牛津书虫系列《勃朗特一家的故事》Chapter8 附中英双语文本

8 The best days， and the worst days
8 最好的和最坏的日子
Emily and Anne did know，of course．They had known about Charlotte's book for a long time．Jane Eyre was not the first book that Charlotte had sent to a publisher．Over a year ago she had written another book，The Professor， and sent it to one publisher after another．Each publisher had sent it back，in a packet addressed to Currer Bell．And then Charlotte had sent it， in the same old packet，to another publisher， and then another，and got it back again．
爱米丽和安妮当然知道，她们知道夏洛蒂写了这本书已经很长时间了。《简·爱》并不是夏洛蒂寄给出版商的第一部书。一年多以前她写过另一本书，名叫《教授》，寄给了一个又一个出版商。可是每次都被退了回来，包裹上写着柯勒·贝尔的名字。夏洛蒂又把包裹按原样寄出，结果还是一样。
'Why didn't you change the paper on the packet， my dear？'I asked．
“可你为什么不把包裹上的纸换一下呢？我亲爱的？”我问。
Charlotte smiled．'I didn't think of it， papa．The worst day was when we were in Manchester，going to the eye doctor．Do you remember？The packet came back then．That was the day before I started writing Jane Eyre．'
夏洛蒂笑了。“我没有想过这个，爸爸，最坏的一天是我们在曼彻斯特，要去看眼科医生之前，您还记得吗？就在那时包裹被退回来了，那是我开始写《简·爱》的前一天。”
'Do you mean that you started writing Jane Eyre while I was lying in that dark room in Manchester？'
“你是说就是与我躺在曼彻斯特的黑屋子里的时候，你开始写《简·爱》的？”
'That's right，papa．'
“对啊，爸爸。”
'But that's only six months ago， and here is the book in my hand！'
“可那只是6个月以前的事啊，现在这本书就已经在我手里了！”
'Yes，papa．The book was printed a month after I sent it to the publisher．'
“是的，爸爸。我把稿子寄给出版商一个月后，这本书就开始印刷了。”
'My dear！They decided very quickly that they liked it，then！'
“亲爱的，也就是说他们很快就决定了他们喜欢你的书！”
' I think they did，papa．After all，it is a good book，isn't it？'
“我想是这样，爸爸。毕竟，这的确是一本好书，对吗？”
She smiled at me． I don't think I have ever seen her so hap－py．She is a very small person，Charlotte，and not a beautiful woman；but when she smiles like that，her face shines like a fine painting．My wife，Maria，used to look like that sometimes when I first met her．
她朝我微笑着，我觉得还从未见过她这么快活过。夏洛蒂个子矮小，也并不美丽；但当她那样微笑时，脸上就焕发出光彩，宛如一幅精美的画。当我刚碰到我妻子玛丽亚时，她有时看上去也是这个样子。
I took her hand in mine．'It is a very good book，my dear．I cannot tell you how proud I am．'
我把她的手握在我手中。“这是一本非常好的书，亲爱的，我说不出有多自豪。”
She touched my hand．'Thank you，papa．But you must not be proud of me alone，you know．Anne and Emily-'
她抚摸着我的手。“谢谢您，爸爸。可您不能只为我一个人自豪呀，您知道吗，还有安妮和爱米丽——”
'Oh no，Charlotte，please！'Emily said．
“噢，不，夏洛蒂，请你别说！”爱米丽说。
But Charlotte did not stop．'…．Anne and Emily have writ－ten books too-books just as good as mine—and their books will soon be published as well！Let me introduce you，papa．These young ladies are not your daughters— they are Acton Bell and Ellis Bell，brothers of the famous writer Currer Bell！'
但是夏洛蒂并没有停下来。“安妮和爱米丽也写了和我一样好的书——她们的书很快也要出版了。让我来介绍一下，爸爸。这些年轻的女士不是您的女儿——她们是阿克顿·贝尔和埃利斯·贝尔，作家柯勒·贝尔的兄弟！”
Emily's face was bright red， but Anne and Charlotte started laughing．I was very surprised．
爱米丽的脸通红放光，而安妮和夏洛蒂开始放声大笑。我非常惊讶。
'All three of you！'I said．'But…but why do you use these strange names？'
“你们三个都出书了！”我说，“不过……不过你们为什么用这些古怪的名字呢？”
'Because people are stupid，papa，'Anne said．'No one thinks women can write good books，so we have used men's names instead．And now they say that Currer Bell is a writer who understands women very well！'She laughed again．
“因为人们愚蠢，爸爸。”安妮说，“谁也不相信女人能写出好书，所以我们就用男人的名字代替。现在他们说柯勒·贝尔是一个非常了解女人的作家。”她又笑了起来。