評論
打印
One morning, being left alone with him a few minutes in the parlour,
一天早晨，我與他單獨在客廳里呆了幾分鐘，
I ventured to approach the window-recess --
我冒昧地走近窗子的凹陷處——
which his table, chair, and desk consecrated as a kind of study --
他的桌子、椅子和書桌已使這里成了個書房——
and I was going to speak, though not very well knowing in what words to frame my inquiry --
我正要開口，盡管還不十分明白該用怎樣的措詞把問題提出來——
for it is at all times difficult to break the ice of reserve glassing over such natures as his --
因為無論何時要打破包裹著他這種性格的拘謹外殼，都是十分困難的一—
when he saved me the trouble by being the first to commence a dialogue.
他省了我麻煩，先開口了。
Looking up as I drew near --
我走近時他抬起頭來，
"You have a question to ask of me?" he said.
“你有問題要問我嗎，”他說。
"Yes; I wish to know whether you have heard of any service I can offer myself to undertake?"
“是的，我想知道一下你是否聽到過什么我能夠做的工作。”
"I found or devised something for you three weeks ago;
“三個星期前我找到了或是替你設計了某個工作，
but as you seemed both useful and happy here --
但你在這里似乎既很有用處，自己又很愉快——
as my sisters had evidently become attached to you, and your society gave them unusual pleasure --
我的妹妹們顯然同你形影不離，有你作伴她們格外開心一—
I deemed it inexpedient to break in on your mutual comfort till their approaching departure from Marsh End should render yours necessary."
我覺得妨礙你們彼此所感到的快慰是不適宜的，還是等她們快要離開沼澤居因而你也有必要離開時再說。”
"And they will go in three days now?" I said.
“現在她們三天后就要走了：”我說。
"Yes; and when they go, I shall return to the parsonage at Morton:
“是呀，她們一走我就要回到莫爾頓的牧師住所去，
Hannah will accompany me; and this old house will be shut up."
漢娜隨我走，這所老房子要關閉。”
I waited a few moments, expecting he would go on with the subject first broached:
我等了一會兒，以為他會繼續他首次提出的話題，
but he seemed to have entered another train of reflection:
但他似乎已另有所思。
his look denoted abstraction from me and my business.
他明顯走了神，忘了我和我的事兒。
I was obliged to recall him to a theme which was of necessity one of close and anxious interest to me.
我不得不把他拉回出于需要已成為我最迫切最關心的話題。
"What is the employment you had in view, Mr. Rivers?
“你想到了什么工作，里弗斯先生？
I hope this delay will not have increased the difficulty of securing it."
我希望這次拖延不至于增加謀職的難度。”
