你一定会喜欢她的。她为人极其谦和,丝毫没
有架子,我相信那天做完礼拜之后,你就会很
荣幸地受到她的注目。我可以毫无犹豫地说,
只要你待在这儿,每逢她赏脸请我们作客的时
候,总少不了要请你和我的小姨子玛丽亚。她
对待我亲爱的夏绿蒂真是好极了。我们每星期
去罗新斯吃两次饭,她老人家从来没有哪一次
让我们步行回家,总是打发自己的马车送我们
──我应该说,是打发她老人家的某一部马车
,因为她有好几部车子呢。”
"Lady Catherine is a very respectable, sensible woman indeed," added Charlotte, "and a most attentive neighbour."
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夏绿蒂又说:“咖苔琳夫人的确是个道貌岸然
、通达情理的女人,而且是位极其殷勤的邻居
。”
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"Very true, my dear, that is exactly what I say. She is the sort of woman whom one cannot regard with too much deference."
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“说得很对,亲爱的,你真说到我心上去了。
象她这样一位夫人,你无论对她怎样尊敬,依
旧会感到有些欠缺。”
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The evening was spent chiefly in talking over Hertfordshire news, and telling again what had been already written; and when it closed, Elizabeth, in the solitude of her chamber, had to meditate upon Charlotte's degree of contentment, to understand her address in guiding, and composure in bearing with her husband, and to acknowledge that it was all done very well. She had also to anticipate how her visit would pass, the quiet tenor of their usual employments, the vexatious interruptions of Mr. Collins, and the gaieties of their intercourse with Rosings. A livelyimagination soon settled it all.
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这一晚主要就谈论哈福德郡的新闻,又把以前
信上所说的话重新再提一遍。大家散了以后,
伊丽莎白孤单单地在房间里,不由得默默想起
了夏绿蒂对于现状究竟满意到什么程度,驾御
丈夫的手腕巧妙到什么程度,容忍丈夫的肚量
又大到什么程度。她不由得承认,一切都安排
得非常好。她又去想象着这次作客的时间将如
何度过,无非是:平淡安静的日常起居,柯林
斯先生那种惹人讨厌的插嘴打贫,再加上跟罗
新斯的酬酢来往等。她那丰富的想象力马上解
决了整个问题。
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About the middle of the next day, as she was in her room getting ready for a walk, a sudden noise below seemed to speak the whole house in confusion; and after listening a moment, she heard somebody running up stairs in a violent hurry, and calling loudly after her. She opened the door, and met Maria in the landing place, who, breathless with agitation, cried out,
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大约在第二天响午的时候,她正在房间里准备
出去散散步,忽听得楼下一阵喧哗,马上这整
个住宅里的人好象都慌乱了起来;一会儿工夫
,只听得有人急急忙忙奔上楼来,大声叫她。
她开了门,在楼梯口遇见了玛丽亚,只见她激
动得气都喘不过来,嚷道:
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"Oh, my dear Eliza! pray make haste and come into the dining-room, for there is such a sight to be seen! I will not tell you what it is. Make haste, and come down this moment."
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“噢,亲爱的伊丽莎呀,请你赶快到餐室里去
,那儿有了不起的场面值得看呢!我可不告诉
你是怎么回事。赶快呀,马上下楼来。”
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Elizabeth asked questions in vain; Maria would tell her nothing more, and down they ran into the dining-room, which fronted the lane, in quest of this wonder; it was two ladies stopping in a low phaeton at the garden gate.
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伊丽莎白一遍遍问,也问不出一个究竟来;玛
丽亚多一句也不肯跟她说;于是她们俩便奔进
那间面临着大路的餐室,去探奇寻胜。原来来
了两位女客,乘着一辆低低的四轮马车,停在
花园门口。
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"And is this all?" cried Elizabeth. "I expected at least that the pigs were got into the garden, and here is nothing but Lady Catherine and her daughter!"
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伊丽莎白连忙嚷道:“就是这么回事吗?我还
以为是猪猡闯进了花园呢,原来只不过是咖苔
琳夫人母女俩。”
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"La! my dear," said Maria quite shocked at the mistake, "it is not Lady Catherine. The old lady is Mrs. Jenkinson, who lives with them. The other is Miss De Bourgh. Only look at her. She is quite a little creature. Who would have thought she could be so thin and small!"
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玛丽亚听她说错了,不禁大吃一惊:“噍你,
亲爱的,那不是咖苔琳夫人。那位老夫人是姜
金生太太,她跟她们住在一起的;另外一位是
德·包尔小姐。你且瞧瞧她那副模样儿吧。她
真是个非常纤小的人儿。谁会想到她会这么单
薄,这么小!”
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"She is abominably rude to keep Charlotte out of doors in all this wind. Why does she not come in?"
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“她真是太没有礼貌,风这样大,却让夏绿蒂
待在门外。她为什么不进来?”
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"Oh! Charlotte says, she hardly ever does. It is the greatest of favours when Miss De Bourgh comes in."
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“噢,夏绿蒂说,她真难得进来。德·包尔小
姐要是进来一次,那可真是天大的面子。”
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"I like her appearance," said Elizabeth, struck with other ideas. "She looks sickly and cross. -- Yes, she will do for him very well. She will make him a very proper wife."
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“她那副模样儿真够人瞧的,”伊丽莎白一面
说,一面又突然起了别的种种念头。“她看上
去身体不好,脾气又坏。她配他真是再好不过
呢。她做他的太太极其相称。”
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Mr. Collins and Charlotte were both standing at the gate in conversation with the ladies; and Sir William, to Elizabeth's high diversion, was stationed in the doorway, in earnest contemplation of the greatness before him, and constantly bowing whenever Miss De Bourgh looked that way.
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柯林斯先生和夏绿蒂都站在门口跟那位女客谈
话。伊丽莎白觉得最好笑的是,威廉爵士正必
恭必敬地站在门口,虔诚地瞻仰着面前的蔚然
大观,每当德·包尔小姐朝着他这边望的时候
,他总是一鞠躬。
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At length there was nothing more to be said; the ladies drove on, and the others returned into the house. Mr. Collins no sooner saw the two girls than he began to congratulate them on their good fortune, which Charlotte explained by letting them know that the whole party was asked to dine at Rosings the next day.
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后来他们的话全说完了,两位女客驱车而去,
别人都回到屋里。柯林斯一看到两位小姐,就
恭贺她们走了鸿运;夏绿蒂把他的意思解释给
她们听,原来罗新斯明天又要请他们全体去吃
饭了。
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