【经典名著阅读】《傲慢与偏见》第五十五章（上）

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        A FEW days after this visit, Mr. Bingley called again, and alone. His friend had left him that morning for London, but was to return home in ten days time. He sat with them above an hour, and was in remarkably good spirits. Mrs. Bennet invited him to dine with them; but, with many expressions of concern, he confessed himself engaged elsewhere.这次拜访以后，没有过几天，彬格莱先生又来了，而且只有他一个人来。他的朋友已经在当天早上动身上伦敦去，不过十天以内就要回来。他在班府上坐了一个多钟头，显然非常高兴。班纳特太太留他吃饭，他一再道歉，说是别处已经先有了约会。
        "Next time you call," said she, "I hope we shall be more lucky."班纳特太太只得说：“希望你下次来的时候，能够赏赏我们的脸。”
        He should be particularly happy at any time, &c. &c.; and if she would give him leave, would take an early opportunity of waiting on them.他说他随时都乐意来，只要她不嫌麻烦，他一有机会就来看她们。
        "Can you come tomorrow?"“明天能来吗？”
        Yes, he had no engagement at all for tomorrow; and her invitation was accepted with alacrity.能来，他明天没有约会；于是他爽爽快快地接受了她的邀请。
        He came, and in such very good time that the ladies were none of them dressed. In ran Mrs. Bennet to her daughter's room, in her dressing gown, and with her hair half finished, crying out, "My dear Jane, make haste and hurry down. He is come -- Mr. Bingley is come. -- He is, indeed. Make haste, make haste. Here, Sarah, come to Miss Bennet this moment, and help her on with her gown. Never mind Miss Lizzy's hair."第二天他果然来了，来得非常早，太太小姐们都还没有打扮好。班纳特太太身穿晨衣，头发才梳好一半，连忙跑进女儿房间里去大声嚷道：“亲爱的吉英，快些下楼去。他来了。彬格莱先生来了。他真来了。赶快，赶快。我说，莎蕾，赶快上大小姐这儿来，帮她穿衣服。你别去管丽萃小姐的头发啦。”
        "We will be down as soon as we can," said Jane; "but I dare say Kitty is forwarder than either of us, for she went up stairs half an hour ago."吉英说：“我们马上就下去，也许吉蒂比我们两个都快，因为她上楼有半个钟头了。”
        "Oh! hang Kitty! what has she to do with it? Come be quick, be quick! Where is your sash, my dear?"“哦，别去管吉蒂吧！关她什么事？快些，快些！好孩子，你的腰带在哪儿？”
        But when her mother was gone, Jane would not be prevailed on to go down without one of her sisters.母亲走了以后，吉英再三要一个妹妹陪着她下楼去。
        The same anxiety to get them by themselves was visible again in the evening. After tea, Mr. Bennet retired to the library, as was his custom, and Mary went up stairs to her instrument. Two obstacles of the five being thus removed, Mrs. Bennet sat looking and winking at Elizabeth and Catherine for a considerable time, without making any impression on them. Elizabeth would not observe her; and when at last Kitty did, she very innocently said, "What is the matter mamma? What do you keep winking at me for? What am I to do?"到了下午，显见得班纳特太太又一心要成全他们两人在一起。喝过了茶，班纳特先生照着他平常的习惯，到书房里去了，曼丽上楼弹琴去了。班太太看见五个障碍去了两个，便立刻对伊丽莎白和咖苔琳挤眉弄眼，吉蒂终于很天真地说：“怎么啦，妈妈？你为什么老是对我眨眼？你要我做什么呀？”
        "Nothing child, nothing. I did not wink at you." She then sat still five minutes longer; but unable to waste such a precious occasion, she suddenly got up, and saying to Kitty, "Come here, my love, I want to speak to you," took her out of the room. Jane instantly gave a look at Elizabeth which spoke her distress at such premeditation, and her intreaty that she would not give in to it.“没什么，孩子，没什么。我没有对你眨眼。”于是她又多坐了五分钟，实在不愿意再错过这大好的机会，她便突然站起来，对吉蒂说：“来，宝贝，我跟你说句话，”说过这话，她便把吉蒂拉了出去。
        In a few minutes, Mrs. Bennet half-opened the door and called out, "Lizzy, my dear, I want to speak with you."一眨眼工夫，只见班纳特太太打开了半边门，喊道：“丽萃，亲爱的，我要跟你说句话。”
        Elizabeth was forced to go.伊丽莎白只得走出去。
        "We may as well leave them by themselves you know."Elizabeth made no attempt to reason with her mother, but remained quietly in the hall, till she and Kitty were out of sight, then returned into the drawing room.一走进穿堂，她母亲就对她说：“我们最好不要去打扰他们。”伊丽莎白没有跟她争辩，静静地留在穿堂里，等母亲和吉蒂走得看不见了，才又回到会客室来。
        Mrs. Bennet's schemes for this day were ineffectual. Bingley was every thing that was charming, except the professed lover of her daughter. His ease and cheerfulness rendered him a most agreeable addition to their evening party; and he bore with the ill-judged officiousness of the mother, and heard all her silly remarks with a forbearance and command of countenance particularly grateful to the daughter.班纳特太太这一天的打算没有如愿。彬格莱样样都讨人喜爱，只可惜没有公然以她女儿的情人自居。他安然自若，神情愉快，在她们晚间的家庭聚会上，人人都喜欢他。虽然班纳特太太不知分寸，多管闲事，他却竭力忍受；尽管她讲出多少蠢话，他也一些不动声色，很有耐性地听着，这特别叫那女儿满意。

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        He scarcely needed an invitation to stay supper; and before he went away, an engagement was formed, chiefly through his own and Mrs. Bennet's means, for his coming next morning to shoot with her husband.他几乎用不到主人家邀请，便自己留下来吃饭；他还没有告辞，便又顺应着班纳特太太的意思，将计就计，约定明天来跟她丈夫打鸟。
        After this day, Jane said no more of her indifference. Not a word passed between the sisters concerning Bingley; but Elizabeth went to bed in the happy belief that all must speedily be concluded, unless Mr. Darcy returned within the stated time. Seriously, however, she felt tolerably persuaded that all this must have taken place with that gentleman's concurrence.自从这一天以后，吉英再也不说对他无所谓了。姐妹两人事后一句也没有谈起彬格莱，可是伊丽莎白上床的时候，心里很是快活，觉得只要达西先生不准时赶回来，这件事很快便会有眉目。不过她又认为事到如今，达西先生一定早已表示同意。
        Bingley was punctual to his appointment; and he and Mr. Bennet spent the morning together, as had been agreed on. The latter was much more agreeable than his companion expected. There was nothing of presumption or folly in Bingley that could provoke his ridicule, or disgust him into silence; and he was more communicative, and less eccentric, than the other had ever seen him. Bingley of course returned with him to dinner; and in the evening Mrs. Bennet's invention was again at work to get every body away from him and her daughter. Elizabeth, who had a letter to write, went into the breakfast room for that purpose soon after tea; for as the others were all going to sit down to cards, she could not be wanted to counteract her mother's schemes.第二天彬格莱准时赴约，依照事先约定，跟班纳特先生在一起消磨了整个上午。班纳特先生和蔼可亲，实在远远出乎彬格莱先生的意料。这是因为，彬格莱没有什么傲慢或愚蠢的地方惹他嘲笑，或是叫他讨厌得不肯理睬他。比起彬格莱上次跟他见面的情形来，他这次更加健谈。也不象以前那样古怪。不用说，彬格莱跟他一同回来吃了中饭，晚上班纳特太太又设法把别人都遣开，让他跟她女儿在一起。伊丽莎白今晚有一封信要写吃，过茶以后，便到起坐间去写信，因为她看到别人都坐下打牌，不便再和她母亲作对。
        But on returning to the drawing room, when her letter was finished, she saw, to her infinite surprise, there was reason to fear that her mother had been too ingenious for her. On opening the door, she perceived her sister and Bingley standing together over the hearth, as if engaged in earnest conversation; and had this led to no suspicion, the faces of both, as they hastily turned round and moved away from each other, would have told it all. Their situation was awkward enough; but her's she thought was still worse. Not a syllable was uttered by either; and Elizabeth was on the point of going away again, when Bingley, who as well as the other had sat down, suddenly rose, and whispering a few words to her sister, ran out of the room.等她写好了信回到客厅里来的时候，一看那种情景，不由得触目惊心，认为母亲果然比她聪明得多。且说她一走进门，只见姐姐和彬格莱一起站在壁炉跟前，看来正在谈话谈得起劲，如果这情形还没有什么可疑，那么，只消看看他们俩那般的脸色，那般慌慌张张转过身去，立即分开，你心里便有数了。他们窘态毕露，可是她自己却更窘。他们坐了下来，一言不发；伊丽莎白正待走开，只见彬格莱突然站起身来，跟她姐姐悄悄地说了几句话，便跑出去了。
        Jane could have no reserves from Elizabeth, where confidence would give pleasure; and instantly embracing her, acknowledged, with the liveliest emotion, that she was the happiest creature in the world.吉英心里有了快活的事情，向来不隐瞒伊丽莎白，于是她马上抱住妹妹，极其热情地承认她自己是天下最幸福的人。
        "'Tis too much!" she added, "by far too much. I do not deserve it. Oh! why is not every body as happy?"她又说：“太幸福了！实在太幸福了。我不配。哎哟，为什么不能人人都象我这样幸福呢？”
        Elizabeth's congratulations were given with a sincerity, a warmth, a delight, which words could but poorly express. Every sentence of kindness was a fresh source of happiness to Jane. But she would not allow herself to stay with her sister, or say half that remained to be said for the present.伊丽莎白连忙向她道喜，真诚热烈，欢欣异常，实在非笔墨所能形容。她每说一句亲切的话，就增加吉英一分幸福的感觉。可是吉英不能跟妹妹多纠缠了，她要说的话还没有说到一半，可不能再说下去了。
        "I must go instantly to my mother;" she cried. "I would not on any account trifle with her affectionate solicitude; or allow her to hear it from any one but myself. He is gone to my father already. Oh! Lizzy, to know that what I have to relate will give such pleasure to all my dear family! how shall I bear so much happiness!"吉英说：“我得马上上妈妈那儿去，我千万不能辜负她一片好心好意，我要亲自去把这件事说给她听，不要别人转言。他已经去告诉爸爸了。噢，丽萃，你知道，家里听到这件事，一个个会觉得多么高兴啊！我怎么受得了这样的幸福！”
        She then hastened away to her mother, who had purposely broken up the card party, and was sitting up stairs with Kitty.于是她连忙到母亲那儿去，只见母亲已经特地散了牌场，跟吉蒂坐在椅上。
        Elizabeth, who was left by herself, now smiled at the rapidity and ease with which an affair was finally settled, that had given them so many previous months of suspense and vexation.伊丽莎白一个人留在那儿，心想：家里人为了这件事，几个月来一直在烦神担心，如今却一下子便得到了解决，她想到这里，不禁一笑。
        "And this," said she, "is the end of all his friend's anxious circumspection! of all his sister's falsehood and contrivance! the happiest, wisest, most reasonable end!"她说：“这就是他那位朋友处心积虑的结局！是他自己的姐妹自欺欺人的下场！这个结果真是太幸福、太圆满、太有意思了！”