She took her hand from my arm, and gazed at me as if she really did not know whether I were child or fiend. I was now in for it.

她从我的胳膊中抽回手，死死盯着我，仿佛真的弄不明白我究竟是个孩童还是魔鬼。这时，我骑虎难下了。

“My Uncle Reed is in heaven, and can see all you do and think, and so can papa and mama.

“里德舅舅在天堂里，你做的和想的，他都看得清清楚楚。我爸爸妈妈也看得清清楚楚。

They know how you shut me up all day long, and how you wish me dead.”

他们知道你把我关了一整天，还巴不得我死掉。”

Mrs. Reed soon rallied her spirits.

里德太太很快便定下神来。

She shook me most soundly, she boxed both my ears, and then left me without a word.

狠命推搡我，扇我耳光，随后二话没说扔下我就走。

Bessie supplied the hiatus by a homily of an hour's length, in which she proved beyond a doubt that I was the most wicked and abandoned child ever reared under a roof.

在留下的空隙里，贝茜喋喋不休进行了长达一个小时的说教，证实我无疑是家里养大的最坏、最放任的孩子。

I half believed her, for I felt indeed only bad feelings surging in my breast.

弄得我也有些半信半疑。因为我确实觉得，在我胸膛里翻腾的只有恶感。

November, December, and half of January passed away.

十一月、十二月和一月的上半月转眼已逝去。

Christmas and the New Year had been celebrated at Gateshead with the usual festive cheer.

在盖茨黑德，圣诞节和元旦照例喜气洋洋地庆祝一番。

Presents had been interchanged, dinners and evening parties given.

相互交换礼物，举行圣诞晚餐和晚会。

From every enjoyment I was, of course, excluded.

当然，这些享受一概与我无缘。

My share of the gaiety consisted in witnessing the daily apparelling of Eliza and Georgiana,

我的那份乐趣是每天眼睁睁瞧着伊丽莎和乔治亚娜的装束，

and seeing them descend to the drawing-room, dressed out in thin muslin frocks and scarlet sashes, with hair elaborately ringletted.

看她们着薄纱上衣，系大红腰带，披着精心制作的卷发下楼到客厅去。

And afterwards, in listening to the sound of the piano or the harp played below,

随后倾听楼下弹奏钢琴和竖琴的声音，

to the passing to and fro of the butler and footman, to the jingling of glass and china as refreshments were handed,

管家和仆人来来往往的脚步声，上点心时杯盘磕碰的叮咚声，

to the broken hum of conversation as the drawing-room door opened and closed.

随着客厅门启闭时断时续传来的谈话声，听腻了。

When tired of this occupation, I would retire from the stairhead to the solitary and silent nursery.

听腻了。我会离开楼梯口，走进孤寂的保育室。

There, though somewhat sad, I was not miserable.

那里尽管也有些许悲哀，但心里并不难受。

To speak truth, I had not the least wish to go into company, for in company I was very rarely noticed.

说实话，我绝对无意去凑热闹，因为就是去了，也很少有人理我。

And if Bessie had but been kind and companionable, I should have deemed it a treat to spend the evenings quietly with her,

要是贝茜肯好好陪我，我觉得与她相守，安静地度过多夜晚倒也一种享受，

instead of passing them under the formidable eye of Mrs. Reed, in a room full of ladies and gentlemen.

强似在满屋少爷小姐、太太先生中间、里德太太令人生畏的目光下，挨过那些时刻。

But Bessie, as soon as she had dressed her young ladies, used to take herself off to the lively regions of the kitchen and housekeeper's room,

但是，贝茜往往把小姐们一打扮停当，便抽身上厨房、女管家室等热闹场所去了，

generally bearing the candle along with her.

还总把蜡烛也带走。

I then sat with my doll on my knee till the fire got low, glancing round occasionally to make sure that nothing worse than myself haunted the shadowy room.

随后，我把玩偶放在膝头枯坐着，直至炉火渐渐暗淡，还不时东张西望，弄清楚除了我没有更可怕的东西光顾这昏暗的房间。

And when the embers sank to a dull red, I undressed hastily, tugging at knots and strings as I best might, and sought shelter from cold and darkness in my crib.

待到余烬褪为暗红色，我便急急忙忙、拿出吃奶的劲来，宽衣解带，钻进小床，躲避寒冷与黑暗。

To this crib I always took my doll.

我常把玩偶随身带到床上。

Human beings must love something, and, in the dearth of worthier objects of affection,

人总得爱点什么，在缺乏更值得爱的东西的时候，

I contrived to find a pleasure in loving and cherishing a faded graven image, shabby as a miniature scarecrow.

我便设想以珍爱一个褪了色的布偶来获得愉快，尽管这个玩偶已经破烂不堪，活像个小小的稻草人。

It puzzles me now to remember with what absurd sincerity I doated on this little toy, half fancying it alive and capable of sensation.

此刻忆起这件往事，也令我迷惑不解，当时，我是带着何等荒谬的虔诚来溺爱这小玩具的呀！我还有点相信它有血有肉有感觉。

I could not sleep unless it was folded in my night-gown.

只有把它裹进了睡袍我才能入睡。

And when it lay there safe and warm, I was comparatively happy, believing it to be happy likewise.

一旦它暖融融安然无恙地躺在那里，我便觉得愉快多了，而且这玩偶也有同感。