Pride and Prejudice Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister just how very much she admired him. 

简本来并不轻易赞扬彬格莱先生，可是当她和伊丽莎白两个人在一起的时候，她就向她的姐姐倾诉自己多么爱慕他。

“He is just what a young man ought to be,” said she, “sensible, good-humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners!—so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!” 

“他真是一个典型的好青年，”她说，“有见识，有趣味，人又活泼;我从来没有见过这样令人愉快的举止!——那么大方，又有十全十美的教养!”

“He is also handsome,” replied Elizabeth, “which a young man ought likewise to be, if he possibly can. His character is thereby complete.” 

“他也长得很漂亮，”伊丽莎白回答道，“一个年轻人也应该这样，如果他可能的话。因此他的品格是完满的。”

“I was very much flattered by his asking me to dance a second time. I did not expect such a compliment.” 

“他第二次又来请我跳舞，我真高兴死了。我真没想到你会这样恭维我。”

“Did not you? I did for you. But that is one great difference between us. Compliments always take you by surprise, and me never. What could be more natural than his asking you again? He could not help seeing that you were about five times as pretty as every other woman in the room. No thanks to his gallantry for that. Well, he certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person.” 

“不像你?我不是你。但这是我们之间的一个巨大差异。人家恭维你总是出其不意，我从来不会。他第二次邀请你，这是再自然不过的事了。他不由地发现，你比屋子里其他的女人都要漂亮五倍。不用谢他的殷勤。唔，他的确很和蔼可亲，我也不反对你喜欢他。你还喜欢过许多愚蠢的人呢。”

“Dear Lizzy!”

 亲爱丽兹

“Oh! you are a great deal too apt, you know, to like people in general. You never see a fault in anybody. All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in your life.” 

“哦!你知道，一般说来，你总是太容易产生好感的。你永远看不到别人的缺点。在你眼里天下都是好人，都讨你喜欢。我生平从来没听见你说人家的坏话。”

“I would not wish to be hasty in censuring anyone; but I always speak what I think.” 

“我不愿意轻易责难一个人;但我总是想到什么就说什么。”

“I know you do; and it is that which makes the wonder. With your good sense, to be so honestly blind to the follies and nonsense of others! Affectation of candour is common enough—one meets with it everywhere. But to be candid without ostentation or design—to take the good of everybody’s character and make it still better, and say nothing of the bad— belongs to you alone. And so you like this man’s sisters, too, do you? Their manners are not equal to his.” 

“我知道你是这样的;这就是奇迹的所在。你这么聪明，竟会这样诚实，看不出别人的愚蠢和无聊!矫揉造作的坦率是很常见的，到处都可以见到。但是，不做作也不刻意地坦诚相待——把每个人性格中的优点加以改进，把缺点说得更少——只属于你一个人。所以你也喜欢这个人的姐妹，是吗?她们的风度可比不上他。”

“Certainly not—at first. But they are very pleasing women when you converse with them. Miss Bingley is to live with her brother, and keep his house; and I am much mistaken if we shall not find a very charming neighbour in her.” 

“当然不是。不过跟她们攀谈起来，你就会发现她们都是些讨人喜欢的女人。彬格莱小姐将要跟她哥哥住在一起，替他料理家务;她要不是个好邻居，那才怪呢。”

Elizabeth listened in silence, but was not convinced; their behaviour at the assembly had not been calculated to please in general; and with more quickness of observation and less pliancy of temper than her sister, and with a judgement too unassailed by any attention to herself, she was very little disposed to approve them. They were in fact very fine ladies; not deficient in good humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of making themselves agreeable when they chose it, but proud and conceited. They were rather handsome, had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, were in the habit of spending more than they ought, and of associating with people of rank, and were therefore in every respect entitled to think well of themselves, and meanly of others. They were of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother’s fortune and their own had been acquired by trade. 

伊丽莎白一声不响地听着，可是心里并不十分信服。她们在跳舞会上的那种举止，并不是有意要讨一般人的喜欢;她的观察力比她姐姐来得敏锐，她的脾气没有她姐姐那么好惹，说到这个问题，只要人家从她自己的角度考虑，她就决不会赞成她们。她们都是些非常好的小姐;她们并不是缺乏幽默感，是在高兴的时候;她们也不是缺乏使人和颜悦色的能力，是在高兴的时候;她们只不过是骄傲自大。他们相当英俊,在镇上的第一个私人神学院接受教育,有一个二万英镑的财富,比他们应该花更多的习惯,关联与人的地位,并因此在各方面有权认为自己,和别人的卑贱地。他们出身于英格兰北部一个有名望的家庭。他们对这件事的印象比他们兄弟的财产和他们自己的财产都是靠买卖得来的更为深刻。

Mr. Bingley inherited property to the amount of nearly a hundred thousand pounds from his father, who had intended to purchase an estate, but did not live to do it. Mr. Bingley intended it likewise, and sometimes made choice of his county; but as he was now provided with a good house and the liberty of a manor, it was doubtful to many of those who best knew the easiness of his temper, whether he might not spend the remainder of his days at Netherfield, and leave the next generation to purchase. 

彬格莱先生从他父亲那里只承继了一笔将近十万镑的遗产。他父亲生前本来打算购置些田产，可惜没有如愿以偿。彬格莱先生也有同样的打算，而且有时候就选定在他自己家乡。不过他现在既然有了一幢很好的房子，而且有庄园自由使用，所以凡是了解他性格的人都说，象他这样一个随意性好的人，下半辈子恐怕就在尼日斐花园度过，购置田产的事又要留给下一代去做了。

His sisters were anxious for his having an estate of his own; but, though he was now only established as a tenant, Miss Bingley was by no means unwilling to preside at his table—nor was Mrs. Hurst, who had married a man of more fashion than fortune, less disposed to consider his house as her home when it suited her. Mr. Bingley had not been of age two years, when he was tempted by an accidental recommendation to look at Netherfield House. He did look at it, and into it for half-an-hour—was pleased with the situation and the principal rooms, satisfied with what the owner said in its praise, and took it immediately. 

他的姐妹们反而替他着急，盼望他自己拥有产业;不过，虽然他现在刚刚在这儿租了个房子，彬格莱小姐还是非常愿意替他掌管家务，再说那位嫁了个虽身属名流却不很有钱的赫斯脱太太，每逢上了达西先生的房子，也还是象在自己家里一样。彬格莱先生成年还不满两年的时候，偶然被人家推荐到尼日斐花园去看看。他看了半小时，室内环境和几间主要的房间都很满意，房子主人又把它赞不绝口，他也很满意，于是就把它租了下来。

Between him and Darcy there was a very steady friendship, in spite of great opposition of character. Bingley was endeared to Darcy by the easiness, openness, and ductility of his temper, though no disposition could offer a greater contrast to his own, and though with his own he never appeared dissatisfied. On the strength of Darcy’s regard, Bingley had the firmest reliance, and of his judgement the highest opinion. In understanding, Darcy was the superior. Bingley was by no means deficient, but Darcy was clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well-bred, were not inviting. In that respect his friend had greatly the advantage. Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared, Darcy was continually giving offense. 

他和达西虽然性格大不相同，但友谊却始终如一。达西所以喜欢彬格莱，是因为彬格莱为人温柔敦厚、坦白直露，虽然个性上和他自己完全相反，而他自己也从来不曾觉得自己的个性有什么不满意的地方。达西器重彬格莱，因此彬格莱对他极其信任，对他的见解也推崇备至。在理解力方面，达西比他强。彬格莱倒不是不够聪明，达西倒是聪明。达西为人傲慢、含蓄、爱挑剔，他虽然受过良好的教养，可是他的风度总不讨人喜爱。在这方面，他的朋友有很大的优势。彬格莱不管走到哪里，一定会惹人喜爱，而达西却老是惹人家生气。

The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently characteristic. Bingley had never met with more pleasant people or prettier girls in his life; everybody had been most kind and attentive to him; there had been no formality, no stiffness; he had soon felt acquainted with all the room; and, as to Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful. Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and from none received either attention or pleasure. Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much. 

他们谈起麦里屯的集会，那副神气就足以说明他们的特点。彬格莱说，他生平从来没有遇到过这么和蔼的人，也没有遇到过这么漂亮的姑娘;这儿每个人对他都极其和善，极其殷勤;没有拘谨，没有僵硬;他一下子就觉得和全场的人都相处得很熟;说到班纳特小姐，他想象不出还有一个比她更美丽的天使。达西才相反，他所看到的这些人既谈不上美，又谈不上风度，没有一个人使他感兴趣，也没有一个人向他献殷勤，讨他的欢心。他承认班纳特小姐很漂亮，可是她笑得太多了。

Mrs. Hurst and her sister allowed it to be so—but still they admired her and liked her, and pronounced her to be a sweet girl, and one whom they would not object to know more of. Miss Bennet was therefore established as a sweet girl, and their brother felt authorized by such commendation to think of her as he chose. 

赫斯脱太太和她妹妹虽然有这种看法，可是她们还是很欣赏她，很喜欢她，说她是个可爱的姑娘，她们愿意同她多来往。班纳特小姐就这样成了一个甜姐儿，她们的兄弟听到了这番赞扬，便觉得可以爱怎么想她就怎么想她了。