"It was because I felt and knew this, that I resolved to marry you.
“正是因为我感觉到而且明白这一点,我决计娶你。
To tell me that I had already a wife is empty mockery: you know now that I had but a hideous demon.
说我已有一个妻子,那是空洞的嘲弄。现在你知道我只有一个可怕的魔鬼。
I was wrong to attempt to deceive you; but I feared a stubbornness that exists in your character.
我想欺骗你,这是我的不是。但我担心你性格中执拗的一面。
I feared early instilled prejudice: I wanted to have you safe before hazarding confidences.
我担心早就种下的偏见,我想在稳操胜券以后,再冒吐露真情的危险。
This was cowardly: I should have appealed to your nobleness and magnanimity at first, as I do now
这其实是怯懦,我应当像现在这样,先求助于你的高尚心灵和宽宏大度,
opened to you plainly my life of agony -- described to you my hunger and thirst after a higher and worthier existence
直截了当地向你倾吐生活中的苦恼--向你描述我对更高级和更有价值的生活的渴求,
shown to you, not my resolution (that word is weak), but my resistless bent to love faithfully and well,
不是向你表示决心(这字眼太弱了),而是不可抵御的爱意,
where I am faithfully and well loved in return.
也即是在被别人忠贞不二地深爱着的时候,
Then I should have asked you to accept my pledge of fidelity and to give me yours. Jane -- give it me now."
我也那么去爱别人,随后我应当要求你接受我忠贞的誓言,也要求你发誓:简--现在就对我说吧。”
A pause. "Why are you silent, Jane?"
一阵静默。“你干嘛不吱声,简?”
I was experiencing an ordeal: a hand of fiery iron grasped my vitals.
我经历着一次煎熬。一双铁铸火燎的手,紧紧抓住了我的命脉。
Terrible moment: full of struggle, blackness, burning!
一个可怕的时刻,充满着搏击、黑暗和燃烧!
Not a human being that ever lived could wish to be loved better than I was loved;
人世间再也没有人能期望像我这样被爱了。
and him who thus loved me I absolutely worshipped: and I must renounce love and idol.
也没有人像我这样拜倒在爱我的人的脚下,我必须摒弃爱情和偶像。
One drear word comprised my intolerable duty -- "Depart!"
一个凄凉的字眼就表达了我不可忍受的责任--“走!”