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Her memory seemed to have retained the substance of the whole lesson, and she was ready with answers on every point.
她像已經把整堂課的內容都記在腦子里了，任何問題都能應對自如。
I kept expecting that Miss Scatcherd would praise her attention.
我一直以為斯卡查德小姐要稱贊她專心致志了。
But, instead of that, she suddenly cried out: "You dirty, disagreeable girl! you have never cleaned your nails this morning!"
誰知她突然大叫起來："你這討厭的邋遢姑娘？你早上根本沒有洗過指甲？"
Burns made no answer: I wondered at her silence.
彭斯沒有回答，我對她的沉默感到納悶。
"Why," thought I, "does she not explain that she could neither clean her nails nor wash her face, as the water was frozen?"
"為什么，"我想，"她不解釋一下，水結凍了，臉和指甲都沒法洗？"
My attention was now called off by Miss Smith desiring me to hold a skein of thread.
此刻，史密斯小姐轉移了我的注意力，她讓我替她撐住一束線。
While she was winding it, she talked to me from time to time, asking whether I had ever been at school before, whether I could mark, stitch, knit, &c. .
一面繞，一面不時跟我說話。問我以前是否進過學校，能否繡花、縫紉、編織等。
Till she dismissed me, I could not pursue my observations on Miss Scatcherd's movements.
直到她打發我走，我才有可能進一步觀察斯卡查德小姐的行動。
When I returned to my seat, that lady was just delivering an order of which I did not catch the import.
我回到自己的座位上時，那女人正在發布一道命令，命令的內容我沒有聽清楚。
But Burns immediately left the class, and going into the small inner room where the books were kept, returned in half a minute,
但是彭斯立刻離開了班級，走進里面一個放書的小間，
carrying in her hand a bundle of twigs tied together at one end.
過了半分鐘又返回來，手里拿著一束一頭扎好的木條。
This ominous tool she presented to Miss Scatcherd with a respectful curtesy.
她畢恭畢敬地行了個屈膝禮，把這個不祥的刑具遞交給了斯卡查德小姐。
Then she quietly, and without being told, unloosed her pinafore,
隨后，她不用吩咐，便默默地解開了罩衣，
and the teacher instantly and sharply inflicted on her neck a dozen strokes with the bunch of twigs.
這位教師立刻用這束木條狠狠地在她脖子上揍了十幾下。
Not a tear rose to Burns' eye.
彭斯沒有掉一滴眼淚。
And, while I paused from my sewing, because my fingers quivered at this spectacle with a sentiment of unavailing and impotent anger,
見了這種情景，我心頭涌起了一種徒勞無益、無能為力的憤怒，氣得手指都顫抖起來，而不得不停下手頭的針線活。
not a feature of her pensive face altered its ordinary expression.
她那憂郁的面容毫不改色，依然保持著平日的表情。
"Hardened girl!" exclaimed Miss Scatcherd; "Nothing can correct you of your slatternly habits. Carry the rod away."
"頑固不化的姑娘！"斯卡查德小姐嚷道，"什么都改不掉你邋遢的習性，把木條拿走。"
Burns obeyed. I looked at her narrowly as she emerged from the book-closet.
彭斯聽從吩咐。她從藏書室里出來時，我細細打量了她。
She was just putting back her handkerchief into her pocket, and the trace of a tear glistened on her thin cheek.
她正把手帕放回自己的口袋，瘦瘦的臉頰閃著淚痕。
The play-hour in the evening I thought the pleasantest fraction of the day at Lowood.
晚間的玩耍時光，我想是羅沃德一天中最愉快的一丁點兒時間。
The bit of bread, the draught of coffee swallowed at five o' clock had revived vitality, if it had not satisfied hunger.
五點鐘吞下的一小塊面包和幾口咖啡，雖然沒有消除饑餓感，卻恢復了活力。
A long restraint of the day was slackened.
一整天的清規戒律放松了。
The schoolroom felt warmer than in the morning.
教室里比早上要暖和。
Its fires being allowed to burn a little more brightly, to supply, in some measure, the place of candles, not yet introduced.
爐火允許燃得比平時旺，多少代替了尚未點燃的蠟燭。
The ruddy gloaming, the licensed uproar, the confusion of many voices gave one a welcome sense of liberty.
紅通通的火光，放肆的喧鬧，嘈雜的人聲，給人以一種值得歡迎的自由感。
