有声名著之简爱Jene Eyer Chapter12

　　CHAPTER TWELEVE The Gypsy
Soon after Mr. Mason had met the other guests, a servant came into the sitting room and told them that an old gypsy woman had also come. She was supposed to be a fortune- teller¹. All the ladies were very excited and wanted to ask her their fortunes. Miss Ingram was first, and spent fifteen minutes with the old gypsy woman in the library. She came back looking angry.
“This is ridiculous²! How can you people believe in that sort of thing?” I wondered if the fortune teller had told her something she did not like. Next, three young ladies went in together, and came back amazed³.
“She’s ugly, dirty, and old,” they cried, “but she knows everything about us, everything!” suddenly the servant entered the room again.
“Excuse me, Miss Eyre,” he said to me. “the gypsy woman knows you are here. She will not leave the house until she sees you.”
“All right,” I said. I was curious to see the gypsy.
She was sitting in the library, reading a little black book. Her black scarf covered most of her face, but when she lifted her head, I saw her dark eyes.
“So, young lady! You are here to learn your future!” she said.
“Well, I must warn⁴ you, I don’t believe in your skill,” I said.
“I thought so! But I’m very powerful⁵, you know! Why don’t you tremble⁶?”
“I’m not cold.”
“Why don’t you turn pale?”
“I’m not afraid.”
“Why don’t you ask me to tell your fortune?”
“I’m not a fool.”
The old woman laughed and started smoking⁷ a short black pipe.
“I can prove that you’re cold, and afraid, and a fool,” she said. “Listen. You’re cold, because you’re alone. You’re afraid, because you lack love. And you’re a fool, because love is standing⁸ right in front of you, and you won’t even try to fight for it!”
I said nothing, only waited.
“If you really want it, happiness is waiting for you. Tell me, do you know the master of the house. Edward Rochester? What do you think of his relationship with Miss Blanche Ingram?”
“They seem to like one another.”
“Like one another?! I’d say more than that. I think they’ll get married. Clearly, they will be a very happy couple, but I did tell Miss Ingram something about the Rochester property⁹ that made her look a little angry! If Miss Ingram meets a richer man, I think Mr. Rochester might lose his beautiful bride…”
“Madam, I came to hear about my future, not Mr. Rochester’s” I shapped.
“All right then. Let me see your face. I see that feelings are important to you, but that common sense is your main guide in life. You will never do anything wrong or dishonest to hurt people. I like that about you… well, I must stop pretending¹⁰ now.”
Was I dreaming? The old woman’s voice had changed, and become so familiar!
“Well, Jane, do you know me?” asked the familiar voice. Mr. Rochester stepped out of his disguise¹¹.
My face turned red. “Sir… you’ve been talking nonsense¹², to make me talk nonsense! It’s not very fair.”
“Do you forgive, Jane?”
“I shall try to, sir. But you should not have done it,” I said, but I smiled a little.
“Where are my guests, Jane?”
“I am sure they are discussing the fortune teller. Oh, another man has come to see you today.”
“A stranger! I wasn’t expecting anyone. Who can it be?”
“His name’s Mason, sir, and he comes from the West Indies.”
Mr. Rochester’s face went white. For a few minutes, he did not speak. Finally I asked, “are you ill, sir?”
“Jane, help me,” he said. I helped him to sit down, and then sat next to him. He held my hand tightly¹³.
“Jane, I wish you and I were far away from here, with none of these terrible troubles to make me suffer.”
“How can I help you, sir? Please tell me what is wrong!”
“Jane, I promise I’ll ask you if I need help, but I cannot tell you anything now. get me a glass of wine, please.” I did what he asked. He looked less pale, but very stern¹⁴.
After awhile he spoke¹⁵. “Jane, if all those fine ladies and gentlemen out there came and called me terrible names, what would you do?” he asked.
“If I could, I”d make them leave the house.”
“Or, if they only looked at me, and then said terrible things about me when I could not hear, and then left me alone in the house?”
“I wouldn’t leave you. I’d stay with you and comfort you, sir.”
“And if it seemed like the whole world was against me, would you still stay with me?”
“Sir, if you deserved¹⁶ my friendship I wouldn’t care what other people thought.”
“Thank you, Jane. I would like to see Mr. Mason now.” after I found Mr. Mason and left the two men talking in the library, I went to bed, wondering about Mr. Rochester’s strange, serious questions.
Some time later, I heard him walking with Mr. Mason to his bedroom, and I was glad that Mr. Rochester sounded happier

1 teller   

n.银行出纳员；(选举)计票员

参考例句：

• The bank started her as a teller.银行起用她当出纳员。
• The teller tried to remain aloof and calm.出纳员力图保持冷漠和镇静。

2 ridiculous   

adj.荒谬的，可笑的；荒唐的

参考例句：

• It is simply ridiculous to attempt such a thing.试图干这种事，简直可笑。
• It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life.这是我有生以来听到的最为荒唐可笑的事。

3 amazed   

adj.吃惊的，惊奇的v.使大为吃惊，使惊奇( amaze的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Just the size of the place amazed her. 仅仅地方之大就使她十分惊奇。
• I was amazed at her knowledge of French literature. 她的法国文学知识之丰富使我大为惊奇。

4 warn   

vt.警告，注意，远离；vi.提醒

参考例句：

• I must warn you that my patience is almost at an end.我必须警告你我已经没有耐心了。
• If you warn me in advance,I will have your order ready for you.你若预先通知我，我就能给您准备好了。

5 powerful   

adj.有力的，有权力的，强大的

参考例句：

• The UN began to get more and more powerful.联合国开始变得越来越强大了。
• Such are the most powerful voices of our times!这些就是我们时代的最有力的声音！

6 tremble   

n.战栗，颤抖；vi.战栗，忧虑，微动

参考例句：

• There was a tremble in her voice.她声音颤抖。
• I tremble for your safety.我担忧你的安全。

7 smoking   

n.吸烟，抽烟；冒烟

参考例句：

• He was wise to give up smoking.他戒烟是明智的。
• He has decided to cut out smoking and drinking.他已决心戒烟、戒酒。

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 property   

n.财产，所有物，所有权，性质，特性，（小）道具

参考例句：

• He has made over his property to a hospital.他已将财产转交给了一家医院。
• Oil has the property of floating on water.油有浮在水上的特性。

10 pretending   

v.假装( pretend的现在分词 )；伪装；（尤指儿童）（在游戏中）装扮；自诩

参考例句：

• He deceived her by pretending to be a famous movie star. 他冒充著名电影明星来骗她。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• "We have a mission to perform. Quit pretending." cried he angrily. 他生气地高喊一声：“我们有任务， 别装蒜。” 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 disguise   

vt.把...假扮起来；n.伪装物，假装，伪装

参考例句：

• He went about in the disguise of a sailor.他伪装成海员到处流窜。
• It is impossible to disguise the fact that business is bad.生意不好这件事无法隐瞒。

12 nonsense   

n.胡说，废话

参考例句：

• Go along with you! What you say is all nonsense!去你的！你说的全是废话！
• "Don't talk nonsense",she said sharply.“别胡扯”，她严厉地说。

13 tightly   

adv.紧紧地，坚固地，牢固地

参考例句：

• My child holds onto my hand tightly while we cross the street.横穿马路时，孩子紧拉着我的手不放。
• The crowd pressed together so tightly that we could hardly breathe.人群挤在一起，我们几乎喘不过气来。

14 stern   

adj.严厉的，严格的，严峻的；n.船尾

参考例句：

• The ship was in a blaze from stem to stern.整艘船从头到尾都着火了。
• The headmaster ruled the school with a stern discipline.校长治校严谨。

15 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

16 deserved   

adj.应得的，当然的v.应受，应得，值得( deserve的过去式和过去分词 )；应受报答；应得报酬；应得赔偿

参考例句：

• Some of you deserved to succeed and others only scraped through. 你们当中有些人成功是理所当然，而有些人只是勉强及格。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Don't glare at me like that, you deserved the scolding. 不要那么瞪着我，你本该受到训斥的。 来自《简明英汉词典》