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One morning, being left alone with him a few minutes in the parlour,
一天早晨，我与他单独在客厅里呆了几分钟，
I ventured to approach the window-recess --
我冒昧地走近窗子的凹陷处——
which his table, chair, and desk consecrated as a kind of study --
他的桌子、椅子和书桌已使这里成了个书房——
and I was going to speak, though not very well knowing in what words to frame my inquiry --
我正要开口，尽管还不十分明白该用怎样的措词把问题提出来——
for it is at all times difficult to break the ice of reserve glassing over such natures as his --
因为无论何时要打破包裹着他这种性格的拘谨外壳，都是十分困难的一—
when he saved me the trouble by being the first to commence a dialogue.
他省了我麻烦，先开口了。
Looking up as I drew near --
我走近时他抬起头来，
"You have a question to ask of me?" he said.
“你有问题要问我吗，”他说。
"Yes; I wish to know whether you have heard of any service I can offer myself to undertake?"
“是的，我想知道一下你是否听到过什么我能够做的工作。”
"I found or devised something for you three weeks ago;
“三个星期前我找到了或是替你设计了某个工作，
but as you seemed both useful and happy here --
但你在这里似乎既很有用处，自己又很愉快——
as my sisters had evidently become attached to you, and your society gave them unusual pleasure --
我的妹妹们显然同你形影不离，有你作伴她们格外开心一—
I deemed it inexpedient to break in on your mutual comfort till their approaching departure from Marsh End should render yours necessary."
我觉得妨碍你们彼此所感到的快慰是不适宜的，还是等她们快要离开沼泽居因而你也有必要离开时再说。”
"And they will go in three days now?" I said.
“现在她们三天后就要走了：”我说。
"Yes; and when they go, I shall return to the parsonage at Morton:
“是呀，她们一走我就要回到莫尔顿的牧师住所去，
Hannah will accompany me; and this old house will be shut up."
汉娜随我走，这所老房子要关闭。”
I waited a few moments, expecting he would go on with the subject first broached:
我等了一会儿，以为他会继续他首次提出的话题，
but he seemed to have entered another train of reflection:
但他似乎已另有所思。
his look denoted abstraction from me and my business.
他明显走了神，忘了我和我的事儿。
I was obliged to recall him to a theme which was of necessity one of close and anxious interest to me.
我不得不把他拉回出于需要已成为我最迫切最关心的话题。
"What is the employment you had in view, Mr. Rivers?
“你想到了什么工作，里弗斯先生？
I hope this delay will not have increased the difficulty of securing it."
我希望这次拖延不至于增加谋职的难度。”
