《简·爱》 Chapter 11 第十一章（10）（在线收听）

She had finished her breakfast, so I permitted her to give a specimen of her accomplishments.

她已吃了早饭，所以我允许她露一手。

Descending from her chair, she came and placed herself on my knee.

她从椅子上下来，走到我面前，坐上我膝头。

Then, folding her little hands demurely before her,

接着，一本正经地抱着双臂，把卷发往身后一甩，

shaking back her curls and lifting her eyes to the ceiling, she commenced singing a song from some opera.

抬眼望着天花板，开始唱起了某出歌剧中的一个曲子。

It was the strain of a forsaken lady, who, after bewailing the perfidy of her lover, calls pride to her aid.

说的是一个被遗弃的女人，对情人的绝情痛苦了一番之后，求助于自己的自尊。

Desires her attendant to deck her in her brightest jewels and richest robes,

要她的侍者用最耀眼的首饰和最华丽的礼服，把她打扮起来，

and resolves to meet the false one that night at a ball,

决定在当晚的一个舞会上同那个负心汉见面，

and prove to him, by the gaiety of her demeanour, how little his desertion has affected her.

以自己欢快的举止向他证明，她并没有因为被遗弃而感到蒙受了什么打击。

The subject seemed strangely chosen for an infant singer.

给一位儿童歌手选择这样的题材，似乎有些离奇。

But I suppose the point of the exhibition lay in hearing the notes of love and jealousy warbled with the lisp of childhood;

不过我猜想，要她表演目的在于听听用童声唱出来的爱情和嫉妒的曲调。

and in very bad taste that point was. At least I thought so.

但那目的本身就是低级趣味的，至少我这样想。

Adèle sang the canzonette tunefully enough, and with the naivete of her age.

阿黛勒把这支歌唱得悦耳动听，而且还带着她那种年纪会有的天真烂漫的情调。

This achieved, she jumped from my knee and said, "Now, Mademoiselle, I will repeat you some poetry."

唱完以后，她从我膝头跳下说：“小姐，现在我来给你朗诵些诗吧。”

Assuming an attitude, she began, "La Ligue des Rats: fable de La Fontaine."

她摆好姿势，先报了题目：“La ligue des Rats，fable de La Fontaine”。

She then declaimed the little piece with an attention to punctuation and emphasis,

随后她朗诵了这首短诗，十分讲究抑扬顿挫，

a flexibility of voice and an appropriateness of gesture,

声调婉转，动作得体，

very unusual indeed at her age, and which proved she had been carefully trained.

在她这个年纪，实在是很不寻常了，说明她受过悉心的训练。

"Was it your mama who taught you that piece?" I asked.

“这首诗是你妈妈教你的么？”我问。

Yes, and she just used to say it in this way: 'Qu' avez vous donc? lui dit un de ces rats; parlez!'

是的，她总是这么说‘Qu’ avez vous donc？Lui dit un de ces rats；parlez！’

She made me lift my hand — so — to remind me to raise my voice at the question. Now shall I dance for you?

她要我把手举起来，这样，提醒我读问题的时候要提高嗓门儿。现在我来跳舞给你看好吗？

No, that will do, but after your mama went to the Holy Virgin, as you say, with whom did you live then?

不，行啦。你妈妈到圣母玛丽亚那儿去了后，你跟谁一块儿住呢？

With Madame Frederic and her husband. She took care of me, but she is nothing related to me.

同弗雷德里克太太和她的丈夫。她照顾我，不过她跟我没有亲戚关系。

I think she is poor, for she had not so fine a house as mama.

我想她很穷，因为她不像妈妈那样有好房子。

I was not long there.

我在那里没呆多久。

Mr. Rochester asked me if I would like to go and live with him in England,

罗切斯特先生问我，是否愿意同他一起住到英国去。

and I said yes, for I knew Mr. Rochester before I knew Madame Frederic,

我说好的，因为我认得弗雷德里克太太之前就认得罗切斯特先生了。

and he was always kind to me and gave me pretty dresses and toys.

他总是待我很好，送我漂亮的衣服和玩具。

But you see he has not kept his word, for he has brought me to England,

可是你瞧他说话不算数，把我带到了英国，

and now he is gone back again himself, and I never see him.

自己倒又回去了，我从来没有见过他。