"Silence!" ejaculated a voice; not that of Miss Miller, but one of the upper teachers,
"安静!"一个嗓音叫道。说这话的不是米勒小姐。却是一个高级教师。
a little and dark personage, smartly dressed, but of somewhat morose aspect,
她小个子,黑皮肤,打扮入时,脸色有些阴沉。
who installed herself at the top of one table, while a more buxom lady presided at the other.
她站在桌子上首,另一位更为丰满的女人主持着另一张桌子。
I looked in vain for her I had first seen the night before.
我想找第一天晚上见到过的那个女人,但没有找着。
She was not visible.
连她影子也没有见到。
Miss Miller occupied the foot of the table where I sat, and a strange, foreign-looking, elderly lady,
米勒小姐在我坐着的那张桌子占了个下首位置。而一位看上去很怪,颇像外国人的年长妇女,
the French teacher, as I afterwards found, took the corresponding seat at the other board.
后来才发现她是法语教师,在另外一张餐桌的相对位置就座。
A long grace was said and a hymn sung.
大家做了一个长长的感恩祷告,还唱了一支圣歌。
Then a servant brought in some tea for the teachers, and the meal began.
随后一个仆人给教师们送来了茶点,早餐就这样开始了。
Ravenous, and now very faint, I devoured a spoonful or two of my portion without thinking of its taste.
我饿慌了,这会儿已经头昏眼花,便把自己那份粥吞下了一两调羹,也顾不上是什么滋味。
But the first edge of hunger blunted, I perceived I had got in hand a nauseous mess.
但最初的饥饿感一消失,我便发觉手里拿着的东西令人作呕。
Burnt porridge is almost as bad as rotten potatoes.
烧焦的粥同烂马铃薯一样糟糕。
Famine itself soon sickens over it.
连饥饿本身也很快厌恶起它来。
The spoons were moved slowly.
勺匙在各人手里缓慢地移动着。
I saw each girl taste her food and try to swallow it, but in most cases the effort was soon relinquished.
我看见每个姑娘尝了尝自己的食物,竭力想把它吞下去,但大多立刻放弃了努力。
Breakfast was over, and none had breakfasted.
早餐结束了,可是谁也没有吃。
Thanks having been returned for what we had not got, and a second hymn chanted, the refectory was evacuated for the schoolroom.
我们作了感恩祷告,对我们没有得到的东西表示感谢,同时还唱了第二首赞美诗,接着便离开餐厅到教室去。
I was one of the last to go out, and in passing the tables, I saw one teacher take a basin of the porridge and taste it.
我是最后一批走的,经过餐桌时,看见一位教师舀了一碗粥,尝了一尝。
She looked at the others.
又看了看其他人。
All their countenances expressed displeasure, and one of them, the stout one, whispered: "Abominable stuff! How shameful!"
她们脸上都露出了不快的神色,其中一个胖胖的教师说:"讨厌的东西!真丢脸?"
A quarter of an hour passed before lessons again began, during which the schoolroom was in a glorious tumult.
一刻钟以后才又开始上课。这一刻钟,教室里沸沸扬扬,乱成了一团。
For that space of time it seemed to be permitted to talk loud and more freely, and they used their privilege.
在这段时间里,似乎允许自由自在地大声说话,大家便利用了这种特殊待遇。
The whole conversation ran on the breakfast, which one and all abused roundly.
整个谈话的内容都围绕着早餐,个个都狠狠骂了一通。
Poor things! It was the sole consolation they had.
可怜的人儿啊!这就是她们仅有的安慰。
Miss Miller was now the only teacher in the room.
此刻米勒小姐是教室里唯一的一位教师。
A group of great girls standing about her spoke with serious and sullen gestures.
一群大姑娘围着她,悻悻然做着手势同她在说话。
I heard the name of Mr. Brocklehurst pronounced by some lips, at which Miss Miller shook her head disapprovingly.
我听见有人提到了布罗克赫斯特先生的名字,米勒小姐一听便不以为然地摇了摇头。
But she made no great effort to check the general wrath. Doubtless she shared in it.
但她无意去遏制这种普遍的愤怒,无疑她也有同感。
A clock in the schoolroom struck nine.
教室里的钟敲到了九点。
Miss Miller left her circle, and standing in the middle of the room, cried: "Silence! To your seats!"
米勒小姐离开了她的圈子,站到房间正中叫道:"安静下来,回到你们自己的位置上去!"