Brontë: Wuthering Heights《咆哮山莊》
勃朗特（Emily Brontë, 1818 - 1848）和她姊姊（Charlotte Brontë, 1816 - 1855）同為維多利亞時代著名的女作家。《咆哮山莊》Wuthering Heights 當年是以男性筆名 Ellis Bell 發表，為了避免男性讀者對女作家有所歧見。Brontë 認為女性也有權利享受並發抒激情。她自幼常漫遊於荒野之地，喜歡幻想：這些都出現在她的小說中。她嫻靜、保守，從沒有離開家鄉；但是作品卻迴然不同，其想像力之豐富可想而知。她身後沒有留下甚麼書信或日記之類的東西，因此後人對她的個性及思想等了解均不多。
Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights was written in the 1840s and published in the year 1847. Noting that Victorian England put so much emphasis on propriety and sexual restraint, one may find this novel to be rather un-Victorian.1 It deals with such commonplace themes of romantic literature as primitive feeling and irresistible passion. It is a romantic novel in the Victorian Age.2
Readers of the novel must first of all avoid confusing the names of Catherine. She has three identities: her maiden name is Catherine Earnshaw; married to Edgar Linton, she adopted the name Catherine Linton.3 In Chapter Three, the wandering ghost appealing to Lockwood to let her in calls herself Catherine Linton.4 At times she also signs her name as Catherine Heathcliff on her books. This last nomenclature reveals to us an identity that Catherine yearns for but has not lived to fulfill.5 To add to the confusion, her daughter is also named Catherine--Catherine Linton, to be sure.6
Even as we have got straight Catherine's names, we must still clarify the ownership of the two estates: Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. The former belonged to the Earnshaws and the latter to the Lintons, but after the death of their legal inheritors Heathcliff becomes the owner of both estates.7 Lockwood, the narrator, is the tenant at Thrushcross Grange. His recounting is based mainly on what Ellen Dean has told him. As the story opens, he visits twice his landlord Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights.8
On first meeting Heathcliff, he feels interested in his landlord who seems "more exaggeratedly reserved" than himself.9 His curiosity at his landlord and the strange manner of the place drives him to come back for a second visit on the following day in late November, 1801.10
Lockwood's second visit is met with less hospitality.11 He sees Mrs. Heathcliff [Catherine, the daughter] and a rude rustic named Hareton Earnshaw, who is illiterate and abused by Heathcliff.12 Meanwhile, the weather has grown worse as night falls over the countryside. Snow begins to fall and cover the moor paths. Without a guide, Lockwood cannot find his way back to Thrushcross Grange through the deep snow. Heathcliff refuses to let one of his servants go with him, but says that if he stays the night, he can share Hareton's bed or that of Joseph, a sour old servant.13 Anxious to go back to Thrushcross Grange, Lockwood tries to seize from Joseph a lantern for his homeward journey. Joseph sets the dog on him.14 he is kept in that awkward situation awhile till the cook Zillah rescues him and hides him in an unused chamber of the house.15
That night, he has two strange dreams. In his first dream, he is on his homeward journey, accompanied by Joseph. But on the way they roam into a chapel where the priest Branderham is giving a sermon on sins.16 He dreams that he rises to denounce the priest but is in turn assaulted by the congregation and Joseph.17 He goes back to sleep thinking that a branch rattling against the window is the cause of his nerves.18 He falls asleep again but has another dream. This time he remembers only vaguely that he is lying in the oak closet. He hears the gusty wind and the driving of the snow and also the rattling fir branch.19 Rising and breaking the window-glass in an attempt to tear off the fir branch outside, he feels that his fingers are grasping a small ice-cold hand.20 A weeping voice begs to be let in. The unseen spirit says that her name is Catherine Linton.21 Unable to shake her off, he cruelly pulls her wrist onto the broken pane and rubs it to and fro till the blood runs down and soaks the bedclothes.22 Then Heathcliff appears. He throws himself upon the bed by the shattered pane and begs the spirit to come in.23 But her voice is heard no more.
Heathcliff was originally a gypsy foundling. He is salvaged from the Liverpool streets by old Mr. Earnshaw.24 The old man grows to dote on the orphan child, preferring him to his own son, Hinley.25 Naturally, Hinley hates Heathcliff for usurping the affections of his father while his sister Catherine is much too fond of Heathcliff.26 She has a passionate temperament. As she grows up, she becomes as wild as Heathcliff. They become inseparable companions.27
Some years later, after Hinley has been in college for three years, his father dies. When he comes home for his father's funeral, he brings a wife with him. As the new master of Wuthering Heights, he revenges himself on Heathcliff by treating him as a servant.28 Catherine, however, continues her affection for Heathcliff. One night, Catherine and Heathcliff tramp over the moors to Thrushcross Grange. She is attacked by a watchdog and is taken into the house. She stays there as a guest for five weeks until she is able to walk again. Thus she becomes intimate with the Lintons.29
The next summer, Hinley's wife gives birth to Hareton. A short time later, she dies of consumption.30 In his grief, Hinley takes to drink with abandon.31 Then Edgar Linton comes to propose to Catherine. She confides to Nelly Dean that she really loves Heathcliff but she could not marry a penniless orphan.32 Having overheard this conversation, Heathcliff disappears.33 At the end of another three years, he returns to find that Catherine has married Edgar six months before.
Heathcliff has evidently made a fortune of his own during his absence and greatly improved in manners and appearance.34 Hinley, who has already drunk himself into debt, invites Heathcliff to live at Wuthering Heights because Heathcliff can lend him money for gaming and liquor.35
To the dismay of Edgar and Catherine, Isabella Linton, Edgar's sister, becomes infatuated with Heathcliff.36 Disregarding her brother's interdiction, Isabella elopes with Heathcliff. He marries her only to avenge himself and spite Catherine.37 As a result of the shock, Catherine, now pregnant, develops a brain fever.38 When Isabella returns with her husband to Wuthering Heights, they are forbidden to enter Edgar's house. Despite this restriction, Heathcliff manages to see Catherine. Partly as a result of this meeting, her child is born prematurely.39 Catherine dies only a few hours later.
Heathcliff is maddened and distraught by Catherine's death.40 Isabella suffers unbearable abuse from him. She flies to London where, a few months later, she, too, bears a child and names him Linton. When the boy is twelve, his mother dies and his father claims him.41
Less than six months after Catherine's death, her brother Hinley dies too. With the death of Hinley, Heathcliff becomes the master of Wuthering Heights, for Hinley has accumulated huge gaming debts and mortgaged everything to him.42 Harton, the natural heir, is thus reduced to dependency on his father's enemy.43 Not satisfied with his conquest of the one household, Heathcliff determines to control Thrushcross Grange as well. Since young Catherine will inherit the Linton's estate, Heathcliff plans a marriage between her and his sickly son.44 By that time, Edgar is too ill to prevent the marriage.45 After his death, his land also goes to Heathcliff. But weak, sickly Linton Heathcliff dies soon after, leaving young Catherine a widow and dependent on his father.
After a period of absence, Lockwood comes back to Wuthering Heights in September 1802. He finds that Heathcliff has died in the month of May. A broken man disturbed by memories of Catherine, he has died after four days of deliberate starvation.46 He is buried on the other side of Catherine from her husband.47 Heathcliff's death frees young Catherine and Hareton from his tyranny.48 Young Catherine is now teaching Hareton to read and improve his manners. They will be the new masters, Lockwood thinks. Perhaps they will lift the curse from the place at last.49
注釋
1 維多利亞時代的英國社會強調禮儀規範和性方面的節制，相形之下這本小說則算是相當不合乎維多利亞時代的潮流。Noting that……係分詞構句，noting 作「鑑於……」解。Put emphasis on：強調。
2 小說處理（deal with）的題材是浪漫文學中常見的（commonplace），例如原始的情感和不可抗拒的激情。這是維多利亞時代的一部「浪漫」小說。
3 讀者首先要把 Catherine 的名字搞清楚，不要混淆（confusing）了。她有三種身份（identity）。婚前名叫 Catherine Earnshaw；和 Edgar Linton 結婚，冠夫姓而改名 Catherine Linton。adopt：採用。
4 第三章裡，懇求（appeal）Lockwood 讓她進來的遊魂自稱是 Catherine Linton.
5 有時候，她在書上簽了Catherine Heathcliff 的名字。最後這一個名字讓我們知道 Catherine 渴望成為 Heathcliff 的妻子，但是在有生之年卻無法實現。nomenclature：命名法。
6 她的女兒也取名 Catherine—當然是叫Catherine Linton—使本來就容易搞混的名字，更混淆不清。
7 縱使我們把 Catherine 的名字弄清楚了（get straight），我們還得澄清兩處所有地的主人。Wuthering Heigths 屬於 Earnshaw 家族，Thrushcross Grange 屬於 Linton 家族。但是在兩家的法定繼承人（legal inheritors）死後，Heathcliff 成為這兩個莊地的所有人。書中 wuthering 一字當形容詞用，作「風雨交加」解。
8 Lockwood 是小說的述者，他是 Thrushcross 農莊的房客。tenant：租賃房子居住者。他複述的故事是根據（based on）Ellen Dean 所告訴他的。故事開始時，他二度造訪他的房東 Heathcliff。
9 Lockwood 第一次見到 Heathcliff，就對這位房東發生興趣，因為他看起來比 Lockwood 自己還「節制」。Reserved = self-restrained，也作「孤僻」解。
10 由於他對房東以及周遭奇特的氛圍感到好奇，驅使他（drove him）第二天再度回來。那是在 1801 年 11 月底發生的。
11 Lockwood 第二度造訪，人家待他比前一次更不熟絡。hospitality：殷勤的款待。
12 Lockwood 見到 Heathcliff 夫人（事實上是 Catherine 的女兒）和一位粗魯的鄉下人（rustic），名叫 Harton Earnshaw，他沒受教育，而且遭受 Heathcliff 的凌辱。illiterate：不識字；未受教育的。
13 由於開始下雪，荒野小徑（moor paths）被覆蓋。沒有嚮導帶路，Lockwood 回不了 Thrushcross 農莊。Heathcliff 拒絕讓僕人帶路；不過他說，如果 Lockwood 要過夜，可以和 Hareton 或 Joseph（一個脾氣乖戾的老僕人）同睡一張。
14 Lockwood 迫切（anxious）想回去農莊，於是想從 Joseph 手中搶過燈籠，可供回程照明用。Joseph 放狗攻擊他。Set on：攻擊。
15 他陷於尷尬的場面有好一會兒，直到女廚子 Zillah 教他脫身，把他安置在一間無人使用的臥室。
16 （返家）途中，他們閒逛到一座小教堂，裡面 Branderham 牧師正在講道，談罪惡。
17 他夢見自己站起來公然指責（denounce）牧師，接著就被會眾（the congregation）和 Joseph 毆打。In turn：接連著；按順序。
18 他又上床去睡，心想是一根枝椏磨擦窗子嘎嘎作響，使他神經過敏。cause：原因。
19 夢裡他朦朧記得自己躺在橡木櫃子裡，他聽到陣陣的（gusty）風聲和雪花的飛揚以及樺樹枝椏的格格響聲。
20 他起床來，砸破玻璃，想把窗外的樺樹枝椏扯掉（tear off），他覺得手指頭被一隻冰冷的小手緊抓不放。In an attempt to：企圖……。
21 一個哭泣的聲音懇求要進屋裡來。那看不見的鬼魂說她的名字叫 Catherine Linton。
22 由於甩不掉她（shake her off：甩掉她），Lockwood 殘酷地把她的手腕拉到砸破的玻璃上（broken pane），磨來磨去，直到血滴下來，浸透單。
23 Heathcliff 撲躺在破碎的玻璃窗旁邊的一張上，乞求鬼魂進來。Throw oneself upon（on）：猛撲。
24 Heathcliff 真正的身世是吉卜賽人的棄嬰，被 Earnshaw 老先生從利物浦街上救了回來。salvage 原指從海灘中搶救出來。
25 老人家寵愛（dote on）這個孤兒甚至於自己的兒子 Hinley。grow：有逐漸變成之意。dote：溺愛；痴情。
26 理所當然地，Hinley 憎恨 Heathcliff 霸佔了他父親的鍾愛，而他妹妹 Catherine 則非常喜歡 Heathcliff。usurp：篡奪；僭取。
27 Catherine 性格（temperament）熱情。長大後，她和 Heathcliff 一樣狂野。他們變成形影相隨的伴侶。
28 身為咆哮山莊的新主人，Hinley 報復 Heathcliff 把他貶為僕人對待。Revenge oneself on：報復。
29 有一晚，Catherine 和 Heathcliff 漫遊（tramp）荒野來到 Thrushcross 農莊；Catherine 遭到看門狗攻擊，而被帶進莊宅靜養，待了五星期，直到能走路才回家。就這樣子，她和 Linton 家族變得熟稔（intimate）。
30 第二年夏天，Hinley 的太太生下（give birth to）Hareton，不久，她死後肺癆。
31 由於悲慟，Hinley 開始酗酒。Take to：喜歡；耽於。With abandon：放縱；狂放。
32 接著，Edgar Linton 來向 Catherine 求婚。她私下對 Nelly Dean 傾吐說（confide to：告知秘密），她真正愛的是 Heathcliff，但是她不能嫁個分文不名的孤兒。
33 Heathcliff 無意間聽到這段話之後就消失了。
34 Heathcliff 離開山莊期間，顯然賺了一大筆錢（make a fortune），而且在舉止、儀表方面大有進步。
35 Hinley 已經因酗酒而負債，他邀請 Heathcliff 住進咆哮山莊，因為 Heathcliff 可以借錢給他賭博（gaming）和飲酒。
36 Edgar 的妹妹 Isabella 為 Heathcliff 神魂顛倒（infatuated with：迷戀），此事令 Edgar 和 Catherine 十分沮喪（dismay）。
37 不顧（disregarding）哥哥的反對（interdiction：禁止），Isabella 和 Heathcliff 私奔。他娶她只為了報復（avenge himself），表示對 Catherine 的輕蔑（spite）。
38 懷了孕的 Catherine 由於震驚而發高燒。Brain fever 在醫學上原指腦膜炎。
39 儘管有此項限制（指不准 Heathcliff 和 Isabella 進入 Edgar 家），Heathcliff 設法會見了 Catherine；這次的約會是導致她孩子早產的部分原因。Prematurely：happening or done before the proper time。
40 Catherine 去世，使 Heathcliff 心神發狂。distraught：憂煩的；發狂的。
41 Isabella 受不了 Heathcliff 的凌辱，逃往倫敦，幾個月後生下一個孩子，取名 Linton。男孩十二歲時，母親去世，父親認領他。claim：聲言有……權利。
42 Hinley 死後，Heathcliff 變成咆哮山莊的主人，因為 Hinley 積欠龐大的賭債，把一切東西都抵押（mortgage）給他。for（因為）前面要加逗點。
43 合法繼承人 Hareton 因此被貶得（reduce）須依賴父親的仇敵而生存。dependency：附庸；附屬物。
44 Heathcliff 征服了一個山莊之後還不滿足，他決心也要掌握 Thrushcross 農莊。由於小 Catherine 將繼承 Linton 家產，Heathcliff 設法撮合她和他病弱兒子結婚。
45 那時候 Edgar 病入膏盲而無法阻止這場婚姻。Too…to：太……以致於不能……。
46 對 Catherine 的種種回憶使心碎的 Heathcliff 心神不寧，憔悴不堪。他在絕食四天之後死了。disturbed：騷擾。
47 Catherine 的丈夫葬在一邊而 Heathcliff 則葬在她的另一邊（即 Catherine 埋在中間）。
48 Heathcliff 之死，使小 Catherine 及 Harton 不再受他暴虐的左右。Free from：使免於。
49 或許他們倆人最後可以解除該地所蒙受的詛咒。lift：解除（如解除戒嚴法：lifting martial law）。curse：指這兩家族遭到的惡運。
by Dr. Yuan-huang Tsai