🔊 The night was stormy; the wind had been rising at intervals the whole afternoon; and by the time the party broke up, it blew and rained violently. Catherine, as she crossed the hall, listened to the tempest with sensations of awe; and, when she heard it rage round a corner of the ancient building and close with sudden fury a distant door, felt for the first time that she was really in an abbey. Yes, these were characteristic sounds; they brought to her recollection a countless variety of dreadful situations and horrid scenes, which such buildings had witnessed, and such storms ushered in; and most heartily did she rejoice in the happier circumstances attending her entrance within walls so solemn! She had nothing to dread from midnight assassins or drunken gallants. Henry had certainly been only in jest in what he had told her that morning. In a house so furnished, and so guarded, she could have nothing to explore or to suffer, and might go to her bedroom as securely as if it had been her own chamber at Fullerton. Thus wisely fortifying her mind, as she proceeded upstairs, she was enabled, especially on perceiving that Miss Tilney slept only two doors from her, to enter her room with a tolerably stout heart; and her spirits were immediately assisted by the cheerful blaze of a wood fire.

夜里暴风雨来袭；整个下午,风就一阵紧似一阵；待到聚会散场时,已是狂风暴雨大作。凯瑟琳穿过大厅,听着风雨交加,心中升起敬畏之感；当风雨绕着古建筑的角落怒号,并猛地将远处一扇门砰然关上时,她才第一次真切地感到自己是置身于一座修道院中。诚然,这正是这类地方特有的声响；它们令她想起了无数与此类建筑和风暴相关的可怕境遇与恐怖场景；想到自己竟能在如此肃穆的墙垣内安然栖身,她感到由衷庆幸！她既不必害怕午夜刺客或醉汉。亨利早晨告诉她的那番话,无疑只是戏言。在这样陈设齐备、戒备森严的宅邸里,她既无可探寻,也无可畏惧,尽可安然走向卧室,安全得如同在富勒顿自家的闺房一样。她如此明智地给自己壮胆,一边往楼上走,尤其当发觉蒂尔尼小姐的卧室仅与她的隔两扇门时,便鼓起相当的勇气进了屋；屋里炉火正旺,那欢快的火焰立刻为她提振了精神。

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tempest /ˈtempɪst/

n. 暴风雨➕

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assassins /əˈsæsɪnz/

n. 刺客➕

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fortifying /ˈfɔːrtɪfaɪɪŋ/

v. 增强,加固➕

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ushered /ˈʌʃərd/

v. 引导,迎来➕

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solemn /ˈsɑːləm/

adj. 庄严的,严肃的➕

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gallants /ˈɡælənts/

n. (旧时用语) 时髦男子,向女子献殷勤的男人➕

🔊 'How much better is this,' said she, as she walked to the fender-'how much better to find a fire ready lit, than to have to wait shivering in the cold till all the family are in bed, as so many poor girls have been obliged to do, and then to have a faithful old servant frightening one by coming in with a faggot! How glad I am that Northanger is what it is! If it had been like some other places, I do not know that, in such a night as this, I could have answered for my courage: but now, to be sure, there is nothing to alarm one.'

她走到炉围边说:“这多好啊,有现成的炉火,总强过像许多可怜的姑娘那样,不得不瑟瑟发抖地在冷地里等着全家人都上了床,然后还得被一个忠心耿耿的老仆人抱着一捆柴火进来吓一跳！诺桑觉寺能这样,我真高兴！倘若它像别处的宅子,在这样一个夜晚,我可不敢担保自己还有胆量。但现在嘛,肯定没什么好怕的。”

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fender /ˈfendər/

n. 壁炉围栏➕

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obliged /əˈblaɪdʒd/

adj. 被迫的,不得不的➕

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answered for /ˈænsərd fɔːr/

v. 对...负责➕

🔊 She looked round the room. The window curtains seemed in motion. It could be nothing but the violence of the wind penetrating through the divisions of the shutters; and she stepped boldly forward, carelessly humming a tune, to assure herself of its being so, peeped courageously behind each curtain, saw nothing on either low window seat to scare her, and on placing a hand against the shutter, felt the strongest conviction of the wind's force. A glance at the old chest, as she turned away from this examination, was not without its use; she scorned the causeless fears of an idle fancy, and began with a most happy indifference to prepare herself for bed. 'She should take her time; she should not hurry herself; she did not care if she were the last person up in the house. But she would not make up her fire; that would seem cowardly, as if she wished for the protection of light after she were in bed.' The fire therefore died away, and Catherine, having spent the best part of an hour in her arrangements, was beginning to think of stepping into bed, when, on giving a parting glance round the room, she was struck by the appearance of a high, old-fashioned black cabinet, which, though in a situation conspicuous enough, had never caught her notice before. Henry's words, his description of the ebony cabinet which was to escape her observation at first, immediately rushed across her; and though there could be nothing really in it, there was something whimsical, it was certainly a very remarkable coincidence! She took her candle and looked closely at the cabinet. It was not absolutely ebony and gold; but it was Japan, black and yellow Japan of the handsomest kind; and as she held her candle, the yellow had very much the effect of gold. The key was in the door, and she had a strange fancy to look into it; not, however, with the smallest expectation of finding anything, but it was so very odd, after what Henry had said. In short, she could not sleep till she had examined it. So, placing the candle with great caution on a chair, she seized the key with a very tremulous hand and tried to turn it; but it resisted her utmost strength. Alarmed, but not discouraged, she tried it another way; a bolt flew, and she believed herself successful; but how strangely mysterious! The door was still immovable. She paused a moment in breathless wonder. The wind roared down the chimney, the rain beat in torrents against the windows, and everything seemed to speak the awfulness of her situation. To retire to bed, however, unsatisfied on such a point, would be vain, since sleep must be impossible with the consciousness of a cabinet so mysteriously closed in her immediate vicinity. Again, therefore, she applied herself to the key, and after moving it in every possible way for some instants with the determined celerity of hope's last effort, the door suddenly yielded to her hand: her heart leaped with exultation at such a victory, and having thrown open each folding door, the second being secured only by bolts of less wonderful construction than the lock, though in that her eye could not discern anything unusual, a double range of small drawers appeared in view, with some larger drawers above and below them; and in the centre, a small door, closed also with a lock and key, secured in all probability a cavity of importance.

她环视房间。窗帘似乎在动。那只能是风透过百叶窗的缝隙猛烈吹入所致；她大着胆子走上前,嘴里不经意地哼着调子,想确认一下。她勇敢地窥看每一幅窗帘背后,低矮的窗座上并无任何吓人之物,用手抵住百叶窗时,更确信了风力的强劲。转身时瞥了一眼那只旧木箱,倒也并非全无用处；她嘲笑自己这毫无来由的空想恐惧,并带着一种极其愉快的淡然开始准备就寝。“她可以慢慢来；不必匆忙；即便她是宅子里最后一个上床的,也无所谓。但她不会去拨旺炉火；那样显得怯懦,好像上了床还需要灯火的庇护似的。”于是炉火渐渐熄灭,凯瑟琳花了将近一个小时收拾停当,正打算上床时,最后环视房间一眼,却被一个高高的老式黑色柜子吸引了注意--那柜子虽位置显眼,她却从未留意过。亨利的话,他描述的那个乌木柜最初会逃过她注意的那番话,立刻浮现在她脑海；尽管里面不可能真有什么,但这巧合实在离奇,无疑非常引人遐想！她拿起蜡烛,仔细端详起这个柜子。它并非真正的乌木镶金；而是最上等的黑地黄漆日本瓷漆家具；烛光映照下,那黄色呈现出酷似黄金的效果。钥匙就插在锁孔里,她忽然生出一种奇怪的念头,想打开看看；倒不是真指望能发现什么,只是亨利说过之后,这样做就显得格外古怪。总之,不检查一下,她是无法入睡了。于是,她小心翼翼地将蜡烛放在椅子上,用一只颤抖的手抓住钥匙,试图转动它；但即使用尽全力,钥匙也纹丝不动。她吃了一惊,却并未气馁,换了个方向再试；一道门闩弹开了,她以为自己成功了；可是,多么奇怪而神秘啊！门依然固若金汤。她屏息惊愕了片刻。风在烟囱里咆哮,大雨如注敲打着窗户,周遭的一切仿佛都在诉说她处境的可怕。然而,带着这样的疑问上床是徒劳的,因为只要意识到近旁有一个如此神秘紧闭的柜子,她就绝不可能入睡。于是,她再次对付起那把钥匙,带着希望作最后一搏的决绝与迅疾,以各种可能的方式拨弄了片刻,门突然松动了！胜利的喜悦令她的心狂跳起来。她将两扇折叠门都打开--第二扇门只是用构造普通的门闩固定,虽然看不出异样--眼前便呈现出一排双层的小抽屉,上下还各有一些较大的抽屉；而在正中央,还有一扇小门,同样用锁锁着,里面很可能隐藏着一个重要的暗格。

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causeless /ˈkɔːzləs/

adj. 无原因的,无缘无故的➕

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whimsical /ˈwɪmzɪkl/

adj. 异想天开的,古怪的➕

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ebony /ˈebəni/

n./adj. 乌木；乌木制的➕

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exultation /ˌeɡzʌlˈteɪʃn/

n. 狂喜,欢欣鼓舞➕

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discern /dɪˈsɜːrn/

v. 看出,识别➕

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celerity /səˈlerəti/

n. 迅速,快速➕

🔊 Catherine's heart beat quick, but her courage did not fail her. With a cheek flushed by hope, and an eye straining with curiosity, her fingers grasped the handle of a drawer and drew it forth. It was entirely empty. With less alarm and greater eagerness she seized a second, a third, a fourth; each was equally empty. Not one was left unsearched, and in not one was anything found. Well read in the art of concealing a treasure, the possibility of false linings to the drawers did not escape her, and she felt round each with anxious acuteness in vain. The place in the middle alone remained now unexplored; and though she had 'never from the first had the smallest idea of finding anything in any part of the cabinet, and was not in the least disappointed at her ill success thus far, it would be foolish not to examine it thoroughly while she was about it.' It was some time however before she could unfasten the door, the same difficulty occurring in the management of this inner lock as of the outer; but at length it did open; and not vain, as hitherto, was her search; her quick eyes directly fell on a roll of paper pushed back into the further part of the cavity, apparently for concealment, and her feelings at that moment were indescribable. Her heart fluttered, her knees trembled, and her cheeks grew pale. She seized, with an unsteady hand, the precious manuscript, for half a glance sufficed to ascertain written characters; and while she acknowledged with awful sensations this striking exemplification of what Henry had foretold, resolved instantly to peruse every line before she attempted to rest.

凯瑟琳的心跳加快了,但勇气并未消失。脸颊因希望而泛红,眼睛因好奇而瞪大,她的手指握住一只抽屉的拉手,将它抽了出来。抽屉完全是空的。恐惧稍减,急切更增,她拉开第二只、第三只、第四只；每一只都同样空空如也。没有一只抽屉落下未经查看,也没有一只发现任何东西。她熟知藏宝之道,并未忽略抽屉可能有夹层的可能性,于是焦急而敏锐地摸索每一只的四周,却徒劳无功。如今只剩下中间部分未曾探查了；尽管她“从一开始就丝毫没指望在柜子的任何部分找到东西”,并且对至今一无所获也全不失望,但“既然已经动手,不彻底检查清楚就太蠢了。”然而,她还是花了好一会儿才打开那扇小门,里面的锁和外面的锁一样难以对付；不过,门终于还是开了。这一次,她的搜索没有白费；她敏锐的目光立刻落在一卷纸上,那纸被推到暗格的深处,显然是为了隐藏,那一刻她的感受难以言表。她的心突突直跳,双膝颤抖,面色也变得苍白。她用不稳的手抓住这珍贵的手稿--只消半瞥就足以断定上面写满了字；她一边怀着惊骇的心情承认这正是亨利预言的惊人应验,一边当即下定决心,不读完每一行,决不休息。

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acuteness /əˈkjuːtnəs/

n. 敏锐,剧烈➕

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hitherto /ˌhɪðərˈtuː/

adv. 迄今,到目前为止➕

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exemplification /ɪɡˌzemplɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/

n. 例证,范例➕

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peruse /pəˈruːz/

v. 细读,仔细阅读➕

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awful /ˈɔːfl/

adj. 可怕的；令人敬畏的➕

🔊 The dimness of the light her candle emitted made her turn to it with alarm; but there was no danger of its sudden extinction; it had yet some hours to burn; and that she might not have any greater difficulty in distinguishing the writing than what its ancient date might occasion, she hastily snuffed it. Alas! It was snuffed and extinguished in one. A lamp could not have expired with more awful effect. Catherine, for a few moments, was motionless with horror. It was done completely; not a remnant of light in the wick could give hope to the rekindling breath. Darkness impenetrable and immovable filled the room. A violent gust of wind, rising with sudden fury, added fresh horror to the moment. Catherine trembled from head to foot. In the pause which succeeded, a sound like receding footsteps and the closing of a distant door struck on her affrighted ear. Human nature could support no more. A cold sweat stood on her forehead, the manuscript fell from her hand, and groping her way to the bed, she jumped hastily in, and sought some suspension of agony by creeping far underneath the clothes. To close her eyes in sleep that night, she felt must be entirely out of the question. With a curiosity so justly awakened, and feelings in every way so agitated, repose must be absolutely impossible. The storm too abroad so dreadful! She had not been used to feel alarm from wind, but now every blast seemed fraught with awful intelligence. The manuscript so wonderfully found, so wonderfully accomplishing the morning's prediction, how was it to be accounted for? What could it contain? To whom could it relate? By what means could it have been so long concealed? And how singularly strange that it should fall to her lot to discover it! Till she had made herself mistress of its contents, however, she could have neither repose nor comfort; and with the sun's first rays she was determined to peruse it. But many were the tedious hours which must yet intervene. She shuddered, tossed about in her bed, and envied every quiet sleeper. The storm still raged, and various were the noises, more terrific even than the wind, which struck at intervals on her startled ear. The very curtains of her bed seemed at one moment in motion, and at another the lock of her door was agitated, as if by the attempt of somebody to enter. Hollow murmurs seemed to creep along the gallery, and more than once her blood was chilled by the sound of distant moans. Hour after hour passed away, and the wearied Catherine had heard three proclaimed by all the clocks in the house before the tempest subsided or she unknowingly fell fast asleep.

烛光的昏暗令她惊恐地望向烛火；但并无骤然熄灭的危险；它还能燃烧好几个小时。为了不至于因手稿年代久远之外的原因而难以辨认字迹,她急忙剪去烛花。唉！烛花一剪,烛火也随之熄灭。哪怕是一盏灯骤然熄灭,其效果也不过如此可怕了。凯瑟琳一时吓得动弹不得。彻底完了；灯芯上没有留下丝毫微光,能让人指望用气息重新点燃。无法穿透、凝滞不动的黑暗笼罩了房间。一阵狂风骤然加剧,怒号而起,给此刻更添新的恐怖。凯瑟琳从头到脚都在发抖。紧接着的寂静中,一阵像是远去的脚步声和远处关门的声音,撞击着她受惊的耳膜。人性已无法承受更多。冷汗从她额头上冒出,手稿从手中滑落,她摸索着走到床边,匆忙跳上去,深深蜷缩进被子里,以求暂时摆脱这折磨。她感到那一夜想要阖眼入睡是断然不可能了。好奇心被如此合理地激起,心绪又这般纷乱不宁,安歇是绝无希望了。户外的暴风雨又如此可怕！她向来不惧风声,但现在每一次风啸似乎都满载着骇人的讯息。这手稿被发现得如此奇妙,又如此奇妙地应验了早晨的预言,该如何解释？它可能包含什么内容？与谁相关？又何以能被隐藏如此之久？偏偏落到她手里由她发现,这是何等的奇事！然而,在掌握其内容之前,她既得不到安宁,也感受不到慰藉。她决意,天一亮就读它。但其中还要间隔许多令人厌烦的时辰。她打着寒颤,在床上辗转反侧,羡慕着每一个安静的睡眠者。暴风雨仍在肆虐,各种声响--有的甚至比风声更可怖--不时撞击她受惊的耳朵。她的床帷似乎一时在动,一时她房门的锁又窣窣作响,仿佛有人试图进来。空洞的低语似乎沿着走廊蔓延,远处传来的呻吟不止一次令她血液发凉。时间一点点流逝,疲惫的凯瑟琳已经听到宅中所有的钟都敲响了凌晨三点--直到这时,暴风雨才告停息,或者更可能的是,她自己在不知不觉中沉沉睡着了。

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impenetrable /ɪmˈpenɪtrəbl/

adj. 不能穿透的；难以理解的➕

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rekindling /ˌriːˈkɪndlɪŋ/

v. 重新点燃➕

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suspension /səˈspenʃn/

n. 暂停,中止➕

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repose /rɪˈpəʊz/

n. 休息,安宁➕

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fraught with /frɔːt wɪð/

adj. 充满（不愉快的事物）➕

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envied /ˈenvid/

v. 羡慕,嫉妒➕

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expired /ɪkˈspaɪərd/

v. 到期,终止；（灯、火）熄灭➕

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agitated /ˈædʒɪteɪtɪd/

adj. 焦虑不安的,激动的➕

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affrighted /əˈfraɪtɪd/

adj. 受惊吓的,感到恐惧的➕

Chapter twenty-one (第二十一章)

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