🔊 In the course of time Mr. Earnshaw began to fail. He had been active and healthy, yet his strength left him suddenly; and when he was confined to the chimney-corner he grew grievously irritable. A nothing vexed him; and suspected slights of his authority nearly threw him into fits. This was especially to be remarked if any one attempted to impose upon, or domineer over, his favourite: he was painfully jealous lest a word should be spoken amiss to him; seeming to have got into his head the notion that, because he liked Heathcliff, all hated, and longed to do him an ill-turn. It was a disadvantage to the lad; for the kinder among us did not wish to fret the master, so we humoured his partiality; and that humouring was rich nourishment to the child’s pride and black tempers.

时光荏苒,恩肖先生的身体开始垮下来了。他本是个精力充沛、身体康健的人,谁知气力竟一下子就弃他而去；当他不得不困守在壁炉一角时,就变得异常暴躁易怒起来。一点微不足道的小事就能惹恼他；对于他权威的任何些微怠慢,都能让他气得几乎要抽搐起来。这在他心爱的孩子身上表现得尤为明显:他痛苦地唯恐别人说一句希斯克利夫的不是；他似乎固执地认为,既然自己喜欢希斯克利夫,别人就一定都憎恨他,巴不得害他。他这种心态对那孩子实在不利；因为我们当中较为心软的人不愿惹主人生气,于是便迁就他的偏心；而这种迁就,恰恰成了滋长那孩子骄傲与乖戾脾气的丰盛养料。

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grievously /ˈɡriːvəsli/

adv. 令人悲伤地,痛苦地➕

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vexed /vekst/

adj. 烦恼的,生气的➕

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impose upon /ɪmˈpəʊz əˈpɒn/

v. phrase. 利用,强加于➕

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partiality /ˌpɑːʃiˈæləti/

n. 偏爱,偏袒➕

🔊 Still it became in a manner necessary; twice, or thrice, Hindley’s manifestation of scorn, while his father was near, roused the old man to a fury: he seized his stick to strike him, and shook with rage that he could not do it. At last, our curate (we had a curate then who made the living answer by teaching the little Lintons and Earnshaws, and farming his bit of land himself) advised that the young man should be sent to college; and Mr. Earnshaw agreed, though with a heavy spirit, for he said-‘Hindley was nought, and would never thrive as where he wandered.’

不过,在一定程度上,这倒成了必要之举；有两三次,辛德雷当着他父亲的面流露出轻蔑的神情,惹得老头子勃然大怒:他抄起手杖想要打他,却因气力不济,只能气得浑身发抖。最后,我们的助理牧师（那时我们有一位助理牧师,靠教林顿家和恩肖家的小孩读书,并自己种一点地来维持生计）建议把这年轻人送去上大学；恩肖先生虽然心情沉重,还是同意了,他说--“辛德雷没出息,无论到哪里都成不了气候。”

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thrice /θraɪs/

adv. 三次,三倍➕

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manifestation /ˌmænɪfeˈsteɪʃn/

n. 表现,显示➕

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curate /ˈkjʊərət/

n. 助理牧师,副牧师➕

🔊 I hoped heartily we should have peace now. It hurt me to think the master should be made uncomfortable by his own good deed. I fancied the discontent of age and disease arose from his family disagreements; as he would have it that it did: really, you know, sir, it was in his sinking frame.

我打心眼里盼望,这下我们总该能过上太平日子了。一想到主人做了好事反落得自己不安,我就心里难受。我猜想,他那年老多病的烦躁心情,都源于家庭内部的龃龉；他自己也这么认为:其实,先生,您知道,那是他日渐衰弱的身体在作祟。

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discontent /ˌdɪskənˈtent/

n. 不满,不满足➕

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sinking frame /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ freɪm/

n. phrase. 衰弱的身体,消瘦的体格➕

🔊 We might have got on tolerably, notwithstanding, but for two people-Miss Cathy, and Joseph, the servant: you saw him, I daresay, up yonder. He was, and is yet most likely, the wearisomest self-righteous Pharisee that ever ransacked a Bible to rake the promises to himself and fling the curses to his neighbours. By his knack of sermonising and pious discoursing, he contrived to make a great impression on Mr. Earnshaw; and the more feeble the master became, the more influence he gained. He was relentless in worrying him about his soul’s concerns, and about ruling his children rigidly. He encouraged him to regard Hindley as a reprobate; and, night after night, he regularly grumbled out a long string of tales against Heathcliff and Catherine: always minding to flatter Earnshaw’s weakness by heaping the heaviest blame on the latter.

要不是有两个人--凯茜小姐和仆人约瑟夫--我们或许还能勉强相处下去；我想您在上面见过他吧。他过去是,现在很可能还是,一个最让人厌烦、自以为是的法利赛人,翻遍圣经只为把应许揽给自己,把诅咒丢给邻居。凭着他那套说教和虔诚的议论,他设法给恩肖先生留下了深刻印象；主人越是衰弱,他的影响力就越大。他无情地拿灵魂之事来烦扰主人,还怂恿他严管子女。他撺掇主人将辛德雷视为一个无可救药的堕落者；而且夜复一夜,他照例喋喋不休地编派希斯克利夫和凯瑟琳的不是:总是故意迎合恩肖的弱点,把最重的罪名都推到后者身上。

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notwithstanding /ˌnɒtwɪθˈstændɪŋ/

prep./adv. 尽管,虽然➕

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self-righteous /ˌself ˈraɪtʃəs/

adj. 自以为是的,自命正义的➕

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ransacked /ˈrænsækt/

v. 彻底搜索,洗劫➕

🔊 Certainly she had ways with her such as I never saw a child take up before; and she put all of us past our patience fifty times and oftener in a day: from the hour she came down-stairs till the hour she went to bed, we had not a minute’s security that she wouldn’t be in mischief. Her spirits were always at high-water mark, her tongue always going-singing, laughing, and plaguing everybody who would not do the same. A wild, wicked slip she was-but she had the bonniest eye, the sweetest smile, and lightest foot in the parish: and, after all, I believe she meant no harm; for when once she made you cry in good earnest, it seldom happened that she would not keep you company, and oblige you to be quiet that you might comfort her. She was much too fond of Heathcliff. The greatest punishment we could invent for her was to keep her separate from him: yet she got chided more than any of us on his account. In play, she liked exceedingly to act the little mistress; using her hands freely, and commanding her companions: she did so to me, but I would not bear slapping and ordering; and so I let her know.

确实,她有些举止是我从未见过哪个孩子有的；一天之中,总有五十次以上,她把我们大家都惹得忍无可忍:从她下楼到上床睡觉,我们没有一刻安宁,生怕她捣蛋。她的兴致总是处于最高涨的状态,嘴巴总在动--唱歌、大笑,招惹每一个不肯像她一样闹腾的人。她真是个野性难驯的小坏蛋--可她有一双全教区最漂亮的眼睛,最甜美的笑容,和最轻盈的脚步；而且,说到底,我相信她并无恶意；因为一旦她真把你惹哭了,她很少不陪你一起哭,还非得让你安静下来安慰她不可。她太喜欢希斯克利夫了。我们能想出来惩罚她的最厉害的一招,就是不让她跟他在一起；可为了他,她挨的骂比我们谁都多。玩耍时,她特别喜欢扮演小女主人的角色；动手动脚,对伙伴们发号施令:她也这样对我,但我不肯忍受打骂和使唤；于是我就让她明白。

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mischief /ˈmɪstʃɪf/

n. 恶作剧,淘气➕

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high-water mark /ˌhaɪ ˈwɔːtə mɑːk/

n. phrase. 最高点,高潮➕

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oblige /əˈblaɪdʒ/

v. 迫使,帮忙➕

🔊 Now, Mr. Earnshaw did not understand jokes from his children: he had always been strict and grave with them; and Catherine, on her part, had no idea why her father should be crosser and less patient in his ailing condition than he was in his prime. His peevish reproofs wakened in her a naughty delight to provoke him: she was never so happy as when we were all scolding her at once, and she defying us with her bold, saucy look, and her ready words; turning Joseph’s religious curses into ridicule, baiting me, and doing just what her father hated most-showing how her pretended insolence, which he thought real, had more power over Heathcliff than his kindness: how the boy would do her bidding in anything, and his only when it suited his own inclination.

如今,恩肖先生可受不了孩子们跟他开玩笑:他对他们一向严厉、不苟言笑；而凯瑟琳呢,她不明白为什么父亲在病中比在壮年时脾气更坏、更没耐心。他那暴躁的责骂反而激起她一种淘气的快感,故意去惹他生气:当我们一齐责骂她时,她最高兴了,用大胆无礼的眼神和伶牙俐齿对抗我们；把约瑟夫的宗教诅咒拿来取笑,捉弄我,专做她父亲最恨的事--向他表明,她那种装出来的傲慢对希斯克利夫的影响力,远胜过他的慈爱:那孩子对她言听计从,而对父亲,却只在合自己心意时才听话。

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ailing /ˈeɪlɪŋ/

adj. 生病的,衰弱的➕

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peevish /ˈpiːvɪʃ/

adj. 易怒的,脾气坏的➕

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insolence /ˈɪnsələns/

n. 傲慢,无礼➕

🔊 After behaving as badly as possible all day, she sometimes came fondling to make it up at night. ‘Nay, Cathy,’ the old man would say, ‘I cannot love thee, thou’rt worse than thy brother. Go, say thy prayers, child, and ask God’s pardon. I doubt thy mother and I must rue that we ever reared thee!’ That made her cry, at first; and then being repulsed continually hardened her, and she laughed if I told her to say she was sorry for her faults, and beg to be forgiven.

她胡闹了一整天之后,有时晚上会跑来撒娇求和。“不行,凯茜,”老人会说,“我没法爱你,你比你哥哥还糟。去吧,孩子,去做祷告,求上帝宽恕。我担心你母亲和我都后悔养了你！”这话起初让她哭了起来；但一再遭到冷遇,她的心肠便硬了起来,我要是叫她认错求饶,她反而笑。

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rue /ruː/

v. 后悔,懊悔➕

🔊

repulsed /rɪˈpʌlst/

v. 击退,拒绝➕

🔊 But the hour came, at last, that ended Mr. Earnshaw’s troubles on earth. He died quietly in his chair one October evening, seated by the fire-side. A high wind blustered round the house, and roared in the chimney: it sounded wild and stormy, yet it was not cold, and we were all together-I, a little removed from the hearth, busy at my knitting, and Joseph reading his Bible near the table (for the servants generally sat in the house then, after their work was done). Miss Cathy had been sick, and that made her still; she leant against her father’s knee, and Heathcliff was lying on the floor with his head in her lap. I remember the master, before he fell into a doze, stroking her bonny hair-it pleased him rarely to see her gentle-and saying, ‘Why canst thou not always be a good lass, Cathy?’ And she turned her face up to his, and laughed, and answered, ‘Why cannot you always be a good man, father?’ But as soon as she saw him vexed again, she kissed his hand, and said she would sing him to sleep. She began singing very low, till his fingers dropped from hers, and his head sank on his breast. Then I told her to hush, and not stir, for fear she should wake him. We all kept as mute as mice a full half-hour, and should have done so longer, only Joseph, having finished his chapter, got up and said that he must rouse the master for prayers and bed. He stepped forward, and called him by name, and touched his shoulder; but he would not move: so he took the candle and looked at him. I thought there was something wrong as he set down the light; and seizing the children each by an arm, whispered them to ‘frame up-stairs, and make little din-they might pray alone that evening-he had summut to do.’ ‘I shall bid father good-night first,’ said Catherine, putting her arms round his neck, before we could hinder her. The poor thing discovered her loss directly-she screamed out-‘Oh, he’s dead, Heathcliff! he’s dead!’ And they both set up a heart-breaking cry. I joined my wail to theirs, loud and bitter; but Joseph asked what we could be thinking of to roar in that way over a saint in heaven. He told me to put on my cloak and run to Gimmerton for the doctor and the parson. I could not guess the use that either would be of, then. However, I went, through wind and rain, and brought one, the doctor, back with me; the other said he would come in the morning. Leaving Joseph to explain matters, I ran to the children’s room: their door was ajar, I saw they had never lain down, though it was past midnight; but they were calmer, and did not need me to console them. The little souls were comforting each other with better thoughts than I could have hit on: no parson in the world ever pictured heaven so beautifully as they did, in their innocent talk; and, while I sobbed and listened, I could not help wishing we were all there safe together.

但终于到了时辰,结束了恩肖先生在尘世的烦恼。一个十月的晚上,他安静地死在壁炉边的椅子上。屋外狂风呼啸,烟囱里轰轰作响:那声音狂野而暴烈,但并不冷,我们全在一起--我离炉火稍远,忙着织毛衣,约瑟夫在桌边读他的圣经（因为那时仆人们干完活后通常都坐在屋里）。凯茜小姐病了,所以很安静；她靠在父亲的膝头,希斯克利夫躺在地板上,头枕在她腿上。我记得主人,在打盹前,抚摸着她美丽的头发--看到她这样温顺,他难得高兴--说:“你为什么不能永远做个好姑娘呢,凯茜？”她仰起脸对他笑了,答道:“你为什么不能永远做个好男人呢,爸爸？”但一见他又要生气,她赶紧亲亲他的手,说要唱歌哄他睡觉。她开始低声唱起来,直到他的手指从她手中滑落,头垂到胸前。于是我示意她别出声,别动,怕吵醒他。我们像老鼠一样静默了足足半小时,本可以更久,只是约瑟夫读完一章,起身说必须叫醒主人做祷告和睡觉。他走上前,叫他的名字,碰碰他的肩膀；但他一动不动:于是约瑟夫拿起蜡烛照他。我看他放下烛台时神色不对；他抓住两个孩子的手臂,低声叫他们“快回楼上去,别出声--今晚可以自己祷告--他有点事要做。”“我要先跟爸爸道晚安,”凯瑟琳说,不等我们阻拦,她已经搂住他的脖子。这可怜的孩子立刻发现失去了父亲--她尖叫起来--“哦,他死了,希斯克利夫！他死了！”两人顿时放声痛哭,伤心欲绝。我也加入他们的哀嚎,大声而悲痛；但约瑟夫责问我们怎么敢这样对着一位天堂的圣徒吼叫。他叫我披上斗篷,赶紧跑去吉默顿请医生和牧师。我那时还想不通,请他们来有什么用。不过,我还是顶风冒雨去了,带了一个回来,是医生；另一个说早上再来。我让约瑟夫去解释情况,自己跑到孩子们的房间:他们的门虚掩着,我看见他们根本没躺下,虽然已过午夜；但他们平静了些,不需要我安慰。这两个小人儿正在用一些比我能想出的更美好的念头互相安慰着:世上没有一个牧师能把天堂描绘得像他们在天真交谈中那样美丽；我边啜泣边听,不禁希望我们全都能一起平安到达那里。

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blustered /ˈblʌstəd/

v. 狂风大作,咆哮➕

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hearth /hɑːθ/

n. 壁炉,家庭➕

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hit on /hɪt ɒn/

v. phrase. 偶然想到,找到➕

Chapter five (第五章)

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