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The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson, V.

V.

Fifty-five heads turned as if by clockwork, and fifty-five pairs of eyes were levelled at the small girl in the white apron who meekly followed Mrs. Gurley down the length of the dining-room. Laura crimsoned under the unexpected ordeal, and tried to fix her attention on the flouncing of Mrs. Gurley's dress. The room seemed hundreds of feet long, and not a single person at the tea-tables but took stock of her. The girls made no scruple of leaning backwards and forwards, behind and before their neighbours, in order to see her better, and even the governesses were not above having a look. All were standing. On Mrs. Gurley assigning Laura a place at her own right hand, Laura covered herself with confusion by taking her seat at once, before grace had been said, and before the fifty-five had drawn in their chairs with the noise of a cavalry brigade on charge. She stood up again immediately, but it was too late; an audible titter whizzed round the table: the new girl had sat down. For minutes after, Laura was lost in the pattern on her plate; and not till tongues were loosened and dishes being passed, did she venture to steal a glance round.

There were four tables, with a governess at the head and foot of each to pour out tea. It was more of a hall than a room and had high, church-like windows down one side. At both ends were scores of pigeon-holes. There was a piano in it and a fireplace; it had [P.45] pale blue walls, and only strips of carpet on the floor. At present it was darkish, for the windows did not catch the sun.

Laura was roused by a voice at her side; turning, she found her neighbour offering her a plate of bread.

"No, thank you," she said impulsively; for the bread was cut in chunks, and did not look inviting. But the girl nudged her on the sly. "You'd better take some," she whispered. Laura then saw that there was nothing else. But she saw, too, the smiles and signs that again flew round: the new girl had said no.

Humbly she accepted the butter and the cup of tea which were passed to her in turn, and as humbly ate the piece of rather stale bread. She felt forlornly miserable under the fire of all these unkind eyes, which took a delight in marking her slips: at the smallest further mischance she might disgrace herself by bursting out crying. Just at this moment, however, something impelled her to look up. Her vis-a-vis, whom she had as yet scarcely noticed, was staring hard. And now, to her great surprise, this girl winked at her, winked slowly and deliberately with the right eye. Laura was so discomposed that she looked away again at once, and some seconds elapsed before she was brave enough to take another peep. The wink was repeated.

It was a black-haired girl this time, a girl with small blue eyes, a pale, freckled skin, and large white teeth. What most impressed Laura, though, was her extraordinary gravity: she chewed away with a face as solemn as a parson's; and then just when you were least expecting it, came the wink. Laura was fascinated: she lay in wait for it beforehand and was doubtful whether to feel offended by it or to laugh at it. But at least it made her forget her mishaps, and did away with the temptation to cry.

When, however, Mrs. Gurley had given the signal, and the fifty-five had pushed back their chairs and set them to the table again with the same racket as before, Laura's position was a painful one. Everybody pushed, and talked, and laughed, in a hurry to leave the hall, and no one took any notice of her except to stare. After some indecision, she followed the rest through a door. Here she found herself on a verandah facing the grounds of the school. There was a long bench, on which several people were sitting: she took a modest seat at one end. Two of the younger governesses looked at her and laughed, and made a remark. She saw her room-mate, Lilith Gordon, arm in arm with a couple of companions. The winker of the tea-table turned out to be a girl of her own age, but of a broader make; she had fat legs, which were encased in thickly-ribbed black stockings. As she passed the bench she left the friend she was with, to come up to Laura and dig her in the ribs.

"DIDN'T she like her bread and butter, poor little thing?" she said. Laura shrank from the dig, which was rough; but she could not help smiling shyly at the girl, who looked good-natured. If only she had stayed and talked to her! But she was off and away, her arm round a comrade's neck. Besides herself, there was now only an elderly governess left, who was reading. She, Laura, in her solitude, was conspicuous to every eye. But at this juncture up came two rather rollicking older girls, one of whom was fair, with a red complexion. AS soon as their loud voices had driven the governess away, the smaller of the two, who had a pronounced squint, turned to Laura.

"Hullo, you kid," she said, "what's YOUR name?" Laura artlessly replied. She was dumbfounded by the storm of merriment that followed. Maria Morell, the fat girl, went purple, and had to be thumped on the back by her friend.

"Oh, my!" she gasped, when she had got her breath. "Oh, my ... hold me, some one, or I shall split! Oh, golly! Laura ... Tweedle ... Rambotham—Laura ... Tweedle ... Rambotham! ..." her voice tailed off again. "Gosh! Was there ever such a name?" She laughed till she could laugh no more, rocking backwards and forwards and from side to side; while her companion proceeded to make further inquiries.

"Where do you come from?" the squint demanded of Laura, in a business-like way.

Laura named the township, quaveringly. "What's your father?" "He's dead," answered the child. "Well, but I suppose he was alive once wasn't he, duffer? What was he before he was dead?" "A barrister." "What did he die of?" "Consumption." "How many servants do you keep?" "One." "How much have you got a year?" "I don't know." "How old are you?" "Twelve and a quarter." "Who made your dress?" "Mother." "Oh, I say, hang it, that's enough. Stop teasing the kid," said Maria Morell, when the laughter caused by the last admission had died away. But the squint spied a friend, ran to her, and there was a great deal of whispering and sniggering. Presently the pair came sauntering up and sat down; and after some artificial humming and hawing the newcomer began to talk, in a loud and fussy manner, about certain acquaintances of hers called Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Both the fat girl and the squint "split" with laughter. Laura sat with her hands locked one inside the other; there was no escape for her, for she did not know where to go. But when the third girl put the regulation question: "What's your name and what's your father?" she turned on her, with the courage of despair.

"What's yours?" she retorted hotly, at the same time not at all sure how the big girl might revenge herself. To her relief, the others burst out laughing at their friend's bafflement. "That's one for you, Kate Horner," said Maria with a chuckle. "Not bad for the kid.—Come on, Kid, will you have a walk round the garden?" "Oh yes, PLEASE," said Laura, reddening with pleasure; and there she was, arm in arm with her fat saviour, promenading the grounds like any other of the fifty-five. She assumed, as well as she could, an air of feeling at her ease even in the presence of the cold and curious looks that met her. The fat girl was protective, and Laura felt too grateful to her to take it amiss that every now and then she threw back her head and laughed anew, at the remembrance of Laura's patronymics; or that she still exchanged jokes about them with the other couple, when they met. But by this time half an hour had slipped away, and the girls were fast disappearing. Maria Morell loitered till the last minute, then said, she, too, must be off to 'stew'. Every one was hastening across the verandah laden with books, and disappearing down a corridor. Left alone, Laura made her way back to the dining-hall. Here some of the very young boarders were preparing their lessons, watched over by a junior governess. Laura lingered for a little, to see if no order were forthcoming, then diffidently approached the table and asked the governess if she would please tell her what to do.

"I'm sure I don't know," answered that lady, disinclined for responsibility. "You'd better ask Miss Chapman. Here, Maggie, show her where the study is." Laura followed the little girl over the verandah and down the corridor. At the end, the child pointed to a door, and on opening this Laura found herself in a very large brightly lighted room, where the boarders sat at two long tables with their books before them. Every head was raised at her entrance. In great embarrassment, she threaded her way to the more authoritative-looking of the governesses in charge, and proffered her request. It was not understood, and she had to repeat it.

"I'm sure I don't know," said Miss Day in her turn: she had stiff, black, wavy hair, a vivid colour, and a big, thick nose which made her profile resemble that of a horse. "Can't you twiddle your thumbs for a bit?—Oh well, if you're so desperately anxious for an occupation, you'd better ask Miss Chapman." The girls in the immediate neighbourhood laughed noiselessly, in a bounden-duty kind of way, at their superior's pleasantry, and Laura, feeling as though she had been hit, crossed to the other table. Miss Chapman, the head governess, was neither so hard-looking nor so brilliant as Miss Day. She even eyed Laura somewhat uneasily, meanwhile toying with a long gold chain, after the manner of the Lady Superintendent.

"Didn't Mrs. Gurley tell you what to do?" she queried. "I should think it likely she would. Oh well, if she didn't, I suppose you'd better bring your things downstairs. Yes ... and ask Miss Zielinski to give you a shelf." Miss Zielinski—she was the governess in the dining-hall—said: "Oh, very well," in the rather whiny voice that seemed natural to her, and went on reading. "Please, I don't think I know my way," ventured Laura. "Follow your nose and you'll find it!" said Miss Zielinski without looking up, and was forthwith wrapt in her novel again.

Once more Laura climbed the wide staircase: it was but dimly lighted, and the passages were in darkness. After a few false moves she found her room, saw that her box had been taken away, her books left lying [P.51] on a chair. But instead of picking them up, she threw herself on her bed and buried her face in the pillow. She did not dare to cry, for fear of making her eyes red, but she hugged the cool linen to her cheeks.

"I hate them all," she said passionately, speaking aloud to herself. "Oh, HOW I hate them! "—and wild schemes of vengeance flashed through her young mind. She did not even halt at poison or the knife: a big cake, sent by Mother, of which she invited all alike to partake, and into which she inserted a fatal poison, so that the whole school died like rabbits; or a nightly stabbing, a creeping from bed to bed in the dark, her penknife open in her hand...

But she had not lain thus for more than a very few minutes when steps came along the passage; and she had only just time to spring to her feet before one of the little girls appeared at the door.

"You're to come down at once." "Don't you know you're not ALLOWED to stay upstairs?" asked Miss Zielinski crossly. "What were you doing?" And as Laura did not reply: "What was she doing, Jessie?" "I don't know," said the child. "She was just standing there." And all the little girls laughed, after the manner of their elders.

Before Laura had finished arranging her belongings on the shelves that were assigned to her, some of the older girls began to drop in from the study. One unceremoniously turned over her books, which were lying on the table.

"Let's see what the kid's got." Now Laura was proud of her collection: it really made a great show; for a daughter of Godmother's had once attended the College, and her equipment had been handed down to Laura. "Why, you don't mean to say a kid like you's in the Second Principia already?" said a big girl, and held up, incredulously, Smith's black and red boards. "Wherever did YOU learn Latin?" In the reediest of voices Laura was forced to confess that she had never learnt Latin at all.

The girl eyed her in dubious amaze, then burst out laughing. "Oh, I say!" she called to a friend. "Here's a rum go. Here's this kid brings the Second Principia with her and doesn't know the First." Several others crowded round; and all found this divergence from the norm, from the traditional method of purchasing each book new and as it was needed, highly ridiculous. Laura, on her knees before her shelf, pretended to be busy; but she could not see what she was doing, for the mist that gathered in her eyes.

Just at this moment, however, in marched Maria Morell. "Here, I say, stop that!" she cried. "You're teasing that kid again. I won't have it. Here, come on, Kid—Laura Tweedledum come and sit by me for supper." For the second time, Laura was thankful to the fat girl. But as ill-luck would have it, Miss Chapman chanced to let her eyes stray in their direction; and having fingered her chain indecisively for a little, said: "It seems a pity, doesn't it, Miss Day, that that nice little girl should get in with that vulgar set?" Miss Chapman liked to have her opinions confirmed. But this was a weakness Miss Day did not pamper; herself strong-minded, she could afford to disregard Miss Chapman's foibles. So she went on with her book, and ignored the question. But Miss Zielinski, who lost no opportunity of making herself agreeable to those over her, said with foreign emphasis: "Yes, indeed it does." So Laura was summoned and made to sit down at the end of the room, close to the governesses and beside the very big girls—girls of eighteen and nineteen, who seemed older still to her, with their figures, and waists, and skirts that touched the ground.

Instinctively she felt that they resented her proximity. The biggest of all, a pleasant-faced girl with a kind smile, said on seeing her downcast air: "Poor little thing! Never mind." But when they talked among themselves they lowered their voices and cast stealthy glances at her, to see if she were listening.

Supper over, three chairs were set out in an exposed position; the big bell in the passage was lightly touched; everyone fetched a hymn-book, one with music in it being handed to Miss Chapman at the piano. The door opened to admit first Mrs. Gurley, then the Principal and his wife—a tall, fair gentleman in a long coat, and a sweet-faced lady, who wore a rose in her velvet dress.

"Let us sing in the hundred and fifty-seventh hymn," said the gentleman, who had a Grecian profile and a drooping, sandy moustache; and when Miss Chapman had played through the tune, the fifty-five, the governesses, the lady and gentleman rose to their feet and sang, with halting emphasis, of the Redeemer and His mercy, to Miss Chapman's accompaniment, which was as indecisive as her manner, the left hand dragging lamely along after the right. "Let us read in the third chapter of the Second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians." Everyone laid her hymn-book on the table and sat down to listen to Paul's words, which the sandy gentleman read to a continual nervous movement of the left leg. "Let us pray." Obeying the word, the fifty-five rose, faced about, and knelt to their chairs. It was an extempore prayer, and a long one, and Laura did not hear much of it; for the two big girls on her right kept up throughout a running conversation. Also, when it was about half over she was startled to hear Miss Zielinski say, in a shrill whisper: "Heavens! There's that mouse again," and audibly draw her skirts round her. Even Miss Chapman, praying to her piano-chair some distance off, had heard, and turned her head to frown rebuke.

The prayer at an end, Mr. and Mrs. Strachey bowed vaguely in several directions, shook hands with the governesses, and left the room. This was the signal for two of the teachers to advance with open Bibles.

"Here, little one, have you learned your verse?" whispered Laura's pleasant neighbour. Laura knew nothing of it; but the big girl lent her a Bible, and, since it was not a hard verse and every girl repeated it, it was quickly learned.

I WISDOM DWELL WITH PRUDENCE AND FIND OUT KNOWLEDGE OF WITTY INVENTIONS.

Told off in batches, they filed up the stairs. On the first landing stood Miss Day, watching with lynx-eyes to see that no books or eatables were smuggled to the bedrooms. In a strident voice she exhorted the noisy to silence, and the loiterers to haste.

Laura sped to her room. She was fortunate enough to find it still empty. Tossing off her clothes, she gabbled ardently through her own prayers, drew the blankets up over her head, and pretended to be asleep. Soon the lights were out and all was quiet. Then, with her face burrowed deep, so that not a sound could escape, she gave free play to her tears.

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V. V. V. V. V.

Fifty-five heads turned as if by clockwork, and fifty-five pairs of eyes were levelled at the small girl in the white apron who meekly followed Mrs. Gurley down the length of the dining-room. ||脑袋||仿佛|仿佛||钟表般||||||||对准了||||||||围裙||温顺地|||古尔利||||||| Пятьдесят пять голов повернулись, как часы, и пятьдесят пять пар глаз были устремлены на маленькую девочку в белом фартуке, которая кротко следовала за миссис Герли по всей столовой. Laura crimsoned under the unexpected ordeal, and tried to fix her attention on the flouncing of Mrs. Gurley's dress. |脸红了||||考验|||||||||裙边装饰|||古尔利的| The room seemed hundreds of feet long, and not a single person at the tea-tables but took stock of her. ||||||||||||||||||打量|| Комната казалась длиной в сотни футов, и ни один человек за чайным столиком не смотрел на нее. The girls made no scruple of leaning backwards and forwards, behind and before their neighbours, in order to see her better, and even the governesses were not above having a look. ||||顾虑||||||||||||||||||||女家庭教师|||||| Девушки без стеснения наклонялись вперед и назад, назад и вперед своих соседок, чтобы лучше видеть ее, и даже гувернантки не гнушались смотреть. All were standing. On Mrs. Gurley assigning Laura a place at her own right hand, Laura covered herself with confusion by taking her seat at once, before grace had been said, and before the fifty-five had drawn in their chairs with the noise of a cavalry brigade on charge. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||骑兵队伍|骑兵队伍|| Когда миссис Герли назначила Лоре место по правую руку от себя, Лора прикрыла себя от смущения, сев на свое место сразу же, до того, как была произнесена молитва и до того, как пятьдесят пять человек сели на свои стулья с шумом кавалерийской бригады. на зарядке. She stood up again immediately, but it was too late; an audible titter whizzed round the table: the new girl had sat down. |||||||||||可听见的||嗖嗖传开||||||||| Она тут же снова встала, но было уже поздно; по столу прокатился громкий смешок: новенькая села. For minutes after, Laura was lost in the pattern on her plate; and not till tongues were loosened and dishes being passed, did she venture to steal a glance round. |||||||||||||||舌头|||||||||冒险尝试||||| Через несколько минут Лора растворилась в узорах на своей тарелке; и только когда развязались языки и подали блюда, она осмелилась украдкой оглянуться.

There were four tables, with a governess at the head and foot of each to pour out tea. |||||||||||||||倒茶|| Там было четыре стола, и у изголовья и у подножия каждого стояла гувернантка, которая разливала чай. It was more of a hall than a room and had high, church-like windows down one side. |||||大厅|||||||教堂般的||||| At both ends were scores of pigeon-holes. На обоих концах было множество ячеек для ящиков. There was a piano in it and a fireplace; it had [P.45] pale blue walls, and only strips of carpet on the floor. At present it was darkish, for the windows did not catch the sun. ||||昏暗的||||||||

Laura was roused by a voice at her side; turning, she found her neighbour offering her a plate of bread. ||被唤醒|||||||||||||||||

"No, thank you," she said impulsively; for the bread was cut in chunks, and did not look inviting. |||||冲动地|||||||块||||| "Нет, спасибо," сказала она импульсивно; потому что хлеб был нарезан кусками и не выглядел привлекательно. But the girl nudged her on the sly. |||偷偷推了推||||偷偷地 "You'd better take some," she whispered. Laura then saw that there was nothing else. But she saw, too, the smiles and signs that again flew round: the new girl had said no. Но она также видела улыбки и знаки, которые снова летали вокруг: новенькая сказала «нет».

Humbly she accepted the butter and the cup of tea which were passed to her in turn, and as humbly ate the piece of rather stale bread. 谦卑地|||||||||||||||||||||||||| She felt forlornly miserable under the fire of all these unkind eyes, which took a delight in marking her slips: at the smallest further mischance she might disgrace herself by bursting out crying. ||孤独地|痛苦不堪|||||||||||||||||||||不幸事件||||||哭出来||哭起来 Just at this moment, however, something impelled her to look up. ||||||促使|||| Her vis-a-vis, whom she had as yet scarcely noticed, was staring hard. ||||||||||||凝视| And now, to her great surprise, this girl winked at her, winked slowly and deliberately with the right eye. ||||||||||||||故意地|||| Laura was so discomposed that she looked away again at once, and some seconds elapsed before she was brave enough to take another peep. |||不安的|||||||||||||||||||| The wink was repeated.

It was a black-haired girl this time, a girl with small blue eyes, a pale, freckled skin, and large white teeth. ||||||||||||||||雀斑的||||| What most impressed Laura, though, was her extraordinary gravity: she chewed away with a face as solemn as a parson's; and then just when you were least expecting it, came the wink. ||||||||庄重||||||||庄重|||牧师的|||||||||||| Но что больше всего поразило Лауру, так это ее необычайная серьезность: она жевала с лицом столь же торжественным, как у священника; а потом, когда вы меньше всего этого ожидали, подмигнул. Laura was fascinated: she lay in wait for it beforehand and was doubtful whether to feel offended by it or to laugh at it. ||着迷|||||||事先|||||||生气||||||| But at least it made her forget her mishaps, and did away with the temptation to cry. ||||||||不幸事件||||||||

When, however, Mrs. Gurley had given the signal, and the fifty-five had pushed back their chairs and set them to the table again with the same racket as before, Laura's position was a painful one. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||喧闹声|||||||| Everybody pushed, and talked, and laughed, in a hurry to leave the hall, and no one took any notice of her except to stare. |||||||||||||||||||||||盯着看 Все толкались, разговаривали и смеялись, торопясь покинуть зал, и никто не обращал на нее никакого внимания, кроме как пялился. After some indecision, she followed the rest through a door. ||犹豫不决||||||| Here she found herself on a verandah facing the grounds of the school. ||||||阳台|||场地||| There was a long bench, on which several people were sitting: she took a modest seat at one end. Two of the younger governesses looked at her and laughed, and made a remark. |||||||||||||评论 She saw her room-mate, Lilith Gordon, arm in arm with a couple of companions. The winker of the tea-table turned out to be a girl of her own age, but of a broader make; she had fat legs, which were encased in thickly-ribbed black stockings. |眨眼者||||||||||||||||||更宽的||||||||包裹着||||| Мигалкой за чайным столиком оказалась девушка ее возраста, но крупнее; у нее были толстые ноги, обтянутые черными чулками в толстую рубчик. As she passed the bench she left the friend she was with, to come up to Laura and dig her in the ribs. Проходя мимо скамейки, она оставила подругу, с которой была, чтобы подойти к Лауре и вонзить ей в ребра.

"DIDN'T she like her bread and butter, poor little thing?" she said. Laura shrank from the dig, which was rough; but she could not help smiling shyly at the girl, who looked good-natured. |退缩|||||||||||||害羞地||||||| Лора отшатнулась от раскопок, которые были тяжелыми; но она не могла не застенчиво улыбнуться девушке, которая выглядела добродушной. If only she had stayed and talked to her! But she was off and away, her arm round a comrade's neck. ||||||||||同志的|脖子 Besides herself, there was now only an elderly governess left, who was reading. She, Laura, in her solitude, was conspicuous to every eye. ||||孤独||显眼的||| But at this juncture up came two rather rollicking older girls, one of whom was fair, with a red complexion. |||此时此刻|||||嬉闹的|||||||||||红润肤色 Но в этот момент подошли две довольно шумные девушки постарше, одна из которых была светловолосой, с румянцем. AS soon as their loud voices had driven the governess away, the smaller of the two, who had a pronounced squint, turned to Laura. ||||||||||||||||||||斜视||| Как только их громкие голоса отогнали гувернантку, меньшая из двоих, у которой было ярко выраженное косоглазие, повернулась к Лауре.

"Hullo, you kid," she said, "what's YOUR name?" Laura artlessly replied. |劳拉天真地回答。| She was dumbfounded by the storm of merriment that followed. ||目瞪口呆|||||欢笑|| Maria Morell, the fat girl, went purple, and had to be thumped on the back by her friend. |||||||||||拍打||||||

"Oh, my!" she gasped, when she had got her breath. |喘息|||||| "Oh, my ... hold me, some one, or I shall split! Oh, golly! О боже! Laura ... Tweedle ... Rambotham—Laura ... Tweedle ... Rambotham! |特威德尔|||特威德尔|兰博瑟姆 ..." her voice tailed off again. ||消失|| "Gosh! 天哪! Was there ever such a name?" She laughed till she could laugh no more, rocking backwards and forwards and from side to side; while her companion proceeded to make further inquiries. |||||||||||||||||||同伴|继续||||询问 Она смеялась, пока не могла больше смеяться, покачиваясь взад-вперед и из стороны в сторону; в то время как ее спутник продолжал делать дальнейшие запросы.

"Where do you come from?" the squint demanded of Laura, in a business-like way. ||要求||||||| — деловито спросил прищур Лауры.

Laura named the township, quaveringly. |||劳拉颤抖地说出了镇名。|颤抖地 "What's your father?" "He's dead," answered the child. "Well, but I suppose he was alive once wasn't he, duffer? ||||||||||笨蛋 What was he before he was dead?" "A barrister." |律师 "What did he die of?" "Consumption." 消费 "How many servants do you keep?" "One." "How much have you got a year?" "I don't know." "How old are you?" "Twelve and a quarter." |||四分之一 "Who made your dress?" "Mother." "Oh, I say, hang it, that's enough. |||算了吧||| Stop teasing the kid," said Maria Morell, when the laughter caused by the last admission had died away. |取笑|||||||||||||承认||| But the squint spied a friend, ran to her, and there was a great deal of whispering and sniggering. ||||||||||||||||||窃笑 Presently the pair came sauntering up and sat down; and after some artificial humming and hawing the newcomer began to talk, in a loud and fussy manner, about certain acquaintances of hers called Tweedledum and Tweedledee. ||||漫步|||||||||||犹豫不决||||||||||大惊小怪|大声且忙乱|||熟人||||特威德勒姆|| Вскоре подошла пара, неторопливо подошла и села; и после некоторого искусственного мычания и бормотания вошедшая начала громко и суетливо рассказывать о некоторых своих знакомых, которых звали Траляля и Траляля. Both the fat girl and the squint "split" with laughter. И толстушка, и косоглазый «лопнули» от смеха. Laura sat with her hands locked one inside the other; there was no escape for her, for she did not know where to go. Лора сидела, сцепив руки одна в другой; ей не было спасения, ибо она не знала, куда идти. But when the third girl put the regulation question: "What's your name and what's your father?" Но когда третья девушка задала регламентный вопрос: "Как тебя зовут и кто твой отец?" she turned on her, with the courage of despair. ||||||||绝望之勇 она повернулась на нее, с мужеством отчаяния.

"What's yours?" she retorted hotly, at the same time not at all sure how the big girl might revenge herself. — горячо возразила она, в то же время совершенно не зная, как большая девочка может отомстить за себя. To her relief, the others burst out laughing at their friend's bafflement. |||||爆发笑声||||||困惑 К ее облегчению, остальные расхохотались над сбитым с толку другом. "That's one for you, Kate Horner," said Maria with a chuckle. ||||||||||轻笑 «Это для тебя, Кейт Хорнер», — усмехнулась Мария. "Not bad for the kid.—Come on, Kid, will you have a walk round the garden?" — Неплохо для малыша. Пойдем, Малыш, прогуляешься по саду? "Oh yes, PLEASE," said Laura, reddening with pleasure; and there she was, arm in arm with her fat saviour, promenading the grounds like any other of the fifty-five. |||||脸红|||||||||||||救世主|散步||||||||| "О да, ПОЖАЛУЙСТА," сказала Лаура, краснея от удовольствия; И вот она была, рука об руку со своим толстым спасителем, прогуливаясь по территории, как и любой другой из пятидесяти пяти. She assumed, as well as she could, an air of feeling at her ease even in the presence of the cold and curious looks that met her. Она старалась, насколько могла, вести себя непринужденно даже в присутствии холодных и любопытных взглядов, встречавших ее. The fat girl was protective, and Laura felt too grateful to her to take it amiss that every now and then she threw back her head and laughed anew, at the remembrance of Laura's patronymics; or that she still exchanged jokes about them with the other couple, when they met. ||||保护的|||||感激||||||见怪|||||||||||||重新||||||父姓名字||||||||||||||| Толстушка защищала, и Лора была слишком благодарна ей, чтобы не принимать ее в обиду за то, что она время от времени запрокидывала голову и снова смеялась при воспоминании об отчестве Лауры; или что она все еще шутила о них с другой парой, когда они встречались. But by this time half an hour had slipped away, and the girls were fast disappearing. Maria Morell loitered till the last minute, then said, she, too, must be off to 'stew'. ||徘徊|||||||||||||炖煮食物 Мария Морель проторчала до последней минуты, а потом сказала, что и она, должно быть, идет «тушить». Every one was hastening across the verandah laden with books, and disappearing down a corridor. |||匆忙行走|||||||||||走廊 Left alone, Laura made her way back to the dining-hall. Here some of the very young boarders were preparing their lessons, watched over by a junior governess. ||||||寄宿生|||||||||| Laura lingered for a little, to see if no order were forthcoming, then diffidently approached the table and asked the governess if she would please tell her what to do. |逗留||||||||||即将到来||||||||||||||||||

"I'm sure I don't know," answered that lady, disinclined for responsibility. ||||||||不愿意|| "You'd better ask Miss Chapman. Here, Maggie, show her where the study is." Laura followed the little girl over the verandah and down the corridor. At the end, the child pointed to a door, and on opening this Laura found herself in a very large brightly lighted room, where the boarders sat at two long tables with their books before them. Every head was raised at her entrance. In great embarrassment, she threaded her way to the more authoritative-looking of the governesses in charge, and proffered her request. ||尴尬之中||穿过||||||权威的|有威严的|||||||提出了|| В большом смущении она пробралась к более авторитетному виду гувернанток и предложила свою просьбу. It was not understood, and she had to repeat it.

"I'm sure I don't know," said Miss Day in her turn: she had stiff, black, wavy hair, a vivid colour, and a big, thick nose which made her profile resemble that of a horse. |||||||||||||僵硬的||波浪形的|||鲜艳的||||||||||侧面轮廓|像极了|||| "Can't you twiddle your thumbs for a bit?—Oh well, if you're so desperately anxious for an occupation, you'd better ask Miss Chapman." ||摆弄拇指|||||||||||||||工作||||| — Не могли бы вы немного поболтать? Ну, если вы так отчаянно ищете занятие, вам лучше спросить у мисс Чепмен. The girls in the immediate neighbourhood laughed noiselessly, in a bounden-duty kind of way, at their superior's pleasantry, and Laura, feeling as though she had been hit, crossed to the other table. ||||直接的|||无声地|||义不容辞的|职责||||||||||||||||||||| Соседские девицы беззвучно, по-обязанному, смеялись над шутками начальника, а Лора, чувствуя себя так, словно ее ударили, подошла к другому столику. Miss Chapman, the head governess, was neither so hard-looking nor so brilliant as Miss Day. Мисс Чепмен, старшая гувернантка, не была ни такой суровой, ни такой блестящей, как мисс Дэй. She even eyed Laura somewhat uneasily, meanwhile toying with a long gold chain, after the manner of the Lady Superintendent. ||打量着|||不安地||摆弄|||||||||||| Она даже смотрела на Лору с некоторым беспокойством, тем временем играя с длинной золотой цепочкой, как леди-суперинтендант.

"Didn't Mrs. Gurley tell you what to do?" she queried. "I should think it likely she would. Oh well, if she didn't, I suppose you'd better bring your things downstairs. Yes ... and ask Miss Zielinski to give you a shelf." ||||齐林斯基|||||架子 Да... и попросите мисс Зелински дать вам полку. Miss Zielinski—she was the governess in the dining-hall—said: "Oh, very well," in the rather whiny voice that seemed natural to her, and went on reading. |||||||||||||||||爱发牢骚的|||||||||| Мисс Зелински — она была гувернанткой в столовой — сказала: «О, очень хорошо» довольно плаксивым голосом, который показался ей естественным, и продолжила чтение. "Please, I don't think I know my way," ventured Laura. ||||||||试探地说| "Пожалуйста, я не думаю, что я знаю свой путь," отважилась Лора. "Follow your nose and you'll find it!" said Miss Zielinski without looking up, and was forthwith wrapt in her novel again. ||||||||立即|全神贯注||||

Once more Laura climbed the wide staircase: it was but dimly lighted, and the passages were in darkness. ||||||楼梯||||昏暗地||||||| After a few false moves she found her room, saw that her box had been taken away, her books left lying [P.51] on a chair. После нескольких неверных движений она нашла свою комнату, увидела, что ее коробку унесли, а книги оставили лежать [с.51] на стуле. But instead of picking them up, she threw herself on her bed and buried her face in the pillow. She did not dare to cry, for fear of making her eyes red, but she hugged the cool linen to her cheeks.

"I hate them all," she said passionately, speaking aloud to herself. ||||||激动地|||| "Oh, HOW I hate them! "—and wild schemes of vengeance flashed through her young mind. "... и дикие планы мести пронеслись в ее юном уме. She did not even halt at poison or the knife: a big cake, sent by Mother, of which she invited all alike to partake, and into which she inserted a fatal poison, so that the whole school died like rabbits; or a nightly stabbing, a creeping from bed to bed in the dark, her penknife open in her hand... ||||停下|||||||||||||||||||分享|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||小刀|||| Она не остановилась даже перед ядом или ножом: большой пирог, присланный матерью, от которого она пригласила всех поровну отведать и в который вложила смертельный яд, так что вся школа умерла, как кролики; или ночная поножовщина, ползание от кровати к постели в темноте с раскрытым перочинным ножом в руке...

But she had not lain thus for more than a very few minutes when steps came along the passage; and she had only just time to spring to her feet before one of the little girls appeared at the door. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||跳起来||||||||||||| Но не пролежала она так и нескольких минут, как в коридоре послышались шаги; и только успела она вскочить на ноги, как в дверях появилась одна из девчонок.

"You're to come down at once." "Don't you know you're not ALLOWED to stay upstairs?" — Разве ты не знаешь, что тебе НЕ РАЗРЕШЕНО оставаться наверху? asked Miss Zielinski crossly. |||生气地 "What were you doing?" And as Laura did not reply: "What was she doing, Jessie?" И поскольку Лора не ответила: "Что она делала, Джесси?" "I don't know," said the child. "She was just standing there." And all the little girls laughed, after the manner of their elders.

Before Laura had finished arranging her belongings on the shelves that were assigned to her, some of the older girls began to drop in from the study. |||||||||架子上||||||||||||||||| Не успела Лаура расставить свои вещи на отведенных ей полках, как из кабинета стали заглядывать несколько старших девочек. One unceremoniously turned over her books, which were lying on the table. |不客气地||||||||||

"Let's see what the kid's got." Now Laura was proud of her collection: it really made a great show; for a daughter of Godmother's had once attended the College, and her equipment had been handed down to Laura. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||传给||| Теперь Лора гордилась своей коллекцией: она действительно произвела фурор; поскольку дочь крестной когда-то посещала Колледж, и ее оборудование было передано Лоре. "Why, you don't mean to say a kid like you's in the Second Principia already?" |||||||||||||第二原理| «Почему, ты же не хочешь сказать, что такой ребенок, как ты, уже во Вторых принципах?» said a big girl, and held up, incredulously, Smith's black and red boards. |||||||难以置信地||||| "Wherever did YOU learn Latin?" In the reediest of voices Laura was forced to confess that she had never learnt Latin at all. ||最尖细的||||||||||||||| Слабым голосом Лауре пришлось признаться, что она вообще никогда не учила латыни.

The girl eyed her in dubious amaze, then burst out laughing. |||||怀疑的||||| Девушка посмотрела на нее с сомнительным изумлением, а потом расхохоталась. "Oh, I say!" she called to a friend. "Here's a rum go. ||奇怪| "А вот и ром. Here's this kid brings the Second Principia with her and doesn't know the First." Вот эта девчонка приносит с собой Вторые Принципы и не знает Первых». Several others crowded round; and all found this divergence from the norm, from the traditional method of purchasing each book new and as it was needed, highly ridiculous. ||||||||偏离常规|||常规|||||||||||||||| Несколько других столпились вокруг; и все находили это отклонение от нормы, от традиционного способа покупать каждую книгу новой и по мере надобности в высшей степени смешным. Laura, on her knees before her shelf, pretended to be busy; but she could not see what she was doing, for the mist that gathered in her eyes. ||||||||||||||||||||||雾气||||| Лаура, стоя на коленях перед полкой, делала вид, что занята; но она не могла видеть, что она делала, из-за тумана, который собрался в ее глазах.

Just at this moment, however, in marched Maria Morell. ||||||走进来了|| "Here, I say, stop that!" she cried. "You're teasing that kid again. I won't have it. Here, come on, Kid—Laura Tweedledum come and sit by me for supper." ||||||||||||晚餐 Давай, Малыш, Лаура Труляля, иди ко мне ужинать». For the second time, Laura was thankful to the fat girl. But as ill-luck would have it, Miss Chapman chanced to let her eyes stray in their direction; and having fingered her chain indecisively for a little, said: "It seems a pity, doesn't it, Miss Day, that that nice little girl should get in with that vulgar set?" ||||||||||||||走神|||||||||犹豫不决地|||||||||||||||||||||||粗俗的| Но, как назло, мисс Чепмен случайно бросила взгляд в их сторону; и, нерешительно потрогав ее цепочку, сказала: "Жалко, не правда ли, мисс Дэй, что эта хорошенькая девочка влезла в этот вульгарный набор?" Miss Chapman liked to have her opinions confirmed. But this was a weakness Miss Day did not pamper; herself strong-minded, she could afford to disregard Miss Chapman's foibles. |||||||||纵容||||||||忽视|||小缺点 Но это была слабость, которую мисс Дэй не баловала; будучи сильной духом, она могла позволить себе не обращать внимания на слабости мисс Чепмен. So she went on with her book, and ignored the question. Поэтому она продолжила свою книгу и проигнорировала вопрос. But Miss Zielinski, who lost no opportunity of making herself agreeable to those over her, said with foreign emphasis: "Yes, indeed it does." ||||||||||讨人喜欢|||||||||||| Но мисс Зелински, которая не упускала возможности сделать себя приятной для тех, кто был над ней, сказала с иностранным акцентом: «Да, действительно так». So Laura was summoned and made to sit down at the end of the room, close to the governesses and beside the very big girls—girls of eighteen and nineteen, who seemed older still to her, with their figures, and waists, and skirts that touched the ground. |||召唤|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||腰身|||||| Итак, Лауру позвали и усадили в конце комнаты, поближе к гувернанткам и рядом с очень крупными девушками — девушками восемнадцати и девятнадцати лет, которые казались ей еще старше, с их фигурами, талией и юбками, которые казались ей старше. коснулся земли.

Instinctively she felt that they resented her proximity. 本能地|||||反感||接近 Инстинктивно она чувствовала, что они возмущены ее близостью. The biggest of all, a pleasant-faced girl with a kind smile, said on seeing her downcast air: "Poor little thing! ||||||||||||||||沮丧的样子|||| Самая большая, миловидная девушка с доброй улыбкой, увидев ее поникший вид, сказала: «Бедняжка! Never mind." But when they talked among themselves they lowered their voices and cast stealthy glances at her, to see if she were listening.

Supper over, three chairs were set out in an exposed position; the big bell in the passage was lightly touched; everyone fetched a hymn-book, one with music in it being handed to Miss Chapman at the piano. |||||||||||||||||||||取来||赞美诗|||||||||||||| После ужина три стула были выставлены на открытое место; слегка коснулись большого колокола в коридоре; все принесли сборники гимнов, один с нотами вручили мисс Чепмен за роялем. The door opened to admit first Mrs. Gurley, then the Principal and his wife—a tall, fair gentleman in a long coat, and a sweet-faced lady, who wore a rose in her velvet dress. ||||允许进入|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||天鹅绒| Дверь открылась и впустила сначала миссис Герли, затем директора и его жену — высокого светловолосого джентльмена в длинном пальто и миловидную даму с розой в бархатном платье.

"Let us sing in the hundred and fifty-seventh hymn," said the gentleman, who had a Grecian profile and a drooping, sandy moustache; and when Miss Chapman had played through the tune, the fifty-five, the governesses, the lady and gentleman rose to their feet and sang, with halting emphasis, of the Redeemer and His mercy, to Miss Chapman's accompaniment, which was as indecisive as her manner, the left hand dragging lamely along after the right. ||||||||||||||||希腊式的||||下垂的|沙色的|胡子||||||||||||||||||||||||唱了||犹豫不决||||救赎者|||||||伴奏||||犹豫不决|||||||拖拽|无力地|||| "Давайте споем сто пятьдесят седьмой гимн," сказал джентльмен, у которого был греческий профиль и обвисшие, песочные усы; и когда мисс Чепмен доиграла мелодию, пятьдесят пять, гувернантки, леди и джентльмен поднялись на ноги и с запинающимся акцентом запели об Искупителе и Его милости под аккомпанемент мисс Чепмен, который был таким же нерешительным, как и ее манера, левая рука с трудом волочится за правой. "Let us read in the third chapter of the Second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians." ||||||||||书信|||||帖撒罗尼迦人 Everyone laid her hymn-book on the table and sat down to listen to Paul's words, which the sandy gentleman read to a continual nervous movement of the left leg. Все положили ее сборник псалмов на стол и сели слушать слова Поля, которые песчаный джентльмен читал под непрерывное нервное движение левой ноги. "Let us pray." Obeying the word, the fifty-five rose, faced about, and knelt to their chairs. 服从||||||||||跪下||| Повинуясь слову, пятьдесят пять встали, обернулись и опустились на колени к своим стульям. It was an extempore prayer, and a long one, and Laura did not hear much of it; for the two big girls on her right kept up throughout a running conversation. |||即兴的||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Это была импровизированная молитва, и длинная, и Лора почти ничего не слышала; потому что две большие девочки справа от нее продолжали разговор. Also, when it was about half over she was startled to hear Miss Zielinski say, in a shrill whisper: "Heavens! |||||||||吃惊|||||||||| Кроме того, когда было уже около половины, она была поражена, услышав, как мисс Зелински сказала пронзительным шепотом: «Боже мой! There's that mouse again," and audibly draw her skirts round her. |||||出声地||||| Even Miss Chapman, praying to her piano-chair some distance off, had heard, and turned her head to frown rebuke. ||||||||||||||||||皱眉责备|责备

The prayer at an end, Mr. and Mrs. Strachey bowed vaguely in several directions, shook hands with the governesses, and left the room. ||||||||斯特雷奇|鞠躬|含糊地||||握了手|||||||| По окончании молитвы мистер и миссис Стрейчи неопределенно поклонились в нескольких направлениях, пожали руки гувернанткам и вышли из комнаты. This was the signal for two of the teachers to advance with open Bibles.

"Here, little one, have you learned your verse?" |||||||诗句 whispered Laura's pleasant neighbour. Laura knew nothing of it; but the big girl lent her a Bible, and, since it was not a hard verse and every girl repeated it, it was quickly learned. |||||||||借给|||||||||||||||||||| Лаура ничего об этом не знала; но старшая девочка одолжила ей Библию, и так как это был несложный стих, и каждая девочка повторяла его, то его быстро выучили.

I WISDOM DWELL WITH PRUDENCE AND FIND OUT KNOWLEDGE OF WITTY INVENTIONS. |智慧|居住||谨慎||||知识||机智的|巧妙发明 Я МУДРОСТЬ ЖИВУТ С БЛАГОРАЗУМНОСТЬЮ И ОБНАРУЖИВАЮ ЗНАНИЕ ОСТРОВНЫХ ВЫТЯЖЕНИЙ.

Told off in batches, they filed up the stairs. 批评|||||||| Отчитавшись партиями, они поднялись по лестнице. On the first landing stood Miss Day, watching with lynx-eyes to see that no books or eatables were smuggled to the bedrooms. |||楼梯平台||||||猫头鹰般||||||||食物||偷带||| In a strident voice she exhorted the noisy to silence, and the loiterers to haste. ||刺耳的|||劝告|||||||闲逛者||赶快 Резким голосом она увещевала шумных замолчать, а праздношатающихся поторопиться.

Laura sped to her room. |飞奔||| She was fortunate enough to find it still empty. ||幸运|||||| Ей посчастливилось найти его пустым. Tossing off her clothes, she gabbled ardently through her own prayers, drew the blankets up over her head, and pretended to be asleep. 脱掉||||||热切地|||||||||||||||| Soon the lights were out and all was quiet. Then, with her face burrowed deep, so that not a sound could escape, she gave free play to her tears. ||||埋进|||||||||||||||