酷兔英语
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Chapter 11 (Vol. I, Chap. XI)
第十一章
When the ladies removed after dinner, Elizabeth ran up to her sister, and, seeing her well guarded from cold, attended her into the drawing-room; where she was welcomed by her two friends with many professions of pleasure; and Elizabeth had never seen them so agreeable as they were during the hour which passed before the gentlemen appeared. Their powers of conversation were considerable. They could describe an entertainment with accuracy, relate an anecdote with humour, and laugh at their acquaintance with spirit.
娘儿们吃过晚饭以后,伊丽莎白就上楼到她姐
姐那儿去,看她穿戴得妥妥贴贴,不会着凉,
便陪着她上客厅去。她的女朋友们见到她,都
表示欢迎,一个个都说非常高兴。在男客们没
有来的那一个钟头里,她们是那么和蔼可亲,
伊丽莎白从来不曾看到过。她们的健谈本领真
是吓人,描述起宴会来纤毫入微,说起故事来
风趣横溢,讥笑起一个朋友来也是有有声有色

But when the gentlemen entered, Jane was no longer the first object. Miss Bingley's eyes were instantly turned towards Darcy, and she had something to say to him before he had advanced many steps. He addressed himself directly to Miss Bennet, with a polite congratulation; Mr. Hurst also made her a slight bow, and said he was "very glad;" but diffuseness and warmth remained for Bingley's salutation. He was full of joy and attention. The first half hour was spent in piling up the fire, lest she should suffer from the change of room; and she removed at his desire to the other side of the fireplace, that she might be farther from the door. He then sat down by her, and talked scarcely to any one else. Elizabeth, at work in the opposite corner, saw it all with great delight.
可是男客们一走进来,吉英就不怎么引人注目
了。达西一进门,彬格莱小姐的眼睛就立刻转
到他身上去,要跟他说话。达西首先向班纳特
小姐问好,客客气气地祝贺她病休复元;赫斯
脱先生也对她微微一鞠躬,说是见到她"非常
高兴";但是说到词气周到,情意恳切,可就
比不上彬格莱先生那几声问候。彬格莱先生才
算得上情深意切,满怀欢欣。开头半小时完全
消磨在添煤上面,生怕屋子里冷起来会叫病人
受不了。吉英依照彬格莱的话,移坐到火炉的
另一边去,那样她就离开门口远一些,免得受
凉。接着他自己在她身旁坐下,一心跟她说话
,简直不理睬别人。伊丽莎白正在对面角落里
做活计,把这全部情景都看在眼里,感到无限
高兴。
When tea was over, Mr. Hurst reminded his sister-in-law of the card-table -- but in vain. She had obtained private intelligence that Mr. Darcy did not wish for cards; and Mr. Hurst soon found even his open petition rejected. She assured him that no one intended to play, and the silence of the whole party on the subject seemed to justify her. Mr. Hurst had therefore nothing to do but to stretch himself on one of the sofas and go to sleep. Darcy took up a book; Miss Bingley did the same; and Mrs. Hurst, principally occupied in playing with her bracelets and rings, joined now and then in her brother's conversation with Miss Bennet.
喝过茶以后,赫斯脱先生提醒她的小姨子把牌
桌摆好,可是没有用。她早就看出达西先生不
想打牌,因此赫斯脱先生后来公开提出要打牌
也被她拒绝了。她跟他说,谁也不想玩牌,只
见全场对这件事都不作声,看来她的确没有说
错。因此,赫斯脱先生无事可做,只得,,躺
在沙发上打瞌睡。达西拿起一本书来。彬格莱
小姐也拿起一本书来。赫斯脱太太聚精会神地
在玩弄自己的手镯和指环,偶而也在她弟弟跟
班纳特小姐的对话中插几句嘴。
Miss Bingley's attention was quite as much engaged in watching Mr. Darcy's progress through his book, as in reading her own; and she was perpetually either making some inquiry, or looking at his page. She could not win him, however, to any conversation; he merely answered her question, and read on. At length, quite exhausted by the attempt to be amused with her own book, which she had only chosen because it was the second volume of his, she gave a great yawn and said, "How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library."
彬格莱小姐一面看达西读书,一面自己读书,
两件事同时并做,都是半心半意。她老是向他
问句什么的,或者是看他读到哪一页。不过,
她总是没有办法逗她说话;她问一句他就答一
句,答过以后便继续读他的书。彬格莱小姐所
以要挑选那一本书读,只不过因为那是达西所
读的第二卷,她满想读个津津有味,不料这会
儿倒读得精疲力尽了。她打了个呵欠,说道:
"这样度过一个晚上,真是多么愉快啊!我说
呀,什么娱乐也抵不上读书的乐趣。无论干什
么事,都是一上手就要厌倦,读书却不会这样
!将来有一天我自己有了家,要是没有个很好
的书房,那会多遗憾哟。"
No one made any reply. She then yawned again, threw aside her book, and cast her eyes round the room in quest of some amusement; when, hearing her brother mentioning a ball to Miss Bennet, she turned suddenly towards him and said,
谁也没有理睬她。于是她又打了个呵欠,抛开
书本,把整个房间里望了一转,要想找点儿什
么东西消遗消遗,这时忽听得她哥哥跟班纳特
小姐说要开一次跳舞会,她就猛可地掉过头来
对他说:
"By the bye, Charles, are you really serious in meditating a dance at Netherfield? -- I would advise you, before you determine on it, to consult the wishes of the present party; I am much mistaken if there are not some among us to whom a ball would be rather a punishment than a pleasure."
"这样说,查尔斯,你真打算在尼日斐花园开
一次跳舞会吗?我劝你最好还是先征求一下在
场朋友们的意见再作决定吧。这里面就会有人
觉得跳舞是受罪,而不是娱乐,要是没有这种
人,你怪我好了。"
"If you mean Darcy," cried her brother, "he may go to bed, if he chooses, before it begins -- but as for the ball, it is quite a settled thing; and as soon as Nicholls has made white soup enough I shall send round my cards."
"如果你指的是达西,"她的哥哥大声说,"
那么,他可以在跳舞开始以前就上床去睡觉,
随他的便好啦。舞会已经决定了非开不可,只
等尼可尔斯把一切都准备好了,我就下请贴。
"
"I should like balls infinitely better," she replied, "if they were carried on in a different manner; but there is something insufferably tedious in the usual process of such a meeting. It would surely be much more rational if conversation instead of dancing made the order of the day."
彬格莱小姐说:"要是开舞会能换些花样,那
我就更高兴了,通常舞会上的那老一套,实在
讨厌透顶。你如果能把那一天的日程改一改,
用谈话来代替跳舞,那一定有意思得多。"
"Much more rational, my dear Caroline, I dare say, but it would not be near so much like a ball."
"也许有意思得多,珈罗琳,可是那还象什么
舞会呢。"
Miss Bingley made no answer; and soon afterwards got up and walked about the room. Her figure was elegant, and she walked well; -- but Darcy, at whom it was all aimed, was still inflexibly studious. In the desperation of her feelings she resolved on one effort more; and turning to Elizabeth, said,
彬格莱小姐没有回答。不大一会儿工夫,她就
站起身来,在房间里踱来踱去,故意在达西面
前卖弄她优美的体态和矫健的步伐,只可惜达
西只顾在那里一心一意地看书,因此她只落得
枉费心机。她绝望之余,决定再作一次努力,
于是转过身来对伊丽莎白说:
"Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my example, and take a turn about the room. -- I assure you it is very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude."
"伊丽莎·班纳特小姐,我劝你还是学学我的
样子,在房间里霞走动走动吧。告诉你,坐了
那么久,走动一下可以提提精神。"
Elizabeth was surprised, but agreed to it immediately. Miss Bingley succeeded no less in the real object of her civility; Mr. Darcy looked up. He was as much awake to the novelty of attention in that quarter as Elizabeth herself could be, and unconsciously closed his book. He was directly invited to join their party, but he declined it, observing that he could imagine but two motives for their choosing to walk up and down the room together, with either of which motives his joining them would interfere. "What could he mean? she was dying to know what could be his meaning" -- and asked Elizabeth whether she could at all understand him?
伊丽莎白觉得很诧异,可是立刻依了她的意思
。于是彬格莱小姐献殷勤的真正目的达到了─
─达西先生果然抬起头来,原来达西也和伊丽
莎白一样,看出了她在耍花招引人注目,便不
知不觉地放下了书本。两位小姐立刻请他来一
块儿踱步,可是他谢绝了,说是她们俩所以要
在屋子里踱来踱去,据他的想象,无非有两个
动机,如果他参加她们一起散步,对于她们的
任何一个动机都会有妨碍。他这话是什么意思
?彬格莱小姐极想街道他讲这话用意何在,便
问伊丽莎白懂不懂。
"Not at all," was her answer; "but depend upon it, he means to be severe on us, and our surest way of disappointing him will be to ask nothing about it."
伊丽莎白回答道:"根本不懂,他一定是存心
刁难我们,不过你最好不要理睬他,让他失望
一下。"
Miss Bingley, however, was incapable of disappointing Mr. Darcy in any thing, and persevered therefore in requiring an explanation of his two motives.
可惜彬格莱小姐遇到任何事情都不忍心叫达西
先生失望,于是再三要求他非把他的所谓两个
动机解释一下不可。

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