"If you mean Darcy," cried her brother, "he may go to bed, if he chuses, before it begins but as for the ball, it is quite a settled thing; and as soon as Nicholls has made white soup enough I shall send round my cards."
“如果你指的是達(dá)西，”她的哥哥大聲說(shuō)，“那么，他可以在跳舞開(kāi)始以前就上床去睡覺(jué)，隨他的便好啦。舞會(huì)已經(jīng)決定了非開(kāi)不可，只等尼可爾斯把一切都準(zhǔn)備好了，我就下請(qǐng)貼。”
"I should like balls infinitely better," she replied, "if they were carried on in a different manner; but there is something insufferably tedious in the usual process of such a meeting. It would surely be much more rational if conversation instead of dancing made the order of the day."
彬格萊小姐說(shuō)：“要是開(kāi)舞會(huì)能換些花樣，那我就更高興了，通常舞會(huì)上的那老一套，實(shí)在討厭透頂。你如果能把那一天的日程改一改，用談話(huà)來(lái)代替跳舞，那一定有意思得多。”
"Much more rational, my dear Caroline, I dare say, but it would not be near so much like a ball."
“也許有意思得多，珈羅琳，可是那還象什么舞會(huì)呢。”
Miss Bingley made no answer; and soon afterwards got up and walked about the room. Her figure was elegant, and she walked well; but Darcy, at whom it was all aimed, was still inflexibly studious. In the desperation of her feelings she resolved on one effort more; and turning to Elizabeth, said, "Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my example, and take a turn about the room. I assure you it is very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude."
彬格萊小姐沒(méi)有回答。不大一會(huì)兒工夫，她就站起身來(lái)，在房間里踱來(lái)踱去，故意在達(dá)西面前賣(mài)弄她優(yōu)美的體態(tài)和矯健的步伐，只可惜達(dá)西只顧在那里一心一意地看書(shū)，因此她只落得枉費(fèi)心機(jī)。她絕望之余，決定再作一次努力，于是轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)身來(lái)對(duì)伊麗莎白說(shuō)：“伊麗莎·班納特小姐，我勸你還是學(xué)學(xué)我的樣子，在房間里瞎走動(dòng)走動(dòng)吧。告訴你，坐了那么久，走動(dòng)一下可以提提精神。”
Elizabeth was surprised, but agreed to it immediately. Miss Bingley succeeded no less in the real object of her civility; Mr. Darcy looked up. He was as much awake to the novelty of attention in that quarter as Elizabeth herself could be, and unconsciously closed his book. He was directly invited to join their party, but he declined it, observing that he could imagine but two motives for their chusing to walk up and down the room together, with either of which motives his joining them would interfere. "What could he mean? she was dying to know what could be his meaning" and asked Elizabeth whether she could at all understand him?
伊麗莎白覺(jué)得很詫異，可是立刻依了她的意思。于是彬格萊小姐獻(xiàn)殷勤的真正目的達(dá)到了──達(dá)西先生果然抬起頭來(lái)，原來(lái)達(dá)西也和伊麗莎白一樣，看出了她在耍花招引人注目，便不知不覺(jué)地放下了書(shū)本。兩位小姐立刻請(qǐng)他來(lái)一塊兒踱步，可是他謝絕了，說(shuō)是她們倆所以要在屋子里踱來(lái)踱去，據(jù)他的想象，無(wú)非有兩個(gè)動(dòng)機(jī)，如果他參加她們一起散步，對(duì)于她們的任何一個(gè)動(dòng)機(jī)都會(huì)有妨礙。他這話(huà)是什么意思？彬格萊小姐極想知道他講這話(huà)用意何在，便問(wèn)伊麗莎白懂不懂。
"Not at all," was her answer; "but depend upon it, he means to be severe on us, and our surest way of disappointing him will be to ask nothing about it."
伊麗莎白回答道：“根本不懂，他一定是存心刁難我們，不過(guò)你最好不要理睬他，讓他失望一下。”
Miss Bingley, however, was incapable of disappointing Mr. Darcy in any thing, and persevered therefore in requiring an explanation of his two motives.
可惜彬格萊小姐遇到任何事情都不忍心叫達(dá)西先生失望，于是再三要求他非把他的所謂兩個(gè)動(dòng)機(jī)解釋一下不可。
"I have not the smallest objection to explaining them," said he, as soon as she allowed him to speak. "You either chuse this method of passing the evening because you are in each other's confidence, and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking; if the first, I should be completely in your way; and if the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire."
達(dá)西等她一住口，便馬上說(shuō)：“我非常愿意解釋一下，事情不外乎是這樣的，你們是心腹之交，所以選擇了這個(gè)辦法來(lái)消磨黃昏，還要談?wù)勊绞拢駝t就是你們自以為散起步來(lái)體態(tài)顯得特別好看，所以要散散步。倘若是出于第一個(gè)動(dòng)機(jī)，我?jiàn)A在你們一起就會(huì)妨礙你們；假若是出于第二個(gè)動(dòng)機(jī)，那么我坐在火爐旁邊可以更好地欣賞你們。”
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