Шарлотта Бронте - Лучшие романы сестер Бронте / The best of the Brontë sisters

I mun hev’ my wage, and I mun goa! I hed aimed to dee wheare I’d sarved fur sixty year; and I thowt I’d lug my books up into t’ garret, and all my bits o’ stuff, and they sud hev’ t’ kitchen to theirseln; for t’ sake o’ quietness. It wur hard to gie up my awn hearthstun, but I thowt I could do that! But nah, shoo’s taan my garden fro’ me, and by th’ heart, maister, I cannot stand it! Yah may bend to th’ yoak an ye will – I noan used to ’t, and an old man doesn’t sooin get used to new barthens. I’d rayther arn my bite an’ my sup wi’ a hammer in th’ road! – I must have my wages and I must go! I had aimed to die where I’d served for sixty years; and I thought I’d store my books up into the garret, and all my bits of stuff, and they should have the kitchen to themselves for the sake of quietness. It was hard to give up my own hearthstone (fireside seat), but I thought I could do that! But no, she’s taken my garden from me, and by the heart, master, I cannot stand it! You may bend to the yoke (oppressive power) and you will – I’m not used to it, and an old man doesn’t soon get used to new burdens. I’d rather earn my bite and my sup with a hammer (by hard work) in the road!

It’s noan Nelly! I sudn’t shift for Nelly – nasty ill nowt as shoo is. Thank God! Shoo cannot stale t’ sowl o’ nob’dy! Shoo wer niver soa handsome, but what a body mud look at her ’bout winking. It’s yon flaysome, graceless quean, that’s witched our lad, wi’ her bold een and her forrard ways – till – Nay! it fair brusts my heart! He’s forgotten all I’ve done for him, and made on him, and goan and riven up a whole row o’ t’ grandest currant-trees i’ t’ garden! – It’s not Nelly! I shouldn’t shift for Nelly – nasty ill nothing as she is. Thank God! She cannot steal the soul of nobody! She was never so handsome, but what a body (person) must look at her without winking. It’s that frightening, graceless queen that’s bewitched our lad, with her bold eyes and her forward ways – till – No! it almost bursts my heart! He’s forgotten all I’ve done for him, and made of him, and gone and riven (pulled, tore) out a whole row of the grandest currant-trees in the garden!

Th’ divil’s harried off his soul, and he may hev’ his carcass into t’ bargin, for aught I care! Ech! what a wicked ’un he looks, girning at death! – The Devils’s carried off his soul, and he may have his carcass into the bargain for what I care! what a wicked one he looks, grinning at death!

to be on pins and needles – to wait nervously for what is going to happen

peccadilloes – little sins ( Spanish )

hung beef – slightly salted and hung up to dry; dried beef

Berlin wools – light wool used for making clothing, especially gloves

the rolling of the meadow-land – the process during which a horse is dragging a special roller to compact the soil

eve – evening

sotto voce – quietly ( Italian )

homely – plain, not beautiful

“ Marmion” – Sir Walter Scott’s epic poem devoted to the Battle of Flodden (1513)

chewing the cud – usually about the cattle; here – repeating over and over to himself

skirts – apparently, not the kind that women wear! Here: the edge of his clothes, tail or flap.

God-speed – to say it means wishing someone success

ignis fatuus –wandering lights (on the moor), meaning hopes in vain ( Latin )

Hebe – goddess of blooming youth, a daughter of Zeus and Hera

entailed – an entail was a condition of a will meaning that if a couple had no son, property had to be passed on to the next male in line in the family.

incumbrances – encumbrance was a mortgage or a hypothec

“ what fellowship hath light with darkness; or he that believeth with an infidel?” – a quotation from the Bible (2 Corinthians 6:15); infidel = pagan or atheist.

rules the roast – to rule the roast means to be at the head of all affairs

had sown his wild oats – to sow one’s wild oats means to do wild things before getting married (often to have a lot of sexual relationships)

to set her cap at him – setting one’s cap at a man =trying to attract a man

blacklegs – a blackleg is a cheat or a swindler

boobiesand bedlamites – fools and madmen

felo-de-se – a suicide

from “Hymns and Spiritual Songs” by John Newton (1816)

laudanum – tincture of opium

media-via – a compromise or a middle way ( Latin )

ni-jamais-ni-toujours – neither never nor always ( French )

d—d – cursed, devil’s

habit – here: clothes, dress

hunter – a horse trained specially for hunting

ennui – boredom ( French )

physic – to give medicine, to cure

‘ sweet regent of the sky’ – quotation from William Julius Mickle (1735–1788), a Scottish poet

‘black blue vault of heaven’ – from William Wordsworth’s poem “A Night Piece” (1798)

However we do praise ourselves… – William Shakespeare, “Twelfth Night,” Act II, Scene 2.

curtain lecture – a reproof or a scolding that a wife gives to her husband when they are alone

cared a stiver – used in negative, archaic meaning of no value as a stiver was a coin (one twentieth of a Netherlands’ guilder)

from “The Country Lass” (Folk and Traditional Song Lyrics).

the fowls of heaven and the lilies of the fields – from Gospel, Scripture: Matthew. Here Hattersley can’t keep from blasphemy

The light of the body is the eye. If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. – one more quotation from Gospel by Matthew.

white-livered – a coward, synonym to chicken-heart

ante-room – a small room that one passed to reach a larger one

par parenthèse – incidentally ( French )

Ye twain shall be one flesh –from the Bible (Mark 10:8), said during the wedding ceremony

tartar-emetic – tartaric acid used for medical care to produce nausea

half-seas-over – tipsy, getting drunk

air – here: a song

cant – hypocritical

to obtain a situation – to get a place

fiddle = fiddlesticks – rubbish

bairns – children ( Scottish )

a crony – a buddy, a friend

monomania – obsession with something (only one thing)

sterling worth – here: true value

brethren of the cloth – from archaic “brothers,” meaning members of the same society, here of the clergy

nominal daughter – meaning that she was Huntingdon’s daughter

i.e. – from id est ( Latin ) = that is

stalwart – strong and well-built

Here the coachman uses both archaic and dialect expressions. Yonder – that, there, to that place

gotten overed –got over, finished

’un – one

Ay – yes

should a been wed afore – should have been

long purse – she is rich

fell out – parted

hopportunity – opportunity

’at – that

I lay she’ll rue her bargain afore long – I’m sure she’ll feel remorse before long

perlite – pearly

longer – apparently from the “long face” = in a bad mood

nipping – venomous; screwing – greedy

grudging – discontent, resentment

Christmas-rose – hellebore, a small white-flowered plant