簡愛_1200字

Jane Eyre

　　Charlotte Bronte / 夏洛蒂 伯朗特

　　Part Three — A governess at Thornfield

　　17　

The wedding day

　　We had no friends or family to accompany us to the church. I had not told my Reed cousins about our wedding, but I had written to my uncle, John Eyre, in Madeira. Mr Rochester was in such a hurry that he only allowed me a short time to put on my wedding dress and veil.　

‘Jane, you look lovely, ’ he said. ‘But you can only have ten minutes for breakfast! ’ We almost ran up the road to the church, his strong hand holding mine. His dark face looked stern, and he did not speak. I did not notice the weather or my surroundings at all, I only wanted to know why he looked so fierce. Suddenly he noticed how pale I was, and stopped for a moment to let me get my breath back. Then we walked more slowly into the church.　

The priest and the clerk were waiting for us. There was nobody else except two strangers who were standing at the back of the church. The ceremony began, and soon I heard the priest come to the point in the wedding where he had to ask, ‘Is there any reason why these two people should not be married? ’　

The priest paused for a second, as was the custom, but before he could continue, a voice from the back of the church said clearly,　

‘There is a reason. ’　

The priest looked up from his book, and stood silent. Mr Rochester said in his deep voice, without turning his head, ‘Continue with the ceremony. ’　

Silence fell again. Then the priest shook his head. ‘I must investigate this first, ’ he said. One of the strangers from the back of the church came forward and said, calmly and quietly,　

‘This wedding cannot continue, because Mr Rochester is already married. ’　

I felt as if I had been hit. Mr Rochester’s whole face was like colourless marble. Without speaking or smiling, he was holding me tightly round the waist, as if he would never let go.　

‘Who are you? ’ he growled at the stranger. ‘And tell me what you know of this supposed wife of mine. ’

　　17. 婚禮

　　我們沒有朋友或家人陪伴去教堂。我沒有把婚禮的事告訴里德家的表姊妹，但給馬迪拉的約翰·愛舅舅寫了信。羅切斯特先生那麼心急，只給了我很短的時間讓我穿上結婚禮服、戴好面紗。　

“簡，你可愛極了。”他說，“不過你只有十分鐘吃早飯！”我們幾乎是跑着來到教堂，他有力的臂膀摟着我，深色的臉膛表情嚴肅，一語不發。我根本沒有注意到天氣和周圍的環境，只是納悶他為什麼看上去這麼嚴厲。突然他注意到我臉色發白，趕緊停了一下讓我喘口氣。然後，我們放慢腳步，走進教堂。　

牧師和執事正等着我們。除了教堂後面站着的兩個陌生人，再無他人。儀式開始了，很快牧師就進行到了婚禮中他必須問的一句：“有沒有理由說明這倆人不應結婚？”　

牧師照例停頓了一會兒，然而在他繼續之前，教堂後面傳來一個清晰的聲音：　

“是有一個理由。”　

牧師從書本中抬起頭來，靜靜地站着。羅切斯特先生沒有回頭，用他深沉的聲音說：“儀式繼續進行。”　

又是一陣沉默。然後，牧師搖着頭說：“我必須先調查一下。”其中一個陌生人從教堂後面走上前來，鎮靜地輕聲說：　

“婚禮不能繼續，因為羅切斯特先生已經結婚了。”　

我覺得自己像被猛擊了一下。羅切斯特先生的臉整個變成了無色的大理石。他既沒說話也沒有笑，只是緊緊摟着我的腰，好像永遠不想放手似的。　

“你是誰？”他沖陌生人吼道。“告訴我，關於我所謂的妻子你知道些什麼！”