WHAT vain weathercocks we are! I, who had determined to hold myself independent of all social intercourse, and thanked my stars that, at length, I had lighted on a spot where it was next to impracticable - I, weak wretch, after maintaining till dusk a struggle with low spirits and solitude, was finally compelled to strike my colours; and under pretence of gaining information concerning the necessities of my establishment, I desired Mrs. Dean, when she brought in supper, to sit down while I ate it; hoping sincerely she would prove a regular gossip, and either rouse me to animation or lull me to sleep by her talk.

我們是多么虛偽的反復無常的人啊！我，一個曾決定要遠離所有社交活動的人，不久之后，卻在為自己的決定幾乎不可能實現而感到幸運。我，一個軟弱而不幸的人，掙扎于低落的情緒和孤獨之中，直到黃昏時刻不得不放棄這個計劃。當迪安太太送晚飯上來時，我假裝是想了解一些仆人的必要情況，邀請她坐下來。希望她的喜歡閑聊的人，要么讓我精神煥發，要么讓我昏昏欲睡。

next to impossible ----- almost impossible.
Thanked my stars that, at length, I had lighted on a spot where it was next to impracticalbe --- after a period of time, I feel lucy that I am in a position of impossible to (keep the word)
Strike one’s colours --- to give up a plan previously set


’You have lived here a considerable time,’ I commenced; ’did you not say sixteen years?’
“你在這里住了相當長時間了，”我問道，“好像你說過是16年？”

’Eighteen, sir: I came when the mistress was married, to wait on her; after she died, the master retained me for his housekeeper.’
“18年，先生。我是在女主人嫁過來的時候來的，是來伺候她的。她死了之后，主人讓我留下來做管家。”

’Indeed.’
“真的嗎？”

There ensued a pause. She was not a gossip, I feared; unless about her own affairs, and those could hardly interest me. However, having studied for an interval, with a fist on either knee, and a cloud of meditation over her ruddy countenance, she ejaculated -
’Ah, times are greatly changed since then!’
接下來無話。我擔心她不是一個喜歡閑聊的人，或是只會聊她自己，或是我根本就不感興趣的事情。然而，她想了一會，雙拳放于膝蓋上，紅潤的臉龐上蒙上了沉思，突然，她說道，“唉，自那以后事情就大變樣了！”

’Yes,’ I remarked, ’you’ve seen a good many alterations, I suppose?’
“是嗎，”我說，“我想，你肯定目睹了很多變化。”

’I have: and troubles too,’ she said.
“是的，還有很多變故。”

’Oh, I’ll turn the talk on my landlord’s family!’ I thought to myself. ’A good subject to start! And that pretty girl-widow, I should like to know her history: whether she be a native of the country, or, as is more probable, an exotic that the surly INDIGENAE will not recognise for kin.’ With this intention I asked Mrs. Dean why Heathcliff let Thrushcross Grange, and preferred living in a situation and residence so much inferior. ’Is he not rich enough to keep the estate in good order?’ I inquired.
“啊，我要把話題引到房東身上去！”我暗自想到，“要找個好的話題。還有那個漂亮的年輕寡婦，我很想知道她的過去。她是不是本地人，或者更可能是一個本地人根本就不認可的外來者。”懷著這個想法，我問迪安太太為什么希斯克利夫要出租畫眉山莊，而自己卻住在條件差了很多的地方。“難道是他沒有足夠的錢來維持他的房產？”我問道。

’Rich, sir!’ she returned. ’He has nobody knows what money, and every year it increases. Yes, yes, he’s rich enough to live in a finer house than this: but he’s very near - close-handed; and, if he had meant to flit to Thrushcross Grange, as soon as he heard of a good tenant he could not have borne to miss the chance of getting a few hundreds more. It is strange people should be so greedy, when they are alone in the world!’
“有錢，先生！”她回答道。“任何人都不知道他有多少錢，但是每年都在增加。是的，是的，他有足夠的錢住到比這更好的房子里去，但是他的手卻很緊。如果他曾經打算搬到畫眉山莊來住，一旦他聽說有好的房客，他就舍不得錯過多賺幾百塊錢的機會。一個無親無故的人還這么貪婪，真的是很奇怪啊！”

’He had a son, it seems?’
“好像，他有個兒子？”

’Yes, he had one - he is dead.’
“是的，他曾經有個，已經死了.”