牛津書蟲(chóng)系列 傲慢與偏見(jiàn) 6 Elizabeth visits Mr and Mrs Collins

6 Elizabeth visits Mr and Mrs Collins

6 伊麗莎白拜訪柯林斯先生和夫人

The following Monday Mrs Bennet had the pleasure of receiving her brother and his wife， who came as usual to spend Christmas at Longbourn. Mr Gardiner was a sensible， gentlemanlike man.The Netherfield ladies would have had dif- ficulty in believing that a man who lived by buying and selling could be so well-mannered and agreeable. Mrs Gardiner， who was several years younger than Mrs Bennet and Mrs Philips， was a pleasant，intelligent，elegant woman，and a grest favourite with her Longbourn nieces，especially the two eldest， who often stayed with her in London.

下一個(gè)星期一，班納特太太的弟弟和弟媳照例到浪搏恩過(guò)圣誕節(jié)，她甚為欣喜。嘉丁納先生通情達(dá)理，頗有紳士風(fēng)度。尼日斐的小姐們可能會(huì)很難相信，做買賣出身的人竟會(huì)如此文雅而和善。嘉丁納太太比班納特太太和菲力普斯太太年輕幾歲，和藹聰慧，舉止優(yōu)雅，深得浪搏恩幾個(gè)外甥女的喜愛(ài)，尤其是經(jīng)常到倫敦和她呆在一起的兩位大些的外甥女。

When Mrs Gardiner had given the presents she had brought with her， and described the newest fashions， she was obliged to listen to Mrs Bennet's complaints.

嘉丁納太太分發(fā)完帶來(lái)的禮品，講述完最新服裝款式之后，便不得不聽(tīng)聽(tīng)班納特太太的牢騷話了。

‘I've suffered greatly since your last visit， sister!’cried Mrs Bennet.‘Just imagine!Two of my daughters were very close to marriage—and then—nothing!I do not blame Jane， who would have got Mr Bingley if she could， but Lizzy!Oh， sister! It is hard to think she might have been Mrs Collins by now，if she hadn't been so obstinate!The result is that Lady Lucas will have a daughter married before me. It makes me quite ill， to have such a disobedient daughter and such selfish neighbours. But your coming just now is a great comfort to me，and I am very glad to hear what you tell us，about long sleeves.’

“弟妹，自從你上次來(lái)過(guò)以后，我可遭了大罪了!”班納特太太嚷道。“你想想看!兩個(gè)女兒馬上就要嫁出去了，可是接下來(lái)卻成了一場(chǎng)空!我不怪簡(jiǎn)，如果有可能，她會(huì)得到彬格萊先生的，可是麗萃!哎呀，弟妹，真是難以想象，她如果不是那么固執(zhí)，現(xiàn)在可能已經(jīng)成了柯林斯太太了!結(jié)果呢，倒成了盧卡斯太太比我先嫁出一個(gè)女兒。遇到這樣不聽(tīng)話的女兒和這樣自私的鄰居，真使我感到難受?？墒悄銇?lái)得正是時(shí)候，對(duì)我是莫大的安慰，我非常喜歡聽(tīng)你講新潮時(shí)裝，長(zhǎng)袖子啦什么的。”

Mrs Gardiner made a suitably sympathetic reply to her sister-in-law， and later that day found the opportunity to dis- cuss the matter in more detail with Elizabeth，alone.

嘉丁納太太的回答對(duì)大姑子表示出適當(dāng)?shù)耐?，那天晚些時(shí)候，她找到一個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)與伊麗莎白單獨(dú)詳細(xì)地談了這件事。

‘I am sorry for Jane，’she said kindly，‘but，Lizzy，these things happen often!A young man like Mr Bingley fre- quently falls in love with a pretty girl， and when chance sepa- rates them， he forgets her very quickly.’

“我為簡(jiǎn)感到難過(guò)，”她溫和地說(shuō)，“可是，麗萃，這種事太常見(jiàn)了!像彬格萊那樣的年輕人很容易愛(ài)上漂亮女孩，而一旦碰巧兩人分開(kāi)，他就很快把她忘了。”

‘Yes， aunt，’said Elizabeth，‘but in this case it was not chance，but the young man's interfering friends，who separated Jane and Mr Bingley. I'm sure he was violently in love with her.’

“是的，舅媽，”伊麗莎白說(shuō)，“可是這次不是碰巧分開(kāi)的，都怨那年輕人愛(ài)管閑事的朋友，是他們把簡(jiǎn)和彬格萊先生拆開(kāi)的。我相信，彬格萊先生狂熱地愛(ài)著她。”

‘Poor Jane!She's so sensitive.I'm afraid she may not get over it for some time.Now，if it had been you，Lizzy， you would have recovered more quickly， by finding humour in the situation.But do you think I could persuade Jane to come back with us to London? Perhaps a change of air would make her feel better.’

“可憐的簡(jiǎn)!她太敏感了。我恐怕她一下子難以從中恢復(fù)過(guò)來(lái)。麗萃，這件事如果發(fā)生在你身上，你會(huì)很快把它淡忘的，因?yàn)槟銜?huì)苦中找樂(lè)。可是你覺(jué)得我會(huì)說(shuō)服簡(jiǎn)跟我們一塊回倫敦嗎?也許到那里換換空氣會(huì)使她好受些。”

Elizabeth was extremely grateful to her aunt for this kind suggestion，and felt sure Jane would gladly agree.

伊麗莎白對(duì)舅媽的這種建議極為感激，她覺(jué)得簡(jiǎn)肯定會(huì)樂(lè)意去的。

‘I hope，’added Mrs Gardiner，‘that she will not be influenced by the hope of seeing the young man. We live in such a different part of town that it is very unlikely they will meet， unless he actually comes to see her.’

“我希望，”嘉丁納太太補(bǔ)充說(shuō)，“她不會(huì)受到希望見(jiàn)到那個(gè)年輕人的影響。我們?cè)诔抢镒〉媚敲催h(yuǎn)，碰上是不大可能的，除非他專程來(lái)看她。”

‘that is quite impossible，because his friend Mr Darcy would not allow him to visit so unfashionable an address!’But despite her protest，Elizabeth secretly thought that Jane might see Bingley in London and that a meeting would probably reawaken his affection for her.

“這不太有可能，因?yàn)樗呐笥堰_(dá)西先生不會(huì)允許他拜訪這樣一個(gè)不入流的地方!”可是，盡管伊麗莎白嘴上說(shuō)得那么肯定，她心里還是暗自認(rèn)為簡(jiǎn)在倫敦可能見(jiàn)到彬格萊，這樣的會(huì)面還可能重新喚起他對(duì)她的感情。

The Gardiners stayed at Longbourn for a week，and MrsBennet made sure there was always some entertainment for her brother and sister-in-law.Whenever there was a dinner party at Longbourn House， some of the officers were always invited.Mrs Gardiner，who had noticed that Mr Wickham was a very frequent visitor and that Elizabeth spoke admiringly of him， took care to observe them both.She saw enough to make her a little anxious， and decided to speak to Elizabeth about him when they were alone.

嘉丁納夫婦在浪搏恩呆了一個(gè)星期，班納特太太作了各種安排，確保弟弟和弟媳總有得玩。一旦浪搏恩府上舉辦晚宴，總要請(qǐng)一些軍官來(lái)。嘉丁納太太注意到韋翰先生是位?？?，伊麗莎白說(shuō)起他又帶著愛(ài)慕之情，于是就開(kāi)始留心觀察他們倆。她所看到的足以引起她的焦慮，她決定單獨(dú)跟伊麗莎白談?wù)劇?/p>

‘Lizzy，’she began，‘I can see that you and Mr Wickham like each other.But I must warn you not to get seriously in- volved with him.I admit he's a most interesting young man， but sadly he has no fortune.You are a sensible girl， and must realize that you would disappoint your father by agreeing to marry a penniless young man.’

“麗萃，”她開(kāi)口道，“我看得出你喜歡韋翰先生，他也喜歡你。不過(guò)，我必須警告你不要跟他太認(rèn)真。我承認(rèn)他這個(gè)人很有意思，可是不幸的是他沒(méi)有財(cái)產(chǎn)。你是有腦筋的，必須認(rèn)識(shí)到嫁給一個(gè)身無(wú)分文的人會(huì)使你爸爸失望的。”

‘My dear aunt， do not worry.I’ll take care of myself， and Mr Wickham too.He won't be in love with me，if I can pre- vent it.’

“親愛(ài)的舅媽，別擔(dān)心。我會(huì)把握好自己的，韋翰先生也一樣。他不會(huì)愛(ài)上我的，如果我能預(yù)防的話。”

‘Elizabeth，be serious.’

“伊麗莎白，嚴(yán)肅點(diǎn)兒。”

‘I'm sorry，aunt，I’ll try again.At present I'm certainly not in love with him.But he is by far the most agreeable man I've ever met， and if he really loved me… But I would hate to dis- appoint my father or make any of you unhappy.I cannot promise what I will do，but I will really try to do what I think is wisest.I hope you are satisfied with that.’

“對(duì)不起，舅媽，我再努把力。現(xiàn)在我當(dāng)然還沒(méi)有愛(ài)上他。可是他是我迄今為止見(jiàn)到的最隨和的人，如果他真的愛(ài)上了我……可是我不愿意辜負(fù)父親的期望或讓你們哪個(gè)人不高興。我不能保證我會(huì)怎么樣，不過(guò)，我真地會(huì)按我認(rèn)為最明智的方法去做。我希望我的想法你會(huì)滿意。”

Her aunt replied that she was， and received Elizabeth's thanks for her kind advice. Several days after this， the Gardiners returned to London， taking Jane with them.

她舅媽說(shuō)她感到滿意，接受了伊麗莎白對(duì)她的建議表示的謝意。幾天之后，嘉丁納夫婦回到倫敦，把簡(jiǎn)也帶了過(guò)去。

The day of Mr Collins’wedding soon arrived，and Mrs Bennet had to watch Charlotte Lucas become Mrs Collins.Before the bride left Longbourn for Hunsford，however，she asked Eliza- beth to come and visit her in her new home as soon as possible. Elizabeth could not refuse， although she did not imagine it would be an enjoyable visit.It was arranged that Elizabeth would accompany Sir William Lucas and Maria，one of his oth- er daughters，on their intended visit to Hunsford in March.

柯林斯先生的大喜日子很快來(lái)臨，班納特太太不得不眼睜睜地看著夏洛特·盧卡斯成為柯林斯太太。不過(guò)，新娘在離開(kāi)浪搏恩前往漢斯福之前，請(qǐng)伊麗莎白盡快來(lái)參觀她的新家。雖然伊麗莎白想象得出這次拜訪不會(huì)有多大樂(lè)趣，但她無(wú)法拒絕。按照安排，伊麗莎白將于三月份在威廉·盧卡斯爵士和他的另一個(gè)女兒瑪利亞按計(jì)劃去漢斯福進(jìn)行拜訪時(shí)陪他們一塊去。

A week after Jane's departure， Elizabeth received a letter from her sister， saying that she had seen Miss Bingley， and hoped to continue their friendship.Elizabeth shook her head over this.She was not surprised to hear from Jane a few weeks later that Caroline Bingley had made no further attempts to communicate with her former dear friend.Elizabeth was sad- dened to read of Jane's disappointment， but felt more cheerful when she told herself that Jane would no longer be deceived， by the sister at least.All expectation from the brother was now absolutely over. As a punishment for him， she seriously hoped he would soon marry Mr Darcy's sister，who，according to Wickham，would make him quickly regret what he had thrown away.

簡(jiǎn)離開(kāi)后一個(gè)星期，伊麗莎白收到了她的來(lái)信，上面說(shuō)她見(jiàn)到了彬格萊小姐，并且希望將友誼保持下去。伊麗莎白對(duì)此搖了搖頭。幾周后，她收到了簡(jiǎn)的來(lái)信，說(shuō)卡羅琳·彬格萊沒(méi)有進(jìn)一步努力與先前的好友保持聯(lián)系，對(duì)此，伊麗莎白一點(diǎn)都不感到奇怪。讀到簡(jiǎn)的失望的信，伊麗莎白感到悲傷，但一想到至少簡(jiǎn)現(xiàn)在已不再受到他妹妹的蒙蔽，她便高興許多。對(duì)她哥哥的一切期望現(xiàn)在都化為泡影了。作為對(duì)他的懲罰。伊麗莎白真心希望他不久就跟達(dá)西先生的妹妹結(jié)婚，因?yàn)閾?jù)韋翰先生講，這個(gè)女人會(huì)使他很快后悔自己一腳踢開(kāi)了簡(jiǎn)。

At about this time，Elizabeth also received a letter from Mrs Gardiner， asking about Wickham， and she was able to reply quite honestly that there was no danger of her marrying him. He had transferred his affections to a Miss King， who had re- cently inherited ten thousand pounds. Elizabeth saw exactly what was happening，but her heart had only been slightly touched，and she was able to convince herself that it was quite natural for such an agreeable young man to wish for fortune and independence.

大約在同時(shí)，伊麗莎白還收到了嘉丁納太太寄來(lái)的信，問(wèn)韋翰的情況。她老老實(shí)實(shí)地回答說(shuō)，她還沒(méi)有嫁給他的危險(xiǎn)。他已把感情轉(zhuǎn)移到了金小姐身上。金小姐最近剛繼承了一萬(wàn)英鎊。所發(fā)生的一切伊麗莎白都看得清清楚楚，但她的心只是稍微受到些震動(dòng)，而且她能自圓其說(shuō)地認(rèn)為像這樣隨和的年輕人希望獲得財(cái)產(chǎn)和獨(dú)立是很自然的事情。

January and February passed， and the time for Elizabeth's visit to Mr and Mrs Collins approached.She had improved the plan， by arranging to spend a night in London at her uncle and aunt's house，before continuing the journey into Kent. She was very much looking forward to seeing Jane，who was still stay- ing with the Gardiners.

1月和2月過(guò)去了，伊麗莎白拜訪柯林斯夫婦的日子越來(lái)越近。她把計(jì)劃作了更好的改動(dòng)，安排在倫敦舅舅家停留一夜，然后繼續(xù)往肯特郡去。她急切地盼望著見(jiàn)到簡(jiǎn)，她現(xiàn)在還呆在嘉丁納家里。

The journey seemed long to Elizabeth，because Sir William and Maria had nothing to say worth hearing.But when the coach arrived at the Gardiners house’ at lunch-time，Elizabeth was delighted to see that her sister looked as healthy and lovely as before. In a private conversation with her aunt later， howev- er， Elizabeth discovered that Jane had been suffering from peri- ods of depression， although she always tried bravely to appear cheerful.

伊麗莎白感到旅途漫漫，因?yàn)橥羰亢同斃麃喺f(shuō)的話沒(méi)什么值得聽(tīng)的。但是，午飯時(shí)分馬車到達(dá)嘉丁納家以后，伊麗莎白看到姐姐和以前一樣健康可愛(ài)，心里很高興。不過(guò)，在與舅媽的一次私下談話中，伊麗莎白得知簡(jiǎn)時(shí)不時(shí)地會(huì)出現(xiàn)精神沮喪，雖然她總是勇敢地裝出高興的樣子。

The afternoon and evening passed only too quickly， and the next day Elizabeth and the other travellers set off again.When the coach arrived in Hunsford， they were all quite excited to see，on one side of the road，Lady Catherine's great park， which they had heard so much about. At last， on the other side， they came to the Rectory， where they were warmly wel- comed by Mr Collins and Charlotte.

下午和晚上過(guò)得太快了，第二天，伊麗莎白和另外兩位旅行者又上路了。馬車到達(dá)漢斯福以后，他們?cè)诼返囊贿吙吹搅司寐劥竺膭P瑟琳夫人的大莊園，感到無(wú)比激動(dòng)。最后，他們來(lái)到了位于另一邊的教區(qū)長(zhǎng)住宅，在那里受到了柯林斯先生和夏洛特的熱情歡迎。

Elizabeth was more and more pleased she had come， when she found herself so affectionately received.She saw instantly that marriage had not changed her cousin's manners. He in- sisted on greeting them all with formal politeness and long speeches，and showed them round the house，explaining its many good points in exhausting detail.Elizabeth could not help thinking that perhaps he was speaking particularly to her，as if wishing to make her feel what she had lost in refusing him.But although everything seemed neat and comfortable， she was un- able to please him with a sigh of regret. In fact， she wondered how Charlotte could look so cheerful， with such a companion. But whenever Mr Collins said anything of which his wife might be ashamed， which was quite often， Charlotte wisely did not appear to be listening.And when Mr Collins showed them proudly round his garden，in which he himself enjoyed working，Elizabeth admired the serious way in which Charlotte praised gardening as a most healthy exercise， and admitted en- couraging her husband to work outdoors as much as possible.

伊麗莎白看到自己受到如此真摯的接待，對(duì)自己的到來(lái)也感到越來(lái)越高興。她馬上看到，婚姻并沒(méi)能改變她表兄的習(xí)慣。他堅(jiān)持非常死板客套地接待他們，講起話來(lái)長(zhǎng)篇大論，又領(lǐng)著他們參觀房子，極為細(xì)致地介紹它的很多優(yōu)點(diǎn)。伊麗莎白禁不住想，也許他是專門沖她講的，好像希望讓她感到拒絕他給她帶來(lái)了多大損失。但是，雖然一切看起來(lái)都井井有條，舒舒服服，她還是不能以表示后侮的一聲嘆息讓他得意。實(shí)際上，她不明白夏洛特跟這樣的人相處，為什么顯得那樣興高采烈。不過(guò)，只要柯林斯先生說(shuō)的哪句話使他妻子感到丟臉(這也是常事)，夏洛特就很聰明地裝作自己沒(méi)在聽(tīng)?？铝炙瓜壬院赖貛е麄?cè)诨▓@里觀看時(shí)(他喜歡在那兒勞動(dòng))，夏洛特一本正經(jīng)地稱贊搞園藝是很有益于健康的鍛煉，并且承認(rèn)自己鼓勵(lì)丈夫盡可能多地在室外勞動(dòng)，伊麗莎白聽(tīng)了心里直樂(lè)。

Elizabeth had to confess to herself that， surprisingly，Char- lotte really appeared to be happy.When Mr Collins could be forgotten， the house seemed very pleasant and comfortable，and from Charlotte's evident enjoyment of her home，Elizabeth supposed he must often be forgotten.

伊麗莎白心里必須承認(rèn)，雖然有點(diǎn)奇怪，但夏洛特確實(shí)顯得很幸福。只要不想起柯林斯先生，整個(gè)房子似乎非常舒適宜人;根據(jù)夏洛特對(duì)家園明顯的得意之情，伊麗莎白設(shè)想，夏洛特一定不常想起他。

The visitors had only been in the house for a day when a message came form Lady Catherine，inviting them all to dinner at Rosings Park the next day. Mr Collins was delighted， and congratulated his guests on their good luck.‘I confess that I might have expected her ladyship to invite us all to drink tea at Rosings on Sunday，’he said.‘But to invite the whole party to dinner!So soon after your arrival，too!What a generous and considerate lady she is!’

客人在那里才呆了一天，就接到凱瑟琳夫人的口信，邀請(qǐng)他們所有的人第二天全部到羅新斯莊園聚餐?？铝炙瓜壬艿靡?，祝賀客人們交上了好運(yùn)。“我得承認(rèn)，我本來(lái)期望尊敬的夫人會(huì)邀請(qǐng)我們大家星期天到羅新斯喝茶，”他說(shuō)，“但沒(méi)想到會(huì)邀請(qǐng)所有的人赴宴!而且你們才剛來(lái)!夫人多么慷慨大方，多么關(guān)懷備至啊!”

The whole of the rest of that day and the next morning were spent discussing their visit to Rosings.This made Sir William and Maria quite nervous when the moment came to walk across the park and enter the great lady's house.Elizabeth，however， was unimpressed by what she had heard of Lady Catherine， and remained calm.

那天剩下的全部時(shí)間和第二天上午都被用來(lái)討論對(duì)羅新斯的拜訪。當(dāng)穿越莊園、進(jìn)入夫人宅第的那一刻來(lái)臨時(shí)，威廉爵士和瑪利亞還真為此感到緊張。但是，伊麗莎白對(duì)于有關(guān)凱瑟琳夫人的傳聞并不感到有很深的印象，所以還保持平靜。

She was interested to see that Lady Catherine was a tall， large woman， who held herself stiffly and proudly， and received her guests with an air of disdain. She spoke loudly and decided- ly on every matter， and was clearly convinced of her superiority over other people. Her daughter， Anne，was completely differ- ent—a small， thin， ill-looking lady，who spoke very little， and only in a whisper.

她看到凱瑟琳夫人覺(jué)得很有趣。她長(zhǎng)得又高又大，舉止傲慢，盛氣凌人，接待客人時(shí)帶著幾分鄙夷。她嗓門很高，說(shuō)一不二，顯然自以為高人一等。她的女兒安與她截然不同——身材瘦小，愁容滿面，很少開(kāi)口，說(shuō)起話來(lái)也低聲細(xì)語(yǔ)。

The dinner was very good，and was highly praised by Mr Collins.His repeated compliments，which Elizabeth thought were embarrassing， appeared to please Lady Catherine very much. After dinner her ladyship talked continuously， giving her opinions without any fear of contradiction or even comment. She then asked Elizabeth many detailed questions about her ed- ucation， her sisters，and her father's income.Although Eliza- beth considered these questions extremely personal and almost rude，she answered them politely and calmly.At the end of the long evening，the visitors were driven home in Lady Catherine's carriage，while Mr Collins praised his patron for her elegance，intelligence and hospitality.

晚飯很豐盛，柯林斯先生大加贊揚(yáng)。他接連不斷的贊美使伊麗莎白都覺(jué)得難為情，但凱瑟琳夫人似乎很高興。晚飯后，夫人開(kāi)始滔滔不絕地高談闊論，也不怕自相矛盾甚至讓別人說(shuō)三道四。然后她就問(wèn)了伊麗莎白很多具體的問(wèn)題：受過(guò)什么教育，姐妹怎樣，父親收入多少。雖然伊麗莎白認(rèn)為這些問(wèn)題都是屬于自家的事兒，別人無(wú)權(quán)過(guò)問(wèn)，而且問(wèn)題問(wèn)得可以說(shuō)很唐突，但她還是——有禮貌地、心平氣和地作了回答。漫長(zhǎng)的晚會(huì)結(jié)束后，客人們都坐著凱瑟琳夫人的馬車回家了，而柯林斯先生又稱贊了夫人的優(yōu)雅、英明和好客。

This visit was repeated twice a week，but there was little other entertainment in Hunsford. Elizabeth had pleasant con- versations with Charlotte， or read books， or walked along a narrow path by Lady Catherine's park， which no one else seemed to use.It was a quiet life， but she was satisfied with it.

這種拜訪兩周重復(fù)一次，但是在漢斯福幾乎沒(méi)有別的娛樂(lè)活動(dòng)。伊麗莎白或者和夏洛特進(jìn)行愉快的交談，或者讀書，或者沿著凱瑟琳夫人莊園旁一條小徑散步，這條小徑似乎沒(méi)人走過(guò)。生活很平靜，可她感到很滿意。

However， two weeks after her arrival in Hunsford， she heard that some visitors were coming to stay at Rosings.Lady Catherine's nephew， Mr Darcy， was expected soon， accompa- nied by his cousin， Colonel Fitzwilliam.The next day， the two gentlemen arrived，and came almost immediately to the Rectory. Colonel Fitzwilliam was about thirty， not handsome， but very gentlemanly，and he talked pleasantly to the ladies.But Mr Darcy looked as cold and proud as ever， and after greeting Mrs Collins， spoke only a few stiffly polite words to Elizabeth. She took the opportunity of asking him if he had by any chance seen Jane in London recently， and thought he looked a little confused when he answered that he had not had that pleasure. Soon after that， the two gentlemen returned to Rosings.

但是，她到漢斯福兩周后，聽(tīng)說(shuō)有些客人要進(jìn)住羅新斯。凱瑟琳夫人的外甥達(dá)西先生不久就要過(guò)來(lái)，陪他來(lái)的是表兄費(fèi)茨威廉上校。第二天，兩位先生到了，幾乎馬上就去了教區(qū)長(zhǎng)住宅。費(fèi)茨威廉上校三十來(lái)歲，相貌平平，但很有紳士風(fēng)度，和小姐們談笑風(fēng)生。而達(dá)西先生還像先前那樣冷漠傲慢，同柯林斯太太打過(guò)招呼以后，只與伊麗莎白呆板地客套了幾句。伊麗莎白借此機(jī)會(huì)問(wèn)他最近在倫敦是否碰到了簡(jiǎn)，他回答說(shuō)無(wú)此殊榮，這時(shí)她覺(jué)得他有點(diǎn)糊涂。又過(guò)了一會(huì)兒，兩位先生便返回羅新斯了。

Colonel Fitzwilliam's manners were very much admired by the ladies， who felt that he would add considerably to the enjoyment of their evenings at Rosings.But it was not until Easter Day that they received an invitation from Lady Catherine， and when they arrived in her sitting-room，it was clear that she was far more interested in her nephews than in her other guests.Colonel Fitzwilliam，however，seemed really glad to see them，and he came at once to sit beside Elizabeth.They talked so agreeably and amusingly together that Mr Darcy turned his eyes towards them and looked curiously at them several times. When her ladyship also noticed， she called loudly across the room，‘Fitzwilliam，what are you talking about with Miss Ben- net? Let me hear what it is.’

費(fèi)茨威廉上校的言談舉止十分受女士們愛(ài)戴，她們感到，他會(huì)大大增添她們?cè)诹_新斯晚會(huì)上的樂(lè)趣。但直到復(fù)活節(jié)他們才收到凱瑟琳夫人的邀請(qǐng)，他們來(lái)到她的起居室后，發(fā)現(xiàn)夫人顯然對(duì)自己的外甥們更感興趣，而不管其他客人。但是，費(fèi)茨威廉上校似乎真地很高興見(jiàn)到她們，他馬上過(guò)來(lái)坐到了伊麗莎白身邊。他們談得十分融洽，妙趣橫生，惹得達(dá)西先生好幾次轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)頭來(lái)好奇地打量他們。夫人也注意到了，便從屋子另一頭大聲喊道：“費(fèi)茨威廉，你和班納特小姐在談什么?讓我也聽(tīng)聽(tīng)。”

‘We're speaking of music，madam，’he said，when no longer able to avoid a reply.

“夫人，我們?cè)谡勔魳?lè)，”看到不回答不行了，他才說(shuō)。

‘Of music!Then please speak to all of us.I must have my share in the conversation，if you are speaking of music.There are few people in England，I suppose， who have more true enjoyment of music than myself，or a better natural taste. If I had ever learnt to play，I would have been a great musician. But I often tell young ladies，practice is very important.I have told Miss Bennet several times that she will never play really well unless she practises more.And she is very welcome to come to Rosings and practise on the piano in the servants’hall. She won't be in anyone's way there，I can promise her.’

“談音樂(lè)!那就跟我們大家講講。如果你們?cè)谡勔魳?lè)，我必須和你們一塊談。我想，在英格蘭沒(méi)有多少人能像我這樣欣賞音樂(lè)，或者說(shuō)有我這樣的天賦。如果我學(xué)過(guò)演奏，我一定是個(gè)偉大的音樂(lè)家。但是，我經(jīng)常告訴年輕的小姐，練習(xí)很重要。我和班納特小姐說(shuō)過(guò)幾次，她要想真正地彈好，非多練不可。歡迎她到羅新斯來(lái)，在仆人的大廳里練習(xí)鋼琴。我可以向她保證，在那兒她不會(huì)妨礙任何人的。”

Mr Darcy looked a little ashamed of his aunt’ s insensitive words. Meanwhile， Colonel Fitzwilliam had persuaded Elizabeth to play some music， and she sat down at the piano.But when she had started playing， Mr Darcy went to stand in front of the piano，where he had a good view of her face.At the end of her first piece of music， Elizabeth said，smiling，‘You intend to frighten me， Mr Darcy， by coming to listen to me? But I'm obstinate， and won't be frightened.’

達(dá)西先生對(duì)姨媽這種無(wú)禮的話感到有點(diǎn)兒臉上掛不祝同時(shí)，費(fèi)茨威廉說(shuō)服了伊麗莎白彈幾首樂(lè)曲，她在鋼琴旁坐下?？墒?，她開(kāi)始彈奏時(shí)，達(dá)西先生起身站到了鋼琴前，在那兒，他可以看清她的臉龐。第一首曲子結(jié)束后，伊麗莎白笑著說(shuō)：“達(dá)西先生，你來(lái)聽(tīng)我彈琴，是想嚇唬我嗎?但是，我很犟，不害怕。”

‘I don't think you really believe I intend to alarm you，and I've had the pleasure of knowing you long enouph to be aware that you occasionally enjoy stating opinions which are not your own.

“我想，你不會(huì)真地認(rèn)為我想嚇唬你，而且我有幸認(rèn)識(shí)你已經(jīng)夠久了，知道你偶爾喜歡說(shuō)些言不由衷的話。”

Elizabeth laughed at this picture of herself，and said to Colonel Fitzwilliam，‘Your cousin will teach you not to believe a word I say.Indeed，Mr Darcy，it is very ungenerous of you to mention all my faults， and perhaps rather foolish too， because I may take my revenge， and tell things about you which your re- lations will be shocked to hear.’

伊麗莎白對(duì)這種場(chǎng)面不由得笑了起來(lái)，對(duì)費(fèi)茨威廉上校說(shuō)：“你表弟在教導(dǎo)你不要相信我說(shuō)的一切。說(shuō)實(shí)在的，達(dá)西先生，你揭我的短處很不夠有氣量，也許還有點(diǎn)愚蠢，因?yàn)槲铱赡軋?bào)復(fù)，講一講你的事情，你的親戚們聽(tīng)到會(huì)大吃一驚的。”

‘I am not afraid of you，’said Darcy，smiling.

“我不怕你，”達(dá)西笑著說(shuō)。

‘But let me hear your accusation，’cried Colonel Fitzwilliam.‘I'd like to hear how he behaves among strangers.’

“可是，讓我聽(tīng)聽(tīng)你的指責(zé)，”費(fèi)茨威廉上校喊道。“我倒想聽(tīng)一聽(tīng)他在陌生人中表現(xiàn)如何。”

‘Well， prepare yourself for something very dreadful.The first time I ever saw him was at a ball in Hertfordshire， and at this ball， what do you think he did? He danced only four dances!I'm sorry to cause you pain，but that is what hap- pened.He danced only four dances，although gentlemen were scarce，and to my certain knowledge，more than one young lady was sitting down， waiting for a partner Mr Darcy， you must admit it.’

“那好吧，準(zhǔn)備好聽(tīng)一聽(tīng)那可怕的事吧。我第一次見(jiàn)到他是在哈福德郡的舞會(huì)上，在這次舞會(huì)上，你想他都干了什么?他只跳了四次舞!我很抱歉使你難受，但這是事實(shí)。雖然先生們很少，而且據(jù)我所知，坐著等舞伴的小姐不止一個(gè)，他卻只跳了四支曲子。達(dá)西先生，你得承認(rèn)。”

‘I had not at that time the honour of knowing anybody at the ball， apart from my own group of friends.I should perhaps have asked to be introduced， but I do not like to recommend myself to strangers.I do not find it easy to talk to people I don't know.’

“當(dāng)時(shí)在舞會(huì)上除了自己的一圈朋友外，我還不認(rèn)識(shí)任何人。我也許應(yīng)當(dāng)讓人介紹一下，可是我不喜歡向陌生人毛遂自薦。和不認(rèn)識(shí)的人談話令我覺(jué)得不安。”

‘You don't want to take the trouble to do it， Darcy，that’ s why!’said Colonel Fitzwilliam.

“達(dá)西，不過(guò)是你不想去找麻煩罷了，這才是原因!”費(fèi)茨威廉上校說(shuō)。

‘I cannot play this piano as well as some other women，’said Elizabeth，‘but I've always assumed it is my own faultbecause I don't take the trouble to practise.I know that I am capable of playing as well as anyone.’

“這架鋼琴我不像其他女人彈得那樣好，”伊麗莎白說(shuō)，“但是我總設(shè)想那是我自己的過(guò)錯(cuò)——因?yàn)槲覜](méi)有自找麻煩去練習(xí)。我知道我是有能力彈得像別人那樣好的。”

Darcy smiled and said，‘You are perfectly right.You have spent your time in a much better way.No one who hears you could imagine any possible improvement.We neither of us perform to strangers.’

達(dá)西笑了笑說(shuō)：“你完全正確。你利用時(shí)間的方式要好得多。聽(tīng)到你彈奏的人想象不出該作如何改進(jìn)。我們兩人都不喜歡在生人面前現(xiàn)眼。”

Just then Lady Catherine interrupted them，to comment on Elizabeth's playing.‘Miss Bennet would play quite well，if she had a London teacher.Of course，Anne would have been a delightful performer，if her health had allowed her to learn.’

正在這時(shí)，凱瑟琳夫人插了進(jìn)來(lái)，評(píng)論伊麗莎白的琴藝。“班納特小姐如果有位倫敦老師的話，一定會(huì)彈得很好。當(dāng)然，安的身體如果允許她學(xué)習(xí)的話，也會(huì)成為令人愉快的演奏家。”

Elizabeth looked at Darcy to see his reaction to Anne de Bourgh's name， but neither at that moment nor at any other could she observe any sign of love or even interest in his cousin.Lady Catherine continued to give Miss Bennet advice on her playing， but at the request of the gentlemen， Elizabeth stayed at the piano for the rest of the evening.

伊麗莎白注意看達(dá)西對(duì)安·德·包爾這個(gè)名字的反應(yīng)，但此時(shí)此刻或其他任何時(shí)刻，她都觀察不到他對(duì)表妹有絲毫的愛(ài)慕甚至興趣。凱瑟琳夫人繼續(xù)給班納特小姐的彈奏提出意見(jiàn)，但在先生們的請(qǐng)求下，伊麗莎白在晚上剩下的時(shí)間里一直在彈琴。