Which is better? --
何者为好?——
To have surrendered to temptation; listened to passion; made no painful effort -- no struggle; --
经不住诱惑听凭欲念摆布,不作痛苦的努力——没有搏斗——
but to have sunk down in the silken snare; fallen asleep on the flowers covering it;
落入温柔的陷阱,在覆盖着陷阱的花丛中沉沉睡去。
wakened in a southern clime, amongst the luxuries of a pleasure villa:
在南方的气候中一觉醒来,置身于享乐别墅的奢华之中,
to have been now living in France, Mr. Rochester's mistress;
原来已住在法国,做了罗切斯特先生的情妇,
delirious with his love half my time -- for he would --
一半的时间因为他的爱而发狂——因为他会——
oh, yes, he would have loved me well for a while.
呵,不错,他暂时会很爱我。
He did love me -- no one will ever love me so again.
他确实爱我——再也没有谁会这么爱我了。
I shall never more know the sweet homage given to beauty, youth, and grace --
我永远也看不到有谁会对美丽、青春、优雅如此虔敬了——
for never to any one else shall I seem to possess these charms.
因为我不会对任何其他人产生这样的魅力。
He was fond and proud of me -- it is what no man besides will ever be. --
他非常喜欢我,为我感到自豪——而其他人是谁也做不到的——
But where am I wandering, and what am I saying, and above all, feeling?
可是我会在哪儿漫游,我会说什么,尤其是我会有什么感觉呢?
Whether is it better, I ask, to be a slave in a fool's paradise at Marseilles --
我问,在马赛愚人的天堂做一个奴隶——
fevered with delusive bliss one hour -- suffocating with the bitterest tears of remorse and shame the next --
一会儿开心得浑身发烧,头脑发昏——一会儿因为羞愧和悔恨而痛苦流涕,是这样好呢,
or to be a village-schoolmistress, free and honest, in a breezy mountain nook in the healthy heart of England?
还是——在健康的英国中部一个山风吹拂的角落,做一个无忧无虑老老实实的乡村女教师好呢?
Yes; I feel now that I was right when I adhered to principle and law,
是的,我现在感到,自己坚持原则和法规,
and scorned and crushed the insane promptings of a frenzied moment.
蔑视和控制狂乱时刻缺乏理智的冲动是对的。
God directed me to a correct choice: I thank His providence for the guidance!
上帝指引我作了正确的选择,我感谢上苍的指导!