Chapter 47 (Vol. III, Chap. V) | 第四十七章 |
"I have been thinking it over again, Elizabeth," said her uncle as they drove from the town; "and really, upon serious consideration, I am much more inclined than I was to judge as your eldest sister does of the matter. It appears to me so very unlikely that any young man should form such a design against a girl who is by no means unprotected or friendless, and who was actually staying in his colonel's family, that I am strongly inclined to hope the best. Could he expect that her friends would not step forward? Could he expect to be noticed again by the regiment, after such an affront to Colonel Forster? His temptation is not adequate to the risk." | 他们离开那个城镇的时候,舅父跟伊丽莎白说 :"我又把这件事想了一遍,认真地考虑了一 番,越发觉得你姐姐的看法很对。我认为无论 是哪个青年,决不会对这样一位姑娘存着这样 的坏心眼,她又不是无亲无靠,何况她就住在 他自己的上校家里,因此我要从最好的方面去 着想。难道他以为她的亲友们不会挺身而也吗 ?难道他还以为这一次冒犯弗斯脱上校以后, 还好意思回到民兵团里去吗?我看他不见得会 痴情到冒险的地步。" |
"Do you really think so?" cried Elizabeth, brightening up for a moment. | 伊丽莎白的脸色立刻显得高兴起来,连忙嚷道 :"你果真这样想吗?" |
"Upon my word," said Mrs. Gardiner, "I begin to be of your uncle's opinion. It is really too great a violation of decency, honour, and interest, for him to be guilty of it. I cannot think so very ill of Wickham. Can you, yourself, Lizzy, so wholly give him up as to believe him capable of it?" | 嘉丁纳太太接嘴说:"你相信我好了,我也开 始赞成你舅舅的看法了。这件事太不顾羞耻, 太不顾名誉和利害关系了,他不会这样胆大妄 为。我觉得韦翰未必会这样坏。丽萃,你竟这 样不把他放在眼里,相信他会做出 这种事吗? " |
"Not perhaps of neglecting his own interest. But of every other neglect I can believe him capable. If, indeed, it should be so! But I dare not hope it. Why should they not go on to Scotland, if that had been the case?" | "他也许不会不顾全自己的利害关系。除此以 外,我相信他全不在乎。但愿他能有所顾忌。 我可不敢存这个奢望。要是真象你所想的那样 ,那他们干吗不到苏格兰去呢?" |
"In the first place," replied Mr. Gardiner, "there is no absolute proof that they are not gone to Scotland." | 嘉丁纳先生回答道:"第一,现在并不能完全 证明他们没有到苏格兰去。" |
"Oh! but their removing from the chaise into an hackney coach is such a presumption! And, besides, no traces of them were to be found on the Barnet road." | "哎哟!可是他们把原来的马车打发走,换上 了出租的马车,光是凭这一点就可想而知!此 外,到巴纳特去的路上,也找不到他们的踪迹 。" |
"Well, then -- supposing them to be in London. They may be there, though, for the purpose of concealment, for no more exceptionable purpose. It is not likely that money should be very abundant on either side; and it might strike them that they could be more economically, though less expeditiously, married in London, than in Scotland." | "那么就假定他们在伦敦吧。他们到那儿去也 许是为了暂时躲避一下,不会别有用心。他们 两个人都没有多少钱;也许他们都会想到,在 伦敦结婚虽然比不上在苏格兰结婚来得方便, 可是要省俭些。" |
"But why all this secrecy? Why any fear of detection? Why must their marriage be private? Oh! no, no, this is not likely. His most particular friend, you see by Jane's account, was persuaded of his never intending to marry her. Wickham will never marry a woman without some money. He cannot afford it. And what claims has Lydia, what attractions has she beyond youth, health, and good humour, that could make him, for her sake, forgo every chance of benefiting himself by marrying well? As to what restraint the apprehension of disgrace in the corps might throw on a dishonourable elopement with her, I am not able to judge; for I know nothing of the effects that such a step might produce. But as to your other objection, I am afraid it will hardly hold good. Lydia has no brothers to step forward; and he might imagine, from my father's behaviour, from his indolence and the little attention he has ever seemed to give to what was going forward in his family, that he would do as little, and think as little about it, as any father could do in such a matter." | "可是为什么要这样秘密?为什么怕给人家发 觉?为什么结婚要偷偷摸摸?哦,不,不,你 这种想法不切合实际。你不是看到吉英信里说 吗──连他自己最要好的朋友也相信他不会跟 她结婚。韦蚨绝不会跟一个没有钱的女人结婚 的。他根本办不到。丽迪雅除了年轻、健康、 爱开玩笑之外,有什么办法、有什么吸引力, 可以叫他为了她而放弃掉结婚致富的机会?至 于他会不会怕这次羞耻的私奔使他自己在部队 里丢面子,便把行为检点一下,那我就无法判 断了,因为我无从知道他这一次的行为究竟会 产生什么样的后果。但是你说的另外一点,我 恐怕不大靠得住。丽迪雅的确没有个亲兄弟为 她出头,他又看到我父亲平日为人,懒散,不 管家事,便以为他遇到这类事情,也会跟人家 做父亲的一样,不肯多管,也不肯多想。" |
"But can you think that Lydia is so lost to every thing but love of him, as to consent to live with him on any other terms than marriage?" | "可是你以为丽迪雅为了爱他,竟会不顾一切 ,可以不跟他结婚而跟他同居吗?" |
"It does seem, and it is most shocking indeed," replied Elizabeth, with tears in her eyes, "that a sister's sense of decency and virtue in such a point should admit of doubt. But, really, I know not what to say. Perhaps I am not doing her justice. But she is very young; she has never been taught to think on serious subjects; and for the last half year, nay, for a twelvemonth, she has been given up to nothing but amusement and vanity. She has been allowed to dispose of her time in the most idle and frivolous manner, and to adopt any opinions that came in her way. Since the ----shire were first quartered in Meryton, nothing but love, flirtation, and officers have been in her head. She has been doing every thing in her power, by thinking and talking on the subject, to give greater -- what shall I call it? -- susceptibility to her feelings, which are naturally lively enough. And we all know that Wickham has every charm of person and address that can captivate a woman." | 伊丽莎白眼睛里涌起了眼泪说道:"说起来真 是骇人听闻,一个人居然怀疑到自己亲妹妹会 不顾体面,不顾贞操!可是我的确不知道该怎 么说才好。也许是我冤枉了她。她很年轻,又 从来没有人教她应该怎样去考虑这些重大的; 问题半年以来──不,整整一年以来──她只 知道开心作乐,爱好虚荣。家里纵容她,让她 尽过些轻浮浪荡的日子,让她随便遇到什么事 情都是轻信盲从。自从民兵团驻扎到麦里屯以 后,她一脑子只想到谈情说爱,卖弄风情,勾 搭军官。她先天就已经足够钨,再加上老是想 这件事,谈这件事,想尽办法使自己的感情更 加──我应该说更加怎么呢?──更加容易被 人家诱惑。我们都知道韦翰无论在仪表方面, 辞令方面,都有足够的魅力可以迷住一个女人 。" |
"But you see that Jane," said her aunt, "does not think so ill of Wickham as to believe him capable of the attempt." | "可是你得明白,"她的舅母说,"吉英就不 把韦翰看得那么坏,她认为他不会存这种心肠 。" |
"Of whom does Jane ever think ill? And who is there, whatever might be their former conduct, that she would believe capable of such an attempt, till it were proved against them? But Jane knows, as well as I do, what Wickham really is. We both know that he has been profligate in every sense of the word. That he has neither integrity nor honour. That he is as false and deceitful, as he is insinuating." | "吉英何尝把任何人看作坏人?不管是什么样 的人,无论他过去的行为怎样,除非等到事实 证明了那个人确实是坏,她怎么会相信人家会 存这种心肠?可是说到韦翰的底细,吉英却和 我一样明白。我们俩都知道他是个不折不扣的 淫棍,他既没有人格,又不顾体面,一味虚情 假意,柔声媚气。" |
"And do you really know all this?" cried Mrs. Gardiner, whose curiosity as to the mode of her intelligence was all alive. | 这番话使嘉丁纳太太起了极大的好奇心,想要 弄明白外甥女儿怎么知道这些事情的,便大声 问道:"这些情形你真的都了解吗?" |
"I do, indeed," replied Elizabeth, colouring. "I told you the other day, of his infamous behaviour to Mr. Darcy; and you, yourself, when last at Longbourn, heard in what manner he spoke of the man who had behaved with such forbearance and liberality towards him. And there are other circumstances which I am not at liberty -- which it is not worth while to relate; but his lies about the whole Pemberley family are endless. From what he said of Miss Darcy, I was thoroughly prepared to see a proud, reserved, disagreeable girl. Yet he knew to the contrary himself. He must know that she was amiable and unpretending as we have found her." | 伊丽莎白红着脸回答道:"我当然了解,那一 天我已经把他对待达西先生的无耻行为说给你 听过。人家待他那么宽宏大量,可是你目次在 浪搏恩的时候,曾经亲耳听到他是心臬的态度 谈到人家。还有许多事情我不便于说,也不值 得说,可是他对于彭伯里府上造谣中伤的事实 ,真是数说不尽。他把达西小姐说成那样一个 人,使得我开头完全把她当做一位骄傲冷酷, 惹人讨厌的小姐。然而他自己也知道事实完全 相反。他心里一定明白,达西小姐正象我们所 看到的那样和蔼可亲,一些也不装腔作势。" |
"But does Lydia know nothing of this? Can she be ignorant of what you and Jane seem so well to understand?" | "难道丽迪雅完全不知道这些事吗?既然你和 吉英都了解得那么透彻,她自己怎么会完全不 晓得?" |
"Oh, yes! -- that, that is the worst of all. Till I was in Kent, and saw so much both of Mr. Darcy and his relation, Colonel Fitzwilliam, I was ignorant of the truth myself. And when I returned home, the ----shire was to leave Meryton in a week or fortnight's time. As that was the case, neither Jane, to whom I related the whole, nor I, thought it necessary to make our knowledge public; for of what use could it apparently be to any one that the good opinion which all the neighbourhood had of him should then be overthrown? And even when it was settled that Lydia should go with Mrs. Forster, the necessity of opening her eyes to his character never occurred to me. That she could be in any danger from the deception never entered my head. That such a consequence as this should ensue, you may easily believe was far enough from my thoughts." | "糟就糟在这里。我自己也是到了肯特郡以后 ,常常跟达西先生和他的亲戚弗茨威廉上校在 一起,才知道真相。等我回得家来,某某郡的 民兵团已经准备在一两个星期以内就要离开麦 里屯了。当时我就把这情形在吉英面前和盘托 出,吉英和我都觉得不必向外面声张,因为街 坊四邻既然都对韦翰有好感如果叫大家对他印 象转坏,这会对谁有好处?甚至于临到决定让 丽迪雅跟弗斯脱太太一块儿走的时候,我还不 想叫丽迪雅了解他的人品。我从来没想到她竟 会被他欺骗。你可以,相信我万万想不到会造 成这样的后果。" |
"When they all removed to Brighton, therefore, you had no reason, I suppose, to believe them fond of each other." | "那么说,他们开拔到白利屯去的时候,你还 是毫不在意,没想到他们俩已经爱上了吧?" |
"Not the slightest. I can remember no symptom of affection on either side; and had any thing of the kind been perceptible, you must be aware that ours is not a family on which it could be thrown away. When first he entered the corps, she was ready enough to admire him; but so we all were. Every girl in or near Meryton was out of her senses about him for the first two months; but he never distinguishedher by any particular attention, and consequently, after a moderate period of extravagant and wild admiration, her fancy for him gave way, and others of the regiment who treated her with more distinction again became her favourites." | "根本没想到。我记得他们谁都没有流露出相 爱的意思,要知道,当初只要看出了一点形迹 ,在我们那样的一个家庭里是不会不谈论的。 他刚到部队里来的时候,她就对他十分爱慕, 当时我们大家都是那样。在开头一两个月里面 ,麦里屯一带的姑娘们没有哪一个不为他神魂 颠倒;可是他对她却不曾另眼相看。后来那一 阵滥爱狂恋的风气过去了,她对他的幻想也就 消失了,因为民兵团里其他的军官们更加看重 她,于是她的心又转到他们身上去了。" |
It may be easily believed that, however little of novelty could be added to their fears, hopes, and conjectures, on this interesting subject by its repeated discussion, no other could detain them from it long, during the whole of the journey. From Elizabeth's thoughts it was never absent. Fixed there by the keenest of all anguish, self-reproach, she could find no interval of ease or forgetfulness. | 他们一路上把这个有趣的话题翻来复去地谈论 ,谈到哪些地方值得顾虑,哪些地方还可以寄 予希望;揣想起来又是如何如何;实在再也谈 不出什么新茶来了,只得暂时住口。可是隔了 不多一会儿,又谈到这件事上面来了;这是可 想而知的。伊丽莎白的脑子里总是摆脱不开这 件事。她为这件事自怨自艾,没有一刻能够安 心,也没有一刻能够忘怀。 |
They travelled as expeditiously as possible; and, sleeping one night on the road, reached Longbourn by dinner-time the next day. It was a comfort to Elizabeth to consider that Jane could not have been wearied by long expectations. | 他们匆匆忙忙赶着路,在中途住宿了一夜,第 二天吃跑的时候就到了浪搏恩。伊丽莎白感到 快慰的是,总算没有让吉英等得心焦。 |
The little Gardiners, attracted by the sight of a chaise, were standing on the steps of the house as they entered the paddock; and when the carriage drove up to the door, the joyful surprise that lighted up their faces, and displayed itself over their whole bodies in a variety of capers and frisks, was the first pleasing earnest of their welcome. | 他们进了围场,嘉丁纳舅舅的孩子们一看见一 辆马车,便赶到台阶上来站着;等到马车赶到 门口的时候,孩子们一个个惊喜交集,满面笑 容,跳来蹦去,这是大人们回来时第一次受到 的愉快热诚的欢迎。 |
Elizabeth jumped out; and, after giving each of them an hasty kiss, hurried into the vestibule, where Jane, who came running down stairs from her mother's apartment, immediately met her. |