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I now stood in the empty hall; before me was the breakfast-room door, and I stopped, intimidated and trembling.
此刻，我站在空空荡荡的大厅里，面前就是餐室的门。我停了下，害怕地颤抖着。
What a miserable little poltroon had fear, engendered of unjust punishment, made of me in those days!
可怜的胆小鬼，那时候不公的惩罚竟使她怕成了这付样子！
I feared to return to the nursery, and feared to go forward to the parlour.
我既不敢退后返回保育室，又怕往前走向客厅。
Ten minutes I stood in agitated hesitation.
我焦虑不安、犹犹豫豫地站了十来分钟。
The vehement ringing of the breakfast-room bell decided me; I must enter.
直到早餐室一阵喧闹的铃声使我横下了心来；我非进去不可了。
"Who could want me?" I asked inwardly, as with both hands I turned the stiff door-handle, which, for a second or two, resisted my efforts.
"谁会找我呢？"我心里有些纳闷，一面用两只手去转动僵硬的门把手，足有一两秒钟，那把手纹丝不动。
"What should I see besides aunt Reed in the apartment? A man or a woman?"
"除了里德舅妈之外，我还会在客厅里见到谁呢？男人还是女人？"
The handle turned, the door unclosed, and passing through and curtseying low, I looked up at — a black pillar!
把手转动了一下，门开了。我进去行了一个低低的屈膝礼，抬起来头竟看见了一根黑色的柱子！
— such, at least, appeared to me, at first sight, the straight, narrow, sable-clad shape standing erect on the rug.
至少猛一看来是这样。那笔直、狭小裹着貂皮的东西直挺挺立在地毯上。
The grim face at the top was like a carved mask, placed above the shaft by way of capital.
那张凶神恶煞般的脸，像是雕刻成的假面，置于柱子顶端当作柱顶似的。
Mrs. Reed occupied her usual seat by the fireside.
里德太太坐在壁炉旁往常所坐的位置上。
She made a signal to me to approach.
她示意我走近她。
I did so, and she introduced me to the stony stranger with the words: "This is the little girl respecting whom I applied to you."
她用这样的话把我介绍给那个毫无表情的陌生人："这就是我跟你谈起过的小女孩。"
He, for it was a man, turned his head slowly towards where I stood,
他，因为是个男人，缓缓地把头转向我站立的地方，
and having examined me with the two inquisitive-looking grey eyes which twinkled under a pair of bushy brows,
用他那双浓眉下闪着好奇的目光的灰色眼睛审视着我，
said solemnly, and in a bass voice, "Her size is small. What is her age?"
随后响起了他严肃的男低音："她个子很小，几岁了？"
"Ten years."
"十岁。"
"So much?" was the doubtful answer, and he prolonged his scrutiny for some minutes. Presently he addressed me: "Your name, little girl?"
"这么大了，"他满腹狐疑地问道。随后又细细打量了我几分钟，马上跟我说起话来。"你叫什么名字，小姑娘？"
"Jane Eyre, sir."
"简·爱，先生。"
In uttering these words I looked up.
说完，我抬起头来。
He seemed to me a tall gentleman, but then I was very little.
我觉得他是位身材高大的斗士，不过，那时我自己是个小不点。
His features were large, and they and all the lines of his frame were equally harsh and prim.
他的五官粗大、每个部位以及骨架上的每根线条，都是同样的粗糙和刻板。
"Well, Jane Eyre, and are you a good child?"
"瞧，简·爱，你是个好孩子吗？"
Impossible to reply to this in the affirmative, my little world held a contrary opinion. I was silent.
我不可能回答说"是的"，我那个小天地里的人都持有相反的意见。于是我沉默不语。
Mrs. Reed answered for me by an expressive shake of the head, adding soon, "Perhaps the less said on that subject the better, Mr. Brocklehurst."
里德太太使劲摇了一下头，等于是替我作了回答，并立即补充说："这个话题也许还是少谈为炒。布罗克赫斯特先生。"
