《简·爱》 Chapter 08 第八章（3）

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How can they pity me after what Mr. Brocklehurst has said?

布罗克赫斯特先生说了话以后，她们怎么可能同情我呢。

Mr. Brocklehurst is not a god. Nor is he even a great and admired man.

布罗克赫斯特先生不是神，也不是一个值得钦佩的伟人。

He is little liked here.

这里人不喜欢他。

He never took steps to make himself liked.

他也不想法让人喜欢他。

Had he treated you as an especial favourite, you would have found enemies, declared or covert¹, all around you.

要是他把你看成他的宠儿，你倒会处处树敌，公开的，或者暗地里的都会有。

As it is, the greater number would offer you sympathy if they dared.

而现在这样，大多数胆子大一点的人是会同情你的。

Teachers and pupils may look coldly on you for a day or two, but friendly feelings are concealed² in their hearts.

老师和同伴可以这一两天会冷眼对你，但是他们的心里藏着友好的感情。

And if you persevere³ in doing well, these feelings will ere long appear so much the more evidently for their temporary suppression.

而要是你继续努力，好好表现，这些感情正因为暂时的压抑，不久就会更加明显地表露出来。

Besides, Jane... She paused.

此外，简...她刹住了话头。

"Well, Helen?" said I, putting my hand into hers.

“怎样。海伦？”我说着把自己手塞到了她手里。

She chafed⁴ my fingers gently to warm them, and went on,

她轻轻地揉着我的手指，使它们暖和过来，随后又说下去，

If all the world hated you, and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved you, and absolved⁵ you from guilt⁶, you would not be without friends.

即使整个世界恨你，并且相信你很坏，只要你自己问心无愧，知道你是清白的，你就不会没有朋友。

No; I know I should think well of myself; but that is not enough.

不，我明白我觉得自己不错，但这还不够。

If others don't love me I would rather die than live.

要是别人不爱我，那么与其活着还不如死去。

I cannot bear to be solitary⁷ and hated, Helen.

我受不了孤独和别人的厌恶，海伦。

Look here, to gain some real affection from you, or Miss Temple, or any other whom I truly love,

瞧，为了从你那儿，或者坦普尔小姐，或是任何一个我确实所爱的人那儿，得到真正的爱，

I would willingly submit to have the bone of my arm broken, or to let a bull toss me, or to stand behind a kicking horse, and let it dash its hoof⁸ at my chest..."

我会心甘情愿忍受胳膊骨被折断，或者愿让一头公牛把我悬空抛起，或者站在一匹蹶腿的马后面，任马蹄踢向我胸膛...”

Hush⁹, Jane! You think too much of the love of human beings.

嘘，简！你太看重人的爱了。

You are too impulsive¹⁰, too vehement¹¹.

你的感情太冲动，你的情绪太激烈了。

The sovereign hand that created your frame, and put life into it,

一只至高无上的手创造了你的躯体，又往里面注入了生命，

has provided you with other resources than your feeble self, or than creatures feeble as you.

这只手除了造就了你脆弱的自身，或者同你一样脆弱的创造物之外，还给你提供了别的财富。

Besides this earth, and besides the race of men, there is an invisible world and a kingdom of spirits.

在地球和人类之外，还有一个看不见的世界，一个精灵王国。

That world is round us, for it is everywhere.

这个世界包围着我们，无所不在。

And those spirits watch us, for they are commissioned to guard us.

那些精灵们注视着我们，奉命守护我们。

And if we were dying in pain and shame, if scorn smote¹² us on all sides,

要是我们在痛苦和耻辱中死去；要是来自四面八方的鄙视刺伤了我们；

and hatred¹³ crushed us, angels see our tortures, recognise our innocence¹⁴.

要是仇恨压垮了我们，天使们会看到我们遭受折磨，会承认我们清白无辜。

If innocent we be, as I know you are of this charge which Mr. Brocklehurst has weakly and pompously¹⁵ repeated at second-hand¹⁶ from Mrs. Reed,

如果我们确实清白无辜，我知道你受到了布罗克赫斯特先生指控，但这种指控软弱无力，夸大其词，不过是从里德太太那儿转手得来的，

for I read a sincere nature in your ardent¹⁷ eyes and on your clear front.

因为我从你热情的眼睛里，从你明净的前额上，看到了诚实的本性。

And God waits only the separation of spirit from flesh to crown us with a full reward.

上帝只不过等待灵魂与肉体分离，以赐予我们充分酬报。

Why, then, should we ever sink overwhelmed with distress¹⁸, when life is so soon over, and death is so certain an entrance to happiness — to glory?

当生命很快结束，死亡必定成为幸福与荣耀的入口时，我们为什么还要因为忧伤而沉沦呢？

1 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。

2 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

3 persevere   

v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• They are determined to persevere in the fight.他们决心坚持战斗。
• It is strength of character enabled him to persevere.他那坚强的性格使他能够坚持不懈。

4 chafed   

v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的过去式 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒

参考例句：

• Her wrists chafed where the rope had been. 她的手腕上绳子勒过的地方都磨红了。
• She chafed her cold hands. 她揉搓冰冷的双手使之暖和。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 absolved   

宣告…无罪，赦免…的罪行，宽恕…的罪行( absolve的过去式和过去分词 )； 不受责难，免除责任 [义务] ,开脱（罪责）

参考例句：

• The court absolved him of all responsibility for the accident. 法院宣告他对该事故不负任何责任。
• The court absolved him of guilt in her death. 法庭赦免了他在她的死亡中所犯的罪。

6 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

7 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

8 hoof   

n.(马，牛等的)蹄

参考例句：

• Suddenly he heard the quick,short click of a horse's hoof behind him.突然间，他听见背后响起一阵急骤的马蹄的得得声。
• I was kicked by a hoof.我被一只蹄子踢到了。

9 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

10 impulsive   

adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的

参考例句：

• She is impulsive in her actions.她的行为常出于冲动。
• He was neither an impulsive nor an emotional man,but a very honest and sincere one.他不是个一冲动就鲁莽行事的人，也不多愁善感.他为人十分正直、诚恳。

11 vehement   

adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的

参考例句：

• She made a vehement attack on the government's policies.她强烈谴责政府的政策。
• His proposal met with vehement opposition.他的倡导遭到了激烈的反对。

12 smote   

v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 )

参考例句：

• Figuratively, he could not kiss the hand that smote him. 打个比方说，他是不能认敌为友。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• \"Whom Pearl smote down and uprooted, most unmercifully.\" 珠儿会毫不留情地将这些\"儿童\"踩倒，再连根拔起。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

13 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

14 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

15 pompously   

adv.傲慢地，盛大壮观地；大模大样

参考例句：

• He pompously described his achievements. 他很夸耀地描述了自己所取得的成绩。 来自互联网

16 second-hand   

adj.用过的，旧的，二手的

参考例句：

• I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop.我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
• They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale.他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。

17 ardent   

adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的

参考例句：

• He's an ardent supporter of the local football team.他是本地足球队的热情支持者。
• Ardent expectations were held by his parents for his college career.他父母对他的大学学习抱着殷切的期望。

18 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。