It is not the object of this work to give a description of Derbyshire, nor of any of the remarkable places through which their route thither lay; Oxford, Blenheim, Warwick, Kenelworth, Birmingham, &c. are sufficiently known. A small part of Derbyshire is all the present concern. To the little town of Lambton, the scene of Mrs. Gardiner's former residence, and where she had lately learned that some acquaintance still remained, they bent their steps, after having seen all the principal wonders of the country; and within five miles of Lambton, Elizabeth found from her aunt that Pemberley was situated. It was not in their direct road, nor more than a mile or two out of it. In talking over their route the evening before, Mrs. Gardiner expressed an inclination to see the place again. Mr. Gardiner declared his willingness, and Elizabeth was applied to for her approbation.
本書不打算詳細描寫德比郡怕風光,至于他們的旅程所必須經過的一些名勝地區,例如牛津、布楞恩、沃里克、凱尼爾沃思、伯明翰等,大家都知道得夠多了,也不打算寫。現在只講一講德比郡的一小部分。且說有個小鎮名叫藍白屯,嘉丁納夫婦從前曾在那兒住過,她最近聽說還有些熟人依舊住在那邊,于是看完了鄉間的一切名勝古跡之后,便繞道到那兒去看看。伊麗莎白聽見舅母說,離開藍白屯不到五英里路就是彭伯里,雖然不是路過必經之處,可是也不過彎了一兩英里路。前一個晚上討論旅程的時候,嘉丁納太太說是想到那邊再去看看。嘉丁納先生表示愿意,于是他們便來征求伊麗莎白同意。
"My love, should not you like to see a place of which you have heard so much?" said her aunt. "A place too, with which so many of your acquaintance are connected. Wickham passed all his youth there, you know."
舅母對她說:“親愛的,那個地方你是久聞大名的,愿意去看看嗎?你的許多朋友都跟那地方有關系。韋翰的整個少年時代都是在那兒度過的,你知道。”
Elizabeth was distressed. She felt that she had no business at Pemberley, and was obliged to assume a disinclination for seeing it. She must own that she was tired of great houses; after going over so many, she really had no pleasure in fine carpets or satin curtains.
伊麗莎白給說得窘極了。她覺得不必到彭伯里去,便只得說不想去。她但說高樓大廈、錦繡幃,已經見識得夠多了,實在無意再去瀏覽。
Mrs. Gardiner abused her stupidity. "If it were merely a fine house richly furnished," said she, "I should not care about it myself; but the grounds are delightful. They have some of the finest woods in the country."
嘉丁納太太罵她蠢,她說:“要是光光只有一幢富麗堂皇的房子,我也不會把它擺在心上;可是那兒的放置庭園景色實在可愛,那兒的樹木是全國最美麗的樹林。”