Rosamond a sufferer, a labourer, a female apostle?

难道罗莎蒙德是一个吃得起苦的人，一个劳作者，一个女使徒吗？

Rosamond a missionary's wife? No!"

难道罗莎蒙德是一个传教士的妻子？不！”

"But you need not be a missionary.

“不过你不必当传教士？

You might relinquish that scheme."

你可以放弃那个打算。”

"Relinquish! What! my vocation?

“放弃！什么——我的职业？

My great work?

我的伟大的工作？

My foundation laid on earth for a mansion in heaven?

我为天堂里的大厦在世间所打的基础？

My hopes of being numbered in the band who have merged all ambitions in the glorious one of bettering their race --

我要成为那一小群人的希望？这群人把自己的一切雄心壮志同那桩光荣的事业合而为一，那就是提高他们的种族——

of carrying knowledge into the realms of ignorance -- of substituting peace for war --

把知识传播到无知的领域——用和平代替战争——

freedom for bondage -- religion for superstition -- the hope of heaven for the fear of hell?

用自由代替束缚——宗教代替迷信——上天堂的愿望代替入地狱的恐俱。

Must I relinquish that?

难道连这也得放弃？

It is dearer than the blood in my veins.

它比我血管里流的血还可贵。

It is what I have to look forward to, and to live for."

这正是我所向往的，是我活着的目的。”

After a considerable pause, I said -- "And Miss Oliver?

他沉默了好长一会儿后，我说——“那么奥利弗小姐呢，

Are her disappointment and sorrow of no interest to you?"

难道你就不关心她的失望和哀伤了？”

"Miss Oliver is ever surrounded by suitors and flatterers: in less than a month, my image will be effaced from her heart.

“奥利弗小姐向来有一大群求婚者和献殷勤的人围着她转，不到一个月，我的形象会从她心坎里抹去，

She will forget me; and will marry, probably, some one who will make her far happier than I should do."

她会忘掉我，很可能会跟一个比我更能使她幸福的人结婚。”

"You speak coolly enough; but you suffer in the conflict.

“你说得倒够冷静的，不过你内心很矛盾，很痛苦。

You are wasting away."

你日见消瘦。”

"No. If I get a little thin, it is with anxiety about my prospects, yet unsettled -- my departure, continually procrastinated.

“不，要是我有点儿瘦，那是我为悬而未决的前景担忧的缘故——我的离别日期一拖再拖。

Only this morning, I received intelligence that the successor,

就是今大早上我还接到了消息，

whose arrival I have been so long expecting, cannot be ready to replace me for three months to come yet;

我一直盼着的后继者，三个月之内无法接替我，

and perhaps the three months may extend to six."

也许这三个月又会延长到六个月。”