Jane Eyre-Chapter 24

He said this as he helped me to alight from the carriage, and while he afterwards lifted out Adele, I entered the house, and made good my retreat upstairs.

He duly summoned me to his presence in the evening. I had prepared an occupation for him; for I was determined not to spend the whole time in a tete-a-tete conversation. I remembered his fine voice; I knew he liked to sing- good singers generally do. I was no vocalist myself, and, in his fastidious judgment, no musician, either; but I delighted in listening when the performance was good. No sooner had twilight, that hour of romance, began to lower her blue and starry banner over the lattice, than I rose, opened the piano, and entreated him, for the love of heaven, to give me a song. He said I was a capricious witch, and that he would rather sing another time; but I averred that no time was like the present.

‘Did I like his voice?’ he asked.

‘Very much.’ I was not fond of pampering that susceptible vanity of his; but for once, and from motives of expediency, I would e’en soothe and stimulate it.

‘Then, Jane, you must play the accompaniment.’

‘Very well, sir, I will try.’

I did try, but was presently swept off the stool and denominated ‘a little bungler.’ Being pushed unceremoniously to one side- which was precisely what I wished- he usurped my place, and proceeded to accompany himself: for he could play as well as sing. I hied me to the window-recess. And while I sat there and looked out on the still trees and dim lawn, to a sweet air was sung in mellow tones the following strain:-

‘The truest love that ever heart

Felt at its kindled core,

Did through each vein, in quickened start,

The tide of being pour.

Her coming was my hope each day,

Her parting was my pain;

The chance that did her steps delay

Was ice in every vein.

I dreamed it would be nameless bliss,

As I loved, loved to be;

And to this object did I press

As blind as eagerly.

But wide as pathless was the space

That lay our lives between,

And dangerous as the foamy race

Of ocean-surges green.

And haunted as a robber-path

Through wilderness or wood;

For Might and Right, and Woe and Wrath,

Between our spirits stood.

I dangers dared; I hindrance scorned;

I omens did defy:

Whatever menaced, harassed, warned,

I passed impetuous by.

On sped my rainbow, fast as light;

I flew as in a dream;

For glorious rose upon my sight

That child of Shower and Gleam.

Still bright on clouds of suffering dim

Shines that soft, solemn joy;

Nor care I now, how dense and grim

Disasters gather nigh.

I care not in this moment sweet,

Though all I have rushed o’er

Should come on pinion, strong and fleet,

Proclaiming vengeance sore:

Though haughty Hate should strike me down,

Right, bar approach to me,

And grinding Might, with furious frown,

Swear endless enmity.

My love has placed her little hand

With noble faith in mine,

And vowed that wedlock’s sacred band

Our nature shall entwine.

My love has sworn, with sealing kiss,

With me to live- to die;

I have at last my nameless bliss:

As I love- loved am I!’

本文作者:简爱
原文链接:Jane Eyre-Chapter 24
网络资源与信息,欢迎您与朋友分享。

汇集名社精品、力创专业品牌的外语图书网上书店

卓越亚马逊全场免运费

收藏到QQ书签

添加到百度搜藏 添加到百度搜藏

这篇文章发表于 星期二, 九月 9th, 2008 ,被归类在 简爱英文版. 您可以通过RSS订阅关于评论的更新 RSS 2.0 , 也可以 发表评论,或者 trackback .

发表评论

注意: 评论者允许使用'@user空格'的方式将自己的评论通知另外评论者。例如, ABC是本文的评论者之一,则使用'@ABC '(不包括单引号)将会自动将您的评论发送给ABC。使用'@all ',将会将评论发送给之前所有其它评论者。请务必注意user必须和评论者名相匹配(大小写一致)。