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THE discomposure of spirits which this extraordinary visit threw Elizabeth into, could not be easily overcome; nor could she, for many hours, learn to think of it less than incessantly. Lady Catherine, it appeared, had actually taken the trouble of this journey from Rosings, for the sole purpose of breaking off her supposed engagement with Mr. Darcy. It was a rational scheme, to be sure! but from what the report of their engagement could originate, Elizabeth was at a loss to imagine; till she recollected that his being the intimate friend of Bingley, and her being the sister of Jane, was enough, at a time when the expectation of one wedding made every body eager for another, to supply the idea. She had not herself forgotten to feel that the marriage of her sister must bring them more frequently together. And her neighbours at Lucas lodge, therefore (for through their communication with the Collinses, the report, she concluded, had reached Lady Catherine), had only set that down as almost certain and immediate, which she had looked forward to as possible at some future time.
這不速之客去了以后，伊麗莎白很是心神不安，而且很不容易恢復(fù)寧?kù)o。她接連好幾個(gè)鐘頭不斷地思索著這件事。咖苔琳夫人這次居然不怕麻煩，遠(yuǎn)從羅新斯趕來(lái)，原來(lái)是她自己異想天開(kāi)，認(rèn)為伊麗莎白和達(dá)西先生已經(jīng)訂了婚，所以特地趕來(lái)要把他們拆散。這個(gè)辦法倒的確很好；可是，關(guān)于他們訂婚的謠傳，究竟有什么根據(jù)呢？這真叫伊麗莎白無(wú)從想象，后來(lái)她才想起了達(dá)西舊彬格萊的好朋友，她自己是吉英的妹妹，而目前大家往往會(huì)因?yàn)橐恢鼗橐龆B帶想到再結(jié)一重婚姻，那么，人們自然要生出這種念頭來(lái)了。她自己也早就想到，姐姐結(jié)婚以后，她和達(dá)西先生見(jiàn)面的機(jī)會(huì)也就更多了。因此盧家莊的鄰居們（她認(rèn)為只有他們和柯林斯夫婦通信的時(shí)候會(huì)說(shuō)起這件事，因此才會(huì)傳到咖苔琳夫人那里去）竟把這件事看成十拿九穩(wěn)，而且好事就在眼前，可是她自己只不過(guò)覺(jué)得這件事將來(lái)有點(diǎn)希望而已。
In revolving Lady Catherine's expressions, however, she could not help feeling some uneasiness as to the possible consequence of her persisting in this interference. From what she had said of her resolution to prevent their marriage, it occurred to Elizabeth that she must meditate an application to her nephew; and how he might take a similar representation of the evils attached to a connection with her, she dared not pronounce. She knew not the exact degree of his affection for his aunt, or his dependence on her judgment, but it was natural to suppose that he thought much higher of her ladyship than she could do; and it was certain that, in enumerating the miseries of a marriage with one whose immediate connections were so unequal to his own, his aunt would address him on his weakest side. With his notions of dignity, he would probably feel that the arguments, which to Elizabeth had appeared weak and ridiculous, contained much good sense and solid reasoning.
不過(guò)，一想起咖苔琳夫人那番話，她就禁不住有些感到不安；如果她硬要干涉，誰(shuí)也說(shuō)不出會(huì)造成怎樣的后果。她說(shuō)她堅(jiān)決要阻檔這一門(mén)親事，從這些話看來(lái)，伊麗莎白想到夫人準(zhǔn)會(huì)去找她的姨侄；至于達(dá)西是不是也同樣認(rèn)為跟她結(jié)婚有那么多害處，那她就不敢說(shuō)了。她不知道他跟他姨母之間感情如何，也不知道他是否完全聽(tīng)他姨母的主張，可是按情理來(lái)說(shuō)，他一定會(huì)比伊麗莎白看得起那位老夫人。只要他姨媽在他面前說(shuō)明他們兩家門(mén)第不相當(dāng)，跟這樣出身的女人結(jié)婚有多少害處，那就會(huì)擊中他的弱點(diǎn)。咖苔琳夫人說(shuō)了那么一大堆理由，伊麗莎白當(dāng)然覺(jué)得荒唐可笑，不值一駁，可是有他那樣一個(gè)死要面子的人看來(lái)，也許會(huì)覺(jué)得見(jiàn)解高明，理由充足。
