牛津書蟲系列 簡愛 chapter 3
Part Two A girl at Lowood 3 My first impressions of school
第二部 洛伍德的女孩 3 我對學校的第一印象
Mrs Reed arranged for me to leave on the nineteenth of January.I had to get up very early to catch the coach，but Bessie helped me to get ready.
里德太太安排我在1月19日離開。為了趕上馬車，我必須起個大早，貝茜幫助我做好了準備。
’Will you say goodbye to Mrs Reed，Jane?’she asked.
她問：“簡，你去向里德太太道別嗎?”
’No，she said I shouldn’t disturb her so early.Anyway，I don’t want to say anything to her.She’s always hated me.’
“不了，她說不讓我這么早打擾她。反正我也不想和她說話。她一向恨我的。”
’Oh，Miss Jane，don’t say that!’
“噢，簡小姐，別這么說。”
’Goodbye to Gateshead!’I shouted wildly，as we walked together out of the front door，to wait for the coach in the road.It arrived，pulled by four horses，and full of passengers.The coachman took my luggage and called me to hurry up.Bessie kissed me for the last time as I held tightly to her.
“蓋茨赫德，再見了!”我大聲喊著。我們一起走出前門，在路邊等車。車來了，四匹馬拉著，擠滿了乘客。車夫接過我的行李，讓我趕緊上車。我緊抱著貝茜，她吻了我最后一次。
She shouted up to the coachman，’Make sure you take care of her!Fifty miles is a long way for a young child to go alone.’
她對車夫喊著：“你一定要好好照顧她。小孩子孤身一人，50英里路太遠了。”
’I will!’he answered.The door was closed，and the coach rolled off.What a strange feeling to be leaving Gateshead，my home for the whole of my childhood!Although I was sad to say goodbye to Bessie，I was both excited and nervous about the new place I would see，and the new people I would meet.
“我會的。”車夫答道。門關(guān)上了，馬車繼續(xù)前行。離開蓋茨赫德的感覺真奇怪，這是我整個童年的家呀!和貝茜告別讓我很難過，但想到我要去新的地方，見到新的人，我就又激動又害怕。
I do not remember much about the journey，except that it seemed far too long.We stopped for lunch，to change the horses.Then in the afternoon I realized we were driving through countryside.I slept for a short time but was woken when the coach stopped.The door opened and a servant called in，
路上的事我已記不太清了，只覺得旅途實在太長了。我們停下來吃中飯、換馬匹。下午，我意識到我們正在穿越鄉(xiāng)村。我睡了一會兒，車停下我便醒了。門開了，一個仆人叫道：
’Is there a little girl called Jane Eyre here?’
“有沒有叫簡·愛的女孩?”
’Yes，’I answered，and was helped out of the coach with my luggage.Tired and confused after the journey，I followed the servant into a large building，where she left me in a sitting-room.In came a tall lady，with dark hair and eyes，and a large，pale forehead.I discovered that she was Miss Temple，the headmistress of Lowood school.She looked at me carefully.
“有。”我答道，大家?guī)臀蚁萝嚕⑷×诵欣?。由于旅途勞累，昏頭昏腦的我隨著仆人走進一幢大房子，她讓我等在起居室里。一位高高的女士走了進來，她黑發(fā)黑眼睛，前額寬闊、蒼白。我得知她是丹伯爾小姐，洛伍德學校的女學監(jiān)，她仔細端詳著我。
’You are very young to be sent alone.You look tired.Are you?’she asked，putting her hand kindly on my shoulder.
“你一人上路還年齡太小，你看上去累了。累嗎?”她問，一只手親切地搭在我肩上。
’A little，ma’am，’I replied.
“有一點兒，太太。”我答道。
’How old are you，and what is your name?’
“你多大了?叫什么名字?”
’I’m Jane Eyre，ma’am，and I’m ten years old.’
“我叫簡·愛，10歲了。”
’Well，I hope you will be a good child at school，’she said，touching my cheek gently with her finger.
“好啊，我希望你在學校是個好孩子。”她說著用手指輕輕摸著我的臉頰。
I was taken by a teacher，Miss Miller，through the silent corridors of the large school，to the long，wide schoolroom.There about eighty girls，aged from nine to twenty，sat doing their homework.I sat on a bench near the door，with my slate.
我被一位叫米勒小姐的教師帶著，穿過這座大學校寂靜的走廊，來到又長又寬的教室。那兒大約有80個女孩，年齡從9歲至20歲不等，都坐在那兒寫作業(yè)。我夾著石板，坐在靠近門口的一張長凳上。
’Put away the lesson-books and fetch the supper-trays!’called Miss Miller.Four tall girls removed all the books，then went out and returned with trays which were handed round.Each child could have a drink of water out of the shared cup，and could take a small piece of biscuit.Then we all went quietly upstairs to the long，crowded bedroom，where two children shared every bed.I had to share Miss Miller’s，but I was so tired that I fell asleep immediately.
米勒小姐喊道：“放下書本，去取晚餐盤子。”四個高個女孩收拾起所有的課本，然后出去取來了盤子，一個個傳遞下去。每個孩子可以喝點兒水，吃一小塊兒餅干。然后我們都靜靜地上樓，來到狹長、擁擠的寢室。每兩個孩子共用一張床。我只能和米勒小姐同住，但是我實在太累了，馬上就睡著了。
In the morning the ringing of a bell woke me，although it was still dark.I got dressed quickly in the bitter cold of the room，and washed when I could.There was only one basin for six girls.When the bell rang again，we all went downstairs，two by two，and silently entered the cold，badly lit schoolroom for prayers.As the bell rang a third time to indicate the beginning of lessons，the girls moved into four groups around four tables，and the teachers came into the room to start the Bible class.I was put in the bottom class.How glad I was when it was time for breakfast!I had hardly eaten anything the day before.But the only food served to us was porridge，which was burnt.It was so disgusting that we could not eat it，so we left the dining-room with empty stomachs.After breakfast came the one happy moment of the day，when the pupils could play and talk freely.We all complained bitterly about the uneatable breakfast.Lessons started again at nine o’clock and finished at twelve，when Miss Temple stood up to speak to the whole school.
早晨，盡管外面天還黑著，鈴聲就把我叫醒了。屋里很冷，我趕緊穿好衣服，然后找機會洗漱。六個女孩只有一只盆。鈴聲再次響起時，我們一對一對地下樓，靜靜地走進寒冷、陰暗的教室祈禱。第三遍鈴響表示開始上課。姑娘們分成四組，分別圍著四張桌子坐好，老師們走進來開始上《圣經(jīng)》課。我被編入最低班。早餐時間一到，我真是高興極了。前一天我?guī)缀跏裁匆矝]吃，可是我們得到的唯一的食物只有粥。粥糊了，令人惡心，我們根本無法下咽，于是空著肚子離開了餐廳。早餐后是一天中的快樂時光，學生們可以自由玩耍、交談，我們都起勁兒地抱怨著那沒法吃的早餐。9點鐘接著上課，直到12點。這時，丹伯爾小姐站起來對全校學生講話。
’Girls，this morning you had a breakfast which you couldn’t eat.You must be hungry，so I have ordered a lunch of bread and cheese for you all.’The teachers looked at her in surprise.
“姑娘們，今天早晨你們的早餐無法下咽。你們一定餓了，所以我給大家訂了面包和奶酪當做午飯。”老師們都驚訝地看著她。
’Don’t worry，I take responsibility for it，’she told them.
“別擔心，我負全責。”她對老師們說。
We were delighted，and all rushed out into the garden to eat our lunch.Nobody had taken any notice of me so far，but I did not mind that.I stood alone outside，watching some of the stronger girls playing，trying to forget the bitter cold，and thinking about my life.Gateshead and the Reed family seemed a long way away.I was not yet used to school life.And what sort of future could I look forward to?
我們很高興，都跑到花園中去吃午飯。到現(xiàn)在還沒有人注意到我，可我并不在意。我獨自一人站在外面，看著幾個比較壯實的女孩玩耍，努力忘掉寒冷，思考著我的生活。蓋茨赫德和里德一家似乎那么遙遠，我還不習慣學校的生活。我會有什么樣的未來呢?
As I wondered，I saw a girl near me reading a book.I felt brave enough to speak to her，since I too liked reading.
我正想著，看到旁邊一個女孩兒在讀書。我也喜歡讀書，于是壯著膽子和她搭話。
’Is your book interesting?What is it about?’I asked.
“你的書有意思嗎?講什么的?”我問。
’Well，I like it，’she said after a pause，looking at me.’Here，have a look at it.’I glanced quickly at it but found it too difficult to understand，so I gave it back.
“嗯，我喜歡。”她停了一會兒，看著我說。“喏，看看吧!”我匆匆掃了一眼，覺得太難讀懂，就還給了她。
’What sort of school is this?’I asked.
“這是個什么樣的學校?”我問。
’It’s called Lowood school.It’s a charity school.We’re all charity children，you see.I expect your parents are dead，aren’t they?All the girls here have lost either one or both parents.’
“這叫洛伍德學校，是所慈善學校。你知道，我們都是接受慈善的孩子。我想你的父母都去世了吧?這里所有的女孩要么失去了單親，要么失去了雙親。”
’Don’t we pay anything?Is the school free?’I asked.
“我們要交錢嗎?學校是免費的嗎?”我問。
’We pay，or our relations pay，￡ 15 a year for each of us.That isn’t enough，so some kind ladies and gentlemen in London pay the rest.That’s why it’s called a charity school.’
“我們或我們的親戚交錢，每人每年15英鎊。這不夠用，因此倫敦一些好心的先生女士就支付剩下的費用。這就是為什么這兒是慈善學校。”
’Who is Mr Brocklehurst?’was my next question.
“布魯克赫斯特先生是誰?”我接著問。
’His mother built this part of the school.He’s the manager，and looks after all financial matters.He lives in a large house near here.’
“他母親建立了學校的這一部分。他是經(jīng)理，管理所有財務的事。他就住在附近的一所大房子里。”
I did not see her again until during the afternoon lessons，when I noticed that she had been sent to stand alone in the middle of the schoolroom.I could not imagine what she had done to deserve such a punishment，but she did not look ashamed or unhappy.She was lost in thought，and did not seem to notice that everyone was looking at her.
直到下午上課，我才又一次見到了她，我看到她被叫去獨自站在教室中央。我想像不出她做錯了什么，要遭這樣的懲罰，可她看上去既不害臊，也不難過。她沉思著，似乎沒有注意到大家都在看她。
’If that happened to me，’I thought，’I would be so embarrassed!’
我心想：“如果輪到我，我會非常尷尬的。”
After lessons we had a small cup of coffee and half a piece of brown bread，then half an hour’s play，then homework.Finally，after the evening biscuit and drink of water，we said prayers and went to bed.That was my first day at Lowood.
下課后，我們喝了一小杯咖啡，吃了半片黑面包，然后玩半小時，再做作業(yè)。終于，在晚上吃過餅干、喝過水之后，我們祈禱完畢可以睡覺了。這就是我在洛伍德的第一天。
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