英语听力：简·爱 03. My first impressions of school

　　3 My first impressions of school

　　Mrs Reed 1 arranged for me to leave on the nineteenth of January．I had to get up very early to catch the coach，but Bessie helped me to get ready．

　　'Will you say goodbye to Mrs Reed，Jane？'she asked．

　　'No，she said I shouldn't disturb her so early．Anyway，I don't want to say anything to her．She's always hated me．'

　　'Oh，Miss Jane，don't say that！'

　　'Goodbye to Gateshead！'I shouted wildly，as we walked together out of the front door，to wait for the coach in the road．It arrived，pulled by four horses，and full of passengers．The coachman took my luggage and called me to hurry up．Bessie kissed me for the last time as I held tightly 2 to her．

　　She shouted up to the coachman，'Make sure you take care of her！Fifty miles is a long way for a young child to go alone．'

　　'I will！'he answered．The door was closed，and the coach rolled off．What a strange feeling to be leaving Gateshead，my home for the whole of my childhood！Although I was sad to say goodbye to Bessie，I was both excited and nervous about the new place I would see，and the new people I would meet．

　　I do not remember much about the journey，except that it seemed far too long．We stopped for lunch，to change the horses．Then in the afternoon I realized we were driving through countryside．I slept for a short time but was woken when the coach stopped．The door opened and a servant called in，

　　'Is there a little girl called Jane Eyre here？'

　　'Yes，'I answered，and was helped out of the coach with my luggage．Tired and confused after the journey，I followed the servant into a large building，where she left me in a sitting-room 3．In came a tall lady，with dark hair and eyes，and a large，pale forehead．I discovered that she was Miss Temple，the headmistress of Lowood school．She looked at me carefully．

　　'You are very young to be sent alone．You look tired．Are you？'she asked，putting her hand kindly 4 on my shoulder．

　　'A little，ma'am，'I replied．

　　'How old are you，and what is your name？'

　　'I'm Jane Eyre，ma'am，and I'm ten years old．'

　　'Well，I hope you will be a good child at school，'she said，touching my cheek gently with her finger．

　　I was taken by a teacher，Miss Miller 5，through the silent corridors 6 of the large school，to the long，wide schoolroom．There about eighty girls，aged from nine to twenty，sat doing their homework．I sat on a bench near the door，with my slate 7．

　　'Put away the lesson-books and fetch the supper-trays 8！'called Miss Miller．Four tall girls removed all the books，then went out and returned with trays which were handed round．Each child could have a drink of water out of the shared cup，and could take a small piece of biscuit．Then we all went quietly upstairs to the long，crowded bedroom，where two children shared every bed．I had to share Miss Miller's，but I was so tired that I fell asleep immediately．

　　In the morning the ringing of a bell woke me，although it was still dark．I got dressed quickly in the bitter cold of the room，and washed when I could．There was only one basin for six girls．When the bell rang again，we all went downstairs，two by two，and silently entered the cold，badly lit schoolroom for prayers．As the bell rang a third time to indicate the beginning of lessons，the girls moved into four groups around four tables，and the teachers came into the room to start the Bible 9 class．I was put in the bottom class．How glad I was when it was time for breakfast！I had hardly eaten anything the day before．But the only food served to us was porridge，which was burnt．It was so disgusting that we could not eat it，so we left the dining-room with empty stomachs．After breakfast came the one happy moment of the day，when the pupils could play and talk freely 10．We all complained bitterly about the uneatable breakfast．Lessons started again at nine o'clock and finished at twelve，when Miss Temple stood up to speak to the whole school．

　　'Girls，this morning you had a breakfast which you couldn't eat．You must be hungry，so I have ordered a lunch of bread and cheese for you all．'The teachers looked at her in surprise．

　　'Don't worry，I take responsibility for it，'she told them．

　　We were delighted，and all rushed out into the garden to eat our lunch．Nobody had taken any notice of me so far，but I did not mind that．I stood alone outside，watching some of the stronger girls playing，trying to forget the bitter cold，and thinking about my life．Gateshead and the Reed family seemed a long way away．I was not yet used to school life．And what sort of future could I look forward to？

　　As I wondered，I saw a girl near me reading a book．I felt brave enough to speak to her，since I too liked reading．

　　'Is your book interesting？What is it about？'I asked．

　　'Well，I like it，'she said after a pause，looking at me．'Here，have a look at it．'I glanced quickly at it but found it too difficult to understand，so I gave it back．

　　'What sort of school is this？'I asked．

　　'It's called Lowood school．It's a charity school．We're all charity children，you see．I expect your parents are dead，aren't they？All the girls here have lost either one or both parents．'

　　'Don't we pay anything？Is the school free？'I asked．

　　'We pay，or our relations pay，￡ 15 a year for each of us．That isn't enough，so some kind ladies and gentlemen in London pay the rest．That's why it's called a charity school．'

　　'Who is Mr Brocklehurst？'was my next question．

　　'His mother built this part of the school．He's the manager，and looks after all financial matters．He lives in a large house near here．'

　　I did not see her again until during the afternoon lessons，when I noticed that she had been sent to stand alone in the middle of the schoolroom．I could not imagine what she had done to deserve 11 such a punishment，but she did not look ashamed or unhappy．She was lost in thought，and did not seem to notice that everyone was looking at her．

　　'If that happened to me，'I thought，'I would be so embarrassed！'

　　After lessons we had a small cup of coffee and half a piece of brown bread，then half an hour's play，then homework．Finally，after the evening biscuit and drink of water，we said prayers and went to bed．That was my first day at Lowood．

　　3 我对学校的第一印象

　　里德太太安排我在1月19日离开。为了赶上马车，我必须起个大早，贝茜帮助我做好了准备。

　　她问：“简，你去向里德太太道别吗？”

　　“不了，她说不让我这么早打扰她。反正我也不想和她说话。她一向恨我的。”

　　“噢，简小姐，别这么说。”

　　“盖茨赫德，再见了！”我大声喊着。我们一起走出前门，在路边等车。车来了，四匹马拉着，挤满了乘客。车夫接过我的行李，让我赶紧上车。我紧抱着贝茜，她吻了我最后一次。

　　她对车夫喊着：“你一定要好好照顾她。小孩子孤身一人，50英里路太远了。”

　　“我会的。”车夫答道。门关上了，马车继续前行。离开盖茨赫德的感觉真奇怪，这是我整个童年的家呀！和贝茜告别让我很难过，但想到我要去新的地方，见到新的人，我就又激动又害怕。

　　路上的事我已记不太清了，只觉得旅途实在太长了。我们停下来吃中饭、换马匹。下午，我意识到我们正在穿越乡村。我睡了一会儿，车停下我便醒了。门开了，一个仆人叫道：

　　“有没有叫简·爱的女孩？”

　　“有。”我答道，大家帮我下车，并取了行李。由于旅途劳累，昏头昏脑的我随着仆人走进一幢大房子，她让我等在起居室里。一位高高的女士走了进来，她黑发黑眼睛，前额宽阔、苍白。我得知她是丹伯尔小姐，洛伍德学校的女学监，她仔细端详着我。

　　“你一人上路还年龄太小，你看上去累了。累吗？”她问，一只手亲切地搭在我肩上。

　　“有一点儿，太太。”我答道。

　　“你多大了？叫什么名字？”

　　“我叫简·爱，10岁了。”

　　“好啊，我希望你在学校是个好孩子。”她说着用手指轻轻摸着我的脸颊。

　　我被一位叫米勒小姐的教师带着，穿过这座大学校寂静的走廊，来到又长又宽的教室。那儿大约有80个女孩，年龄从9岁至20岁不等，都坐在那儿写作业。我夹着石板，坐在靠近门口的一张长凳上。

　　米勒小姐喊道：“放下书本，去取晚餐盘子。”四个高个女孩收拾起所有的课本，然后出去取来了盘子，一个个传递下去。每个孩子可以喝点儿水，吃一小块儿饼干。然后我们都静静地上楼，来到狭长、拥挤的寝室。每两个孩子共用一张床。我只能和米勒小姐同住，但是我实在太累了，马上就睡着了。

　　早晨，尽管外面天还黑着，铃声就把我叫醒了。屋里很冷，我赶紧穿好衣服，然后找机会洗漱。六个女孩只有一只盆。铃声再次响起时，我们一对一对地下楼，静静地走进寒冷、阴暗的教室祈祷。第三遍铃响表示开始上课。姑娘们分成四组，分别围着四张桌子坐好，老师们走进来开始上《圣经》课。我被编入最低班。早餐时间一到，我真是高兴极了。前一天我几乎什么也没吃，可是我们得到的唯一的食物只有粥。粥糊了，令人恶心，我们根本无法下咽，于是空着肚子离开了餐厅。早餐后是一天中的快乐时光，学生们可以自由玩耍、交谈，我们都起劲儿地抱怨着那没法吃的早餐。9点钟接着上课，直到12点。这时，丹伯尔小姐站起来对全校学生讲话。

　　“姑娘们，今天早晨你们的早餐无法下咽。你们一定饿了，所以我给大家订了面包和奶酪当做午饭。”老师们都惊讶地看着她。

　　“别担心，我负全责。”她对老师们说。

　　我们很高兴，都跑到花园中去吃午饭。到现在还没有人注意到我，可我并不在意。我独自一人站在外面，看着几个比较壮实的女孩玩耍，努力忘掉寒冷，思考着我的生活。盖茨赫德和里德一家似乎那么遥远，我还不习惯学校的生活。我会有什么样的未来呢？

　　我正想着，看到旁边一个女孩儿在读书。我也喜欢读书，于是壮着胆子和她搭话。

　　“你的书有意思吗？讲什么的？”我问。

　　“嗯，我喜欢。”她停了一会儿，看着我说。“喏，看看吧！”我匆匆扫了一眼，觉得太难读懂，就还给了她。

　　“这是个什么样的学校？”我问。

　　“这叫洛伍德学校，是所慈善学校。你知道，我们都是接受慈善的孩子。我想你的父母都去世了吧？这里所有的女孩要么失去了单亲，要么失去了双亲。”

　　“我们要交钱吗？学校是免费的吗？”我问。

　　“我们或我们的亲戚交钱，每人每年15英镑。这不够用，因此伦敦一些好心的先生女士就支付剩下的费用。这就是为什么这儿是慈善学校。”

　　“布鲁克赫斯特先生是谁？”我接着问。

　　“他母亲建立了学校的这一部分。他是经理，管理所有财务的事。他就住在附近的一所大房子里。”

　　直到下午上课，我才又一次见到了她，我看到她被叫去独自站在教室中央。我想像不出她做错了什么，要遭这样的惩罚，可她看上去既不害臊，也不难过。她沉思着，似乎没有注意到大家都在看她。

　　我心想：“如果轮到我，我会非常尴尬的。”

　　下课后，我们喝了一小杯咖啡，吃了半片黑面包，然后玩半小时，再做作业。终于，在晚上吃过饼干、喝过水之后，我们祈祷完毕可以睡觉了。这就是我在洛伍德的第一天。