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"How was it possible that such an idea should enter our brains? I felt a little uneasy--a little fearful of my sister's happiness with him in marriage, because I knew that his conduct had not been always quite right. My father and mother knew nothing of that; they only felt how imprudent a match it must be. Kitty then owned, with a very natural triumph on knowing more than the rest of us, that in Lydia's last letter she had prepared her for such a step. She had known, it seems, of their being in love with each other, many weeks. "
“我們的腦子里怎么會有這種念頭呢！我只是覺得有些不安心，有些顧慮，怕妹妹跟他結(jié)婚不會幸福，因為我早就知道他的品德不太端正。父親和母親完全不知道這種情形，他們只覺得這門親事非常冒昧。吉蒂當(dāng)時十分好勝地說，她比我們大家都熟悉內(nèi)幕情形，麗迪雅給她的最后一封信上就已經(jīng)隱隱約約透露也了一些口風(fēng)，準(zhǔn)備來這一著。看吉蒂那副神氣，她好象遠(yuǎn)在她幾個星期以前，就知道他們倆相愛了。”
"But not before they went to Brighton?"
“總不見得在他們倆去到白利屯以前就看出了吧？”
"No, I believe not. "
“不見得，我相信不見得。”
"And did Colonel Forster appear to think well of Wickham himself? Does he know his real character?"
“弗斯脫上校是不是顯出看不起韋翰的樣子？他了解韋翰的真面目嗎？”
"I must confess that he did not speak so well of Wickham as he formerly did. He believed him to be imprudent and extravagant. And since this sad affair has taken place, it is said that he left Meryton greatly in debt; but I hope this may be false. "
“這我得承認(rèn)，他不象從前那樣器重他了。他認(rèn)為他行事荒唐，又愛奢華，這件傷心的事發(fā)生以后，人們都傳說他離開麥里屯的時候，還欠下了好多債，我但愿這是謠言。”
"Oh, Jane, had we been less secret, had we told what we knew of him, this could not have happened!"
“哎喲，吉英，要是我們當(dāng)初少替他保守一點秘密，把他的事情照直說出來，那也許就不會發(fā)生這件事了！”
"Perhaps it would have been better, " replied her sister. "But to expose the former faults of any person without knowing what their present feelings were, seemed unjustifiable. We acted with the best intentions. "
吉英說：“說不定會好些，不過，光是揭露人家過去的錯誤，而不尊重人家目前的為人，未免亦有些說不過去。我們待人接物，應(yīng)該完全好心好意。”
"Could Colonel Forster repeat the particulars of Lydia's note to his wife?"
“弗斯脫上校能不能把麗迪雅留給他太太的那封短信逐字逐句背出來？”
"He brought it with him for us to see. "
“那封信他是隨身帶來給我們看的。”
Jane then took it from her pocket-book, and gave it to Elizabeth. These were the contents:
于是吉英從口袋里掏出那封信，遞給伊麗莎白。全文如下：
"MY DEAR HARRIET,
親愛的海麗，
"You will laugh when you know where I am gone, and I cannot help laughing myself at your surprise to-morrow morning, as soon as I am missed. I am going to Gretna Green, and if you cannot guess with who, I shall think you a simpleton, for there is but one man in the world I love, and he is an angel. I should never be happy without him, so think it no harm to be off. You need not send them word at Longbourn of my going, if you do not like it, for it will make the surprise the greater, when I write to them and sign my name 'Lydia Wickham. ' What a good joke it will be! I can hardly write for laughing. Pray make my excuses to Pratt for not keeping my engagement, and dancing with him to-night. Tell him I hope he will excuse me when he knows all; and tell him I will dance with him at the next ball we meet, with great pleasure. I shall send for my clothes when I get to Longbourn; but I wish you would tell Sally to mend a great slit in my worked muslin gown before they are packed up. Good-bye. Give my love to Colonel Forster. I hope you will drink to our good journey.
明天一大早你發(fā)現(xiàn)我失了蹤，一定會大為驚奇；等你弄明白了我上什么地方去，你一定又會發(fā)笑。我想到這里，自己也禁不住笑出來了。我要到格利那草場去。如果你猜不著我是跟誰一起去，那我真要把你看成一個大傻瓜，因為這世界上只有一個男人是我心愛的，他真是一個天使。沒有了他，我決不會幸福，因此，你別以為這這次去會惹出什么禍來。如果你不愿意把我出走的消息告訴浪搏恩我家里人，那你不告訴也罷。我要使他們接到我信的時候，看到我的簽名是“麗迪雅·韋翰”，讓他們更覺得事出意外。這個玩笑真開得太有意思！我?guī)缀跣Φ脽o法寫下去了！請你替我向普拉特道個歉，我今天晚上不能赴約，不能和他跳舞了。我希望他知道了這一切情形以后，能夠原諒我；請你告訴他，下次在跳舞會上想見的時候，我一定樂意同他跳舞。我到了浪搏恩就派人來取衣服，請你告訴莎蕾一聲，我那件細(xì)洋紗的長衣服裂了一條大縫，叫她替我收拾行李的時候，把它補(bǔ)一補(bǔ)。再見。請代問候弗斯脫上校。愿你為我們的一路順風(fēng)而干杯。
"Your affectionate friend,
你的好友
"LYDIA BENNET. "
麗迪雅·班納特
"Oh! thoughtless, thoughtless Lydia!" cried Elizabeth when she had finished it. "What a letter is this, to be written at such a moment! But at least it shows that SHE was serious on the subject of their journey. Whatever he might afterwards persuade her to, it was not on her side a SCHEME of infamy. My poor father! how he must have felt it!"
伊麗莎白讀完了信以后叫道：“好一個沒有腦子的麗迪雅！遇到這樣重大的事，竟會寫出這樣一封信來！但是至少可以說明，她倒是把這一次旅行看成一件正經(jīng)事。不管他以后會誘惑她走到哪一步田地，她可沒有存心要做出什么丟臉的事來。可憐的爸爸！！他對這件事會有多少感觸啊！”
"I never saw anyone so shocked. He could not speak a word for full ten minutes. My mother was taken ill immediately, and the whole house in such confusion!"
“他當(dāng)時驚駭?shù)媚欠N樣子，我真一輩子也沒見過。他整整十分鐘說不出一句話來。媽一下子就病倒了，全家都給弄得鬼神不安！”
