long ago attributed to him, of their becoming
hereafter her
own. He had certainly formed such a plan, and without meaning
that it should
affect his
endeavour to separate him from Miss
Bennet, it is
probable that it might add something to his
lively concern for the
welfare of his friend.
她只是不敢当着达西的面明目张胆地提起韦翰
的名字,可是伊丽莎白立刻懂得她指的就是那
个人,因此不禁想起过去跟他的一些来往,一
时感到难过。这是一种恶意的攻击,伊丽莎白
非要狠狠地还击她一下不可,于是她立刻用一
种满不在乎的声调回答了她那句话。她一面说
,一面不由自主地对达西望了一眼,只见达西
涨红了脸,恳切地望着她,达西的妹妹更是万
分慌张,低头无语。彬格莱小姐如果早知道这
种不三不四的话会使得她自己的意中人这样苦
痛,她自然就决不会说出中了。她只是存心要
打乱伊丽莎白的心思,她以为伊丽莎白过去曾
倾心于那个男人,便故意说了出来,便她出出
丑,让达西看不起她甚至还可以让达西想起她
几个妹妹曾经为了那个民兵团闹出多少荒唐的
笑话。至于达西小姐想要私奔的事情,她一点
也不知情,因为达西先生对这件事一向尽量保
守秘密,除了伊丽莎白小姐以外,没有向任何
人透露过。她对彬格莱的亲友们隐瞒得特别小
心,因为他认为以后要和他们攀亲,这也是伊
丽莎白意料中的事。他的确早就有了这个找算
;也许就是为了这个原因,便对彬格莱的幸福
更加关心,可并不是因此而千方百计地拆散彬
格莱和班纳特小姐的好事。
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Elizabeth's collected behaviour, however, soon quieted his emotion; and as Miss Bingley, vexed and disappointed, dared not approach nearer to Wickham, Georgiana also recovered in time, though not enough to be able to speak any more. Her brother, whose eye she feared to meet, scarcely recollected her interest in the affair, and the very circumstance which had been designed to turn his thoughts from Elizabeth, seemed to have fixed them on her more, and more cheerfully.
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达西看到伊丽莎白不动声色,方才安下心来。
彬格莱小姐苦恼失望之余,不敢再提到韦翰,
于是乔治安娜也很快恢复了正常的神态,只不
过一时之间还不好意思开口说话。她害怕看到
她哥哥的眼睛,事实上她哥哥倒没有留意她也
牵涉在这件事情里面。彬格莱小姐这次本来已
经安排好神机妙算,要使得达西回心转意,不
再眷恋伊丽莎白,结果反而使他对伊丽莎白更
加念念难忘,更加有情意。
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Their visit did not continue long after the question and answer above-mentioned; and while Mr. Darcy was attending them to their carriage, Miss Bingley was venting her feelings in criticisms on Elizabeth's person, behaviour, and dress. But Georgiana would not join her. Her brother's recommendation was enough to ensure her favour: his judgment could not err, and he had spoken in such terms of Elizabeth as to leave Georgiana without the power of finding her otherwise than lovely and amiable. When Darcy returned to the saloon, Miss Bingley could not help repeating to him some part of what she had been saying to his sister.
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这一问一答以后,客人们没有隔多久就告辞了
。当达西先生送她们上马车的时候,彬格莱小
姐便趁机在他妹妹面前大发牢骚,把伊丽莎白
的人品、举止和服装都一一编派到了。乔治安
娜可并没有接嘴,因为她哥哥既然那么推崇伊
丽莎白,她当然便也对她有了好感。哥哥的看
法决不会错;他把伊丽莎白捧得叫乔治安娜只
觉得她又亲切又可爱。达西回到客厅里来的时
候,彬格莱小姐又把刚才跟他妹妹说的话,重
新又说了一遍给他听。她大声说道:
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"How very ill Eliza Bennet looks this morning, Mr. Darcy," she cried; "I never in my life saw any one so much altered as she is since the winter. She is grown so brown and coarse! Louisa and I were agreeing that we should not have known her again."
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“达西先生,今天上午伊丽莎·班纳特小姐的
脸色多难看!从去年冬天以来,她真变得太厉
害了,我一辈子也没看见过哪个人象她这样。
她的皮肤变得又黑又粗糙,露薏莎和我简直不
认识她了。”
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However little Mr. Darcy might have liked such an address, he contented himself with coolly replying that he perceived no other alteration than her being rather tanned -- no miraculous consequence of travelling in the summer.
|
这种话尽管不投合达西的心意,他却还是冷冷
地敷衍了她一下,说是他看不出她有什么变化
,只不过皮肤黑了一点,这是夏天旅行的结果
,不足为奇。
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"For my own part," she rejoined, "I must confess that I never could see any beauty in her. Her face is too thin; her complexion has no brilliancy; and her features are not at all handsome. Her nose wants character; there is nothing marked in its lines. Her teeth are tolerable, but not out of the common way; and as for her eyes, which have sometimes been called so fine, I never could perceive any thing extraordinary in them. They have a sharp, shrewish look, which I do not like at all; and in her air altogether, there is a self-sufficiency without fashion which is intolerable."
|
彬格莱小姐回答道:“老实说,我觉得根本看
不出她有什么美。她的脸太瘦,皮肤没有光泽
,眉目也不清秀。她的鼻子也不过普普通通;
讲到她的眼睛,人家有时候都把它说得多么美
,我可看不出有什么大不了。她那双眼睛有些
尖刻相,又有些恶毒相,我才不喜欢呢;而且
拿她的整个风度来说,完全是自命不凡,其实
却不登大雅之堂,真叫人受不了。”
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Persuaded as Miss Bingley was that Darcy admired Elizabeth, this was not the best method of recommending herself; but angry people are not always wise; and in seeing him at last look somewhat nettled, she had all the success she expected. He was resolutely silent however; and, from a determination of making him speak she continued,
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彬格莱小姐既然早已拿定主意达西受上了伊丽
莎白,又要用这种办法来搏得他的喜欢,实在
不太高明;不过人们在一时气愤之下,往往难
免有失算的时候。她看到达西终于给弄得多少
有些神色烦恼,便自以为如意算盘打成功了。
达西却咬紧牙关,一声不,响;她为了非要他
说几句话不可,便又往下说:
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"I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty; and I particularly recollect your saying one night, after they had been dining at Netherfield, ``She a beauty! -- I should as soon call her mother a wit.'' But afterwards she seemed to improve on you, and I believe you thought her rather pretty at one time."
|
“我还记得我们第一次在哈福德郡认识她的时
候,听人家说她是个有名的美人儿,我们都觉
得十分奇怪;我特别记得有一个晚上,她们在
尼日斐花园吃过晚饭以后,你说:‘她也算得
上一个美人!那么她妈妈也算得上一个天才了
!’可是你以后就对她印象她起来了,你也有
一个时期觉得她很好看。”
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"Yes," replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, "but that was only when I first knew her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance."
|
达西真是忍无可忍了,只得回答道:“话是说
得不错,可是,那是我刚认识她的时候的事情
;最近好几个月以来,我已经把她看做我认识
的女朋友当中最漂亮的一个。”
|
He then went away, and Miss Bingley was left to all the satisfaction of having forced him to say what gave no one any pain but herself.
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他这样说过以后,便走开了,只剩下彬格莱小
姐一个人。她逼着他说出了这几句话,本以为
可以借此得意一番,结果只落得自讨没趣。
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Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth talked of all that had occurred during their visit, as they returned, except what had particularly interested them both. The looks and behaviour of every body they had seen were discussed, except of the person who had mostly engaged their attention. They talked of his sister, his friends, his house, his fruit, of every thing but himself; yet Elizabeth was longing to know what Mrs. Gardiner thought of him, and Mrs. Gardiner would have been highly gratified by her niece's beginning the subject.
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嘉丁纳太太和伊丽莎白回到寓所以后,便把这
次作客所遇到的种种事情详细谈论了一番,只
可惜大家都感到兴趣的那件事却偏偏没有谈到
;凡是她们所看到的人,她们都拿来一个个评
头论足,又一一谈到各人的神情举止,只可惜
她们特别留意的那个人却没有谈到。她们谈到
了他的妹妹、他的朋友、他的住宅、他请客人
们吃的水果──样样都谈到了,只是没有谈到
他本人,其实外甥女真希望舅母大人谈谈对那
个人印象如何,舅母大众也极其希望外甥女先
扯到这个话题上来。
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