"I HAVE been thinking it over again, Elizabeth,'' said her uncle as they drove from the town; " and really, upon serious consideration, I am much more inclined than I was to judge as your eldest sister does of the matter. It appears to me so very unlikely that any young man should form such a design against a girl who is by no means unprotected or friendless, and who was actually staying in his colonel's family, that I am strongly inclined to hope the best. Could he expect that her friends would not step forward? Could he expect to be noticed again by the regiment, after such an affront to Colonel Forster? His temptation is not adequate to the risk.''
他们离开那个城镇的时候，舅父跟伊丽莎白说：“我又把这件事想了一遍，认真地考虑了一番，越发觉得你姐姐的看法很对。我认为无论是哪个青年，决不会对这样一位姑娘存着这样的坏心眼，她又不是无亲无靠，何况她就住在他自己的上校家里，因此我要从最好的方面去着想。难道他以为她的亲友们不会挺身而出吗？难道他还以为这一次冒犯弗斯脱上校以后，还好意思回到民兵团里去吗？我看他不见得会痴情到冒险的地步。”
"Do you really think so?'' cried Elizabeth, brightening up for a moment.
伊丽莎白的脸色立刻显得高兴起来，连忙嚷道：“你果真这样想吗？”
"Upon my word,'' said Mrs. Gardiner, "I begin to be of your uncle's opinion. It is really too great a violation of decency, honour, and interest, for him to be guilty of it. I cannot think so very ill of Wickham. Can you, yourself, Lizzy, so wholly give him up as to believe him capable of it?''
嘉丁纳太太接嘴说：“你相信我好了，我也开始赞成你舅舅的看法了。这件事太不顾羞耻，太不顾名誉和利害关系了，他不会这样胆大妄为。我觉得韦翰未必会这样坏。丽萃，你竟这样不把他放在眼里，相信他会做出这种事吗？”
"Not perhaps of neglecting his own interest. But of every other neglect I can believe him capable. If, indeed, it should be so! But I dare not hope it. Why should they not go on to Scotland, if that had been the case?''
“他也许不会不顾全自己的利害关系。除此以外，我相信他全不在乎。但愿他能有所顾忌。我可不敢存这个奢望。要是真象你所想的那样，那他们干吗不到苏格兰去呢？”
"In the first place,'' replied Mr. Gardiner, "there is no absolute proof that they are not gone to Scotland.''
嘉丁纳先生回答道：“第一，现在并不能完全证明他们没有到苏格兰去。”
"Oh! but their removing from the chaise into an hackney coach is such a presumption! And, besides, no traces of them were to be found on the Barnet road.''
“哎哟！可是他们把原来的马车打发走，换上了出租的马车，光是凭这一点就可想而知！此外，到巴纳特去的路上，也找不到他们的踪迹。”
"Well, then -- supposing them to be in London. They may be there, though, for the purpose of concealment, for no more exceptionable purpose. It is not likely that money should be very abundant on either side; and it might strike them that they could be more economically, though less expeditiously, married in London, than in Scotland.''
“那么就假定他们在伦敦吧。他们到那儿去也许是为了暂时躲避一下，不会别有用心。他们两个人都没有多少钱；也许他们都会想到，在伦敦结婚虽然比不上在苏格兰结婚来得方便，可是要省俭些。”
"But why all this secrecy? Why any fear of detection? Why must their marriage be private? Oh! no, no, this is not likely. His most particular friend, you see by Jane's account, was persuaded of his never intending to marry her. Wickham will never marry a woman without some money. He cannot afford it. And what claims has Lydia, what attractions has she beyond youth, health, and good humour, that could make him, for her sake, forgo every chance of benefiting himself by marrying well? As to what restraint the apprehension of disgrace in the corps might throw on a dishonourable elopement with her, I am not able to judge; for I know nothing of the effects that such a step might produce. But as to your other objection, I am afraid it will hardly hold good. Lydia has no brothers to step forward; and he might imagine, from my father's behaviour, from his indolence and the little attention he has ever seemed to give to what was going forward in his family, that he would do as little, and think as little about it, as any father could do in such a matter.''
“可是为什么要这样秘密？为什么怕给人家发觉？为什么结婚要偷偷摸摸？哦，不，不，你这种想法不切合实际。你不是看到吉英信里说吗……连他自己最要好的朋友也相信他不会跟她结婚。韦翰绝不会跟一个没有钱的女人结婚的。他根本办不到。丽迪雅除了年轻、健康、爱开玩笑之外，有什么办法、有什么吸引力，可以叫他为了她而放弃掉结婚致富的机会？至于他会不会怕这次羞耻的私奔使他自己在部队里丢面子，便把行为检点一下，那我就无法判断了，因为我无从知道他这一次的行为究竟会产生什么样的后果。但是你说的另外一点，我恐怕不大靠得住。丽迪雅的确没有个亲兄弟为她出头，他又看到我父亲平日为人懒散，不管家事，便以为他遇到这类事情，也会跟人家做父亲的一样，不肯多管，也不肯多想。”