評論
打印
First, I smiled to myself and felt elate.
我先是暗自發笑，感到十分得意。
But this fierce pleasure subsided in me as fast as did the accelerated throb of my pulses.
但是這種狂喜猶如一時加快的脈膊會迅速遞減一樣，很快就消退了。
A child cannot quarrel with its elders, as I had done; cannot give its furious feelings uncontrolled play,
一個孩子像我這樣跟長輩斗嘴，像我這樣毫無顧忌地發泄自己的怒氣，
as I had given mine, without experiencing afterwards the pang of remorse and the chill of reaction.
事后必定要感到悔恨和寒心。
A ridge of lighted heath, alive, glancing, devouring, would have been a meet emblem of my mind when I accused and menaced Mrs. Reed.
我在控訴和恐嚇里德太太時，內心恰如一片點燃了的荒野，火光閃爍，來勢兇猛。
The same ridge, black and blasted after the flames are dead, would have represented as meetly my subsequent condition,
我內心的這片荒地，便已灰飛煙滅，留下的只有黑色的焦土了。
when half-an-hour's silence and reflection had shown me the madness of my conduct, and the dreariness of my hated and hating position.
但經過半小時的沉默和反思，深感自己行為的瘋狂和自己恨人又被人嫉恨的處境的悲涼時，
Something of vengeance I had tasted for the first time.
我第一次嘗到了復仇的滋味。
And aromatic wine it seemed, on swallowing, warm and racy.
猶如芬芳的美酒，喝下時熱辣辣好受。
Its after-flavour, metallic and corroding, gave me a sensation as if I had been poisoned.
但回味起來卻又苦又澀，給人有中了毒的感覺。
Willingly would I now have gone and asked Mrs. Reed's pardon.
此刻，我很樂意去求得里德太太的寬恕。
But I knew, partly from experience and partly from instinct, that was the way to make her repulse me with double scorn,
但經驗和直覺告訴我，那只會使她以加倍的蔑視討厭我，
thereby re-exciting every turbulent impulse of my nature.
因而會重又激起我天性中不安份的沖動。
I would fain exercise some better faculty than that of fierce speaking.
我愿意發揮比說話刻薄更高明的才能。
Fain find nourishment for some less fiendish feeling than that of sombre indignation.
也愿意培養比郁憤更好的情感。
I took a book — some Arabian tales; I sat down and endeavoured to read.
我取了一本阿拉伯故事書，坐下來很想看看。
I could make no sense of the subject.
我卻全然不知所云。
My own thoughts swam always between me and the page I had usually found fascinating.
我的思緒飄忽在我自己與平日感到引人入勝的書頁之間。
I opened the glass-door in the breakfast-room.
打開早餐室的玻璃門。
The shrubbery was quite still. The black frost reigned, unbroken by sun or breeze, through the grounds.
只見灌木叢中一片—沉寂，雖然風和日麗，嚴霜卻依然覆蓋著大地。
I covered my head and arms with the skirt of my frock, and went out to walk in a part of the plantation which was quite sequestrated.
我撩起衣裙裹住腦袋和胳膊，走出門去，漫步在一片僻靜的樹林里。
But I found no pleasure in the silent trees, the falling fir-cones, the congealed relics of autumn,
但是沉寂的樹木、掉下的杉果，以及那凝固了的秋天的遺物，
russet leaves, swept by past winds in heaps, and now stiffened together.
被風吹成一堆如今又凍結了的行褐色樹葉，都沒有給我帶來愉快。
