評論
打印
I shall not stay long at Morton, now that my father is dead, and that I am my own master.
我父親已去世，我自己也就獨立了，所以我不會在莫爾頓久待。
I shall leave the place probably in the course of a twelve-month;
我很可能在一年之內離開這個地方，
but while I do stay, I will exert myself to the utmost for its improvement.
但我還在時，我要竭盡全力使它有所改進。
Morton, when I came to it two years ago, had no school:
兩年前我來到時，莫爾頓沒有學校，
the children of the poor were excluded from every hope of progress.
窮人的孩子都被排除在一切渴求上進的希望之外，
I established one for boys: I mean now to open a second school for girls.
我為男孩子們建立了一所學校?，F在我有意為女孩子開設第二所學校。
I have hired a building for the purpose, with a cottage of two rooms attached to it for the mistress's house.
我已租了一幢樓用于這個目的，附帶兩間破屋作為女教師的住房。
Her salary will be thirty pounds a year: her house is already furnished, very simply,
她的工資為三十鎊一年，她的房子已安上家具，雖然簡陋，
but sufficiently, by the kindness of a lady, Miss Oliver;
但已夠用，那是奧利弗小姐做的好事，
the only daughter of the sole rich man in my parish --
她是我教區內唯一的一位富人奧利弗先生的獨生女，
Mr. Oliver, the proprietor of a needle-factory and iron-foundry in the valley.
奧利弗先生是山谷中制針廠和鐵鑄廠的業主。
The same lady pays for the education and clothing of an orphan from the workhouse,
這位女士還為一個從濟貧院來的孤兒付教育費和服裝費，
on condition that she shall aid the mistress in such menial offices connected with her own house and the school as her occupation of teaching will prevent her having time to discharge in person.
條件是這位孤兒得協助教師，干些跟她住所和學校有關的瑣碎事務，因為教學工作不允許女教師親自來過問。
Will you be this mistress?"
你愿意做這樣一位教師嗎？”
He put the question rather hurriedly;
他的問題問得有些匆忙。
he seemed half to expect an indignant, or at least a disdainful rejection of the offer:
他似乎估計這個建議多半會遭到憤怒的，或者至少輕蔑的拒絕。
not knowing all my thoughts and feelings, though guessing some, he could not tell in what light the lot would appear to me.
他雖然可以作些猜測，但不完全了解我的思想和感情，無法判斷我會怎樣看待自己的命運。
In truth it was humble -- but then it was sheltered, and I wanted a safe asylum:
說實在，這工作很低下——但提供了住所，而我需要一個安全的避難所。
it was plodding -- but then, compared with that of a governess in a rich house, it was independent;
這工作沉悶乏味—一但比之富人家庭的女教師，它卻是無拘無束的。
and the fear of servitude with strangers entered my soul like iron:
而替陌生人操勞的恐懼象鐵鉗一樣夾住了我的心。
it was not ignoble -- not unworthy -- not mentally degrading, I made my decision.
這個工作并不丟臉——不是不值得一一精神上也并不低下，我下定了決心。
"I thank you for the proposal, Mr. Rivers, and I accept it with all my heart."
“謝謝你的建議，里弗斯先生。我欣然接受這份工作。”
