| So, from the very beginning, he bred bad feeling in the house; and at Mrs. Earnshaw’s death, which happened in less than two years after, the young master had learned to regard his father as an oppressor rather than a friend, and Heathcliff as a usurper of his parent’s affections and his privileges; and he grew bitter with brooding over these injuries. I sympathised a while; but when the children fell ill of the measles, and I had to tend them, and take on me the cares of a woman at once, I changed my idea. Heathcliff was dangerously sick; and while he lay at the worst he would have me constantly by his pillow: I suppose he felt I did a good deal for him, and he hadn’t wit to guess that I was compelled to do it. However, I will say this, he was the quietest child that ever nurse watched over. The difference between him and the others forced me to be less partial. Cathy and her brother harassed me terribly: he was as uncomplaining as a lamb; though hardness, not gentleness, made him give little trouble. He got through, and the doctor affirmed it was in a great measure owing to me, and praised me for my care. I was vain of his commendations, and softened towards the being by whose means I earned them, and thus Hindley lost his last ally: still I couldn’t dote on Heathcliff, and I wondered often what my master saw to admire so much in the sullen boy; who never, to my recollection, repaid his indulgence by any sign of gratitude. He was not insolent to his benefactor, he was simply insensible; though knowing perfectly the hold he had on his heart, and conscious he had only to speak and all the house would be obliged to bend to his wishes. As an instance, I remember Mr. Earnshaw once bought a couple of colts at the parish fair, and gave the lads each one. Heathcliff took the handsomest, but it soon fell lame, and when he discovered it, he said to Hindley— “You must exchange horses with me: I don’t like mine; and if you won’t I shall tell your father of the three thrashings you’ve given me this week, and show him my arm, which is black to the shoulder.” Hindley put out his tongue, and cuffed him over the ears. “You’d better do it at once,” he persisted, escaping to the porch (they were in the stable): “you will have to: and if I speak of these blows, you’ll get them again with interest.” “Off, dog!” cried Hindley, threatening him with an iron weight used for weighing potatoes and hay. “Throw it,” he replied, standing still, “and then I’ll tell how you boasted that you would turn me out of doors as soon as he died, and see whether he will not turn you out directly.” Hindley threw it, hitting him on the breast, and down he fell, but staggered up immediately, breathless and white; and, had not I prevented it, he would have gone just so to the master, and got full revenge by letting his condition plead for him, intimating who had caused it. “Take my colt, Gipsy, then!” said young Earnshaw. “And I pray that he may break your neck: take him, and be damned, you beggarly interloper! and wheedle my father out of all he has: only afterwards show him what you are, imp of Satan.—And take that, I hope he’ll kick out your brains!” Heathcliff had gone to loose the beast, and shift it to his own stall; he was passing behind it, when Hindley finished his speech by knocking him under its feet, and without stopping to examine whether his hopes were fulfilled, ran away as fast as he could. I was surprised to witness how coolly the child gathered himself up, and went on with his intention; exchanging saddles and all, and then sitting down on a bundle of hay to overcome the qualm which the violent blow occasioned, before he entered the house. I persuaded him easily to let me lay the blame of his bruises on the horse: he minded little what tale was told since he had what he wanted. He complained so seldom, indeed, of such stirs as these, that I really thought him not vindictive: I was deceived completely, as you will hear. | 所以从一开始，他就没给这家里带来好感。没过两年，俄韶太太去世了，这时小少爷已经体会到把他父亲看成压迫者而不是当朋友，而把黑思克里夫当作一个篡夺他父亲的情感和特权之人。他烦闷地想着这些委屈，心里越发觉得痛苦。有一阵我还同情少爷，但当孩子们都出麻疹时，我得照顾他们，担负起一个做女人的责任，我就改变想法了。黑思克里夫病得非常严重。他病得最厉害时，他总是要我常常守在他枕畔。我料想他是觉得我为他付出很多，还猜不出我是情非得已。无论如何，我得说——做保姆的从未照顾过像他这样安静的孩子。他与别的孩子不同，迫使我不得不少偏一点心。阚思和她哥哥把我磨得要命，他却像个羊羔似的没有丝毫抱怨——尽管他不够宽厚，冷酷麻木却令他并不给人添什么麻烦。 他活过来了，大夫肯定地说这得多亏了我，并且称赞我照顾得好。我因为他的赞赏而得意洋洋。因为照顾这个孩子而赢得赞赏，我对他也就变得心软了。就这样亨得利失去了他最后一个同盟者。不过我还是不能疼爱黑思克里夫，我常常很好奇在这郁郁寡欢的孩子身上，我的主人不知道看出哪一点会让他这么喜欢。根据我的记忆，这孩子可从来没有过任何感激的表示以报答他的宠爱。这孩子对他的恩人并非无礼，他只是无动于衷。尽管这孩子完全知道他在主人心中所占的位置，而且很明白只要他一开口，全家就不得不服从他的意愿。举个例子，我记得有一次老爷在教区的集市上买来一对小马，给他们一人一匹。黑思克里夫挑了那最漂亮的一匹，可是不久它跛了，当他一发现这种情况，他就对亨得利说： “你得和我换马。我不喜欢我那匹了。你要是不肯，我就告诉你爸爸，你这周打过我三次，还要把我的胳膊给他看，现在还一直发青，直到肩膀上都有呢。” 亨得利伸出舌头，又掴了他几个耳光。 “你最好现在就换，”他坚持着，逃到门廊上（他俩那会儿是在马号里）又坚持说： “你非换不可，要是我说出来你打我，你可要连本带息再挨一顿揍。” “滚开，你这狗东西！”亨得利大叫道，拿称土豆和干草的铁秤砣吓唬他。 “你扔啊，”他答道，站着不动，“我要告诉他，说你怎么吹牛，等他一死你就要把我赶出家门，看他会不会马上把你赶出去。” 亨得利真扔了，打在他的胸口，他倒了下去，可又马上踉跄地站起来，喘不上来气，脸也白了。要不是我上前阻止，他真要到主人跟前，只要把他当时的情况说明白，说出是谁惹的祸，那就会完全报了这个仇。 “吉普赛，把我的马牵走吧，”小俄韶说，“我但愿这匹马会把你的脖子跌断。把它牵走，你个挨刀的，你个讨吃要饭的流浪汉，把我爸爸所有一切都骗去吧。只是以后可别叫他看出你是什么东西，小魔鬼。你给我听好了——但愿我的小马把你的脑浆踢出来！” 黑思克里夫去解马缰绳，把它牵到自己的马号里去。他正走过马的身后，亨得利停止谩骂，上去把他打倒在马蹄下，也没有停下来查看一下他刚才所说的愿望是否已经实现，就快速跑掉了。我非常惊奇地看见黑思克里夫如何冷静地挣扎起来，继续做他要做的事——换好马鞍和其他要做的事情，然后在他进屋以前，先坐在一堆干草上，压一压刚才这重重的一拳所引起的恶心。我只是简单劝他说，把这些伤痕归罪于马——既然他已经得到他所想要的，编个故事撒个谎他也不在乎。的确他很少拿这类事情去告状，我原以为他不会记仇。我是完全被他蒙骗了，以后你就会知道我说这话的意思。 |
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