The apartment and furniture would have been nothing extraordinary as belonging to a homely, northern farmer, with a stubborn countenance, and stalwart limbs set out to advantage in knee- breeches and gaiters. Such an individual seated in his arm-chair, his mug of ale frothing on the round table before him, is to be seen in any circuit of five or six miles among these hills, if you go at the right time after dinner. But Mr. Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark- skinned gipsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire: rather slovenly, perhaps, yet not looking amiss with his negligence, because he has an erect and handsome figure; and rather morose. Possibly, some people might suspect him of a degree of under-bred pride; I have a sympathetic chord within that tells me it is nothing of the sort: I know, by instinct, his reserve springs from an aversion to showy displays of feeling - to manifestations of mutual kindliness. He'll love and hate equally under cover, and esteem it a species of impertinence to be loved or hated again. No, I'm running on too fast: I bestow my own attributes over-liberally on him. Mr. Heathcliff may have entirely dissimilar reasons for keeping his hand out of the way when he meets a would-be acquaintance, to those which actuate me. Let me hope my constitution is almost peculiar: my dear mother used to say I should never have a comfortable home; and only last summer I proved myself perfectly unworthy of one.

有這樣一個主人：一個普通的北方農民，一張古板的臉，一雙被綁腿馬褲襯托得尤為粗壯的腿，那么房子和家具也就沒有什么特別之處了，而且在五六英里外的山上，如果你去的時間恰巧是午飯之后的話，你可以看見他坐在他的扶手椅上，一杯冒著泡沫的啤酒放在他前面的圓桌上。然而希斯克利夫先生卻和他的住所和生活方式有著鮮明的對比。他的面容，是一個深膚色的吉普賽人；他的衣著和他的言談舉止，是一個紳士，至少有像其他的鄉紳所表現出來的紳士風度：相當散漫，但是他不修邊幅的樣子還沒有到不能忍受的地步，因為他的身材挺拔，外表英俊，只是郁郁寡歡。有可能，有人會把他的態度當作是缺少教養的傲慢，然而我內心同情的只覺卻告訴我并不是那么一回事。我的只覺告訴我，他的沉默源于他對張揚感情――互相表示親熱的，友好的厭惡。他默默的愛，默默的恨，卻又把被愛和被恨看作是不合時宜的事情。不，我說得太多了，我把自己得喜好強加于他。在見到一個準熟人的時，而把手收起來，希斯克利夫先生可能有完全不同于我的理由。讓我期望我的作風總是非常特別：我親愛的媽媽曾經說過我永遠也不會有一個舒適的家；就在去年夏天，我就證實了我的確不配有一個舒適的家。

While enjoying a month of fine weather at the sea-coast, I was thrown into the company of a most fascinating creature: a real goddess in my eyes, as long as she took no notice of me. I 'never told my love' vocally; still, if looks have language, the merest idiot might have guessed I was over head and ears: she understood me at last, and looked a return - the sweetest of all imaginable looks. And what did I do? I confess it with shame - shrunk icily into myself, like a snail; at every glance retired colder and farther; till finally the poor innocent was led to doubt her own senses, and, overwhelmed with confusion at her supposed mistake, persuaded her mamma to decamp.

當我在海濱享受好天氣的那個月，我遇見了一個非常迷人的同伴。在我看來簡直就是女神，即便她根本就沒有注意到我。我并沒有把我的愛意說出來，然而，如果看也是語言的話，那個笨苯的傻瓜可能已經猜出我深陷其中。她最終還是明白了我的意思，并對我回萌一望――這是可以想象到的最甜美的一望。而我做了什么呢？說出來非常羞愧―― 我又退縮成冰冷的我，就像蝸牛一樣縮了回去，每一瞥都讓我退縮得更遠，更冷漠。直到最后，這個可憐的無辜的人兒開始懷疑她自己的感覺，深陷與她所想的誤解的謎團之中，于是她說服她的媽媽和她一起匆匆離去。

By this curious turn of disposition I have gained the reputation of deliberate heartlessness; how undeserved, I alone can appreciate.

因為這次奇怪的性情轉變，我得了個故意負心的名聲；當我一個人的時候，我就認為多么不值得啊。