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WHEN the ladies removed after dinner, Elizabeth ran up to her sister, and, seeing her well guarded from cold, attended her into the drawing-room; where she was welcomed by her two friends with many professions of pleasure; and Elizabeth had never seen them so agreeable as they were during the hour which passed before the gentlemen appeared. Their powers of conversation were considerable. They could describe an entertainment with accuracy, relate an anecdote with humour, and laugh at their acquaintance with spirit.
娘兒們吃過晚飯以后，伊麗莎白就上樓到她姐姐那兒去，看她穿戴得妥妥貼貼，不會著涼，便陪著她上客廳去。她的女朋友們見到她，都表示歡迎，一個個都說非常高興。在男客們沒有來的那一個鐘頭里，她們是那么和藹可親，伊麗莎白從來不曾看到過。她們的健談本領真是嚇人，描述起宴會來纖毫入微，說起故事來風趣橫溢，譏笑起一個朋友來也是有聲有色。
But when the gentlemen entered, Jane was no longer the first object. Miss Bingley's eyes were instantly turned towards Darcy, and she had something to say to him before he had advanced many steps. He addressed himself directly to Miss Bennet, with a polite congratulation; Mr. Hurst also made her a slight bow, and said he was "very glad;" but diffuseness and warmth remained for Bingley's salutation. He was full of joy and attention. The first half hour was spent in piling up the fire, lest she should suffer from the change of room; and she removed at his desire to the other side of the fireplace, that she might be farther from the door. He then sat down by her, and talked scarcely to any one else. Elizabeth, at work in the opposite corner, saw it all with great delight.
可是男客們一走進來，吉英就不怎么引人注目了。達西一進門，彬格萊小姐的眼睛就立刻轉到他身上去，要跟他說話。達西首先向班納特小姐問好，客客氣氣地祝賀她病休復元；赫斯脫先生也對她微微一鞠躬，說是見到她“非常高興”；但是說到詞氣周到，情意懇切，可就比不上彬格萊先生那幾聲問候。彬格萊先生才算得上情深意切，滿懷歡欣。開頭半小時完全消磨在添煤上面，生怕屋子里冷起來會叫病人受不了。吉英依照彬格萊的話，移坐到火爐的另一邊去，那樣她就離開門口遠一些，免得受涼。接著他自己在她身旁坐下，一心跟她說話，簡直不理睬別人。伊麗莎白正在對面角落里做活計，把這全部情景都看在眼里，感到無限高興。
When tea was over, Mr. Hurst reminded his sister-in-law of the card-table -- but in vain. She had obtained private intelligence that Mr. Darcy did not wish for cards; and Mr. Hurst soon found even his open petition rejected. She assured him that no one intended to play, and the silence of the whole party on the subject seemed to justify her. Mr. Hurst had therefore nothing to do but to stretch himself on one of the sophas and go to sleep. Darcy took up a book; Miss Bingley did the same; and Mrs. Hurst, principally occupied in playing with her bracelets and rings, joined now and then in her brother's conversation with Miss Bennet.
喝過茶以后，赫斯脫先生提醒她的小姨子把牌桌擺好，可是沒有用。她早就看出達西先生不想打牌，因此赫斯脫先生后來公開提出要打牌也被她拒絕了。她跟他說，誰也不想玩牌，只見全場對這件事都不作聲，看來她的確沒有說錯。因此，赫斯脫先生無事可做，只得躺在沙發上打瞌睡。達西拿起一本書來。彬格萊小姐也拿起一本書來。赫斯脫太太聚精會神地在玩弄自己的手鐲和指環，偶而也在她弟弟跟班納特小姐的對話中插幾句嘴。
Miss Bingley's attention was quite as much engaged in watching Mr. Darcy's progress through his book, as in reading her own; and she was perpetually either making some inquiry, or looking at his page. She could not win him, however, to any conversation; he merely answered her question, and read on. At length, quite exhausted by the attempt to be amused with her own book, which she had only chosen because it was the second volume of his, she gave a great yawn and said, "How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library."
彬格萊小姐一面看達西讀書，一面自己讀書，兩件事同時并做，都是半心半意。她老是向他問句什么的，或者是看他讀到哪一頁。不過，她總是沒有辦法逗她說話；她問一句他就答一句，答過以后便繼續讀他的書。彬格萊小姐所以要挑選那一本書讀，只不過因為那是達西所讀的第二卷，她滿想讀個津津有味，不料這會兒倒讀得精疲力盡了。她打了個呵欠，說道：“這樣度過一個晚上，真是多么愉快啊！我說呀，什么娛樂也抵不上讀書的樂趣。無論干什么事，都是一上手就要厭倦，讀書卻不會這樣！將來有一天我自己有了家，要是沒有個很好的書房，那會多遺憾喲?！?/div>
No one made any reply. She then yawned again, threw aside her book, and cast her eyes round the room in quest of some amusement; when, hearing her brother mentioning a ball to Miss Bennet, she turned suddenly towards him and said, "By the bye, Charles, are you really serious in meditating a dance at Netherfield? -- I would advise you, before you determine on it, to consult the wishes of the present party; I am much mistaken if there are not some among us to whom a ball would be rather a punishment than a pleasure."
誰也沒有理睬她。于是她又打了個呵欠，拋開書本，把整個房間里望了一轉，要想找點兒什么東西消遺消遺，這時忽聽得她哥哥跟班納特小姐說要開一次跳舞會，她就猛可地掉過頭來對他說：“這樣說，查爾斯，你真打算在尼日斐花園開一次跳舞會嗎？我勸你最好還是先征求一下在場朋友們的意見再作決定吧。這里面就會有人覺得跳舞是受罪，而不是娛樂，要是沒有這種人，你怪我好了?！?
