It does seem, and it is most shocking indeed, replied Elizabeth, with tears in her eyes, that a sister's sense of decency and virtue in such a point should admit of doubt. But, really, I know not what to say. Perhaps I am not doing her justice. But she is very young; she has never been taught to think on serious subjects; and for the last half year, nay, for a twelvemonth, she has been given up to nothing but amusement and vanity. She has been allowed to dispose of her time in the most idle and frivolous manner, and to adopt any opinions that came in her way. Since the ----shire were first quartered in Meryton, nothing but love, flirtation, and officers have been in her head. She has been doing every thing in her power, by thinking and talking on the subject, to give greater what shall I call it? susceptibility to her feelings, which are naturally lively enough. And we all know that Wickham has every charm of person and address that can captivate a woman.
伊麗莎白眼睛里涌起了眼淚說道:“說起來真是駭人聽聞,一個人居然懷疑到自己親妹妹會不顧體面,不顧貞操!可是我的確不知道該怎么說才好。也許是我冤枉了她。她很年輕,又從來沒有人教她應該怎樣去考慮這些重大的問題;半年以來──不,整整一年以來──她只知道開心作樂,愛好虛榮。家里縱容她,讓她盡過些輕浮浪蕩的日子,讓她隨便遇到什么事情都是輕信盲從。自從民兵團駐扎到麥里屯以后,她一腦子只想到談情說愛,賣弄風情,勾搭軍官。她先天就已經足夠騷,再加上老是想這件事,談這件事,想盡辦法使自己的感情更加──我應該說更加怎么呢?──更加容易被人家誘惑。我們都知道韋翰無論在儀表方面,辭令方面,都有足夠的魅力可以迷住一個女人。”
But you see that Jane, said her aunt, does not think so ill of Wickham as to believe him capable of the attempt.
“可是你得明白,”她的舅母說,“吉英就不把韋翰看得那么壞,她認為他不會存這種心腸。”
Of whom does Jane ever think ill? And who is there, whatever might be their former conduct, that she would believe capable of such an attempt, till it were proved against them? But Jane knows, as well as I do, what Wickham really is. We both know that he has been profligate in every sense of the word. That he has neither integrity nor honour. That he is as false and deceitful, as he is insinuating.
“吉英何嘗把任何人看作壞人?不管是什么樣的人,無論他過去的行為怎樣,除非等到事實證明了那個人確實是壞,她怎么會相信人家會存這種心腸?可是說到韋翰的底細,吉英卻和我一樣明白。我們倆都知道他是個不折不扣的淫棍,他既沒有人格,又不顧體面,一味虛情假意,柔聲媚氣。”