牛津書蟲系列 簡(jiǎn)愛 chapter 17
17 The wedding day
17 婚禮
We had no friends or family to accompany us to the church.I had not told my Reed cousins about our wedding，but I had written to my uncle，John Eyre，in Madeira.Mr Rochester was in such a hurry that he only allowed me a short time to put on my wedding dress and veil.
我們沒有朋友或家人陪伴去教堂。我沒有把婚禮的事告訴里德家的表姊妹，但給馬迪拉的約翰·愛舅舅寫了信。羅切斯特先生那么心急，只給了我很短的時(shí)間讓我穿上結(jié)婚禮服、戴好面紗。
’Jane，you look lovely，’he said.’But you can only have ten minutes for breakfast!’We almost ran up the road to the church，his strong hand holding mine.His dark face looked stern，and he did not speak.I did not notice the weather or my surroundings at all，I only wanted to know why he looked so fierce.Suddenly he noticed how pale I was，and stopped for a moment to let me get my breath back .Then we walked more slowly into the church.
“簡(jiǎn)，你可愛極了。”他說(shuō)，“不過(guò)你只有十分鐘吃早飯!”我們幾乎是跑著來(lái)到教堂，他有力的臂膀摟著我，深色的臉膛表情嚴(yán)肅，一語(yǔ)不發(fā)。我根本沒有注意到天氣和周圍的環(huán)境，只是納悶他為什么看上去這么嚴(yán)厲。突然他注意到我臉色發(fā)白，趕緊停了一下讓我喘口氣。然后，我們放慢腳步，走進(jìn)教堂。
The priest and the clerk were waiting for us.There was nobody else except two strangers who were standing at the back of the church.The ceremony began，and soon I heard the priest come to the point in the wedding where he had to ask，’Is there any reason why these two people should not be married?’
牧師和執(zhí)事正等著我們。除了教堂后面站著的兩個(gè)陌生人，再無(wú)他人。儀式開始了，很快牧師就進(jìn)行到了婚禮中他必須問(wèn)的一句：“有沒有理由說(shuō)明這倆人不應(yīng)結(jié)婚?”
The priest paused for a second，as was the custom，but before he could continue，a voice from the back of the church said clearly，
牧師照例停頓了一會(huì)兒，然而在他繼續(xù)之前，教堂后面?zhèn)鱽?lái)一個(gè)清晰的聲音：
’There is a reason.’
“是有一個(gè)理由。”
The priest looked up from his book， and stood silent. Mr Rochester said in his deep voice，without turning his head，’Continue with the ceremony.’
牧師從書本中抬起頭來(lái)，靜靜地站著。羅切斯特先生沒有回頭，用他深沉的聲音說(shuō)：“儀式繼續(xù)進(jìn)行。”
Silence fell again.Then the priest shook his head.’I must investigate this first，’he said.One of the strangers from the back of the church came forward and said，calmly and quietly，
又是一陣沉默。然后，牧師搖著頭說(shuō)：“我必須先調(diào)查一下。”其中一個(gè)陌生人從教堂后面走上前來(lái)，鎮(zhèn)靜地輕聲說(shuō)：
’This wedding cannot continue，because Mr Rochester is already married.’
“婚禮不能繼續(xù)，因?yàn)榱_切斯特先生已經(jīng)結(jié)婚了。”
I felt as if I had been hit.Mr Rochester’s whole face was like colourless marble.Without speaking or smiling，he was holding me tightly round the waist，as if he wodld never let go.
我覺得自己像被猛擊了一下。羅切斯特先生的臉整個(gè)變成了無(wú)色的大理石。他既沒說(shuō)話也沒有笑，只是緊緊摟著我的腰，好像永遠(yuǎn)不想放手似的。
’Who are you?’he growled at the stranger.’And tell me what you know of this supposed wife of mine.’
“你是誰(shuí)?”他沖陌生人吼道。“告訴我，關(guān)于我所謂的妻子你知道些什么!”
’I’m a lawyer，sir.I have a certificate here proving that you married Bertha Mason in the West Indies fifteen years ago.’
“先生，我是律師。我有文件在此證明十五年前你在西印度群島和伯莎，梅森結(jié)了婚。”
’That may prove I’ve been married，but it doesn’t prove that she’s still alive.’
“這可能證明我結(jié)過(guò)婚，但不證明她還活著。”
’I can produce a witness，’said the lawyer，’who has seen her alive recently.’
“我有證人。”律師說(shuō)，“他最近看到她還活著。”
’Produce him—or go to hell!’said Mr Rochester.
“讓他出來(lái)，不然就下地獄去!”羅切斯特說(shuō)。
’Here he is.Mr Mason!’called the lawyer.And the second stranger slowly spproached from the shadows，his pale face looking frightened.Mr Rochester，staring furiously at him，raised his strong right arm to knock him down.
“他在這兒。梅森先生!”律師叫道。另一個(gè)陌生人從暗處走近，他的臉嚇得發(fā)白。羅切斯特先生憤怒地瞪著他，舉起強(qiáng)壯的右臂，要把他打翻在地。
’No!’cried Mason，trembling.Mr Rochester dropped his arm，and turned away in disgust.
“不!”梅森發(fā)抖地叫著。羅切斯特放下手，厭惡地扭過(guò)頭去。
’Sir，’said the priest，frowning，’don’t forget we are in the house of God.Mr Mason，please tell us if this gentleman’s wife is still alive.’
牧師皺著眉頭說(shuō)：“先生，不要忘記我們是在上帝的圣殿里。梅森先生，請(qǐng)告訴我們這位先生的妻子是不是還活著。”
’She’s at Thornfield Hall，’replied Mason in a weak voice.’I’m her brother and I’ve seen her there.’
“她就在特恩費(fèi)得。”梅森用虛弱的聲音說(shuō)。“我是她哥哥，曾在那兒見過(guò)她。”
’Thornfield Hall!’crled the priest.’I’ve lived here for years，and I’ve never heard of a Mrs Rochester!’
“特恩費(fèi)得!”牧師大聲說(shuō)，“我在這里住了這么多年，從來(lái)沒聽說(shuō)過(guò)什么羅切斯特太太!”
’I was careful to keep her a secret，’murmured Mr Rochester，frowning After a few minutes’thought，he announced，’I must reveal the truth，I suppose.There will be no wedding today.No doubt God will punish me for this.What this lawyer says is true.I’ve been married，and my wife still lives!I was tricked into marrying her when I was young，in the West Indies Madness runs in her family，but they didn’t tell me that.Now she’s more of an anlmal than a woman.I keep her locked away，guarded by my old servant Grace Poole.I invite you all to come to my house to see her，and to judge whether I had the right to ask this innocent young girl to marry me.Follow me!’
“我小心翼翼地保守著這個(gè)秘密。”羅切斯特先生緊皺眉頭嘟噥著。他沉思了幾分鐘，宣布說(shuō)：“我想我必須以實(shí)相告了。今天沒有婚禮了，無(wú)疑上帝會(huì)因此而懲罰我。律師說(shuō)的是對(duì)的，我曾結(jié)過(guò)婚，我的妻子還活著。我年輕時(shí)在西印度群島，被騙娶了她。她家族有癲狂病，但他們并沒告訴我?，F(xiàn)在她更像野獸，而不是女人。我把她鎖起來(lái)了，讓我的老仆格麗絲·普爾看守著。我請(qǐng)你們各位都到我家去看看她，去判斷一下我是否有資格要求這個(gè)無(wú)辜的女孩嫁給我。跟我來(lái)!”
Still holding me firmly，he left the church，followed by the others.At the door of Thornfield Hall，Mrs Faurfax，Adele and the servants rushed forward，smiling，to congratulate us.
他仍然緊緊摟著我，離開了教堂，其他人跟在后面。到了特恩費(fèi)得門口，費(fèi)爾法斯太太、阿黛拉和仆人們都跑過(guò)來(lái)，笑著向我們道喜。
’Too late!’cried the master，waving them away.’Your congratulations are fifteen years too late!’We all went up to the top floor，and entered the room where Mason had been attacked.Mr Rochester lifted the curtain，opened the secret door and showed us the little room.Grace Poole was making soup over a fire，and behind her a shape crawled on the floor.It was hard to say whether it was animal or human.It growled like a wild animal，but it wore clothes，and had long，thick，dark hair.
“太晚了!”主人喊道，揮手讓他們走開。“你們的祝賀遲到了十五年!”我們都走上頂層，來(lái)到梅森受襲擊的那間屋子。羅切斯特先生掀起布簾，打開暗門，讓我們看到了小房間。格麗絲·普爾正在爐子上燒湯，身后一個(gè)東西伏在地上，很難看出那究竟是人還是動(dòng)物，像野生動(dòng)物一樣咆哮著，但穿著衣服，黑發(fā)又多又長(zhǎng)。
’How are you，Mrs Poole?’asked the master.’And how is your patient today?’
“普爾太太，你好嗎?”主人問(wèn)。“今天你的病人怎么樣?”
’Not bad，sir，’answered Grace，’but be careful.She’ll try and bite you if she sees you，sir.’Just then the shape turned and with a fierce cry attacked Mr Rochester violently.I recognized her dark，ugly face.They struggled for a moment，and then he held her down and，with Mrs Poole’s help，tied her to a chair.He turned to the others with a bitter smile.
“還不錯(cuò)，先生。”格麗絲說(shuō)。“不過(guò)，要小心。她如果看到你會(huì)咬你的，先生。”正在這時(shí)那東西轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)身來(lái)，尖叫著向羅切斯特先生撲來(lái)。我認(rèn)出了她那張丑惡的黑臉。他們掙扎了一會(huì)兒，他在普爾太太的幫助下，把她按倒在椅子上，綁了起來(lái)。他苦笑著轉(zhuǎn)向其余的人。
’You see，gentlemen，this is my wife.This is the partner I have to live with for ever.And instead I wished to have this’(laying his hand on my shoulder)’…this young girl.Can you honestly blame me?Compare the two，and then judge me!’
“先生們，你們看，這就是我妻子。這就是我不得不永遠(yuǎn)與之為伴的人。相反，我想要得到這位”(他把手放到我肩上)“……這位姑娘。你們能真心責(zé)怪我嗎?比較一下，然后再對(duì)我裁決!”
We all left the room silently.As we went downstairs the lawyer said to me，’I know you weren’t aware of this，Miss Eyre.Nobody will blame you，and Mr Mason will tell your uncle so，when he goes back to Madeira.’
我們都沉默著離開了小屋。下樓時(shí)律師對(duì)我說(shuō)：“愛小姐，我知道你不了解這一切。誰(shuí)也不會(huì)怪你，梅森先生回到馬迪拉時(shí)也會(huì)這么對(duì)你舅舅說(shuō)。”
’My uncle!Do you know him?’I asked，surprised.
“我舅舅!你認(rèn)識(shí)他?”我驚奇地問(wèn)。
’I’m his lawyer.Mr Mason and he have often done business together.On his way back to the West Indies，Mr Mason stopped in Madeira and stayed with Mr Eyre，who mentioned that his niece was going to marry a Mr Rochester.’
“我是他的律師。梅森先生和他常在一起做生意。在回西印度群島的路上，梅森在馬迪拉停留，住在愛先生那兒，并聽他說(shuō)他的外甥女要和一位羅切斯特先生結(jié)婚。”
’Yes，I wrote to tell him I was getting married，’I said.
“是的，我曾寫信告訴他我要結(jié)婚了。”我說(shuō)。
’Well，when Mr Mason explained that Mr Rochester was already married，your uncle sent him straight back to England to prevent you from marrying and making a terrible mistake. I’m afraid your uncle is very ill and will probably die soon，so I think you had better stay in England， until you receive further news of him.’
“那么，梅森先生向他解釋說(shuō)羅切斯特先生已經(jīng)結(jié)婚了，你舅舅讓他立刻回英格蘭，阻止你結(jié)婚，以免鑄成大錯(cuò)。我擔(dān)心你舅舅病得很重，可能不久就會(huì)死去，所以我覺得你該留在英格蘭，等待他的進(jìn)一步消息。”
After the gentlemen had left，I entered my room and locked the door.Slowly I took off my wedding dress and veil.I was weak and exhausted，and only just beginning to realize what had happened.Could I ever again trust the being I had turned into a sort of god?I would not think of him as evil，but he could not have felt real love for me.How foolish I had been to believe him，and love him so much!My hopes were all dead，and my future was empty.I lay on my bed，faint and wishing for death.while darkness swam around me.
先生們走后，我回到自己的房間，鎖上了門。我慢慢脫掉禮服，摘下面紗。我虛弱而疲勞，才剛剛開始意識(shí)到已經(jīng)發(fā)生的一切。我還能再相信幾乎被我當(dāng)成了上帝的那個(gè)人嗎?我不會(huì)認(rèn)為他是邪惡的，但他不可能真正地愛過(guò)我。我相信他，那么愛他，是多么愚蠢啊!我的一切希望都破滅了，我的未來(lái)成了泡影。我躺在床上，昏沉沉的，只想死去。黑暗慢慢將我籠罩了起來(lái)。
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