(单词翻译:单击)
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第二天吃过早饭的时候,班纳特先生对他的太太说:“我的好太太,我希望你今天的午饭准备得好一些,因为我预料今天一定有客人来。”
"I hope, my dear, " said Mr. Bennet to his wife, as they were at breakfast the next morning, "that you have ordered a good dinner to-day, because I have reason to expect an addition to our family party. "
"Who do you mean, my dear? I know of nobody that is coming, I am sure, unless Charlotte Lucas should happen to call in--and I hope MY dinners are good enough for her. I do not believe she often sees such at home. "
"The person of whom I speak is a gentleman, and a stranger. "
Mrs. Bennet's eyes sparkled. "A gentleman and a stranger! It is Mr. Bingley, I am sure! Well, I am sure I shall be extremely glad to see Mr. Bingley. But--good Lord! how unlucky! There is not a bit of fish to be got to-day. Lydia, my love, ring the bell--I must speak to Hill this moment. "
"It is NOT Mr. Bingley, " said her husband; "it is a person whom I never saw in the whole course of my life. "
This roused a general astonishment; and he had the pleasure of being eagerly questioned by his wife and his five daughters at once. After amusing himself some time with their curiosity, he thus explained:
"About a month ago I received this letter; and about a fortnight ago I answered it, for I thought it a case of some delicacy, and requiring early attention. It is from my cousin, Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases. "
"Oh! my dear, " cried his wife, "I cannot bear to hear that mentioned. Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure, if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it. "
Jane and Elizabeth tried to explain to her the nature of an entail. They had often attempted to do it before, but it was a subject on which Mrs. Bennet was beyond the reach of reason, and she continued to rail bitterly against the cruelty of settling an estate away from a family of five daughters, in favour of a man whom nobody cared anything about.
"It certainly is a most iniquitous affair, " said Mr. Bennet, "and nothing can clear Mr. Collins from the guilt of inheriting Longbourn. But if you will listen to his letter, you may perhaps be a little softened by his manner of expressing himself. "
"No, that I am sure I shall not; and I think it is very impertinent of him to write to you at all, and very hypocritical. I hate such false friends. Why could he not keep on quarreling with you, as his father did before him?"
"Why, indeed; he does seem to have had some filial scruples on that head, as you will hear. "
参考译文
第二天吃过早饭的时候,班纳特先生对他的太太说:“我的好太太,我希望你今天的午饭准备得好一些,因为我预料今天一定有客人来。”
“你指的是那一位客人,我的好老爷?我一些也不知道有谁要来,除非夏绿蒂·卢卡斯碰巧会来看我们,我觉得拿我们平常的饭餐招待她也够好了。我不相信她在家里经常吃得这么好。”
“我所说到的这位客人是位男宾,又是个生客。”
班纳特太太的眼睛闪亮了起来。“一位男宾又是一位生客!那准是彬格莱先生,没有错。……哦,吉英,你从来没出过半点儿风声,你这个狡猾的东西!……嘿,彬格莱先生要来,真叫我太高兴啦。可是……老天爷呀!运气真不好,今天连一点儿鱼也买不着。……丽迪雅宝贝儿,代我按一按铃。我要马上吩咐希尔一下。”
她的丈夫连忙说:“并不是彬格莱先生要来;说起这位客人,我一生都没见过他。”
这句话叫全家都吃了一惊。他的太太和五个女儿立刻迫切地追问他,使他颇为高兴。
拿他太太和女儿们的好奇心打趣了一阵以后,他便原原本本地说:“大约在一个月以前,我就收到了一封信,两星期以前我写了回信,因为我觉得这是件相当伤脑筋的事,得趁早留意。信是我的表侄柯林斯先生寄来的。我死了以后,这位表侄可以高兴什么时候把你们撵出这所屋子,就什么时候撵出去。”“噢,天啊,”他的太太叫起来了。“听你提起这件事我就受不了。请你别谈那个讨厌的家伙吧。你自己的产业不能让自己的孩子继承,却要让别人来继承,这是世界上最难堪的事。如果我是你,一定早就想出办法来补救这个问题啦。”
吉英和伊丽莎白设法把继承权的问题跟她解释了一下。其实她们一直没法跟她解释,可是这个问题跟她是讲不明白的。她老是破口大骂,说是自己的产业不能由五个亲生女儿继承,却白白送给一个和她们毫不相干的人,这实在是太不合情理。
“这的确是一最不公道的事,”班纳特先生说,“柯林斯先生要继承浪博恩的产业,他这桩罪过是洗也洗不清的。不过,要是你听听他这封信里所说的话,那你就会心肠软一些,因为他这番表明心迹还算不错。”
“不,我相信我绝对不会心软下来;我觉得他写信给你真是既没有礼貌,又非常虚伪。我恨这种虚伪的朋友。他为什么不象他的爸爸那样跟你吵得不可开交呢?”
“哦,真的,他对这个问题,好象也有些为了顾全孝道,犹豫不决,且让我把信读给你们听吧!”