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 readilyassured 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。
As he quitted the room, Elizabeth felt how improbable it was that they should ever see each other again on such terms of cordiality as had marked their several meetings in Derbyshire; and as she threw a retrospective glance over the whole of their acquaintance, so full of contradictions and varieties, sighed at the perverseness of those feelings which would now have promoted its continuance, and would formerly have rejoiced in its termination.
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 additionalanguish 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 mistakenindulgence 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!
She was wild to be at home -- to hear, to see, to be upon the spot, to share with Jane in the cares that must now fall wholly upon her, in a family so deranged; a father absent, a mother incapable of exertion and requiring constant attendance; and though almost persuaded that nothing could be done for Lydia, her uncle's interference seemed of the utmost importance, and till he entered the room, the misery of her impatience was severe. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner had hurried back in alarm, supposing, by the servant's account, that their niece was taken suddenly ill; -- but satisfying them instantly on that head, she eagerly communicated the cause of their summons, reading the two letters aloud, and dwelling on the postscript of the last with trembling energy. -- Though Lydia had never been a favourite with them, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner could not but be deeply affected. Not Lydia only, but all were concerned in it; and after the first exclamations of surprise and horror, Mr. Gardiner readily promised every assistance in his power. -- Elizabeth, though expecting no less, thanked him with tears of gratitude; and all three being actuated by one spirit, every thing relating to their journey was speedily settled. They were to be off as soon as possible. "But what is to be done about Pemberley?" cried Mrs. Gardiner. "John told us Mr. Darcy was here when you sent for us; -- was it so?"
她非回家不可了──要亲自去听听清楚,看看
明白,要赶快去给吉英分担一份忧劳。家里给
弄得那么糟,父亲不在家,母亲撑不起身,又
随时要人侍候,千斤重担都压在吉英一个人身
上。关于丽迪雅的事,她虽然认为已经无法可
想,可是她又认为舅父的帮助是极其重要的,
她等他回来真等得万分焦急。且说嘉丁纳夫妇
听了仆人的话还以为是外甥女得了急病,便连
忙慌慌张张赶回来。伊丽莎白见到他们,马上
说明并非得了急病,他们方才,为她又连忙讲
清楚找他们回来的原因,把那两封信读出来,
又气急败坏地念着第二封信后面补写的那一段
话。虽然舅父母平常并不喜爱丽迪雅,可是他
们却不得不感到深切的忧虑,因为这件事不单
是牵涉到丽迪雅,而是对于大家都体面攸关。
嘉丁纳先生开头大为骇异,连声慨叹,然后便
一口答应竭尽一切力量帮忙到底。伊丽莎白虽
然并没有觉得事出意外,可还是感激涕零。于
是三个人协力同心,一刹那工夫就样样收拾妥
贴,只等上路。他们要走得越快越好。“可是
怎样向彭伯里交待呢?”嘉丁纳太太大声地说
:“约翰跟我们说,当你在找我们的时候,达
西先生正在这儿,这是真的吗?”
"Yes; and I told him we should not be able to keep our engagement. That is all settled."
“是真的;我已经告诉过他,我们不能赴约了
。这件事算是交待清楚了。”
"That is all settled!" repeated the other, as she ran into her room to prepare. "And are they upon such terms as for her to disclose the real truth! Oh, that I knew how it was!"
“这件事算是交待清楚了,”舅母一面重说了
一遍,一面跑回房间去准备。“难道他们两人
的交情已经好到这步田地,她可以把事实真相
都说给他听了吗?哎唷,我真想弄明白这究竟
是怎么回事!”
But wishes were vain; or at best could serve only to amuse her in the hurry and confusion of the following hour. Had Elizabeth been at leisure to be idle, she would have remained certain that all employment was impossible to one so wretched as herself; but she had her share of business as well as her aunt, and amongst the rest there were notes to be written to all their friends in Lambton, with false excuses for their sudden departure. An hour, however, saw the whole completed; and Mr. Gardiner meanwhile having settled his account at the inn, nothing remained to be done but to go; and Elizabeth, after all the misery of the morning, found herself, in a shorter space of time than she could have supposed, seated in the carriage, and on the road to Longbourn.