《长腿叔叔》第一章[2]

'Usually, as you know, the children are not kept after they are sixteen, but an exception was made in your case. You had finished our school at fourteen, and having done so well in your studies--not always, I must say, in your conduct--it was determined to let you go on in the village high school. Now you are finishing that, and of course the asylum cannot be responsible any longer for your support. As it is, you have had two years more than most.'
“一般情况下，你知道，孩子们过了16岁就不能继续留在这里了，不过你是特例。你14岁就读完了孤儿院的课程，成绩良好——但我不得不说，你的操行并非一直表现优良——因此我们让你继续读村里的高中。现在你即将毕业，我们不能再继续负担你的生活费。即便如此，你也比其他人多享受了两年教育。”

Mrs. Lippett overlooked the fact that Jerusha had worked hard for her board during those two years, that the convenience of the asylum had come first and her education second; that on days like the present she was kept at home to scrub.
李皮太太完全不提乔若莎在两年中为了自己的食宿，工作得极度卖力。孤儿院的工作永远排在第一位，功课排在第二位。只要是像今天这种日子，她就得留下来打扫卫生。

'As I say, the question of your future was brought up and your record was discussed--thoroughly discussed.'
“我刚才说过，有人提出你的去向问题，讨论了你的表现——彻彻底底地讨论了一番。”

Mrs. Lippett brought accusing eyes to bear upon the prisoner in the dock, and the prisoner looked guilty because it seemed to be expected-- not because she could remember any strikingly black pages in her record.
李皮太太用责备的眼光盯着她的犯人，囚犯也表现出有罪的样子，倒不是因为她真的做过什么坏事，而是觉得李皮太太需要她这样。

'Of course the usual disposition of one in your place would be to put you in a position where you could begin to work, but you have done well in school in certain branches; it seems that your work in English has even been brilliant. Miss Pritchard, who is on our visiting committee, is also on the school board; she has been talking with your rhetoric teacher, and made a speech in your favour. She also read aloud an essay that you had written entitled, "Blue Wednesday".'
“当然啦，对于你，我们随便安排一个工作就行了，不过你在学校的时候某些科目表现突出，英文写作甚至算得上非常出色。普丽查小姐正好在参访团里，她也是理事会的成员，她和你的作文老师谈过，为你说了很大一番好话，因为她读了你的一篇名为《蓝色的星期三》的作文。”

Jerusha's guilty expression this time was not assumed.
这下乔若莎真的认罪了。

'It seemed to me that you showed little gratitude in holding up to ridicule the institution that has done so much for you. Had you not managed to be funny I doubt if you would have been forgiven. But fortunately for you, Mr.--, that is, the gentleman who has just gone--appears to have an immoderate sense of humour. On the strength of that impertinent paper, he has offered to send you to college.'
“我觉得你在嘲笑这个为你做了这么多的孤儿院方面很有天赋，没有表示一点感激。如果你不是那么逗乐的话，我怀疑几乎没有人愿意原谅你。不过幸亏那位先生，就是刚走的那位理事先生，表现出了很强的幽默感。那篇不礼貌的文章使他愿意让你去念大学。”

'To college?' Jerusha's eyes grew big. Mrs. Lippett nodded.
“念大学？”乔若莎不可置信地睁大了眼睛。李皮太太点了点头。

'He waited to discuss the terms with me. They are unusual. The gentleman, I may say, is erratic. He believes that you have originality, and he is planning to educate you to become a writer.'
“他留下来和我讨论了条件。条件很不寻常。我觉得，这位先生真有点古怪。他觉得你对写作有些天分，想把你培养成一个作家。”

'A writer?' Jerusha's mind was numbed. She could only repeat Mrs. Lippett's words.
“作家？”乔若莎的脑子麻木起来，只能重复李皮太太说的话。

'That is his wish. Whether anything will come of it, the future will show. He is giving you a very liberal allowance, almost, for a girl who has never had any experience in taking care of money, too liberal. But he planned the matter in detail, and I did not feel free to make any suggestions. You are to remain here through the summer, and Miss Pritchard has kindly offered to superintend your outfit. Your board and tuition will be paid directly to the college, and you will receive in addition during the four years you are there, an allowance of thirty-five dollars a month. This will enable you to enter on the same standing as the other students. The money will be sent to you by the gentleman's private secretary once a month, and in return, you will write a letter of acknowledgment once a month. That is--you are not to thank him for the money; he doesn't care to have that mentioned, but you are to write a letter telling of the progress in your studies and the details of your daily life. Just such a letter as you would write to your parents if they were living.
“那只是他的希望。结果到底怎样，以后自然会知道。他会给你足够的零用钱，对一个从没处理过钱财的女孩子来说，实在是太大方了。但是他把这些琐事安排得很周全，我几乎不能提出什么异议。这个夏天你继续留在这里，好心的普丽查小姐答应帮你添置新衣服，你的食宿与学费都由那位先生直接付给学校，在上学的4年期间，你每个月还有35美元的零用钱，足以使你跟其他学生平起平坐。每个月，这位先生的私人秘书会将这笔钱寄给你，你则每个月要给他写一封信。并不是需要你向他道谢，他对此毫不在意，你要写信告诉他人你学习的内容和日常生活的细节，就像写给你的父母一样，如果他们还在世的话。”

'These letters will be addressed to Mr. John Smith and will be sent in care of the secretary. The gentleman's name is not John Smith, but he prefers to remain unknown. To you he will never be anything but John Smith. His reason in requiring the letters is that he thinks nothing so fosters facility in literary expression as letter-writing. Since you have no family with whom to correspond, he desires you to write in this way; also, he wishes to keep track of your progress. He will never answer your letters, nor in the slightest particular take any notice of them. He detests letter-writing and does not wish you to become a burden. If any point should ever arise where an answer would seem to be imperative--such as in the event of your being expelled, which I trust will not occur--you may correspond with Mr. Griggs, his secretary. These monthly letters are absolutely obligatory on your part; they are the only payment that Mr. Smith requires, so you must be as punctilious in sending them as though it were a bill that you were paying. I hope that they will always be respectful in tone and will reflect credit on your training. You must remember that you are writing to a Trustee of the John Grier Home.'
“这些信寄给约翰·史密斯先生，由他的秘书转交。这位先生的真名当然不是约翰·史密斯，因为他希望当个无名氏。对你而言，他永远是约翰·史密斯先生。他要求你写信的原因在于，他认为没有什么比写信更能培养人的写作能力了。既然你没有可以联络的亲人，他就希望你能这么做，另外，他也想随时知道你的学习情况。他不会给你回信，也不会对你的信吹毛求疵。他讨厌写信，但也不希望写信成为你的负担。如果出现紧急的情况需要他回复——比如你被学校开除，我想应该不会发生这种情况——你可以联系他的秘书格里兹先生。对你来说，每月写一封信是绝对要遵守的义务，这也是史密斯先生惟一的要求。所以你一定要一丝不苟，按时交付，就像付账单一样。我希望你能始终保持一种尊敬的语气，而且好好地发挥出写作技巧。你一定要记住，你的信是写给约翰·戈利尔孤儿院的理事。”

Jerusha's eyes longingly sought the door. Her head was in a whirl of excitement, and she wished only to escape from Mrs. Lippett's platitudes and think. She rose and took a tentative step backwards. Mrs. Lippett detained her with a gesture; it was an oratorical opportunity not to be slighted.
乔若莎心急地寻找着大门，她已经兴奋得有些晕头转向了，现在只想快点从李皮太太的老生常谈中逃跑，好好地思考一下。她站起身，试探着退了一步。李皮太太举手示意她留下来，这么好的教育机会怎么能随便放过呢？

'I trust that you are properly grateful for this very rare good fortune that has befallen you? Not many girls in your position ever have such an opportunity to rise in the world. You must always remember--'
“我相信你一定会感谢这个从天而降的好运吧？世上很少有像你这样出身的女孩子能遇上这种好运气。你一定要牢记……”

'I--yes, ma'am, thank you. I think, if that's all, I must go and sew a patch on Freddie Perkins's trousers.'
“我会的，太太，万分感谢您。我想，如果没有其他事，我得去缝补弗莱迪·柏金裤子上的补丁了。”

The door closed behind her, and Mrs. Lippett watched it with dropped jaw, her peroration in mid-air.
她带上房门走了，李皮太太不得不咽下被打断的满腹长篇大论，目瞪口呆地望着门——她的演说才刚刚开始呢。

（来源：爱思英语网 编辑：丹妮）