The Mistresses
女教師
Saturday, 17th
星期六,17日。
Garoffi was thoroughly terrified today, in the expectation of a severe punishment from the teacher; but the master did not make his appearance; and as the assistant was also missing, Signora Cromi, the oldest of the schoolmistresses, came to teach the school; she has two grown-up children, and she has taught several women to read and write, who now come to accompany their sons to the Baretti schoolhouse. She was sad today, because one of her sons is ill. No sooner had they caught sight of her, than they began to make an uproar. But she said, in a slow and tranquil tone, "Respect my white hair; I am not only a school-teacher, I am also a mother"; and then no one dared to speak again, in spite of that brazen face of Franti, who contented himself with jeering at her on the sly.
卡洛斐怕先生貴罰他,很擔心。不料先生今天缺席,連助手先生也沒有在校,由一個名叫克洛彌夫人的年齡最大的女先生來代課。這位先生有兩個很大的兒子,其中一個正病著,所以她今天面有憂容。學生們見了女先生就喝起彩來。先生用和緩的聲音說:“請你們對我的白發表示些敬意,我不但是教師,還是母親呢。”大家于是都肅靜了,唯有那鐵面皮的匆蘭諦,還在那里嘲弄先生。
Signora Delcati, my brother's teacher, was sent to take charge of Signora Cromi's class, and to Signora Delcati's was sent the teacher who is called "the little nun," because she always dresses in dark colors, with a black apron, and has a small white face, hair that is always smooth, very bright eyes, and a delicate voice, that seems to be forever murmuring prayers.
我弟弟那級的級任教師代爾卡諦先生,到克洛彌先生所教的一級里去了。另外有位綽號“修女”的女先生,代著代爾卡諦先生教那級的課。這位女先生平時總穿黑的罩服,是個白皮膚、頭發光滑、炯眼、細聲的人,無論何時,好像總在那里祈禱。