目 录 上一节 下一节 
“我们这样挤在一起,多够劲!”丽迪雅叫道。“我买了顶帽子,真是高兴,就算特地添置了一只帽盒,也很有趣!好吧,且让我们再偎紧来舒服舒服,有说有笑地回到家里去。首先,请你们讲一讲,你们离家以后遇到了些什么事情。你们见到过一些中意的男人吗?跟人家有过勾搭没有?我真希望你们哪一位带了个丈夫回来呢。我说,吉英马上就要变成一个老处女了。她快二十三岁啦!天哪!我要是不能在二十三岁以前结婚,那多么丢脸啊!腓力普姨妈要你们赶快找丈夫,你们可没有想到吧。她说,丽萃要是嫁给柯林斯先生就好了,我可不觉得那会有多大的趣味。天哪!我真巴不得比你们哪一个都先结婚!我就可以领着你们上各式各样的跳舞会去。我的老天爷!那天在弗斯脱上校家里,我们那个玩笑真开得大啊!吉蒂和我那天都准备在那儿玩个整天,弗斯脱太太跟我是多么要好的朋友!)她于是请哈林顿家的两位都来参加。可是海丽病了,因此萍不得不独个赶来;这一来,你们猜我们怎么办?我们把钱柏伦穿上了女人衣服,让人家当他是个女人。你们且想想看,多有趣啊!除了上校、弗斯脱太太、吉蒂和我、以及姨妈等人以外,谁也不知道,说到姨妈,那是因为我们向她借件长衣服,她才知道的。你们想象不到他扮得多么象啊!丹尼、韦翰、普拉特和另外两三个人走进来的时候,他们根本认不出是他。天哪!我笑得好厉害,弗斯脱太太也笑得好厉害。我简直要笑死了。这才叫那些男人们起了疑心,他们不久就识穿了。” With such kind of histories of their parties and good jokes did Lydia, assisted by Kitty's hints and additions, endeavour to amuse her companions all the way to Longbourn. Elizabeth listened as little as she could, but there was no escaping the frequent mention of Wickham's name. 丽迪雅就这样说说舞会上的故事,讲讲笑话,另外还有吉蒂从旁给她添油加酱,使得大家一路上很开心。伊丽莎白尽量不去听它,但是总免不了听到一声声提起韦翰的名字。 Their reception at home was most kind. Mrs. Bennet rejoiced to see Jane in undiminished beauty; and more than once during dinner did Mr. Bennet say voluntarily to Elizabeth, 家里人极其亲切地接待她们。班纳特太太看到吉英姿色未减,十分快活;吃饭的时候,班纳特先生不由自主地一次又一次跟伊丽莎白说: "I am glad you are come back, Lizzy." “你回来了,我真高兴,丽萃。” Their party in the dining-room was large, for almost all the Lucases came to meet Maria and hear the news: and various were the subjects which occupied them. Lady Lucas was enquiring of Maria, across the table, after the welfare and poultry of her eldest daughter; Mrs. Bennet was doubly engaged, on one hand collecting an account of the present fashions from Jane, who sat some way below her, and on the other, retailing them all to the younger Miss Lucases; and Lydia, in a voice rather louder than any other person's, was enumerating the various pleasures of the morning to any body who would hear her. 他们饭厅里人很多,卢卡斯府上差不多全家人都来接玛丽亚,顺便听听新闻,还问到各种各样的问题。卢卡斯太太隔着桌子向玛丽亚问起她大女儿日子过得好不好,鸡鸭养得多不多;班纳特太太格外忙,因为吉英坐在她下手,她便不断向她打听一些时下的风尚,然后再去传给卢卡斯家几位年轻小姐去听;丽迪雅的嗓子比谁都高,她正在把当天早上的乐趣一件件说给爱听的人听。 
“噢,曼丽,”她说,“你要是跟我们一块儿去了多有趣!我们一路去的时候,吉蒂和我放下车帘,看上去好象是空车,要是吉蒂没有晕车,就会这样一直到目的地。我们在乔治客店实在做得够漂亮,我们用世界上最美的冷盘款待她们三位;假使你也去了,我们也会款待你的。我们临走的时候,又是那么有趣!我以为这样一挂车子无论如何也装不下我们。我真要笑死啦。回家来一路上又是那么开心作乐!我们有说有笑,声音大得十英里路外都能听见!” To this, Mary very gravely replied, "Far be it from me, my dear sister, to depreciate such pleasures. They would doubtless be congenial with the generality of female minds. But I confess they would have no charms for me. I should infinitely prefer a book." 曼丽听到这些话,便一本正经地回答道:“我的好妹妹,并不是我故意要杀你们的风景,老实说,你们这些乐趣当然会投合一般女子的爱好可动不了我的心,我觉得读读书要有趣得多。” But of this answer Lydia heard not a word. She seldom listened to any body for more than half a minute, and never attended to Mary at all. 可是丽迪雅把她这番话当做耳边风。谁说的话她都不爱听,别说曼丽,她根本就不理她。 In the afternoon Lydia was urgent with the rest of the girls to walk to Meryton, and see how every body went on; but Elizabeth steadily opposed the scheme. It should not be said, that the Miss Bennets could not be at home half a day before they were in pursuit of the officers. There was another reason too, for her opposition. She dreaded seeing Wickham again, and was resolved to avoid it as long as possible. The comfort to her of the regiment's approaching removal was indeed beyond expression. In a fortnight they were to go, and once gone, she hoped there could be nothing more to plague her on his account. 到了下午,丽迪雅硬要姐姐们陪她上麦里屯去,看看那边的朋友们近况如何,可是伊丽莎白坚决反对,为的是不让别人说闲话,说班纳特家的几位小姐在家里待不上半天,就要去追逐军官们,她所以反对,还有一个理由。她怕再看到韦翰。她已经下定决心,能够和他避而不见就尽量避而不见。那个民兵团马上就要调走了,她真是感觉到说不出的慰。不出四个星期,他们就要走了,她希望他们一走以后,从此平安无事,使她不会再为韦翰受到折磨。 She had not been many hours at home, before she found that the Brighton scheme, of which Lydia had given them a hint at the inn, was under frequent discussion between her parents. Elizabeth saw directly that her father had not the smallest intention of yielding; but his answers were at the same time so vague and equivocal, that her mother, though often disheartened, had never yet despaired of succeeding at last. 她到家没有几个小时,就发觉父母在反复讨论上白利屯去玩的计划,也就是丽迪雅在客店里给她们提到过的那个计划。伊丽莎白看出她父亲丝毫没有让步的意思,不过他的回答却是模棱两可,因此她母亲虽然惯常碰钉子,可是这一次并没有死心,还希望最后能如她的愿。 
伊丽莎白非把那桩事告诉吉英不可了,再也忍耐不住了。于是她决定把牵涉到姐姐的地方,都一概不提,第二天上午就把达西先生跟她求婚的那一幕,拣主要情节说了出来,她料定吉英听了以后,一定会感到诧异。 Miss Bennet's astonishment was soon lessened by the strong sisterly partiality which made any admiration of Elizabeth appear perfectly natural; and all surprise was shortly lost in other feelings. She was sorry that Mr. Darcy should have delivered his sentiments in a manner so little suited to recommend them; but still more was she grieved for the unhappiness which her sister's refusal must have given him. 班纳特小姐对伊丽莎白手足情深,觉得她妹妹被任何人爱上了都是理所当然的事情,因此开头虽然心,过后便觉得不足为奇了。她替达西先生惋惜,觉得他不应该用那种很不得体的方式来倾诉衷情;但她更难过的是,她妹妹拒绝会给他造成怎样的难堪。 "His being so sure of succeeding, was wrong," said she; "and certainly ought not to have appeared; but consider how much it must increase his disappointment." 她说:“他那种十拿九稳会成功的态度实在要不得,他至少千万不应该让你看出这种态度,可是你倒想一想,这一来他会失望到什么地步啊。” "Indeed," replied Elizabeth, "I am heartily sorry for him; but he has other feelings which will probably soon drive away his regard for me. You do not blame me, however, for refusing him?" 伊丽莎白回答道:“我的确万分替他难过;可是,他既然还有那么些顾虑,他对我的好感可能不久就会完全消失。你总不会怪我拒绝了他吧?” "Blame you! Oh, no." “怪你!噢,不会的。” 
“可是我帮韦翰说话帮得那么厉害,你会怪我吗?” "No -- I do not know that you were wrong in saying what you did." “不怪你;我看不出你那样说有什么错。” "But you will know it, when I have told you what happened the very next day." “等我把下一天的事告诉了你,你就一定看得出有错了。” She then spoke of the letter, repeating the whole of its contents as far as they concerned George Wickham. What a stroke was this for poor Jane! who would willingly have gone through the world without believing that so much wickedness existed in the whole race of mankind, as was here collected in one individual. Nor was Darcy's vindication, though grateful to her feelings, capable of consoling her for such discovery. Most earnestly did she labour to prove the probability of error, and seek to clear one without involving the other. 于是她就说起那封信,把有关乔治·韦翰的部分,都一点一滴讲了出来。可怜的吉英听得多么惊奇!她即使走遍天下,也不会相信人间竟会有这许多罪恶,而现在这许多罪恶竟集中在这样一个人身上。虽说达西的剖白使她感到满意。可是既然发现了其中有这样一个隐情,她也就不觉得安慰了。她诚心诚意地想说明这件事可能与事实有出入,竭力想去洗清这一个冤屈,又不愿叫另一个受到委屈。
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