John had not much affection for his mother and sis-ters, and an antipathy to me. He bullied and punished me; not two or three times in the week, nor noce or twice in the day, but continually: every nerve I had feared him, and every morsel of flesh in my bones shrank when he came near. There were moments when I was bewildered by the terror he inspired, because I has no appeal whatev-er against either his menaces or his inflictions; the ser-vants did not like to offend their young master by taking my part against him, and Mrs Reed was blind and deaf on the subject: she never saw him strike or heard him abuse me, though he did both now and then in her very presence, more frequently, however, behind her back.
约翰并不怎么爱他的母亲和姐妹， 对我更抱有一种反感。他欺负和虐待我，远不止每星期两三次，也不是一天一两回，而是接连不断，以致只要他一走近来，我身上每一根神经都紧张害怕，骨头上每一块肌肉都吓得抽缩。有时候我都被他吓呆了，因为无论面对他的威吓或是虐待，我都无处申诉。用人们不愿意为了帮我对付他而得罪了他们的少爷，而里德太太对此完全装聋作哑，她从来没看见他打过我或者听见他骂过我，尽管他时常当着她的面这样做，但是可想而知，背着她时就更多了。
Habitually obedient to John, I came up to his chair: he spent some three minutes in thrusting out his tougue at me as far as he could without damaging the roots: I knew he would soon strike, and while dreading the blow, I mused on the disgusting and ugly appearance of him who would presently deal it. I wonder if he read that no-tion in my face; for, all at once, without speaking, he struck suddenly and strongly. I tottered, and on regaining my equilibrium retired back a step or two from his chair.
由于对约翰顺从惯了，我只好走到他椅子跟前。他费了大约三分钟，拼命地向我伸出舌头，就差撑断了他的舌根。我知道他马上就要打我了，一边畏惧着那一击，一边凝视着这个就要动手打我的人那副丑恶可厌的模样。我不知道他是否从我脸上看出了这种念头，因为他二话没说，一下子就猛地狠狠给了我一下。我一个踉跄，从他椅子跟前倒退了一两步才站稳身子。
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