Chapter 26(excerpt)
Mr. Rochester continued, hardily and recklessly : "Bigamy is an ugly word! --- I meant, however, to be a bigamist; but late has out-manoeuvred me; or Providence has checked me,---perhaps the last. I am little better than a devil at this moment; and, as my pastor there would tell me, deserve no doubt the sternest judgements of God, ---even to the quenchless fire and deathless worm. Gentlemen, my plan is broken up! ---what this lawyer and his client say is true; I have been married ; and the woman to whom I was married lives! You say you never heard of a Mrs. Rochester at the house up yonder. Wood: but I dare say you have many a time inclined your ear to gossip about the mysterious lunatic kept there under watch and ward. Some have whispered to you that she is my bastard half-sister; some, my cast-off mistress; --- I now inform you that she is my wife, whom I married fifteen years ago, --- Bertha Mason by name;sister of this resolute personage, who is now, with his quivering limbs and white cheeks, showing you what a stout heart men may bear. Cheer up, Dick! ---never fear me---- I'd almost as soon strike a woman as you. Bertha Mason is mad; and she came of a mad family; ---idiots and maniacs through three generations! Her mother,the Creole,was both a mad woman and a drunkard!---as I found out after I had wed the daughter;for they were silent on family secrets before. Bertha,like a dutiful child,copied her parent in both points. I had a charming partner --- pure, wise, modest you can fancy that I was a happy man --- I went through rich scenes! Oh! my experience has been heavenly , if you only knew it! But I owe you no further explanation. Briggs, Wood, Mason, --- I invite you all to come up to the house and visit Mrs. Poole's patient, and my wife! --- You shall see what sort of a being I was cheated into espousing, and judge whether or not I had a right to break the compact, and seek sympathy with something at least human. This girl, "he continued, looking at me," knew no more than you, Wood,of the disgusting secret; she thought all was fair and legal; and never dreamt she was going to be entrapped into a feigned union with a defrauded wretch, already bound to a bad, mad, and embruted partner! Come, all of you, follow!"
李霁野 译
选自第二十六章
罗契司特先生严厉而无忌禅地继续说:“重婚是丑恶的字眼!——不过我要做一个重婚的人;但是命运的策略胜过我了，不然就是神约束我一一许是后者吧。这时我比恶魔并好不了多少;而且如同我的牧师要告诉我的一样,毫无疑问应当受上帝最严厉的制裁，甚至受不灭的火,不死的蛆惩戒。诸位，我的计划打破了:这位律师和他的事主所说的话是真实的；我结过婚,而且我所娶的女人还活着；你说你没有听说过那边屋里有位罗契司特太太,伍德;但是我敢说，关于在那里看管着的神秘的疯人的闲言闲语，你一定耳闻过吧。有人叽咕她是我的私生的异母姊妹，又有人说她是我抛弃的情妇。现在我告诉你们她是我的妻子,十五年前娶的，——名叫伯莎・梅森;是这位果敢人物的妹妹,他现在用发抖的肢体和发白的面颊,向你们表示男子汉可以有怎样健强的心。打起精神来吧，狄克!——绝不要怕我!——我不要打你，差不多和不打一个妇人样。伯莎・梅森是疯狂的,她出自疯狂的家庭;三代白痴和疯人;她的母亲，一个殖民地出生的欧洲人，是一个疯女人兼醉鬼!我娶了她女儿之后才发现出来,因为以前他们对于家庭秘密是缄口不言的。伯莎,象一个孝顺的孩子，在两点上都学她母亲。我有一个可爱的伴侣——纯洁、聪明、端庄；你们可以想象我是一个幸福的人。我经过了宝贵的场面!但愿你们知道，我的经验真是只应天上有的呵!不过我不必再向你们往下解释了。布里格斯，伍德,梅森,我请你们都到我家里去，拜望普尔太太的病人，我的妻子!你们可以看看我被骗所娶的是什么一种人，评判我有无权利打破这种婚约，至少对一个有点人性的人寻求同情。这个女孩，”他继续说,看着我,“对于这引人憎恶的秘密并不比你知道得多,伍德；她以为一切都是公正合法的,绝没有梦想到她会被诱入陷阱,和那个已经被一个疯狂而兽化的妻子所束缚的，受骗的不幸人假结合呵。你们全来一一全跟我来!”
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