圣约翰的请求

字幕原文

St. John Rivers was a serious, strong-willed man. 圣约翰·里弗斯是一个严肃、意志坚强的男人。

He planned to travel far away to India, to work as a missionary. 他计划远赴印度，担任传教士。

He believed it was his holy duty. 他认为这是他神圣的职责。

One day, he came to Jane with a cold, hard question. 有一天，他带着一个冷酷而严峻的问题来找简。

"Come to India with me," he said. “跟我一起去印度吧，”他说。

"But you must come as my wife. “但你必须以我妻子的身份前来。

Together we can do great work for God." 我们一起可以为上帝做一番伟大的事业。”

Jane was shocked. 简震惊了。

St. John did not speak of love. 圣约翰没有谈及爱情。

He spoke only of duty. 他只谈职责。

He wanted a helper, not a wife who loved him. 他想要一个帮手，而不是一个爱他的妻子。

"I could come as your sister," Jane offered, "but not as your wife. “我可以作为你的妹妹前来，”简提议道，“但不能作为你的妻子。

You do not love me, and I do not love you. 你不爱我，我也不爱你。

A marriage without love would be a kind of prison." 一段没有爱情的婚姻将会是一种牢笼。”

"Love is not needed," St. John said firmly. “爱情是不需要的，”圣约翰坚定地说。

"Only duty." “只有职责。”

But Jane knew she could not live that way. 但简知道她不能那样生活。

She had refused to be a man's secret; 她曾拒绝成为一个男人的秘密情人；

she would not now become a servant in a loveless marriage. 她现在也不会成为一段没有爱情的婚姻中的仆人。

To give up love and keep your respect is hard; 放弃爱情并保持自尊是艰难的；

to give up both is a slow death of the soul. 放弃两者则是灵魂的缓慢死亡。

Still, St. John pressed her again and again. 尽管如此，圣约翰还是不断地逼迫她。

And Jane felt herself beginning to weaken. 简感到自己开始动摇了。