《简·爱》 Chapter 11 第十一章（15）

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No feature in the scene was extraordinary, but all was pleasing.

这番景色并无出奇之外，但一切都显得赏心悦目。

When I turned from it and repassed the trap-door, I could scarcely see my way down the ladder.

当我转过身，再次经过活动天窗时，我几乎看不清下扶梯的路了。

The attic¹ seemed black as a vault² compared with that arch of blue air to which I had been looking up,

同我刚才抬头观望的蓝色苍穹相比，同我兴致勃勃地俯瞰过，

and to that sunlit scene of grove³, pasture, and green hill, of which the hall was the centre,

以桑菲尔德府为核心展开的阳光照耀下的树林、牧场和绿色小山的景致相比，

and over which I had been gazing with delight.

这阁楼便犹如墓穴一般黑了。

Mrs. Fairfax stayed behind a moment to fasten the trap-door.

费尔法克斯太太比我晚走一会儿，拴上活动天窗。

I, by drift of groping, found the outlet⁴ from the attic, and proceeded to descend⁵ the narrow garret staircase.

我摸索着找到了顶楼的出口，并爬下狭窄顶楼的扶梯。

I lingered in the long passage to which this led, separating the front and back rooms of the third storey:

我在楼梯口长长的过道上踯躅，这条过道把三楼的前房与后房隔开，

narrow, low, and dim, with only one little window at the far end, and looking,

又窄、又低、又暗，仅在远远的尽头有一扇小窗，

with its two rows of small black doors all shut, like a corridor in some Bluebeard's castle.

两排黑色的小门全都关着，活像蓝胡子城堡里的一条走廊。

While I paced softly on, the last sound I expected to hear in so still a region, a laugh, struck my ear.

我正轻轻地缓步往前时，万万没有料到在这个静悄悄的地方，竟然听见了一阵笑声。

It was a curious laugh; distinct, formal, mirthless.

这笑声很古怪，清晰、拘谨，悲哀。

I stopped. the sound ceased, only for an instant; it began again, louder.

我停下步来，这声音也停止了。刹那间以后，笑声重又响起，声音越来越大。

For at first, though distinct, it was very low.

不依才起来时虽然清晰却很低沉。

It passed off in a clamorous⁶ peal⁷ that seemed to wake an echo in every lonely chamber⁸.

这笑声震耳欲聋般地响了一阵以后便停止了，其声音之大足可以在每间孤寂的房子里引起回声。

Though it originated but in one, and I could have pointed⁹ out the door whence the accents issued.

尽管这声音不过来自一个房间，但我完全能指出是从哪扇门传出来的。

"Mrs. Fairfax!" I called out, for I now heard her descending¹⁰ the great stairs.

“费尔法克斯太太？”我大声叫道，因为这时正听见她走下顶楼的楼梯。

"Did you hear that loud laugh? Who is it?"

“你听见响亮的笑声了吗？那是谁呀？”

"Some of the servants, very likely." she answered: "perhaps Grace Poole."

“很可能是些仆人，”她回答说，“也许是格雷斯.普尔。”

"Did you hear it?" I again inquired.

“你听到了吗？”我又问。

Yes, plainly. I often hear her. She sews in one of these rooms.

听到了，很清楚。我常常听到她，她在这儿的一间房子里做针线活，

Sometimes Leah is with her. They are frequently noisy together.

有时莉娅也在，这两个人在一块总是闹闹嚷嚷的。

1 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

2 vault   

n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室

参考例句：

• The vault of this cathedral is very high.这座天主教堂的拱顶非常高。
• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。

3 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。

4 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

5 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

6 clamorous   

adj.吵闹的，喧哗的

参考例句：

• They are clamorous for better pay.他们吵吵嚷嚷要求增加工资。
• The meeting began to become clamorous.会议开始变得喧哗了。

7 peal   

n.钟声；v.鸣响

参考例句：

• The bells of the cathedral rang out their loud peal.大教堂响起了响亮的钟声。
• A sudden peal of thunder leaves no time to cover the ears.迅雷不及掩耳。

8 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 descending   

n. 下行 adj. 下降的

参考例句：

• The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
• The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。