Rosamond a sufferer, a labourer, a female apostle?
难道罗莎蒙德是一个吃得起苦的人,一个劳作者,一个女使徒吗?
Rosamond a missionary's wife? No!"
难道罗莎蒙德是一个传教士的妻子?不!”
"But you need not be a missionary.
“不过你不必当传教士?
You might relinquish that scheme."
你可以放弃那个打算。”
"Relinquish! What! my vocation?
“放弃!什么——我的职业?
My great work?
我的伟大的工作?
My foundation laid on earth for a mansion in heaven?
我为天堂里的大厦在世间所打的基础?
My hopes of being numbered in the band who have merged all ambitions in the glorious one of bettering their race --
我要成为那一小群人的希望?这群人把自己的一切雄心壮志同那桩光荣的事业合而为一,那就是提高他们的种族——
of carrying knowledge into the realms of ignorance -- of substituting peace for war --
把知识传播到无知的领域——用和平代替战争——
freedom for bondage -- religion for superstition -- the hope of heaven for the fear of hell?
用自由代替束缚——宗教代替迷信——上天堂的愿望代替入地狱的恐俱。
Must I relinquish that?
难道连这也得放弃?
It is dearer than the blood in my veins.
它比我血管里流的血还可贵。
It is what I have to look forward to, and to live for."
这正是我所向往的,是我活着的目的。”
After a considerable pause, I said -- "And Miss Oliver?
他沉默了好长一会儿后,我说——“那么奥利弗小姐呢,
Are her disappointment and sorrow of no interest to you?"
难道你就不关心她的失望和哀伤了?”
"Miss Oliver is ever surrounded by suitors and flatterers: in less than a month, my image will be effaced from her heart.
“奥利弗小姐向来有一大群求婚者和献殷勤的人围着她转,不到一个月,我的形象会从她心坎里抹去,
She will forget me; and will marry, probably, some one who will make her far happier than I should do."
她会忘掉我,很可能会跟一个比我更能使她幸福的人结婚。”
"You speak coolly enough; but you suffer in the conflict.
“你说得倒够冷静的,不过你内心很矛盾,很痛苦。
You are wasting away."
你日见消瘦。”
"No. If I get a little thin, it is with anxiety about my prospects, yet unsettled -- my departure, continually procrastinated.
“不,要是我有点儿瘦,那是我为悬而未决的前景担忧的缘故——我的离别日期一拖再拖。
Only this morning, I received intelligence that the successor,
就是今大早上我还接到了消息,
whose arrival I have been so long expecting, cannot be ready to replace me for three months to come yet;
我一直盼着的后继者,三个月之内无法接替我,
and perhaps the three months may extend to six."
也许这三个月又会延长到六个月。”