《简·爱》 Chapter 37 第三十七章（4）

He descended¹ the one step, and advanced slowly and gropingly towards the grass-plat.

他下了那一级台阶，一路摸索着慢慢地朝那块草地走去。

Where was his daring stride now?

他原先大步流星的样子如今哪儿去了？

Then he paused, as if he knew not which way to turn.

随后他停了下来，仿佛不知道该走哪条路。

He lifted his hand and opened his eyelids²;

他抬起头来，张开了眼睑，

gazed blank, and with a straining effort, on the sky, and toward the amphitheatre of trees: one saw that all to him was void darkness.

吃力地、空空地凝视着天空和树荫。你看得出来，对他来说一切都是黑洞洞的虚空。

He stretched his right hand (the left arm, the mutilated one, he kept hidden in his bosom);

他伸出了右手（截了肢的左臂藏在胸前），

he seemed to wish by touch to gain an idea of what lay around him: he met but vacancy³ still;

似乎想通过触摸知道周围的东西。但他碰到的依然是虚空，

for the trees were some yards off where he stood.

因为树木离他站着的地方有几码远。

He relinquished⁴ the endeavour, folded his arms, and stood quiet and mute in the rain, now falling fast on his uncovered head.

他歇手了，抱着胳膊，静默地站在雨中，这会儿下大了的雨打在他无遮无盖的头上。

At this moment John approached him from some quarter.

正在这时，约翰不知从哪里出来，走近了他。

"Will you take my arm, sir?" he said;

“拉住我的胳膊好吗，先生？”他说，

"there is a heavy shower coming on: had you not better go in?"

“一阵大雨就要下来了，进屋好吗？”

"Let me alone," was the answer.

“别打搅我，”他回答。

John withdrew without having observed me.

约翰走开了，没有瞧见我。

Mr. Rochester now tried to walk about: vainly, -- all was too uncertain.

这时罗切斯特先生试着想走动走动，却徒劳无功——对周围的一切太没有把握了。

He groped his way back to the house, and, re-entering it, closed the door.

他摸回自己的屋子，进去后关了门。

I now drew near and knocked: John's wife opened for me.

这会儿我走上前去，敲起门来。约翰的妻子开了门。

"Mary," I said, "how are you?"

“玛丽，”我说，“你好！”

1 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

2 eyelids   

n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色

参考例句：

• She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。
• Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

4 relinquished   

交出，让给( relinquish的过去式和过去分词 )； 放弃

参考例句：

• She has relinquished the post to her cousin, Sir Edward. 她把职位让给了表弟爱德华爵士。
• The small dog relinquished his bone to the big dog. 小狗把它的骨头让给那只大狗。