【經(jīng)典名著閱讀】《傲慢與偏見》第二十六章
作者:Jane Austen
2011-06-09 10:00
Mr. Collins returned into Hertfordshire soon after it had been quitted by the Gardiners and Jane; but as he took up his abode with the Lucases, his arrival was no great inconvenience to Mrs. Bennet. His marriage was now fast approaching, and she was at length so far resigned as to think it inevitable, and even repeatedly to say in an ill-natured tone that she "wished they might be happy." Thursday was to be the wedding day, and on Wednesday Miss Lucas paid her farewell visit; and when she rose to take leave, Elizabeth, ashamed of her mother's ungracious and reluctant good wishes, and sincerely affected herself, accompanied her out of the room. As they went down stairs together, Charlotte said, "I shall depend on hearing from you very often, Eliza."
嘉丁納夫婦和吉英剛剛離開了哈德福郡,柯林斯先生就回到哈福德郡去。他住在盧卡斯府上,因此班納特太太不但終于死了心,認(rèn)為這門親事是免不了的,甚至還幾次三番惡意地說:“但愿他們會幸福吧?!毙瞧谒木褪羌哑?,盧卡斯小姐星期三到班府上來辭行。當(dāng)夏綠蒂起身告別的時候,伊麗莎白一方面由于母親那些死樣怪氣的吉利話,使她聽得不好意思,另一方面自己也委實有動無衷,便不由得送她走出房門。下樓梯的時候,夏綠蒂說:“我相信你一定會常常給我寫信的,伊麗莎?!?/div>
"That you certainly shall."
“這你放心好啦?!?/div>
"And I have another favour to ask. Will you come and see me?"
“我還要你賞個臉。你愿意來看看我嗎?”
"We shall often meet, I hope, in Hertfordshire."
“我希望我們能夠常常在哈福德郡見面。”
"I am not likely to leave Kent for some time. Promise me, therefore, to come to Hunsford."
“我可能暫時不會離開肯特郡。還是答應(yīng)我上漢斯福來吧?!?/div>
Elizabeth could not refuse, though she foresaw little pleasure in the visit.
伊麗莎白雖然預(yù)料到這種拜望不會有什么樂趣,可又沒法推辭。
"My father and Maria are to come to me in March," added Charlotte, "and I hope you will consent to be of the party. Indeed, Eliza, you will be as welcome to me as either of them."
夏綠蒂又說:“我的父母三月里要到我那兒去,我希望你跟他們一塊兒來。真的,伊麗莎,我一定象歡迎他們一樣地歡迎你。”
The wedding took place; the bride and bridegroom set off for Kent from the church door, and every body had as much to say or to hear on the subject as usual. Elizabeth soon heard from her friend; and their correspondence was as regular and frequent as it had ever been; that it should be equally unreserved was impossible. Elizabeth could never address her without feeling that all the comfort of intimacy was over, and, though determined not to slacken as a correspondent, it was for the sake of what had been, rather than what was. Charlotte's first letters were received with a good deal of eagerness; there could not but be curiosity to know how she would speak of her new home, how she would like Lady Catherine, and how happy she would dare pronounce herself to be; though, when the letters were read, Elizabeth felt that Charlotte expressed herself on every point exactly as she might have foreseen. She wrote cheerfully, seemed surrounded with comforts, and mentioned nothing which she could not praise. The house, furniture, neighbourhood, and roads, were all to her taste, and Lady Catherine's behaviour was most friendly and obliging. It was Mr. Collins's picture of Hunsford and Rosings rationally softened; and Elizabeth perceived that she must wait for her own visit there, to know the rest.
結(jié)好了婚,新郎新娘從教堂門口直接動身往肯特郡去,大家總是照例你一句我一句的要說上多少話。伊麗莎白不久就收到了她朋友的來信,從此她們倆的通信便極其正常,極其頻繁!不過,要象從前一樣地暢所欲言,毫無顧忌,那可辦不到了。伊麗莎白每逢寫信給她,都免不了感覺到過去那種推心置腹的快慰已經(jīng)成為陳跡;雖說她也下定決心,不要把通信疏懶下來,不過,那與其說是為了目前的友誼,倒不如說是為了過去的交情。她對于夏綠蒂開頭的幾封信都盼望得很迫切,那完全是出于一種好奇心,想要知道夏綠蒂所說的話,處處都和她自己所預(yù)料的完全一樣。她的信寫得充滿了愉快的情調(diào),講到一件事總要贊美一句,好象她真有說不盡的快慰。凡是住宅、家具、鄰居、道路,樣樣都叫她稱心,咖苔琳夫人待人接物又是那么友善,那么親切。她只不過把柯林斯先生所夸耀的漢斯福和羅新斯的面貌,稍許說得委婉一些罷了;伊麗莎白覺得,一定要等到親自去那兒拜訪,才能了解底蘊(yùn)。
Jane had already written a few lines to her sister to announce their safe arrival in London; and when she wrote again, Elizabeth hoped it would be in her power to say something of the Bingleys.
吉英早已來了一封短簡給伊麗莎白,信上說,她已經(jīng)平安抵達(dá)倫敦;伊麗莎白希望她下次來信能夠講一些有關(guān)彬格萊家的事。
Her impatience for this second letter was as well rewarded as impatience generally is. Jane had been a week in town, without either seeing or hearing from Caroline. She accounted for it, however, by supposing that her last letter to her friend from Longbourn had by some accident been lost.
第二封信真等得她焦急,可是總算沒有白等。信上說,她已經(jīng)進(jìn)城一個星期,既沒有看見珈羅琳,也沒有收到珈羅琳的信。她只得認(rèn)為她上次從浪搏恩給珈羅琳的那封信,一定是在路上失落了。
"My aunt," she continued, "is going tomorrow into that part of the town, and I shall take the opportunity of calling in Grosvenor-street."
她接下去寫:“明天舅母要上那個地區(qū)去,我想趁這個機(jī)會到格魯斯汶納街去登門拜訪一下?!?/div>
She wrote again when the visit was paid, and she had seen Miss Bingley. "I did not think Caroline in spirits," were her words, "but she was very glad to see me, and reproached me for giving her no notice of my coming to London. I was right, therefore; my last letter had never reached her. I enquired after their brother, of course. He was well, but so much engaged with Mr. Darcy, that they scarcely ever saw him. I found that Miss Darcy was expected to dinner. I wish I could see her. My visit was not long, as Caroline and Mrs. Hurst were going out. I dare say I shall soon see them here."
吉英拜訪過彬格萊小姐并且和她見過面以后,又寫了一封信來。她寫道:“我覺得珈羅琳精神不大好,可是她見到我卻很高興,而且怪我這次到倫敦來為什么事先不通知她一下。我果然沒有猜錯,我上次給她那封信,她真的沒有收到。我當(dāng)然問起她們的兄弟。據(jù)說他近況很好,不過同達(dá)西先生過從太密,以致姐妹兄弟很少機(jī)會見面。我這一次拜望的時間并不太久,因為珈羅琳和赫斯脫太太都要出去。也許她們馬上就會上我這兒來看我?!?/div>
Elizabeth shook her head over this letter. It convinced her that accident only could discover to Mr. Bingley her sister's being in town.
伊麗莎白讀著這封信,不由得搖頭。她相信除非有什么偶然的機(jī)會,彬格萊先生決不會知道吉英來到了倫敦。
Four weeks passed away, and Jane saw nothing of him. She endeavoured to persuade herself that she did not regret it; but she could no longer be blind to Miss Bingley's inattention. After waiting at home every morning for a fortnight, and inventing every evening a fresh excuse for her, the visitor did at last appear; but the shortness of her stay, and yet more, the alteration of her manner, would allow Jane to deceive herself no longer. The letter which she wrote on this occasion to her sister, will prove what she felt.
四個星期過去了,吉英還沒有見到彬格萊先生的影子。她竭力寬慰自己說,她并沒有因此而覺得難受;可是彬格萊小姐的冷淡無情,她到底看明白了。她每天上午都在家里等彬格萊小姐,一直白等了兩個星期,每天晚上都替彬格萊小姐編造一個借口,最后那位貴客才算上門來了,可是只待了片刻工夫便告辭而去,而且她的態(tài)度也前后判若兩人,吉英覺得再不能自己騙自己了。她把這一次的情形寫了封信告訴她妹妹,從這封信里可以看出她當(dāng)時的心情:──
猜你喜歡
-
【經(jīng)典名著閱讀】《傲慢與偏見》第二十七章
《傲慢與偏見》是英國著名女作家簡·奧斯丁的代表作,作品描寫傲慢的單身青年達(dá)西與偏見的二小姐伊麗莎白之間的感情糾葛。作者用幽默諷刺的語言,向我們講述了一樁曲折的姻緣。 當(dāng)“傲慢”與“偏見”在愛情中邂
-
【經(jīng)典名著閱讀】《傲慢與偏見》第二十二章
《傲慢與偏見》是英國著名女作家簡·奧斯丁的代表作,作品描寫傲慢的單身青年達(dá)西與偏見的二小姐伊麗莎白之間的感情糾葛。作者用幽默諷刺的語言,向我們講述了一樁曲折的姻緣。 當(dāng)“傲慢”與“偏見”在愛情中邂
-
【經(jīng)典名著閱讀】《傲慢與偏見》第十三章
《傲慢與偏見》是英國著名女作家簡·奧斯丁的代表作,作品描寫傲慢的單身青年達(dá)西與偏見的二小姐伊麗莎白之間的感情糾葛。作者用幽默諷刺的語言,向我們講述了一樁曲折的姻緣。 當(dāng)“傲慢”與“偏見”在愛情中邂
-
【經(jīng)典名著閱讀】《傲慢與偏見》第五章
《傲慢與偏見》是英國著名女作家簡·奧斯丁的代表作,作品描寫傲慢的單身青年達(dá)西與偏見的二小姐伊麗莎白之間的感情糾葛。作者用幽默諷刺的語言,向我們講述了一樁曲折的姻緣。 當(dāng)“傲慢”與“偏見”在愛情中邂