《简·爱》 Chapter 16 第十六章（5）（在线收听）

"Mrs. Poole," said she, addressing Grace, "the servants' dinner will soon be ready. Will you come down?"

“普尔太太，”她对格雷斯说，“佣人的午饭马上就好了，你下楼去吗？”

No, just put my pint of porter and bit of pudding on a tray, and I'll carry it upstairs.

不啦，你就把我那一品特葡萄酒和一小块布丁放在托盘里吧，我会端到楼上去。

You'll have some meat?

你还要些肉吗？

Just a morsel, and a taste of cheese, that's all.

就来一小份吧，再来一点奶酪，就这些。

And the sago?

还有西米呢？

Never mind it at present. I shall be coming down before teatime. I'll make it myself.

现在就不用啦，用茶点之前我会下来的，我自己来做。

The cook here turned to me, saying that Mrs. Fairfax was waiting for me, so I departed.

这时厨师转向我，说费尔法克斯太太在等看我，于是我就离开了。

I hardly heard Mrs. Fairfax's account of the curtain conflagration during dinner,

吃午饭时候，费尔法克斯太太谈起帐幔失火的事。

so much was I occupied in puzzling my brains over the enigmatical character of Grace Poole,

我几乎没有听见，因为我绞尽脑汁，思索着格雷斯·普尔这个神秘人物，

and still more in pondering the problem of her position at Thornfield

尤其是考虑她在桑菲尔德的地位问题；

and questioning why she had not been given into custody that morning,

对为什么那天早晨她没有被拘留，

or, at the very least, dismissed from her master's service.

或者至少被老爷解雇，而感到纳闷。

He had almost as much as declared his conviction of her criminality last night.

昨天晚上，他几乎等于宣布确信她犯了罪。

What mysterious cause withheld him from accusing her?

是什么神秘的原因却使他不去指控她呢？

Why had he enjoined me, too, to secrecy?

为什么他也嘱咐我严守秘密呢？

It was strange.

真也奇怪。

A bold, vindictive, and haughty gentleman seemed somehow in the power of one of the meanest of his dependants.

一位大胆自负、复仇心切的绅士，不知怎地似乎受制于一个最卑微的下属。

So much in her power, that even when she lifted her hand against his life,

而且被她控制得如此之紧，甚至当她动手要谋害他时，

he dared not openly charge her with the attempt, much less punish her for it.

竟不敢公开指控她的图谋，更不必说惩罚她了。

Had Grace been young and handsome,

要是格雷斯年轻漂亮，

I should have been tempted to think that tenderer feelings than prudence or fear influenced Mr. Rochester in her behalf.

我会不由得认为，那种比谨慎或忧虑更为温存的情感左右了罗切斯特先生，使他偏袒于她。

But, hard-favoured and matronly as she was, the idea could not be admitted.

可是她面貌丑陋，又是一付管家婆样子，这种想法也就站不住脚了。