牛津書蟲系列 簡(jiǎn)愛 chapter 6
6 Learning to like school
6 開始喜歡學(xué)校
Life at Lowood no longer seemed so hard，as spring approached.We enjoyed walking and playing in the surrounding countryside.But，with fog lying constantly in the valley，it was not a healthy place for a school，and by May more than half the girls were seriously ill with typhus fever.As a result of poor food and bad living conditions，many girls died.
春天來臨，洛伍德的生活似乎不再那么艱難了。我們喜歡到周圍的鄉(xiāng)村散步、游戲。但是山谷中常常迷霧不散，對(duì)學(xué)校來說不是個(gè)好地方。到了5月，有一半以上的女孩子得了猩紅熱。由于伙食差，生活條件惡劣，許多孩子都死了。
While there was fear and death inside the school， the sun shone on the flowers outside，and on the flowing streams in the valleys.So I and the few who had escaped illness enjoyed the beautiful summer weather，with no lessons or discipline at all.
學(xué)校里充滿了恐怖和死亡，而外面卻是陽(yáng)光照耀著的花朵和山谷間流淌的小溪。因此我和另外幾個(gè)逃過病魔的孩子盡情享受著美麗的夏日，不用上課，也沒有紀(jì)律。
Helen Burns could not come walking with me，because she was ill，not with typhus but with tuberculosis.At first I had thought she would recover，but when I learned her illness was serious，I decided to visit her at night，for what might be the last time.I found her lying in bed，looking pale and weak.
海倫·伯恩斯不能和我一起散步，因?yàn)樗×?，得的不是猩紅熱，而是肺結(jié)核。我原以為她會(huì)康復(fù)，但后來聽說她病得很重時(shí)，便決定晚上去看她，這很可能是見她最后一面了。我發(fā)現(xiàn)她躺在床上，蒼白而虛弱。
’You’ve come to say goodbye，’she whispered，coughing.
“你來告別了。”她悄聲說，并不停地咳嗽。
’You are just in time.I’m going soon.’
“你來得正是時(shí)候，我很快就要走了。”
’Where，Helen?Are you going home?’I asked.
“去哪兒，海倫?你回家嗎?”我問。
’Yes，to my long home—my last home.’
“是的，回我遙遠(yuǎn)的家，永遠(yuǎn)的家。”
’No，no，Helen!’I was crying at the thought of losing her.
“不，不，海倫!”想到要失去她，我哭了起來。
’Jane，your feet are cold.Lie down with me and cover them with my blanket.’I did so.
“簡(jiǎn)，你的腳是冷的。和我一起躺下，用毯子蓋上。”我照辦了。
’I am happy，Jane，’she continued.’You mustn’t cry.By dying young，I’ll avoid suffering.I am going to heaven.’
“簡(jiǎn)，我很快樂。”她接著說。“你不要哭。早點(diǎn)死，我可以免受痛苦，我要去天堂了。”
’Does heaven really exist?’I asked.
“真的有天堂嗎?”我問。
’Yes，I’m sure of it.I’m sure our souls go there when we die，’she answered firmly.’
“是的，我敢肯定，我相信我們死時(shí)我們的靈魂能上天堂。”她堅(jiān)定地回答。
’Will I see you again，Helen，when I die?’
“海倫，我死的時(shí)候會(huì)再見到你嗎?”
’Yes，you will go to heaven too，Jane.’
“會(huì)的，簡(jiǎn)，你也會(huì)進(jìn)天堂。”
I could not quite believe that heaven existed，and I held tightly to Helen.I did not want to let her go.We kissed goodnight and fell asleep.In the morning Miss Temple found me asleep with Helen Burns dead in my arms. She was buried in the local churchyard.
我不能完全相信有天堂存在。我緊緊抱著海倫，不想讓她走。我們互相親吻，道晚安，然后就睡著了。早晨，丹伯爾小姐發(fā)現(xiàn)我睡著，海倫已死在我懷里。她被埋在當(dāng)?shù)氐慕烫迷鹤永铩?/p>
Gradually the typhus fever left Lowood，but the number of deaths made the public aware of the poor conditions in which the pupils lived.Money was raised to build a new school in a better position， many improvements were made，and Mr Brocklehurst lost his position as manager.So it became a really useful place of education.I stayed for eight years，for the last two as a teacher.I was busy and happy all that time，relying greatly on the help and encouragement of my dear friend Miss Temple.
猩紅熱漸漸離開了洛伍德，但死亡的人數(shù)使公眾意識(shí)到了學(xué)生們惡劣的生活條件。人們籌資在較好的位置蓋了一所新學(xué)校，并做了許多改進(jìn)。布魯克赫斯特先生去掉了經(jīng)理的職位，于是洛伍德變成了名副其實(shí)的教育場(chǎng)所。我待了八年，最后兩年是做老師。無論何時(shí)我都忙忙碌碌、高高興興的，在很大程度上，我都依賴我親愛的朋友丹伯爾小姐的幫助和鼓勵(lì)。
But when she married and movd to a distant part of the country，I decided it was the moment for me to change my life too.I realized I had never known any other world apart from Lowood or Gateshead.Suddenly I wanted freedom…or at least a new master to serve.So I advertised in a newspaper for a job as a governess.When I received an answer from a Mrs Fairfax，who wanted a governess for a girl under ten years old，I accepted，with the permission of the new headmistress of Lowood.
但是，她結(jié)婚了，嫁到了一個(gè)偏遠(yuǎn)的地方。我覺得我也該改變自己的生活了。我意識(shí)到除洛伍德和蓋茨赫德外，我對(duì)其他地方一無所知。突然，我想得到自由……或至少去為一個(gè)新主人服務(wù)。于是我在報(bào)上登了做家庭教師的廣告。我從費(fèi)爾法斯太太那兒得到回信，說她要為一個(gè)不到10歲的女孩找位家庭教師。經(jīng)洛伍德新的女學(xué)監(jiān)同意，我答應(yīng)了下來。
