名著·傲慢与偏见 - 第35节


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  隔了一两天,吉英才鼓起勇气,把自己的心事说给伊丽莎白听。且说那天班纳特太太象往常一样说起尼日斐花园和它的主人,唠叨了老半天,后来总算走开了只剩下她们姐妹俩,吉英这才禁不往说道:

   "Oh! that my dear mother had more command over herself; she can have no idea of the pain she gives me by her continual reflections on him. But I will not repine. It cannot last long. He will be forgot, and we shall all be as we were before."

  “噢,但愿妈妈多控制她自己一些吧!她没晓得她这样时时刻刻提起他,叫我多么痛苦。不过我决不怨谁。这局面不会长久的。他马上就会给我们忘掉,我们还是会和往常一样。”

   Elizabeth looked at her sister with incredulous solicitude, but said nothing.

  伊丽莎白半信半疑而又极其关切地望着姐姐,一声不响。

   "You doubt me," cried Jane, slightly colouring; "indeed you have no reason. He may live in my memory as the most amiable man of my acquaintance, but that is all. I have nothing either to hope or fear, and nothing to reproach him with. Thank God! I have not that pain. A little time therefore. -- I shall certainly try to get the better."

  “你不相信我的话吗?”吉英微微红着脸嚷道。“那你真是毫无理由。他在我的记忆里可能是个最可爱的朋友,但也不过如此而已。我既没有什奢望,也没有什么担心,更没有什么要责备他的地方。多谢上帝,我还没有那种苦恼。因此稍微过一些时候,我一定会就慢慢克服过来的。”

   With a stronger voice she soon added, "I have this comfort immediately, that it has not been more than an error of fancy on my side, and that it has done no harm to any one but myself."

  她立刻又用更坚强的声调说道 :“我立刻就?梢园参孔约核担赫庵还治易约翰还窒瓜耄迷诓⒚挥兴鸷Ρ鹑耍凰鸷α宋易约骸!?

  伊丽莎白连忙叫起来了:“亲爱的吉英,你太善良了。你那样好心,那样处处为别人着想,真象天使一般;我不知道应该怎么同你说才好。我觉得我从前待你还不够好,受你还不够深。”

   Miss Bennet eagerly disclaimed all extraordinary merit, and threw back the praise on her sister's warm affection.

  吉英竭力否认这一切言过其实的夸奖,反而用这些赞美的话来赞扬妹妹的热情。

   "Nay," said Elizabeth, "this is not fair. You wish to think all the world respectable, and are hurt if I speak ill of any body. I only want to think you perfect, and you set yourself against it. Do not be afraid of my running into any excess, of my encroaching on your privilege of universal good will. You need not. There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense. I have met with two instances lately; one I will not mention; the other is Charlotte's marriage. It is unaccountable! in every view it is unaccountable!"

  “别那么说,”伊丽莎白说,“这样说不公平的,你总以为天下都是好人。我只要说了谁一句坏话,你就难受。我要把你看作一个完美无瑕的人,你就来驳斥。请你放心,我决不会说得过分,你不权利把四海之内的人一视同仁,我也不会干涉你。你用不着担心。至于我,我真正喜欢的人没有几个,我心目中的好人就更少了。世事经历得愈多,我就愈对世事不满;我一天比一天相信,人性都是见异思迁,我们不能凭着某人某人表面上一点点长处或见解,就去相信他。最近我碰到了两件事:其中一件我不愿意说出来,另一件就是夏绿蒂的婚姻问题。这简直是莫明其妙!任你怎样看法,都是莫明其妙!”

   "My dear Lizzy, do not give way to such feelings as these. They will ruin your happiness. You do not make allowance enough for difference of situation and temper. Consider Mr. Collins's respectability, and Charlotte's prudent, steady character. Remember that she is one of a large family; that as to fortune, it is a most eligible match; and be ready to believe, for every body's sake, that she may feel something like regard and esteem for our cousin."

  “亲爱的丽萃,不要这样胡思乱想吧。那会毁了你的幸福的。你对于各人处境的不同和脾气的不同,体谅得不够。你且想一想柯林斯先生的身份地位和夏绿蒂的谨慎稳重吧。你得记住,她也算一个大家闺秀,说起财产方面,倒是一门挺适当的亲事。你且顾全大家的面子,只当她对我们那位表兄确实有几分敬爱和器重吧。”

   "To oblige you, I would try to believe almost any thing, but no one else could be benefited by such a belief as this; for were I persuaded that Charlotte had any regard for him, I should only think worse of her understanding, than I now do of her heart. My dear Jane, Mr. Collins is a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man; you know he is, as well as I do; and you must feel, as well as I do, that the woman who marries him, cannot have a proper way of thinking. You shall not defend her, though it is Charlotte Lucas. You shall not, for the sake of one individual, change the meaning of principle and integrity, nor endeavour to persuade yourself or me that selfishness is prudence, and insensibility of danger, security for happiness."

  “要是看你的面子,我几乎随便对什么事都愿意以为真,可是这对于任何人都没有益处;我现在只觉得夏绿蒂根本不懂得爱情,要是再叫我去相信她是当真爱上了柯林斯,那我又要觉得她简直毫无见识。亲爱的吉英,柯林斯先生是个自高自大、喜爱炫耀、心胸狭窄的蠢汉,这一点你和我懂得一样清楚,你也会同我一样地感觉到,只有头脑不健全的女人才肯嫁给他。虽说这个女人就是夏绿蒂·卢卡斯,你也不必为她辩护。你千万不能为了某一个人而改变原则,破格迁就,也不要千方百计地说服我,或是说服你自己去相信,自私自利就是谨慎,糊涂胆大就等于幸福有了保障。”

  “讲到这两个人,我以为你的话说得太过火,”吉英说。“但愿你日后看到他们俩幸福相处和时候,就会相信我的话不假。这件事可也谈够了,你且谈另外一件吧。你不是举出了两件事吗?我不会误解你,可是,亲爱的丽萃,我求求你千万不要以为错是错在那个人身上,千万不要说你瞧不起他,免得我感到痛苦。我们决不能随随便便就以为人家在有意伤害我们。我们决不可能指望一个生龙活虎的青年会始终小心周到。我们往往会因为我们自己的虚荣心,而给弄迷了心窍。女人们往往会把爱情这种东西幻想得太不切合实际。”

   "And men take care that they should."

  “因此男人们就故意逗她们那么幻想。”

   "If it is designedly done, they cannot be justified; but I have no idea of there being so much design in the world as some persons imagine."

  “如果这桩事当真是存心安排好了的,那实在是他们不应该;可是世界上是否真如某些人所想象的那样,到处都是计谋,我可不知道。”

   "I am far from attributing any part of Mr. Bingley's conduct to design," said Elizabeth; "but without scheming to do wrong, or to make others unhappy, there may be error, and there may be misery. Thoughtlessness, want of attention to other people's feelings, and want of resolution, will do the business,"

  “我决不是说彬格莱先生的行为是事先有了计谋的,”伊丽莎白说。“可是,即使没有存心做坏事,或者说,没有存心叫别人伤心,事实上仍然会做错事情,引起不幸的后果。凡是粗心大意、看不出别人的好心好意,而且缺乏果断,都一样能害人。”

   "And do you impute it to either of those?"

  “你看这桩事也得归到这类原因吗?”

  “当然───应该归于最后一种原因。可是,如果叫我再说下去,说出我对于你所器重的那些人是怎么看法,那也会叫你不高兴的。趁着现在我能够住嘴的时候,且让我住嘴吧。”

   "You persist, then, in supposing his sisters influence him."

  “那么说,你断定是他的姐妹们操纵了他啦。”

   "Yes, in conjunction with his friend." [????]

  

   "I cannot believe it. Why should they try to influence him? They can only wish his happiness, and if he is attached to me, no other woman can secure it."

  “我不相信。她们为什么要操纵他?她们只有希望他幸福;要是他果真爱我,别的女人便无从使他幸福。”

   "Your first position is false. They may wish many things besides his happiness; they may wish his increase of wealth and consequence; they may wish him to marry a girl who has all the importance of money, great connections, and pride."

  “你头一个想法就错了。她们除了希望他幸福以外,还有许多别的打算;她们会希望他更有钱有势;她们会希望他跟一个出身高贵、亲朋显赫的阔女人结婚。”

  “毫无问题,她们希望他选中达西小姐,”吉英说:“不过,说到这一点,她们也许是出于一片好心,并不如你所想象的那么恶劣。她们认识她比认识我早得多,难怪她们更喜欢她。可是不管她们自己愿望如何,她们总不至于违背她们兄弟的愿望吧。除非有了什么太看不顺眼的地方,哪个做姐妹的会这样冒味?要是她们相信他爱上了我,她们决不会想要拆散我们;要是他果真爱我,她们要拆散也拆散不成。如果你一定要以为他对我真有感情,那么,她们这样做法,便是既不近人情,又荒谬绝伦,我也就更伤心了。不要用这种想法来使我痛苦吧。我决不会因为一念之差而感到羞耻──即使感到羞耻也极其轻微,倒是一想起他或他的姐妹们无情无义,我真不知道要难受多少倍呢。让我从最好的方面去想吧,从合乎人情事理的方面去想吧。”

   Elizabeth could not oppose such a wish; and from this time Mr. Bingley's name was scarcely ever mentioned between them.

  伊丽莎白无法反对她这种愿望,从此以后,她们就不大提起彬格莱先生的名字。

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名著·傲慢与偏见 - 第35节