先讀課文﹕
Wuthering Heights 呼嘯山莊
by Emily Bronte
Chapter 1
1801. - I have just returned from a visit to my landlord - the solitary
neighbour that I shall be troubled with. This is certainly a beautiful country!
In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation
so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist's
heaven: and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation
between us. A capital fellow! He little imagined how my heart warmed towards
him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so suspiciously under their brows,
as I rode up, and when his fingers sheltered themselves, with a jealous
resolution, still further in his waistcoat, as I announced my name.
'Mr. Heathcliff?' I said.
A nod was the answer.
'Mr. Lockwood, your new tenant, sir. I do myself the honour of calling as
soon as possible after my arrival, to express the hope that I have not inconvenienced
you by my perseverance in soliciting the occupation of Thrushcross Grange:
I heard yesterday you had had some thoughts - '
'Thrushcross Grange is my own, sir,' he interrupted, wincing. 'I should
not allow any one to inconvenience me, if I could hinder it - walk in!'
The 'walk in' was uttered with closed teeth, and expressed the sentiment,
'Go to the Deuce:' even the gate over which he leant manifested no sympathising
movement to the words; and I think that circumstance determined me to accept
the invitation: I felt interested in a man who seemed more exaggeratedly
reserved than myself.
When he saw my horse's breast fairly pushing the barrier, he did put out
his hand to unchain it, and then sullenly preceded me up the causeway, calling,
as we entered the court, - 'Joseph, take Mr. Lockwood's horse; and bring
up some wine.'
'Here we have the whole establishment of domestics, I suppose,' was the
reflection suggested by this compound order. 'No wonder the grass grows
up between the flags, and cattle are the only hedge-cutters.'
Joseph was an elderly, nay, an old man: very old, perhaps, though hale and
sinewy. 'The Lord help us!' he soliloquised in an undertone of peevish displeasure,
while relieving me of my horse: looking, meantime, in my face so sourly
that I charitably conjectured he must have need of divine aid to digest
his dinner, and his pious ejaculation had no reference to my unexpected advent.
Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr. Heathcliff's dwelling. 'Wuthering'
being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric
tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather. Pure, bracing
ventilation they must have up there at all times, indeed: one may guess
the power of the north wind blowing over the edge, by the excessive slant
of a few stunted firs at the end of the house; and by a range of gaunt thorns
all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun. Happily,
the architect had foresight to build it strong: the narrow windows are deeply
set in the wall, and the corners defended with large jutting stones.
Before passing the threshold, I paused to admire a quantity of grotesque
carving lavished over the front, and especially about the principal door;
above which, among a wilderness of crumbling griffins and shameless little
boys, I detected the date '1500,' and the name 'Hareton Earnshaw.' I would
have made a few comments, and requested a short history of the place from
the surly owner; but his attitude at the door appeared to demand my speedy
entrance, or complete departure, and I had no desire to aggravate his impatience
previous to inspecting the penetralium.
One stop brought us into the family sitting-room, without any introductory
lobby or passage: they call it here 'the house' pre-eminently. It includes
kitchen and parlour, generally; but I believe at Wuthering Heights the kitchen
is forced to retreat altogether into another quarter: at least I distinguished
a chatter of tongues, and a clatter of culinary utensils, deep within; and
I observed no signs of roasting, boiling, or baking, about the huge fireplace;
nor any glitter of copper saucepans and tin cullenders on the walls. One
end, indeed, reflected splendidly both light and heat from ranks of immense
pewter dishes, interspersed with silver jugs and tankards, towering row
after row, on a vast oak dresser, to the very roof. The latter had never
been under-drawn: its entire anatomy lay bare to an inquiring eye, except
where a frame of wood laden with oatcakes and clusters of legs of beef,
mutton, and ham, concealed it. Above the chimney were sundry villainous
old guns, and a couple of horse-pistols: and, by way of ornament, three
gaudily-painted canisters disposed along its ledge. The floor was of smooth,
white stone; the chairs, high-backed, primitive structures, painted green:
one or two heavy black ones lurking in the shade. In an arch under the dresser
reposed a huge, liver-coloured ***** pointer, surrounded by a swarm of squealing
puppies; and other dogs haunted other recesses.
The apartment and furniture would have been nothing extraordinary as belonging
to a homely, northern farmer, with a stubborn countenance, and stalwart
limbs set out to advantage in knee- breeches and gaiters. Such an individual
seated in his arm-chair, his mug of ale frothing on the round table before
him, is to be seen in any circuit of five or six miles among these hills,
if you go at the right time after dinner. But Mr. Heathcliff forms a singular
contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark-skinned gipsy in
aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as
many a country squire: rather slovenly, perhaps, yet not looking amiss with
his negligence, because he has an erect and handsome figure; and rather morose.
Possibly, some people might suspect him of a degree of under-bred pride;
I have a sympathetic chord within that tells me it is nothing of the sort:
I know, by instinct, his reserve springs from an aversion to showy displays
of feeling - to manifestations of mutual kindliness. He'll love and hate
equally under cover, and esteem it a species of impertinence to be loved
or hated again. No, I'm running on too fast: I bestow my own attributes
over-liberally on him. Mr. Heathcliff may have entirely dissimilar reasons
for keeping his hand out of the way when he meets a would-be acquaintance,
to those which actuate me. Let me hope my constitution is almost peculiar:
my dear mother used to say I should never have a comfortable home; and only
last summer I proved myself perfectly unworthy of one.
While enjoying a month of fine weather at the sea-coast, I was thrown into
the company of a most fascinating creature: a real goddess in my eyes, as
long as she took no notice of me. I 'never told my love' vocally; still,
if looks have language, the merest idiot might have guessed I was over head
and ears: she understood me at last, and looked a return - the sweetest of
all imaginable looks. And what did I do? I confess it with shame - shrunk
icily into myself, like a snail; at every glance retired colder and farther;
till finally the poor innocent was led to doubt her own senses, and, overwhelmed
with confusion at her supposed mistake, persuaded her mamma to decamp. By
this curious turn of disposition I have gained the reputation of deliberate
heartlessness; how undeserved, I alone can appreciate.
I took a seat at the end of the hearthstone opposite that towards which
my landlord advanced, and filled up an interval of silence by attempting
to caress the canine mother, who had left her nursery, and was sneaking
wolfishly to the back of my legs, her lip curled up, and her white teeth
watering for a snatch. My caress provoked a long, guttural gnarl.
'You'd better let the dog alone,' growled Mr. Heathcliff in unison, checking
fiercer demonstrations with a punch of his foot. 'She's not accustomed to
be spoiled - not kept for a pet.' Then, striding to a side door, he shouted
again, 'Joseph!'
Joseph mumbled indistinctly in the depths of the cellar, but gave no intimation
of ascending; so his master dived down to him, leaving me VIS-A-VIS the
ruffianly ***** and a pair of grim shaggy sheep-dogs, who shared with her
a jealous guardianship over all my movements. Not anxious to come in contact
with their fangs, I sat still; but, imagining they would scarcely understand
tacit insults, I unfortunately indulged in winking and making faces at the
trio, and some turn of my physiognomy so irritated madam, that she suddenly
broke into a fury and leapt on my knees. I flung her back, and hastened
to interpose the table between us. This proceeding aroused the whole hive:
half-a-dozen four-footed fiends, of various sizes and ages, issued from
hidden dens to the common centre. I felt my heels and coat-laps peculiar
subjects of assault; and parrying off the larger combatants as effectually
as I could with the poker, I was constrained to demand, aloud, assistance
from some of the household in re-establishing peace.
Mr. Heathcliff and his man climbed the cellar steps with vexatious phlegm:
I don't think they moved one second faster than usual, though the hearth
was an absolute tempest of worrying and yelping. Happily, an inhabitant
of the kitchen made more despatch: a lusty dame, with tucked-up gown, bare
arms, and fire-flushed cheeks, rushed into the midst of us flourishing a
frying-pan: and used that weapon, and her tongue, to such purpose, that
the storm subsided magically, and she only remained, heaving like a sea
after a high wind, when her master entered on the scene.
'What the devil is the matter?' he asked, eyeing me in a manner that I could
ill endure, after this inhospitable treatment.
'What the devil, indeed!' I muttered. 'The herd of possessed swine could
have had no worse spirits in them than those animals of yours, sir. You
might as well leave a stranger with a brood of tigers!'
'They won't meddle with persons who touch nothing,' he remarked, putting
the bottle before me, and restoring the displaced table. 'The dogs do right
to be vigilant. Take a glass of wine?'
'No, thank you.'
'Not bitten, are you?'
'If I had been, I would have set my signet on the biter.' Heathcliff's countenance
relaxed into a grin.
'Come, come,' he said, 'you are flurried, Mr. Lockwood. Here, take a little
wine. Guests are so exceedingly rare in this house that I and my dogs, I
am willing to own, hardly know how to receive them. Your health, sir?'
I bowed and returned the pledge; beginning to perceive that it would be
foolish to sit sulking for the mi*****ehaviour of a pack of curs; besides,
I felt loth to yield the fellow further amusement at my expense; since his
humour took that turn. He - probably swayed by prudential consideration of
the folly of offending a good tenant - relaxed a little in the laconic style
of chipping off his pronouns and auxiliary verbs, and introduced what he
supposed would be a subject of interest to me, - a discourse on the advantages
and disadvantages of my present place of retirement. I found him very intelligent
on the topics we touched; and before I went home, I was encouraged so far
as to volunteer another visit to-morrow. He evidently wished no repetition
of my intrusion. I shall go, notwithstanding. It is astonishing how sociable
I feel myself compared with him.
1) 生詞都能查到。
2) 作者介紹﹕Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Bronte? published in
1847. It was her only novel and written between December 1845 and July 1846.
It remained unpublished until July 1847 and was not printed until December
after the success of her sister Charlotte Bront?'s novel Jane Eyre. It was
finally printed under the pseudonym Ellis Bell; a posthumous second edition
was edited by Charlotte.
The title of the novel comes from the Yorkshire manor on the moors of the
story. The narrative centres on the all-encompassing, passionate but doomed
love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, and how this unresolved
passion eventually destroys them and many around them.
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