牛津書蟲系列 簡愛 chapter 4
4 Making a friend
4 交朋友
The next morning we got up in the dark as before，but the water was frozen，so we could not wash.It was freezing cold in all the rooms.This time the porridge was not burnt，but I still felt hungry，as the quantity was so small.
第二天早晨，我們和以往一樣天黑就起床了，可是水都凍了冰，不能洗漱了。所有的屋里都冰冷冰冷的。這次粥沒有燒糊，但我還是餓，因為量太少了。
I stayed in the bottom class，but noticed the girl that I had been talking to was in another class.Her surname seemed to be Burns.Teachers called girls by their surnames in this school.Her class were studying history，and her teacher，Miss Scatcherd，appeared constantly annoyed by her.
我仍在最低班，卻注意到曾和我講話的女孩在另一個班，她好像姓伯恩斯。在這所學(xué)校，老師們總是用姓叫學(xué)生。她們班在學(xué)歷史，她的老師斯蓋查德小姐似乎總是被她惹惱。
’Burns，hold your head up，can’t you!’
“伯恩斯，抬起頭來，難道做不到嗎?”
’Burns，don’t stand like that!’
“伯恩斯，別那么站著!”
The history questions asked by Miss Scatcherd sounded very difficult，but Burns knew all the answers.I kept expecting the teacher to praise her，but instead she suddenly cried out，
斯蓋查德小姐提出的歷史問題聽起來非常艱深，但伯恩斯知道所有的答案。我總是期待著老師表揚她，但卻聽到老師突然吼道：
’You dirty girl!You haven’t washed your hands this morning!’
“你這個臟丫頭。早晨你沒有洗手!”
I was surprised that Burns did not explain that none of us could wash our faces or hands because the water had been frozen.Miss Scatcherd gave an order.Burns left the room and returned，carrying a stick.The teacher took it and hit Burns several times with it.The girl did not cry or change her expression.
我感到驚訝的是，伯恩斯并沒有解釋，我們誰也沒洗臉、洗手，因為水凍冰了。斯蓋查德小姐下了一個命令。伯恩斯出去了，回來時拿了一根棍子。老師接過棍子，在伯恩斯身上打了好幾下。她既沒有哭，也沒有表情上的變化。
’Wicked girl!’said Miss Scatcherd.’Nothing will change your dirty habits!’
“壞丫頭!”斯蓋查德小姐說。“什么也改變不了你臟的習(xí)慣!”
Later that day，during the play-hour，I found Burns alone by the fireside，reading the same book as before，and I started talking to her.
后來在游戲的時侯，我找到了獨自坐在火邊的伯恩斯，她還在讀那本書。我開始和她說話。
’What is the rest of your name?’I asked.
“你叫什么名字?”我問。
’Helen，’she replied.
“海倫。”她答道。
’Do you want to leave Lowood?’
“你想離開洛伍德嗎?”
’No，why should I?I was sent to school here，so I must learn as much as I can.’
“不，為什么要離開呢?我被送到這里上學(xué)，所以必須盡量多學(xué)些東西。”
’But Miss Scatcherd is so cruel to you!’I burst out.
“但斯蓋查德小姐待你太狠了!”我生氣地說。
’Cruel?Not at all.She is strict and she sees my faults.’
“狠嗎?沒什么。她很嚴(yán)格，能看到我的毛玻”
’If I were you，I’d hate her，’I cried.’If she hit me with a stick，I’d seize it and break it under her nose.’
“如果我是你，我會恨她的。”我大聲說。“如果她用棍子打我，我會把它奪過來，在她眼皮底下把它折斷。”
’I don’t think you would，’answered Helen quietly.’And if you did，Mr Brocklehurst would send you away from school，and your relations would be upset.Anyway，the Bible tells us to do good，even if other people hurt us.Sometimes you have to put up with some hard things in life.’
“我覺得你不會那樣做。”海倫平靜地說。“如果你做了，布魯克赫斯特先生會把你趕出學(xué)校，你的親戚會不高興的。不管怎樣，《圣經(jīng)》教導(dǎo)我們要做好事，即使別人傷害我們也一樣。有時候你必須忍受生活中的艱難。”
I could not understand her ideas but I had a feeling she might be right.I looked at her in wonder.
我不能理解她的想法，但覺得她也許是對的。我疑惑地看著她。
’You say you have faults，Helen.What are they?To me you seem very good.’
“海倫，你說你有錯，錯在哪兒?我覺得你很好。”
’You are wrong，’she answered.’I’m untidy and careless and I forget the rules.I read when I should be doing my homework.You see，Miss Scatcherd is right to scold me.’
“你錯了。”她答道。“我不整潔，粗心大意，還常忘了規(guī)定，該做作業(yè)的時候我卻讀書。你瞧，斯蓋查德小姐批評我是對的。”
’Is Miss Temple as strict as that?’I asked.
“丹伯爾小姐也這么嚴(yán)厲嗎?”我問。
A soft smile passed over Helen’s normally serious face.
海倫一貫嚴(yán)肅的臉上掠過淡淡的微笑。
’Miss Temple is full of goodness.She gently tells me of my mistakes，and praises me if I do well.But even with her help I don’t concentrate properly in class，I just dream away the time，and then I can’t answer the teacher’s questions.’
“丹伯爾小姐好極了。她和藹地告訴我哪里不對;我做得好，她會表揚我。但即便有她的幫助，我在課上還是不能集中精神。我總是在做夢，于是就回答不了老師的問題。”
’But today in history you knew all the answers!’I said.
“但今天歷史課上你知道所有的答案啊!”我說。
’I just happened to be interested，that’s all，’she replied.
“我只不過感興趣罷了，僅此而已。”她答道。
’I expect you are always interested in Miss Temple’s lessons，because you like her and she is good to you.I’m like that.I love those who love me，and I hate those who punish me unfairly.’
“我覺得你總是對丹伯爾小姐的課感興趣，因為你喜歡她，她也待你好。我就是這樣，別人愛我，我也會愛她。誰不公平地懲罰我，我就恨誰。”
’You should read the Bible and do what Christ says—people who believe in God should love their enemies，’said Helen.
“你應(yīng)該讀讀《圣經(jīng)》，按基督的話去做——信仰上帝的人應(yīng)該愛他的敵人。”海倫說。
’Then I should love Mrs Reed and her son John，which is impossible，’I cried.
“那我應(yīng)該愛里德太太和她兒子約翰了?不可能!”我叫著。
Helen asked me to explain what I meant，and listened carefully to the long story of what I had suffered at Gateshead.
海倫讓我解釋一下這是什么意思，并仔細(xì)地聽了我在蓋茨赫德漫長的痛苦經(jīng)歷。
’Well，’I asked impatiently at the end，’isn’t Mrs Reed a bad woman?Don’t you agree with me?’
最后我不耐煩地問：“怎么樣，里德太太難道不是壞女人?你不贊成我嗎?”
’It’s true she has been unkind to you，because she dislikes your faults，as Miss Scatcherd dislikes mine.But look how bitterly you remember every angry word!Wouldn’t you be happier if you tried to forget her scolding?Life is too short to continue hating anyone for a long time.We all have faults，but the time will come soon when we die，when our wickedness will pass away with our bodies，leaving only the pure flame of the spirit.That’s why I never think of revenge，I never consider life unfair.I live in calm，looking forward to the end.’
“她的確對你不好，因為她不喜歡你的缺點，就像斯蓋查德小姐不喜歡我的一樣。如果你努力忘了她的訓(xùn)斥，不是會開心點兒嗎?生命太短暫了，沒時間恨一個人那么久。我們都有錯誤，但我們不久就會死去，我們的邪惡會隨我們的軀體一起消失，只留下精神之火。這就是為什么我從來不想報復(fù)，我從不認(rèn)為生活不公平。我平靜地生活，期待著終結(jié)。”
For a moment we both stayed silent.Then one of the big girls came up，calling，’Helen Burns!Go and put away your work and tidy your drawer immediately，or I’ll tell Miss scatcherd!’
我們都沉默了一會兒。這時一個大孩子跑過來叫著：“海倫·伯恩斯，趕快去收拾你的課本，整理你的抽屜，否則我就去報告斯蓋查德小姐!”
Helen sighed，and，getting up，silently obeyed.
海倫嘆了口氣，站起身，默默地服從了。
