They conversed of things I had never heard of; of nations and times past;
她们谈论着我从未听说过的事情，谈到了逝去的民族和时代，
of countries far away; of secrets of nature discovered or guessed at.
谈到了遥远的国度；谈到了被发现或臆测到的自然界的奥秘，
They spoke of books: how many they had read!
还谈到了书籍。她们看过的书真多啊！
What stores of knowledge they possessed!
她们掌握的知识真丰富！
Then they seemed so familiar with French names and French authors.
随后她们似乎对法国人名和法国作者了如指掌。
But my amazement reached its climax when Miss Temple asked Helen if she sometimes snatched a moment to recall the Latin her father had taught her,
但最使我惊讶的是，这时坦普尔小姐问海伦是不是抽空在复习她爸爸教她的拉丁文，
and taking a book from a shelf, bade her read and construe a page of Virgil.
还从书架上取了一本书，吩咐她朗读和解释维吉尔的一页著作。
And Helen obeyed, my organ of veneration expanding at every sounding line.
海伦照着做了。我每听一行朗朗的诗句，对她也就愈加肃然起敬。
She had scarcely finished ere the bell announced bedtime! No delay could be admitted.
她几乎还没有读完，上床铃就响了，已不允许任何拖延。
Miss Temple embraced us both, saying, as she drew us to her heart: "God bless you, my children!"
坦普尔小姐拥抱了我们俩，她把我们搂到怀里时说：“上帝保佑你们，我的孩子们！”
Helen she held a little longer than me. She let her go more reluctantly.
她拥抱海伦比拥抱我要长些，更不情愿放她走。
It was Helen her eye followed to the door.
她一直目送海伦到门边。
It was for her she a second time breathed a sad sigh.
为了海伦，她再次伤心地叹了口气。
For her she wiped a tear from her cheek.
为了海伦，她从脸上抹去了一滴眼泪。
On reaching the bedroom, we heard the voice of Miss Scatcherd.
到了寝室，我们听见了斯卡查德小姐的嗓音。
She was examining drawers. She had just pulled out Helen Burns's.
她正在检查抽屉。而且她刚好已把海伦的抽屉拉出来。
And when we entered Helen was greeted with a sharp reprimand,
我们一走进房间，海伦便当头挨了一顿痛骂。
and told that to-morrow she should have half-a-dozen of untidily folded articles pinned to her shoulder.
她告诉海伦，明天要把五六件叠得乱七八糟的东西别在她的肩上。
"My things were indeed in shameful disorder," murmured Helen to me, in a low voice: "I intended to have arranged them, but I forgot."
“我的东西乱糟糟的真丢脸，”海伦喃喃地同我说，“我是想把它们放整齐的，可总是忘了。”
Next morning, Miss Scatcherd wrote in conspicuous characters on a piece of pasteboard the word "Slattern,"
第二早上，斯卡查德小姐在一块纸牌上写下了十分醒目的两个字“邋遢”，
and bound it like a phylactery round Helen's large, mild, intelligent, and benign-looking forehead.
像经文护符匣一样，把它系在海伦那宽大、温顺、聪颖、一付善相的额头上。
She wore it till evening, patient, unresentful, regarding it as a deserved punishment.
她那么耐心而毫无怨言地佩戴着它，视之为应得的惩罚，一直戴到晚上。
The moment Miss Scatcherd withdrew after afternoon school, I ran to Helen, tore it off, and thrust it into the fire.
下午放学以后，斯卡查德小姐一走，我便跑到海伦那儿，一把撕下这块牌子，把它扔进火里。
The fury of which she was incapable had been burning in my soul all day, and tears, hot and large, had continually been scalding my cheek,
她所不会有的火气，整天在我心中燃烧着，大滴大滴热泪，一直烧灼着我的脸颊，
for the spectacle of her sad resignation gave me an intolerable pain at the heart.
她那付悲哀的、听天由命的样子，使我心里痛苦得难以忍受。
