4 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

5 phlegmatic   

adj.冷静的，冷淡的，冷漠的，无活力的

参考例句：

• Commuting in the rush-hour requires a phlegmatic temperament.在上下班交通高峰期间乘坐通勤车要有安之若素的心境。
• The british character is often said to be phlegmatic.英国人的性格常说成是冷漠的。

6 contrived   

adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的

参考例句：

• There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。
• The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。

7 quench   

vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制

参考例句：

• The firemen were unable to quench the fire.消防人员无法扑灭这场大火。
• Having a bottle of soft drink is not enough to quench my thirst.喝一瓶汽水不够解渴。

8 ewer   

n.大口水罐

参考例句：

• The ewer is in very good condition with spout restored.喷口修复后，水罐还能用。
• She filled the ewer with fresh water.她将水罐注满了清水。

9 fixedly   

adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地

参考例句：

• He stared fixedly at the woman in white. 他一直凝视着那穿白衣裳的女人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The great majority were silent and still, looking fixedly at the ground. 绝大部分的人都不闹不动，呆呆地望着地面。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

10 warily   

adv.留心地

参考例句：

• He looked warily around him,pretending to look after Carrie.他小心地看了一下四周，假装是在照顾嘉莉。
• They were heading warily to a point in the enemy line.他们正小心翼翼地向着敌人封锁线的某一处前进。