評論
打印
"Briggs wrote to me of a Jane Eyre:" he said,
“布里格斯寫信給我，問起了一個叫簡·愛的人，”他說，
"the advertisements demanded a Jane Eyre: I knew a Jane Elliott. --
“廣告上尋找一個叫簡·愛的。而我認得的一個人叫簡·愛略特——
I confess I had my suspicions, but it was only yesterday afternoon they were at once resolved into certainty.
我承認，我產生了懷疑，直到昨天下午，疑團解開，我才有了把握。
You own the name and renounce the alias?"
你承認真名，放棄別名嗎？”
"Yes -- yes; but where is Mr. Briggs?
“是的——是的——不過布里格斯先生在哪兒？
He perhaps knows more of Mr. Rochester than you do."
他也許比你更了解羅切斯特先生的情況。”
"Briggs is in London.
“布里格斯在倫敦。
I should doubt his knowing anything at all about Mr. Rochester; it is not in Mr. Rochester he is interested.
我懷疑他甚至是否知道羅切斯特先生。他感興趣的不是羅切斯特先生。
Meantime, you forget essential points in pursuing trifles:
同時，你揀了芝麻忘了西瓜，
you do not inquire why Mr. Briggs sought after you -- what he wanted with you."
沒有問問布里格斯為什么要找到你——他找你干什么。”
"Well, what did he want?"
“嗯，他需要什么？”
"Merely to tell you that your uncle, Mr. Eyre of Madeira, is dead;
“不過是要告訴你，你的叔父，住在馬德拉群島的愛先生去世了。
that he has left you all his property, and that you are now rich -- merely that -- nothing more."
他已把全部財產留給你，現在你富了——如此而已——沒有別的。”
"I! rich?"
“我？富了嗎？”
"Yes, you, rich -- quite an heiress."
“不錯，你富了——一個十足的女繼承人。”
Silence succeeded.
隨之是一陣靜默。
"You must prove your identity of course," resumed St. John presently:
“當然你得證實你的身份，”圣·約翰馬上接著說，
"a step which will offer no difficulties; you can then enter on immediate possession.
“這一步不會有什么困難。隨后你可以立即獲得所有權，
Your fortune is vested in the English funds; Briggs has the will and the necessary documents."
你的財產投資在英國公債上，布里格斯掌管著遺囑和必要的文件。”
Here was a new card turned up!
這里偏偏又翻出一張新牌來了！
It is a fine thing, reader, to be lifted in a moment from indigence to wealth -- a very fine thing;
讀者呀，剎那之間從貧困升遷到富裕，總歸是件好事——好是很好，
but not a matter one can comprehend, or consequently enjoy, all at once.
但不是一下子就能理解，或者因此就能欣賞的。
