評論
打印
Colonel Forster did own that he had often suspected some partiality, especially on Lydia's side, but nothing to give him any alarm. I am so grieved for him. His behaviour was attentive and kind to the utmost. He was coming to us, in order to assure us of his concern, before he had any idea of their not being gone to Scotland; when that apprehension first got abroad, it hastened his journey.
“弗斯脫上校說，他也曾懷疑過他們倆有情感，特別是懷疑麗迪雅，可是他并沒有看出什么形跡，因此沒有及時留意。我真為他難受。他為人極其殷勤善良。遠在他想到他們兩人并沒有到蘇格蘭去的時候，他就打算上我們這兒來慰問我們。等到人心惶惶的時候，他連忙便趕來了。”
And was Denny convinced that Wickham would not marry? Did he know of their intending to go off? Had Colonel Forster seen Denny himself?
“丹尼認為韋翰不會跟她結婚嗎？他是否知道他們存心私奔？弗斯脫上校有沒有見到丹尼本人？”
Yes; but when questioned by him, Denny denied knowing any thing of their plan, and would not give his real opinion about it. He did not repeat his persuasion of their not marrying and from that, I am inclined to hope, he might have been misunderstood before.
“見到的，不過他回到丹尼的時候，丹尼絕口否認，說是根本不知道他們私奔的打算，也不肯說出他自己對這件事究竟怎樣看法。丹尼以后便沒有再提起他們倆不會結婚之類的話。照這樣看來，但愿上一次是我聽錯了他的話。”
And till Colonel Forster came himself, not one of you entertained a doubt, I suppose, of their being really married?
“我想弗斯脫上校沒有到這兒以前，你們誰都沒有懷疑到他們不會正式結婚吧？”
How was it possible that such an idea should enter our brains! I felt a little uneasy a little fearful of my sister's happiness with him in marriage, because I knew that his conduct had not been always quite right. My father and mother knew nothing of that, they only felt how imprudent a match it must be. Kitty then owned, with a very natural triumph on knowing more than the rest of us, that in Lydia's last letter she had prepared her for such a step. She had known, it seems, of their being in love with each other many weeks.
“我們的腦子里怎么會有這種念頭呢！我只是覺得有些不安心，有些顧慮，怕妹妹跟他結婚不會幸福，因為我早就知道他的品德不太端正。父親和母親完全不知道這種情形，他們只覺得這門親事非常冒昧。吉蒂當時十分好勝地說，她比我們大家都熟悉內幕情形，麗迪雅給她的最后一封信上就已經隱隱約約透露也了一些口風，準備來這一著。看吉蒂那副神氣，她好象遠在她幾個星期以前，就知道他們倆相愛了。”
But not before they went to Brighton?
“總不見得在他們倆去到白利屯以前就看出了吧？”
No, I believe not.
“不見得，我相信不見得。”
And did Colonel Forster appear to think ill of Wickham himself? Does he know his real character?
“弗斯脫上校是不是顯出看不起韋翰的樣子？他了解韋翰的真面目嗎？”
I must confess that he did not speak so well of Wickham as he formerly did. He believed him to be imprudent and extravagant. And since this sad affair has taken place, it is said that he left Meryton greatly in debt; but I hope this may be false.
“這我得承認，他不象從前那樣器重他了。他認為他行事荒唐，又愛奢華，這件傷心的事發生以后，人們都傳說他離開麥里屯的時候，還欠下了好多債，我但愿這是謠言。”
Oh, Jane, had we been less secret, had we told what we knew of him, this could not have happened!
“哎喲，吉英，要是我們當初少替他保守一點秘密，把他的事情照直說出來，那也許就不會發生這件事了！”
Perhaps it would have been better, replied her sister. But to expose the former faults of any person, without knowing what their present feelings were, seemed unjustifiable. We acted with the best intentions.
吉英說：“說不定會好些，不過，光是揭露人家過去的錯誤，而不尊重人家目前的為人，未免亦有些說不過去。我們待人接物，應該完全好心好意。”
