Chapter 15
第十五章

Mr. Rochester did, on a future occasion, explain it.
在日后某个场合，罗切斯特先生的确对这件事情作了解释。
It was one afternoon, when he chanced to meet me and Adèle in the grounds.
一天下午，他在庭院里碰到了我和阿黛勒。
And while she played with Pilot and her shuttlecock,
趁阿黛勒正逗着派洛特，玩着板羽球的时候，
he asked me to walk up and down a long beech avenue within sight of her.
他请我去一条长长的布满山毛榉的小路上散步，从那儿看得见阿黛勒。
He then said that she was the daughter of a French opera-dancer, Celine Varens,
他随之告诉我阿黛勒是法国歌剧演员塞莉纳·瓦伦的女儿，
towards whom he had once cherished what he called a "grande passion."
他对这位歌剧演员，一度怀着他所说的“热情”。
This passion Celine had professed to return with even superior ardour.
而对这种恋情，塞莉纳宣称将以更加火热的激情来回报。
He thought himself her idol, ugly as he was:
尽管他长得丑，他却认为自己是她的偶像。
he believed, as he said, that she preferred his "taille d' athlete" to the elegance of the Apollo Belvidere.
他相信，如他所说，比之贝尔维德尔的阿波罗的优美，她更喜欢他的“大小运动员”。

And, Miss Eyre, so much was I flattered by this preference of the Gallic sylph for her British gnome,
爱小姐，这位法国美女竟钟情于一个英国侏儒、我简直受宠若惊了，
that I installed her in an hotel; gave her a complete establishment of servants, a carriage, cashmeres, diamonds, dentelles, etc.
于是我把她安顿在城里的一间房子里，配备了一整套的仆役和马车，送给她山羊绒、钻石和花边等等。
In short, I began the process of ruining myself in the received style, like any other spoony.
总之，我像任何一个痴情汉一样，开始按世俗的方式毁灭自己了。
I had not, it seems, the originality to chalk out a new road to shame and destruction,
我似乎缺乏独创，不会踏出一条通向耻辱和毁灭的新路，
but trode the old track with stupid exactness not to deviate an inch from the beaten centre.
而是傻乎乎地严格循着旧道，不离别人的足迹半步。
I had — as I deserved to have — the fate of all other spoonies.
我遭到了 — 我活该如此 — 所有别的痴情汉一样的命运。
Happening to call one evening when Celine did not expect me, I found her out,
一天晚上，我去拜访塞莉纳。她不知道我要去，所以我到时她不在家。
but it was a warm night, and I was tired with strolling through Paris,
这是一个暖和的夜晚，我因为步行穿过巴黎城，已很有倦意，
so I sat down in her boudoir; happy to breathe the air consecrated so lately by her presence.
便在她的闺房坐了下来，愉快地呼吸着新近由于她的到来而神圣化了的空气。
No, I exaggerate; I never thought there was any consecrating virtue about her.
不，我言过其实了，我从来不认为她身上有什么神圣的德性。
It was rather a sort of pastille perfume she had left, a scent of musk and amber, than an odour of sanctity.
这不过是她所留下的一种香锭的香气，与其说是神圣的香气，还不如说一种麝香和琥珀的气味。