Chapter 3 A FAMILY OF WITCHES 巫师之家

3 A FAMILY OF WITCHES²



I ran from Malkin Tower，down the hill into Newchurch．James followed me．

'I want to go to Read Hall，too，'he said．

We ran through the trees to Sabden Brook．The noise of the river was beautiful in my ears．We went along the river to the village of Sabden， and then it began to rain．

Suddenly，we heard the noise of horses behind us．We got off the road， and watched the horses． It was Roger Nowell with some of his men． They saw us， and Mr Nowell stopped．

'It' s the Device³ children，' he said．' What's your name，child？'

'My name is Jennet，' I said．'We 're going to Read Hall． I want to talk to you．'

Roger Nowell looked at me with his warm brown eyes．'Very well，'he said．'Come home with me，and we can talk．'He lifted me up on to his horse， and the horse moved quickly a－long the road to the village of Read．James ran along behind us．

Very soon，we arrived at Read Hall．The servant opened the door for us，and we went into the warm house．James came in，too， and sat down next to me near the fire．

Mr Nowell put his black hat down on the table．'Bring a hot drink and some food for these children，'he told the servant．' They' re cold and hungry．'

The servant brought bread and hot milk for us， and James and I ate hungrily． I felt warm and happy in Mr Nowell' s house．I wanted to stay there all my life； I never wanted to go back to Malkin Tower．

When we finished eating，Mr Nowell looked up from his book．'You wanted to talk to me，'he said quietly．'Well， I'm listening．'

I got up ，went across the room and stood in front of Mr Nowell．' I'm afraid of my mother，' I began．' I'm afraid be-cause she' s a witch¹ and she can kill people．'

The room was quiet．Mr Nowell said nothing，but his brown eyes were kind．

'My mother and her friends are at Malkin Tower，'I told him．'They want to go to Lancaster Castle⁴ and kill the guards⁵．They' re going to bring Old Demdike and Alizon home again．'

Mr Nowell got up and left the room．After some time， he came back with two of his friends．They all sat down at the table．

'Jennet， I want you to tell me again about your mother and her friends．'

'They want to kill the guards at Lancaster Castle and bring Old Demdike home to Malkin Tower，'I said．Then I began to cry．

'Den't cry，'Mr Nowell said kindly．'We can help you，but we must talk to your brother first．James！'he called．'Tell me about your mother． Is she a witch？'

' She' s a witch． We' re all witches，' James began．' Old Demdike's a witch．One night，she went to the church at Newchurch and got some teeth from dead bodies there．The Devil⁶ talked to her and she brought the teeth to Malkin Tower．They're under the ground by our door！'

' Old Demdike' s a witch； we know that，' Mr Nowell said．'Tell us about your mother．'

'Mother' s a witch，' James said．' She killed Mr Robinson，from Barley⁷ village． She made a clay⁸ picture， and then she broke it， and Mr Robinson died a week later．'James smiled at Mr Nowell． He liked Mr Nowell because Mr Nowell didn' t shout at him．'And I'm a witch， too！ I can kill people！'

'No， James！' I cried．' You' re not a witch！ You don' t kill people！'

' Yes， I do，'James said angrily． His face went red．' My dog，Dandy， is the Devil and he killed a man for me． I wanted a shirt and Mr Duckworth was going to give me one of his old shirts．But in the end， he didn' t give it to me and I was very angry． I nearly killed Mr Duckworth！But I called Dandy，and he killed Mr Duckworth for me！'

I began to cry．My brother was a witch，too！ All my family were witches！

'Don't cry，Jennet，'Mr Nowell said．'Someone must take care of you．You can stay here at Read Hall with me．'

When Mr Nowell' s men brought my mother to Read Hall， she said nothing at first．

'Tell us about the pictures of clay，'Mr Nowell said．'My men found pictures of clay at Malkin Tower．'

My mother said nothing．

'Your mother，Old Demdike，is a witch．Your daughter is a witch，'Mr Nowell said．'Your son killed Mr Duckworth be－cause of shirt．Now，tell us about the clay pictures．'

My mother said nothing．

'James told us about Mr Robinson of Barley，'Mr Nowell said ．' Did you kill him？'

Suddenly， my mother' s face went red and she began to shout at James．'A good son，you are！ You told this rich man about Jack⁹ Robinson of Barley． Well， you told the truth． I killed him！ I made a clay picture， and then I broke it， and a week later he died．I killed him because I hated him．'

She stopped and looked at me ． I wanted to run away but Mr Nowell's servant stood in front of the door．Then my mother laughed． 'Jennet Device， witch' s daughter！ You hate us， I know that． Well， it doesn' t matter because you're right： you are different．You 're my daughter，but you're not the daugh-ter of my husband． Your father was a rich man， but he never gave me money．A witch' s child，he called you．And when you were born，he never came near me ngain．Jack Robinson learnt the truth about your father．He told the villagers¹⁰ of Barley and they called me a bad woman， but they didn 't call your father a bad man！ Nobody in Barley gave me food again， because of Jack Robinson．I hated him，and so I killed him！'

The room was very quiet and my mother laughed again．

My hands felt cold and my face was hot， but I didn' t cry．When Mr Device died， I cried for days． But he was not my fa-ther．I looked at my mother，at her dirty hair and her ugly face， at her angry eyes． I hated her then， and I hated her for many years．



3 巫师之家



我跑出马尔金塔，跑下潘德尔山来到了纽丘奇村。詹姆斯一直跟着我。

“我也想去里德宅院。”他说。

我们穿过树林来到了萨卜登小溪。潺潺的流水声在我听来十分悦耳。我们沿着河走到了萨卜登村，这时天下起雨来。

忽然，从我们身后传来了马蹄声。我们离开大路，看着那些马匹。那是罗杰·诺埃尔和他的手下。他们看到了我们俩，诺埃尔先生停了下来。

“原来是迪瓦斯家的孩子们，”他说。“孩子，你叫什么名字？”

“我叫詹妮特，”我说。“我们要去里德宅院。我想和您谈谈。”

罗杰·诺埃尔用他那双充满热情的棕色眼睛看了看我。“很好，”他说。”跟我一起回家吧，这样我们就可以谈谈了。”他把我举起来放到他的马上，马于是迅速地沿着大道向里德村行进。詹姆斯一路跑着跟在我们后面。

很快，我们到达了里德宅院。先生的用人打开屋门，我们走进了十分暖和的房子。詹姆斯也进来了，他挨着我坐在炉火边。

诺埃尔先生把他的黑帽子放在桌子上。“给孩子们拿点热饮和一些吃的来。”他吩咐用人说。“他们又冷又饿。”

用人给我们拿来了面包和热牛奶，詹姆斯和我大吃起来。在诺埃尔先生家里，我感到既温暖又快乐。我希望一辈子呆在那儿；我再也不想回到马尔金塔去了。

我们吃完了饭，诺埃尔先生不再看书，抬起头来。“你有事想对我说，”他轻声说。“好吧，我听着呢。”

我站起身，穿过房间，站在诺埃尔先生面前。“我害怕我妈妈，”我开始说道。“我害怕，因为她是女巫，她能杀人。”

房间里十分安静。诺埃尔先生什么也没说，但是他的棕色眼睛是友善的。

“现在，我妈妈和她的朋友们正聚在马尔金塔，”我告诉他说。“他们想要去兰开斯特城堡杀死看守。他们打算把老德姆代克和艾丽森带回家。”

诺埃尔先生站起身离开了房间。过了一些时候，他和他的两个朋友一起回来了。他们全都在桌前坐了下来。

“詹妮特，我要你再对我说一遍有关你母亲和她朋友的事。”

“他们想杀死兰开斯特城堡的看守，然后把老德姆代克带回马尔金塔。”我说。说完，我哭了。

“别哭，”诺埃尔先生和蔼地说。“我们能帮助你，不过我们必须先和你哥哥谈谈。詹姆斯！”他喊了一声。“给我讲讲你母亲的事。她是女巫吗？”

“她是女巫。我们都是巫师。”詹姆斯说。“老德姆代克是个女巫。一天夜里，她去了纽丘奇村的教堂，从那里的尸体上取下了一些牙齿。魔鬼和她对了话，随后她把牙齿带回了马尔金塔，它们就在我家大门旁的地下。”

“老德姆代克是个女巫，这我们知道，”诺埃尔先生说。“把你母亲的事告诉我们。”

“妈妈是女巫，”詹姆斯说。“她杀死了巴利村的鲁滨逊先生。她做了一个泥像，然后把它打碎，一星期后鲁滨逊先生死去了。”詹姆斯对诺埃尔先生微笑了一下。他喜欢诺埃尔先生，因为诺埃尔先生不冲着他大喊大叫。“还有，我也是个巫师！我能害死人！”

“不，詹姆斯！”我喊道。“你不是巫师！你不杀人！”

“不，我杀人。”詹姆斯生气地说。他的脸红了起来。“我的狗丹迪是魔鬼，它为我杀过一个人。有一次我想要一件衬衣，达克沃思先生准备把他的一件旧衬衣给我。可是最后他没有给我，我非常生气。我差点儿杀了他！不过我喊来了丹迪，它为我杀死了达克沃思先生！”

我哭了起来。我的哥哥也是个巫师！我的全家都是巫师！

“别哭，詹妮特，”诺埃尔先生说。“必须有人照顾你。你可以留在里德宅院，和我在一起。”

诺埃尔先生手下的人把我妈妈带到了里德宅院，起初她一言不发。

“把泥塑像的事告诉我们，”诺埃尔先生说。“我手下的人在马尔金塔找到了一些泥塑像。”

我妈妈没有作声。

“你的母亲老德姆代克是女巫。你的女儿是女巫，”诺埃尔先生说。“你的儿子为了一件衬衣杀死了达克沃思先生。现在把泥塑像的事告诉我们。”

我妈妈什么也没说。

“詹姆斯对我们讲了巴利村鲁滨逊先生的事，”诺埃尔先生说。“是你杀了他吗？”

突然间，我妈妈的脸涨红了，她冲着詹姆斯大喊：“你真是个好儿子！你把巴利村杰克·鲁滨逊的事告诉了这个有钱人。是的，你说的完全属实。是我杀了他！我做了一个泥像，然后把它打碎，一星期后他就死了。我杀了他是因为我恨他。”

她停下来看着我。我想跑开，可是诺埃尔先生的用人正站在门前。妈妈哈哈大笑着说：“詹妮特·迪瓦斯，巫师的女儿！我知道，你恨我们。嗯，这没什么，因为你是对的：你是不一样。你是我女儿，但你不是我丈夫的女儿。你的父亲是个有钱人，可他从来不给我钱。他管你叫巫师的孩子。从你一出生，他就再也没靠近过我。杰克·鲁滨逊得知你亲生父亲的真相后，便告诉了巴利村的居民们。他们说我是坏女人，却不说你父亲是一个坏男人！从那以后，在巴利村，再也没有人给我吃的了，这都是杰克·鲁滨逊造成的。我恨他，所以我杀了他！”

房间里静悄悄的，我的妈妈又大笑起来。

我的手冰凉冰凉，我的脸热辣辣。不过我没有哭。迪瓦斯先生去世时，我哭了好几天。然而他不是我父亲。我看着妈妈，看着她那肮脏的头发、丑陋的面容和愤怒的双眼。在那一刻，我真恨她，许多年来我一直恨她。

1 witch   

n.巫婆，女巫；vt.施巫术，迷惑

参考例句：

• The witch changed the prince into a frog.巫婆把王子变成了青蛙。
• The heartless witch cast a spell on the poor little girl.狠心的女巫对孤苦无助的小女孩施了妖术。

2 witches   

n.女巫，巫婆( witch的名词复数 )；讨人嫌的丑女人v.女巫，巫婆( witch的第三人称单数 )；讨人嫌的丑女人

参考例句：

• Witches used to be burned at the stake. 巫婆过去要被处以火刑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Witches ain't got no power in the daytime." 巫婆白天是没有法力的。” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

3 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

4 castle   

n.城堡，象棋中的车；vt.置于城堡中，筑城堡防御

参考例句：

• We had to give up the castle.我们不得不放弃这座城堡了。
• He took a photograph of the castle.他拍了一张这个城堡的照片。

5 guards   

n.卫兵( guard的名词复数 )；警戒；警卫队；防护装置v.保护，控制( guard的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• That uniform makes the guards look absurd. 警卫们穿着那种制服看起来怪模怪样的。
• She left the courtroom flanked by armed guards. 她在武装警卫护送下离开法庭。

6 devil   

n.魔鬼，恶魔

参考例句：

• It is easier to raise the devil than to lay him.召鬼容易驱鬼难。
• Susie,you're a determined little devil.苏茜，你真是个坚决的小家伙。

7 barley   

n.大麦，大麦粒

参考例句：

• They looked out across the fields of waving barley.他们朝田里望去,只见大麦随风摇摆。
• He cropped several acres with barley.他种了几英亩大麦。

8 clay   

n.黏土；泥土

参考例句：

• The children like making houses of sticks and clay.孩子们喜欢用树枝或黏土盖房子玩。
• What a love of a clay doll!多么可爱的泥娃娃！

9 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

10 villagers   

n.在乡村住的人，村民( villager的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The powerful lords were guilty of grinding the villagers under their heels. 那些大领主的罪过是以权势欺压村民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war. 在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》