有声名著之简爱Jene Eyer Chapter24

　　CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR A Surprise at Thornfield
In the morning, I told Diana and Mary that I had to go on a journey, and that I would be gone for a few days. They did not know the reason for my trip, but they did not ask me questions. After a day and a half of traveling, I arrived at the village near Thornfield. I ran across the field, thinking that in a few minutes, I would see the man I loved. “He might be walking in the gardens, and I could surprise him!” I thought.
But when I reached the main gate, I had a horrible¹ shock! Thornfield Hall was nothing but a burned mountain of stones. Everything was quiet. This was why no one at Thornfield has answered my letters! There had been a terrible fire. “Is anyone hut… or dead?” I cried out as I began to run back to the village. I had to find someone who could tell me what had happened. In the village, I stopped at a hotel and asked.
“Well, Miss,” the owner said, “One of Mr. Rochester’s old servants is a good friend of mine. They told me everything! I can tell you it was that Bertha Mason who started the fire, in the room that used to belong to the governess! You see, Rochester was in love with this girl, even though she was just a plain little lady. When she left, he almost went mad himself. His wife knew about the fire and was very jealous². “When the fire began, Rochester put his life in danger, helping³ everyone leave the house. Then he bravely went back to save his wife, but she jumped out of a window and killed herself! But because he tried to save her, he was hurt badly in the fire. He lost one hand, and he is blind now. it’s sad, isn’t it, Miss?”
“Where is he now?” I asked.
“Well, I think he lives at Ferndean Manor⁴, which is another house of his. It’s thirty miles away.” I found a carriage to take me there immediately.

1 horrible   

adj.可怕的，极可憎的，极可厌的

参考例句：

• This is a horrible monster.这是一个可怕的怪物。
• That is a horrible accident.那是一次可怕的事故。

2 jealous   

adj.妒忌的，猜忌的；精心守护的

参考例句：

• He was jealous when he discovered that she loved someone else.当他发现她爱别人的时候，他吃醋了。
• An honorable Chinese citizen should be jealous of his own rights.一名光荣的中国公民应当珍惜自己的公民权利。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 manor   

n.庄园，领地

参考例句：

• The builder of the manor house is a direct ancestor of the present owner.建造这幢庄园的人就是它现在主人的一个直系祖先。
• I am not lord of the manor,but its lady.我并非此地的领主，而是这儿的女主人。