"I am an orphan, the daughter of a clergyman.
“我是一个孤儿，一个牧师的女儿。
My parents died before I could know them.
我还不能记事父母就去世了。
I was brought up a dependant; educated in a charitable institution.
我靠人赡养长大，在一个慈善机构受了教育。
I will even tell you the name of the establishment,
我甚至可以告诉你这个机构的名字，
where I passed six years as a pupil, and two as a teacher -- Lowood Orphan Asylum, shire:
在那里我做了六年学生，两年教师--xx郡罗沃德孤儿院，
you will have heard of it, Mr. Rivers? -- the Rev. Robert Brocklehurst is the treasurer."
你可能听到过它，里弗斯先主？罗伯特·布罗克赫斯特牧师是司库。”
"I have heard of Mr. Brocklehurst, and I have seen the school."
“我听说过布罗克赫斯特先生，也见过这学校。”

"I left Lowood nearly a year since to become a private governess.
“差不多一年前我离开了罗沃德，去当私人家庭教师。
I obtained a good situation, and was happy. This place I was obliged to leave four days before I came here.
我得到了一份很好的工作，也很愉快。来这里的四天前，我不得不离开那个地方。
The reason of my departure I cannot and ought not to explain: it would be useless, dangerous, and would sound incredible.
离开的原因我不能也不该解释，就是解释也没有用，会招来危险，听起来也难以令人置信。
No blame attached to me: I am as free from culpability as any one of you three.
我没有责任，像你们三位中的任何一位那样是无罪的。
Miserable I am, and must be for a time;
我很难过，以后一段时间还得这样，
for the catastrophe which drove me from a house I had found a paradise was of a strange and direful nature.
因为把我从我看作天堂的房子里赶出来的原因，奇怪而可怕。