3 Jonathan Learns He Is a Prisoner

CHAPTER 3 Jonathan Learns He Is a Prisoner Jonathan slept late into the next day. When he awoke, the count was gone. In addition to another fine meal, which Jonathan would eat alone, the count had left a note. It encouraged Jonathan to go anywhere he liked in the castle, except into those rooms whose doors were locked. "And you must never," the note stressed, strangely, "fall asleep anywhere else in the castle, except in your own room!"

第三章乔纳森得知自己是囚犯第二天乔纳森睡到很晚。 当他醒来时，伯爵已经走了。 除了约拿单独自享用的一顿美餐之外，伯爵还留下了一张便条。 这鼓励约拿单去城堡里任何他喜欢的地方，除了那些门上了锁的房间。 “还有，”纸条奇怪地强调说，“除了在你自己的房间里，你永远不能在城堡的其他任何地方睡着！”

Jonathan worked most of the day on the count's property purchase. Needing a break, however, he decided that he would explore a bit. The castle was like a museum, he thought, marveling at the antiques, art, and other collectibles, all of the finest quality, and most of which seemed to be hundreds of years old. In all of his wanderings, however, there were two things Jonathan did not see. The first thing missing was other people. How can the count not have anyone to help him in this huge castle? he wondered. The other thing missing, he noticed, was mirrors, even in the bathrooms. He was not vain, mind you, but a mirror did come in handy sometimes, such as when shaving. Thankfully, he had brought his own, a small compact, part of his traveling toiletry kit. The count came home that evening after dark and their routine continued. The count

乔纳森大部分时间都在忙伯爵的房产买卖。 不过，他需要休息一下，于是决定去探索一下。 城堡就像一个博物馆，他想，惊叹于古董、艺术品和其他收藏品，所有这些都是最好的品质，其中大多数似乎有几百年的历史。 然而，在他所有的流浪中，有两件事约拿单没有看到。 首先缺少的是其他人。 在这么大的城堡里，伯爵怎么可能没有人帮助他呢？ 他想知道。他注意到，还有一样东西不见了，那就是镜子，即使在浴室里也是如此。 请注意，他并不虚荣，但镜子有时确实派上用场，比如刮胡子的时候。 谢天谢地，他带了自己的一个小盒子，作为旅行化妆包的一部分。 那天晚上天黑以后，伯爵回到家里，他们的日常生活继续进行。 计数

never ate, always claiming to have already eaten, and instead just kept Jonathan company, going over the papers he had prepared that day and asking him more questions about the house he was buying in London. Jonathan had made the offer on the house on the count's behalf, although at the time he had not understood how anyone could want the property. Carfax was an ancient and gloomy stone structure with an attached old chapel, which had been abandoned for years. Having now met the count, however, and having seen his current home, Jonathan realized that his new home would be perfect. Perhaps it was his ancient Transylvanian roots, Jonathan thought, but the count seemed meant for shade and shadow. Every night the count kept Jonathan up and talking almost until dawn. It seemed strange at first, but Jonathan quickly got used

他从来不吃东西，总是说已经吃过了，只是陪着乔纳森，翻看他那天准备好的文件，问他更多关于他在伦敦买的房子的问题。 乔纳森代表伯爵买下了这所房子，尽管当时他不明白怎么会有人想要这所房子。 卡法克斯是一座古老而阴暗的石头建筑，附带有一座废弃多年的老教堂。 然而，现在见过伯爵，见过他现在的家，乔纳森意识到他的新家将是完美的。 约纳森心想，也许是他那古老的特兰西瓦尼亚血统使然，但伯爵似乎生来就是个阴凉处。 每天晚上，伯爵都叫乔纳森睡不着，一直说到天亮。 一开始似乎很奇怪，但乔纳森很快就习惯了

to it. After all, he thought, some people were just night people and, as he was here on a job, he had to adjust to his client's schedule. Every day Jonathan woke up late, showered, used his little mirror to shave, ate a quiet breakfast alone, and worked on his papers. Occasionally he would write in his little journal, which, out of force of habit from childhood, he kept hidden on his body. Sometimes he wrote letters to his boss, Mr. Hawkins, or to his fiancée, Mina, but Jonathan dared not write anything too personal, and certainly not to write in shorthand, which Mina understood. This was because the few envelopes the count gave him for his personal use were so thin anyone could see right through to what was written on the paper inside. Just as speaking a foreign language in front of someone who did not understand could seem rude or suspicious, so might writing in shorthand, Jonathan

到它。他想，毕竟有些人就是夜猫子，既然他在这里工作，他就得适应客户的日程安排。 每天乔纳森起得很晚，洗个澡，用小镜子刮刮胡子，一个人安静地吃早餐，然后写论文。 他偶尔会在他的小日记本上写点东西，出于儿时的习惯，他把日记本藏在身上。 有时他给老板霍金斯先生写信，或者给未婚妻米娜写信，但乔纳森不敢写太私人的东西，当然也不敢用速记，这是米娜能理解的。 这是因为伯爵给他的几个私人信封太薄了，任何人都能看穿里面写的东西。 乔纳森，就像在一个听不懂的人面前讲外语可能显得粗鲁或可疑一样，速记也可能显得粗鲁或可疑

thought. It was a dull routine, but then work was not necessarily meant to be exciting. And besides, soon some things would happen that would make him long for a dull life once more. First, the count casually mentioned that Jonathan would be staying on at the castle for at least another month. Jonathan frowned. It seemed strange that this was such a long project. Seeing Jonathan's face, the count frowned, too. "That is what I want, and I will take no refusal. Your employer assured me that my needs would be met. Is there going to be a problem?" Jonathan forced his face to go blank. "No, of course not. I will stay as long as you need me." The next thing that happened was even more upsetting. Unable to sleep one night, Jonathan hung his shaving mirror on the wall

的想法。这是一种枯燥的日常生活，但工作并不一定意味着令人兴奋。 而且，很快就会发生一些事情，使他渴望再次过枯燥的生活。 首先，伯爵随口提到约拿单至少还要在城堡里再待一个月。 乔纳森皱起了眉头。这是一个如此漫长的项目，这似乎很奇怪。 伯爵看见乔纳森的脸，也皱起了眉头。 “这就是我想要的，我不会拒绝的。 你的雇主向我保证，我的需要会得到满足。 会有问题吗？”乔纳森强迫自己的脸变得毫无表情。 “不，当然不是。只要你需要我，我就会留下来。” 接下来发生的事更让人心烦。 一天晚上，乔纳森睡不着觉，就把剃须镜挂在墙上

and was trying to shave when he heard the count say "Hello" directly behind him. Jonathan jumped, not so much because the count had surprised him as because he realized that the count's reflection did not appear in the mirror. What kind of strange magic was this? Spotting the mirror, and himself not in it, the count's eyes blazed with fury, and he made a sudden grab for Jonathan's throat. When his hands touched the rosary beads that held the crucifix Jonathan wore, however, the count pulled away almost violently. But he was not finished. Muttering something about vanity, the count opened the nearby window and flung the mirror outside. Somewhere far in the ravine below, the glass shattered into a thousand pieces. "So sorry about that," the count said, "but mirrors are not a good idea out here. They are so likely to break and cut people, and

他正准备刮胡子的时候，听到伯爵在他身后说了声“你好”。 乔纳森跳了起来，倒不是因为伯爵吓了他一跳，而是因为他意识到镜子里并没有出现伯爵的影子。 这是什么奇怪的魔法？ 伯爵看见镜子里没有自己，眼睛里发出愤怒的光芒，他突然抓住乔纳森的喉咙。 可是，当他的手碰到约拿单戴着的十字架上的念珠时，伯爵猛地抽开了他的手。 但他还没有说完。伯爵咕哝了几句虚荣的话，打开旁边的窗户，把镜子扔到外面。 在峡谷深处的某个地方，玻璃碎成了一千块碎片。 “很抱歉，”伯爵说，“但在这里，镜子可不是个好主意。 他们很可能会伤到人，而且