第八章

AT five o'clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at half past six Elizabeth was summoned to dinner. To the civil enquiries which then poured in, and amongst which she had the pleasure of distinguishing the much superior solicitude of Mr. Bingley's, she could not make a very favourable answer. Jane was by no means better. The sisters, on hearing this, repeated three or four times how much they were grieved, how shocking it was to have a bad cold, and how excessively they disliked being ill themselves, and then thought no more of the matter; and their indifference towards Jane, when not immediately before them, restored Elizabeth to the enjoyment of all her original dislike. 

Their brother, indeed, was the only one of the party whom she could regard with any complacency. His anxiety for Jane was evident, and his attentions to herself most pleasing, and they prevented her feeling herself so much an intruder as she believed she was considered by the others. She had very little notice from any but him. Miss Bingley was engrossed by Mr. Darcy, her sister scarcely less so; and as for Mr. Hurst, by whom Elizabeth sat, he was an indolent man, who lived only to eat, drink, and play at cards, who, when he found her prefer a plain dish to a ragout, had nothing to say to her.

When dinner was over, she returned directly to Jane, and Miss Bingley began abusing her as soon as she was out of the room. Her manners were pronounced to be very bad indeed, a mixture of pride and impertinence; she had no conversation, no stile, no taste, no beauty. Mrs. Hurst thought the same, and added,

"She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being an excellent walker. I shall never forget her appearance this morning. She really looked almost wild."

"She did indeed, Louisa. I could hardly keep my countenance. Very nonsensical to come at all! Why must she be scampering about the country, because her sister had a cold? Her hair so untidy, so blowsy!"

"Yes, and her petticoat; I hope you saw her petticoat, six inches deep in mud, I am absolutely certain; and the gown which had been let down to hide it not doing its office."

"Your picture may be very exact, Louisa," said Bingley; "but this was all lost upon me. I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked remarkably well, when she came into the room this morning. Her dirty petticoat quite escaped my notice."

"You observed it, Mr. Darcy, I am sure," said Miss Bingley, "and I am inclined to think that you would not wish to see your sister make such an exhibition."

"Certainly not."

"To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her ancles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! what could she mean by it? It seems to me to shew an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country town indifference to decorum."

"It shews an affection for her sister that is very pleasing," said Bingley.

"I am afraid, Mr. Darcy," observed Miss Bingley in a half whisper, "that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes."

"Not at all," he replied; "they were brightened by the exercise." -- A short pause followed this speech, and Mrs. Hurst began again.

"I have an excessive regard for Jane Bennet, she is really a very sweet girl, and I wish with all my heart she were well settled. But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance of it."

"I think I have heard you say, that their uncle is an attorney in Meryton."

"Yes; and they have another, who lives somewhere near Cheapside."

"That is capital," added her sister, and they both laughed heartily.

"If they had uncles enough to fill all Cheapside," cried Bingley, "it would not make them one jot less agreeable."

"But it must very materially lessen their chance of marrying men of any consideration in the world," replied Darcy.

To this speech Bingley made no answer; but his sisters gave it their hearty assent, and indulged their mirth for some time at the expense of their dear friend's vulgar relations.

With a renewal of tenderness, however, they repaired to her room on leaving the dining-parlour, and sat with her till summoned to coffee. She was still very poorly, and Elizabeth would not quit her at all till late in the evening, when she had the comfort of seeing her asleep, and when it appeared to her rather right than pleasant that she should go down stairs herself. On entering the drawing-room she found the whole party at loo, and was immediately invited to join them; but suspecting them to be playing high she declined it, and making her sister the excuse, said she would amuse herself for the short time she could stay below with a book. Mr. Hurst looked at her with astonishment.

"Do you prefer reading to cards?" said he; "that is rather singular."

"Miss Eliza Bennet," said Miss Bingley, "despises cards. She is a great reader and has no pleasure in anything else."

"I deserve neither such praise nor such censure," cried Elizabeth; "I am not a great reader, and I have pleasure in many things."

"In nursing your sister I am sure you have pleasure," said Bingley; "and I hope it will soon be increased by seeing her quite well."

Elizabeth thanked him from her heart, and then walked towards a table where a few books were lying. He immediately offered to fetch her others; all that his library afforded.

"And I wish my collection were larger for your benefit and my own credit; but I am an idle fellow, and though I have not many, I have more than I ever look into."

Elizabeth assured him that she could suit herself perfectly with those in the room.

"I am astonished," said Miss Bingley, "that my father should have left so small a collection of books. -- What a delightful library you have at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy!"

"It ought to be good," he replied, "it has been the work of many generations."

"And then you have added so much to it yourself, you are always buying books."

"I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these,"

"Neglect! I am sure you neglect nothing that can add to the beauties of that noble place. Charles, when you build your house, I wish it may be half as delightful as Pemberley."

"I wish it may."

"But I would really advise you to make your purchase in that neighbourhood, and take Pemberley for a kind of model. There is not a finer county in England than Derbyshire."

"With all my heart; I will buy Pemberley itself if Darcy will sell it."

"I am talking of possibilities, Charles."

"Upon my word, Caroline, I should think it more possible to get Pemberley by purchase than by imitation."

Elizabeth was so much caught by what passed, as to leave her very little attention for her book; and soon laying it wholly aside, she drew near the card-table, and stationed herself between Mr. Bingley and his eldest sister to observe the game.

"Is Miss Darcy much grown since the spring?" said Miss Bingley; "will she be as tall as I am?"

"I think she will. She is now about Miss Elizabeth Bennet's height, or rather taller."

"How I long to see her again! I never met with anybody who delighted me so much. Such a countenance, such manners, and so extremely accomplished for her age! Her performance on the piano-forte is exquisite."

"It is amazing to me," said Bingley, "how young ladies can have patience to be so very accomplished as they all are."

"All young ladies accomplished! My dear Charles, what do you mean?"

"Yes all of them, I think. They all paint tables, cover skreens, and net purses. I scarcely know any one who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard a young lady spoken of for the first time, without being informed that she was very accomplished."

"Your list of the common extent of accomplishments," said Darcy, "has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse, or covering a skreen. But I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing more than half a dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished."

"Nor I, I am sure," said Miss Bingley.

"Then," observed Elizabeth, "you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished women."

"Yes; I do comprehend a great deal in it."

"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished, who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved."

"All this she must possess," added Darcy, "and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."

"I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any."

"Are you so severe upon your own sex, as to doubt the possibility of all this?"

"I never saw such a woman, I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe, united."

Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley both cried out against the injustice of her implied doubt, and were both protesting that they knew many women who answered this description, when Mr. Hurst called them to order, with bitter complaints of their inattention to what was going forward. As all conversation was thereby at an end, Elizabeth soon afterwards left the room.

"Eliza Bennet," said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed on her, "is one of those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing their own, and with many men, I dare say, it succeeds. But, in my opinion, it is a paltry device, a very mean art."

"Undoubtedly," replied Darcy, to whom this remark was chiefly addressed, "there is meanness in all the arts which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation. Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable."

Miss Bingley was not so entirely satisfied with this reply as to continue the subject.

Elizabeth joined them again only to say that her sister was worse, and that she could not leave her. Bingley urged Mr. Jones's being sent for immediately; while his sisters, convinced that no country advice could be of any service, recommended an express to town for one of the most eminent physicians. This she would not hear of, but she was not so unwilling to comply with their brother's proposal; and it was settled that Mr. Jones should be sent for early in the morning if Miss Bennet were not decidedly better. Bingley was quite uncomfortable; his sisters declared that they were miserable. They solaced their wretchedness, however, by duets after supper, while he could find no better relief to his feelings than by giving his housekeeper directions that every possible attention might be paid to the sick lady and her sister.

--正文

五点钟的时候，宾利家两姐妹出去换衣服。六点半的时候，伊丽莎白也被叫出去吃晚饭。面对他们汹涌而至的关心，伊丽莎白高兴地发现宾利先生对简最关系，但是她无法给个令人满意的回答。简怎么说都没有好转。宾利家的姐妹听说了这事，连说了三四遍她们真的是太悲伤了，得重感冒真是太吓人了，她们有多讨厌生病，但是除此之外她们也没多说什么了。她们在简没在跟前的时候，对她又变得冷漠，着让伊丽莎白又像之前那样讨厌她们了。

  也只有她们的兄弟，宾利先生能让伊丽莎白满意。他对简的担心是显而易见的，而且对伊丽莎白自己也是和颜悦色。伊丽莎白本以为会被其他人当作不速之客，但是大家并没有这样。除了宾利先生，别人大都对伊丽莎白没太注意。宾利小姐正全神贯注的看着宾利，她妹妹也差不多。至于坐在伊丽莎白身边赫斯特先生，可真是个懒汉，除了吃喝，打牌，别的一点不关注。他发现伊丽莎白放着土豆炖牛肉不吃，而去吃炒青菜的时候，就没话跟她说了。

晚餐结束后，伊丽莎白立刻就回屋去照顾简。而当她一离开餐厅，宾利小姐就开始说她坏话，伊丽莎白被她说得坏得很，她说伊丽莎白既傲慢且鲁莽。又不会说话，也没有stile(实在没查到这个词，不好意思啊大伙)，也没品味，而且还长得丑。赫斯特小姐也这么想，她补充说：“简单来说，她基本没啥值得称道的地方，但是走路走得挺好的。我可忘不了今早她走过来的样子，跟个野人一样”

“那可不，路易莎，我当时可是差点脸没绷住。她这么过来简直是胡闹好么。哦，就因为她姐姐感冒了，她就得这么慌慌张张的跑过来？你看她那头发，乱的！”

“是啊，还有那个衬裙，你看见那个裙子了吧，我看那上面的泥，得有六尺厚。还有那个长袍，被故意放下来想遮住你，可是也没什么作用”

“今早你肯定看到了吧，达西先生，”宾利小姐说道，“我觉得你可不会希望你妹妹也那么出丑。”

“当然不会。”达西答道

“走3里路，3里路，或者5里路，或者随便几里路，而且是自己一个人走的，泥都沾到脚踝上面。你说她这是什么意思嘛？照我看来，可不就是为了显摆自己独立的很么，真是有失礼节。”

“她只是很关心姐姐，在我看来这是很让人开心的事情。”宾利先生说

“达西先生，我恐怕她这样慌张的过来，肯定是让她的眼睛不那么迷人了吧。”宾利小姐轻声的对达西说。

“一点也没有，”达西回答道，“她的眼睛因为这个，其实更明亮了。”

达西说完没多久，赫斯特小姐又开始说了：“我对简.本内特无比关系，她可真是个好姑娘，我从心底希望她能嫁个好人家。但是有这样的父母，还有身份低下的亲戚，我觉得是没啥戏了。”

“我好像听你说过，她们有个叔叔在麦瑞屯当律师。”

“是的，她们还有个叔叔住在齐普赛（市场）旁边呢。”

“那儿真是好极了！”宾利小姐说道，然后两个人就开心的笑了起来

“就算她们的叔叔多到能住满齐普赛，这也不会让她们变得有一丢丢不可爱。”宾利先生大声说。

“但是从物质上来说，这确实让她们更难嫁个有钱男人了。”达西说。

宾利对达西的话没有理睬。但是他的姐姐们可是从心底赞同，并且放肆得嘲笑了一会本内特家的穷亲戚。

说了那么久坏话，她们心里也有些不好意思，于是就离开了餐厅去简的房间看她，并在那坐了会，直到被叫去喝咖啡才离开。简仍然病得很重，伊丽莎白一直照顾她到深夜才肯离开。伊丽莎白看到简睡着了，才肯下楼去，尽管她并不愿意去。走到休息室的时候，伊丽莎白发现大家都在玩牌，他们立刻就邀请她加入。但伊丽莎白怕他们玩得很大，就说还要照顾姐姐，便拒绝了他们，说自己等会能休息的时候会看会儿书打发下时间。赫斯特先生听说了，难以置信的看着她。

说：“你宁愿读书也不想打牌？真是奇事啊。”

“不止是牌，除了很会读书，伊利小姐对什么都不感兴趣。”宾利小姐说。

“我可不该被你们这么夸奖，或者被批评，”伊丽莎白激动地说，“我不会读书，而且我喜欢很多事情。”

“我看出你很喜欢照顾你姐姐，”宾利说，“但希望她能很快康复，这样你就更开心了。”

伊丽莎白真诚的感谢了他，让后走向一张放了些书的桌子。宾利立刻提出要给伊丽莎白再拿一些书，只要他的图书馆里面有都可以拿来。

“我真希望我的图书馆能大一些，好让你多看些书，也让我的名声好听些。可惜我是个懒汉，尽管现在书没多少，可是我这些都没看几本。”

伊丽莎白跟宾利说这些书足够自己看了。

“我很惊讶，”宾利小姐说道，“我父亲只留下了这么些藏书。你在派伯利的图书馆可是漂亮的很，达西先生！”

“那是好几代人的藏书了，好也是应该的。”达西说

“后面你又添了不少，你总是经常买书。”

“我不能理解，家里的图书馆竟然会这样被疏忽掉。”

“疏忽？我知道你可不会疏忽任何能让家里变漂亮的东西。查尔斯，你那房子建好的时候，我希望它能有派伯利一半漂亮就满意了”

“我也希望能这样”

“我可真心觉得，你该在那儿买块地，而且要拿派伯利做个榜样。英格兰可没有比德比希尔更好的的郡了。”

”真心话，达西要是愿意买，我立刻就把派伯利买下来。“

”我可没跟你开玩笑啊，查尔斯，我在跟你说能办到的事情”

“卡洛琳，相信我，买下派伯利可比仿着造一个更有可能。“

伊丽莎白被刚才的话吸引，没什么心思去看书了。很快就把书完全放到一旁，她跑到了牌桌旁边，站在宾利和他姐姐之间去看他们打牌。

”春天到现在，达西小姐有没有长高啊？“宾利小姐问道，”现在有我高了吗？“

”应该有，她现在大概像伊丽莎白那么高，甚至更高点。“

”多久能看到她啊。我从没碰到那么令我开心的人。仪容完美，举止得体，而且小小年纪就多才多艺。她弹起钢琴来，那叫一个优雅“

”我真是难以相信，“宾利说，”年轻姑娘们现在怎么都那么有耐心，能让自己这么多才多艺？“

”每个年轻姑娘都多才多艺，我的查尔斯，你说这话的意思是？“

”我觉得也是，每个姑娘都多才多艺。她们都会装饰桌子，遮下镜子，织个小钱包之类的。我可没见过谁不会做这些的。我可从没听说哪个年轻姑娘被人介绍的时候，没说她是多才多艺的。’

“你列举的这些普通才艺，”达西说，“已经瞎说了很多大实话。这个词专门被用来形容会织个钱包，遮个镜子的姑娘。但我可不能同意像你说的，姑娘们都这样。鄙人不才，也认得六七个真正的多才多艺的姑娘”

“我也认得些这样的姑娘。”宾利小姐说

伊丽莎白接口说：“那你肯定对多才多艺的女人了解很多啊”

“是的，我确实了解很多。”达西回答说。

“必须的，”达西忠诚的副手宾利说，“谁要是没有点远胜别人的手艺，就不能说是多才多艺。一个女人必须通晓音乐，唱歌，画画，跳舞，和现代语言，才能配上这个词。除了这些，她还得仪态得体，走路优雅，音调温和，谈吐得体，否则她就不够格。”

达西又补充道：“除了这些，更重要的是她还得广读书，长见识。”

“怪不得你说只认识6个多才多艺的女人，我简直怀疑你一个也不认识。”

“你是对自己的女同胞太苛刻呢？还是怀疑没有女人能满足这些条件？”

"我从没见过这样的女人，像你描述的这样又有才华，又有品味，又用功，又那么优雅"

赫斯特太太和宾利小姐立刻大声反对伊丽莎白，说她对女性的怀疑十分不公正，她们就认识很多符合这些条件的女人。直到赫斯特先生叫她们好好打牌，抱怨她们对打牌漫不经心。就这样争论才结束，不一会伊丽莎白也离开了。

伊丽莎白刚把门关上，宾利小姐就说，“伊丽莎白.本内特就是那种为了让男人注意自己，而贬低自己价值的女人。我敢说这些技俩对很多男人都有用。但在我看来，这是个微不足道的，卑鄙的技俩。”

“毫无疑问，”达西听出这话是有意说给他听的，“姑娘们为了勾引男子，有时会不择手段，这也是卑鄙。狡诈的做法都应该受到鄙弃。”

宾利小姐听了后不太开心，就不聊这个话题了。

伊丽莎白又回来了，只是说了她姐姐的病更重了，她更加离不开左右。宾利主张立刻去请琼斯医生。他姐姐么说农村的医生不太顶用，应该去城里找个好医生过来看。伊丽莎白不同意两姐姐的说法，不过她愿意试试宾利的提议，大家最终决定如果明天一早简依旧毫无起色，就马上去请钟斯大夫来。彬格莱先生心里非常不安，他姐妹们也说心里不好受。但吃过晚饭以后，姐妹俩合奏了几支歌也就好受了。而宾利没法减轻痛苦，只好让他那管家们竭尽全力地照料病人和病人的妹妹。