目 录 上一节 下一节 
再说到卢卡斯太太,她既然也有一个女儿获得了美满的姻缘,自然衷心快慰,因而也不会不想到趁此去向班纳特太太反唇相讥一下。于是她拜望浪博恩的次数比往常更加频繁,说是她如今多么高兴,不过班纳特太太满脸恶相,满口的毒话,也足够叫她扫兴的了。 Between Elizabeth and Charlotte there was a restraint which kept them mutually silent on the subject; and Elizabeth felt persuaded that no real confidence could ever subsist between them again. Her disappointment in Charlotte made her turn with fonder regard to her sister, of whose rectitude and delicacy she was sure her opinion could never be shaken, and for whose happiness she grew daily more anxious, as Bingley had now been gone a week, and nothing was heard of his return. 伊丽莎白和夏绿蒂之间从此竟有了一层隔膜,彼此不便提到这桩事。伊丽莎白断定她们俩再也不会象从前那样推心置腹。她既然在夏绿蒂身上失望,便越发亲切地关注到自己姐姐身上来。她深信姐姐为人正直,作风优雅,她这种看法决不会动摇。她关心姐姐的幸福一天比一天来得迫切,因为彬格莱先生已经走了一个星期,却没有听到一点儿她要回来的消息。 Jane had sent Caroline an early answer to her letter, and was counting the days till she might reasonably hope to hear again. The promised letter of thanks from Mr. Collins arrived on Tuesday, addressed to their father, and written with all the solemnity of gratitude which a twelvemonth's abode in the family might have prompted. After discharging his conscience on that head, he proceeded to inform them, with many rapturous expressions, of his happiness in having obtained the affection of their amiable neighbour, Miss Lucas, and then explained that it was merely with the view of enjoying her society that he had been so ready to close with their kind wish of seeing him again at Longbourn, whither he hoped to be able to return on Monday fortnight; for Lady Catherine, he added, so heartily approved his marriage, that she wished it to take place as soon as possible, which he trusted would be an unanswerable argument with his amiable Charlotte to name an early day for making him the happiest of men. 吉英很早就给珈罗琳写了回信,现在正在数着日子,看看还得过多少天才可以又接到她的信。柯林斯先生事先答应写来的那封谢函星期二就收到了,信是写给她们父亲的,信上说了多少感激的话,看他那种过甚其辞的语气,就好象在他们府上叨光了一年似的。他在这方面表示了歉意以后,便用了多少欢天喜地的措辞,告诉他们说,他已经有幸获得他们的芳邻卢卡斯小姐的欢心了,他接着又说,为了要去看看他的心上人,他可以趁便来看看他们,免得辜负他们善意的期望,希望能在两个礼拜以后的星期一到达浪博恩;他又说,珈苔琳夫人衷心地赞成他赶快结婚,并且希望愈早愈好,他相信他那位心上人夏绿蒂决不会反对及早定出佳斯,使他成为天下最幸福的人。 Mr. Collins's return into Hertfordshire was no longer a matter of pleasure to Mrs. Bennet. On the contrary, she was as much disposed to complain of it as her husband. -- It was very strange that he should come to Longbourn instead of to Lucas Lodge; it was also very inconvenient and exceedingly troublesome. -- She hated having visitors in the house while her health was so indifferent, and lovers were of all people the most disagreeable. Such were the gentle murmurs of Mrs. Bennet, and they gave way only to the greater distress of Mr. Bingley's continued absence. 对班纳特太太说来,柯林斯先生的重返浪博恩,如今并不是什么叫人快意的事了。她反而跟她丈夫一样地大为抱怨。说也奇怪,柯林斯不去卢家庄,却要来到浪搏恩,这真是既不方便,以太麻烦。她现在正当健康失调,因此非常讨厌客人上门,何况这些痴情种子都是再讨厌的人。班纳特太太成天嘀咕着这些事,除非想到彬格莱一直不回来而使她她感到更在的痛苦时,她方才住口。 Neither Jane nor Elizabeth were comfortable on this subject. Day after day passed away without bringing any other tidings of him than the report which shortly prevailed in Meryton of his coming no more to Netherfield the whole winter; a report which highly incensed Mrs. Bennet, and which she never failed to contradict as a most scandalous falsehood. 吉英跟伊丽莎白都为这个问题大感不安。一天又一天,听不到一点关于他的消息,只听得麦里屯纷纷传言,说他今冬再也不会上尼日斐花园来了,班纳特太太听得非常生气,总是加以驳斥,说那是诬蔑性的谣言。 
连伊丽莎白也开始恐惧起来了,她并不是怕彬格莱薄情,而是怕他的姐妹们真的绊住了他。尽管她不愿意有这种想法,因为这种想法对于吉英的幸福既有不利,对于吉英心上人的忠贞,也未免是一种侮辱,可是她还是往往禁不住要这样想。他那两位无情无义的姐妹,和那位足以制服他的朋友同心协力,再加上达西小姐的窈窕妩媚,以及伦敦的声色娱乐,纵使他果真对她念念不忘,恐怕也挣脱不了那个圈套。 As for Jane, her anxiety under this suspence was, of course, more painful than Elizabeth's; but whatever she felt she was desirous of concealing, and between herself and Elizabeth, therefore, the subject was never alluded to. But as no such delicacy restrained her mother, an hour seldom passed in which she did not talk of Bingley, express her impatience for his arrival, or even require Jane to confess that if he did not come back, she should think herself very ill used. It needed all Jane's steady mildness to bear these attacks with tolerable tranquillity. 至于吉英,她在这种动荡不安的情况下,自然比伊丽莎白更加感到焦虑,可是她总不愿意把自己的心事暴露出来,所以她和伊丽莎白一直没有提到这件事。偏偏她母亲不能体贴她的苦衷,过不了一个钟头就要提到彬格莱,说是等待他回来实在等待心焦,甚至硬要吉英承认──要是彬格莱果真不回来,那她一定会觉得自己受了薄情的亏待。幸亏吉英临事从容不迫,柔和镇定,好容易才忍受了她这些谗言诽语。 Mr. Collins returned most punctually on the Monday fortnight, but his reception at Longbourn was not quite so gracious as it had been on his first introduction. He was too happy, however, to need much attention; and luckily for the others, the business of love-making relieved them from a great deal of his company. The chief of every day was spent by him at Lucas Lodge, and he sometimes returned to Longbourn only in time to make an apology for his absence before the family went to bed. 柯林斯先生在两个礼拜以后的星期一准时到达,可是浪搏恩却不象他初来时那样热烈地欢迎他了。他实在高兴不过也不不着别人献殷勤。这真是主人家走运,多亏他恋爱成了功,这才使别人能够清闲下来,不必再去跟他周旋。他每天把大部分时间消磨在卢家庄,一直挨到卢府上快要睡觉的时候,才回到浪搏恩来,向大家道歉一声,请大家原谅他终日未归。 Mrs. Bennet was really in a most pitiable state. The very mention of any thing concerning the match threw her into an agony of ill humour, and wherever she went she was sure of hearing it talked of. The sight of Miss Lucas was odious to her. As her successor in that house, she regarded her with jealous abhorrence. Whenever Charlotte came to see them she concluded her to be anticipating the hour of possession; and whenever she spoke in a low voice to Mr. Collins, was convinced that they were talking of the Longbourn estate, and resolving to turn herself and her daughters out of the house as soon as Mr. Bennet were dead. She complained bitterly of all this to her husband. 班纳特太太着实可怜。只要一提到那门亲事,她就会不高兴,而且随便她走到那儿,她总会听到人们谈起这件事。她一看到卢卡斯小姐就觉得讨厌。一想到卢卡斯小姐将来有一天会接替她做这幢屋子里的主妇,她就益发嫉妒和厌恶。每逢夏绿蒂来看她们,她总以为人家是来考察情况,看看还要过多少时候就可以搬进来住;每逢夏绿蒂跟柯林斯先生低声说话的时候,她就以为他们是在谈论浪搏恩的家产,是在计议一俟班纳特先生去世以后,就要把她和她的几个女儿撵出去。她把这些伤心事都说给她丈夫听。 "Indeed, Mr. Bennet," said she, "it is very hard to think that Charlotte Lucas should ever be mistress of this house, that I should be forced to make way for her, and live to see her take my place in it!" 她说:“我的好老爷,夏绿蒂·卢卡斯迟早要做这屋子里的主妇,我却非得让她不可,眼睁睁看着她来接替我的位置,这可叫我受不了!” 
“我的好太太,别去想这些伤心事吧。我们不妨从好的方面去想。说不定我比你的寿命还要长,我们姑且就这样来安慰自己吧。” This was not very consoling to Mrs. Bennet, and, therefore, instead of making any answer, she went on as before, 可是这些话安慰不了班纳特太太,因此她非但没有回答,反而象刚才一样地诉苦下去。 "I cannot bear to think that they should have all this estate, If it was not for the entail I should not mind it." “我一想到所有的产业都得落到他们手里,就受不了。要不是为了继承权的问题,我才不在乎呢。” "What should not you mind?" “你不在乎什么?” "I should not mind any thing at all." “什么我都不在乎。” 
“让我们谢天谢地,你头脑还没有不清楚到这种地步。” "I never can be thankful, Mr. Bennet, for any thing about the entail. How any one could have the conscience to entail away an estate from one's own daughters I cannot understand; and all for the sake of Mr. Collins too! -- Why should he have it more than anybody else?" “我的好老爷,凡是有关继承权的事,我决不会谢天谢地的。随便哪个人,怎么肯昧着良心,不把财产遗传给自己的女儿们?我真弄不懂,何况一切都是为了柯林斯先生的缘故!为什么偏偏要他享有这份遗产?” "I leave it to yourself to determine," said Mr. Bennet. “我让你自己去想吧。”班纳特先生说。 Miss Bingley's letter arrived, and put an end to doubt. The very first sentence conveyed the assurance of their being all settled in London for the winter, and concluded with her brother's regret at not having had time to pay his respects to his friends in Hertfordshire before he left the country. 彬格莱小姐的信来了,疑虑消除了。信上第一句话就说,她们决定在伦敦过冬,结尾是替他哥哥道歉,说他在临走以前,没有来得及向哈福郡的朋友们辞行,很觉遗憾。 Hope was over, entirely over; and when Jane could attend to the rest of the letter, she found little, except the professed affection of the writer, that could give her any comfort. Miss Darcy's praise occupied the chief of it. Her many attractions were again dwelt on, and Caroline boasted joyfully of their increasing intimacy, and ventured to predict the accomplishment of the wishes which had been unfolded in her former letter. She wrote also with great pleasure of her brother's being an inmate of Mr. Darcy's house, and mentioned with raptures some plans of the latter with regard to new furniture. Elizabeth, to whom Jane very soon communicated the chief of all this, heard it in silent indignation. Her heart was divided between concern for her sister, and resentment against all the others. To Caroline's assertion of her brother's being partial to Miss Darcy she paid no credit. That he was really fond of Jane, she doubted no more than she had ever done; and much as she had always been disposed to like him, she could not think without anger, hardly without contempt, on that easiness of temper, that want of proper resolution which now made him the slave of his designing friends, and led him to sacrifice his own happiness to the caprice of their inclinations. Had his own happiness, however, been the only sacrifice, he might have been allowed to sport with it in what ever manner he thought best; but her sister's was involved in it, as, she thought, he must be sensible himself. It was a subject, in short, on which reflection would be long indulged, and must be unavailing. She could think of nothing else, and yet whether Bingley's regard had really died away, or were suppressed by his friends' interference; whether he had been aware of Jane's attachment, or whether it had escaped his observation; whichever were the case, though her opinion of him must be materially affected by the difference, her sister's situation remained the same, her peace equally wounded. 希望破灭了,彻底破灭了。吉英继续把信读下去,只觉得除了写信人那种装腔作势的亲切之外,就根本找不出可以自慰的地方。满篇都是赞美达西小姐的话,絮絮叨叨地谈到她的千娇百媚。珈罗琳又高高兴兴地说,她们俩之间已经一天比一天来得亲热,而且竟大胆地作出预言,说是她上封信里面提到的那些愿望,一定可以实现。她还得意非凡地写道,她哥哥已经住到达西先生家里去,又欢天喜地地提到达西打算添置新家具。吉英立刻把这些事大都告诉了伊丽莎白,伊丽莎白听了,怒而不言。她真伤心透了,一方面是关怀自己的姐姐,另方面是怨恨那帮人。珈罗琳信上说她哥哥钟情于达西小姐,伊丽莎白无论如何也不相信。她仍旧象以往一样,相信彬格莱先生真正喜欢吉英。伊丽莎白一向很看重他,现在才知道他原来是这样一个容易说话而没有主意的人,以致被他那批诡计多端的朋友们牵制住了,听凭他们反复无常地作弄他,拿他的幸福作牺牲品──想到这些,她就不能不气愤,甚至不免有些看不起他。要是只有他个人的幸福遭到牺牲,那他爱怎么胡搞都可以,可是这里面毕竟还牵涉着她姐姐的幸福,她相信他自己也应该明白。简单说来,这问题当然反复考虑过,到头来一定是没有办法。她想不起什么别的了。究竟是彬格莱先生真的变了心呢,还是根本不知道?虽然对她说来,她应该辨明其中的是非曲直,然后才能断定他是好是坏,可是对她姐姐说来,反正都是一样地伤心难受。
|