評論
打印
With Bewick on my knee, I was then happy: happy at least in my way.
當時，我膝頭攤著比尤伊克的書，心里樂滋滋的，至少是自得其樂。
I feared nothing but interruption, and that came too soon.
就怕別人來打擾。但打擾來得很快。
The breakfast-room door was opened.
餐室的門開了。
'Boh! Madam Mope!' cried the voice of John Reed; then he paused: he found the room apparently empty.
“噓！苦惱小姐！”約翰。里德叫喚著，隨后又打住了，顯然發覺房間里空無一人。
'Where the dickens is she!'
“見鬼，上哪兒去了呀？”
He continued. 'Lizzy! Georgy! (calling to his sisters) Joan is not here. Tell mama she is run out into the rain- bad animal!'
他接著說。“麗茜！喬琪！”（喊著他的姐妹）“瓊不在這兒吶，告訴媽媽她竄到雨地里去了，這個壞畜牲！”
'It is well I drew the curtain,' thought I.
“幸虧我拉好了窗簾，”我想。
And I wished fervently he might not discover my hiding-place, nor would John Reed have found it out himself.
我真希望他發現不了我的藏身之地。約翰。里德自己是發現不了的。
He was not quick either of vision or conception.
他眼睛不尖，頭腦不靈。
But Eliza just put her head in at the door, and said at once.'She is in the window-seat, to be sure, Jack.'
可惜伊麗莎從門外一探進頭來，就說：“她在窗臺上，準沒錯，杰克。”
And I came out immediately, for I trembled at the idea of being dragged forth by the said Jack.
我立即走了出來，因為一想到要被這個杰克硬拖出去，身子便直打哆嗦。
'What do you want?' I asked, with awkward diffidence.
什么事呀？”我問，既尷尬又不安。
'Say, "What do you want, Master Reed?"' was the answer.
“該說，什么事呀，里德‘少爺？’”便是我得到的回答。
'I want you to come here.'
“我要你到這里來。”
And seating himself in an armchair, he intimated by a gesture that I was to approach and stand before him.
他在扶手椅上坐下，打了個手勢，示意我走過去站到他面前。
John Reed was a schoolboy of fourteen years old; four years older than I.For I was but ten.
約翰。里德是個十四歲的小學生，比我大四歲，因為我才十歲。
Large and stout for his age, with a dingy and unwholesome skin; thick lineaments in a spacious visage, heavy limbs and large extremities.
論年齡，他長得又大又胖，但膚色灰暗，一付病態。臉盤闊，五官粗，四肢肥，手膨大。
He gorged himself habitually at table, which made him bilious, and gave him a dim and bleared eye and flabby cheeks.
還喜歡暴飲暴食，落得個肝火很旺，目光遲鈍，兩頰松弛。
He ought now to have been at school.
這陣子，他本該呆在學校里。
But his mama had taken him home for a month or two, on account of his delicate health.
可是他媽把他領了回來，住上—、兩個月，說是因為“身體虛弱”。
Mr. Miles, the master, affirmed that he would do very well if he had fewer cakes and sweetmeats sent him from home.
但他老師邁爾斯先生卻斷言，要是家里少送些糕點糖果去，他會什么都很好的。
But the mother's heart turned from an opinion so harsh,
做母親的心里卻討厭這么刻薄的話，
and inclined rather to the more refined idea that John's sallowness was owing to over-application and, perhaps, to pining after home.
而傾向于一種更隨和的想法，認為約翰是過于用功，或許還因為想家，才弄得那么面色蠟黃的。
