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Chapter 1
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
有个公认的事实,有钱的单身男人一定需要一位妻子。
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
即使不知道在他第一次走入这个地方感觉如何,这个事实在周围民众的心中已经深深扎根,他就是自己女儿们的理想财产对象。
“My dear Mr. Bennet,”said his lady to him one day,“have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”
“亲爱的贝内老爷”,有一天他妻子说,“你听说了吗?尼日菲花园终于出租出去了。”
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
贝内老爷回答并没有。
“But it is,”returned she;
“是的”,她回答。
“for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”Mr. Bennet made no answer.
“朗格太太刚刚来这儿,她把所有事告诉我了。”贝内老爷没说话。
“Do you not want to know who has taken it?”cried his wife impatiently.
“你不想知道究竟是谁租的吗?”他的妻子不耐心地叫道。
“YOU want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”
你想告诉我的话,我倒愿意听听。
This was invitation enough.
这就算是请求告诉了。
“Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England;
亲爱的,我要告诉你,朗夫人说尼日菲花园是英格兰北部一个有钱的年轻人买下了。
that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr.
Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”
他周一坐四马大轮车来,只是才看到这个地方便很中意,于是他立刻与莫里斯先生商量在米嘉勒节之前买下那个地盘,下周之前他的一些家仆就会入住这个房子。
“What is his name?”
他叫什么名字
“Bingley.”
宾格利
“Is he married or single?”
他结婚了还是单身?
“Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”还单着勒,亲爱的,我敢肯定。他有钱的单身男人,一年四到五千收入。正适合我们的女儿勒。
“How so? How can it affect them?”
怎么说?怎么和她们有关系。
“My dear Mr. Bennet,”replied his wife,“how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”“亲爱的贝内先生”,“你怎么会如此乏味!我就要告诉你我现在想着把我的一个女儿嫁给他”
“Is that his design in settling here?”
他有在这儿定居的打算吗?
“Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he MAY fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.”打算!无稽之谈,你怎么会说这个!但是他很可能会爱上我们的某个女儿,因此你必须在他刚到时就去拜访他。
“I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley may like you the best of the party.”我觉得我没有必要去。你和女孩子们可以去,或者你让她们自己去,这样更合适,因为你和她们一样俊俏。宾格利可能最喜欢你。
“My dear, you flatter me. I certainly HAVE had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.”亲爱的,你过奖了。我过去自然也还有几分美色,但现在不假装有什么过人之处。当一个妇人有五个成年的女儿,她就不再想着她自己的美丽了。
“In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.”这种情况下,这个妇人通常容颜不再,也无需多虑。
“But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.”但是,亲爱的,在宾格利先生到来时,你必须去拜访他一次。
“It is more than I engage for, I assure you.”
我保证,你想要的太多。
“But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in general, you know, they visit no newcomers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for US to visit him if you do not.”
“You are over-scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls; though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.”
“I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving HER the preference.”
“They have none of them much to recommend them,”replied he;
“they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.”
“Mr. Bennet, how CAN you abuse your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion for my poor nerves.”
“You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least.”
Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. HER mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.
第一章
凡是有钱的单身汉,总想娶位太太,这已经成了一条举世公认的真理。这样的单身汉,每逢新搬到一个地方,四邻八舍虽然完全不了解他的性情如何,见解如何,可是,既然这样的一条真理早已在人们心目中根深蒂固,因此人们总是把他看作自己某一个女儿理所应得的一笔财产。
有一天班纳特太太对她的丈夫说:“我的好老爷,尼日斐花园终于租出去了,你听说过没有?”
班纳特先生回答道,他没有听说过。
“的确租出去了,”她说,“朗格太太刚刚上这儿来过,她把这件事的底细,一五一十地告诉了我。”
班纳特先生没有理睬她。
“你难道不想知道是谁租去的吗?”太太不耐烦地嚷起来了。
“既是你要说给我听,我听听也无妨。”
这句话足够鼓励她讲下去了。
“哦!亲爱的,你得知道,郎格太太说,租尼日斐花园的是个阔少爷,他是英格兰北部的人;听说他星期一那天,乘着一辆驷马大轿车来看房子,看得非常中意,当场就和莫理斯先生谈妥了;他要在‘米迦勒节’以前搬进来,打算下个周未先叫几个佣人来住。”
“这个人叫什么名字?”
“彬格莱。”
“有太太的呢,还是单身汉?”
“噢!是个单身汉,亲爱的,确确实实是个单身汉!一个有钱的单身汉;每年有四五千磅的收入。真是女儿们的福气!”
“这怎么说?关女儿女儿们什么事?”
“我的好老爷,”太太回答道,“你怎么这样叫人讨厌!告诉你吧,我正在盘算,他要是挑中我们一个女儿做老婆,可多好!”
“他住到这儿来,就是为了这个打算吗?”
“打算!胡扯,这是哪儿的话!不过,他倒作兴看中我们的某一个女儿呢。他一搬来,你就得去拜访拜访他。”
“我不用去。你带着女儿们去就得啦,要不你干脆打发她们自己去,那或许倒更好些,因为你跟女儿们比起来,她们哪一个都不能胜过你的美貌,你去了,彬格莱先生倒可能挑中你呢?”
“我的好老爷,你太捧我啦。从前也的确有人赞赏过我的美貌,现在我可有敢说有什么出众的地方了。一个女人家有了五个成年的女儿,就不该对自己的美貌再转什么念头。”
“这样看来,一个女人家对自己的美貌也转不了多少念头喽。”
“不过,我的好老爷,彬格莱一搬到我们的邻近来,你的确应该去看看他。”
“老实跟你说吧,这不是我份内的事。”
“看女儿的份上吧。只请你想一想,她们不论哪一个,要是攀上了这样一个人家,够多么好。威廉爵士夫妇已经决定去拜望他,他们也无非是这个用意。你知道,他们通常是不会拜望新搬来的邻居的。你的确应该去一次,要是你不去,叫我们怎么去。”
“你实在过分心思啦。彬格莱先生一定高兴看到你的;我可以写封信给你带去,就说随便他挑中我哪一个女儿,我都心甘情愿地答应他把她娶过去;不过,我在信上得特别替小丽萃吹嘘几句。”
“我希望你别这么做。丽萃没有一点儿地方胜过别的几个女儿;我敢说,论漂亮,她抵不上吉英一半;论性子,好抵不上丽迪雅一半。你可老是偏爱她。”“她们没有哪一个值得夸奖的,”他回答道;“他们跟人家的姑娘一样,又傻,又无知;倒是丽萃要比她的几个姐妹伶俐些。”
“我的好老爷,你怎么舍得这样糟蹋自己的新生亲生女儿?你是在故意叫我气恼,好让你自己得意吧。你半点儿也不体谅我的神经衰弱。”
“你真错怪了我,我的好太太。我非常尊重你的神经。它们是我的老朋友。至少在最近二十年以来,我一直听道你慎重其事地提到它们。”
“啊!你不知道我怎样受苦呢!”
“不过我希望你这毛病会好起来,那么,象这种每年有四千镑收入的阔少爷,你就可以眼看着他们一个个搬来做你的邻居了。”
“你既然不愿意去拜访他们,即使有二十个搬了来,对我们又有什么好处!”
“放心吧,我的好太太,等到有了二十个,我一定去一个个拜望到。”
班纳特先生真是个古怪人,他一方面喜欢插科打浑,爱挖苦人,同时又不拘言笑,变幻莫测,真使他那位太太积二十三年之经验,还摸不透他的性格。太太的脑子是很容易加以分析的。她是个智力贫乏、不学无术、喜怒无常的女人,只要碰到不称心的事,她就以为神经衰弱。她生平的大事就是嫁女儿;她生平的安慰就是访友拜客和打听新闻。
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