名著·傲慢与偏见 - 第15节


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  彬格莱小姐弹了几支意大利歌曲以后,便改弹了一些活泼的苏格兰曲子来变换变换情调。不大一会儿工夫,达西先生走到伊丽莎白跟前来,跟她说:

   "Do not you feel a great inclination, Miss Bennet, to seize such an opportunity of dancing a reel?"

  “班纳特小姐,你是不是很想趁这个机会来跳一次苏格兰舞?”

   She smiled, but made no answer. He repeated the question, with some surprise at her silence.

  伊丽莎白没有回答他,只是笑了笑。他见她闷声不响,觉得有点儿奇怪,便又问了她一次。

   "Oh!" said she, "I heard you before; but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply. You wanted me, I know, to say ``Yes,'' that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. I have therefore made up my mind to tell you that I do not want to dance a reel at all -- and now despise me if you dare."

  “噢,”她说,“我早就听见了;可是我一下子拿不准应该怎样回答你。当然,我知道你希望我回答一声‘是的’那你就会蔑视我的低级趣味,好让你自己得意一番,只可惜我一向喜欢戳穿人家的诡计,作弄一下那些存心想要蔑视人的人。因此,我决定跟你说,我根本不爱跳苏格兰舞;这一下你可不敢蔑视我了吧。”

   "Indeed I do not dare."

  “果真不敢。”

  伊丽莎白本来打算使他难堪一下,这会儿见他那么体贴,倒楞住了。不过,伊丽莎白的为人一贯温柔乖巧,不轻易得罪任何人,而达西又对她非常着迷,以前任何女人也不曾使他这样着迷过。他不由得一本正经地想道,要不是她的亲戚出身微贱,那我难免危险了。

   Miss Bingley saw, or suspected, enough to be jealous; and her great anxiety for the recovery of her dear friend Jane received some assistance from her desire of getting rid of Elizabeth.

  彬格莱小姐见到这般光景,很是嫉妒,或者也可以说是她疑心病重,因此由疑而妒。于是她愈想把伊丽莎白撵走,就愈巴不得她的好朋友吉英病体赶快复元。

   She often tried to provoke Darcy into disliking her guest, by talking of their supposed marriage, and planning his happiness in such an alliance.

  为了挑拨达西厌恶这位客人,她常常闲言闲语,说他跟伊丽莎白终将结成美满良缘,而且估料着这一门良缘会给达西带来多大幸福。

   "I hope," said she, as they were walking together in the shrubbery the next day, "you will give your mother-in-law a few hints, when this desirable event takes place, as to the advantage of holding her tongue; and if you can compass it, do cure the younger girls of running after the officers. -- And, if I may mention so delicate a subject, endeavour to check that little something, bordering on conceit and impertinence, which your lady possesses."

  第二天彬格莱小姐跟达西两人在矮树林里散步,彬格莱小姐说:“我希望将来有一天好事如愿的时候,你得委婉地奉劝你那位岳母出言吐语要谨慎些,还有你那几位小姨子,要是你能力办得到,最好也得把她们那种醉心追求军官的毛病医治好。还有一件事,我真不好意思说出口;尊夫人有一点儿小脾气,好象是自高自大,又好象是不懂礼貌,你也得尽力帮助她克制一下。”

   "Have you any thing else to propose for my domestic felicity?"

  “关于促进我的家庭幸福方面,你还有什么别的意见吗?”

  “噢,有的是。千万把你姨丈人姨丈母的像挂到彭伯里画廊里面去,就挂在你那位当法官的伯祖父大人遗象旁边。你知道他们都是同行,只不过部门不同而已。至于尊夫人伊丽莎白,可千万别让别人替她画像,天下哪一个画家能够把她那一双美丽的眼睛画得维妙维肖?”

   "It would not be easy, indeed, to catch their expression, but their colour and shape, and the eye-lashes, so remarkably fine, might be copied."

  “那双眼睛的神气确不容易描画;可是眼睛的形状和颜色,以及她的睫毛,都非常美妙,也许描画得出来。”

   At that moment they were met from another walk, by Mrs. Hurst and Elizabeth herself.

  他们正谈得起劲和时候,忽然看见赫斯脱太太和伊丽莎白从另外一条路走过来。

   "I did not know that you intended to walk," said Miss Bingley, in some confusion, lest they had been overheard.

  彬格莱小姐连忙招呼她们说:“我不知道你们也想出来散散步,”她说这话的时候,心里很有些惴惴不安,因为她恐怕刚才的话让她们听见了。

   "You used us abominably ill," answered Mrs. Hurst, "in running away without telling us that you were coming out." Then taking the disengaged arm of Mr. Darcy, she left Elizabeth to walk by herself. The path just admitted three.

  “你们也太对不起我们了,”赫斯脱太太回答道,“只顾自己出来,也不告诉我们一声。”接着她就挽住达西空着的那条臂膀,丢下伊丽莎白,让她独个儿去走。这条路恰巧只容得下三个人并排走。

  达西先生觉得她们太冒味了,便说道:

   "This walk is not wide enough for our party. We had better go into the avenue."

  “这条路太窄,不能让我们大家一块儿并排走,我们不是走到大道上去吧。”

   But Elizabeth, who had not the least inclination to remain with them, laughingly answered,

  伊丽莎白本不想跟他们待在一起,一听这话,便笑嘻嘻地说:

   "No, no; stay where you are. -- You are charmingly group'd, and appear to uncommon advantage. The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth. Good bye."

  “不用啦,不用啦;你们就在这儿走走吧。你们三个人在一起走非常好看,而且很出色。加上第四个人,画面就给弄毁了。再见。”

   She then ran gaily off, rejoicing, as she rambled about, in the hope of being at home again in a day or two. Jane was already so much recovered as to intend leaving her room for a couple of hours that evening.

  于是她就得意洋洋地跑开了。她一面跪溜达,一面想到一两天内就可以回家,觉得很高兴。吉英的病已经大为好转,当天晚上就想走出房间去玩它两个钟头。

  娘儿们吃过晚饭以后,伊丽莎白就上楼到她姐姐那儿去,看她穿戴得妥妥贴贴,不会着凉,便陪着她上客厅去。她的女朋友们见到她,都表示欢迎,一个个都说非常高兴。在男客们没有来的那一个钟头里,她们是那么和蔼可亲,伊丽莎白从来不曾看到过。她们的健谈本领真是吓人,描述起宴会来纤毫入微,说起故事来风趣横溢,讥笑起一个朋友来也是有有声有色。

   But when the gentlemen entered, Jane was no longer the first object. Miss Bingley's eyes were instantly turned towards Darcy, and she had something to say to him before he had advanced many steps. He addressed himself directly to Miss Bennet, with a polite congratulation; Mr. Hurst also made her a slight bow, and said he was "very glad;" but diffuseness and warmth remained for Bingley's salutation. He was full of joy and attention. The first half hour was spent in piling up the fire, lest she should suffer from the change of room; and she removed at his desire to the other side of the fireplace, that she might be farther from the door. He then sat down by her, and talked scarcely to any one else. Elizabeth, at work in the opposite corner, saw it all with great delight.

  可是男客们一走进来,吉英就不怎么引人注目了。达西一进门,彬格莱小姐的眼睛就立刻转到他身上去,要跟他说话。达西首先向班纳特小姐问好,客客气气地祝贺她病休复元;赫斯脱先生也对她微微一鞠躬,说是见到她“非常高兴”;但是说到词气周到,情意恳切,可就比不上彬格莱先生那几声问候。彬格莱先生才算得上情深意切,满怀欢欣。开头半小时完全消磨在添煤上面,生怕屋子里冷起来会叫病人受不了。吉英依照彬格莱的话,移坐到火炉的另一边去,那样她就离开门口远一些,免得受凉。接着他自己在她身旁坐下,一心跟她说话,简直不理睬别人。伊丽莎白正在对面角落里做活计,把这全部情景都看在眼里,感到无限高兴。

   When tea was over, Mr. Hurst reminded his sister-in-law of the card-table -- but in vain. She had obtained private intelligence that Mr. Darcy did not wish for cards; and Mr. Hurst soon found even his open petition rejected. She assured him that no one intended to play, and the silence of the whole party on the subject seemed to justify her. Mr. Hurst had therefore nothing to do but to stretch himself on one of the sofas and go to sleep. Darcy took up a book; Miss Bingley did the same; and Mrs. Hurst, principally occupied in playing with her bracelets and rings, joined now and then in her brother's conversation with Miss Bennet.

  喝过茶以后,赫斯脱先生提醒她的小姨子把牌桌摆好,可是没有用。她早就看出达西先生不想打牌,因此赫斯脱先生后来公开提出要打牌也被她拒绝了。她跟他说,谁也不想玩牌,只见全场对这件事都不作声,看来她的确没有说错。因此,赫斯脱先生无事可做,只得,,躺在沙发上打瞌睡。达西拿起一本书来。彬格莱小姐也拿起一本书来。赫斯脱太太聚精会神地在玩弄自己的手镯和指环,偶而也在她弟弟跟班纳特小姐的对话中插几句嘴。

   Miss Bingley's attention was quite as much engaged in watching Mr. Darcy's progress through his book, as in reading her own; and she was perpetually either making some inquiry, or looking at his page. She could not win him, however, to any conversation; he merely answered her question, and read on. At length, quite exhausted by the attempt to be amused with her own book, which she had only chosen because it was the second volume of his, she gave a great yawn and said, "How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library."

  彬格莱小姐一面看达西读书,一面自己读书,两件事同时并做,都是半心半意。她老是向他问句什么的,或者是看他读到哪一页。不过,她总是没有办法逗她说话;她问一句他就答一句,答过以后便继续读他的书。彬格莱小姐所以要挑选那一本书读,只不过因为那是达西所读的第二卷,她满想读个津津有味,不料这会儿倒读得精疲力尽了。她打了个呵欠,说道:“这样度过一个晚上,真是多么愉快啊!我说呀,什么娱乐也抵不上读书的乐趣。无论干什么事,都是一上手就要厌倦,读书却不会这样!将来有一天我自己有了家,要是没有个很好的书房,那会多遗憾哟。”

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名著·傲慢与偏见 - 第15节