2 凱瑟琳·歐肖的房間
1801‘Quietly,sir!’whispered the housekeeper,as we climbed up the dark stairs.‘My master will be angry if he discovers which bedroom you’re sleeping in.For some rea-son he doesn’t want anyone to sleep there,I don’t know why.They’re strange people in this house,you know.Here’s the room,sir.
1801年。“別出聲,先生!”我們爬上黑暗的樓梯時(shí)女管家輕聲對(duì)我說。“如果我的主人發(fā)現(xiàn)你睡在那間臥室,他會(huì)生氣的。因?yàn)槟承┰?,他不愿任何人睡在那兒,我不知為什么。這座房子里盡是怪人,這你知道。就是這個(gè)房間,先生。”
But I was too tired to listen.‘Thank you,Zillah,’I said,and,taking the candle,I entered the room and closed the door.
但我太累了,也沒顧得上聽。“謝謝,齊拉,”我說,然后拿著蠟燭,進(jìn)了房間,關(guān)上門。
The only piece of furniture in the large,dusty bedroom was a bed,placed next to the window. There were heavy curtains which could be pulled around it,to hide the sleeper from anyone else in the room.Looking inside the curtains I saw a little shelf full of books,just under the window.I put my can-dle down on the shelf,and dropped thankfully on to the bed.I closed the curtains around the bed,and felt safe from Heathcliff and everyone else at Wuthering Heights.
這是一間很大的臥室,積滿灰塵,唯一的家具就是那張靠窗放著的床。有幾重厚厚的簾子,拉起來可以把床圍住,這樣房里的其他人就看不見睡覺的人了。我往簾子里頭看了一眼,看到窗子的正下方有一個(gè)裝滿了書的架子。我把蠟燭放到架子上,心滿意足地躺上了床。我把床的圍簾拉上,有一種與希斯克利夫和呼嘯山莊所有其他人隔開的安穩(wěn)感覺。
I noticed that there were names written on the wall in childish handwriting—Catherine Earnshaw,Catherine Heathcliff and Catherine Linton.Then I fell asleep,but I was woken very suddenly by a smell of burning. My candle had fallen on to a Bible on the shelf and was burning it.When I opened the Bible to see if it was damaged,I found that wherever there was an empty page,or half a page,someone had written on it,and on the first page was written ‘Catherine Earnshaw’s diary,1776’.Who was the girl who had slept in this bed,written her name on the wall,and then written her diary in the Bible,twenty-five years ago?I read it with interest.
我注意到墻上寫著些名字,筆跡很幼稚——凱瑟琳·歐肖,凱瑟琳·希斯克利夫和凱瑟琳·林頓。然后我就睡著了,但突然我被一陣著火的味兒?jiǎn)苄蚜?。是蠟燭倒在了架子上的一本《圣經(jīng)》上,正燒著呢。當(dāng)我打開那本《圣經(jīng)》看有沒有燒壞時(shí),發(fā)現(xiàn)凡是有空白頁,或半頁空白的地方都寫滿了字,而第一頁上就寫著“凱瑟琳·歐肖的日記,1776年”。25年前在這床上睡過、在墻上寫上自己的名字,然后又在《圣經(jīng)》上寫日記的姑娘是誰?我饒有興致地讀了下去。
‘How I hate my brother Hindley!’it began.‘He is so cruel to poor Heathcliff.If only my father hadn’t died!While he was alive,Heathcliff was like a brother to Hindley and me.But now Hindley and his wife Frances have inherited the house and the money,and they hate Heathcliff.That horrible old servant Joseph is always angry with Heathcliff and me because we don’t pray or study the Bible,and when he tells his master,Hindley always punishes us.I can’t stop crying. Poor Heathcliff!Hindley says he is wicked,and can’t play with me or eat with me any more.’
“我恨死我哥哥亨德雷了!”日記開始寫道,“他對(duì)可憐的希斯克利夫太兇了。如果我爸爸還沒過世該多好!他活著的時(shí)候,希斯克利夫先生就像是我和亨德雷的兄弟一般。但現(xiàn)在亨德雷和他老婆弗朗西絲繼承了房子和財(cái)產(chǎn),而他們恨希斯克利夫。約瑟夫那可惡的老仆人又總是因?yàn)橄K箍死蚝臀也黄矶\或不讀《圣經(jīng)》而對(duì)我們吹胡子瞪眼,當(dāng)他狀告到主人那兒,亨德雷肯定要懲罰我們。我止不住要哭??蓱z的希斯克利夫!亨德雷說他邪性,再也不讓他跟我一起玩兒,不讓他跟我一起吃飯。”
My eyes were beginning to close again and I fell asleep.Never before had I passed such a terrible night,disturbed by the most frightening dreams.Suddenly I was woken by a gentle knocking on the window. It must be the branch of a tree,I thought,and tried to sleep again.Outside I could hear the wind driving the snow against the window.
我的眼睛又慢慢合上,睡著了。在這以前我從來沒有經(jīng)歷過那么可怕的一夜,被最令人恐懼的夢(mèng)魘煩擾著。突然間我被窗子上輕輕的敲擊聲弄醒了,一定是樹枝的緣故,我想,打算接著再睡。我能聽到外面風(fēng)卷著雪花打在窗子上的聲音。
But I could not sleep.The knocking annoyed me so much that I tried to open the window. When it did not open, I broke the glass angrily and stretched out my hand towards the branch.But instead,my fingers closed around a small,ice-cold hand!It held my hand tightly,and a voice cried sadly,‘Let me in!Let me in!’
但我無法入睡。敲擊聲太讓人心煩,我試圖打開窗戶。窗子打不開,于是我惱怒地砸碎了玻璃向外伸手去夠那根樹枝。但樹枝沒夠著,卻抓住了一只冰涼的小手!小手緊緊抓著我的手,一個(gè)聲音哭訴道,“讓我進(jìn)去!讓我進(jìn)去!”
‘Who are you?’I asked,trying to pull my hand away.
“你是誰?”我問道,想把手抽回來。
‘Catherine Linton,’it replied.‘I’ve come home.I lost my way!’There seemed to be a child’s face looking in at the window.
“凱瑟琳·林頓,”它回答,“我回家了!我迷路了!”似乎有一張孩子的臉由窗外探望進(jìn)來。
Terror made me cruel. I rubbed the creature’s tiny wrist against the broken glass so that blood poured down on to the bed.As soon as the cold fingers let go for a moment,I pulled my hand quickly back,put a pile of books in front of the broken window,and tried not to listen to the desperate cries outside.
恐懼使我心狠起來。我把那小東西的細(xì)小的手腕兒在破玻璃上拉來拉去,直到血淌到了床上。那冰冷的手指一放松,我就趕緊把手抽了回來,在窗子缺口前堆了一摞書,盡量不去聽外面那苦苦哀求的聲音。
‘Go away!’I called.‘I’ll never let you in,not if you go on crying for twenty years!’
“滾開!”我嚷道,“我決不會(huì)讓你進(jìn)來的,再叫20年也沒用!”
‘It is almost twenty years!’replied the sad little voice.‘I’ve been out here in the dark for nearly twenty years!’The hand started pushing through the window at the pile of books,and I knew it would find me and catch hold of me again.Unable to move,I stared in horror at the shape behind the glass,and screamed.
“已經(jīng)快有二十年啦!”那凄楚孱弱的聲音回答道。“我流落在外面這黑暗里已經(jīng)將近20年啦!”那只手開始伸過窗子的破口來推那摞書,我知道它會(huì)找到我而且又會(huì)抓住我的。我一動(dòng)不能動(dòng),驚恐地盯著玻璃后面的影子,放聲尖叫起來。
There were rapid footsteps outside my bedroom door,and then I saw the light of a candle in the room.
我的臥室門外很快就傳來了急促的腳步聲,然后就看到房間里有了燭光。
‘Is anyone here?’whispered Heathcliff.He could not see me behind the curtains,and clearly did not expect an answer.I knew I could not hide from him,so I opened the curtains wide.
“有人嗎?”希斯克利夫低聲問。我在簾子后面,他看不見,因而顯然不指望會(huì)有人回答。我知道我躲不過他了,就把簾子拉開了一大塊。
I was surprised by the effect of my action.Heathcliff dropped his candle and stood without moving,his face as white as the wall behind him.He did not seem to recognize me.
我這個(gè)動(dòng)作的后果讓我吃了一驚。希斯克利夫手里的蠟燭掉了,呆呆地站在那兒,他的臉煞白得像他身后的墻。他好像沒認(rèn)出我來。
‘It’s only your guest,Lockwood,’I said.‘I’m sorry,I must have had a bad dream and screamed in my sleep.’
“我不過是您的客人,洛克伍德啊,”我說。“對(duì)不起,想必我做了個(gè)惡夢(mèng),在睡夢(mèng)中尖叫出來了。”
‘To the devil with you,Mr Lockwood!’growled my landlord.‘Who allowed you to sleep in this room?Who was it?’
“見鬼去吧,洛克伍德先生!”我的房東咆哮道。“誰允許你睡在這房間的?是誰?”
‘It was your housekeeper,Mr Heathcliff,’I said,quickly putting my clothes on.‘And I’m angry with her myself! No one can sleep in a room full of ghosts!’
“是您的女管家,希斯克利夫先生,”我說,同時(shí)很快地穿上了衣服。“我也很生她的氣!沒人能睡在這擠滿鬼魂的房間!”
‘What do you mean?’asked Heathcliff,looking suddenly very interested.‘Ghosts,you say?’
“你什么意思?”希斯克利夫問,突然露出很感興趣的樣子。“鬼魂,你說?”
‘That little girl,Catherine Linton,or Earnshaw,or whatever her name was,must have been wicked!She told me she had been a ghost for nearly twenty years.It was probably a punishment for her wickedness!’
“那個(gè)小姑娘,凱瑟琳·林頓,或歐肖,或不管她叫什么,一定是個(gè)邪種!她告訴我她已經(jīng)做了將近二十年的鬼了。這可能就是對(duì)她邪惡的懲罰!”
‘How dare you speak of her to me?’cried Heathcliff wildly.But as I described my dream,he became calmer,and sat down on the bed,trembling as he tried to control his feelings.
“你怎么竟敢對(duì)我說起她來?”希斯克利夫狂怒地高聲叫道。但隨著我描述著夢(mèng)境,他開始平靜下來,在床邊坐下,顫抖著,試圖控制他的情緒。
‘Mr Lockwood,’he said finally,brushing a tear from his eye,‘you can go into my bedroom to sleep for the rest of the night.I’ll stay here for a while.’
“洛克伍德先生,”最后他開腔了,一邊抹去他眼里的一滴淚,“后半夜你可以去我的臥室睡。我要在這兒呆一會(huì)兒。”
‘No more sleep for me tonight,’I replied.‘I’ll wait in the kitchen until it’s daylight,and then I’ll leave.You needn’t worry about my visiting you again either.I’ve had enough company for a long time.’
“今晚我沒法再睡了,”我回答。“我要到廚房坐到天亮,然后就走。您也不必?fù)?dān)心我會(huì)再來拜訪您了。就這伴兒已夠折騰我好一陣子了。”
But as I turned to go downstairs,my landlord,thinking he was alone,threw himself on the bed,pushed open the window and called into the darkness.‘Come in!Come in!’he cried,tears rolling down his face.‘Catherine,do come!My darling,hear me this time!’
當(dāng)我轉(zhuǎn)身下樓時(shí),我的房東以為就他自己了,一頭倒在床上,推開窗戶,對(duì)著黑暗喊叫起來。“進(jìn)來吧!進(jìn)來吧!”他哭喊著,眼淚順著他的臉淌下來。“凱瑟琳,來吧!我的愛人,這次你聽到我了吧!”
But only the snow and wind blew into the room.
但只有雪花和著風(fēng)吹進(jìn)房來。
How could my dream have produced such madness?I could not watch his suffering any more,and went downstairs.
我的夢(mèng)怎么會(huì)讓他如此瘋狂?我不忍再看他凄苦的樣子,下樓去了。
I waited in the kitchen until it was light enough outside for me to find my way through the deep snow back to Thrushcross Grange. The housekeeper there,Ellen Dean,rushed out to welcome me home. She thought I must have died in the previous night’s snowstorm.With a warm fire,and a hot meal,I began to recover from my unpleasant experiences.
我在廚房等著,直到外面的天光能使我在深深的雪地里找到回畫眉山莊的路。畫眉山莊的女管家,艾倫·迪恩,趕出來迎我回家。她以為我一定在頭夜的暴風(fēng)雪中死了呢。抱著暖暖的一爐火,吃了一頓熱乎乎的飯菜,我開始從我不快的經(jīng)歷中恢復(fù)了過來。
After my stay at Wuthering Heights,I thought I would never want to speak to any human being again,but by the end of the next day I was beginning to feel lonely.I decided to ask Mrs Dean to sit with me after supper.
打我在呼嘯山莊過了一夜之后,我想我再也不會(huì)同任何人說話了,但到了第二天后半晌我又開始覺得孤單。我決定讓迪恩夫人在晚飯后陪我坐一會(huì)兒。
‘How long have you lived in this house?’I asked her.
“你在這房子里住了多久啦?”我問她。
‘Eighteen years,sir. I came here early in 1783 when my mistress was married,to look after her. And when she died,I stayed here as housekeeper.’
“18年啦,先生。我是在1783年初我的女主人結(jié)婚時(shí)來這兒的,來照顧她。她死后,我就做了這兒的女管家。”
‘Who was your mistress?’I asked.
“你的女主人是誰?”我問。
‘Her name was Catherine Earnshaw,’she replied.
“她名叫凱瑟琳·歐肖,”她回答。
‘Ah,my ghostly Catherine,’I muttered quietly to myself.
“啊,我的鬼魂凱瑟琳,”我喃喃地自語道。
‘She married Mr Edgar Linton,a neighbour,’added Mrs Dean,‘and they had a daughter,Cathy,who married Mr Heathcliff’s son.’
“她嫁給了艾加·林頓先生,一個(gè)鄰居,”迪恩夫人補(bǔ)充說,“后來他們生了個(gè)女兒,凱茜,嫁給了希斯克利夫先生的兒子。”
‘Ah,so that must be the widow,young Mrs Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights!’
“哦,一定就是那個(gè)寡婦,呼嘯山莊里年輕的希斯克利夫夫人!”
‘That’s right,sir.Did you see her?I looked after her as a baby,you know. How is she?I do want to know.’
“對(duì),先生。您見到她了嗎?她小時(shí)候是我看的,您知道。她怎么樣?我真的很想知道。”
‘She looked very well,and very beautiful.But I don’t think she’s happy.’
“她看上去很好,非常漂亮。但我覺得她并不開心。”
‘Oh,poor thing!And what did you think of Mr Heathcliff?’
“噢,可憐的人兒!那您覺得希斯克利夫先生怎么樣?”
‘He’s a rough,hard man,Mrs Dean.But I’m very interested in him.Tell me more about him.’
“他是個(gè)粗暴、苛刻的人,迪恩夫人。但我對(duì)他挺有興趣。給我再說些他的事。”
‘Well,he’s very rich,of course,and mean at the same time.He could live here at Thrushcross Grange,which is a finer house than Wuthering Heights,but he would rather receive rent than live comfortably.But I’ll tell you the whole story of his life,as much as I know,that is,and then you can judge for yourself.’
“嗯,他很富,當(dāng)然,同時(shí)吝嗇。他本可以住在畫眉山莊這兒,房子要比呼嘯山莊好,但他寧愿收租金也不愿住得舒坦。我會(huì)給您講所有有關(guān)他的事兒,就是盡我所知的,然后您就可以自己判斷了。”