"My aunt," she continued, "is going to-morrow into that part of the town, and I shall take the opportunity of calling in Grosvenor-street."
她接下去写:“明天舅母要上那个地区去,我
想趁这个机会到格鲁斯汶纳街去登门拜访一下
。”
She wrote again when the visit was paid, and she had seen Miss Bingley. "I did not think Caroline in spirits," were her words, "but she was very glad to see me, and reproached me for giving her no notice of my coming to London. I was right, therefore; my last letter had never reached her. I enquired after their brother, of course. He was well, but so much engaged with Mr. Darcy, that they scarcely ever saw him. I found that Miss Darcy was expected to dinner. I wish I could see her. My visit was not long, as Caroline and Mrs. Hurst were going out. I dare say I shall soon see them here."
吉英拜访过彬格莱小姐并且和她见过面以后,
又写了一封信来。她写道:“我觉得珈罗琳精
神不大好,可是她见到我却很高兴,而且怪我
这次到伦敦来为什么事先不通知她一下。我果
然没有猜错,我上次给她那封信,她真的没有
收到。我当然问起她们的兄弟。据说他近况很
好,不过同达西先生过从太密,以致姐妹兄弟
很少机会见面。我这一次拜望的时间并不太久
,因为珈罗琳和赫斯脱太太都要出去。也许她
们马上就会上我这儿来看我。”
Elizabeth shook her head over this letter. It convinced her that accident only could discover to Mr. Bingley her sister's being in town.
伊丽莎白读着这封信,不由得摇头。她,相信
除非有什么偶然的机会,彬格莱先生决不会知
道吉英来到了伦敦。
Four weeks passed away, and Jane saw nothing of him. She endeavoured to persuade herself that she did not regret it; but she could no longer be blind to Miss Bingley's inattention. After waiting at home every morning for a fortnight, and inventing every evening a fresh excuse for her, the visitor did at last appear; but the shortness of her stay, and yet more, the alteration of her manner, would allow Jane to deceive herself no longer. The letter which she wrote on this occasion to her sister, will prove what she felt.
四个星期过去了,吉英还没有见到彬格莱先生
的影子。她竭力宽慰自己说,她并没有因此而
觉得难受;可是彬格莱小姐的冷淡无情,她到
底看明白了。她每天上午都在家里等彬格莱小
姐,一直白等了两个星期,每天晚上都替彬格
莱小姐编造一个借口,最后那位贵客才算上门
来了,可是只待了片刻工夫便告辞而去,而且
她的态度也前后判若两人,吉英觉得再不能自
己骗自己了。她把这一次的情形写了封信告诉
她妹妹,从这封信里可以看出她当时的心情:
"My dearest Lizzy will, I am sure, be incapable of triumphing in her better judgment, at my expence, when I confess myself to have been entirely deceived in Miss Bingley's regard for me. But, my dear sister, though the event has proved you right, do not think me obstinate if I still assert that, considering what her behaviour was, my confidence was as natural as your suspicion. I do not at all comprehend her reason for wishing to be intimate with me, but if the same circumstances were to happen again, I am sure I should be deceived again. Caroline did not return my visit till yesterday; and not a note, not a line, did I receive in the mean time. When she did come, it was very evident that she had no pleasure in it; she made a slight, formal, apology for not calling before, said not a word of wishing to see me again, and was in every respect so altered a creature, that when she went away I was perfectlyresolved to continue the acquaintance no longer. I pity, though I cannot help blaming her. She was very wrong in singling me out as she did; I can safely say, that every advance to intimacy began on her side. But I pity her, because she must feel that she has been acting wrong, and because I am very sure that anxiety for her brother is the cause of it, I need not explain myself farther; and though we know this anxiety to be quite needless, yet if she feels it, it will easily account for her behaviour to me; and so deservedly dear as he is to his sister, whatever anxiety she may feel on his behalf is natural and amiable. I cannot but wonder, however, at her having any such fears now, because, if he had at all cared about me, we must have met long, long ago. He knows of my being in town, I am certain, from something she said herself; and yet it should seem by her manner of talking, as if she wanted to persuade herself that he is really partial to Miss Darcy. I cannot understand it. If I were not afraid of judging harshly, I should be almost tempted to say that there is a strong appearance of duplicity in all this. But I will endeavour to banish every painful thought, and think only of what will make me happy: your affection, and the invariable kindness of my dear uncle and aunt. Let me hear from you very soon. Miss Bingley said something of his never returning to Netherfield again, of giving up the house, but not with any certainty. We had better not mention it. I am extremely glad that you have such pleasant accounts from our friends at Hunsford. Pray go to see them, with Sir William and Maria. I am sure you will be very comfortable there.
──我最最亲爱的丽萃妹妹:现在我不得不承
认,彬格莱小姐对我的关注完全是骗我的。我
相信你的见解比我高明,而且你看到我伤心,
还会引为得意。亲爱的妹妹,虽然如今事实已
经证明你的看法是对的,可是,我如果从她过
去的态度来看,我依旧认为,我对她的信任以
及你对她的怀疑,同样都是合情合理,请你不
要以为我固执。我到现在还不明白她从前为什
么要跟我要好;如果再有同样的情况发生,我
相信我还会受到欺骗。珈罗琳一直到昨天才来
看我,她未来以前不曾给我片纸只字的讯息,
既来之后又显出十分不乐意的样子。她只是照
例敷衍了我一句,,说是没有早日来看我,很
是抱歉,此外根本就没有提起她想要再见见我
的话。她在种种方面都前后判若两人,因此,
当她临走的时候,我就下定决心和她断绝来往
,虽说我禁不住要怪她,可是我又可怜她。只
怪她当初不该对我另眼看待;我可以问心无愧
地说,我和她交情都是由她主动一步一步进展
起来的。可是我可怜她,因为她一定会感觉到
自己做错了,我断定她所以采取这种态度,完
全是由于为她哥哥担心的缘故。我用不着为自
己再解释下去了。虽然我们知道这种担心完全
不必要,不过,倘若她当真这样担心,那就足
以说明她为什么要这样对待我了。既然他确实
值得他妹妹珍惜,那么,不管她替他担的是什
么忧,那也是合情合理,亲切可喜。不过,我
简直不懂她现在还要有什么顾虑,要是他当真
有心于我,我们早就会见面了。听她口气,我
肯定他是知道我在伦敦的;然而从她谈话的态
度看来,就好象她拿稳他是真的倾心于达西小
姐似的。这真叫我弄不明白。要是我大胆地下
一句刻薄的断语,我真忍不住要说,其中一定
大有蹊跷。可是我一定会竭力打消一切苦痛的
念头,只去想一些能使我高兴的事───譬如
想想你的亲切以及亲爱的舅父母对我始终如一
的关切。希望很快就收到你的信。彬格莱小姐
说起他再也不会回到尼日斐花园来,说他打算
放弃那幢房子,可是说得并不怎么肯定。我们
最好不必再提起这件事。你从汉斯福我们那些
朋友那儿听到了许多令人愉快的事,这使我很
高兴。请你跟威廉爵士和玛丽亚一块儿去看看
他们吧。我相信你在那里一定会过得很舒适
Your's, &c."
的。──你的···
This letter gave Elizabeth some pain; but her spirits returned as she considered that Jane would no longer be duped, by the sister at least. All expectation from the brother was now absolutely over. She would not even wish for any renewal of his attentions. His character sunk on every review of it; and as a punishment for him, as well as a possible advantage to Jane, she seriously hoped he might really soon marry Mr. Darcy's sister, as, by Wickham's account, she would make him abundantly regret what he had thrown away.
这封信使伊丽莎白感到有些难受;不过,一想
到吉英从此还会再受到他们的欺蒙,至少不会
再受到那个妹妹的欺蒙,她又高兴起来了。她
现在已经放弃了对那位兄弟的一切期望。她甚
至根本不希望他再来重修旧好。她越想越看不
起他;她倒真的希望他早日跟达西先生的妹妹
结婚,因为照韦翰说来,那位小姐往后一定会
叫他后悔,悔当初不该把本来的意中人丢了,
这一方面算是给他一种惩罚,另方面也可能有
利于吉英。
Mrs. Gardiner about this time reminded Elizabeth of her promise concerning that gentleman, and required information; and Elizabeth had such to send as might rather give contentment to her aunt than to herself. His apparent partiality had subsided, his attentions were over, he was the admirer of some one else. Elizabeth was watchful enough to see it all, but she could see it and write of it without material pain. Her heart had been but slightly touched, and her vanity was satisfied with believing that she would have been his only choice, had fortune permitted it. The sudden acquisition of ten thousand pounds was the most remarkable charm of the young lady to whom he was now rendering himself agreeable; but Elizabeth, less clear-sighted perhaps in his case than in Charlotte's, did not quarrel with him for his wish of independence. Nothing, on the contrary, could be more natural; and while able to suppose that it cost him a few struggles to relinquish her, she was ready to allow it a wise and desirablemeasure for both, and could very sincerely wish him happy.
大约就在这时候,嘉丁纳太太把上次伊丽莎白
答应过怎样对待韦翰的事,又向伊丽莎白提醒
了一下,并且问起最近的情况如何;伊丽莎白
回信上所说的话,虽然自己颇不满意,可是舅
母听了却很满意。原来他对她显著的好感已经
消失,他对她的殷勤也已经过去──他爱上了
别人了。伊丽莎白很留心地看出了这一切,可
是她虽然看出了这一切,在信上也写到这一切
,却并没有感到什么痛苦,她只不过稍许有些
感触。她想,如果她有些财产,早就成为他唯
一的意中人了──想到这里,她的虚荣心也就
得到了满足。拿他现在所倾倒的那位姑娘来说
,她的最显著的魅力就是使他可以获得一万金
镑的意外巨款;可是伊丽莎白对自己这件事,
也许不如上次对夏绿蒂的事那么看得清楚,因
此并没有因为他追求物质享受而怨怪他。她反
而以为这是再自然不过的事;她也想象到他遗
弃她一定颇费踌躇,可又觉得这对于双方都是
一种既聪明而又理想的办法,并且诚心诚意地
祝他幸福。
All this was acknowledged to Mrs. Gardiner; and after relating the circumstances, she thus went on: -- "I am now convinced, my dear aunt, that I have never been much in love; for had I really experienced that pure and elevating passion, I should at present detest his very name, and wish him all manner of evil. But my feelings are not only cordial towards him; they are even impartial towards Miss King. I cannot find out that I hate her at all, or that I am in the least unwilling to think her a very good sort of girl. There can be no love in all this. My watchfulness has been effectual; and though I should certainly be a more interesting object to all my acquaintance, were I distractedly in love with him, I cannot say that I regret my comparative insignificance. Importance may sometimes be purchased too dearly. Kitty and Lydia take his defection much more to heart than I do. They are young in the ways of the world, and not yet open to the mortifying conviction that handsome young men must have something to live on, as well as the plain."