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文章总共2页
| Chapter 7 (Vol. I, Chap. VII) | 第七章 |
| 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。他因为没有儿子， 产业得由一个远亲来继承，至于她们母亲的家 私，在这样的人家本来也算得上一笔大数目， 事实上却还不够裣他的损失。班纳特太太的父 亲曾经在麦里屯当过律师，给了她四千英镑的 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. | 她有过妹妹，嫁给了她爸爸的书记腓力普，妹 夫接下来就承继了她爸爸的行业；她还有兄弟 ，住在伦敦，生意做得很得法。 |
| 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 militiaregiment in the neighbourhood; it was to remain the whole winter, and Meryton was the head quarters. | 浪博恩这个村子和麦里屯相隔只有一英里路， 这么一段距离对于那几位年轻的小姐们是再便 利不过的了，她们每星期总得上那儿在三四次 ，看看她们的姨母，还可以顺便看看那边一家 卖女人帽子的商店。两个最小的妹妹咖苔琳和 丽迪雅特别倾心于这方面，她们比姐姐们心事 要少得多，每当没有更好的消遣办法时，就必 定到麦里屯走一遭，消遣消遣美好的晨光，并 且晚上也就有了谈助。尽管这村子里通常没有 什么新闻可以打听，她们还老是千方百计地从 她们姨妈那儿打听到一些。附近地方最近开到 了一团民兵，她们的消息来源当然从此就丰富 了，真叫她们高兴非凡。这一团人要在这儿驻 扎整个冬天，麦里屯就是司令部的所在地。 |
| Their visits to Mrs. Philips 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. Philips visited them all, and this opened to his nieces a source 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. | 从此她们每次拜访腓力普太太都获得了最有趣 的消息。她们每天都会打听到几个军官的名字 和他们的社会关系。军官们的住宅不久就让大 家知道了，再后来小姐们就直接跟他们搞熟了 ，腓力普先生一一拜访了那些军官，这真是替 她的姨侄女们开辟了一道意想不到的幸福源泉 。她们现在开口闭口都离不开那些军官。在这 以前，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，如今跟军官们的制服对 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 不过的女孩子。以前我不是半信半疑，现在我 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. | 咖苔琳一听此话，颇感不安，可是并没有回答 。丽迪雅却完全没有把爸爸的话当一回事，还 是接着说下去，说她自己多么爱慕卡特上尉， 还希望当天能够跟他见面，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 any body'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蠢。要是我呀，什 么人的孩子我都可以看不起，可是我决不会看 不起自己的孩子。" |
| "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，我决不愿意没有 自知之明。" |
| "Yes -- but as it happens, they are all of them very clever." | "你说得不错，可是事实上，她们却一个个都 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看法不同。 我本来希望你我在任何方面的意见才能融洽一 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 着两样的见解。" |
| "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都跟她 们爹妈一样的见识呀。等她们到了我们这么大 年纪，她们也许就会跟我们一样，不会再想到 什么军官们了。我刻从前有个时期，我也很喜 爱'红制服'───当然，到现在我心里头还 喜爱'红制服'呢；要是有位漂亮的年轻上校 ，每年有五六千磅的收入，随便向我的哪一个 女儿求婚，我决不会拒绝他的；有天晚上在威 廉爵士家里，看见弗斯脱上校全副军装，真是 一表人材！" |
| "Mama," 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 校跟卡特尔上尉一向上蔚琴小姐家里去的次数 ，不象初来的时候那么勤了；她近来常常看到 他们站在'克拉克借书处'等人。" |
| 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 eagerlycalling out, while her daughter read, | 班纳特太太正要答话，不料一个小厮走了进来 ，拿来一封信给班纳特小姐。这是尼是斐花园 送来的一封信，小厮等着取回信。班纳特太太 高兴得眼睛也闪亮起来。吉英读信的时候，她 心急地叫道： |
| "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." | "嘿，吉英，谁来的信？信上说些什么？是怎 么说的？喂，吉英，赶快看完说给听吧；快点 儿呀，宝宝！" |
| "It is from Miss Bingley," said Jane, and then read it aloud. | "是彬格莱小姐写来的，"吉英说，一面把信 读出来： |
| "My dear Friend, | 我亲爱的的朋友， |
| 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 tete-a-tete between two women can never end without a quarrel. Come as soon as you can on the receipt of this. My brother and the gentlemen are to dine with the officers. Yours ever, | 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。两个女人成天在一块儿谈心，到头来 没有不吵架的。接信后希即尽快前来。我的哥 和他的几位朋友们都要上军官们那儿去吃饭。 你的永远的朋友 |
| CAROLINE BINGLEY." | 珈罗琳·彬格莱 |
| "With the officers!" cried Lydia. "I wonder my aunt did not tell us of that." | "上军官们那儿去吃饭！"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." | "上别人家去吃饭，"班纳特太太说："这真 是晦气。" |
| "Can I have the carriage?" said Jane. | "我可以乘着车子去吗？"吉英部。 |
| "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。天好象要 下雨的样子，下了雨你就可以在那儿过夜。" |
| "That would be a good scheme," said Elizabeth, "if you were sure that they would not offer to send her home." | "这倒是个好办法，"伊丽莎白说。"只要你 拿得准他们不会送她回来。" |
| "Oh! but the gentlemen will have Mr. Bingley's chaise to go to Meryton; and the Hursts have no horses to theirs." | "噢，彬格莱先生的马车要送他的朋友到麦里 屯去，赫斯脱夫妇又是有车无马。" |
| "I had much rather go in the coach." | "我倒还是愿意乘着马车去。" |
| "But, my dear, your father cannot spare the horses, I am sure. They are wanted in the farm, Mr. Bennet, are not they?" | "可是，乖孩子，我包管你爸爸匀不出拖车子 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." |
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