AFTER a week spent in professions of love and schemes of felicity, Mr. Collins was called from his amiable Charlotte by the arrival of Saturday. The pain of separation, however, might be alleviated on his side, by preparations for the reception of his bride, as he had reason to hope that shortly after his next return into Hertfordshire, the day would be fixed that was to make him the happiest of men. He took leave of his relations at Longbourn with as much solemnity as before; wished his fair cousins health and happiness again, and promised their father another letter of thanks.
談情說(shuō)愛(ài)，籌劃好事，就這樣度過(guò)了一星期，終于到了星期六，柯林斯先生不得不和心愛(ài)的夏綠蒂告別。不過(guò)，他既已作好接新娘的準(zhǔn)備，離別的愁苦也就因此減輕了，他只等下次再來(lái)哈?？ぃ喅黾哑?，使他成為天下最幸福的男子。他象上次一樣隆重其事地告別了浪搏恩的親戚們，祝賀姐妹們健康幸福，又答應(yīng)給他們的父親再來(lái)一封謝函。

On the following Monday, Mrs. Bennet had the pleasure of receiving her brother and his wife, who came as usual to spend the Christmas at Longbourn. Mr. Gardiner was a sensible, gentlemanlike man, greatly superior to his sister, as well by nature as education. The Netherfield ladies would have had difficulty in believing that a man who lived by trade, and within view of his own warehouses, could have been so well bred and agreeable. Mrs. Gardiner, who was several years younger than Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Philips, was an amiable, intelligent, elegant woman, and a great favourite with all her Longbourn nieces. Between the two eldest and herself especially, there subsisted a very particular regard. They had frequently been staying with her in town.
下星期一，班納特太太的弟弟和弟婦照例到浪搏恩來(lái)過(guò)圣誕節(jié)，班納特太太很是欣喜。嘉丁納先生是個(gè)通情達(dá)理、頗有紳士風(fēng)度的人物，無(wú)論在個(gè)性方面，在所受的教育方面，都高出他姐姐很多。他原是出身商界，見(jiàn)聞不出貨房堆棧之外，竟會(huì)這般有教養(yǎng)，這般討人喜愛(ài)，要是叫尼日斐花園的太太小姐們看見(jiàn)了，實(shí)在難以相信。嘉丁納太太比班納特太太以及腓力普太太，都要小好幾歲年紀(jì)，也是個(gè)和藹聰慧、而又很文雅的女人，浪搏恩的外甥女兒跟她特別親切。她們常常進(jìn)城去在她那兒待一陣子。

The first part of Mrs. Gardiner's business on her arrival, was to distribute her presents and describe the newest fashions. When this was done, she had a less active part to play. It became her turn to listen. Mrs. Bennet had many grievances to relate, and much to complain of. They had all been very ill-used since she last saw her sister. Two of her girls had been on the point of marriage, and after all there was nothing in it.
嘉丁納太太剛到這里，第一件事就是分發(fā)禮物，講述最時(shí)新的服裝式樣。這件事做過(guò)以后，她便坐在一旁，靜聽(tīng)班納特太太跟她說(shuō)話。班納特太太有多少牢騷要發(fā)，又有多少苦要訴。自從上年她弟婦走了以后，她家里受了人家欺負(fù)。兩個(gè)女兒本來(lái)快要出嫁了，到頭來(lái)只落得一場(chǎng)空。

"I do not blame Jane," she continued, "for Jane would have got Mr. Bingley, if she could. But, Lizzy! Oh, sister! it is very hard to think that she might have been Mr. Collins's wife by this time, had not it been for her own perverseness. He made her an offer in this very room, and she refused him. The consequence of it is, that Lady Lucas will have a daughter married before I have, and that Longbourn estate is just as much entailed as ever. The Lucases are very artful people indeed, sister. They are all for what they can get. I am sorry to say it of them, but so it is. It makes me very nervous and poorly, to be thwarted so in my own family, and to have neighbours who think of themselves before anybody else. However, your coming just at this time is the greatest of comforts, and I am very glad to hear what you tell us, of long sleeves."
“我并不怪吉英，”她接下去說(shuō)，“因?yàn)榧⒁悄軌蚣藿o彬格萊先生，她早就嫁了?？墒躯愝桐ぉぐΓ軏D呀！要不是她自己那么拗性子，說(shuō)不定她已做了柯林斯先生的夫人了。他就在這間房子里向她求婚的，她卻把他拒絕了。結(jié)果倒讓盧卡斯太太有個(gè)女兒比我的女兒先嫁出去，浪搏恩的財(cái)產(chǎn)從此就得讓人家來(lái)繼承。的確，盧卡斯一家手腕才高明呢，弟婦。他們都是為了要撈進(jìn)這一筆財(cái)產(chǎn)。我本來(lái)也不忍心就這樣編派他們，不過(guò)事實(shí)的確如此。我在家里既然過(guò)得這樣不稱心，又偏偏碰到這些只顧自己不顧別人的鄰舍，真弄得我神經(jīng)也壞了，人也病了。你可來(lái)得正是時(shí)候，給了我極大的安慰，我非常喜歡聽(tīng)你講的那些……長(zhǎng)袖子的事情?！?/div>

Mrs. Gardiner, to whom the chief of this news had been given before, in the course of Jane and Elizabeth's correspondence with her, made her sister a slight answer, and, in compassion to her nieces, turned the conversation.
嘉丁納太太遠(yuǎn)在跟吉英以及伊麗莎白通信的時(shí)候，大體上就已經(jīng)知道了她們家里最近發(fā)生的這些事情，又為了體貼外甥女兒們起見(jiàn)，只稍微敷衍了班納特太太幾句，便把這個(gè)話題岔開了。

When alone with Elizabeth afterwards, she spoke more on the subject. "It seems likely to have been a desirable match for Jane," said she. "I am sorry it went off. But these things happen so often! A young man, such as you describe Mr. Bingley, so easily falls in love with a pretty girl for a few weeks, and when accident separates them, so easily forgets her, that these sort of inconstancies are very frequent."
后來(lái)伊麗莎白跟她兩人在一起的時(shí)候，又談到了這件事。她說(shuō)：“這倒也許是吉英的一門美滿親事，只可惜吹了?？墒沁@種情形往往是難免！象你所說(shuō)的彬格萊先生這樣的青年，往往不消幾個(gè)星期的工夫，就會(huì)愛(ài)上一位美麗的姑娘，等到有一件偶然的事故把他們分開了，他也就很容易把她忘了，這種見(jiàn)異思遷的事情多的是?！?/div>

"An excellent consolation in its way," said Elizabeth, "but it will not do for us. We do not suffer by accident. It does not often happen that the interference of friends will persuade a young man of independent fortune to think no more of a girl, whom he was violently in love with only a few days before."
“你這樣的安慰完全是出于一片好心，”伊麗莎白說(shuō)?！翱上О参坎涣宋覀?。我們吃虧并不是吃在偶然的事情上面。一個(gè)獨(dú)立自主的青年，幾天以前剛剛跟一位姑娘打得火熱，現(xiàn)在遭到了他自己朋友們的干涉，就把她丟了，這事情倒不多見(jiàn)?！?/div>

"But that expression of "violently in love" is so hackneyed, so doubtful, so indefinite, that it gives me very little idea. It is as often applied to feelings which arise from an half-hour's acquaintance, as to a real, strong attachment. Pray, how violent was Mr. Bingley's love?"
“不過(guò)，所謂‘打得火熱’這種話未免太陳腐，太籠統(tǒng)，太不切合實(shí)際，我簡(jiǎn)直抓不住一點(diǎn)兒概念。這種話通常總是用來(lái)形容男女一見(jiàn)鐘情的場(chǎng)面，也用來(lái)形容一種真正的熱烈感情。請(qǐng)問(wèn)，彬格萊先生的愛(ài)情火熱到什么程度？”

猜你喜歡