Wuthering Heights - Chapter 16
呼啸山庄 - 第16章
Heathcliffs_Death
希斯克利夫的死亡
One stormy night in September, Heathcliff lay on his bed, too weak to move. Mrs. Dean sat with him, watching over him.
第二天晚上,希斯克利夫没有吃晚饭。他早早回到房间,把自己锁在里面。
The wind howled around the house, and the rain beat against the windows. But Heathcliff seemed to hear something else.
第二天早上,凯西和哈里顿发现他的床是空的。他们在房子里找他,但找不到。最后,他们在荒原上找到了他——躺在他经常坐的那块岩石上,死了。
'She is coming,' he whispered. 'I can feel her.'
他的脸上带着平静的表情,仿佛在最后一刻,他终于找到了他一生的追求——凯瑟琳。
Mrs. Dean did not know what to say. She held his hand and prayed for him.
凯西和哈里顿感到复杂。一方面,他们为他感到悲伤,因为他是个孤独、痛苦的男人。另一方面,他们也感到解脱,因为那个控制他们生活的人终于不在了。
Heathcliff's face changed. The anger and pain that had marked it for so many years seemed to melt away. For a moment, he looked young and peaceful.
"他终于找到了平静,"哈里顿说,"希望他在另一个世界能和凯瑟琳在一起。"
'I have waited so long,' he said. 'Tonight, I will see her again.'
迪恩太太点点头。"也许,终于,爱战胜了仇恨。"
He closed his eyes, and a strange smile appeared on his lips. Mrs. Dean watched in amazement as the tension left his body. He looked almost happy.
他们把希斯克利夫埋在凯瑟琳旁边,就像他曾经要求的那样。在他们的墓碑上,刻着同样的名字——他们终于在一起了,死亡也无法将他们分开。
Outside, the storm grew worse. Thunder crashed, and lightning lit up the sky. Inside the room, everything was still.
Mrs. Dean checked his pulse and found nothing. Heathcliff was dead.
Cathy and Hareton entered the room a few minutes later. They stood beside the bed, looking at the man who had caused so much suffering. But in death, his face was peaceful, and he looked almost young again.
'He is finally at peace,' Cathy said softly.
Mrs. Dean nodded. 'All his life, he wanted revenge. But in the end, he only wanted to be with Catherine.'
Hareton felt a strange emotion. He could not mourn the man who had treated him so cruelly, but he could not hate him either. He was just glad that the suffering was over.
The next day, they buried Heathcliff next to Catherine, on the windy hill overlooking the moors. Some people in the village whispered that they had seen the ghosts of Heathcliff and Catherine walking together on the moors, but Mrs. Dean did not believe this. She knew that Heathcliff had found his peace, not with Catherine's ghost, but in letting go of his hatred.