名著·傲慢与偏见 - 第65节


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  伊丽莎白听到这里,觉得应该替达西说几句公道话,辨明他并没有亏待韦翰;她便小心翼翼导把事情的原委说给舅父母听。她说,据达西在肯特郡的有些亲友,他们曾告诉她,他的行为和人家所传说的情形大有出入,他的为人决不象哈福德郡的人们所想象的那么荒谬,韦翰的为为也决不象哈福德郡的人们所想象的那么厚道。为了证实这一点,她又把他们两人之间银钱往来上的事情,一五一十地讲了出来,虽然没有指明这话是谁讲出来的,可是她断定这些话很可靠。

   Mrs. Gardiner was surprised and concerned; but as they were now approaching the scene of her former pleasures, every idea gave way to the charm of recollection; and she was too much engaged in pointing out to her husband all the interesting spots in its environs to think of any thing else. Fatigued as she had been by the morning's walk, they had no sooner dined than she set off again in quest of her former acquaintance, and the evening was spent in the satisfactions of an intercourse renewed after many years discontinuance.

  这番话使嘉丁纳太太听得既感惊奇,又极担心,只是大家现在已经走到从前她喜爱的那个地方,于是她一切的心思都云散烟消,完全沉醉在甜蜜的回忆里面。她把这周围一切有趣的处所一一指给她丈夫看根本无心想到别的事上面去。虽然一上午的步行已经使她感到疲倦,可是一吃过饭,她又动身去探访故友旧交。这一晚过得真有意思,正所谓:连年怨阔别,一朝喜重逢。

   The occurrences of the day were too full of interest to leave Elizabeth much attention for any of these new friends; and she could do nothing but think, and think with wonder, of Mr. Darcy's civility, and above all, of his wishing her to be acquainted with his sister.

  至于伊丽莎白,白天里所发生的种种事情对她实在太有趣了,她实在没有心思去结交任何新朋友;她只是一心一意地在想,达西先生今天为什么那样礼貌周全,尤其使她诧异的是,他为什么要把他妹妹介绍给她。

   Elizabeth had settled it that Mr. Darcy would bring his sister to visit her the very day after her reaching Pemberley; and was consequently resolved not to be out of sight of the inn the whole of that morning. But her conclusion was false; for on the very morning after their own arrival at Lambton, these visitors came. They had been walking about the place with some of their new friends, and were just returned to the inn to dress themselves for dining with the same family, when the sound of a carriage drew them to a window, and they saw a gentleman and lady in a curricle, driving up the street. Elizabeth, immediately recognising the livery, guessed what it meant, and imparted no small degree of surprise to her relations by acquainting them with the honour which she expected. Her uncle and aunt were all amazement; and the embarrassment of her manner as she spoke, joined to the circumstance itself, and many of the circumstances of the preceding day, opened to them a new idea on the business. Nothing had ever suggested it before, but they now felt that there was no other way of accounting for such attentions from such a quarter than by supposing a partiality for their niece. While these newly-born notions were passing in their heads, the perturbation of Elizabeth's feelings was every moment increasing. She was quite amazed at her own discomposure; but amongst other causes of disquiet, she dreaded lest the partiality of the brother should have said too much in her favour; and more than commonly anxious to please, she naturally suspected that every power of pleasing would fail her.

  伊丽莎白料定达西先生的妹妹一到彭伯里,达西先生隔天就会带着她来拜访她,因此决定那天整个上午都不离开旅馆,至多在附近走走。可是她完全猜错了,原来她舅父母到达蓝白屯的当天上午,那批客人就到了彭伯里。他们到了蓝白屯的,便跟着几个新朋友到各处去溜达了一转,刚刚回到旅馆去换衣服,以便到一家朋友那里去吃饭,忽然听到一阵马车声,他们便走到窗口,只见一男一女,坐着一辆双轮马车,从大街上往这边来。伊丽莎白立刻就认出了马车夫的号衣,心里有了数目,于是告诉舅父母说,她就要有贵客光临。舅父母听了都非常惊讶。他们看见她说起话来那么窘,再把眼前的事实和昨天种种情景前前后后想一想,便对这件事有了一种新的看法。他们以前虽然完全蒙在鼓里,没有看出达西先生爱上了他们的外甥女儿,可是他们现在觉得一定是这么回事,否则他这百般殷勤就无法解释了。他们脑子里不断地转着这些新的念头,伊丽莎白本人也不禁越来越心慌意乱。她奇怪自己怎么会这样坐立不安。她前思后想,很是焦急,怕的是达西先生为了爱她缘故,会在他妹妹面前把她捧得太过分;她愈是想要讨人喜欢,便愈是怀疑自己没有讨人喜欢的本领。

   She retreated from the window, fearful of being seen; and as she walked up and down the room, endeavouring to compose herself, saw such looks of enquiring surprise in her uncle and aunt as made every thing worse.

  她为了怕让舅父母看见,便打从窗前退缩回来,在房间里踱来踱去,竭力装出心神镇定的样子,只见舅父母神色诧异,这可更糟了。

  达西兄妹终于走进了旅馆,大家郑重其事地介绍了一番,伊丽莎白看到达西小姐也和自己同样显得不好意思,不禁颇感惊奇。自从她来到蓝白屯以来,总是听说达西小姐为人非常傲慢,可是这会儿她只观察了她几分钟工夫,就断定她不过是过分羞怯畏缩。达西小姐只是唯唯喏喏,此外你休想再逼得出她一句话来。

   Miss Darcy was tall, and on a larger scale than Elizabeth; and, though little more than sixteen, her figure was formed, and her appearance womanly and graceful. She was less handsome than her brother, but there was sense and good humour in her face, and her manners were perfectly unassuming and gentle. Elizabeth, who had expected to find in her as acute and unembarrassed an observer as ever Mr. Darcy had been, was much relieved by discerning such different feelings.

  达西小姐身材很高,身段比伊丽莎白粗壮,她虽然才十六岁,可是已经发育完全,一举一动都象大人,端庄大方。她抵不上她哥哥漂亮,可是她的脸蛋儿长得聪明有趣,仪表又谦和文雅。伊丽莎白本以为她看起人来也象达西一样尖酸刻薄,不留情面,现在见她并不如此,倒放下了心。

   They had not been long together before Darcy told her that Bingley was also coming to wait on her; and she had barely time to express her satisfaction, and prepare for such a visitor, when Bingley's quick step was heard on the stairs, and in a moment he entered the room. All Elizabeth's anger against him had been long done away; but, had she still felt any, it could hardly have stood its ground against the unaffected cordiality with which he expressed himself on seeing her again. He enquired in a friendly, though general way, after her family, and looked and spoke with the same good-humoured ease that he had ever done.

  他们见面不久,达西先生就告诉伊丽莎白说,彬格莱也要来拜访她;她正要说一声不胜荣幸,可是话未出口,就听见彬格莱先生上楼梯的急促的脚步声,一刹那工夫,他就进来了。伊丽莎白本来已经对他心平气和,纵使余怒未消,只要看他这次来访,情恳意切,喜庆重逢,这般情景便使得她有气也变成无气了。他亲亲切切地问候她全家安好,虽然只说了几句寻常话,可是他的容貌谈吐,却完全和从前一样安详愉快。

   To Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner he was scarcely a less interesting personage than to herself. They had long wished to see him. The whole party before them, indeed, excited a lively attention. The suspicions which had just arisen, of Mr. Darcy and their niece, directed their observation towards each with an earnest, though guarded, enquiry; and they soon drew from those enquiries the full conviction that one of them at least knew what it was to love. Of the lady's sensations they remained a little in doubt; but that the gentleman was overflowing with admiration was evident enough.

  嘉丁纳夫妇也和她有同感,认为他是个耐人寻味的人物。他们早就想见见他。眼前这些人确实引起了他们极大的兴趣。他们因为怀疑达西先生跟他们外甥女儿的关系,便禁不住偷偷仔细观察双方的情形,观察的结果,他们立刻确定两个人中间至少有一个已经尝到了恋爱的滋味。小姐的心思一时还不能断定,可是先生方面显然是情意绵绵。

   Elizabeth, on her side, had much to do. She wanted to ascertain the feelings of each of her visitors, she wanted to compose her own, and to make herself agreeable to all; and in the latter object, where she feared most to fail, she was most sure of success, for those to whom she endeavoured to give pleasure were prepossessed in her favour. Bingley was ready, Georgiana was eager, and Darcy determined to be pleased.

  伊丽莎白忙于应付。她既要明白在场宾客中每个人对她观感如何,又要确定她自己对人家的观感如何,还要搏得大家的好感。她最怕不能博得大家的好感,可是效果偏偏非常好,因为她要讨好的那些人,未来之前都已对她怀着好感。彬格莱存心要和她交好,乔治安娜极想和她要好,达西非要讨她的好不可。

  看到了彬格莱,她一切的念头自然都转到自己姐姐身上去了,她多么想要知道他是不是也同她一样,会想到她姐姐!她有时觉得他比从前说话说得少了。不过有一两次,当他看着她的时候,她又觉得他竭力想在她身上看出一点和姐姐相似的地方。这也许是她自己的凭空假想,不过有一件事她可看得很真切:人家都说达西小姐是吉英的情敌,其实彬格莱先生对达西小姐并没有什么情意。他们两人之间看不出有什么特别钟情的地方。无论什么地方,都不能证明彬格莱小姐的愿望一定会实现。伊丽莎白立刻就觉得自己这种想法颇近情理。宾客们临走以前,又发生了两三件小事,伊丽莎白因为爱姐心切,便认为为两三件小事足以说明彬格莱先生对吉英依然旧情难忘,而且他还想多攀谈一会儿,以便谈到吉英身上去,只可惜他胆量甚小,未敢如此。他只有趁着别人在一起谈话时,才用一种万分遗憾的语气跟她说:“我和她好久不曾相见,真是福薄缘浅。”她还没有来得及回他的话,他又说道:“有八个多月不见面了。我们是十一月二十六日分别的,那一次我们大家都在尼日斐花园跳舞。”

   Elizabeth was pleased to find his memory so exact; and he afterwards took occasion to ask her, when unattended to by any of the rest, whether all her sisters were at Longbourn. There was not much in the question, nor in the preceding remark, but there was a look and manner which gave them meaning.

  伊丽莎白见他对往事记得这么清楚,很是高兴;后来他又趁着别人不在意的时候,向她问起她姐妹们现在是不是全在浪搏恩。这前前后后的一些话,本身并没有什么深意,可是说话人的神情态度,却大可玩味。

   It was not often that she could turn her eyes on Mr. Darcy himself; but, whenever she did catch a glimpse, she saw an expression of general complaisance, and in all that he said she heard an accent so far removed from hauteur or disdain of his companions, as convinced her that the improvement of manners which she had yesterday witnessed, however temporary its existence might prove, had at least outlived one day. When she saw him thus seeking the acquaintance and courting the good opinion of people, with whom any intercourse a few months ago would have been a disgrace; when she saw him thus civil, not only to herself, but to the very relations whom he had openly disdained, and recollected their last lively scene in Hunsford Parsonage, the difference, the change was so great, and struck so forcibly on her mind, that she could hardly restrain her astonishment from being visible. Never, even in the company of his dear friends at Netherfield, or his dignified relations at Rosings, had she seen him so desirous to please, so free from self-consequence or unbending reserve, as now, when no importance could result from the success of his endeavours, and when even the acquaintance of those to whom his attentions were addressed would draw down the ridicule and censure of the ladies both of Netherfield and Rosings.

  她虽然不能常常向达西先生顾盼,可是她只消随时瞥他一眼,就看见他脸上总是那么亲切,她听他谈吐之间既没有丝毫的高傲习气,也没有半点蔑视她亲戚的意味,于是她心里不由得想道:昨天亲眼看到他作风大有改进,那即使是一时的改变,至少也保持到了今天。几个月以前他认为和这些人打交道有失身份,如今他却这样乐于结交他们,而且要搏得他们的好感;她看到他不仅对她自己礼貌周全,甚至对那些他曾经声言看不入眼的亲戚们。礼貌也颇周全。上次他在汉斯福牧师家里向她求婚的那一幕,还历历如在目前,如今对比起来,真是前后判若两人。这种种情形,实在使她激动得太厉害,使她几乎禁不住把心里的惊奇流露到脸上来。她从来没见过他这样一心要讨好别人,无论在尼日斐花园和他那些好朋友们在一起的时候,或是在罗新斯跟他那些高贵的亲戚在一起的时候,也不曾象现在这样虚怀若谷,有说有笑,何况他这样的热情并不能增进他自己的体面,何况他现在殷勤招待的这些人,即使跟他攀上了交情,也只会落得尼日花园和罗新斯的太太小姐们嘲笑指摘。

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名著·傲慢与偏见 - 第65节