'Usually, as you know, the children are not kept after they are sixteen, but an exception was made in your case. You had finished our school at fourteen, and having done so well in your studies--not always, I must say, in your conduct--it was determined to let you go on in the village high school. Now you are finishing that, and of course the asylum cannot be responsible any longer for your support. As it is, you have had two years more than most.'
“一般情況下，你知道，孩子們過了16歲就不能繼續(xù)留在這里了，不過你是特例。你14歲就讀完了孤兒院的課程，成績良好——但我不得不說，你的操行并非一直表現(xiàn)優(yōu)良——因此我們讓你繼續(xù)讀村里的高中。現(xiàn)在你即將畢業(yè)，我們不能再繼續(xù)負擔你的生活費。即便如此，你也比其他人多享受了兩年教育。”

Mrs. Lippett overlooked the fact that Jerusha had worked hard for her board during those two years, that the convenience of the asylum had come first and her education second; that on days like the present she was kept at home to scrub.
李皮太太完全不提喬若莎在兩年中為了自己的食宿，工作得極度賣力。孤兒院的工作永遠排在第一位，功課排在第二位。只要是像今天這種日子，她就得留下來打掃衛(wèi)生。

'As I say, the question of your future was brought up and your record was discussed--thoroughly discussed.'
“我剛才說過，有人提出你的去向問題，討論了你的表現(xiàn)——徹徹底底地討論了一番。”

Mrs. Lippett brought accusing eyes to bear upon the prisoner in the dock, and the prisoner looked guilty because it seemed to be expected-- not because she could remember any strikingly black pages in her record.
李皮太太用責備的眼光盯著她的犯人，囚犯也表現(xiàn)出有罪的樣子，倒不是因為她真的做過什么壞事，而是覺得李皮太太需要她這樣。

'Of course the usual disposition of one in your place would be to put you in a position where you could begin to work, but you have done well in school in certain branches; it seems that your work in English has even been brilliant. Miss Pritchard, who is on our visiting committee, is also on the school board; she has been talking with your rhetoric teacher, and made a speech in your favour. She also read aloud an essay that you had written entitled, "Blue Wednesday".'
“當然啦，對于你，我們隨便安排一個工作就行了，不過你在學校的時候某些科目表現(xiàn)突出，英文寫作甚至算得上非常出色。普麗查小姐正好在參訪團里，她也是理事會的成員，她和你的作文老師談過，為你說了很大一番好話，因為她讀了你的一篇名為《藍色的星期三》的作文。”

Jerusha's guilty expression this time was not assumed.
這下喬若莎真的認罪了。

'It seemed to me that you showed little gratitude in holding up to ridicule the institution that has done so much for you. Had you not managed to be funny I doubt if you would have been forgiven. But fortunately for you, Mr.--, that is, the gentleman who has just gone--appears to have an immoderate sense of humour. On the strength of that impertinent paper, he has offered to send you to college.'
“我覺得你在嘲笑這個為你做了這么多的孤兒院方面很有天賦，沒有表示一點感激。如果你不是那么逗樂的話，我懷疑幾乎沒有人愿意原諒你。不過幸虧那位先生，就是剛走的那位理事先生，表現(xiàn)出了很強的幽默感。那篇不禮貌的文章使他愿意讓你去念大學。”

'To college?' Jerusha's eyes grew big. Mrs. Lippett nodded.
“念大學？”喬若莎不可置信地睜大了眼睛。李皮太太點了點頭。

'He waited to discuss the terms with me. They are unusual. The gentleman, I may say, is erratic. He believes that you have originality, and he is planning to educate you to become a writer.'
“他留下來和我討論了條件。條件很不尋常。我覺得，這位先生真有點古怪。他覺得你對寫作有些天分，想把你培養(yǎng)成一個作家。”

'A writer?' Jerusha's mind was numbed. She could only repeat Mrs. Lippett's words.
“作家？”喬若莎的腦子麻木起來，只能重復李皮太太說的話。

'That is his wish. Whether anything will come of it, the future will show. He is giving you a very liberal allowance, almost, for a girl who has never had any experience in taking care of money, too liberal. But he planned the matter in detail, and I did not feel free to make any suggestions. You are to remain here through the summer, and Miss Pritchard has kindly offered to superintend your outfit. Your board and tuition will be paid directly to the college, and you will receive in addition during the four years you are there, an allowance of thirty-five dollars a month. This will enable you to enter on the same standing as the other students. The money will be sent to you by the gentleman's private secretary once a month, and in return, you will write a letter of acknowledgment once a month. That is--you are not to thank him for the money; he doesn't care to have that mentioned, but you are to write a letter telling of the progress in your studies and the details of your daily life. Just such a letter as you would write to your parents if they were living.
“那只是他的希望。結(jié)果到底怎樣，以后自然會知道。他會給你足夠的零用錢，對一個從沒處理過錢財?shù)呐⒆觼碚f，實在是太大方了。但是他把這些瑣事安排得很周全，我?guī)缀醪荒芴岢鍪裁串愖h。這個夏天你繼續(xù)留在這里，好心的普麗查小姐答應幫你添置新衣服，你的食宿與學費都由那位先生直接付給學校，在上學的4年期間，你每個月還有35美元的零用錢，足以使你跟其他學生平起平坐。每個月，這位先生的私人秘書會將這筆錢寄給你，你則每個月要給他寫一封信。并不是需要你向他道謝，他對此毫不在意，你要寫信告訴他人你學習的內(nèi)容和日常生活的細節(jié)，就像寫給你的父母一樣，如果他們還在世的話。”

'These letters will be addressed to Mr. John Smith and will be sent in care of the secretary. The gentleman's name is not John Smith, but he prefers to remain unknown. To you he will never be anything but John Smith. His reason in requiring the letters is that he thinks nothing so fosters facility in literary expression as letter-writing. Since you have no family with whom to correspond, he desires you to write in this way; also, he wishes to keep track of your progress. He will never answer your letters, nor in the slightest particular take any notice of them. He detests letter-writing and does not wish you to become a burden. If any point should ever arise where an answer would seem to be imperative--such as in the event of your being expelled, which I trust will not occur--you may correspond with Mr. Griggs, his secretary. These monthly letters are absolutely obligatory on your part; they are the only payment that Mr. Smith requires, so you must be as punctilious in sending them as though it were a bill that you were paying. I hope that they will always be respectful in tone and will reflect credit on your training. You must remember that you are writing to a Trustee of the John Grier Home.'
“這些信寄給約翰·史密斯先生，由他的秘書轉(zhuǎn)交。這位先生的真名當然不是約翰·史密斯，因為他希望當個無名氏。對你而言，他永遠是約翰·史密斯先生。他要求你寫信的原因在于，他認為沒有什么比寫信更能培養(yǎng)人的寫作能力了。既然你沒有可以聯(lián)絡的親人，他就希望你能這么做，另外，他也想隨時知道你的學習情況。他不會給你回信，也不會對你的信吹毛求疵。他討厭寫信，但也不希望寫信成為你的負擔。如果出現(xiàn)緊急的情況需要他回復——比如你被學校開除，我想應該不會發(fā)生這種情況——你可以聯(lián)系他的秘書格里茲先生。對你來說，每月寫一封信是絕對要遵守的義務，這也是史密斯先生惟一的要求。所以你一定要一絲不茍，按時交付，就像付賬單一樣。我希望你能始終保持一種尊敬的語氣，而且好好地發(fā)揮出寫作技巧。你一定要記住，你的信是寫給約翰·戈利爾孤兒院的理事。”

Jerusha's eyes longingly sought the door. Her head was in a whirl of excitement, and she wished only to escape from Mrs. Lippett's platitudes and think. She rose and took a tentative step backwards. Mrs. Lippett detained her with a gesture; it was an oratorical opportunity not to be slighted.
喬若莎心急地尋找著大門，她已經(jīng)興奮得有些暈頭轉(zhuǎn)向了，現(xiàn)在只想快點從李皮太太的老生常談中逃跑，好好地思考一下。她站起身，試探著退了一步。李皮太太舉手示意她留下來，這么好的教育機會怎么能隨便放過呢？

'I trust that you are properly grateful for this very rare good fortune that has befallen you? Not many girls in your position ever have such an opportunity to rise in the world. You must always remember--'
“我相信你一定會感謝這個從天而降的好運吧？世上很少有像你這樣出身的女孩子能遇上這種好運氣。你一定要牢記……”

'I--yes, ma'am, thank you. I think, if that's all, I must go and sew a patch on Freddie Perkins's trousers.'
“我會的，太太，萬分感謝您。我想，如果沒有其他事，我得去縫補弗萊迪·柏金褲子上的補丁了。”

The door closed behind her, and Mrs. Lippett watched it with dropped jaw, her peroration in mid-air.
她帶上房門走了，李皮太太不得不咽下被打斷的滿腹長篇大論，目瞪口呆地望著門——她的演說才剛剛開始呢。

（來源：愛思英語網(wǎng) 編輯：丹妮）