to Colonel Fitzwilliam, "Your cousin will give you a very
pretty notion of me, and teach you not to believe a word I say.
I am particularly
unlucky in meeting with a person so well able
to
expose my real character, in a part of the world where I had
hoped to pass myself off with some degree of credit. Indeed,
Mr. Darcy, it is very ungenerous in you to mention all that you
knew to my
disadvantage in Hertfordshire -- and, give me leave
to say, very impolitic too -- for it is provoking me to
retaliate, and such things may come out, as will shock your
relations to hear."
伊丽莎白听到人家这样形容她,便高兴地笑了
起来,于是对费茨廉说道:“你表兄竟在你面
前把我说成一个多糟糕的人教你对我的话一句
也不要相信。我真晦气,我本来想在这里骟骗
人,叫人相信我多少有些长处,偏偏碰上了一
个看得穿我真正性格的人。──真的,达西先
生,你把我在哈福德郡的一些倒霉的事儿都一
股脑儿说了出来,你这是不厚道的──而且,
请允许我冒昧说一句,你这也是不聪明的──
因为你这样做,会引起我的报复心,我也会说
出一些事来,叫你的亲戚们听了吓一跳。”
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"I am not afraid of you," said he, smilingly.
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“我才不怕你呢,”他微笑持说。
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"Pray let me hear what you have to accuse him of," cried Colonel Fitzwilliam. "I should like to know how he behaves among strangers."
|
费茨威廉连忙叫道:“我倒要请你说说看,他
有什么不是。我很想街道他跟陌生人一起的时
候,行为怎么样。”
|
"You shall hear then -- but prepare yourself for something very dreadful. The first time of my ever seeing him in Hertfordshire, you must know, was at a ball -- and at this ball, what do you think he did? He danced only four dances! I am sorry to pain you -- but so it was. He danced only four dances, though gentlemen were scarce; and, to my certain knowledge, more than one young lady was sitting down in want of a partner. Mr. Darcy, you cannot deny the fact."
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“那么我就讲给你听吧;我先得请你不要骇怕
。你得明白,我第一次在哈福德郡看见他,是
在一个舞会上,你知道他在这个跳舞会上做些
什么?他一共只跳了四次舞!我不愿意叫你听
了难受,不过事实确是这样。虽说男客很少,
他却只跳了四次,而且我知道得很清楚,当时
在场的女客中间,没有舞伴而闲坐在一旁的可
不止一个人呢──达西先生,你可不能否认有
这件事哟。”
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"I had not at that time the honour of knowing any lady in the assembly beyond my own party."
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“说来遗憾,当时舞场上除了我自己人以外,
一个女客也不认识。”
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"True; and nobody can ever be introduced in a ball room. Well, Colonel Fitzwilliam, what do I play next? My fingers wait your orders."
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“不错;跳舞场里是不作兴请人家介绍女朋友
的。──唔,费茨威廉上校,再叫我弹什么呢
?我的手指在等着你吩咐。”
|
"Perhaps," said Darcy, "I should have judged better, had I sought an introduction, but I am ill qualified to recommend myself to strangers."
|
达西说:“也许我当时最好请人介绍一下,可
是我又不配去向陌生人自我推荐。”
|
"Shall we ask your cousin the reason of this?" said Elizabeth, still addressing Colonel Fitzwilliam. "Shall we ask him why a man of sense and education, and who has lived in the world, is ill qualified to recommend himself to strangers?"
|
“我们要不要问问你的表兄,这究竟是什么缘
故?”伊丽莎白仍然对着费茨威廉上校说话。
“我们要不要问问他,一个有见识、有阅历、
而又受过教育的人,为什么不配把自己介绍给
陌生人?”
|
"I can answer your question," said Fitzwilliam, "without applying to him. It is because he will not give himself the trouble."
|
费茨威廉说:“我可以回答你的问题,用不着
请教他。那是因为他自己怕麻烦。”
|
"I certainly have not the talent which some people possess," said Darcy, "of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done."
|
达西说:“我的确不象人家那样有本领,遇到
向来不认识的人也能任情谈笑。我也不会象人
家那样随声附和,假意关切。”
|
"My fingers," said Elizabeth, "do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women's do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault -- because I would not take the trouble of practising. It is not that I do not believe my fingers as capable as any other woman's of superior execution."
|
伊丽莎白说:“我谈起钢琴来,手指不象许多
妇女那么有气派,也不象她们那么有力和灵活
,也没有她们弹得那么有表情。我一直认为这
是我自己的缺点,是我自己不肯用功练习的缘
故。我可不信我的手指不及那些比我弹奏得高
明的女人。”
|
Darcy smiled, and said, "You are perfectly right. You have employed your time much better. No one admitted to the privilege of hearing you, can think any thing wanting. We neither of us perform to strangers."
|
达西笑了笑说:“你说得完全对。可见你的成
绩要她得多。凡是有福份听过你演奏的人,都
觉得你毫无欠缺的地方。我们两人可就不愿意
在陌生人面前表演。”
|
Here they were interrupted by Lady Catherine, who called out to know what they were talking of. Elizabeth immediately began playing again. Lady Catherine approached, and, after listening for a few minutes, said to Darcy,
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说到这里,咖苔琳夫人大声地问他们谈些什么
,打断了他们的话。伊丽莎白立刻重新弹起琴
来。咖苔琳夫人走近前来,听了几分钟以后,
就对达西说:
|
"Miss Bennet would not play at all amiss, if she practised more, and could have the advantage of a London master. She has a very good notion of fingering, though her taste is not equal to Anne's. Anne would have been a delightful performer, had her health allowed her to learn."
|
“班纳特小姐如果再多练习练习,能够请一位
伦敦名师指点指点,弹起来就不会有毛,病了
。虽说她的趣味比不上安妮,可是她很懂得指
法。安妮要是身体好,能够学习的话,一定会
成为一位令人满意的演奏者。”
|
Elizabeth looked at Darcy to see how cordially he assented to his cousin's praise; but neither at that moment nor at any other could she discern any symptom of love; and from the whole of his behaviour to Miss De Bourgh she derived this comfort for Miss Bingley, that he might have been just as likely to marry her, had she been his relation.
|
伊丽莎白望着达西,要看看他听了夫人对他表
妹的这番夸奖,是不是竭诚表示赞同,可是当
场和事后都看不出他对她有一丝一毫爱的迹象
、从他对待德·包尔小姐的整个态度看来,她
不禁替彬格莱小姐感到安慰:要是彬格莱小姐
跟达西是亲戚的话,达西一定也会跟她结婚。
|
Lady Catherine continued her remarks on Elizabeth's performance, mixing with them many instructions on execution and taste. Elizabeth received them with all the forbearance of civility; and at the request of the gentlemen, remained at the instrument till her ladyship's carriage was ready to take them all home.
|
咖苔琳夫人继续对伊丽莎白的演奏发表意见,
还给了她许多关于演奏和鉴赏方面的指示。伊
丽莎白只得极有忍耐地虚心领教。她听从了丙
位男客的要求,一直坐在钢琴旁边,弹到夫人
备她了马车送他们大家回家。
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