《简·爱》 Chapter 15 第十五章（10）

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It was not till after I had withdrawn¹ to my own chamber² for the night,

我回到自己的房间过夜，

that I steadily³ reviewed the tale Mr. Rochester had told me.

才从容地回味罗切斯特先生告诉我的故事。

As he had said, there was probably nothing at all extraordinary in the substance of the narrative⁴ itself.

如他所说，从叙述的内容来看，也许丝毫没有特别的地方。

A wealthy Englishman's passion for a French dancer,

无非是一个有钱的英国男人对一个法国舞女的恋情，

and her treachery to him, were everyday matters enough, no doubt, in society.

以及她对他的背离。这类事在上流社会中无疑是司空见惯的。

But there was something decidedly strange in the paroxysm of emotion which had suddenly seized him

但是，他在谈起自己目前心满意足，并对古老的府楼和周围的环境恢复了一种新的乐趣时，

when he was in the act of expressing the present contentment of his mood,

突然变得情绪冲动，

and his newly revived pleasure in the old hall and its environs.

这实在有些蹊跷。

I meditated⁵ wonderingly on this incident,

我带着疑问思索着这个细节，

but gradually quitting it, as I found it for the present inexplicable⁶,

但渐渐地便作罢了，因为眼下我觉得它不可思议。

I turned to the consideration of my master's manner to myself.

我转而考虑起我主人对我的态度来。

The confidence he had thought fit to repose⁷ in me seemed a tribute to my discretion⁸.

他认为可以同我无话不谈，这似乎是对我处事审慎的赞美。

I regarded and accepted it as such.

因此我也就如此来看待和接受了。

His deportment had now for some weeks been more uniform towards me than at the first.

几周来他在我面前的举动己不像当初那样变化无常。

I never seemed in his way.

他似乎从不认为我碍手碍脚。

He did not take fits of chilling hauteur⁹.

也没有动不动露出冷冰冰的傲慢态度来。

When he met me unexpectedly, the encounter seemed welcome.

有时他同我不期而遇，对这样的碰面，他似乎也很欢迎。

He had always a word and sometimes a smile for me.

总是有一两句话要说，有时还对我笑笑。

When summoned by formal invitation to his presence,

我被正式邀请去见他时，

I was honoured by a cordiality of reception that made me feel I really possessed¹⁰ the power to amuse him,

很荣幸地受到了热情接待，因而觉得自己确实具有为他解闷的能力。

and that these evening conferences were sought as much for his pleasure as for my benefit.

晚上的会见既是为了我，也是为了他的愉快。

1 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

2 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。

3 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

4 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

5 meditated   

深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑

参考例句：

• He meditated for two days before giving his answer. 他在作出答复之前考虑了两天。
• She meditated for 2 days before giving her answer. 她考虑了两天才答复。

6 inexplicable   

adj.无法解释的，难理解的

参考例句：

• It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的，现在已经无法说清楚了。
• There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。

7 repose   

v.(使)休息；n.安息

参考例句：

• Don't disturb her repose.不要打扰她休息。
• Her mouth seemed always to be smiling,even in repose.她的嘴角似乎总是挂着微笑，即使在睡眠时也是这样。

8 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

9 hauteur   

n.傲慢

参考例句：

• Once,she had been put off by his hauteur.她曾经对他的傲慢很反感。
• A deeper shade of hauteur overspread his features,but he said not a word.一阵傲慢的阴影罩上了他的脸，可是他一句话也没有说。

10 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。