【经典名著阅读】《傲慢与偏见》第四十八章 （上）
THE whole party were in hopes of a letter from Mr. Bennet the next morning, but the post came in without bringing a single line from him. His family knew him to be, on all common occasions, a most negligent and dilatory correspondent, but at such a time they had hoped for exertion. They were forced to conclude that he had no pleasing intelligence to send, but even of that they would have been glad to be certain. Mr. Gardiner had waited only for the letters before he set off.第二天早上，大家都指望班纳特先生会寄信来，可是等到邮差来了，却没有带来他的片纸只字。家里人本来知道他一向懒得写信，能够拖延总是拖延；但是在这样的时候，她们都希望他能够勉为其难一些。既是没有信来，她们只得认为他没有什么愉快的消息可以报道，即使如此，她们也希望把事情弄个清楚明白。嘉丁纳先生也希望在动身以前能够看到几封信。
When he was gone, they were certain at least of receiving constant information of what was going on, and their uncle promised, at parting, to prevail on Mr. Bennet to return to Longbourn as soon as he could, to the great consolation of his sister, who considered it as the only security for her husband's not being killed in a duel.嘉丁纳先生去了以后，大家都认为，今后至少可以经常听到一些事情进行的经过情形。他临走的时候，答应一定去劝告班纳特先生尽可能马上回来。她们的母亲听了这些话，很是安慰，她认为只有这样，才能保证她丈夫不会在决斗中被人打死。
Mrs. Gardiner and the children were to remain in Hertfordshire a few days longer, as the former thought her presence might be serviceable to her nieces. She shared in their attendance on Mrs. Bennet, and was a great comfort to them in their hours of freedom. Their other aunt also visited them frequently, and always, as she said, with the design of cheering and heartening them up, though as she never came without reporting some fresh instance of Wickham's extravagance or irregularity, she seldom went away without leaving them more dispirited than she found them.嘉丁纳太太和她的孩子们还要在哈福德郡多待几天，因为她觉得，待在这里可以让外甥女们多一个帮手。她可以帮她们等候班纳特太太，等她们空下来的时候，又大可以安慰安慰她们。姨妈也常常来看她们，而且据她自己说，她来的目的是为了让她们高兴高兴，给她们打打气，不过，她没有哪一次来不谈到韦翰的奢侈淫佚，每次都可以举出新的事例。她每次走了以后，总是叫她们比她没有来以前更加意气消沉。
All Meryton seemed striving to blacken the man, who, but three months before, had been almost an angel of light. He was declared to be in debt to every tradesman in the place, and his intrigues, all honoured with the title of seduction, had been extended into every tradesman's family. Every body declared that he was the wickedest young man in the world; and every body began to find out that they had always distrusted the appearance of his goodness. Elizabeth, though she did not credit above half of what was said, believed enough to make her former assurance of her sister's ruin still more certain; and even Jane, who believed still less of it, became almost hopeless, more especially as the time was now come when, if they had gone to Scotland, which she had never before entirely despaired of, they must in all probability have gained some news of them.三个月以前，差不多整个麦里屯的人们都把这个男人捧到天上；三个月以后，整个麦里屯的人都说他的坏话。他们说，他在当地每一个商人那里都欠下了一笔债；又给他加上了诱骗妇女的的头衔，又说每个商人家里都受过他的糟蹋。每个人都说他是天下最坏的青年；每个人都开始发觉自己一向就不信任他那伪善的面貌。伊丽莎白虽然对这些话只是半信半疑，不过她早就认为妹妹会毁在他手里，这一来当然更是深信无疑。吉英本来连半信半疑也谈不上，这一来也几乎感到失望──因为时间已经过了这么久，如果他们两人真到苏格兰去了，现在也应该有消息了，这样一想，纵使她从来没有觉得完全失望，现在当然也难免要感到失望。
Mr. Gardiner left Longbourn on Sunday; on Tuesday, his wife received a letter from him; it told them that on his arrival, he had immediately found out his brother, and persuaded him to come to Gracechurch street; that Mr. Bennet had been to Epsom and Clapham before his arrival, but without gaining any satisfactory information; and that he was now determined to enquire at all the principal hotels in town, as Mr. Bennet thought it possible they might have gone to one of them, on their first coming to London, before they procured lodgings. Mr. Gardiner himself did not expect any success from this measure, but as his brother was eager in it, he meant to assist him in pursuing it. He added that Mr. Bennet seemed wholly disinclined at present, to leave London, and promised to write again very soon. There was also a postscript to this effect:嘉丁纳先生是星期日离开浪搏恩的。星期二他太太接到他一封信。信上说，他一到那里就找到了姐夫，把他劝到天恩寺街去。又说，他没有到达伦敦以前，班纳特先生曾到艾普桑和克拉普汗去过，可惜没有打听到一点儿满意的消息；又说他决定到城里各大旅馆去打听一下，因为班纳特先生认为，韦翰和丽迪雅一到伦敦，可能先住旅馆，然后再慢慢寻找房子。嘉丁纳先生本人并没有指望这种办法会获得什么成绩；既是姐夫非要那样做不可，也只有帮助他着手进行。信上还说，班纳特先生暂时根本不想离开伦敦，他答应不久就会再写一封信来。这封信上还有这样的一段附言：
"I have written to Colonel Forster to desire him to find out, if possible, from some of the young man's intimates in the regiment, whether Wickham has any relations or connections who would be likely to know in what part of the town he has now concealed himself. If there were any one that one could apply to with a probability of gaining such a clue as that, it might be of essential consequence. At present we have nothing to guide us. Colonel Forster will, I dare say, do every thing in his power to satisfy us on this head. But, on second thoughts, perhaps Lizzy could tell us what relations he has now living better than any other person."我已经写信给弗斯脱上校，请他尽可能在民兵团里把那个年轻小伙子的要好朋友找几个来打听一下，韦翰有没有什么亲友知道他躲藏在这个城里的哪一个区域。要是我们有这样的人可以请教，得到一些线索，那是大有用处的。目前我们还是无从捉摸。也许弗斯上校会尽量把这件事做得使我们满意。但倡我又想了一下，觉得丽萃也许比任何人都了解情况。会知道他现在还有些什么亲戚。
Elizabeth was at no loss to understand from whence this deference for her authority proceeded; but it was not in her power to give any information of so satisfactory a nature as the compliment deserved.伊丽莎白究竟为什么会受到这样的推崇，她自己完全知道，只可惜她提供不出什么令人满意的材料，所以也就受不起这样的恭维。
She had never heard of his having had any relations, except a father and mother, both of whom had been dead many years. It was possible, however, that some of his companions in the ----shire, might be able to give more information; and, though she was not very sanguine in expecting it, the application was a something to look forward to.她除了听到韦翰谈起过他自己的父母以外，从来不曾听到他有什么亲友，况且他父母也都去世多年。某某郡民兵团里他的一些朋友们，可能提供得出一些材料，她虽说并不能对此存着过分的奢望，但究竟不妨试一试。
Every day at Longbourn was now a day of anxiety; but the most anxious part of each was when the post was expected. The arrival of letters was the first grand object of every morning's impatience. Through letters, whatever of good or bad was to be told would be communicated, and every succeeding day was expected to bring some news of importance.浪搏恩一家人每天都过得非常心焦，最焦急的时间莫过于等待邮差送信来。不管信上报道的是好消息还是坏消息，总是要讲给大家听，还盼望着第二天会有重要的消息传来。
But before they heard again from Mr. Gardiner, a letter arrived for their father from a different quarter -- from Mr. Collins; which, as Jane had received directions to open all that came for him in his absence, she accordingly read; and Elizabeth, who knew what curiosities his letters always were, looked over her, and read it likewise. It was as follows:嘉丁纳先生虽然还没有给她们寄来第二封信，可是她们却收到了别的地方寄来的一封信，原来是柯林斯先生寄来了一封信给她们的父亲。吉英事前曾受到父亲的嘱托，代他拆阅一切信件，于是她便来拜读这一封信。伊丽莎白也知道柯林斯先生的信总是写得奇奇怪怪，便也挨在吉英身旁一同拜读。信是这样写的：
"MY DEAR SIR, ---I feel myself called upon by our relationship, and my situation in life, to condole with you on the grievous affliction you are now suffering under, of which we were yesterday informed by a letter from Hertfordshire. Be assured, my dear Sir, that Mrs. Collins and myself sincerely sympathise with you, and all your respectable family, in your present distress, which must be of the bitterest kind, because proceeding from a cause which no time can remove. No arguments shall be wanting on my part that can alleviate so severe a misfortune; or that may comfort you, under a circumstance that must be of all others most afflicting to a parent's mind. The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this. And it is the more to be lamented, because there is reason to suppose, as my dear Charlotte informs me, that this licentiousness of behaviour in your daughter has proceeded from a faulty degree of indulgence, though at the same time, for the consolation of yourself and Mrs. Bennet, I am inclined to think that her own disposition must be naturally bad, or she could not be guilty of such an enormity at so early an age. Howsoever that may be, you are grievously to be pitied, in which opinion I am not only joined by Mrs. Collins, but likewise by Lady Catherine and her daughter, to whom I have related the affair. They agree with me in apprehending that this false step in one daughter will be injurious to the fortunes of all the others; for who, as Lady Catherine herself condescendingly says, will connect themselves with such a family. And this consideration leads me moreover to reflect with augmented satisfaction on a certain event of last November, for had it been otherwise, I must have been involved in all your sorrow and disgrace. Let me advise you then, my dear Sir, to console yourself as much as possible, to throw off your unworthy child from your affection for ever, and leave her to reap the fruits of her own heinous offence. ---I am, dear Sir, &c. &c."长者先生赐鉴：昨接哈福德郡来信，借悉先生目前正什心烦虑乱，不胜苦悲。不佞与拙荆闻之，无论对先生个人或尊府老幼，均深表同情。以不佞之名份职位而言，自当聊申悼惜之意，何况与尊府为葭莩，益觉责无旁贷。夫癸诸情理，此次不幸事件自难免令人痛心疾首，盖家声一经败坏，便永无清洗之日，伤天下父母之心，孰有甚于此者？早知如此，但冀其早日夭亡为幸耳。不佞只有曲尽言辞，备加慰问，庶几可以聊宽尊怀。据内人夏绿蒂言，令媛此次淫奔，实系由于平日过分溺爱所致，此尤其可悲者也。唯不佞以为令媛年方及笄，竟而铸成大错，亦足见其本身天性之恶劣；先生固不必过于引咎自责也。日前遇咖苔琳夫人及其千金小姐，曾以此事奉告，夫人等亦与不佞夫妇不所同感。多蒙夫人与愚见不谋而合，认为令媛此次失足，辱没家声，遂使后之攀亲者望而却步，殃及其姐氏终生幸福，堪虑堪虑。瓴念言及此，不禁忆及去年十一月间一事，则又深为庆幸，否则木已成舟，势必自取其辱，受累不浅。敬祈先生善自宽慰，任其妄自菲薄，自食其果，不足怜惜也。（下略）
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