第2章

VOLUME ONE

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’preeminently. 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 underdrawn: 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 bitch 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-à-vis the ruffianly bitch 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 misbehaviour 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 tomorrow. He evidently wished no repetition of my intrusion. I shall go, notwithstanding. It is astonishing how sociable I feel myself compared with him.

第一卷

1801年。——我拜访过房东刚刚回来，房东就是那个让人费心相处的孤独邻居。这的确是一个美丽的乡野！在整个英格兰，我相信，我再也找不到这样一个完全远离尘嚣的地方了。这是遁世归隐者的完美天堂，而由我和希斯克利夫共享这个荒凉景象正好凑成了一对。多好的一个人啊！我骑马走上前去，只见他的黑眼睛疑云重重，缩拢在眉毛下面；当我自报家门时，他还是把手指更深地插入背心口袋，露出了一副决心提防的神情，这时他完全没有想到我对他多么有好感。

“是希斯克利夫先生吗？”我问。

点头算是应答。

“先生，我是洛克伍德先生，是你的新房客。一到这里，我就非常荣幸地尽快前来拜访，希望自己一再坚持要求租赁画眉田庄，没有给你带来什么不便。我昨天听说你有过一些想法——”

“先生，画眉田庄是我自己的，”他皱眉打断说，“只要能阻止，我就不允许任何人给我带来不便——进来吧！”

“进来吧”是咬着牙发出的，表达的是“见鬼去吧”的情绪。就连他靠着的那扇栅栏门，也对他的话无动于衷。我想，正是这个情况，使我决定接受他的邀请。我对一个好像远比我拘谨的人产生了兴趣。

看到我的马前胸就要抵住栅栏时，他伸手解开了门链，然后沉着脸领我走上石板铺道。当我们走进院子时，他大声喊道——“约瑟夫，把洛克伍德先生的马牵走，然后送些酒来。”

“我想，我们整个这里只有一个仆人。”听到这个双重命令，我暗自想道：“怪不得石板之间都长起了草，树篱只有靠牛来修剪喽。”

尽管约瑟夫精神矍铄，身体结实，但上了年纪，不，成了老头，说不定都老得掉牙了。“求主帮帮我们！”他接过我的马时，怏怏不快地低声自言自语，同时乖僻地盯着我的脸；我善意地猜想，他必须借助神力才能消化自己的晚饭，而他突然虔诚的自言自语跟我的意外到来没有任何关系。

呼啸山庄是希斯克利夫先生寓所的名称。“呼啸”是一个耐人寻味、具有地方特色的形容词，用来描述寓所的位置在风暴天气里大气喧嚣的情景。的确，这里始终流通着纯净清爽的空气。只要看看房子那头几棵矮小冷杉格外倾斜的长势，看看那排细长的荆棘丛均向一侧伸展枝条的样子，好像在渴望太阳的施舍，人们就能猜想到北风刮过房檐的威力了。幸运的是，建筑师有先见之明，把房子盖得坚固，那些狭窄的窗户深深地嵌入了墙里，墙角也都用突出的大石块加以防护。

跨过门槛之前，我驻足欣赏房子正面一些雕刻繁复、风格奇异的浮雕，尤其是正门周围的浮雕，在一头头支离破碎的怪兽和一个个不知害臊的小男孩雕像之间，辨认出了“1500”这个日期和“哈里顿·恩肖”这个名字。我本该评论几句，向这个乖戾的庄主请教一下这个地方的简史，但他站在门口的姿势似乎是要求我要么赶快进来，要么干脆走开，所以我不想在查看内室之前就惹他更不耐烦。

我们一步跨进了家庭起居室，中间没有门廊和过道。他们堂而皇之地把这里称为“堂屋”。堂屋一般包括厨房和客厅，但在呼啸山庄，我相信，厨房完全被挤到了另一个区域：至少，我听出里面传来了叽叽喳喳的说话声和厨具叮叮当当的磕碰声；我看不到大壁炉那里有烤肉、做饭或烤面包的任何迹象，也看不到墙壁上有铜锅和锡漏锅的任何闪光。的确，起居室一端反射出了一片辉煌的光和热，只见一个巨大的橡木橱柜上面摆着一排排硕大的白镴碟子，这些白镴碟子像宝塔似的一摞摞堆到了天花板顶，其间点缀着几只银壶和大酒杯。屋顶从来没有装过天花板，整个结构光秃秃的，一览无余，只有一个地方被摆满燕麦饼、牛腿、羊腿和火腿的木架遮住了。壁炉上方挂着各式各样蹩脚的老枪和两支马枪；另外，为了装饰，顺着炉台边还摆放着三只描画俗丽的茶叶罐。地板由平滑的白石铺成；椅子呈高背状，结构古朴，漆成绿色，一两把黑椅子摆在暗处。橱柜底下的拱门里卧着一条体型硕大的深赤褐色母猎犬，母猎犬身边围着一群汪汪尖叫的小狗；还有几条狗卧在另一些暗角里。

房子和家具属于一个朴实的北方农民，没有什么离奇之处；他相貌刚毅，四肢健壮，穿上长到膝盖的短裤和长筒橡胶靴，会更有神采。如果饭后时间合适，在这群山间随意走上五六英里，你就会看到这样一个人，只见他坐在扶手椅上，一大杯冒着泡沫的浓啤酒放在他面前的圆桌上。但是，希斯克利夫先生跟他的住所和生活方式形成了奇特对比。他在相貌上像是一个黑皮肤的吉普赛人，在衣着和举止上又像是一位绅士，也就是说，更像是许多乡绅那样的绅士，也许有些邋遢，但他的不修边幅看上去并没有什么问题，因为他身材挺拔、模样英俊，就是有些闷闷不乐。有人也许怀疑他因缺乏教养而有些傲慢；我有一种心灵上的共鸣——这种共鸣告诉我，绝不是那样；出于本能，我知道他的拘谨源自他对矫揉造作的厌恶，厌恶人们相互表示亲热。无论爱恨，他都秘而不宣，并把受到别人的爱恨看成是一种鲁莽之举。不，我滔滔不绝说得太快了：我过于慷慨把自己的特征都加在了他的身上。像我一样，希斯克利夫遇到愿意相识的人，就会把手藏起来，但原因跟我全然不同。但愿我的气质有些特别。我敬爱的母亲过去经常说我绝不会有一个舒适的家；直到今年夏天，我才发现自己完全不配有那样一个家。

当时，我在风和日丽的海滨度过了一个月，偶尔结识了一个极其迷人的女孩。她还没有注意到我时，在我的眼里就是一位真正的女神了。我“从来没有诉说过自己的爱情”；然而，如果眉目可以传情的话，即使最愚蠢的傻瓜也会猜出我神魂颠倒。她终于明白了我的心思，向我回送了一个人们可以想象的最甜美的秋波。那我做了什么呢？我羞愧地承认这一点——就是像蜗牛一样冷冰冰地缩了回去；她每看我一眼，我就越冷漠，缩得越远；直到最后，那个可怜的天真女孩怀疑起自己的神智，以为她自己搞错了，迷惑不解，不知所措，说服她的妈妈一走了之。由于这个古怪的举动，因此我得到了无情无义的名声。真冤枉，只有我才能领会到。

我在壁炉一端的椅子上坐下来，房东走向对面的椅子。我试图去爱抚那条母狗，以填补这段沉默的间隙。这条母狗离开一窝狗崽，饿狼般偷偷地溜到了我的腿肚后面，嘴唇龇起，白牙流涎，想扑过来咬一口。我的爱抚激起它的喉咙里发出了一声长嗥。

“你最好别摸这条狗，”希斯克利夫先生也跟着低吼一声，踢了它一脚，制止它更凶猛的示威，“它不习惯受宠——不是当宠物养的。”随后，他大步走到一个侧门，又大声喊道：“约瑟夫！”

约瑟夫在酒窖深处含糊不清地咕哝着，但没有丝毫要上来的意思；于是，东家就冲下去找他，留下我面对着那条凶恶的母狗和一对令人生畏的毛茸茸的牧羊犬。那对牧羊犬和那条母狗一起虎视眈眈地监视我的一举一动。我不想跟犬牙们打交道，就坐在那里一动不动；然而，倒霉的是，我想它们几乎不会明白无声的冒犯，就冲这三条狗挤眉弄眼做鬼脸。我的某个变脸惹毛了母狗。它突然狂怒，跃上我的膝盖。我把它甩了回去，赶快拉过桌子，挡在了我们中间。这一举动招来了群攻：六条体型不一、大小各异的四脚恶魔都从藏身处窜出来，向我这个共同的敌人扑来。我感到自己的脚后跟和外套衣襟都成了它们攻击的特有目标；我一边用拨火棍尽可能地躲闪那几个体型较大的斗兽，一边被迫大声求救，求这家人重建和平秩序。

希斯克利夫和他的仆人迈着慢腾腾的脚步爬上酒窖台阶，这让人恼火：我想，尽管壁炉这里撕咬犬吠乱成了一锅粥，但他们走得并不比平常快一秒钟。幸亏，厨房里有人来得快：是一个身体健壮的女人，她长袍挽起，赤裸胳膊，满面通红，挥舞着一只煎锅冲到了我们当中：她运用武器和舌头，立竿见影，风波奇迹般平息了。当她的东家赶到现场时，只有她还在大口喘息着，就像大风掠过的大海一样波涛汹涌。

“这到底是怎么回事？”他盯着我问道。受到这样冷遇之后，我再也受不了那样的目光。

“真是的，到底是怎么回事！”我咕哝道，“先生，就是一群着魔的猪都没有你这群畜生凶恶。你还不如把一个陌生人丢给一群老虎呢！”

“人们不摸它们，它们是不会乱动的，”说着，他把酒瓶放在我的面前，并把移位的桌子放回了原位，“保持警惕，狗做得对。来一杯葡萄酒？”

“不，谢谢你。”

“你没有被咬着吧？”

“要是被咬的话，我就会在咬我的狗身上留下印记。”希斯克利夫的面容放松，咧嘴笑了起来。

“好了，好了，”他说，“你受惊了，洛克伍德先生。给，来点儿酒。这房子里极少有客人来，所以我愿意承认，我和我的这些狗都不大知道如何待客。祝你健康，先生！”

我鞠躬，也举杯回敬，祝他健康。我开始意识到，为一群恶狗的粗鲁行为而坐在那里闷闷不乐，将是愚蠢之举；再说，我不愿让这个家伙再来取笑我，因为他把情绪转向了取笑。他可能是经过审慎考虑，认为得罪一个好房客是愚蠢之举，态度就发生了动摇。他省掉代名词和助动词的简洁风格有点儿放松，还主动提起了他认为我会感兴趣的话题，详细谈起了我现在隐居地方的有利条件和不利条件。我发现，无论我们谈什么话题，他都很机智；回家之前，我受到了鼓舞，居然主动提出明天再来拜访。他显然不愿我再来打扰。不过，我还是要去。我觉得，跟他相比，我是多么爱好交际。这真令人吃惊。