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| Chapter 23 (Vol. I, Chap. XXIII) | 第二十三章 |
| Elizabeth was sitting with her mother and sisters, reflecting on what she had heard, and doubting whether she were authorised to mention it, when Sir William Lucas himself appeared, sent by his daughter to announce her engagement to the family. With many compliments to them, and much self-gratulation on the prospect of a connection between the houses, he unfolded the matter, -- to an audience not merely wondering, but incredulous; for Mrs. Bennet, with more perseverance than politeness, protested he must be entirely mistaken, and Lydia, always unguarded and often uncivil, boisterously exclaimed, | 伊丽莎白正跟母亲和姐妹坐在一起，回想刚才 所听到的那件事，决不定是否可以把它告诉大 家，就在这时候，威廉·卢卡斯爵士来了。他 是受了女儿折拜托，前来班府上宣布她订婚的 消息。他一面叙述这件事，一面又大大地恭维 了太太小姐们一阵，说是两家能结上亲，他真 感到荣幸。班府上的人听了，不仅感到惊异， 而且不相信真有这回事。班纳特太太再也顾不 得礼貌，竟一口咬定他弄错了。丽迪雅一向中 又任性又撒野，不由得叫道： |
| "Good Lord! Sir William, how can you tell such a story? -- Do not you know that Mr. Collins wants to marry Lizzy?" | "天哪！威廉爵士，你怎么会说出这番话来？ 你不知道柯林斯先生要娶丽萃吗？" |
| Nothing less than the complaisance of a courtier could have borne without anger such treatment; but Sir William's good breeding carried him through it all; and though he begged leave to be positive as to the truth of his information, he listened to all their impertinence with the most forbearing courtesy. | 遇到这种情形，只有象朝廷大臣那样能够逆来 顺受的人，才不会生气，好在威廉爵士颇有素 养，竟没有把它当一回事，虽然他要求她们相 信他说的是实话，可是他却使出了极大的忍耐 功夫，满有礼貌地听着她们无理的谈吐。 |
| Elizabeth, feeling it incumbent on her to relieve him from so unpleasant a situation, now put herself forward to confirm his account, by mentioning her prior knowledge of it from Charlotte herself; and endeavoured to put a stop to the exclamations of her mother and sisters, by the earnestness of her congratulations to Sir William, in which she was readily joined by Jane, and by making a variety of remarks on the happiness that might be expected from the match, the excellent character of Mr. Collins, and the convenient distance of Hunsford from London. | 伊丽莎白觉得自己有责任帮助他来打开这种僵 局，于是挺身而出，证明他说的实话，说是刚 刚已经听到夏绿蒂本人谈起过了。为了尽力使 母亲和妹妹们不再大惊小怪，她便诚恳地向威 廉爵士道喜，吉英马上也替她帮腔，又用种种 话来说明这门婚姻是何等幸福，柯林斯先生品 格又非常好，汉斯福和伦敦相隔不远往返方便 。 |
| Mrs. Bennet was in fact too much overpowered to say a great deal while Sir William remained; but no sooner had he left them than her feelings found a rapid vent. In the first place, she persisted in disbelieving the whole of the matter; secondly, she was very sure that Mr. Collins had been taken in; thirdly, she trusted that they would never be happy together; and fourthly, that the match might be broken off. Two inferences, however, were plainly deduced from the whole; one, that Elizabeth was the real cause of all the mischief; and the other, that she herself had been barbarously used by them all; and on these two points she principally dwelt during the rest of the day. Nothing could console and nothing appease her. -- Nor did that day wear out her resentment. A week elapsed before she could see Elizabeth without scolding her, a month passed away before she could speak to Sir William or Lady Lucas without being rude, and many months were gone before she could at all forgive their daughter. | 班纳特太太在威廉爵士面前，实在气得说不出 话；可是他一走，她那一肚子牢骚便马上发泄 出来。第一，她坚决不相信这回事；第二，她 断定柯林斯先生受了骗；第三，她相信这一对 夫妇决不会幸福；第四，这门亲事可能会破裂 。不过她却从整个事件上简单地得出了两个结 论───一个是：这场笑话全都是伊丽莎白一 手造成的；另一个是，她自己受尽了大家的欺 负虐待；在那一整天里，她所谈的大都是这两 点。随便怎么也安慰不了她，随便怎么也平不 了她的气。直到晚上，怨愤依然没有消散。她 见到伊丽莎白就骂，一直骂了一个星期之久。 她同威廉爵士或卢卡斯太太说起话来，总是粗 声粗气，一直过了一个月才好起来；至于夏绿 蒂，她竟过了好几个月才宽恕了她。 |
| Mr. Bennet's emotions were much more tranquil on the occasion, and such as he did experience he pronounced to be of a most agreeable sort; for it gratified him, he said, to discover that Charlotte Lucas, whom he had been used to think tolerably sensible, was as foolish as his wife, and more foolish than his daughter! | 对班纳特先生说来，这件事反而使他心情上益 发洒脱，据他说，这次所经过的一切，真使他 精神上舒服到极点。他说，他本以为夏绿蒂· 卢卡斯相当懂事，哪知道她简直跟他太太一样 蠢，比起他的女儿来就更要蠢了，他实在觉得 高兴！ |
| Jane confessed herself a little surprised at the match; but she said less of her astonishment than of her earnest desire for their happiness; nor could Elizabeth persuade her to consider it as improbable. Kitty and Lydia were far from envying Miss Lucas, for Mr. Collins was only a clergyman; and it affected them in no other way than as a piece of news to spread at Meryton. | 吉英也承认这门婚姻有些奇怪，可是她嘴上并 没说什么，反而诚恳地祝他们俩幸福。虽然伊 丽莎白再三剖白给她听，她却始终以为这门婚 姻未必一定不会幸福。吉蒂和丽迪雅根本不羡 慕民卢卡斯小姐，因为柯林斯先生不过是个传 教士而已；这件事根本影响不了她们，除非把 它当作一件新闻，带到麦里屯去传播一下。 |
| Lady Lucas could not be insensible of triumph on being able to retort on Mrs. Bennet the comfort of having a daughter well married; and she called at Longbourn rather oftener than usual to say how happy she was, though Mrs. Bennet's sour looks and ill-natured remarks might have been enough to drive happiness away. | 再说到卢卡斯太太，她既然也有一个女儿获得 了美满的姻缘，自然衷心快慰，因而也不会不 想到趁此去向班纳特太太反唇相讥一下。于是 她拜望浪博恩的次数比往常更加频繁，说是她 如今多么高兴，不过班纳特太太满脸恶相，满 口的毒话，也足够叫她扫兴的了。 |
| Between Elizabeth and Charlotte there was a restraint which kept them mutually silent on the subject; and Elizabeth felt persuaded that no real confidence could ever subsist between them again. Her disappointment in Charlotte made her turn with fonder regard to her sister, of whose rectitude and delicacy she was sure her opinion could never be shaken, and for whose happiness she grew daily more anxious, as Bingley had now been gone a week, and nothing was heard of his return. | 伊丽莎白和夏绿蒂之间从此竟有了一层隔膜， 彼此不便提到这桩事。伊丽莎白断定她们俩再 也不会象从前那样推心置腹。她既然在夏绿蒂 身上失望，便越发亲切地关注到自己姐姐身上 来。她深信姐姐为人正直，作风优雅，她这种 看法决不会动摇。她关心姐姐的幸福一天比一 天来得迫切，因为彬格莱先生已经走了一个星 期，却没有听到一点儿她要回来的消息。 |
| Jane had sent Caroline an early answer to her letter, and was counting the days till she might reasonably hope to hear again. The promised letter of thanks from Mr. Collins arrived on Tuesday, addressed to their father, and written with all the solemnity of gratitude which a twelvemonth's abode in the family might have prompted. After discharging his conscience on that head, he proceeded to inform them, with many rapturous expressions, of his happiness in having obtained the affection of their amiable neighbour, Miss Lucas, and then explained that it was merely with the view of enjoying her society that he had been so ready to close with their kind wish of seeing him again at Longbourn, whither he hoped to be able to return on Monday fortnight; for Lady Catherine, he added, so heartily approved his marriage, that she wished it to take place as soon as possible, which he trusted would be an unanswerable argument with his amiable Charlotte to name an early day for making him the happiest of men. | 吉英很早就给珈罗琳写了回信，现在正在数着 日子，看看还得过多少天才可以又接到她的信 。柯林斯先生事先答应写来的那封谢函星期二 就收到了，信是写给她们父亲的，信上说了多 少感激的话，看他那种过甚其辞的语气，就好 象在他们府上叨光了一年似的。他在这方面表 示了歉意以后，便用了多少欢天喜地的措辞， 告诉他们说，他已经有幸获得他们的芳邻卢卡 斯小姐的欢心了，他接着又说，为了要去看看 他的心上人，他可以趁便来看看他们，免得辜 负他们善意的期望，希望能在两个礼拜以后的 星期一到达浪博恩；他又说，珈苔琳夫人衷心 地赞成他赶快结婚，并且希望愈早愈好，他相 信他那位心上人夏绿蒂决不会反对及早定出佳 斯，使他成为天下最幸福的人。 |
| Mr. Collins's return into Hertfordshire was no longer a matter of pleasure to Mrs. Bennet. On the contrary, she was as much disposed to complain of it as her husband. -- It was very strange that he should come to Longbourn instead of to Lucas Lodge; it was also very inconvenient and exceedingly |
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