牛津书虫系列《勃朗特一家的故事》Chapter5 附中英双语文本

5 Looking for work
5 找工作
I do not remember everything they did．
我已记不清他们做过的每一件事情了。
Charlotte and Anne worked as governesses for some months，teaching rich children in big houses， and Branwell got a job like that too，for a while．But they didn't like their work．At home my children were full of talk and laughter，but away from home they were shy，quiet，unhappy．
夏洛蒂和安妮做过几个月的家庭教师，在高大的房子里教有钱人家的孩子们。布兰韦尔也暂时找了个类似的工作，但他们都不喜欢这种工作。在家里我的孩子们谈笑风生，可离开家后他们就变得害羞、沉默、很不开心。
They wrote a lot of letters in their search for work—some－times to famous people．Branwell wanted to be a writer，so he wrote to writers；but not many of them wrote back．He began to look pale and sad in those days，and he was often in the vil－lage pub，drinking and talking to the people there．Then he got a job selling tickets on the railways，and left home．
他们为找工作写了许多信，有时是写给大人物的。布兰韦尔想当作家，他就给作家写信，却很少有人回信。那些日子他变得伤心疲倦，经常在乡村酒吧和人喝酒、闲聊。后来他找到一份在火车站卖票的工作，就离开了家。
The girls had an idea．I remember the day when they told me about it．Charlotte and Anne were at home on holiday，and we were all in the sitting-room after dinner one evening． Anne was playing the piano，and singing quietly to herself．She was the prettiest of the three girls，I suppose．She had long wavy brown hair，and a gentle，kind face Emily sat on the floor be-side her，stroking the ears of her dog，Keeper．Charlotte sat op- posite me on the sofa，like a little child with a serious，thought- ful face．She was the smallest；her feet were no bigger than my hands．
女儿们另有想法。我还记得她们跟我谈话的那天。夏洛蒂和安妮回家休假，晚饭后我们都坐在客厅里，安妮弹着钢琴，一边弹一边还轻轻地唱着歌。我觉得她是3个女儿中最美的，有一头鬈曲的褐色长发，还有着一张温柔善良的脸。爱米丽坐在她旁边的地板上，抚摸着她那只叫“管家”的狗的耳朵。夏洛蒂坐在我对面的沙发上，看上去像个孩子，却又带着深思熟虑的表情。她个子最小，脚还没有我的手大。
She looked at me carefully．'Papa，'she said．'We want to start a school．'
她端详着我，说：“爸爸，我们想开办一所学校。”
'Really，my dear？ Where？'
“真的，亲爱的？在哪儿？”
'Here．'
“就在这儿。”
'But Charlotte，my dear，we have no room．This house is full already．'
“可是夏洛蒂，亲爱的，我们没有地方啊！这栋房子已经很满了呀！”
'Oh，but we could change the house，papa．We could build a schoolroom．'
“哦，但我们可以，爸爸。我们可以盖一间大教室。”
'Well，yes，I suppose so，'I said．'But—why do you want to do this？Isn't it better to work as governesses，in some big fine house？'
“嗯，是啊，我觉得行。”我说，“不过为什么你想干这个呢？在别人家的大房子里做家庭教师不是更好吗？”
'Oh no，papa！'All three girls spoke at once．Anne had stopped playing，and Emily looked very angry and frightening．I could see they had thought hard about this．
“噢，不，爸爸！”3个女儿一起对我说。安妮停下来，不弹琴了，爱米丽看上去很生气，样子非常吓人。我看得出她们已经好好想过了。
Charlotte said：'The life of a governess is terrible，papa！A governess has no time of her own，no friends，no one to talk to，and if she gets angry with the children，they just run to their mother．I couldn't possibly be a governess all my life！'
夏洛蒂说：“当女家庭教师的生活太可怕了，爸爸！一个家庭教师没有属于自己的时间，没有朋友，没有说话的人。如果对孩子发脾气，他们就会立刻跑到自己母亲那里去。我不可能一辈子都干这个！”
'It's true，papa，'Anne said．'It's an awful life．We're so lonely away from each other．Why can't we have a school，and all live here？Then we can take care of you and Aunt Branwell when you get old．'
“真的，爸爸。”安妮说，“那种生活很可怕。我们不得不分开，都那么孤单。为什么我们不能有所自己的学校，就住在这儿呢？这样等您和布兰韦尔姨妈老了我们就可以照顾你们了。”
I looked at Emily．Her eyes were shining；I could see that the idea was important to her too．
我看着爱米丽，她的眼睛熠熠发光，看得出这主意对她也很重要。
'But why will people send their children here？' I asked．'Haworth is not a big town，or a beautiful place．How will you find children to teach？'