《简·爱》 Chapter 08 第八章(6)(在线收听) |
"Barbara," said she, "can you not bring a little more bread and butter? There is not enough for three." “巴巴拉,”她说,“不能再拿点面包和黄油来吗?这不够三个人吃呀。” Barbara went out. She returned soon: Madam, Mrs. Harden says she has sent up the usual quantity. 小姐,哈登太太说已经按平时的份量送来了。 Mrs. Harden, be it observed, was the housekeeper. 得说明一下,哈登太太是个管家。 A woman after Mr. Brocklehurst's own heart, made up of equal parts of whalebone and iron. 这个女人很合布罗克赫斯特先生的心意,两人的心一样都是铁铸的。 "Oh, very well!" returned Miss Temple; "We must make it do, Barbara, I suppose." “啊,好吧,”坦普尔小姐回答,“我想我们只好将就了,巴巴拉。” And as the girl withdrew she added, smiling, "Fortunately, I have it in my power to supply deficiencies for this once." 等这位姑娘一走,她便笑着补充说:“幸好我自己还能够弥补这次的欠缺。” Having invited Helen and me to approach the table, 她邀海伦与我凑近桌子, and placed before each of us a cup of tea with one delicious but thin morsel of toast, 在我们俩面前各放了一杯茶和一小片可口却很薄的烤面包, she got up, unlocked a drawer, and taking from it a parcel wrapped in paper, disclosed presently to our eyes a good-sized seed-cake. 随后打开抽屉,从里面抽出一个纸包,我们眼前立刻出现了一个大果子饼。 "I meant to give each of you some of this to take with you," said she, "but as there is so little toast, you must have it now." “我本想让你们各自带一点儿回去,”她说,“但是因为烤面包这么少,你们现在就得吃掉了。” And she proceeded to cut slices with a generous hand. 她很大方地把饼切成了厚片。 We feasted that evening as on nectar and ambrosia. 那天夜晚,我们吃了香甜的饮料和食品,享受了一次盛宴。 And not the least delight of the entertainment was the smile of gratification with which our hostess regarded us, 当她慷慨提供的美食,满足了我们的辘辘饥肠时,我们的女主人面带满意的微笑, as we satisfied our famished appetites on the delicate fare she liberally supplied. 望着我们,那笑容也一样令人愉快。 Tea over and the tray removed, she again summoned us to the fire. 吃完茶点,端走了托盘后,她又招呼我们到火炉边去。 We sat one on each side of her, 我们两人一边一个坐在她身旁。 and now a conversation followed between her and Helen, which it was indeed a privilege to be admitted to hear. 这时,她与海伦开始了谈话,而我能被允许旁听,实在也是有幸。 Miss Temple had always something of serenity in her air, of state in her mien, of refined propriety in her language, 坦普尔小姐向来神态安详,风度庄重,谈吐文雅得体, which precluded deviation into the ardent, the excited, the eager. 这使她不至于陷入狂热、激奋和浮躁。 Something which chastened the pleasure of those who looked on her and listened to her, by a controlling sense of awe. 同样也使看着她和倾听她的人,出于一种敬畏心情,不会露出过份的喜悦, And such was my feeling now. 这就是我此刻的情感。 But as to Helen Burns, I was struck with wonder. 但海伦的情况却使我十分吃惊。 The refreshing meal, the brilliant fire, the presence and kindness of her beloved instructress, 因为茶点振奋了精神,炉火在熊熊燃烧,因为亲爱的导师在场并待她很好, or, perhaps, more than all these, something in her own unique mind, had roused her powers within her. 也许不止这一切,而是她独一无二的头脑中的某种东西,激发了她内在的种种力量。 They woke, they kindled. 这些力量被唤醒了,被点燃了。 First, they glowed in the bright tint of her cheek, which till this hour I had never seen but pale and bloodless, 起初闪烁在一向苍白而没有血色现在却容光焕发的脸上。 then they shone in the liquid lustre of her eyes, which had suddenly acquired a beauty more singular than that of Miss Temple's, 随后显露在她水灵灵炯炯有神的眼睛里,这双眼睛突然之间获得了一种比坦普尔小姐的眼睛更为独特的美, a beauty neither of fine colour nor long eyelash, nor pencilled brow, but of meaning, of movement, of radiance. 它没有好看的色彩,没有长长的睫毛,没有用眉笔描过的眉毛,却那么意味深长,那么流动不息,那么光芒四射。 Then her soul sat on her lips, and language flowed, from what source I cannot tell. 随后她似乎心口交融,说话流畅。这些话从什么源头流出来,我无从判断。 Has a girl of fourteen a heart large enough, vigorous enough, to hold the swelling spring of pure, full, fervid eloquence? 一个十四岁的女孩有这样活跃、这样宽大的胸怀,装得下这纯洁、充盈、炽热的雄辩之泉么? Such was the characteristic of Helen's discourse on that, to me, memorable evening. 这就是那个使我难以忘怀的夜晚海伦谈话的特色。 Her spirit seemed hastening to live within a very brief span as much as many live during a protracted existence. 她的心灵仿佛急于要在短暂的片刻中,过得与众多长期苟活的人一样充实。 |
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