名著·傲慢与偏见 - 第69节


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  伊丽莎白犹豫不定,但是她已经双膝发抖,也觉得自己没有办法去找他们。她只得叫佣人来,打发他去把主人和主妇立刻找回来。她说话的时候上气不接下气,几乎叫人家听不清楚。

   On his quitting the room, she sat down, unable to support herself, and looking so miserably ill that it was impossible for Darcy to leave her, or to refrain from saying, in a tone of gentleness and commiseration, "Let me call your maid. Is there nothing you could take, to give you present relief? -- A glass of wine; -- shall I get you one? -- You are very ill."

  佣人走出去以后,她便坐下来,达西见她身体已经支持不住,脸色非常难看,简直不放心离开她,便用了一种温柔体贴的声调跟她说:“让我把你的女佣人叫来吧。你能不能吃点东西,叫你自己好过一些?要我给你弄一杯酒吗?你好象有病呢。”

   "No, I thank you;" she replied, endeavouring to recover herself. "There is nothing the matter with me. I am quite well. I am only distressed by some dreadful news which I have just received from Longbourn."

  她竭力保持镇静,回答他道:“不要,谢谢你。我没有什么。我很好;只是刚刚从浪搏恩传来了一个不幸的消息,使我很难受。”

   She burst into tears as she alluded to it, and for a few minutes could not speak another word. Darcy, in wretched suspense, could only say something indistinctly of his concern, and observe her in compassionate silence. At length, she spoke again. "I have just had a letter from Jane, with such dreadful news. It cannot be concealed from any one. My youngest sister has left all her friends -- has eloped; -- has thrown herself into the power of -- of Mr. Wickham. They are gone off together from Brighton. You know him too well to doubt the rest. She has no money, no connections, nothing that can tempt him to -- she is lost for ever."

  她说到这里,不禁哭了起来,半天说不出一句话。达西一时摸不着头脑,只得含含糊糊说了些慰问的话,默默无言地望着她,心里很是同情。后来她便向他吐露实情:“我刚刚收到吉英一封信,告诉我一个非常不幸的消息,反正这也瞒不住任何人。告诉你,我那最小的妹妹丢了她所有的亲友──私奔了──落入了韦翰先生的圈套。他们俩是从白利屯逃走的。你深知他的为人,下文也就不必提了。她没钱没势,没有任何地方足以使他要──丽迪雅一生完了。”

   Darcy was fixed in astonishment. "When I consider," she added, in a yet more agitated voice, "that I might have prevented it! -- I who knew what he was. Had I but explained some part of it only -- some part of what I learnt -- to my own family! Had his character been known, this could not have happened. But it is all, all too late now."

  达西给吓呆了。伊丽莎白又用一种更激动的声调接下去说:“我本来是可以阻止这一件事的!我知道他的真面目!我只要把那件事的一部分──我所听到的一部分,早讲给家里人听就好了,要是大家都知道了他的品格,就不会出这一场乱子了,但现在事已太迟。”

  达西叫道:“我真痛心,又痛心又惊吓。但是这消息靠得住吗,完全靠得住吗?”

   "Oh yes! -- They left Brighton together on Sunday night, and were traced almost to London, but not beyond; they are certainly not gone to Scotland."

  “当然靠得住!他们是星期日晚上从白利屯出奔的,人家追他们一直追到伦敦,可是无法再追下去。他们一定没有去苏格兰。”

   "And what has been done, what has been attempted, to recover her?"

  “那么,有没有想什么办法去找她呢?”

   "My father is gone to London, and Jane has written to beg my uncle's immediate assistance, and we shall be off, I hope, in half an hour. But nothing can be done; I know very well that nothing can be done. How is such a man to be worked on? How are they even to be discovered? I have not the smallest hope. It is every way horrible!"

  “我父亲到伦敦去了,吉英写信来,要舅父立刻回去帮忙,我希望我们在半个钟头之内就能动身。可是事情毫无办法,我认为一定毫无办法。这样的一个人,有什么办法对付得了?又想得出什么办法去找他们?我实在不敢存一线的希望。想来想去真可怕。”

   Darcy shook his head in silent acquiescence.

  达西摇摇头,表示默认。

  “我当初本已看穿了他的人品,只怪我一时缺乏果断,没有大着胆子去办事。我只怕做得太过火,这真是千不该万不该!”

   Darcy made no answer. He seemed scarcely to hear her, and was walking up and down the room in earnest meditation; his brow contracted, his air gloomy. Elizabeth soon observed and instantly understood it. Her power was sinking; every thing must sink under such a proof of family weakness, such an assurance of the deepest disgrace. She should neither wonder nor condemn, but the belief of his self-conquest brought nothing consolatory to her bosom, afforded no palliation of her distress. It was, on the contrary, exactly calculated to make her understand her own wishes; and never had she so honestly felt that she could have loved him, as now, when all love must be vain.

  达西没有回答。他好象完全没有听到她的话,只是在房间里踱来踱去,煞费苦心地在深思默想。他双眉紧蹙,满脸忧愁。伊丽莎白立刻看到了他这副面容,而且随即明白了他的心思。她对他的魔力一步步在消退了;家庭这样不争气,招来了这样的奇耻大辱,自然处处都会惹得人家一天比一天看不起。她丝毫不觉得诧异,也不怪别人。她即使姑且认为他愿意委曲求全,也未必就会感到安慰,未必就会减轻痛苦。这反而足发使她愈加有自知之明。现在千恩万爱都已落空,她倒第一次感觉到真心真意地爱他。

   But self, though it would intrude, could not engross her. Lydia -- the humiliation, the misery, she was bringing on them all -- soon swallowed up every private care; and covering her face with her handkerchief, Elizabeth was soon lost to every thing else; and, after a pause of several minutes, was only recalled to a sense of her situation by the voice of her companion, who, in a manner, which though it spoke compassion, spoke likewise restraint, said, "I am afraid you have been long desiring my absence, nor have I any thing to plead in excuse of my stay, but real, though unavailing, concern. Would to heaven that any thing could be either said or done on my part, that might offer consolation to such distress! -- But I will not torment you with vain wishes, which may seem purposely to ask for your thanks. This unfortunate affair will, I fear, prevent my sister's having the pleasure of seeing you at Pemberley to-day."

  她虽然难免想到自己,却并不是完全只想到自己。只要一想到丽迪雅给大家带来的耻辱和痛苦,她立刻就打消了一切的个人顾虑。她用一条手绢掩住了脸,便一切都不闻不问了。过了好一会儿,她听到她朋友的声音,这才神志清醒过来。只听得达西说话的声调里满含着同情,也带着一些拘束;“我恐怕你早就希望我走开了吧,我实在没有理由待在这儿,不过我无限地同情你,虽然这种同情无济于事。天哪,我但愿能够说几句什么话,或是尽我一份力量,来安慰安慰你这样深切的痛苦!可是我不愿意说些空洞的漂亮话,让你受罪,这样做倒好象是我故意要讨你的好。我恐怕这桩不幸的事,会使得你们今天不能到彭伯里去看我妹妹了。”

   "Oh, yes. Be so kind as to apologize for us to Miss Darcy. Say that urgent business calls us home immediately. Conceal the unhappy truth as long as it is possible. -- I know it cannot be long."

  “哦!是呀,请你替我们向达西小姐道个歉吧。就说我们有紧要的事,非立刻回家不可。请你把这一桩不幸的事尽可能多隐瞒一些时候。不过我也知道隐瞒不了多久。”

   He readily assured her of his secrecy -- again expressed his sorrow for her distress, wished it a happier conclusion than there was at present reason to hope, and, leaving his compliments for her relations, with only one serious, parting, look, went away.

  他立刻答应替她保守秘密,又重新说他非常同情她的苦痛,希望这一件事会得到比较圆满的结局,不至于象现在所想象的这样糟糕,又请她代为问候她家里人,然后郑重地望了她一眼便告辞了。

  他一走出房门,伊丽莎白就不禁想到;这一次居然能和他在德比郡见面,而且好几次见面都蒙他竭诚相待,这简直是出人意料。她又回想了一下他们整个一段交情,真是矛盾百出,千变万化,她以前曾经巴不得断绝这一段交情,如今却又希望能继续下去,想到这种颠三倒四的地方,不由得叹了口气。

   If gratitude and esteem are good foundations of affection, Elizabeth's change of sentiment will be neither improbable nor faulty. But if otherwise, if the regard springing from such sources is unreasonable or unnatural, in comparison of what is so often described as arising on a first interview with its object, and even before two words have been exchanged, nothing can be said in her defence, except that she had given somewhat of a trial to the latter method in her partiality for Wickham, and that its ill-success might perhaps authorise her to seek the other less interesting mode of attachment. Be that as it may, she saw him go with regret; and in this early example of what Lydia's infamy must produce, found additional anguish as she reflected on that wretched business. Never, since reading Jane's second letter, had she entertained a hope of Wickham's meaning to marry her. No one but Jane, she thought, could flatter herself with such an expectation. Surprise was the least of her feelings on this developement. While the contents of the first letter remained on her mind, she was all surprise -- all astonishment that Wickham should marry a girl whom it was impossible he could marry for money; and how Lydia could ever have attached him had appeared incomprehensible. But now it was all too natural. For such an attachment as this, she might have sufficient charms; and though she did not suppose Lydia to be deliberately engaging in an elopement, without the intention of marriage, she had no difficulty in believing that neither her virtue nor her understanding would preserve her from falling an easy prey.

  如果说,大凡一个人爱上一个人,都是因为先有了感激之心,器重之意,那么,伊丽莎白这次感情的变化当然既合情理,又叫人无可非议。反而言之,世人有所谓一见倾心的场面,也有双方未曾交谈三言两语就相互倾心的场面,如果说,由感激和器重产生的爱情,比起一见倾心的爱情来,就显得不近人情事理,那我们当然就不能够再袒护伊丽莎白,不过还有一点可以替她交待清楚一下;当初韦翰使他动心的时候,她也许多少就采用了另一种比较乏味的恋爱方式。这且不提,却说她看见达西走了,真是十分惆怅;丽迪雅这次的丑行,一开头就造成了这样不良的后果,再想起这件糟糕的事,她心里更加痛苦。自从她读了吉英的第二封信以后,她再也不指望韦翰会存心和丽迪雅结婚了。她想,只有吉英会存这种希望,此外谁都不会。关于这件事的发展趋势,她丝毫不觉得奇怪。当她只读到第一封信的时候,她的确觉得太奇怪,太惊讶──韦翰怎么会跟这样一个无利可图的姑娘结婚?丽迪雅又怎么会爱上他?实在叫人不可理解。可是现在看来,真是再自然也没有了。象这一类的苟合,丽迪雅的风流妩媚可能也就足够了。她虽然并不以为丽迪雅会存心跟人家私奔页不打算结婚,可是丽迪雅无论在品德方面或见识方面,的确都很欠缺,当然经不起人家勾引,这也是她意料中事。

   She had never perceived, while the regiment was in Hertfordshire, that Lydia had any partiality for him, but she was convinced that Lydia had wanted only encouragement to attach herself to any body. Sometimes one officer, sometimes another had been her favourite, as their attentions raised them in her opinion. Her affections had been continually fluctuating, but never without an object. The mischief of neglect and mistaken indulgence towards such a girl. -- Oh! how acutely did she now feel it.

  民兵团驻扎在哈福德郡的时候,她完全没有看出丽迪雅对韦翰有什么倾心的地方,可是她深深认识到丽迪雅只要随便哪个人勾引一下就会上钩。她今天喜欢这个军官,明天又喜欢那个军官,只要你对她献殷勤,她就看得中你。她平常的情感极不专一,可是从来没有缺少过谈情说爱的对象。这只怪一向没有家教,对她任意纵容,结果使这样的一个姑娘落得这般下场。天哪!她现在实在体会得太深刻啦!

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名著·傲慢与偏见 - 第69节