4 A fire is lit

Chapter 4 A fire is lit The next day, Mrs. Fairfax told me that Mr. Rochester wished to see me in the library. The dog I'd seen earlier basked by the fire, Adèle stroking him. In the chair, firelight shining on his face, was the rider of yesterday. "Mon cadeau," Adèle was pleading.

第二天，费尔法克斯太太告诉我，罗切斯特先生要在书房见我。 我之前看到的那条狗在火边晒太阳，阿迪勒抚摸着它。 坐在椅子上的是昨天的骑手，火光照在他的脸上。 “妈妈，”阿迪勒恳求道。

"Your present is upstairs. Wait," he ordered. "Do you have a present for Miss Eyre also?" "Do you expect one, Miss Eyre?" His eyes, I saw, were dark and piercing. "No sir." "I've been questioning Adèle," he said. "I find you've much improved her." "Sir, that is my present," I replied, "your praise of her progress." "Hmph! What are your talents?" he asked abruptly. "Do you play the piano?" "A little." "Play now." I did so... "Enough! You certainly play a little, not well, but passable. Do you draw? Paint?" I showed him my portfolio. He examined my paintings, one of clouds over a stormy sea, another of a dark blue twilight sky in which you could just see a woman's shape, her eyes wild, and lastly, an iceberg piercing a sky lit by northern lights.

“你的礼物在楼上。 等等，”他命令道。“你也有礼物要送给爱小姐吗？”“爱小姐，你想要一个吗？”我看见他的眼睛乌黑而锐利。 “不,先生。”“我一直在质疑阿伦特，”他说。 “我发现你使她大有进步。” “先生，这是我的礼物，”我回答，“你对她进步的赞扬。” “嗯!你有什么才能？”他突然问道。 “你会弹钢琴吗？”“一点点。” “现在玩。”我这样做了……“够了!你当然会打一点，虽然打得不好，但还过得去。 你画画吗？油漆吗?”我给他看了我的文件夹。 他看了看我的画，一幅是暴风雨海上的云彩，另一幅是深蓝色的黄昏天空，你可以看到一个女人的形状，她的眼睛狂野，最后一幅是一座冰山刺穿了北极光照亮的天空。

"Were you happy when you painted these?" he inquired. "Happy enough." "Have you seen these places in dreams? What is their meaning?" He caught my gaze as I put the pictures away, without answering. "You're studying me. Do you think me handsome?"

“你画这些画的时候快乐吗？”他问道。 “快乐够了。”“你在梦里见过这些地方吗？” 它们是什么意思？”我把照片收起来时，他抓住了我的目光，没有回答。 “你在研究我。你觉得我漂亮吗？”

"No, sir," I replied. "You are unusual," he declared. "You appear quiet, serious, self-effacing even, yet you're direct. You look puzzled, Miss Eyre, but puzzlement becomes you. Are you hurt? What are you thinking?" "That few masters would care if their servants were hurt by their words." "I like your honesty," he said.

“没有，先生。”我回答。“你不寻常，”他宣称。 “你看起来安静、严肃，甚至谦逊，但你很直率。 你看上去很困惑，爱小姐，但困惑很适合你。 你受伤了吗？你在想什么？”“很少有主人会在意仆人是否被他们的话伤害。” “我喜欢你的诚实，”他说。

Ringing a bell, he told a servant to fetch Adèle's present. Eagerly she unwrapped a pink silk dress, a wreath of rosebuds, a pair of satin shoes. "Ah! I shall be très belle!" Adèle flitted away to try them on. He told me then her history. She was the unwanted daughter of a French dancer he'd befriended. Feeling sorry for the neglected child, he offered to take her and give her an English country upbringing. Adele's mother had given her away without a backward glance.

他摇了摇铃，叫仆人去把阿迪勒的礼物拿来。 她急切地打开了一件粉红色的丝绸连衣裙、一个玫瑰花蕾花环和一双缎面鞋。 “啊!我要成为tr<s:1> s belle!”阿伦特飞快地跑去试穿。 然后他告诉了我她的经历。 她是他结识的一个法国舞蹈家的女儿。 他为这个被忽视的孩子感到难过，提出收养她，让她在英国乡村长大。 阿黛勒的母亲头也不回地把她送走了。

"Now you know her unlovely background, you'll leave us, I expect." "No, sir. How could I prefer some pampered rich pet to this lonely waif? I care for her more than ever." As the days slipped by, my life changed. Reader, I had never been as happy. Mr. Rochester was moody, proud, sometimes bitter, but to me, a friend always. His presence warmed me more than the brightest fire. Mrs. Fairfax said he never stayed at Thornfield more than two weeks, yet two months rushed past...

“现在你知道了她不可爱的背景，我想你会离开我们的。” “不，先生。我怎么会喜欢一个养尊处优的有钱的宠物，而不喜欢这个孤独的流浪儿呢？” 我比以前更爱她了。” 日子一天天过去，我的生活发生了变化。 读者，我从来没有这么快乐过。 罗切斯特先生喜怒无常，骄傲，有时还刻薄，但对我来说，他永远是我的朋友。 他的存在比最明亮的火焰更温暖我。 费尔法克斯太太说他在桑菲尔德待的时间从来没有超过两个星期，可是两个月匆匆过去了……