【经典名著阅读】《傲慢与偏见》第五十九章(下)
In the evening, soon after Mr. Bennet withdrew to the library, she saw Mr. Darcy rise also and follow him, and her agitation on seeing it was extreme. She did not fear her father's opposition, but he was going to be made unhappy; and that it should be through her means -- that she, his favourite child, should be distressing him by her choice, should be filling him with fears and regrets in disposing of her -- was a wretched reflection, and she sat in misery till Mr. Darcy appeared again, when, looking at him, she was a little relieved by his smile. In a few minutes he approached the table where she was sitting with Kitty; and, while pretending to admire her work said in a whisper, "Go to your father, he wants you in the library." She was gone directly.当天下午,只见班纳特先生刚一走进书房,达西先生便立刻站起身来跟着他走,伊丽莎白看到这情形,心里焦急到了极点。她并不是怕父亲反对,而是怕父亲会给弄得不愉快。她想,她是父亲最宠爱的女儿,如果她选择了这个对象,竟会使父亲感到痛苦,使父亲为她终身大事忧虑惋惜,未免太不象话。她担心地坐在那儿,直到达西先生回到她身边,面带笑意,她这才松了口气。一会儿工夫,达西走到她跟吉蒂一块儿坐着的那张桌子跟前来,装做欣赏她手里的针线,轻声地跟她说:“快到你爸爸那儿去,他在书房里等着你。”她马上就去了。
Her father was walking about the room, looking grave and anxious.她父亲正在房间里踱来踱去,看他那种神气,既是严肃,又是焦急。
"Lizzy," said he, "what are you doing? Are you out of your senses, to be accepting this man? Have not you always hated him?"他说:“丽萃,你在闹些什么?你疯了吗,你怎么会要这个人?你不是一向都恨他吗?”
How earnestly did she then wish that her former opinions had been more reasonable, her expressions more moderate! It would have spared her from explanations and professions which it was exceedingly awkward to give; but they were now necessary, and she assured him, with some confusion, of her attachment to Mr. Darcy.她这时候真是焦急非凡。假若她从前不是那样见解过火,出言不逊,那就好了,那现在用不到那么尴尴尬尬地去解释和剖白了。可是事到如今,既是免不了要费些唇舌,她只得心慌意乱地跟父亲说,她爱上了达西先生。
"Or, in other words, you are determined to have him. He is rich, to be sure, and you may have more fine clothes and fine carriages than Jane. But will they make you happy?"“换句话说,你已经打定主意,非嫁他不可啦。他当然有的是钱,可以使你比吉英衣服穿得更高贵,车辆乘得更华丽。难道这就会使你幸福吗?”
"Have you any other objection," said Elizabeth, "than your belief of my indifference?"伊丽莎白说:“你认为我对他并没有感情,除此以外,你还有别的反对意见吗?”
"None at all. We all know him to be a proud, unpleasant sort of man; but this would be nothing if you really liked him."“一点没有。我们都知道他是个傲慢而不易亲近的人;不过,只要你真正喜欢他,这也无关紧要。”
"I do, I do like him," she replied, with tears in her eyes, "I love him. Indeed he has no improper pride. He is perfectly amiable. You do not know what he really is; then pray do not pain me by speaking of him in such terms."女儿含泪回答道:“我实在喜欢他,我爱他。他并不是傲慢得没有道理。他可爱极了。你不了解他真正的为人,因此,我求你不要这样贬低他,免得我痛苦。”
"Lizzy," said her father, "I have given him my consent. He is the kind of man, indeed, to whom I should never dare refuse any thing, which he condescended to ask. I now give it to you, if you are resolved on having him. But let me advise you to think better of it. I know your disposition, Lizzy. I know that you could be neither happy nor respectable, unless you truly esteemed your husband; unless you looked up to him as a superior. Your lively talents would place you in the greatest danger in an unequal marriage. You could scarcely escape discredit and misery. My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life. You know not what you are about."父亲说:“丽萃,我已经允许他了。象他那样的人,只要蒙他不弃,有所请求,我当然只有答应。如果你现在已经决定了要嫁他,我当然决计允许你。不过我劝你还是再仔细想想:我了解你的个性,丽萃。我知道,你除非真正能敬重你的丈夫,认为他高你一等,你便不会觉得幸福,也不会觉得得意。以你这样了不起的才能,要是婚姻攀得不相称,那是极其危险的,那你就很难逃得了丢脸和悲惨的下场。好孩子,别让我以后眼看着你瞧不起你的终身伴侣,为你伤心。你得明白,这不是闹着玩的”
Elizabeth, still more affected, was earnest and solemn in her reply; and at length, by repeated assurances that Mr. Darcy was really the object of her choice, by explaining the gradual change which her estimation of him had undergone, relating her absolute certainty that his affection was not the work of a day, but had stood the test of many months suspense, and enumerating with energy all his good qualities, she did conquer her father's incredulity, and reconcile him to the match.伊丽莎白更加感动,便非常认真、非常严肃地回答他的话;后来她又几次三番地说,达西确实确实是她选中的对象,说她对他的敬爱已经步步提高,说她相信他的感情决不是一朝一夕生长起来的,而是搁置了好几个月考验出来的;她又竭力赞扬他种种优美的品质,这才打消了父亲的犹疑,完全赞成了这门婚姻。
"Well, my dear," said he, when she ceased speaking, "I have no more to say. If this be the case, he deserves you. I could not have parted with you, my Lizzy, to any one less worthy."她讲完了,他便说道:“好孩子,这么说,我没有别的意见了。当真这样,他的确配得上你。丽萃,我可不愿意让你嫁给一个够不上这种标准的人。”
To complete the favourable impression, she then told him what Mr. Darcy had voluntarily done for Lydia. He heard her with astonishment.为了要使得父亲对达西先生更有好感,她又把他自告奋勇搭救丽迪雅的事告诉了父亲,父亲听了,大为惊奇。
"This is an evening of wonders, indeed! And so, Darcy did every thing: made up the match, gave the money, paid the fellow's debts, and got him his commission! So much the better. It will save me a world of trouble and economy. Had it been your uncle's doing, I must and would have paid him; but these violent young lovers carry every thing their own way. I shall offer to pay him tomorrow; he will rant and storm about his love for you, and there will be an end of the matter."“今天真是无奇不有了!原来一切全仗达西的大力,他一手撮合他们的婚姻,为他们赔钱,替那个家伙还债,给他找差使!这是再好也没有了。省了我多少麻烦,省了我多少钱。假如这事是你舅舅做的,我就非还他不可,而且可能已经还他了;可是这些狂恋热爱的年轻人,样样事都喜欢自作主张。明天我就提出还他的钱,他一定会大吹大擂,说他怎么样爱你疼你,那么事情就这样完了。”
He then recollected her embarrassment a few days before, on his reading Mr. Collins's letter; and after laughing at her some time, allowed her at last to go -- saying, as she quitted the room, "If any young men come for Mary or Kitty, send them in, for I am quite at leisure."于是他记起了前几天给伊丽莎白读柯林斯先生那封信的时候,她是多么局促不安;他又取笑了她一阵,最后才让她走了;她正要走出房门,他又说:“如果还有什么年轻人来向曼丽和吉蒂求婚,带他们进来好了,我正闲着呢。”
Elizabeth's mind was now relieved from a very heavy weight; and, after half an hour's quiet reflection in her own room, she was able to join the others with tolerable composure. Every thing was too recent for gaiety, but the evening passed tranquilly away; there was no longer any thing material to be dreaded, and the comfort of ease and familiarity would come in time.伊丽莎白心里那块大石头这才算放了下来,在自己房间里待了半个钟头定了定心以后,便神色镇定地去和大家待在一起了。所有欢乐愉快的事情都来得太突然,这个下午就这样心旷神怡地消磨过去了;现在再也没有什么重大的事情需要担忧了,但觉心安理得,亲切愉快。
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