評(píng)論
打印
I now stood in the empty hall; before me was the breakfast-room door, and I stopped, intimidated and trembling.
此刻，我站在空空蕩蕩的大廳里，面前就是餐室的門。我停了下，害怕地顫抖著。
What a miserable little poltroon had fear, engendered of unjust punishment, made of me in those days!
可憐的膽小鬼，那時(shí)候不公的懲罰竟使她怕成了這付樣子！
I feared to return to the nursery, and feared to go forward to the parlour.
我既不敢退后返回保育室，又怕往前走向客廳。
Ten minutes I stood in agitated hesitation.
我焦慮不安、猶猶豫豫地站了十來(lái)分鐘。
The vehement ringing of the breakfast-room bell decided me; I must enter.
直到早餐室一陣喧鬧的鈴聲使我橫下了心來(lái)；我非進(jìn)去不可了。
"Who could want me?" I asked inwardly, as with both hands I turned the stiff door-handle, which, for a second or two, resisted my efforts.
"誰(shuí)會(huì)找我呢？"我心里有些納悶，一面用兩只手去轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)僵硬的門把手，足有一兩秒鐘，那把手紋絲不動(dòng)。
"What should I see besides aunt Reed in the apartment? A man or a woman?"
"除了里德舅媽之外，我還會(huì)在客廳里見到誰(shuí)呢？男人還是女人？"
The handle turned, the door unclosed, and passing through and curtseying low, I looked up at — a black pillar!
把手轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)了一下，門開了。我進(jìn)去行了一個(gè)低低的屈膝禮，抬起來(lái)頭竟看見了一根黑色的柱子！
— such, at least, appeared to me, at first sight, the straight, narrow, sable-clad shape standing erect on the rug.
至少猛一看來(lái)是這樣。那筆直、狹小裹著貂皮的東西直挺挺立在地毯上。
The grim face at the top was like a carved mask, placed above the shaft by way of capital.
那張兇神惡煞般的臉，像是雕刻成的假面，置于柱子頂端當(dāng)作柱頂似的。
Mrs. Reed occupied her usual seat by the fireside.
里德太太坐在壁爐旁往常所坐的位置上。
She made a signal to me to approach.
她示意我走近她。
I did so, and she introduced me to the stony stranger with the words: "This is the little girl respecting whom I applied to you."
她用這樣的話把我介紹給那個(gè)毫無(wú)表情的陌生人："這就是我跟你談起過(guò)的小女孩。"
He, for it was a man, turned his head slowly towards where I stood,
他，因?yàn)槭莻€(gè)男人，緩緩地把頭轉(zhuǎn)向我站立的地方，
and having examined me with the two inquisitive-looking grey eyes which twinkled under a pair of bushy brows,
用他那雙濃眉下閃著好奇的目光的灰色眼睛審視著我，
said solemnly, and in a bass voice, "Her size is small. What is her age?"
隨后響起了他嚴(yán)肅的男低音："她個(gè)子很小，幾歲了？"
"Ten years."
"十歲。"
"So much?" was the doubtful answer, and he prolonged his scrutiny for some minutes. Presently he addressed me: "Your name, little girl?"
"這么大了，"他滿腹狐疑地問(wèn)道。隨后又細(xì)細(xì)打量了我?guī)追昼姡R上跟我說(shuō)起話來(lái)。"你叫什么名字，小姑娘？"
"Jane Eyre, sir."
"簡(jiǎn)·愛，先生。"
In uttering these words I looked up.
說(shuō)完，我抬起頭來(lái)。
He seemed to me a tall gentleman, but then I was very little.
我覺得他是位身材高大的斗士，不過(guò)，那時(shí)我自己是個(gè)小不點(diǎn)。
His features were large, and they and all the lines of his frame were equally harsh and prim.
他的五官粗大、每個(gè)部位以及骨架上的每根線條，都是同樣的粗糙和刻板。
"Well, Jane Eyre, and are you a good child?"
"瞧，簡(jiǎn)·愛，你是個(gè)好孩子嗎？"
Impossible to reply to this in the affirmative, my little world held a contrary opinion. I was silent.
我不可能回答說(shuō)"是的"，我那個(gè)小天地里的人都持有相反的意見。于是我沉默不語(yǔ)。
Mrs. Reed answered for me by an expressive shake of the head, adding soon, "Perhaps the less said on that subject the better, Mr. Brocklehurst."
里德太太使勁搖了一下頭，等于是替我作了回答，并立即補(bǔ)充說(shuō)："這個(gè)話題也許還是少談為炒。布羅克赫斯特先生。"
