"I tell you I must go!" I retorted, roused to something like passion. "Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? Do you think I am an automaton?--a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am souless and heartless? You think wrong!--I have as much soul as you,--and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor evern of mortal flesh;--it is my spirit that adresses your spirit; just as if both has passed through the grave, and we stood at God's feet, equal,--as we are!"

Excerpt from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

參考譯文

“ 我告訴你我非走不可！”我回駁著，感情很有些沖動。“你難道認為，我會留下來甘愿做一個對你來說無足輕重的人？你以為我是一架機器——一架沒有感情的機器？能夠容忍別人把一口面包從我嘴里搶走，把一滴生命之水從我杯子里潑掉？難道就因為我一貧如洗、默默無聞、長相平庸、個子瘦小，就沒有靈魂和心腸了？你想錯了！我的心靈跟你一樣豐富，我的心胸跟你一樣充實！要是上帝賜予我一點姿色和財富，我會使你難以離開我，就像現在我很難離開你一樣。我不是根據習俗、常規，甚至也不是血肉之軀同你說話，而是我的靈魂同你的靈魂在對話，就仿佛我們兩人穿過墳墓，站在上帝腳下，彼此平等，本來就如此！”