Pride and Prejudice Chapter 7

Chapter 7 
Mr. Bennet’s property consisted almost entirely in an estate of two thousand a year, which, unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed, in default of heirs male, on a distant relation; and their mother’s fortune, though ample for her situation in life, could but ill supply the deficiency of his. Her father had been an attorney in Meryton, and had left her four thousand pounds. 
班纳特先生的全部家当几乎都在一宗产业上，每年可以借此获得两千磅的收入。说起这宗产业，真是他女儿们的不幸。她们母亲的家产，在这样的人家虽然已经够大一笔了，却还不够补他的缺。她父亲从前在麦里屯当过律师，给她留下了四千镑遗产。
She had a sister married to a Mr. Phillips, who had been a clerk to their father and succeeded him in the business, and a brother settled in London in a respectable line of trade.
她有个妹妹，嫁给了她父亲的书记腓力普，他后来就继承了她父亲的产业;她还有兄弟，住在伦敦，生意做得很好。
The village of Longbourn was only one mile from Meryton; a most convenient distance for the young ladies, who were usually tempted thither three or four times a week, to pay their duty to their aunt and to a milliner’s shop just over the way. The two youngest of the family, Catherine and Lydia, were particularly frequent in these attentions; their minds were more vacant than their sisters’, and when nothing better offered, a walk to Meryton was necessary to amuse their morning hours and furnish conversation for the evening; and however bare of news the country in general might be, they always contrived to learn some from their aunt. At present, indeed, they were well supplied both with news and happiness by the recent arrival of a militia regiment in the neighbourhood; it was to remain the whole winter, and Meryton was the headquarters. 
浪搏恩这个村子离麦里屯只有一英里路。年轻的小姐们每星期总得上那儿去三四次，到她们的姨母那儿去看看，再到那边一家卖女人帽的店里去看看，这一段距离再方便不过了。他们家最小的两个女儿凯瑟琳和丽迪雅尤其殷勤周到;她们比姐姐们心里更空虚，要是没有更好的消遣，就必须到麦里屯去散散步，消遣上午的时光，晚上也就有了谈资。不管这乡下一般没有什么新闻，她们还老是千方百计地从她们姨妈那儿打听到一些。附近地区最近开到了一团民兵团，她们的消息来源当然就充足了，高兴之至;他们整个冬天都要驻扎在那里，麦里屯就是司令部。
Their visits to Mrs. Phillips were now productive of the most interesting intelligence. Every day added something to their knowledge of the officers’ names and connections. Their lodgings were not long a secret, and at length they began to know the officers themselves. Mr. Phillips visited them all, and this opened to his nieces a store of felicity unknown before. They could talk of nothing but officers; and Mr. Bingley’s large fortune, the mention of which gave animation to their mother, was worthless in their eyes when opposed to the regimentals of an ensign. 
从此她们每次去拜访腓力普太太，都得到了非常有趣的情报。他们对那些军官的姓名和他们的关系每天都有新的了解。他们的住处不久就成了大家的秘密，后来他们自己也开始了解那些军官了。腓力普先生一一拜访了她们，这给她的侄女们带来了一份前所未有的幸福。他们只谈军官;在这之前，只要提到彬格莱先生的偌大财产，她们的母亲就会眉飞色舞，现在跟军官们的制服对比起来，她们就觉得偌大的财产简直一钱不值了。
After listening one morning to their effusions on this subject, Mr. Bennet coolly observed: 
一天早晨，班纳特先生听到她们滔滔不绝地谈到这个问题，他不禁冷言冷语地说:
“From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two of the silliest girls in the country. I have suspected it some time, but I am now convinced.” 
“看你们谈话的神气，我觉得你们真是些再蠢不过的姑娘。我以前还怀疑过，现在可完全相信了。”
Catherine was disconcerted, and made no answer; but Lydia, with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of Captain Carter, and her hope of seeing him in the course of the day, as he was going the next morning to London. 
凯瑟琳心慌意乱，没有回答;丽迪雅却完全没有把他放在眼里，继续说下去，说她自己多么爱慕卡特上尉，还希望当天能跟他见面，因为他明天上午就要到伦敦去。
“I am astonished, my dear,” said Mrs. Bennet, “that you should be so ready to think your own children silly. If I wished to think slightingly of anybody’s children, it should not be of my own, however.” 
班纳特太太对她丈夫说:“我真奇怪，亲爱的，你总喜欢说你自己的孩子傻。要是我随便什么人的孩子，我可决不会看不起我自己的孩子。”
“If my children are silly, I must hope to be always sensible of it.” 
“要是我自己的孩子果真蠢，我可千万不要自知之明。”
“Yes—but as it happens, they are all of them very clever.” 
“是的，可是事实上，她们一个个都很聪明。”
“This is the only point, I flatter myself, on which we do not agree. I had hoped that our sentiments coincided in every particular, but I must so far differ from you as to think our two youngest daughters uncommonly foolish.” 
“我们两个人总算只有在这一点上意见不同。我本来希望你我在任何方面的意见都能融洽一致，可是说起我们的两个小女儿，的确非常蠢;关于这一点，到目前为止，我不得不跟你抱着两样的看法。”
“My dear Mr. Bennet, you must not expect such girls to have the sense of their father and mother. When they get to our age, I dare say they will not think about officers any more than we do. I remember the time when I liked a red coat myself very well—and, indeed, so I do still at my heart; and if a smart young colonel, with five or six thousand a year, should want one of my girls I shall not say nay to him; and I thought Colonel Forster looked very becoming the other night at Sir William’s in his regimentals.” 
“我的好老爷，你可不能指望这些女孩子都跟她们父母的见识一样呀。我敢说，等她们到了我们这个年纪，她们决不会像我们一样想念军官的。我还记得我自己很喜欢一件红色外套的时候——的确，我现在心里还是这样想的。要是有一个漂亮的年轻上校，每年有五六千磅的收入，向我的哪个女儿求婚，我决不会拒绝他;那天晚上在威廉爵士家里，我觉得弗斯脱上校穿得真过得去。”
“Mamma,” cried Lydia, “my aunt says that Colonel Forster and Captain Carter do not go so often to Miss Watson’s as they did when they first came; she sees them now very often standing in Clarke’s library.” 
“妈妈，”丽迪雅嚷道，“姨妈说，弗斯脱上校跟卡特尔上尉上琴小姐家里去的次数，不象初来的时候那么勤了;她现在常常看见他们站在‘克拉克书房’里。”
Mrs. Bennet was prevented replying by the entrance of the footman with a note for Miss Bennet; it came from Netherfield, and the servant waited for an answer. Mrs. Bennet’s eyes sparkled with pleasure, and she was eagerly calling out, while her daughter read.
班纳特太太正要答话，不料一个仆人走了进来，拿来一封信给班纳特小姐。信是从尼日斐花园寄来的，仆人正在等回信。班纳特太太高兴得眼睛也亮了起来。女儿读信的时候，她心急地叫着。
“Well, Jane, who is it from? What is it about? What does he say? Well, Jane, make haste and tell us; make haste, my love.” 
“喂，简，是谁来的?”是关于什么的?他说了什么?好吧，简，赶快告诉我们;快点，亲爱的。”
“It is from Miss Bingley,” said Jane, and then read it aloud. 
“是彬格莱小姐写来的，”简说，一面把信读出来。
“MY DEAR FRIEND,— 
亲爱的朋友
“If you are not so compassionate as to dine to-day with Louisa and me, we shall be in danger of hating each other for the rest of our lives, for a whole day’s tête-à-tête between two women can never end without a quarrel. Come as soon as you can on receipt of this. My brother and the gentlemen are to dine with the officers.—Yours ever, “CAROLINE BINGLEY” 
“要是你不肯发发慈悲，今天光临舍下跟露薏莎和我一同吃饭，我和她两个人就要结下终生的怨仇了。两个女人成天在一起，没有不吵架的。收到信后请尽快来。我哥和他的几位先生要上军官们那儿去吃饭。-你的“卡罗琳·彬格莱”
“With the officers!” cried Lydia. “I wonder my aunt did not tell us of that.” 
“跟军官一起!”丽迪雅嚷道。“这件事怎么姨妈没告诉我们呢。”
“Dining out,” said Mrs. Bennet, “that is very unlucky.” 
班纳特太太说:“上别人家去吃饭，这真是晦气。”
“Can I have the carriage?” said Jane. 
“我可以坐马车吗?””简说。
“No, my dear, you had better go on horseback, because it seems likely to rain; and then you must stay all night.” 
“不行，亲爱的，你最好骑着马去，天好像要下雨了。然后你必须在那里过夜。”
“That would be a good scheme,” said Elizabeth, “if you were sure that they would not offer to send her home.” 
伊丽莎白说:“这倒是个好办法，只要你拿得准他们不会送她回家。”
“Oh! but the gentlemen will have Mr. Bingley’s chaise to go to Meryton, and the Hursts have no horses to theirs.” 
“哦!不过，彬格莱先生的马车要送他的朋友们到麦里屯去，赫斯脱夫妇又是有车无马。”
“I had much rather go in the coach.” 
“我倒宁愿坐马车去。”
“But, my dear, your father cannot spare the horses, I am sure. They are wanted in the farm, Mr. Bennet, are they not?” 
“可是，乖孩子，我包管你父亲匀不出赶马的马来。农庄上正要马用，我的好老爷，是不是?”
“They are wanted in the farm much oftener than I can get them.” 
“农庄上要它们的时候，我常常得不到。”
“But if you have got them to-day,” said Elizabeth, “my mother’s purpose will be answered.” 
伊丽莎白说:“可是，要是今天到了你手里，就如了妈妈的愿了。”
She did at last extort from her father an acknowledgment that the horses were engaged. Jane was therefore obliged to go on horseback, and her mother attended her to the door with many cheerful prognostics of a bad day. Her hopes were answered; Jane had not been gone long before it rained hard. Her sisters were uneasy for her, but her mother was delighted. The rain continued the whole evening without intermission; Jane certainly could not come back. 
她终于逼得父亲不得不承认马车上已经有约了。于是简只得骑着马去，母亲送她到门口，高高兴兴地说了许多天气会变坏的话。她的希望终于实现了;简走了不久就下起大雨来。姐姐们都替她担心，母亲却很高兴。雨下了整整一个晚上，没有停歇。简当然不会回来了。
“This was a lucky idea of mine, indeed!” said Mrs. Bennet more than once, as if the credit of making it rain were all her own. Till the next morning, however, she was not aware of all the felicity of her contrivance. Breakfast was scarcely over when a servant from Netherfield brought the following note for Elizabeth: 
“MY DEAREST LIZZY,— 
“这真是我的一个好主意!”班纳特太太一遍又一遍地这样说，好象天下雨她一手造成的。不过，她的神机妙算究竟带来了多大幸福，她一直到第二天早晨才知道。早饭还没有吃完，尼日斐花园就打发人送来一封信给伊丽莎白:
“我最亲爱的丽兹,-
“I find myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be imputed to my getting wet through yesterday. My kind friends will not hear of my returning till I am better. They insist also on my seeing Mr. Jones—therefore do not be alarmed if you should hear of his having been to me—and, excepting a sore throat and headache, there is not much the matter with me.—Yours, etc.” 
“今晨我觉得很不舒服，我想这可能是昨天淋了雨的缘故。我的好朋友们要等我身体好些了，才肯让我回来。她们还坚持要我去见琼斯先生——因此，要是你听说他上过我这儿来，可别吃惊——我除了嗓子疼和头痛之外，并没有什么大毛病。简”
“Well, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note aloud, “if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness—if she should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley, and under your orders.” 
伊丽莎白读信的时候，班纳特先生对他太太说:“唔，好太太，要是你的女儿得了重病万一她一病不起倒也值得安慰呀，因为她是奉了你命令去追求彬格莱先生的。”
“Oh! I am not afraid of her dying. People do not die of little trifling colds. She will be taken good care of. As long as she stays there, it is all very well. I would go and see her if I could have the carriage.” 
“哦!我不怕她死。小伤风是不会死的。她会被好好照顾的。只要她呆在那儿，一切都好。如果有车子的话，我也想去看看她。”
Elizabeth, feeling really anxious, was determined to go to her, though the carriage was not to be had; and as she was no horsewoman, walking was her only alternative. She declared her resolution. 
真正焦急的是伊丽莎白，因此决定尽管没有马车，也一定要到她那儿去一趟。由于她不会骑马，走路是她唯一的选择。她宣布了她的决心。
“How can you be so silly,” cried her mother, “as to think of such a thing, in all this dirt! You will not be fit to be seen when you get there.” 
她妈妈叫道:“你怎么这样蠢!路上这么泥泞，亏你想得出来!等你走到那儿，谁也不会见你。”
“I shall be very fit to see Jane—which is all I want.” 
“我可以见到简——我正想见到她呢。”
“Is this a hint to me, Lizzy,” said her father, “to send for the horses?” 
她的父亲说:“丽兹，你的意思是叫我替你弄几匹马来驾马车吗?”
“No, indeed, I do not wish to avoid the walk. The distance is nothing when one has a motive; only three miles. I shall be back by dinner.” 
“不，不是的，我宁愿步行。当一个人有了动机，距离就不算什么了;只有三英里。我将在晚饭前回来。”
“I admire the activity of your benevolence,” observed Mary, “but every impulse of feeling should be guided by reason; and, in my opinion, exertion should always be in proportion to what is required.” 
玛丽说:“你完全是出于一片手足之情，我很佩服，可是你千万不能感情用事，你得有理智一点;而且，依我之见，努力的程度应该和所需要的程度成正比。”
“We will go as far as Meryton with you,” said Catherine and Lydia. Elizabeth accepted their company, and the three young ladies set off together. 
凯瑟琳和丽迪雅说:“我们陪你到麦里屯去。”伊丽莎白接受了她们的陪伴，于是三位年轻的小姐就一块儿出发了。
“If we make haste,” said Lydia, as they walked along, “perhaps we may see something of Captain Carter before he goes.” 
“要是我们赶得快些，”丽迪雅边走边说，“也许我们还来得及赶在卡特尔上尉临走以前看看他。”
In Meryton they parted; the two youngest repaired to the lodgings of one of the officers’ wives, and Elizabeth continued her walk alone, crossing field after field at a quick pace, jumping over stiles and springing over puddles with impatient activity, and finding herself at last within view of the house, with weary ankles, dirty stockings, and a face glowing with the warmth of exercise. 他们在麦里屯分了手;最小的两个跑到一个军官的妻子家里，伊丽莎白继续独个儿往前走，很快地穿过一片又一片田野，还有一张因运动而容光焕发的脸。她急不可耐地跳过了栅栏，跳过了水洼，终于看到了那所房子。
She was shown into the breakfast-parlour, where all but Jane were assembled, and where her appearance created a great deal of surprise. That she should have walked three miles so early in the day, in such dirty weather, and by herself, was almost incredible to Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; and Elizabeth was convinced that they held her in contempt for it. She was received, however, very politely by them; and in their brother’s manners there was something better than politeness; there was good humour and kindness. Mr. Darcy said very little, and Mr. Hurst nothing at all. The former was divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion, and doubt as to the occasion’s justifying her coming so far alone. The latter was thinking only of his breakfast. 
她被领进了起坐间，大家都在那儿，只有简不在，她一出现就引起全场的惊奇。这么一大早，天气这么脏，她就走了三英里路，赫斯脱太太和彬格莱小姐简直觉得她这个人简直不可思议。伊丽莎白相信她们瞧不起她这样做。不过，他们还是很有礼貌地接待了她。他们的兄弟的态度比礼貌还好;有很好的幽默和善良。达西先生话不多，赫斯脱先生一句话也不说。达西一方面爱慕她那运动以后的鲜艳的脸色，另一方面又怀疑她是否值得为了这么一件事独个儿跑到那么远的地方来。赫斯脱先生只想着他的早餐。
Her enquiries after her sister were not very favourably answered. Miss Bennet had slept ill, and though up, was very feverish, and not well enough to leave her room. Elizabeth was glad to be taken to her immediately; and Jane, who had only been withheld by the fear of giving alarm or inconvenience from expressing in her note how much she longed for such a visit, was delighted at her entrance. She was not equal, however, to much conversation, and when Miss Bingley left them together, could attempt little besides expressions of gratitude for the extraordinary kindness she was treated with. Elizabeth silently attended her. 
她问起姐姐的情况，没有得到满意的回答。班纳特小姐昨晚睡不好，虽然已经起床，热度却很高，不能出房门。伊丽莎白很高兴她马上就把她领到她跟前去。简见她来了，心里非常高兴。她写信来，只是怕引起人家的注意，或怕给人家添麻烦，所以没有把盼望她来拜访的心情写下来。不过她没有机会多说话，所以当彬格莱小姐走开以后，只听得她说，彬格莱小姐待她太好了，她实在感激不尽。伊丽莎白默默地陪着她。
When breakfast was over they were joined by the sisters; and Elizabeth began to like them herself, when she saw how much affection and solicitude they showed for Jane. The apothecary came, and having examined his patient, said, as might be supposed, that she had caught a violent cold, and that they must endeavour to get the better of it; advised her to return to bed, and promised her some draughts. The advice was followed readily, for the feverish symptoms increased, and her head ached acutely. Elizabeth did not quit her room for a moment; nor were the other ladies often absent; the gentlemen being out, they had, in fact, nothing to do elsewhere. 
吃过早饭，那对姐妹也来了。伊丽莎白看到这些，相信对简那么亲切和关怀，也就对她们产生了好感。医生来检查了病人的症状，说她是重伤风(其实这也是可想而知的)，他嘱咐她们要尽力好起来。他劝她回去睡觉，并给她开了几口药。医生的建议很快被采纳了，因为她发烧的症状加重了，而且头痛得很厉害。伊丽莎白片刻也没有离开房间;另外两位小姐也不经常缺席;先生们都出去了，事实上，他们在别的地方也无事可做。
When the clock struck three, Elizabeth felt that she must go, and very unwillingly said so. Miss Bingley offered her the carriage, and she only wanted a little pressing to accept it, when Jane testified such concern in parting with her, that Miss Bingley was obliged to convert the offer of the chaise to an invitation to remain at Netherfield for the present. Elizabeth most thankfully consented, and a servant was dispatched to Longbourn to acquaint the family with her stay and bring back a supply of clothes. 
时钟敲了三点，伊丽莎白觉得该走了，便很不情愿地说了一声。彬格莱小姐要她乘着马车走，她正想稍许推辞一下就接受邀请，不料简说是舍不得让她走，彬格莱小姐便不得不改变了请她乘着马车走的邀请，请她在尼日斐花园小住一段时间。伊丽莎白感激万分地答应了。接着就差人上浪搏恩去，把她在这儿暂住的事告诉她家里一声，同时叫她家里给她带些衣服来。