“我并不是没有勇气,而是没有时间,伊丽莎
白。可是这件事是应该要做的;如果你给我一
张纸,我马上就来做。”
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"And if I had not a letter to write myself, I might sit by you and admire the evenness of your writing, as another young lady once did. But I have an aunt, too, who must not be longer neglected."
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“要不是我自己有封信要写,我一定会象另外
一位年轻的小姐一样,坐在你身旁欣赏你那工
整的书法。可惜我也有一位舅母,再不能不回
信给她了。”
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From an unwillingness to confess how much her intimacy with Mr. Darcy had been over-rated, Elizabeth had never yet answered Mrs. Gardiner's long letter; but now, having that to communicate which she knew would be most welcome, she was almost ashamed to find that her uncle and aunt had already lost three days of happiness, and immediately wrote as follows:
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且说前些时候,舅母过高地估计了伊丽莎白和
达西先生的交情,伊丽莎白又不愿意把事情向
舅母说明白,因此嘉丁纳太太写来的那封长信
一直还没有回答,现在有了这个可喜的消息告
诉她,她一定会喜欢,可是伊丽莎白倒觉得,
让舅父母迟了三天才知道这个消息,真有些不
好意思。她马上写道:
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"I would have thanked you before, my dear aunt, as I ought to have done, for your long, kind, satisfactory, detail of particulars; but to say the truth, I was too cross to write. You supposed more than really existed. But now suppose as much as you choose; give a loose to your fancy, indulge your imagination in every possible flight which the subject will afford, and unless you believe me actually married, you cannot greatly err. You must write again very soon, and praise him a great deal more than you did in your last. I thank you, again and again, for not going to the Lakes. How could I be so silly as to wish it! Your idea of the ponies is delightful. We will go round the Park every day. I am the happiest creature in the world. Perhaps other people have said so before, but not one with such justice. I am happier even than Jane; she only smiles, I laugh. Mr. Darcy sends you all the love in the world that he can spare from me. You are all to come to Pemberley at Christmas. Your's, &c."
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亲爱的舅母,蒙你写给我那封亲切而令人满意
的长信,告诉了我种种详情细节,本当早日回
信道谢,无奈我当时实在情绪不佳,因而不愿
意动笔。你当时所想象的情况,实在有些地甚
其辞。可是现在,你大可爱怎么想就怎么想了
。关于这件事,你可以放纵你的幻想,想到哪
里就是哪里,只要你不以为我已经结了婚,你
总不会猜想得太过分。你得马上再写封信来把
他赞美一番,而且要赞美得大大超过你上一封
信。我要多谢你没有带我到湖区去旅行。我真
傻,为什么以湖区去呢?你说要弄几匹小马去
游园,这个打算可真有意思。今后我们便可以
每天在那个园里兜圈子了。我现在成了天下最
幸福的人。也许别人以前也说过这句话,可是
谁也不能象我这样名副其实。我甚至比吉英还
要幸福;她只是莞尔微笑,我却纵声大笑。达
西先生分一部分爱我之心问候你。欢迎你们到
彭伯里来圣诞节。──你的甥女。(下略)
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Mr. Darcy's letter to Lady Catherine was in a different style; and still different from either was what Mr. Bennet sent to Mr. Collins, in reply to his last.
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达西先生写给咖苔琳夫人的信,格调和这封信
不一样,而班纳特先生写给柯林斯先生的轵,
和这两封信又是全不相同。
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"DEAR SIR,
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贤侄先生左右:
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I must trouble you once more for congratulations. Elizabeth will soon be the wife of Mr. Darcy. Console Lady Catherine as well as you can. But, if I were you, I would stand by the nephew. He has more to give.
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我得麻烦你再恭贺我一次。伊丽莎白马上就要
做达西夫人了。请多多劝慰咖苔琳夫人。要是
我处在你的地位,我一定要站在姨侄一边,因
为他可以给人更大的利益。
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Your's sincerely, &c."
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愚某手上
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Miss Bingley's congratulations to her brother, on his approaching marriage, were all that was affectionate and insincere. She wrote even to Jane on the occasion, to express her delight, and repeat all her former professions of regard. Jane was not deceived, but she was affected; and though feeling no reliance on her, could not help writing her a much kinder answer than she knew was deserved.
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彬格莱小姐祝贺哥快要结婚的那封信,写得无
限亲切,只可惜缺乏诚意。她甚至还写信给吉
英道贺,又把从前那一套假仁假义的话重提了
一遍。吉英虽然再也不受她蒙蔽,可仍然为她
感动;虽说对她不再信任,可还是回了她一封
信,措辞极其亲切,实在使她受之有愧。
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The joy which Miss Darcy expressed on receiving similar information, was as sincere as her brother's in sending it. Four sides of paper were insufficient to contain all her delight, and all her earnest desire of being loved by her sister.
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达西小姐来信上说,她接到喜讯时,正和她哥
哥发出喜讯时一样欢欣。那封信写了四张信纸
,还不足以表达她内心的喜悦,不足以表明她
是怎样恳切地盼望着嫂嫂会疼爱她。
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Before any answer could arrive from Mr. Collins, or any congratulations to Elizabeth from his wife, the Longbourn family heard that the Collinses were come themselves to Lucas lodge. The reason of this sudden removal was soon evident. Lady Catherine had been rendered so exceedingly angry by the contents of her nephew's letter, that Charlotte, really rejoicing in the match, was anxious to get away till the storm was blown over. At such a moment, the arrival of her friend was a sincere pleasure to Elizabeth, though in the course of their meetings she must sometimes think the pleasure dearly bought, when she saw Mr. Darcy exposed to all the parading and obsequious civility of her husband. He bore it, however, with admirable calmness. He could even listen to Sir William Lucas, when he complimented him on carrying away the brightest jewel of the country, and expressed his hopes of their all meeting frequently at St. James's, with very decent composure. If he did shrug his shoulders, it was not till Sir William was out of sight.
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柯林斯先生的回信还没有来,伊丽莎白也还没
有获得柯林斯太太的祝贺,这时候浪搏恩全家
却听说他们夫妇俩马上要到卢家庄来。他们突
然动身前来的原因,是很容易明白的。原来咖
苔琳夫人接到她姨侄那封信,大发雷霆,而夏
绿蒂对这门婚事偏偏非常欣喜,因此不得不火
速避开一下,等到这场暴风雨过去了以后再说
。对伊丽莎白说来,在这样的佳斯,自己的好
朋友来了,真是一件无上愉快的事,只可惜等
到见了面,看到柯林斯先生对达西那种极尽巴
结阿谀的样子,便不免认为这种愉快有些得不
偿失。不过达西却非常镇定地容忍着。还有威
廉·卢卡斯爵士,他恭维达西获得了当地最宝
贵的明珠,而且还恭而敬之地说,希望今后能
常在宫中见面。达西先生甚至边这些话也听得
进去,直到威廉爵士走开以后,他方才耸了耸
肩。
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Mrs. Philips's vulgarity was another, and perhaps a greater, tax on his forbearance; and though Mrs. Philips, as well as her sister, stood in too much awe of him to speak with the familiarity which Bingley's good humour encouraged, yet, whenever she did speak, she must be vulgar. Nor was her respect for him, though it made her more quiet, at all likely to make her more elegant. Elizabeth did all she could to shield him from the frequent notice of either, and was ever anxious to keep him to herself, and to those of her family with whom he might converse without mortification; and though the uncomfortable feelings arising from all this took from the season of courtship much of its pleasure, it added to the hope of the future; and she looked forward with delight to the time when they should be removed from society so little pleasing to either, to all the comfort and elegance of their family party at Pemberley.
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还有腓力普太太,她为人很粗俗,也许会叫达
西更加受不了。腓力普太太正象她姐姐一样,
见到彬格莱先生那么和颜悦色,于是攀谈起来
很是随便,而对达西则敬畏备至,不敢随便,
可是她的出言吐语总还是免不了粗俗。虽说她
因为尊敬达西而很少跟达西说话,可是她并不
因此而显得举止文雅一些。伊丽莎白为了不让
达西受到这些人的纠缠,便竭力使他跟她自己
谈话,跟她家里那些不会使他受罪的人谈话。
虽然这一番应酬大大减少了恋爱的乐趣,可是
却促进了她对未来生活的期望,她一心盼望赶
快离开这些讨厌的人物,到彭伯里去,和他一
家人在一起,舒舒服服过一辈子风雅有趣的生
活。
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