When the dancing recommenced, however, and Darcy approached to claim her hand, Charlotte could not help cautioning her, in a whisper, not to be a simpleton, and allow her fancy for Wickham to make her appear unpleasant in the eyes of a man of ten times his consequence. Elizabeth made no answer, and took her place in the set, amazed at the dignity to which she was arrived in being allowed to stand opposite to Mr. Darcy, and reading in her neighbours' looks their equal amazement in beholding it. They stood for some time without speaking a word; and she began to imagine that their silence was to last through the two dances, and at first was resolved not to break it; till suddenly fancying that it would be the greater punishment to her partner to oblige him to talk, she made some slight observation on the dance. He replied, and was again silent. After a pause of some minutes, she addressed him a second time with: "It is your turn to say something now, Mr. Darcy. -- I talked about the dance, and you ought to make some kind of remark on the size of the room, or the number of couples."
當(dāng)跳舞重新開始，達(dá)西又走到她跟前來請(qǐng)她跳舞的時(shí)候，夏綠蒂禁不捉他，問了我一大堆的話。我發(fā)覺那年輕的官人雖然把什么事都說給你聽了，可就偏偏忘了說他自己是老達(dá)西 r佧親沒有回答便下了舞池，她想不到居然會(huì)有這樣的體面，跟達(dá)西先生面對(duì)面跳舞，她看見身旁的人們也同樣露出了驚奇的目光。他們倆跳了一會(huì)兒，一句話也沒有交談。她想象著這兩場(chǎng)舞可能一直要沉默到底，開頭決定不要打破這種沉默，后來突然異想天開，認(rèn)為如果逼得她的舞伴不得不說幾句話，那就會(huì)叫他受更大的罪，于是她就說了幾句關(guān)于跳舞方面的話。他回答了她的話，接著又是沉默。歇了幾分鐘，她第二次跟他攀談：“現(xiàn)在該輪到你談?wù)劺玻_(dá)西先生。我既然談了跳舞，你就得談?wù)勎璩氐拇笮∫约坝卸嗌賹?duì)舞伴之類的問題。”
He smiled, and assured her that whatever she wished him to say should be said.
他笑了笑，告訴她說，她要他說什么他就說什么。
"Very well. -- That reply will do for the present. -- Perhaps by and by I may observe that private balls are much pleasanter than public ones. -- But now we may be silent."
“好極了；這種回答眼前也說得過去了。待一忽兒我或許會(huì)談到私人舞會(huì)比公共場(chǎng)所的跳舞會(huì)來得好；不過，我們現(xiàn)在可以不必作聲了。”
"Do you talk by rule then, while you are dancing?"
“那么說，你跳起舞來照例總得要談上幾句嗎？”
"Sometimes. One must speak a little, you know. It would look odd to be entirely silent for half an hour together, and yet for the advantage of some, conversation ought to be so arranged as that they may have the trouble of saying as little as as possible."
“有時(shí)候要的。你知道，一個(gè)人總得要說些話。接連半個(gè)鐘頭待在一塊兒一聲不響，那是夠別扭的。不過有些人就偏偏巴不得說話愈少愈好，為這些人著想，談話也不妨安排得少一點(diǎn)。”
"Are you consulting your own feelings in the present case, or do you imagine that you are gratifying mine?"
“在目前這樣的情況下，你是在照顧你自已的情緒呢，還是想要使我情緒上快慰？”
"Both," replied Elizabeth archly; "for I have always seen a great similarity in the turn of our minds. -- We are each of an unsocial, taciturn disposition, unwilling to speak, unless we expect to say something that will amaze the whole room, and be handed down to posterity with all the eclat of a proverb."
“一舉兩得，”伊麗莎白油滑地回答道。“因?yàn)槲依鲜歉杏X到我們倆轉(zhuǎn)的念頭很相同。你我的性格跟人家都不大合得來，又不愿意多說話，難得開口，除非想說幾句一鳴驚人的話，讓大家當(dāng)作格言來流傳千古。”
"This is no very striking resemblance of your own character, I am sure," said he. "How near it may be to mine, I cannot pretend to say. -- You think it a faithful portrait undoubtedly."
他說：“我覺得你的性格并不見得就是這樣，我的性格是否有很近似這方面，我也不敢說。你一定覺得你自己形容得很恰當(dāng)吧。”
"I must not decide on my own performance."
“我當(dāng)然不能自己下斷語。”
He made no answer, and they were again silent till they had gone down the dance, when he asked her if she and her sisters did not very often walk to Meryton. She answered in the affirmative, and, unable to resist the temptation, added, "When you met us there the other day, we had just been forming a new acquaintance."
他沒有回答，他們倆又沉默了，直等到又下池去跳舞，他這才問她是不是常常和姐妹們上麥里屯去溜達(dá)。她回答說常常去。她說到這里，實(shí)在按捺不住了，便接下去說：“你那天在那兒碰到我們的時(shí)候，我們正在結(jié)交一個(gè)新朋友呢。”
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