目 录 上一节 下一节 
夏绿蒂又说：“咖苔琳夫人的确是个道貌岸然、通达情理的女人，而且是位极其殷勤的邻居。” "Very true, my dear, that is exactly what I say. She is the sort of woman whom one cannot regard with too much deference." “说得很对，亲爱的，你真说到我心上去了。象她这样一位夫人，你无论对她怎样尊敬，依旧会感到有些欠缺。” The evening was spent chiefly in talking over Hertfordshire news, and telling again what had been already written; and when it closed, Elizabeth, in the solitude of her chamber, had to meditate upon Charlotte's degree of contentment, to understand her address in guiding, and composure in bearing with her husband, and to acknowledge that it was all done very well. She had also to anticipate how her visit would pass, the quiet tenor of their usual employments, the vexatious interruptions of Mr. Collins, and the gaieties of their intercourse with Rosings. A lively imagination soon settled it all. 这一晚主要就谈论哈福德郡的新闻，又把以前信上所说的话重新再提一遍。大家散了以后，伊丽莎白孤单单地在房间里，不由得默默想起了夏绿蒂对于现状究竟满意到什么程度，驾御丈夫的手腕巧妙到什么程度，容忍丈夫的肚量又大到什么程度。她不由得承认，一切都安排得非常好。她又去想象着这次作客的时间将如何度过，无非是：平淡安静的日常起居，柯林斯先生那种惹人讨厌的插嘴打贫，再加上跟罗新斯的酬酢来往等。她那丰富的想象力马上解决了整个问题。 About the middle of the next day, as she was in her room getting ready for a walk, a sudden noise below seemed to speak the whole house in confusion; and after listening a moment, she heard somebody running up stairs in a violent hurry, and calling loudly after her. She opened the door, and met Maria in the landing place, who, breathless with agitation, cried out, 大约在第二天响午的时候，她正在房间里准备出去散散步，忽听得楼下一阵喧哗，马上这整个住宅里的人好象都慌乱了起来；一会儿工夫，只听得有人急急忙忙奔上楼来，大声叫她。她开了门，在楼梯口遇见了玛丽亚，只见她激动得气都喘不过来，嚷道： "Oh, my dear Eliza! pray make haste and come into the dining-room, for there is such a sight to be seen! I will not tell you what it is. Make haste, and come down this moment." “噢，亲爱的伊丽莎呀，请你赶快到餐室里去，那儿有了不起的场面值得看呢！我可不告诉你是怎么回事。赶快呀，马上下楼来。” 
伊丽莎白一遍遍问，也问不出一个究竟来；玛丽亚多一句也不肯跟她说；于是她们俩便奔进那间面临着大路的餐室，去探奇寻胜。原来来了两位女客，乘着一辆低低的四轮马车，停在花园门口。 "And is this all?" cried Elizabeth. "I expected at least that the pigs were got into the garden, and here is nothing but Lady Catherine and her daughter!" 伊丽莎白连忙嚷道：“就是这么回事吗？我还以为是猪猡闯进了花园呢，原来只不过是咖苔琳夫人母女俩。” "La! my dear," said Maria quite shocked at the mistake, "it is not Lady Catherine. The old lady is Mrs. Jenkinson, who lives with them. The other is Miss De Bourgh. Only look at her. She is quite a little creature. Who would have thought she could be so thin and small!" 玛丽亚听她说错了，不禁大吃一惊：“噍你，亲爱的，那不是咖苔琳夫人。那位老夫人是姜金生太太，她跟她们住在一起的；另外一位是德·包尔小姐。你且瞧瞧她那副模样儿吧。她真是个非常纤小的人儿。谁会想到她会这么单薄，这么小！” "She is abominably rude to keep Charlotte out of doors in all this wind. Why does she not come in?" “她真是太没有礼貌，风这样大，却让夏绿蒂待在门外。她为什么不进来？” "Oh! Charlotte says, she hardly ever does. It is the greatest of favours when Miss De Bourgh comes in." “噢，夏绿蒂说，她真难得进来。德·包尔小姐要是进来一次，那可真是天大的面子。” 
“她那副模样儿真够人瞧的，”伊丽莎白一面说，一面又突然起了别的种种念头。“她看上去身体不好，脾气又坏。她配他真是再好不过呢。她做他的太太极其相称。” Mr. Collins and Charlotte were both standing at the gate in conversation with the ladies; and Sir William, to Elizabeth's high diversion, was stationed in the doorway, in earnest contemplation of the greatness before him, and constantly bowing whenever Miss De Bourgh looked that way. 柯林斯先生和夏绿蒂都站在门口跟那位女客谈话。伊丽莎白觉得最好笑的是，威廉爵士正必恭必敬地站在门口，虔诚地瞻仰着面前的蔚然大观，每当德·包尔小姐朝着他这边望的时候，他总是一鞠躬。 At length there was nothing more to be said; the ladies drove on, and the others returned into the house. Mr. Collins no sooner saw the two girls than he began to congratulate them on their good fortune, which Charlotte explained by letting them know that the whole party was asked to dine at Rosings the next day. 后来他们的话全说完了，两位女客驱车而去，别人都回到屋里。柯林斯一看到两位小姐，就恭贺她们走了鸿运；夏绿蒂把他的意思解释给她们听，原来罗新斯明天又要请他们全体去吃饭了。 Mr. Collins's triumph in consequence of this invitation was complete. The power of displaying the grandeur of his patroness to his wondering visitors, and of letting them see her civility towards himself and his wife, was exactly what he had wished for; and that an opportunity of doing it should be given so soon was such an instance of Lady Catherine's condescension as he knew not how to admire enough. 罗新斯这一次请客，真使得柯林斯先生感到百分之百地得意。他本来一心要让这些好奇的宾客们去风光一下他那女施主的堂皇气派，看看老夫人对待他们夫妇俩多么礼貌周全。他竟会这么快就得到了如愿以偿的机会，这件事大足以说明咖苔琳夫人的礼贤下士，使得他不知如何景仰是好。 "I confess," said he, "that I should not have been at all surprised by her Ladyship's asking us on Sunday to drink tea and spend the evening at Rosings. I rather expected, from my knowledge of her affability, that it would happen. But who could have foreseen such an attention as this? Who could have imagined that we should receive an invitation to dine there (an invitation moreover including the whole party) so immediately after your arrival!" “说老实话，”他说，“她老人家邀请我们星期日去吃茶点，在罗新斯消磨一个下午，我一点儿也不觉得意外。她一贯为人殷勤，我倒以为她真要这样招待一番的，可是谁料想到会象这次这样情意隆重？谁会想到你们刚刚到这里在，就被请到那边去吃饭（而且全体都请到了）？” 
威廉爵士说：“刚才的事我倒不怎么觉得稀奇，大人物的为人处世实在都是如此，象我这样有身份的人，就见识得很多。在显宦贵族们当中，这类风雅好客的事不足为奇。” Scarcely any thing was talked of the whole day, or next morning, but their visit to Rosings. Mr. Collins was carefully instructing them in what they were to expect, that the sight of such rooms, so many servants, and so splendid a dinner might not wholly overpower them. 这一整天和第二天上午，简直只谈到去罗新斯的事。柯林斯先生预先仔仔细细地一样样告诉他们，到那边去将要看到什么东西，免得他们看到了那样宏伟的屋子那样众多的仆从，那样丰盛的菜肴，会造成临时慌乱，手足失措。 When the ladies were separating for the toilette, he said to Elizabeth, 当娘儿们正要各自去打扮的时候，他又对伊丽莎白说： "Do not make yourself uneasy, my dear cousin, about your apparel. Lady Catherine is far from requiring that elegance of dress in us, which becomes herself and daughter. I would advise you merely to put on whatever of your clothes is superior to the rest, there is no occasion for any thing more. Lady Catherine will not think the worse of you for being simply dressed. She likes to have the distinction of rank preserved." “不要为衣装担心思，亲爱的表妹。咖苔琳夫人才不会要我们穿得华丽呢，这只有她自己和她的女儿才配。我劝你只要在你自己的衣服里面，拣一件出色的穿上就行，不必过于讲究。珈苔琳夫人决不会因为你衣装朴素就瞧你不起。她喜欢各人守着自己的本份，分得出一个高低。” While they were dressing, he came two or three times to their different doors, to recommend their being quick, as Lady Catherine very much objected to be kept waiting for her dinner. -- Such formidable accounts of her ladyship, and her manner of living, quite frightened Maria Lucas, who had been little used to company, and she looked forward to her introduction at Rosings with as much apprehension, as her father had done to his presentation at St. James's. 娘儿们整装的时候，他又到各个人的房门口去了两三次，劝她们快一点，因为咖苔琳夫人请人吃饭最恨客人迟到。玛丽亚·卢卡斯听说她老人家的为人处事这样可怕，不由得吓了一跳，因为她一向不大会应酬。她一想起要到罗新斯去拜望，就诚惶诚恐，正如她父亲当年进宫觐见一样。 
天朗气清，他们穿过花园，作了一次差不多半英里的愉快的散步。一家家的花园都各有美妙，伊丽莎白纵目观赏，心旷神怡，可是并不如柯林斯先生所预期的那样，会被眼前的景色陶醉得乐而忘形。尽管他数着屋前一 扇扇 窗户说，光是这些玻璃，当初曾一共花了刘威斯·德·包尔爵士多大一笔钱，她可并不为这些话动心。 When they ascended the steps to the hall, Maria's alarm was every moment increasing, and even Sir William did not look perfectly calm. -- Elizabeth's courage did not fail her. She had heard nothing of Lady Catherine that spoke her awful from any extraordinary talents or miraculous virtue, and the mere stateliness of money and rank she thought she could witness without trepidation. 他们踏上台阶走进穿堂的时候，玛丽亚一分钟比一分钟来得惶恐，连威廉爵士也不能完全保持镇定。倒是伊丽莎白不畏缩。无论是论才论德，她都没有听到咖苔琳夫人有什么了不起的地方足以引起她敬畏，光凭着有钱有势，还不会叫她见到了就胆战心惊。
| 
