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I was making my bed, having received strict orders from Bessie to get it arranged before she returned
我正在鋪床，因為根據貝茜的嚴格指令，我得在她回來之前把一切都收拾停當
(for Bessie now frequently employed me as a sort of under-nurserymaid, to tidy the room, dust the chairs, etc. ).
（貝茜現在常常把我當作保育室女傭下手來使喚，吩咐我整理房間、擦掉椅子上的灰塵等等）。
Having spread the quilt and folded my night-dress, I went to the window-seat to put in order some picture-books and doll's house furniture scattered there.
我攤開被子，疊好睡衣后，便走向窗臺，正把散亂的圖畫書和玩偶家具放好。
An abrupt command from Georgiana to let her playthings alone (for the tiny chairs and mirrors, the fairy plates and cups, were her property) stopped my proceedings.
突然傳來了喬治亞娜指手劃腳的吆喝不許我動她的玩具（因為這些椅子、鏡子、小盤子和小杯子都是她的財產），于是只好歇手。
And then, for lack of other occupation, I fell to breathing on the frost-flowers with which the window was fretted,
一時無所事事，便開始往凝結在窗上的霜花哈氣，在玻璃上化開了一小塊地方，
and thus clearing a space in the glass through which I might look out on the grounds, where all was still and petrified under the influence of a hard frost.
透過它可以眺望外面 的院落，那里的一切在嚴霜的威力之下，仿佛凝固了似的寂然不動。
From this window were visible the porter's lodge and the carriage-road,
從這扇窗子后得清門房和馬車道。
and just as I had dissolved so much of the silver-white foliage veiling the panes as left room to look out, I saw the gates thrown open and a carriage roll through.
我在蒙著—簇簇銀白色霜花的窗玻璃上，正哈出—塊可以往外窺視的地方時，只見大門開了，一輛馬車駛了進來。
I watched it ascending the drive with indifference.
我毫不在意地看著它爬上小道。
Carriages often came to Gateshead, but none ever brought visitors in whom I was interested.
因為盡管馬車經常光臨蓋茨黑德府，卻從未進來一位我所感興趣的客人。
It stopped in front of the house, the door-bell rang loudly, the new-comer was admitted.
這輛車在房子前面停下，門鈴大作，來客被請進了門。
All this being nothing to me, my vacant attention soon found livelier attraction in the spectacle of a little hungry robin,
既然這種事情與我無關，百無聊賴之中，我便被一種更有生氣的景象所吸引了。那是一只小小的、餓壞了的知更鳥，
which came and chirruped on the twigs of the leafless cherry-tree nailed against the wall near the casement.
從什么地方飛來，落 在緊貼靠窗的墻上一棵光禿禿的櫻桃樹枝頭，嘰嘰喳喳叫個不停。
The remains of my breakfast of bread and milk stood on the table, and having crumbled a morsel of roll,
這時，桌上放著我早飯吃剩的牛奶和面包，我把一小塊面包弄碎，
I was tugging at the sash to put out the crumbs on the window- sill, when Bessie came running upstairs into the nursery.
并正推窗把它放到窗沿上時，貝茜奔上樓梯，走進了保育室。
“Miss Jane, take off your pinafore. What are you doing there? Have you washed your hands and face this morning?
“簡小姐，把圍涎脫掉。你在那兒干什么呀？今天早上抹了臉，洗了手了嗎？”
I gave another tug before I answered, for I wanted the bird to be secure of its bread.
我先沒有回答，顧自又推了一下窗子，因為我要讓這鳥兒萬無一失地吃到面包。
The sash yielded; I scattered the crumbs, some on the stone sill, some on the cherry-tree bough,
窗子終于松動了，我撒出了面包屑，有的落在石頭窗沿上，有的落在櫻桃樹枝上。
then, closing the window, I replied — “No, Bessie. I have only just finished dusting.”
隨后我關好窗，一面回答說：“沒有呢，貝茜，我才撣好灰塵。”
“Troublesome, careless child! and what are you doing now?
“你這個粗心大意的淘氣鬼！這會兒在干什么呀？
You look quite red, as if you had been about some mischief. What were you opening the window for?”
你的臉通紅通紅，好像干了什么壞事似的，你開窗干啥？”
I was spared the trouble of answering, for Bessie seemed in too great a hurry to listen to explanations.
貝茜似乎很匆忙，已等不及聽我解釋，省卻了我回答的麻煩。
She hauled me to the washstand, inflicted a merciless, but happily brief scrub on my face and hands with soap, water, and a coarse towel.
她將我一把拖到洗臉架前，不由分說往我臉上、手上擦了肥皂，抹上水，用一塊粗糙的毛巾一揩。
Disciplined my head with a bristly brush, denuded me of my pinafore, and then hurrying me to the top of the stairs,
她又用一把粗毛刷子，把我的頭清理了一番，脫下我的圍涎，急急忙忙把我帶到樓梯口，
bid me go down directly, as I was wanted in the breakfast-room.
囑我徑直下樓去，說是早餐室有人找我。
I would have asked who wanted me.
我本想問她是誰在找我。
I would have demanded if Mrs. Reed was there.
打聽一下里德太太是不是在那里。
But Bessie was already gone, and had closed the nursery-door upon me.
可是貝茜己經走了，還在我身后關上了保育室的門。
I slowly descended.
我慢吞吞地走下樓梯。
For nearly three months, I had never been called to Mrs. Reed's presence.
近三個月來，我從未被叫到里德太太跟前。
Restricted so long to the nursery, the breakfast, dining, and drawing-rooms were become for me awful regions, on which it dismayed me to intrude.
由于在保育室里禁錮了那么久，早餐室、餐室和客廳都成了令我心寒的地方，一跨進去便惶惶不安。
