"WILLIAM COLLINS"
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十月十五日写于威斯特汉附近的肯特郡汉斯福
村
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"At four o'clock, therefore, we may expect this peace-making gentleman," said Mr. Bennet, as he folded up the letter. "He seems to be a most conscientious and polite young man, upon my word, and I doubt not will prove a valuable acquaintance, especially if Lady Catherine should be so indulgent as to let him come to us again."
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“那么,四点钟的时候,这位息事宁人的先生
就要来啦,”班纳特先生一边把信折好,一边
说。“他倒是个很有良心、很有礼貌的青年,
一定是的;我相信他一定会成为一个值得器重
的朋友,只要咖苔琳夫人能够开开恩,让他以
后再上我们这儿来,那更好啦。”
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"There is some sense in what he says about the girls, however, and if he is disposed to make them any amends, I shall not be the person to discourage him."
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“他讲到我们女儿们的那几句话,倒还说得不
错;要是他果真打算设法补偿,我倒不反对。
”
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"Though it is difficult," said Jane, "to guess in what way he can mean to make us the atonement he thinks our due, the wish is certainly to his credit."
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吉英说:“他说要给我们补偿,我们虽然猜不
出他究竟是什么意思,可是他这一片好意也的
确难得。”
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Elizabeth was chiefly struck by his extraordinary deference for Lady Catherine, and his kind intention of christening, marrying, and burying his parishioners whenever it were required.
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伊丽莎白听到他对咖苔琳夫人尊敬得那么出奇
,而且他竟那么好心好意,随时替他自己教区
里的居民行洗礼,主持婚礼和丧礼,不觉大为
吃惊。
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"He must be an oddity, I think," said she. "I cannot make him out.--There is something very pompous in his style.--And what can he mean by apologising for being next in the entail?--We cannot suppose he would help it if he could.--Could he be a sensible man, sir?"
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“我看他一定是个古怪人,”她说。“我真弄
不懂他。他的文笔似乎有些浮夸。他所谓因为
继承了我们的产权而感到万分抱歉,这话是什
么意思呢?即使这件事可以取消,我们也不要
以为他就肯取消,他是个头脑清楚的人吗,爸
爸?”
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"No, my dear, I think not. I have great hopes of finding him quite the reverse. There is a mixture of servility and self-importance in his letter, which promises well. I am impatient to see him."
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“不,宝贝,我想他不会是的。我完全认为他
是恰恰相反。从他信里那种既谦卑又自大的口
气上就可以看得出来。我倒真想见见他。”
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"In point of composition," said Mary, "the letter does not seem defective. The idea of the olive-branch perhaps is not wholly new, yet I think it is well expressed."
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曼丽说:“就文章而论,他的信倒好象写得没
有什么毛病。橄榄枝这种说法虽然并不新颖,
可是我觉得用得倒很恰当。”
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To Catherine and Lydia, neither the letter nor its writer were in any degree interesting. It was next to impossible that their cousin should come in a scarlet coat, and it was now some weeks since they had received pleasure from the society of a man in any other colour. As for their mother, Mr. Collins's letter had done away much of her ill-will, and she was preparing to see him with a degree of composure which astonished her husband and daughters.
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在咖苔琳和丽迪雅看来,无论是那封信也好,
写信的人也好,都没有一点儿意思。反正她们
觉得她们的表兄绝不会穿着“红制服”来,而
这几个星期以来,穿其他任何颜色的衣服的人
,她们都不乐意结交。至于她们的母亲,原来
的一般怨气已经被柯林斯先生一封信打消了不
少,她倒准备相当平心静气地会见他,这使得
她的丈夫和女儿们都觉得非常奇怪。
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Mr. Collins was punctual to his time, and was received with great politeness by the whole family. Mr. Bennet indeed said little; but the ladies were ready enough to talk, and Mr. Collins seemed neither in need of encouragement, nor inclined to be silent himself. He was a tall, heavy-looking young man of five-and-twenty. His air was grave and stately, and his manners were very formal. He had not been long seated before he complimented Mrs. Bennet on having so fine a family of daughters; said he had heard much of their beauty, but that in this instance fame had fallen short of the truth; and added, that he did not doubt her seeing them all in due time disposed of in marriage. This gallantry was not much to the taste of some of his hearers; but Mrs. Bennet, who quarreled with no compliments, answered most readily.
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柯林斯先生准时来了,全家都非常客气地接待
他,班纳特先生简直没有说什么话;可是太太
和几位小姐都十分愿意畅谈一下,而柯林斯先
生本人好象既不需要人家鼓励他多说话,也不
打算不说话。他是个二十五岁的青年,高高的
个儿,望上去很肥胖,他的气派端庄而堂皇,
又很拘泥礼节。他刚一坐下来就恭维班纳特太
太福气好,养了这么多好女儿,他说,早就听
到人们对她们美貌赞扬备至,今天一见面,才
知道她们的美貌远远超过了她们的名声;他又
说,他相信小姐们到时候都会结下美满良缘。
他这些奉承话,人家真不大爱听,只有班纳特
太太,没有哪句恭维话听不下去,于是极其干
脆地回答道:
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"You are very kind, I am sure; and I wish with all my heart it may prove so, for else they will be destitute enough. Things are settled so oddly."
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“我相信你是个好心肠的人,先生;我一心希
望能如你的金口,否则她们就不堪设想了。事
情实在摆布得太古怪啦。”
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"You allude, perhaps, to the entail of this estate."
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“你大概是说产业的继承权问题吧。”
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"Ah! sir, I do indeed. It is a grievous affair to my poor girls, you must confess. Not that I mean to find fault with you, for such things I know are all chance in this world. There is no knowing how estates will go when once they come to be entailed."
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“唉,先生,我的确是说到这方面。你得承认
,这对于我可怜的女儿们真是件不幸的事。我
并不想怪你,因为我也知道,世界上这一类的
事完全靠命运。一个人的产业一旦要限定继承
人,那你就无从知道它会落到谁的手里去。”
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"I am very sensible, madam, of the hardship to my fair cousins, and could say much on the subject, but that I am cautious of appearing forward and precipitate. But I can assure the young ladies that I come prepared to admire them. At present I will not say more; but, perhaps, when we are better acquainted--"
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“太太,我深深知道,这件事苦了表妹们,我
在这个问题上有很多意见,一时却不敢莽撞冒
失。可是我可以向年轻的小姐们保证,我上这
儿来,就是为了要向她们表示我的敬慕。目前
我也不打算多说,或许等到将来我们相处得更
熟一些的时候──”
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He was interrupted by a summons to dinner; and the girls smiled on each other. They were not the only objects of Mr. Collins's admiration. The hall, the dining-room, and all its furniture, were examined and praised; and his commendation of everything would have touched Mrs. Bennet's heart, but for the mortifying supposition of his viewing it all as his own future property. The dinner too in its turn was highly admired; and he begged to know to which of his fair cousins the excellency of its cooking was owing. But he was set right there by Mrs. Bennet, who assured him with some asperity that they were very well able to keep a good cook, and that her daughters had nothing to do in the kitchen. He begged pardon for having displeased her. In a softened tone she declared herself not at all offended; but he continued to apologise for about a quarter of an hour.
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主人家请他吃午饭了,于是他的话不得不被打
断。小姐们彼此相视而笑。柯林斯先生所爱慕
的才不光光是她们呢。他把客厅、饭厅、以及
屋子里所有的家具,都仔细看了一遍,赞美了
一番。班纳特太太本当听到他赞美一句,心里
就得意一阵,怎奈她也想到,他原来是把这些
东西都看作他自己未来的财产,因此她又非常
难受。连一顿午饭也蒙他称赏不置,他请求主
人告诉他,究竟是哪位表妹烧得这一手好菜。
班纳特太太听到他这句话,不禁把他指责了一
番。她相当不客气地跟他说,她们家里现在还
雇得起一个象样的厨子,根本用不到女儿们过
问厨房里的事。他请求她原谅,不要见怪。于
是她用柔和的声调说,她根本没有怪他,可是
他却接接连连地道歉了一刻钟之久。
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