評(píng)論
打印
Chapter 1
第一章
IT is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
凡是有錢的單身漢，總想娶位太太，這已經(jīng)成了一條舉世公認(rèn)的真理。
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
這樣的單身漢，每逢新搬到一個(gè)地方，四鄰八舍雖然完全不了解他的性情如何，見解如何，可是，既然這樣的一條真理早已在人們心目中根深蒂固，因此人們總是把他看作自己某一個(gè)女兒理所應(yīng)得的一筆財(cái)產(chǎn)。
"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"
有一天班納特太太對(duì)她的丈夫說：“我的好老爺，尼日斐花園終于租出去了，你聽說過沒有？”
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
班納特先生回答道，他沒有聽說過。
"But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it."
“的確租出去了，”她說，“朗格太太剛剛上這兒來過，她把這件事的底細(xì)，一五一十地告訴了我。”
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
班納特先生沒有理睬她。
"Do not you want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently.
“你難道不想知道是誰(shuí)租去的嗎？”太太不耐煩地嚷起來了。
"You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."
“既是你要說給我聽，我聽聽也無(wú)妨。”
This was invitation enough.
這句話足夠鼓勵(lì)她講下去了。
"Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week."
“哦！親愛的，你得知道，郎格太太說，租尼日斐花園的是個(gè)闊少爺，他是英格蘭北部的人；聽說他星期一那天，乘著一輛駟馬大轎車來看房子，看得非常中意，當(dāng)場(chǎng)就和莫理斯先生談妥了；他要在‘米迦勒節(jié)'以前搬進(jìn)來，打算下個(gè)周未先叫幾個(gè)傭人來住。”
"What is his name?"
“這個(gè)人叫什么名字？”
"Bingley."
“彬格萊。”
"Is he married or single?"
“有太太的呢，還是單身漢？”
"Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"
“噢！是個(gè)單身漢，親愛的，確確實(shí)實(shí)是個(gè)單身漢！一個(gè)有錢的單身漢；每年有四五千磅的收入。真是女兒們的福氣！”
"How so? how can it affect them?"
“這怎么說？關(guān)女兒女兒們什么事？”
"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."
“我的好老爺，”太太回答道，“你怎么這樣叫人討厭！告訴你吧，我正在盤算，他要是挑中我們一個(gè)女兒做老婆，可多好！”
"Is that his design in settling here?"
“他住到這兒來，就是為了這個(gè)打算嗎？”
"Design! nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes."
“打算！胡扯，這是哪兒的話！不過，他倒作興看中我們的某一個(gè)女兒呢。他一搬來，你就得去拜訪拜訪他。”
"I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for, as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party."
“我不用去。你帶著女兒們?nèi)ゾ偷美玻荒愀纱啻虬l(fā)她們自己去，那或許倒更好些，因?yàn)槟愀畠簜儽绕饋恚齻兡囊粋€(gè)都不能勝過你的美貌,你去了，彬格萊先生倒可能挑中你呢？”
"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be any thing extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty."
“我的好老爺，你太捧我啦。從前也的確有人贊賞過我的美貌，現(xiàn)在我可有敢說有什么出眾的地方了。一個(gè)女人家有了五個(gè)成年的女兒，就不該對(duì)自己的美貌再轉(zhuǎn)什么念頭。”
"In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of."
“這樣看來，一個(gè)女人家對(duì)自己的美貌也轉(zhuǎn)不了多少念頭嘍。”“不過，我的好老爺，彬格萊一搬到我們的鄰近來，你的確應(yīng)該去看看他。”
