6级-《傲慢与偏见》-第3课

前情提要 

彬格莱先生带着亲友来参加公共舞会，他的朋友达西先生十分傲慢，不想和乡下的女士一起共舞……

故事原文

Pride and Prejudice 3

傲慢与偏见 3

After the dance the Bennet and Bingley families began to visit each other every few days. It became evident(1) that Mr Bingley admired Jane very much, and Elizabeth knew that her sister was close to(2) falling in love with him. She was discussing this with her good friend, Charlotte Lucas, one day. Charlotte was a sensible, intelligent young woman of twenty-seven, the eldest daughter of Sir William and Lady Lucas, who were neighbours of the Bennet family.

舞会过后，班纳特和彬格莱两家每隔几天就互访一次。事情已经很明显，彬格莱十分爱慕简，而且伊丽莎白知道她姐姐也差不多爱上了他。一天，伊丽莎白跟好朋友夏洛特·卢卡斯谈起了这件事。夏洛特聪明而有才智，她27岁，是威廉爵士和卢卡斯夫人的长女，他们是班纳特家的邻居。

'It's a good thing,' said Elizabeth, 'that if Jane is in love with Mr Bingley, nobody will know, because she always behaves so cheerfully and normally.'

“如果简确实爱上了彬格莱，谁都不会知道，”伊丽莎白说，“因为她表现得总是那么快活，那么正常。这是件好事。”

'That's sometimes a mistake,' replied Charlotte, shaking her head wisely. 'If she doesn't show her feelings(3) at all, even to the man she loves, she may lose the opportunity of catching him. Jane should use every moment she gets with Bingley to attract and encourage him.'

“有时候那是个错误，”夏洛特一边明智地摇摇头一边回答说，“如果她一点不表现出自己的感情，甚至对自己所爱的人都如此，那么，她可能会丧失捉住他的机会。简应当利用她和彬格莱相处的每个机会来吸引他，鼓励他。”

'But I consider a man should try to discover a woman's feelings, not wait for her encouragement! And Jane probably doesn't know what her real feelings for Bingley are yet—she has only seen him a few times, not often enough to understand his character, or be sure that she really loves him.'

“可是我认为男人应当努力去发现女人的感情，而不是等待她的鼓励！而且简也许还不知道自己对彬格莱的真正感情是什么——她只见过他几次，还不足够了解他的性格，或者还不敢肯定自己爱他。”

'Well, I wish Jane success with all my heart,' said Charlotte finally, 'but I think she'd have as much chance(4) of happiness if she married him tomorrow, as if she studied his character for a whole year. Happiness in marriage is simply a question of chance. I think it's better to know as little as possible about the person you're going to spend your life with.'

“好吧，我真心希望简获得成功，”夏洛特最后说，“可是我认为，她明天和他结婚与研究他性格一年后再和他结婚同样可能获得幸福。婚姻上的幸福不过是个机遇问题。我想，对于和自己终生为伴的人还是了解得越少越好。”

Elizabeth laughed, sure that Charlotte did not mean what she was saying.

伊丽莎白大笑起来，心里肯定夏洛特想说的不是这个意思。

While observing Mr Bingley's interest in Jane, however, Elizabeth had not noticed Mr Darcy's interest in herself. Although at first he had not even considered her pretty, he now began to realize what a beautiful expression her dark eyes gave to her intelligent face, and what an attractive figure(5) she had. 'Of course, she is only an unfashionable village girl,' he told himself, 'but her conversation is often quite amusing.' Whenever they met, he did not speak to her, but stood near her, listening to her and watching her closely, conscious of a wish to know her better.

可是，伊丽莎白在观察彬格莱先生对简的兴趣时，没有注意到达西先生对她本人的兴趣。虽然达西先生刚开始甚至想都没有想过伊丽莎白很漂亮，可是他现在开始认识到她那双乌黑的眼睛给她那聪慧的面庞增添了多么美的表情。“当然，她不过是一位土里土气的乡村姑娘，”他心里想，“可是她的谈话经常很有意思。”无论何时，他们俩见面时，达西都不和伊丽莎白说话，而是站在她近旁，听她说话，仔细地观察她，心里意识到自己想更多地了解她。

One evening at a party at the Lucases' house, Darcy was standing alone, as usual, away from the other guests, watching the dancing. His host, Sir William, came to speak to him.

一天晚上，在卢卡斯家的舞会上，达西像往常一样独自站着，离别的客人远远的，看着人家跳舞。主人威廉爵士过来跟他说话。

'Mr Darcy! Are you enjoying the dancing, sir? What a delightful entertainment it is!'

“达西先生！您在欣赏舞会吗？多么轻松的娱乐呀！”

Darcy frowned. 'Yes,' he said with cool disdain, 'it's something that any uneducated person can be good at.'

达西皱了皱眉。“是的，”他冷冷地、不屑一顾地说，“跳舞嘛，连粗人都会学好。”

'I'm sure you're good at dancing yourself, sir,' replied Sir William cheerfully. 'Look! Here's Miss Elizabeth Bennet.' She was crossing the room at that moment. 'Let me persuade you to dance with her. You cannot refuse to dance when so much beauty is in front of you.'

“我相信您本人也擅长跳舞，先生，”威廉爵士兴高采烈地回答，“你看，伊丽莎白·班纳特小姐来了。”她当时正在穿过房间。“让我来说服你跟她跳舞。这样的美貌就在眼前，怎么能谢绝不跳呢？”

'Indeed, sir,' replied Elizabeth quickly, in some embarrassment,' I have no intention of dancing(6). You must excuse me.'

“真的，先生，”伊丽莎白迅速回答道，有点儿不好意思，“我不想跳舞，你务必原谅我。”

'Miss Bennet, please allow me the pleasure of dancing with you,' said Mr Darcy politely, holding out his hand.

“班纳特小姐，请允许我跟你跳一曲吧，”达西先生有礼貌地说，同时伸出了手。

But with equal politeness Elizabeth refused again, and turned away. Mr Darcy was watching her walk away, with a slight smile on his face, when Caroline Bingley came up to him.

但伊丽莎白同样有礼貌地又拒绝了，并且转身离去。达西先生脸上带着一丝微笑，正在看着她走开，这时，卡罗琳·彬格莱朝他走来。

'Mr Darcy,' she said, 'I' m sure I know what you' re thinking—how boring all these silly little country people are!'

“达西先生，”她说，“我敢肯定你在想什么——这些愚蠢的小乡巴佬多无聊啊！”

'Not at all, Miss Bingley. In fact, I was just thinking what pleasure a pair of fine eyes can give.'

“根本不是这样，彬格莱小姐。实际上我是在想一双优美的眼睛能给人多少乐趣啊。”

'Really! And who do these fine eyes belong to, may I ask?'

“真的吗！这双优美的眼睛是谁的，我可以问一下吗？”

'Miss Elizabeth Bennet.'

“伊丽莎白·班纳特小姐的。”

'Well! Let me be the first to congratulate you, Mr Darcy! When will the wedding be?'

“好啊！让我来第一个祝贺你，达西先生！婚礼什么时候举行？”

'Ah! That's what I expected you to say. A lady's imagination jumps from admiration, to love, to marriage, in a moment.'

“啊！我知道你要这么说。女人的想象力是跳跃式的，从爱慕到相爱到结婚，一会儿的事。”

'Well, of course, when you're married, you will often have her charming mother and sisters to stay. How delightful for you!' And Miss Bingley, seeing that Darcy remained calm, continued to mock the Bennet family as amusingly as she could.

“那当然啦，结婚以后，你可以经常叫她那迷人的妈妈还有姐妹们去坐坐，那简直愉快极了！”彬格莱小姐看到达西还是那么平静，就继续竭力取笑班纳特一家。

2  Jane's illness

2  简生病了

Mr Bennet had a comfortable income of two thousand a year, and a pleasant house in Longbourn. But, unfortunately for his daughters, after his death all his property would pass to a distant male relation. Mrs Bennet's father had been a lawyer, and had only left his daughter a small amount of money. She had a brother who owned shops in London, and she also had a sister, married to a Mr Philips. He had been her father's clerk, and now carried on his late employer's business.

班纳特先生年收入两千英镑，而且在浪搏恩有一处宜人的宅子，生活堪称小康。可是，令女儿们感到遗憾的是，他死后，所有的财产都要由一位远房的男性亲戚来继承。班纳特夫人的父亲曾做过律师，他只给女儿留下很少一笔钱。班纳特夫人有一个弟弟在伦敦开商店，还有一个妹妹，嫁给了菲力普斯先生。菲力普斯曾做过她父亲的职员，现在继承了已故老板的事业。

Mr and Mrs Philips lived in Meryton, which was only a kilometre or so from the village of Longbourn. It was a most convenient distance for the Bennet girls, who were usually tempted there three or four times a week, to visit their aunt or a dressmaker who lived opposite. The youngest daughters, Kitty and Lydia, were particularly regular visitors. Their minds were more vacant than their sisters', and if no better entertainment was available, a walk to Meryton always provided some amusement, as well as interesting local news from their aunt.

菲力普斯夫妇住在麦里屯，离浪搏恩村只有大约一公里。这个距离对于班纳特家的几位姑娘来说再方便不过了，她们常常禁不住每周上那儿去三四次，去看姨妈或者住在对面专做女式服装的裁缝。最小的两位姑娘，吉蒂和丽迪亚，尤其常去。她们的精神比几个姐姐更空虚，如果没有更好的娱乐方式，到麦里屯走一走总是会给她们带来一些乐趣，她们还会从姨妈那里听到当地一些有趣的新闻。

The latest news, which delighted Kitty and Lydia, was that the regiment which had recently arrived in Meryton was to stay there for the whole winter. The two girls now visited their aunt every day, and as Mr Philips knew all the officers, Kitty and Lydia were soon introduced to them. At home they could talk of nothing but officers and their handsome uniforms: even Mr Bingley's fortune now seemed hardly worth considering.

最新的消息是，最近到达麦里屯的一个兵团要在那里待整整一个冬天。这个消息使得吉蒂和丽迪亚欣喜异常。这两个姑娘现在每天到姨妈家去。菲力普斯先生认识所有的军官，所以很快就把吉蒂和丽迪亚介绍给了他们。在家里，她们可以什么也不谈，只谈军官和他们漂亮的制服，连彬格莱先生的大笔财产似乎也不值一提。

After listening to their praise of the officers one morning, Mr Bennet said coolly, 'From what I can see, you must be two of the silliest girls in the country. I've suspected it for some time, but now I'm convinced.'

一天早上，班纳特先生听了她们对军官的称赞以后冷冷地说：“依我看，你们俩肯定是全英国最傻的女孩。过去，我还一直怀疑这个，现在我彻底相信了。”

Kitty was embarrassed and did not reply, but Lydia, the youngest, continued to express her admiration for a certain Captain Carter, with perfect indifference.

吉蒂感到害臊，没有吱声。可是最小的丽迪亚毫不在意，继续表达她对一个什么卡特尔上尉的爱慕之情。

'I am very surprised, my dear,' said Mrs Bennet, 'that you should be so ready to think your own children silly. As it happens, they are all very clever.'

“我真感到奇怪，亲爱的，”班纳特夫人说，“你为什么总是爱把自己的孩子想得那么傻。巧得很，她们都很聪明。”

'That is the only point, I think, on which we do not agree. I am afraid I must say that I consider our two youngest daughters unusually foolish.'

“我想，只有这一点我们俩意见不一致。恐怕我得说，我们的两个小女儿还不是一般的愚蠢。”

'My dear Mr Bennet, you mustn't expect such young girls to have the common sense of their father or mother. I remember when I used to like a red coat myself, and indeed I still do. If a good-looking officer with five or six thousand a year wanted to marry one of my girls, I wouldn't turn him down. And I thought Colonel Forster looked very handsome last night at Sir William's, in his regimental uniform.'

“我亲爱的班纳特先生，她们还小呢，你不能指望她们有父母一样的见识。我记得自己过去就很喜欢红色的外套，确实，我现在还喜欢。如果哪一位年收入五六千英镑的漂亮军官想娶我们的哪个姑娘，我是不会拒绝他的。我觉得福斯特上校昨天晚上在威廉爵士家身穿兵团制服看起来很英俊。”

Just then a servant entered with a note for Jane, which had come from Netherfield. Mrs Bennet's eyes shone with pleasure and she called out eagerly, while her daughter was reading it, 'Well, Jane, who is it from? What does he say? Tell us, tell us quickly, my love! '

这时，一位仆人拿着给简的一张便条走了进来，便条是从尼日斐送来的。班纳特太太喜出望外，眼睛为之一亮，女儿还没看完，她就急切地叫道：“哎呀，简，是谁来的？上面写的什么？告诉我们，快告诉我们，我的乖！”

（原文中出现高光标示内容请见核心语言点）

核心语言点

1. evident 清楚的，明白的，显而易见的

例句：

His footprints were evident in the heavy dust.

厚厚的尘土中，他的脚印清晰可见。

Her interest in history is evident.

她对历史的兴趣显而易见。

2. be close to 接近于，差不多

同义表达：almost

例句：

It's close to the showtime. You should go to change now.

开演时间快到了，你现在得去换衣服了。

3. feeling 感情（多用作复数形式）

例句：

I am so sorry that I hurt your feelings.

很抱歉我伤害了你的感情。

4. chance 机会；几率，概率，可能性

例句：

Is there any chance of getting tickets for tonight?

有可能弄到今晚的票吗？

5. figure 身材，体型（the shape of the human body）

例句：

She's got a beautiful figure.

她的身材很好。

6. have no intention of doing sth. 无意做某事

例句：

I had no intention of offending them.

我无意冒犯他们。