評論
打印
She had never perceived, while the regiment was in Hertfordshire, that Lydia had any partiality for him, but she was convinced that Lydia had wanted only encouragement to attach herself to any body. Sometimes oneofficer, sometimes another had been her favourite, as their attentions raised them in her opinion. Her affections had been continually fluctuating, but never without an object. The mischief of neglect and mistaken indulgence towards such a girl. -- Oh! how acutely did she now feel it.
民兵團駐扎在哈福德郡的時候，她完全沒有看出麗迪雅對韋翰有什么傾心的地方，可是她深深認識到麗迪雅只要隨便哪個人勾引一下就會上鉤。她今天喜歡這個軍官，明天又喜歡那個軍官，只要你對她獻殷勤，她就看得中你。她平常的情感極不專一，可是從來沒有缺少過談情說愛的對象。這只怪一向沒有家教，對她任意縱容，結(jié)果使這樣的一個姑娘落得這般下場。天哪！她現(xiàn)在實在體會得太深刻啦！
She was wild to be at home -- to hear, to see, to be upon the spot, to share with Jane in the cares that must now fall wholly upon her, in a family so deranged; a father absent, a mother incapable of exertion and requiring constant attendance; and though almost persuaded that nothing could be done for Lydia, her uncle's interference seemed of the utmost importance, and till he entered the room, the misery of her impatience was severe. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner had hurried back in alarm, supposing, by the servant's account, that their niece was taken suddenly ill; -- but satisfying them instantly on that head, she eagerly communicated the cause of their summons, reading the two letters aloud, and dwelling on the postscript of the last with trembling energy. -- Though Lydia had never been a favourite with them, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner could not but be deeply affected. Not Lydia only, but all were concerned in it; and after the first exclamations of surprise and horror, Mr. Gardiner readily promised every assistance in his power. -- Elizabeth, though expecting no less, thanked him with tears of gratitude; and all three being actuated by one spirit, every thing relating to their journey was speedily settled. They were to be off as soon as possible. ``But what is to be done about Pemberley?'' cried Mrs. Gardiner. ``John told us Mr. Darcy was here when you sent for us; -- was it so?''
她非回家不可了……要親自去聽聽清楚，看看明白，要趕快去給吉英分擔一份憂勞。家里給弄得那么糟，父親不在家，母親撐不起身，又隨時要人侍候，千斤重擔都壓在吉英一個人身上。關(guān)于麗迪雅的事，她雖然認為已經(jīng)無法可想，可是她又認為舅父的幫助是極其重要的，她等他回來真等得萬分焦急。且說嘉丁納夫婦聽了仆人的話還以為是外甥女得了急病，便連忙慌慌張張趕回來。伊麗莎白見到他們，馬上說明并非得了急病，他們方才放心，她又連忙講清楚找他們回來的原因，把那兩封信讀出來，又氣急敗壞地念著第二封信后面補寫的那一段話。雖然舅父母平常并不喜愛麗迪雅，可是他們卻不得不感到深切的憂慮，因為這件事不單是牽涉到麗迪雅，而是對于大家都體面攸關(guān)。嘉丁納先生開頭大為駭異，連聲慨嘆，然后便一口答應(yīng)竭盡一切力量幫忙到底。伊麗莎白雖然并沒有覺得事出意外，可還是感激涕零。于是三個人協(xié)力同心，一剎那工夫就樣樣收拾妥貼，只等上路。他們要走得越快越好。“可是怎樣向彭伯里交待呢？”嘉丁納太太大聲地說：“約翰跟我們說，當你在找我們的時候，達西先生正在這兒，這是真的嗎？”
"Yes; and I told him we should not be able to keep our engagement. That is all settled.''
“是真的；我已經(jīng)告訴過他，我們不能赴約了。這件事算是交待清楚了。”
"That is all settled!'' repeated the other, as she ran into her room to prepare. ``And are they upon such terms as for her to disclose the real truth! Oh, that I knew how it was!''
“這件事算是交待清楚了，”舅母一面重說了一遍，一面跑回房間去準備。“難道他們兩人的交情已經(jīng)好到這步田地，她可以把事實真相都說給他聽了嗎？哎唷，我真想弄明白這究竟是怎么回事！”
But wishes were vain; or at best could serve only to amuse her in the hurry and confusion of the following hour. Had Elizabeth been at leisure to be idle, she would have remained certain that all employment wasimpossible to one so wretched as herself; but she had her share of business as well as her aunt, and amongst the rest there were notes to be written to all their friends in Lambton, with false excuses for their sudden departure. An hour, however, saw the whole completed; and Mr. Gardiner meanwhile having settled his account at the inn, nothing remained to be done but to go; and Elizabeth, after all the misery of the morning, found herself, in a shorter space of time than she could have supposed, seated in the carriage, and on the road to Longbourn.
可惜她這個愿望落空了，最多不過在這匆匆忙忙、慌慌亂亂的一個鐘頭里面，寬慰了一下她自己的心。縱使伊麗莎白能夠偷閑摸空跟她談?wù)劊谶@種狼狽不堪的情況下，哪里還會有閑情逸致來談這種事，何況她也和她舅母一樣，有多少事情要料理；別的且不說，藍白屯所有的朋友們就得由她寫信去通知，執(zhí)行捏造一些借口，說明他們?yōu)槭裁匆蝗浑x去。她在一小時以后，樣樣事情都已經(jīng)料理妥貼，嘉丁納先生也和旅館里算清了賬，只等動身。伊麗莎白苦悶了整整一個上午，想不到在極短的時間里，居然坐上馬車，向浪搏恩出發(fā)了。
