名著·傲慢与偏见 - 第60节


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  倘若叫伊丽莎白根据她自己家庭的情形,来说一说什么叫做婚姻的幸福,什么叫做家庭的乐趣,那她一定说不出好话来。她父亲当年就因为贪恋青春美貌,为的是青春美貌往往会给人带来很大的情趣,因此娶了这样一个适中适中智力贫乏而又小心眼儿的女人,迟到结婚不久,他对太太的深挚的情意便完结了。夫妇之间的互敬互爱和推心置腹。都永远消失得无影无踪;他对于家庭幸福的理想也完全给推翻了。换了别的人,凡是因为自己的冒失而招来了不幸,往往会心荒唐或是不正当的佚乐来安慰自己,可是班纳特先生却不喜欢这一套。他喜爱乡村景色,喜爱书自娱,这就是他最大的乐趣。说到他的太太,除了她的无知和愚蠢倒可以供他开心作乐之外,他对她就再没有别的恩情了。一般男人照理总不希望在妻子身上却找这一种乐趣,可是大智大慧的人既然没有本领去找别的玩艺儿,当然只好听天由命。

   Elizabeth, however, had never been blind to the impropriety of her father's behaviour as a husband. She had always seen it with pain; but respecting his abilities, and grateful for his affectionate treatment of herself, she endeavoured to forget what she could not overlook, and to banish from her thoughts that continual breach of conjugal obligation and decorum which, in exposing his wife to the contempt of her own children, was so highly reprehensible. But she had never felt so strongly as now the disadvantages which must attend the children of so unsuitable a marriage, nor ever been so fully aware of the evils arising from so ill-judged a direction of talents; talents which rightly used, might at least have preserved the respectability of his daughters, even if incapable of enlarging the mind of his wife.

  不过伊丽莎白并不是看不出父亲的缺德。她老是一看到就觉得痛苦;可是她尊重他的才能,又感谢他对秘书的宠爱,因此,本来忽略不了的地方,她也尽量把它忽略过去,而且纵使父亲大不该叫孩子们看不起妈妈,以致使他们老夫妇一天比一天不能够互敬互爱地相处,她也尽量不去想它。但是,说到不美满的婚姻给儿女们带来的不利,她从前决没有象现在体验得这样深刻再说,父亲的才能使用得不得当因而造成种种害处,这一点她她从来没有象现在这样看得透彻。要是父亲的才能运用得适当,即使不能够扩展母亲的见识,至少也可以保存女儿们的体面。

   When Elizabeth had rejoiced over Wickham's departure, she found little other cause for satisfaction in the loss of the regiment. Their parties abroad were less varied than before; and at home she had a mother and sister whose constant repinings at the dullness of every thing around them threw a real gloom over their domestic circle; and, though Kitty might in time regain her natural degree of sense, since the disturbers of her brain were removed, her other sister, from whose disposition greater evil might be apprehended, was likely to be hardened in all her folly and assurance by a situation of such double danger as a watering place and a camp. Upon the whole, therefore, she found what has been sometimes found before, that an event to which she had looked forward with impatient desire, did not, in taking place, bring all the satisfaction she had promised herself. It was consequently necessary to name some other period for the commencement of actual felicity; to have some other point on which her wishes and hopes might be fixed, and by again enjoying the pleasure of anticipation, console herself for the present, and prepare for another disappointment. Her tour to the Lakes was now the object of her happiest thoughts; it was her best consolation for all the uncomfortable hours which the discontentedness of her mother and Kitty made inevitable; and could she have included Jane in the scheme, every part of it would have been perfect.

  韦翰走了固然使伊丽莎白感到快慰,然而,这个民兵团开拔以后,并没有什么别的地方叫她满意。外面的宴会不象以前那样多那样有趣了,在家昊又是成天只听到母亲和妹妹口口声声埋怨生活沉闷,使家里笼罩上了一层阴影;至于吉蒂虽说那些闹得她心猿意马的人已经走了,她不久就会恢复常态;可是还有那另外一个妹妹,秉性本就不好,加上现在又处身在那兵营和浴场的双重危险的环境里,自然会更加大胆放荡,闯出更大的祸事来,因此从大体上说来,她发觉到(其实以前有一度她早就发觉到)她眼巴巴望着到来的一件事,等到真正到来了,总不象她预期的那么满意。因此她不得不把真正幸福的开端期诸来日,找些别的东西来寄托她的希望和心愿,在期待的心情中自我陶醉一番,暂时安慰自己一下,准备再遭受到失望。她现在心里最得意的一件事便是不久就可以到湖区去旅行因为既然母亲和吉蒂心里不快活,吵得家里鸡犬不宁,当然一想起出门便使她获得了最大的安慰;如果吉英也能参加这次旅行,那就十全十美了。

   "But it is fortunate," thought she, "that I have something to wish for. Were the whole arrangement complete, my disappointment would be certain. But here, by my carrying with me one ceaseless source of regret in my sister's absence, I may reasonably hope to have all my expectations of pleasure realized. A scheme of which every part promises delight, can never be successful; and general disappointment is only warded off by the defence of some little peculiar vexation."

  她心里想:“总还算幸运,我还可以存些指望。假使处处都安排得很完满,我反面要感到失望了。姐姐不能够一同去,我自会时时刻刻都感到遗憾,不过也反而可以使我存着一分希望,因此我所期待的愉快也可能会实现。十全十美和计划总不会成功;只有稍许带着几分苦恼,才可以大体上防止得了失望。”

   When Lydia went away, she promised to write very often and very minutely to her mother and Kitty; but her letters were always long expected, and always very short. Those to her mother contained little else, than that they were just returned from the library, where such and such officers had attended them, and where she had seen such beautiful ornaments as made her quite wild; that she had a new gown, or a new parasol, which she would have described more fully, but was obliged to leave off in a violent hurry, as Mrs. Forster called her, and they were going to the camp; -- and from her correspondence with her sister, there was still less to be learnt -- for her letters to Kitty, though rather longer, were much too full of lines under the words to be made public.

  丽迪雅临走的进修,答应常常给母亲和吉蒂写信来,详详细细地告诉她们一路上的情形,可是她走了以后,家里老是等了好久才接到她一封信,而每封信又往往只是寥寥数行。她给她母亲写的那些信,无非说说她们刚刚从图书馆回来,有许多军官们陪着她们一起去,她们在那里看到许多漂亮的装饰品,使她眼红极了,或者说是她买了一件新的长衣服,一把阳伞,她本来可以把这些东西详详细细描写一番,可是弗斯脱太太在叫她了,她们马上就要到兵营去,等等。至于她写给吉蒂的信,虽然要长得多,可是也很空洞,因为有许多重要的话不便写出来。

  她走了两三个星期以后,浪搏恩又重新恢复了愉快欢乐的气象。一切都欣欣向荣。上城里过冬的那些人家都搬回来了,人们都穿起了夏天的新装,到处是夏天的约会。班纳特太太又象往常一样动不动就发牢骚。到了六月中旬周蒂完全恢复了常态,到麦里屯去可以不掉眼泪了,伊丽莎白看到真高兴,她希望到了圣诞节,吉蒂会变得相当有理智,不至于每天三番五次地提到军官们,除非作战部不管人家死活,又来一次恶作剧,重新调一团人驻扎到麦里屯来。

   The time fixed for the beginning of their Northern tour was now fast approaching; and a fortnight only was wanting of it, when a letter arrived from Mrs. Gardiner, which at once delayed its commencement and curtailed its extent. Mr. Gardiner would be prevented by business from setting out till a fortnight later in July, and must be in London again within a month; and as that left too short a period for them to go so far, and see so much as they had proposed, or at least to see it with the leisure and comfort they had built on, they were obliged to give up the Lakes, and substitute a more contracted tour; and, according to the present plan, were to go no farther northward than Derbyshire. In that county, there was enough to be seen to occupy the chief of their three weeks; and to Mrs. Gardiner it had a peculiarly strong attraction. The town where she had formerly passed some years of her life, and where they were now to spend a few days, was probably as great an object of her curiosity, as all the celebrated beauties of Matlock, Chatsworth, Dovedale, or the Peak.

  他们北上旅行的日期已经迫近,只下两个星期了,不料这时候嘉丁纳太太却寄来了一封信,使行期耽搁下来,旅行范围也得缩小。信上说,因为嘉丁纳先生有事,行期必须延迟两个星期,到七月里才能动身,又因为他只能出外旅行一个月便得回到伦敦,日期很短促,不能照原来的计划作长途旅行,饱餐山川景色,至少不能照原来所安排的那样悠闲自在地去游览,湖区必须放弃,旅程必须缩短,只能到德比郡为止。其实德比郡就足够供他们游览,足够他们消磨短短三星期的旅行日程,而且嘉丁纳太太非常向往那个地方。她以前曾在那儿住过儿年,现在能够旧地重游,盘桓数日,便不禁对于马特洛克、恰滋华斯、鸽谷、秀阜的风景名胜,心醉神往。

   Elizabeth was excessively disappointed; she had set her heart on seeing the Lakes; and still thought there might have been time enough. But it was her business to be satisfied -- and certainly her temper to be happy; and all was soon right again.

  这封信使伊丽莎白非常失望。她本来一心想去观赏湖区风光,到现在还觉得时间很充裕。不过,她既没有权利可以反对,她的心境又很洒脱,不多一会,便又觉得好受了。

   With the mention of Derbyshire, there were many ideas connected. It was impossible for her to see the word without thinking of Pemberley and its owner. "But surely," said she, "I may enter his county with impunity, and rob it of a few petrified spars without his perceiving me."

  一提到德比郡,就免不了勾起多少联想。她看到这个地名,就不禁想到彭伯里和彭伯里的主人。她说:“我一定可以大摇大摆地走进他的故乡,趁他不知不觉的时候,攫取几块透明的晶石。”

   The period of expectation was now doubled. Four weeks were to pass away before her uncle and aunt's arrival. But they did pass away, and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, with their four children, did at length appear at Longbourn. The children, two girls of six and eight years old, and two younger boys, were to be left under the particular care of their cousin Jane, who was the general favourite, and whose steady sense and sweetness of temper exactly adapted her for attending to them in every way -- teaching them, playing with them, and loving them.

  行期一延再延。舅父母还得过四个星期才能来。可是四个星期毕竟过去了,嘉丁纳夫妇终于带着他们的四个孩子来到浪搏恩。四个孩子中间不两个女孩子,一个六岁,一个八岁,另外两个男孩子年纪还小。孩子们都将留在这儿,由他们的表姐吉英照管,因为他们都喜欢吉英,加上吉英举止稳重,性情柔和,无论是教孩子们读书,跟他们游戏,以及照顾他们,都非常适合。

  嘉丁纳夫妇只在浪搏恩住了一夜,第二天一大早就带着伊丽莎白去探新异,导欢作乐。这几个旅伴确实非常适当,所谓适当,就是说大家身体健壮,性子柔和,路上遇到不方便的地方可以忍受得了,这实在叫人称心如意。他们一个个都生气勃勃,这自然可以促进愉快,而且他们感情丰富,人又聪明,万一在外地碰到了什么扫兴的事情,互相之间仍然可以过得很快活。

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名著·傲慢与偏见 - 第60节