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8 The best days， and the worst days
8 最好的和最坏的日子
Emily and Anne did know，of course.
爱米丽和安妮当然知道，
They had known about Charlotte's book for a long time.
她们知道夏洛蒂写了这本书已经很长时间了。
Jane Eyre was not the first book that Charlotte had sent to a publisher.
简·爱》并不是夏洛蒂寄给出版商的第一部书。
Over a year ago she had written another book，The Professor， and sent it to one publisher after another.
《一年多以前她写过另一本书，名叫《教授》，寄给了一个又一个出版商。
Each publisher had sent it back，in a packet addressed to Currer Bell.
可是每次都被退了回来，包裹上写着柯勒·贝尔的名字。
And then Charlotte had sent it， in the same old packet，to another publisher， and then another，and got it back again.
夏洛蒂又把包裹按原样寄出，结果还是一样。
'Why didn't you change the paper on the packet， my dear？'I asked.
"可你为什么不把包裹上的纸换一下呢？我亲爱的？"我问。
Charlotte smiled.
夏洛蒂笑了。
'I didn't think of it， papa.
"我没有想过这个，爸爸，
The worst day was when we were in Manchester，going to the eye doctor.
最坏的一天是我们在曼彻斯特，要去看眼科医生之前，
Do you remember？The packet came back then.
您还记得吗？就在那时包裹被退回来了，
That was the day before I started writing Jane Eyre.
那是我开始写《简·爱》的前一天。"
'Do you mean that you started writing Jane Eyre while I was lying in that dark room in Manchester？'
"你是说就是与我躺在曼彻斯特的黑屋子里的时候，你开始写《简·爱》的？"
'That's right，papa.
"对啊，爸爸。"
'But that's only six months ago， and here is the book in my hand！'
"可那只是6个月以前的事啊，现在这本书就已经在我手里了！"
'Yes，papa. The book was printed a month after I sent it to the publisher.
"是的，爸爸。我把稿子寄给出版商一个月后，这本书就开始印刷了。"
'My dear！They decided very quickly that they liked it，then！'
"亲爱的，也就是说他们很快就决定了他们喜欢你的书！"
' I think they did，papa. After all，it is a good book，isn't it？'
"我想是这样，爸爸。毕竟，这的确是一本好书，对吗？"
She smiled at me. I don't think I have ever seen her so happy.
她朝我微笑着，我觉得还从未见过她这么快活过。
She is a very small person，Charlotte，and not a beautiful woman；
夏洛蒂个子矮小，也并不美丽；
but when she smiles like that，her face shines like a fine painting.
但当她那样微笑时，脸上就焕发出光彩，宛如一幅精美的画。
My wife，Maria，used to look like that sometimes when I first met her.
当我刚碰到我妻子玛丽亚时，她有时看上去也是这个样子。
I took her hand in mine.
我把她的手握在我手中。
'It is a very good book，my dear.
"这是一本非常好的书，亲爱的，
I cannot tell you how proud I am.
我说不出有多自豪。"
She touched my hand. 'Thank you，papa.
她抚摸着我的手。"谢谢您，爸爸。
But you must not be proud of me alone，you know. Anne and Emily-'
可您不能只为我一个人自豪呀，您知道吗，还有安妮和爱米丽--"
'Oh no，Charlotte，please！'Emily said. But Charlotte did not stop.
"噢，不，夏洛蒂，请你别说！"爱米丽说。
Anne and Emily have written books too-books just as good as mine-and their books will soon be published as well！
但是夏洛蒂并没有停下来。"安妮和爱米丽也写了和我一样好的书--她们的书很快也要出版了。
Let me introduce you，papa.
让我来介绍一下，爸爸。
These young ladies are not your daughters- they are Acton Bell and Ellis Bell，brothers of the famous writer Currer Bell！'
这些年轻的女士不是您的女儿--她们是阿克顿·贝尔和埃利斯·贝尔，作家柯勒·贝尔的兄弟！"
Emily's face was bright red， but Anne and Charlotte started laughing.
爱米丽的脸通红放光，而安妮和夏洛蒂开始放声大笑。我非常惊讶。
I was very surprised. 'All three of you！'I said.
"你们三个都出书了！"我说，
'But…but why do you use these strange names？'
"不过……不过你们为什么用这些古怪的名字呢？"
'Because people are stupid，papa，'Anne said.
"因为人们愚蠢，爸爸。"安妮说，
'No one thinks women can write good books，so we have used men's names instead.
"谁也不相信女人能写出好书，所以我们就用男人的名字代替。
