dearest Jane, in indulging the hope of an event which will
secure the happiness of so many?"
“你为什么这样想法?那一定是他自己的意思
。他自己可以作主。可是你还没有全部知道呢
。我一定要把那特别叫我伤心的一段读给你听
。我对你完全政治性忌讳。‘达西先生急着要
去看看他妹妹;说老实话,我们也差不多同样
热切地希望和她重逢。我以为乔治安娜·达西
无论在容貌方面,举止方面,才艺方面,的确
再也没有人能够比得上。露薏莎和我都大胆地
希望她以后会做我们的嫂嫂,因此我们对她便
越发关切了。我不知道以前有没有跟你提起过
我对这件事的感觉,可是当此离开乡村之际,
我不愿意不把这些感觉说出来,我相信你不会
觉得这是不合理的吧。我的哥哥已经深深地受
上了她,他现在可以时常去看她,他们自会更
加亲密起来;双方的家庭方面都同样盼望这门
亲事能够成功。我想,如果我说,查尔斯最善
于博取任何女人的欢心,这可不能是出于做姐
妹的偏心,瞎说一阵吧。既是各方面都赞成这
段姻缘,而且事情毫无阻碍,那么,最亲爱的
吉英,我衷心希望着这件人人乐意的事能够实
现,你能说我错吗?’”
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"What think you of this sentence, my dear Lizzy?" -- said Jane as she finished it. "Is it not clear enough? -- Does it not expressly declare that Caroline neither expects nor wishes me to be her sister; that she is perfectly convinced of her brother's indifference, and that if she suspects the nature of my feelings for him, she means (most kindly!) to put me on my guard? Can there be any other opinion on the subject?"
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“你觉得这一句怎么样,亲爱的丽萃?”吉英
读完了以后说。“说得还不够清楚吗?这不是
明明白白地表明她们不希望、也不愿意我做她
们的嫂嫂吗?不是说明了她完全相信他的哥哥
对我无所谓吗?而且不也是说明了:假如她怀
疑到我对他有感情,她就要劝我(多亏她这样
好心肠!)当心些吗?这些话还能有别的解释
吗?”
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"Yes, there can; for mine is totally different. -- Will you hear it?"
|
“当然可以有别的解释;我的解释就和你的解
释完全两样。你愿意听一听吗?”
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"Most willingly."
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“非常愿意。”
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"You shall have it in few words. Miss Bingley sees that her brother is in love with you, and wants him to marry Miss Darcy. She follows him to town in the hope of keeping him there, and tries to persuade you that he does not care about you."
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“这只消三言两语就可以说明白。彬格莱小姐
看出他哥哥爱上了你,可是她却希望他和达西
小姐结婚。她跟着他到城里去,就为的是要把
他绊住在那儿,而且竭力想来说服你,叫你相
信他对你没有好感。”
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Jane shook her head.
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吉英摇摇头。
|
"Indeed, Jane, you ought to believe me. -- No one who has ever seen you together, can doubt his affection. Miss Bingley I am sure cannot. She is not such a simpleton. Could she have seen half as much love in Mr. Darcy for herself, she would have ordered her wedding clothes. But the case is this. We are not rich enough, or grand enough for them; and she is the more anxious to get Miss Darcy for her brother, from the notion that when there has been one intermarriage, she may have less trouble in achieving a second; in which there is certainly some ingenuity, and I dare say it would succeed, if Miss de Bourgh were out of the way. But, my dearest Jane, you cannot seriously imagine that because Miss Bingley tells you her brother greatly admires Miss Darcy, he is in the smallest degree less sensible of your merit than when he took leave of you on Tuesday, or that it will be in her power to persuade him that instead of being in love with you, he is very much in love with her friend."
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“吉英,你的确应该相信我。凡是看见过你们
俩在一起的人,都还会怀疑到他的感情。我相
信彬格莱小姐也不会怀疑,她不是那么一个傻
瓜。要是她看到达西先生对她的爱有这样的一
半,她就要办嫁妆了。可是问题是这样的:在
她们家里看来,我们还不够有钱,也不够有势
,她所以急于想把达西小姐配给她哥哥,原来
还有一个打算,那就是说,亲上加亲以后,亲
上再加亲就更省事了。这件事当然很费了一些
心机,我敢说,要不是德·包尔小姐从中作梗
,事情是会成功的。可是最亲爱的吉英,你千
万不要因为彬格莱小姐告诉你说,她哥哥已经
深深地爱上了达西小姐,你就以为彬格莱先生
自从星期二和你分别以来,对你的倾心有丝毫
变卦,也别以为她真有本事叫她哥哥不爱你,
而去爱上她那位女朋友。”
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"If we thought alike of Miss Bingley," replied Jane, "your representation of all this, might make me quite easy. But I know the foundation is unjust. Caroline is incapable of wilfully deceiving any one; and all that I can hope in this case is, that she is deceived herself."
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“假如我对彬格莱小姐看法是一致的,”吉英
回答道,“那么,你的一切想法就会大大地让
我安心了。可是我知道你这种说法很偏心。珈
罗琳不会故意欺骗任何人,我对这件事只能存
一个希望,那就是说,一定是她自己想错了。
”
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"That is right. -- You could not have started a more happy idea, since you will not take comfort in mine. Believe her to be deceived by all means. You have now done your duty by her, and must fret no longer."
|
“这话说得对。我的想法既然不能安慰你,你
自己居然转得出这样的好念头来,那是再好也
没有了,你就相信是她自己想错了吧。现在你
算是对她尽了责任,再也用不着烦恼。”
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"But, my dear sister, can I be happy, even supposing the best, in accepting a man whose sisters and friends are all wishing him to marry elsewhere?"
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“可是,亲爱的妹妹,即使从最好的方面去着
想,我能够给这个人的,而他的姐妹和朋友们
都希望他跟别人结婚,这样我会幸福吗?”
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"You must decide for yourself," said Elizabeth, "and if, upon mature deliberation, you find that the misery of disobliging his two sisters is more than equivalent to the happiness of being his wife, I advise you by all means to refuse him."
|
“那就得看你自己的主张如何,”伊丽莎白说
。“如果你考虑成熟以后,认为得罪了他的姐
妹们所招来的痛苦,比起做他的太太所得来的
幸福还要大,那么,我劝你决计拒绝了他算数
。”
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"How can you talk so?" -- said Jane faintly smiling, -- "You must know that though I should be exceedingly grieved at their disapprobation, I could not hesitate."
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“你怎么说得出这种话?”吉英微微一笑。“
你要知道,即使她们的反对使我万分难受,我
不是还会犹豫的。”
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"I did not think you would; -- and that being the case, I cannot consider your situation with much compassion."
|
“我并没有说你会犹豫;既然如此,我就可以
不必再为你担心了。”
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"But if he returns no more this winter, my choice will never be required. A thousand things may arise in six months!"
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“倘若他今年冬天不回来,我就用不着左思右
想了。六个月里会有多少变动啊。”
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The idea of his returning no more Elizabeth treated with the utmost contempt. It appeared to her merely the suggestion of Caroline's interested wishes, and she could not for a moment suppose that those wishes, however openly or artfully spoken, could influence a young man so totally independent of every one.
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所谓他不会回来,这种想法伊丽莎白大不以为
然。她觉得那不过是咖罗琳一厢情愿。她认为
珈罗琳这种愿望无论是露骨地说出来也罢,委
婉地说出来也罢,对于一个完全无求于人的青
年来说,决不会发生丝毫影响。
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She represented to her sister as forcibly as possible what she felt on the subject, and had soon the pleasure of seeing its happy effect. Jane's temper was not desponding, and she was gradually led to hope, though the diffidence of affection sometimes overcame the hope, that Bingley would return to Netherfield and answer every wish of her heart.
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她把自己对这个问题的感想,解释给她姐姐听
,果然一下子就收到了很好的效果,她觉得非
常高兴。吉英这样的性子,本来不会轻易意志
消沉,从此便渐渐产生了希望认为彬格莱先生
准定会回到尼日斐花园一,使她万事如意,尽
管有时候她还是怀疑多于希望。
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They agreed that Mrs. Bennet should only hear of the departure of the family, without being alarmed on the score of the gentleman's conduct; but even this partialcommunication gave her a great deal of concern, and she bewailed it as exceedingly unlucky that the ladies should happen to go away, just as they were all getting so intimate together. After lamenting it however at some length, she had the consolation of thinking that Mr. Bingley would be soon down again and soon dining at Longbourn, and the conclusion of all was the comfortable declaration that, though he had been invited only to a family dinner, she would take care to have two full courses.
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最后姐妹俩一致主张,这事在班纳特太太面前
不宜多说,只要告诉她一声,这一家人家已经
离开此地,政治性向她说明他走原因;可是班
纳特太太光是听到这片段的消息,已经大感不
安,甚至还哭了起来,埋怨自己运气太坏,两
位贵妇人刚刚跟她处熟就走了。不过伤心了一
阵以后,她又用这样的想法来安慰自己;彬格
莱先生不久就会回来,到浪博恩来吃饭;最后
她心安理得地说,虽然只不过邀他来便饭,她
一定要费些心思,请他吃两道大菜。
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