"Is it possible?" cried Elizabeth, when she had finished. "Can it be possible that he will marry her?"
伊麗莎白讀完了信問道:“這事可能嗎?他竟會同她結婚?”
"Wickham is not so undeserving, then, as we thought him, " said her sister. "My dear father, I congratulate you. "
她姐姐說:“那么,韋翰倒并不象我們所想象的那樣不成器啦。親愛的爸爸,恭喜你。”
"And have you answered the letter?" cried Elizabeth.
“你寫了回信沒有?”伊麗莎白問。
"No; but it must be done soon. "
“沒有寫回信,可是立刻就得寫。”
Most earnestly did she then entreaty him to lose no more time before he wrote.
于是她極其誠懇地請求他馬上就回家去寫,不要耽擱。
"Oh! my dear father, " she cried, "come back and write immediately. Consider how important every moment is in such a case. "
她嚷道:“親愛的爸爸馬上就回去寫吧。你要知道,這種事情是一分鐘一秒鐘也不能耽擱的。”
"Let me write for you, " said Jane, "if you dislike the trouble yourself. "
吉英說:“要是你怕麻煩,讓我代你寫好了。”
"I dislike it very much, " he replied; "but it must be done. "
父親回答道:“我的確不大愿意寫,可是不寫又不行。”
And so saying, he turned back with them, and walked towards the house.
他一邊說,一邊轉過身來跟她們一同回到屋里去。
"And may I ask--" said Elizabeth; "but the terms, I suppose, must be complied with. "
伊麗莎白說:“我可以問你一句話嗎?我想,他提出的條件你一定都肯答應吧?”
"Complied with! I am only ashamed of his asking so little. "
“一口答應!他要得這么少,我倒覺得不好意思呢。”
"And they MUST marry! Yet he is SUCH a man!"
“他們倆非結婚不可了!然而他卻是那樣的一個人。”
"Yes, yes, they must marry. There is nothing else to be done. But there are two things that I want very much to know; one is, how much money your uncle has laid down to bring it about; and the other, how am I ever to pay him. "
“是啊!怎么不是,他們非結婚不可。沒有別的辦法。可是有兩件事我很想弄個明白──第一件,你舅舅究竟拿出了多少錢,才使這件事有了個著落;第二件,我以后有什么辦法還他這筆錢?”
"Money! My uncle!" cried Jane, "what do you mean, sir?"
吉英嚷道:“錢!舅舅!你這是什么意思,爸爸?”
"I mean, that no man in his senses would marry Lydia on so slight a temptation as one hundred a year during my life, and fifty after I am gone. "
“我的意思是說,一個頭腦最清楚的人是不會跟麗迪雅結婚的,因為她沒有哪一點地方可以叫人家看中。我生前每年給她一百鎊,死后一共也只有五千磅。”
"That is very true, " said Elizabeth; "though it had not occurred to me before. His debts to be discharged, and something still to remain! Oh! it must be my uncle's doings! Generous, good man, I am afraid he has distressed himself. A small sum could not do all this. "
伊麗莎白說:“那倒是實話,不過我以前卻從來沒有想到過。他的債務償清了以后,還會多下錢來!噢,那一定是舅舅代他張羅的!好一個慷慨善良的人!我就怕苦了他自己。這樣一來,他得花費不少錢呢。”
"No, " said her father; "Wickham's a fool if he takes her with a farthing less than ten thousand pounds. I should be sorry to think so ill of him, in the very beginning of our relationship. "
父親說:“韋翰要是拿不到一萬鎊就答應娶麗迪雅,那他才是個大傻瓜呢。我同他剛剛攀上親戚,照理不應該多說他的壞話。”
"Ten thousand pounds! Heaven forbid! How is half such a sum to be repaid?"
“一萬鎊!天不容!即使半數,又怎么還得起?”
Mr. Bennet made no answer, and each of them, deep in thought, continued silent till they reached the house. Their father then went on to the library to write, and the girls walked into the breakfast-room.
班納特先生沒有回答。大家都轉著念頭,默不作聲。回到家里,父親到書房里去寫信,女兒們都走進飯廳里去。
"And they are really to be married!" cried Elizabeth, as soon as they were by themselves. "How strange this is! And for THIS we are to be thankful. That they should marry, small as is their chance of happiness, and wretched as is his character, we are forced to rejoice. Oh, Lydia!"
姐妹倆一離開父親,妹妹便嚷道:“他們真要結婚了!這真稀奇!不過我們也大可謝天謝地。他們究竟結婚了。雖然他們不一定會過得怎么幸福,他的品格又那么壞,然而我們究竟不得不高興。哦,麗迪雅呀!”
"I comfort myself with thinking, " replied Jane, "that he certainly would not marry Lydia if he had not a real regard for her. Though our kind uncle has done something towards clearing him, I cannot believe that ten thousand pounds, or anything like it, has been advanced. He has children of his own, and may have more. How could he spare half ten thousand pounds?"
吉英說:“我想了一下,也覺得安慰,要不是他真正愛麗迪雅,他是決不肯跟他結婚的。好心的舅舅即使替他清償了一些債務,我可不相信會墊付了一萬鎊那么大的數目。舅舅有那么多孩子,也許以后還要養男育女。就是叫他拿也五千鎊,他又怎么能夠拿出來?”
"If he were ever able to learn what Wickham's debts have been, " said Elizabeth, "and how much is settled on his side on our sister, we shall exactly know what Mr. Gardiner has done for them, because Wickham has not sixpence of his own. The kindness of my uncle and aunt can never be requited. Their taking her home, and affording her their personal protection and countenance, is such a sacrifice to her advantage as years of gratitude cannot enough acknowledge. By this time she is actually with them! If such goodness does not make her miserable now, she will never deserve to be happy! What a meeting for her, when she first sees my aunt!"
“我們只要知道韋翰究竟欠下了多少債務,”伊麗莎白說,“用他的名義給我們妹妹的錢有多少,那我們就會知道嘉丁納先生幫了他們多大的忙,因為韋翰自己一個子也沒有。舅舅和舅母的恩典今生今世也報不了。他們把麗迪雅接回家去,親自保護她,給她爭面子,這犧牲了他們自己多少利益,真是一輩子也感恩不盡。麗迪雅現在一定到了他們那兒了!要是這樣一片好心還不能使她覺得慚愧,那她可真不配享受幸福。她一見到舅母,該多么難為情啊!”
"We must endeavour to forget all that has passed on either side, " said Jane: "I hope and trust they will yet be happy. His consenting to marry her is a proof, I will believe, that he is come to a right way of thinking. Their mutual affection will steady them; and I flatter myself they will settle so quietly, and live in so rational a manner, as may in time make their past imprudence forgotten. "
吉英說:“我們應該把他們兩個人過去的事盡力忘掉,我希望他們還是會幸福,也相信這樣。他既然答應跟她結婚,這就可以證明他已經往正路上去想。他們能夠互敬互愛,自然也都會穩重起來。我相信他們倆從此會安安穩穩、規規矩矩地過日子,到時候人們也就會把他們過去的荒唐行為忘了。”
"Their conduct has been such, " replied Elizabeth, "as neither you, nor I, nor anybody can ever forget. It is useless to talk of it. "
“他們既然已經有過荒唐行為,”伊麗莎白回答道,“那么無論你我,無論任何人,都忘不了。也不必去談這種事。”