評論
打印
"Oh! my dear father," she cried, "come back, and write immediately. Consider how important every moment is, in such a case."
她嚷道：“親愛的爸爸馬上就回去寫吧。你要知道，這種事情是一分鐘一秒鐘也不能耽擱的。”
"Let me write for you," said Jane, "if you dislike the trouble yourself."
吉英說：“要是你怕麻煩，讓我代你寫好了。”
"I dislike it very much," he replied; "but it must be done."
父親回答道：“我的確不大愿意寫，可是不寫又不行。”
And so saying, he turned back with them, and walked towards the house.
他一邊說，一邊轉過身來跟她們一同回到屋里去。
"And may I ask ?" said Elizabeth, "but the terms, I suppose, must be complied with."
伊麗莎白說：“我可以問你一句話嗎？我想，他提出的條件你一定都肯答應吧？”
"Complied with! I am only ashamed of his asking so little."
“一口答應！他要得這么少，我倒覺得不好意思呢。”
"And they must marry! Yet he is such a man!"
“他們倆非結婚不可了！然而他卻是那樣的一個人。”
"Yes, yes, they must marry. There is nothing else to be done. But there are two things that I want very much to know: one is, how much money your uncle has laid down to bring it about; and the other, how I am ever to pay him."
“是啊！怎么不是，他們非結婚不可。沒有別的辦法。可是有兩件事我很想弄個明白──第一件，你舅舅究竟拿出了多少錢，才使這件事有了個著落；第二件，我以后有什么辦法還他這筆錢？”
"Money! my uncle!" cried Jane, "what do you mean, Sir?"
吉英嚷道：“錢！舅舅！你這是什么意思，爸爸？”
"I mean that no man in his senses would marry Lydia on so slight a temptation as one hundred a year during my life, and fifty after I am gone."
“我的意思是說，一個頭腦最清楚的人是不會跟麗迪雅結婚的，因為她沒有哪一點地方可以叫人家看中。我生前每年給她一百鎊，死后一共也只有五千磅。”
"That is very true," said Elizabeth; "though it had not occurred to me before. His debts to be discharged, and something still to remain! Oh! it must be my uncle's doings! Generous, good man; I am afraid he has distressed himself. A small sum could not do all this."
伊麗莎白說：“那倒是實話，不過我以前卻從來沒有想到過。他的債務償清了以后，還會多下錢來！噢，那一定是舅舅代他張羅的！好一個慷慨善良的人！我就怕苦了他自己。這樣一來，他得花費不少錢呢。”
"No," said her father, "Wickham's a fool, if he takes her with a farthing less than ten thousand pounds. I should be sorry to think so ill of him in the very beginning of our relationship."
父親說：“韋翰要是拿不到一萬鎊就答應娶麗迪雅，那他才是個大傻瓜呢。我同他剛剛攀上親戚，照理不應該多說他的壞話。”
"Ten thousand pounds! Heaven forbid! How is half such a sum to be repaid?"
“一萬鎊！天不容！即使半數，又怎么還得起？”
Mr. Bennet made no answer, and each of them, deep in thought, continued silent till they reached the house. Their father then went to the library to write, and the girls walked into the breakfast-room.
班納特先生沒有回答。大家都轉著念頭，默不作聲。回到家里，父親到書房里去寫信，女兒們都走進飯廳里去。
"And they are really to be married!" cried Elizabeth, as soon as they were by themselves. "How strange this is! And for this we are to be thankful. That they should marry, small as is their chance of happiness, and wretched as is his character, we are forced to rejoice! Oh, Lydia!"
姐妹倆一離開父親，妹妹便嚷道：“他們真要結婚了！這真稀奇！不過我們也大可謝天謝地。他們究竟結婚了。雖然他們不一定會過得怎么幸福，他的品格又那么壞，然而我們究竟不得不高興。哦，麗迪雅呀！”
