《简·爱》 Chapter 07 第七章（8）

搜索

复制

They now proceeded to address divers¹ remarks and reproofs² to Miss Smith, who was charged with the care of the linen³ and the inspection⁴ of the dormitories:

这时她们对负责照管衣被、检查寝室的史密斯小姐，提出了种种看法和责难。

But I had no time to listen to what they said.

不过我没有工夫去听她们说些什么。

Other matters called off and enchanted⁵ my attention.

其他事情来打岔，并吸引了我的注意力。

Hitherto, while gathering⁶ up the discourse⁷ of Mr. Brocklehurst and Miss Temple, I had not, at the same time, neglected precautions to secure my personal safety,

到现在为止，我一面领会着布罗克赫斯特先生和坦普尔小姐的讲话，一面并没有放松戒备，确保自己的安全，

which I thought would be effected, if I could only elude⁸ observation.

而只要不被看到，安全是没有问题的。

To this end, I had sat well back on the form, and while seeming to be busy with my sum, had held my slate⁹ in such a manner as to conceal¹⁰ my face.

为了达到这个目的，我坐在长凳上，身子往后靠，看上去似乎在忙于计算，把写字板端得刚好遮住了脸。

I might have escaped notice, had not my treacherous¹¹ slate somehow happened to slip from my hand, and falling with an obtrusive¹² crash, directly drawn¹³ every eye upon me.

我本可以逃避别人的注意，却不料我那块捣蛋的写字板，不知怎地恰巧从我手里滑落，砰地一声冒然落地。顷刻之间人人都朝我投来了目光。

I knew it was all over now, and, as I stooped to pick up the two fragments of slate, I rallied my forces for the worst. It came.

我知道这下全完了，我弯下腰捡起了碎为两半的写字板，鼓足勇气准备面对最坏的结局，它终于来了。

"A careless girl!" said Mr. Brocklehurst, and immediately after - "It is the new pupil, I perceive."

“好粗心的姑娘！”布罗克赫斯特先生说，随后立刻又说，“是个新来的学生，我看出来了。”

And before I could draw breath, "I must not forget I have a word to say respecting her."

我还没喘过气来，他又说下去，“我可别忘了，有句关于她的话要说，”

Then aloud. How loud it seemed to me! "Let the child who broke her slate come forward!"

随后大着嗓门说。在我听来，那声音有多响啊！“让那个打破写字板的孩子到前面来！”

Of my own accord I could not have stirred. I was paralysed,

我自己已经无法动弹了，我瘫了下来。

But the two great girls who sit on each side of me, set me on my legs and pushed me towards the dread¹⁴ judge,

可是坐在我两边的两个大姑娘，扶我站了起来，把我推向那位恐怖的法官。

and then Miss Temple gently assisted me to his very feet, and I caught her whispered counsel: "Don't be afraid, Jane, I saw it was an accident. You shall not be punished."

随后坦普尔小姐轻轻地搀着我来到他的脚跟前，我听见她小声地劝导我：“别怕，简，我知道这不是故意的，你不会受罚。”

The kind whisper went to my heart like a dagger¹⁵.

这善意的耳语像匕首一样直刺我心扉。

"Another minute, and she will despise me for a hypocrite," thought I.

“再过一分钟，她就会把我当作伪君子而瞧不起我了，”我想。

And an impulse of fury against Reed, Brocklehurst, and Co. bounded in my pulses at the conviction. I was no Helen Burns.

一想到这点，心中便激起了一腔怒火，冲着里德太太和布罗克赫斯特一伙们，我可不是海伦.彭斯。

"Fetch that stool," said Mr. Brocklehurst, pointing to a very high one from which a monitor had just risen.

“把那条凳子拿来，”布罗克赫斯特先生指着一条很高的凳子说一位班长刚从那儿站起来。

It was brought.

凳子给端来了。

1 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。

2 reproofs   

n.责备，责难，指责( reproof的名词复数 )

参考例句：

3 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

4 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

5 enchanted   

adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
• He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

8 elude   

v.躲避，困惑

参考例句：

• If you chase it,it will elude you.如果你追逐着它， 它会躲避你。
• I had dared and baffled his fury.I must elude his sorrow.我曾经面对过他的愤怒，并且把它挫败了；现在我必须躲避他的悲哀。

9 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

10 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

11 treacherous   

adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的

参考例句：

• The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.路面的积水对驾车者构成危险。
• The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on.在冻雪上行走有潜在危险。

12 obtrusive   

adj.显眼的；冒失的

参考例句：

• These heaters are less obtrusive and are easy to store away in the summer.这些加热器没那么碍眼，夏天收起来也很方便。
• The factory is an obtrusive eyesore.这工厂很刺眼。

13 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

14 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

15 dagger   

n.匕首，短剑，剑号

参考例句：

• The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。
• The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。