简爱

　　There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering， indeed， in the leafless bushes for an hour in the morning. But since dinner， the cold winter wind had brought with it such dark clouds and cold rain that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question. I was glad of it. I never liked long walks， especially on cold afternoons. It felt awful to come home with frozen Fingers and toes， and a heart saddened by the scolding from our nurse Bessie， and feeling so small next to my cousins， Eliza， John， and Georgiana Reed.My three cousins were now gathered round Aunt Reed， their mother， in the drawing-room. She was laying on a sofa by the Fireside， and with her darlings about her， looked perfectly happy. She had forbidden me from joining the group， saying that， "Until she heard from Bessie that I was making an honest attempt to acquire a more sociable and childlike manner， she really must refuse me the privileges intended only for contented， happy little children."《简爱》讲述了这样一个故事：简？爱自幼父母双亡，投靠冷酷的舅母，但舅母无情地抛弃了她。她在一所慈善学校做了六年的学生和两年的教师。十八岁时，简？爱受聘到桑菲尔德府学当家庭教师，认识了主人罗切斯特。两人都被对方独特的气质和丰富的感情所吸引，于是不顾身份和地位的巨大差距深深相爱了。正当他们举行婚礼时，有人证明罗切斯特的前妻还活着。简？爱知道他们不可能有平等的婚姻，于是选择了离开。后来，简？爱意外遇见了她的表兄妹们，并从叔叔那里继承了一笔遗产。但她无法抵御对罗切斯特的刻骨思念，于是便回到了已经失去了财富、身体也遭到火灾严重摧残的罗切斯特身边，毅然跟他结婚。在爱的沐浴下，罗切斯特找回了幸福和健康。

　　夏洛蒂·勃朗特1816年生于英国北部约克郡的豪渥斯的一个乡村牧师家庭。母亲早逝，八岁的夏洛蒂被送进一所专收神职人员孤女的慈善性机构——柯文桥女子寄宿学校。在那里，她的两个姐姐玛丽亚和伊丽莎白因染上肺病而先后死去。于是夏洛蒂和妹妹艾米利回到家乡，15岁时她进了伍勒小姐办的学校读书，几年后又在这个学校当教师。后来她曾作家庭教师，最终她投身于文学创作的道路。夏洛蒂·勃朗特有两个姐姐、两个妹妹和一个弟弟。两个妹妹，即艾米莉·勃朗特和安恩·勃朗特，也是著名作家，因而在英国文学史上常有“勃朗特三姐妹”之称。改编者简介：薄荷阅读编辑团队，由国内外专业英语编辑及二语习得专家组成，已出版改编著作50多部，深受广大英语学习爱好者的喜爱。