“I’m very far from jesting, Miss Catherine,” I replied. “You love Mr. Edgar because he is handsome, and young, and cheerful, and rich, and loves you. The last, however, goes for nothing: you would love him without that, probably; and with it you wouldn’t, unless he possessed the four former attractions.”
“No, to be sure not: I should only pity him—hate him, perhaps, if he were ugly, and a clown.”
“But there are several other handsome, rich young men in the world: handsomer, possibly, and richer than he is. What should hinder you from loving them?”
“If there be any, they are out of my way: I’ve seen none like Edgar.”
“You may see some; and he won’t always be handsome, and young, and may not always be rich.”
“He is now; and I have only to do with the present. I wish you would speak rationally.”
“Well, that settles it: if you have only to do with the present, marry Mr. Linton.”
“I don’t want your permission for that—I shall marry him: and yet you have not told me whether I’m right.”
“Perfectly right; if people be right to marry only for the present. And now, let us hear what you are unhappy about. Your brother will be pleased; the old lady and gentleman will not object, I think; you will escape from a disorderly, comfortless home into a wealthy, respectable one; and you love Edgar, and Edgar loves you. All seems smooth and easy: where is the obstacle?”
“Here! and here!” replied Catherine, striking one hand on her forehead, and the other on her breast: “in whichever place the soul lives. In my soul and in my heart, I’m convinced I’m wrong!”
“That’s very strange! I cannot make it out.”
“It’s my secret. But if you will not mock at me, I’ll explain it: I can’t do it distinctly; but I’ll give you a feeling of how I feel.”
She seated herself by me again: her countenance grew sadder and graver, and her clasped hands trembled.
“Nelly, do you never dream queer dreams?” she said, suddenly, after some minutes’ reflection.
“And so do I. I’ve dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas: they’ve gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind. And this is one: I’m going to tell it—but take care not to smile at any part of it.”
“Oh! don’t, Miss Catherine!” I cried. “We’re dismal enough without conjuring up ghosts and visions to perplex us. Come, come, be merry and like yourself! Look at little Hareton! he’s dreaming nothing dreary. How sweetly he smiles in his sleep!”
“Yes; and how sweetly his father curses in his solitude! You remember him, I daresay, when he was just such another as that chubby thing: nearly as young and innocent. However, Nelly, I shall oblige you to listen: it’s not long; and I’ve no power to be merry to-night.”
“I won’t hear it, I won’t hear it!” I repeated, hastily.
I was superstitious about dreams then, and am still; and Catherine had an unusual gloom in her aspect, that made me dread something from which I might shape a prophecy, and foresee a fearful catastrophe. She was vexed, but she did not proceed. Apparently taking up another subject, she recommenced in a short time.
原文
拙译
“I’m very far from jesting, Miss Catherine,” I replied. “You love Mr. Edgar because he is handsome, and young, and cheerful, and rich, and loves you. The last, however, goes for nothing: you would love him without that, probably; and with it you wouldn’t, unless he possessed the four former attractions.”
“No, to be sure not: I should only pity him—hate him, perhaps, if he were ugly, and a clown.”
“But there are several other handsome, rich young men in the world: handsomer, possibly, and richer than he is. What should hinder you from loving them?”
“If there be any, they are out of my way: I’ve seen none like Edgar.”
“You may see some; and he won’t always be handsome, and young, and may not always be rich.”
“He is now; and I have only to do with the present. I wish you would speak rationally.”
“Well, that settles it: if you have only to do with the present, marry Mr. Linton.”
“我这绝不是在开玩笑，阚思睿小姐！”我答道。“你爱爱德嘉先生是因为他帅气、年轻、活泼、有钱，而且他爱你。不管怎样，最后这条没什么用——没有这条，你也许还会爱他；而有了这条，你倒不一定会爱他，除非他具备前面四个优点。”
“是啊，当然，如果他长相丑陋，而且粗鲁愚蠢，也许我只能可怜他——恨他。”
“可是世界上还有好多帅气、有钱的年轻人呀——可能比他还帅气，还有钱。你怎么不去爱他们呢？”
“如果真有的话，他们不会妨碍我！我还没见过能比得上爱德嘉的人。”
“你也许会看见一些，而且爱德嘉不会总是帅气、总是年轻，也不会总有钱。”
“他现在是，而我现在只能图眼前，我希望你说话要讲理。”
“好的，问题解决了，如果你只图眼前，那就嫁给林腾少爷好啦。”
“I don’t want your permission for that—I shall marry him: and yet you have not told me whether I’m right.”
“Perfectly right; if people be right to marry only for the present. And now, let us hear what you are unhappy about. Your brother will be pleased; the old lady and gentleman will not object, I think; you will escape from a disorderly, comfortless home into a wealthy, respectable one; and you love Edgar, and Edgar loves you. All seems smooth and easy: where is the obstacle?”
“Here! and here!” replied Catherine, striking one hand on her forehead, and the other on her breast: “in whichever place the soul lives. In my soul and in my heart, I’m convinced I’m wrong!”
“That’s very strange! I cannot make it out.”
“It’s my secret. But if you will not mock at me, I’ll explain it: I can’t do it distinctly; but I’ll give you a feeling of how I feel.”
She seated herself by me again: her countenance grew sadder and graver, and her clasped hands trembled.
“Nelly, do you never dream queer dreams?” she said, suddenly, after some minutes’ reflection.
“Yes, now and then,” I answered.
“我并不是要得到你的许可——我会嫁给他。可是你还没告诉我，我这样做到底对不对。”
“如果人们只顾眼前而结婚是正确的话，那你这个做法就完全正确。现在让我们听听你为啥而难过。你哥哥会高兴，我想那位老太太和老先生不会反对。你将从一个乱七八糟、不舒不适的家庭逃脱，嫁到一个富裕体面的人家。而且你爱爱德嘉，爱德嘉也爱你。一切看来都是水到渠成、轻而易举——障碍又在哪儿呢？”
“在这儿，在这儿！”阚思睿回答道，一只手捶着她的额头，另一只手捶着胸口：“在灵魂所住的地方——在我的灵魂里，在我的心坎里，我敢肯定我做错了！”
“这就怪了！我都被你搞糊涂啦。”
“这是我的秘密。我给你解释，但你不许笑我。我无法说得一清二楚——可是我要让你感觉一下我的感受。”
她又坐回我身边，神情变得越发忧伤、越发凝重，她紧握着的双手在颤抖。
“耐莉，你从未做过怪梦吗？”她想了几分钟后，忽然说道。
“是的，偶尔会。”我回答道。
“And so do I. I’ve dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas: they’ve gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind. And this is one: I’m going to tell it—but take care not to smile at any part of it.”
“Oh! don’t, Miss Catherine!” I cried. “We’re dismal enough without conjuring up ghosts and visions to perplex us. Come, come, be merry and like yourself! Look at little Hareton! he’s dreaming nothing dreary. How sweetly he smiles in his sleep!”
“Yes; and how sweetly his father curses in his solitude! You remember him, I daresay, when he was just such another as that chubby thing: nearly as young and innocent. However, Nelly, I shall oblige you to listen: it’s not long; and I’ve no power to be merry to-night.”
“I won’t hear it, I won’t hear it!” I repeated, hastily.
I was superstitious about dreams then, and am still; and Catherine had an unusual gloom in her aspect, that made me dread something from which I might shape a prophecy, and foresee a fearful catastrophe. She was vexed, but she did not proceed. Apparently taking up another subject, she recommenced in a short time.
“我也是。这辈子我做过的有些梦，以后会一直陪着我，而且改变了我的观念。这些梦在我的身心来回穿梭，就像酒融入水中一样，改变了我思想的颜色。就是这儿——我要讲了——你可不许随便拿我所讲的话来取笑。”
“啊，快别说啦，阚思睿小姐！”我叫着，“甭在这招魂引鬼来烦我们，我们已够惨啦。过来，过来，笑一个，像你本来的样子！看看小海瑞腾——他不会梦到伤心事。他睡着时笑得有多甜啊！”
“是的，他父亲在寂寞无聊时也骂得很甜啊！我敢说，你还记得他和这个胖呼呼的东西一样大的时候——差不多一样的幼小，一样的天真。可是，耐莉，我要你听着——这个梦并不长；今晚我是高兴不起来了。”
“我不听，我不听！”我赶紧反复说着。
那时候我对梦很迷信，现在仍是如此。阚思睿脸上泛起一种异乎寻常的愁容，这使我感到害怕，从她的表情中我也许可以勾勒出一种先兆，预料一件可怕的祸事即将临头。她很苦恼，可是她没有接着讲她的梦。停了一会儿她又开始说话了，很明显她转到了另一个话题。
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