《简·爱》 Chapter 08 第八章（5）

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I resolved, in the depth of my heart, that I would be most moderate — most correct.

我暗下决心，要把话说得恰如其分，准确无误。

And, having reflected a few minutes in order to arrange coherently what I had to say, I told her all the story of my sad childhood.

我思考了几分钟，把该说的话理出了个头绪，便一五一十地向她诉说了我悲苦的童年。

Exhausted¹ by emotion, my language was more subdued² than it generally was when it developed that sad theme.

我己激动得精疲力尽，所以谈到这个伤心的话题时，说话比平时要克制。

And mindful of Helen's warnings against the indulgence of resentment³, I infused into the narrative⁴ far less of gall⁵ and wormwood than ordinary.

我还记住了海伦的告诫，不一味沉溺于怨词，叙述时所掺杂的刻薄与恼恨比往日少得多。

Thus restrained and simplified, it sounded more credible⁶.

而且态度收敛，内容简明，听来更加可信。

I felt as I went on that Miss Temple fully⁷ believed me.

我觉得，我往下说时，坦普尔小姐完全相信我的话。

In the course of the tale I had mentioned Mr. Lloyd as having come to see me after the fit.

我在叙述自己的经历时，还提到了劳埃德先生，说他在我昏厥后来看过我。

For I never forgot the, to me, frightful⁸ episode of the red-room.

我永远忘不了可怕的红房子事件。

In detailing which, my excitement was sure, in some degree, to break bounds.

有详细诉说时，我的情绪有点失态。

For nothing could soften⁹ in my recollection the spasm¹⁰ of agony which clutched my heart when Mrs. Reed spurned¹¹ my wild supplication¹² for pardon,

因为当里德太太断然拒绝我发疯似的求饶，把我第二次关进黑洞洞闹鬼的房子时，

and locked me a second time in the dark and haunted chamber¹³.

那种阵阵揪心的痛苦，在记忆中是什么也抚慰不了的。

I had finished.

我讲完了。

Miss Temple regarded me a few minutes in silence.

坦普尔小姐默默地看了我几分钟。

She then said: "I know something of Mr. Lloyd. I shall write to him."

她随后说：“劳埃德先生我有些认识，我会写信给他的。”

If his reply agrees with your statement, you shall be publicly cleared from every imputation¹⁴.

要是他的答复同你说的相符，我们会公开澄清对你的诋毁。

To me, Jane, you are clear now.

对我来说，简，现在你已经清白了。

She kissed me, and still keeping me at her side,

她吻了吻我，仍旧让我呆在她身边，

where I was well contented¹⁵ to stand, for I derived¹⁶ a child's pleasure from the contemplation of her face, her dress,

我很乐意站在那里，因为我端详着她的面容、她的装束、

her one or two ornaments¹⁷, her white forehead, her clustered and shining curls, and beaming dark eyes.

她的一、二件饰品、她那白皙的额头、她那一团团闪光的卷发和乌黑发亮的眼睛时，得到了一种孩子般的喜悦。

She proceeded to address Helen Burns.

她开始同海伦.彭斯说话了。

How are you tonight, Helen? Have you coughed much today?

今晚你感觉怎么样，海伦？你今天咳得厉害吗？

Not quite so much, I think, ma' am.

我想不太厉害，小姐。

And the pain in your chest?

胸部的疼痛呢？

It is a little better.

好一点了。

Miss Temple got up, took her hand and examined her pulse; then she returned to her own seat.

坦普尔小姐站起来，拉过她的手，按了按脉搏，随后回到了自己的座位上。

As she resumed it, I heard her sigh low.

坐定以后，我听她轻声叹了口气。

She was pensive¹⁸ a few minutes, then rousing herself, she said cheerfully: "But you two are my visitors tonight;

她沉思了一会，随后回过神来，高兴地说：“不过今晚你们俩是我的客人，”

I must treat you as such. She rang her bell.

我必须按客人相待，她按了下铃。

"Barbara," she said to the servant who answered it, "I have not yet had tea. Bring the tray and place cups for these two young ladies."

“巴巴拉，”她对应召而来的佣人说，“我还没有用茶呢，你把盘子端来，给两位小姐也放上杯子。”

And a tray was soon brought.

盘子很快就端来了。

How pretty, to my eyes, did the china cups and bright teapot look, placed on the little round table near the fire!

在我的目光中，这些放在火炉旁小园桌上的瓷杯和亮晃晃的茶壶多么漂亮！

How fragrant¹⁹ was the steam of the beverage²⁰, and the scent²¹ of the toast!

那饮料的热气和烤面包的味儿多香！

Of which, however, I, to my dismay (for I was beginning to be hungry) discerned only a very small portion.

但使我失望的是（因为我已开始觉得饿了），我发现那份儿很小，

Miss Temple discerned it too.

坦普尔小姐也同样注意到了。

1 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

2 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

3 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

4 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

5 gall   

v.使烦恼，使焦躁，难堪；n.磨难

参考例句：

• It galled him to have to ask for a loan.必须向人借钱使他感到难堪。
• No gall,no glory.没有磨难，何来荣耀。

6 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 frightful   

adj.可怕的；讨厌的

参考例句：

• How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
• We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。

9 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

10 spasm   

n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作

参考例句：

• When the spasm passed,it left him weak and sweating.一阵痉挛之后，他虚弱无力，一直冒汗。
• He kicked the chair in a spasm of impatience.他突然变得不耐烦，一脚踢向椅子。

11 spurned   

v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Eve spurned Mark's invitation. 伊夫一口回绝了马克的邀请。
• With Mrs. Reed, I remember my best was always spurned with scorn. 对里德太太呢，我记得我的最大努力总是遭到唾弃。 来自辞典例句

12 supplication   

n.恳求，祈愿，哀求

参考例句：

• She knelt in supplication. 她跪地祷求。
• The supplication touched him home. 这个请求深深地打动了他。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

13 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

14 imputation   

n.归罪，责难

参考例句：

• I could not rest under the imputation.我受到诋毁，无法平静。
• He resented the imputation that he had any responsibility for what she did.把她所作的事情要他承担，这一责难，使他非常恼火。

15 contented   

adj.满意的，安心的，知足的

参考例句：

• He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
• The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

16 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 ornaments   

n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 pensive   

a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的

参考例句：

• He looked suddenly sombre,pensive.他突然看起来很阴郁，一副忧虑的样子。
• He became so pensive that she didn't like to break into his thought.他陷入沉思之中,她不想打断他的思路。

19 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。

20 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。

21 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。