I was making my bed, having received strict orders from Bessie to get it arranged before she returned
我正在铺床，因为根据贝茜的严格指令，我得在她回来之前把一切都收拾停当
(for Bessie now frequently employed me as a sort of under-nurserymaid, to tidy the room, dust the chairs, etc. ).
（贝茜现在常常把我当作保育室女佣下手来使唤，吩咐我整理房间、擦掉椅子上的灰尘等等）。
Having spread the quilt and folded my night-dress, I went to the window-seat to put in order some picture-books and doll's house furniture scattered there.
我摊开被子，叠好睡衣后，便走向窗台，正把散乱的图画书和玩偶家具放好。
An abrupt command from Georgiana to let her playthings alone (for the tiny chairs and mirrors, the fairy plates and cups, were her property) stopped my proceedings.
突然传来了乔治亚娜指手划脚的吆喝不许我动她的玩具（因为这些椅子、镜子、小盘子和小杯子都是她的财产），于是只好歇手。
And then, for lack of other occupation, I fell to breathing on the frost-flowers with which the window was fretted,
一时无所事事，便开始往凝结在窗上的霜花哈气，在玻璃上化开了一小块地方，
and thus clearing a space in the glass through which I might look out on the grounds, where all was still and petrified under the influence of a hard frost.
透过它可以眺望外面 的院落，那里的一切在严霜的威力之下，仿佛凝固了似的寂然不动。
From this window were visible the porter's lodge and the carriage-road,
从这扇窗子后得清门房和马车道。
and just as I had dissolved so much of the silver-white foliage veiling the panes as left room to look out, I saw the gates thrown open and a carriage roll through.
我在蒙着—簇簇银白色霜花的窗玻璃上，正哈出—块可以往外窥视的地方时，只见大门开了，一辆马车驶了进来。
I watched it ascending the drive with indifference.
我毫不在意地看着它爬上小道。
Carriages often came to Gateshead, but none ever brought visitors in whom I was interested.
因为尽管马车经常光临盖茨黑德府，却从未进来一位我所感兴趣的客人。
It stopped in front of the house, the door-bell rang loudly, the new-comer was admitted.
这辆车在房子前面停下，门铃大作，来客被请进了门。
All this being nothing to me, my vacant attention soon found livelier attraction in the spectacle of a little hungry robin,
既然这种事情与我无关，百无聊赖之中，我便被一种更有生气的景象所吸引了。那是一只小小的、饿坏了的知更鸟，
which came and chirruped on the twigs of the leafless cherry-tree nailed against the wall near the casement.
从什么地方飞来，落 在紧贴靠窗的墙上一棵光秃秃的樱桃树枝头，叽叽喳喳叫个不停。
The remains of my breakfast of bread and milk stood on the table, and having crumbled a morsel of roll,
这时，桌上放着我早饭吃剩的牛奶和面包，我把一小块面包弄碎，
I was tugging at the sash to put out the crumbs on the window- sill, when Bessie came running upstairs into the nursery.
并正推窗把它放到窗沿上时，贝茜奔上楼梯，走进了保育室。
“Miss Jane, take off your pinafore. What are you doing there? Have you washed your hands and face this morning?
“简小姐，把围涎脱掉。你在那儿干什么呀？今天早上抹了脸，洗了手了吗？”
I gave another tug before I answered, for I wanted the bird to be secure of its bread.
我先没有回答，顾自又推了一下窗子，因为我要让这鸟儿万无一失地吃到面包。
The sash yielded; I scattered the crumbs, some on the stone sill, some on the cherry-tree bough,
窗子终于松动了，我撒出了面包屑，有的落在石头窗沿上，有的落在樱桃树枝上。
then, closing the window, I replied — “No, Bessie. I have only just finished dusting.”
随后我关好窗，一面回答说：“没有呢，贝茜，我才掸好灰尘。”
“Troublesome, careless child! and what are you doing now?
“你这个粗心大意的淘气鬼！这会儿在干什么呀？
You look quite red, as if you had been about some mischief. What were you opening the window for?”
你的脸通红通红，好像干了什么坏事似的，你开窗干啥？”
I was spared the trouble of answering, for Bessie seemed in too great a hurry to listen to explanations.
贝茜似乎很匆忙，已等不及听我解释，省却了我回答的麻烦。
She hauled me to the washstand, inflicted a merciless, but happily brief scrub on my face and hands with soap, water, and a coarse towel.
她将我一把拖到洗脸架前，不由分说往我脸上、手上擦了肥皂，抹上水，用一块粗糙的毛巾一揩。
Disciplined my head with a bristly brush, denuded me of my pinafore, and then hurrying me to the top of the stairs,
她又用一把粗毛刷子，把我的头清理了一番，脱下我的围涎，急急忙忙把我带到楼梯口，
bid me go down directly, as I was wanted in the breakfast-room.
嘱我径直下楼去，说是早餐室有人找我。
I would have asked who wanted me.
我本想问她是谁在找我。
I would have demanded if Mrs. Reed was there.
打听一下里德太太是不是在那里。
But Bessie was already gone, and had closed the nursery-door upon me.
可是贝茜己经走了，还在我身后关上了保育室的门。
I slowly descended.
我慢吞吞地走下楼梯。
For nearly three months, I had never been called to Mrs. Reed's presence.
近三个月来，我从未被叫到里德太太跟前。
Restricted so long to the nursery, the breakfast, dining, and drawing-rooms were become for me awful regions, on which it dismayed me to intrude.
由于在保育室里禁锢了那么久，早餐室、餐室和客厅都成了令我心寒的地方，一跨进去便惶惶不安。
