Poor Hareton was squalling and kicking in his father’s arms with all his might, and redoubled his yells when he carried him upstairs and lifted him over the banister. I cried out that he would frighten the child into fits, and ran to rescue him. As I reached them, Hindley leant forward on the rails to listen to a noise below; almost forgetting what he had in his hands. “Who is that?” he asked, hearing some one approaching the stairs’-foot. I leant forward also, for the purpose of signing to Heathcliff, whose step I recognised, not to come further; and, at the instant when my eye quitted Hareton, he gave a sudden spring, delivered himself from the careless grasp that held him, and fell.
There was scarcely time to experience a thrill of horror before we saw that the little wretch was safe. Heathcliff arrived underneath just at the critical moment; by a natural impulse he arrested his descent, and setting him on his feet, looked up to discover the author of the accident. A miser who has parted with a lucky lottery ticket for five shillings, and finds next day he has lost in the bargain five thousand pounds, could not show a blanker countenance than he did on beholding the figure of Mr. Earnshaw above. It expressed, plainer than words could do, the intensest anguish at having made himself the instrument of thwarting his own revenge. Had it been dark, I daresay he would have tried to remedy the mistake by smashing Hareton’s skull on the steps; but, we witnessed his salvation; and I was presently below with my precious charge pressed to my heart. Hindley descended more leisurely, sobered and abashed.
“It is your fault, Ellen,” he said; “you should have kept him out of sight: you should have taken him from me! Is he injured anywhere?”
“Injured!” I cried angrily; “if he is not killed, he’ll be an idiot! Oh! I wonder his mother does not rise from her grave to see how you use him. You’re worse than a heathen—treating your own flesh and blood in that manner!”
He attempted to touch the child, who, on finding himself with me, sobbed off his terror directly. At the first finger his father laid on him, however, he shrieked again louder than before, and struggled as if he would go into convulsions.
The context has me believe that "safer of entertainment" refers to Maugham's opinion that the reader ends up getting entertainment from historians who fall short of presenting fact-based perspectives.
原文
Poor Hareton was squalling and kicking in his father’s arms with all his might, and redoubled his yells when he carried him upstairs and lifted him over the banister. I cried out that he would frighten the child into fits, and ran to rescue him. As I reached them, Hindley leant forward on the rails to listen to a noise below; almost forgetting what he had in his hands. “Who is that?” he asked, hearing some one approaching the stairs’-foot. I leant forward also, for the purpose of signing to Heathcliff, whose step I recognised, not to come further; and, at the instant when my eye quitted Hareton, he gave a sudden spring, delivered himself from the careless grasp that held him, and fell.
杨苡译文
可怜的哈里顿在他父亲怀里拚命又喊又踢,当他把哈里顿抱上楼,而且把他举到栏杆外面的时候,他更加倍地喊叫。我一边嚷着他会把孩子吓疯的,一边跑去救他。我刚走到他们那儿,辛德雷在栏杆上探身向前倾听楼下有个声音,几乎忘记他手里有什么了。“是谁?”他听到有人走近楼梯跟前,便问道。我也探身向前,为的是想作手势给希刺克厉夫,我已经听出他的脚步声了,叫他不要再走过来。就在我的眼睛刚刚离开哈里顿这一瞬间,他猛然一蹿,便从那不当心的怀抱中挣脱出来,掉下去了。
拙译
可怜的海瑞腾在他父亲怀里拼尽浑身力气哇哇啼哭,拳打脚踢,当他把海瑞腾抱着走上楼梯,举到栏杆外面时,海瑞腾更加倍地大声喊叫。我一边嚷着说他这样会吓着孩子,一边跑去救那孩子。我赶到他们跟前,亨得利在栏杆上探身向前,听到楼下有声音,几乎完全忘记他的手中还抱着个孩子。“谁在那儿?”他听到有人走近楼梯底部,便问道。我也探身向前,以便示意给黑思克里夫,我听得出是他的脚步声,叫他不要再往前走了。就在我的视线离开海瑞腾一刹那,那孩子身子猛地一蹿,便从那漫不经心的搂抱中挣脱出来,掉了下去。
There was scarcely time to experience a thrill of horror before we saw that the little wretch was safe. Heathcliff arrived underneath just at the critical moment; by a natural impulse he arrested his descent, and setting him on his feet, looked up to discover the author of the accident. A miser who has parted with a lucky lottery ticket for five shillings, and finds next day he has lost in the bargain five thousand pounds, could not show a blanker countenance than he did on beholding the figure of Mr. Earnshaw above. It expressed, plainer than words could do, the intensest anguish at having made himself the instrument of thwarting his own revenge. Had it been dark, I daresay he would have tried to remedy the mistake by smashing Hareton’s skull on the steps; but, we witnessed his salvation; and I was presently below with my precious charge pressed to my heart. Hindley descended more leisurely, sobered and abashed.
我们只顾看这个小东西是否安全,简直没有时间来体验那尖锐的恐怖感觉了。希刺克厉夫正在紧要关头走到了楼下,他下意识地把他接住了,并且扶他站好,抬头看是谁惹下的祸。即使是一个守财奴为了五分钱舍弃一张幸运的彩票,而第二天发现他在这交易上损失了五千镑,也不能表现出当希刺克厉夫看见楼上的人是恩萧先生时那副茫然若失的神气。那副神气比言语还更能明白地表达出那种极其深沉的苦痛,因为他竟成了阻挠他自己报仇的工具。若是天黑,我敢说,他会在楼梯上打碎哈里顿的头来补救这错误,但是我们亲眼看见孩子得救了,我立刻下楼把我的宝贝孩子抱过来,紧贴在心上。辛德雷从容不迫地下来,酒醒了,也觉得羞愧了。
大家都只顾担心看这个小冤家是否安全,来不及体会当时那种情景给人带来的毛骨悚然恐怖感觉。正在这紧要关头,黑思克里夫走到了楼下,出于本能,他一把将孩子接住,并且把孩子扶起站好,抬头看看险些酿成这场事故的罪魁祸首。一个守财奴把一张幸运彩票卖了五先令,第二天却发现,正是因为自己舍弃的那张彩票,而在这场交易中失去了赢五千镑的机会,这个守财奴的一脸茫然,都比不上黑思克里夫看见楼上之人时俄韶少爷时的表情。言语和文字都无法形容出那种表情,那是一种把自己变成了工具,来阻止为自己复仇的极度痛苦表情。幸亏天还没黑,否则我敢打保票,他会在楼梯上打碎海瑞腾的脑袋,来纠正他刚才所犯的错误。但结果是我们亲眼看见孩子得救了,我立刻跑下了楼,把我的宝贝孩子搂在自己的心窝。亨得利走下楼,显得比刚才从容些,他的酒醒了,一脸愧色。
“It is your fault, Ellen,” he said; “you should have kept him out of sight: you should have taken him from me! Is he injured anywhere?”
“Injured!” I cried angrily; “if he is not killed, he’ll be an idiot! Oh! I wonder his mother does not rise from her grave to see how you use him. You’re worse than a heathen—treating your own flesh and blood in that manner!”
He attempted to touch the child, who, on finding himself with me, sobbed off his terror directly. At the first finger his father laid on him, however, he shrieked again louder than before, and struggled as if he would go into convulsions.
“这是你的错,艾伦,”他说,“你该把他藏起来不让我看见。你该把他从我手里抢过去。他跌伤了什么地方没有?”
“跌伤!”我生气地喊着,“他要是没死,也会变成个白痴!啊!我奇怪他母亲怎么不从她的坟里站起来瞧瞧你怎样对待他。你比一个异教徒还坏——这样对待你的亲骨肉!”
他想要摸摸孩子。这孩子一发觉他是跟着我,就马上发泄出他的恐怖,放声哭出来。但是他父亲的手指头刚碰到他,他就又尖叫起来,叫得比刚才更高,而且挣扎着像要惊风似的。
“都是你的错,爱蕾,”他说,“你就该把孩子藏起来让我看不见他。你该把他从我手里夺过去。他哪儿受伤了?”
“受伤!”我生气地喊着,“他要是没死,也会变成个白痴!啊!我在想,他母亲怎么不从坟里爬起来,瞧瞧你这个当爹的是怎样对待她的孩子的。你还不如个不信鬼神之人——你就是这样对待自己的亲骨肉啊!”他试着去摸孩子。这孩子发觉自己和我在一起,立刻连哭带喊,发出恐怖的叫声。他父亲的一根手指头刚碰到他,这孩子却又尖叫起来,叫声比刚才还要响亮,而且挣扎着像是要抽搐起来。
更多我的博客文章>>> 《呼啸山庄》重译09B 《月亮和六便士》重译01D 《月亮和六便士》重译01C 《呼啸山庄》重译09A 《月亮和六便士》重译01B
The context has me believe that "safer of entertainment" refers to Maugham's opinion that the reader ends up getting entertainment from historians who fall short of presenting fact-based perspectives.
I prefer to leave translation to the translator.