有声名著之简爱Jene Eyer Chapter4

　　CHAPTER FOUR My New Friend
The next morning we got up in the dark. In all the rooms it was as cold as ice. This time the porridge was not burned, but I still felt hungry because there was not enough.
The girl I had spoken with yesterday was older than me, so she was in a higher class. Her name was Helen Burns. Her history teacher, Miss Scatcherd, seemed to think Helen did everything wrong. She always spoke¹ to Helen in this way:
“Burns, hold your head up, can’t you!”
“Burns, don’t stand like that”
I thought that Miss Scatcherd’s history questions seemed very hard. However, Helen always knew all the answers. She was so smart that I did not understand why the teacher did not like her. That day, she looked at Helen and suddenly said,
“You dirty girl! You didn’t wash your hands this morning!”
I was surprised that Helen did not tell her that we could not wash ourselves, because the water had been frozen²! Miss Scatcberd said something to Helen that I could not hear. Then Helen left the room and returned, carrying a stick. The teacher took it and hit Helen several times with it. I was horrified³, but the girl did not cry or change her expression.
“Wicked girl!” said Miss Scatcherd. “Nothing will change your dirty habits!”
During the play hour. I found Helen alone, reading the same book as before, and I started talking to her.
“Do you want to leave Lowood?” I asked her.
“No. I don’t. I was sent to school here, so I must learn as much as I can.”
I was very surprised. “But Miss Scatcherd is so cruel to you!” I cried.
“She’s not cruel. She is strict, and she knows my faults.” Helen said.
I said angrily, “Why, if she hit me with a stick, I’d grab⁴ it and break it under her nose!”
“I don’t think you would,” answered Helen quietly.” And if you did, Mr. Brocklehurst would send you away, and your relations would be angry. Anyway, the Bible⁵ tells us to do good things, even when others hurt us. Life can be hard, but we must try.”
I could not understand Helen’s ideas, but I had a felling she was right. I looked at her in amazement⁶.
“You say you have faults, Helen. What are they? To me you seem very good.”
“You are wrong,” she answered. “I am careless, and I forget the rules of the school. I read when I should be doing my homework. So, Miss Scatcherd is right to scold me.”
“Is Miss Temple as strict as that?” I asked.
A soft smile passed over Helen’s normally⁷ serious face..
“Miss Temple is very kind. She is full of goodness⁸. She gently tells me my mistakes, and is always happy when I do well. But even when she helps me, I am always dreaming, and thinking about other things. Then I can’t answer the teacher’s questions.”
“But today in history class you knew all the answers!” I said.
“I thought it was an interesting subject, that’s all,” she replied.
“You must think Miss Temple’s lessons are interesting, because you like her and she is good to you. I’m like that. I love those who love me, and I hate those who punish me unfairly.”
“You should read the Bible, Jane. People who believe in Jesus Christ⁹ should love their enemies,” said Helen.
“Then I would love the Reed¹⁰ family, which is impossible,” I cried.
Helen listened carefully to the long story of my life at Gateshead.
“Well,” I asked at the end, “Mrs. Reed is a bad woman, isn’t she? Don’t you agree with me?”
“It’s true she is unkind¹¹, but only because she dislikes your faults. Look how angrily you remember every word! You would be happier if you tried to forget her scolding. Life is too short to hate other people, Jane. We all have faults, but when we die, only the pure flame of the spirit will be left. That’s why I never think of revenge¹², I never consider life unfair. I live in calm, looking forward to the end.”
For a moment we both stayed silent. Then one of the big girls came up, calling, “Helen Burns! You go and put away your work immediately or I’ll tell Miss Scatcherd!”
Helen sighed, but stood up and silently obeyed her.

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 frozen   

adj.冻结的，冰冻的

参考例句：

• He was frozen to death on a snowing night.在一个风雪的晚上，他被冻死了。
• The weather is cold and the ground is frozen.天寒地冻。

3 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

4 grab   

vt./n.攫取，抓取；vi.攫取，抓住(at)

参考例句：

• It is rude to grab a seat.抢占座位是不礼貌的。
• The thief made a grab at my bag but I pushed him away.贼想抢我的手提包，但被我推开了。

5 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

6 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

7 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

8 goodness   

n.善良，善行，美德

参考例句：

• Would you have the goodness to turn off the radio?劳驾，请你把收音机关上好不好？
• Thank goodness,we've found a cure for the disease.好了，这病有救了！

9 Christ   

n.基督，救世主，耶稣

参考例句：

• I regarded him as the Christ.我把他当作救世主。
• Christ preached that we should love each other.基督在布道中说人们应该互爱。

10 reed   

n.芦苇，芦丛，簧舌，簧片

参考例句：

• The river banks were overgrown with reed.河岸长满了芦苇。
• They inhabit reed huts built on stilts above the water.他们住在建于水中木桩之上的芦苇草屋里。

11 unkind   

adj.不仁慈的，不和善的

参考例句：

• He was never unkind to her.他从未亏待过她。
• Unkindness often reacts on the unkind person.恶人有恶报。

12 revenge   

v.报...之仇，为...报仇 ；n.报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• She poisoned his mind with ideas of hate and revenge.她用复仇的思想来毒害他的心灵。
• There was anger in his eyes and revenge in his heart.他两眼闪现怒火，一心只想复仇。