英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

作者﹕簡．奧斯汀

距離浪博恩不遠的地方，住著一家人家，這就是威廉盧卡斯爵士府上。班納特府上跟他們特別知已。爵士從前是在麥裏屯做生意起家發跡的，曾在當市長的任內上書皇上，獲得了一個爵士頭銜；這個顯要的身份使他覺得太榮幸，從此他就討厭做生意，討厭住在一個小鎮上，於是歇了生意，告別小鎮，帶著家屬遷到那離開麥裏屯大約一英里路的一幢房子裏去住，從那時候起就把那地方叫做盧家莊。他可以在這兒自得其樂，以顯要自居，而且，既然擺脫了生意的糾纏，他大可以一心一意地從事社交活動。他儘管以自己的地位欣然自得，卻並不因此而目空一切，反而對什麼人都應酬得非常周到。他生來不肯得罪人，待人接物總是和藹可親，殷勤體貼，而且自從皇上覲見以來，更加彬彬有禮。盧卡斯太太是個很善良的女人，真是班納特太太一位寶貴的鄰居。盧府上有好幾個孩子。大女兒是個明理懂事的年輕小姐，年紀大約二十六七歲，她是伊莉莎白的要好朋友。且說盧府上幾位小姐跟班府上幾位小姐這回非要見見面，談談這次跳舞會上的事業不可。於是在開完了跳舞會的第二天上午，盧府上的小姐們到浪博恩來跟班府上的小姐交換意見。

　　班納特太太一看見盧卡斯小姐，便客客氣氣，從容不迫地說："那天晚上全靠你開場開得好，你做了彬格萊先生的第一個意中人。"

　　"是呀；可是他喜歡的倒是第二個意中人。"

　　"哦，我想你是說吉英吧，因為他跟她跳了兩次。看起來，他是真的愛上她呢──我的確相信他是真的──我聽到了一些話──可是我弄不清究竟──我聽到了一些有關魯賓遜先生的話。"

　　"說不定你指的是我喻聽到他和魯賓遜先生的談話吧；我不是跟你說過了嗎？魯賓遜先生問他喜歡不喜歡我們麥裏屯的跳舞會，問他是否覺得到場的女賓們中間有許多人很美，問他認為哪一個最美？他立刻回答了最後一個問題："毫無問題是班納特家的大小姐最美。關於這一點，人們決不會有別的看法。"

　　"一定的！說起來，那的確成了定論啦──看上去的確像是──不過，也許會全部落空呢，你知道。"

　　"我偷聽到的話比你聽到的要更有意思了，伊麗莎，"夏綠蒂說。"達西先生的話沒有他朋友的話中聽，可不是嗎？可憐的伊麗莎！他不過認為她還可以！"

　　"我請求你別叫麗萃想起了他這種無禮的舉動又生起氣來；他是那麼討厭的一個人，被他看上了才叫倒楣呢。郎格太太告訴我說，昨兒晚上他坐在她身邊有半個鐘頭，可是始終不開口。"

　　"你的話靠得住嗎，媽媽？──一點兒沒說錯嗎？"吉英說。"我清清楚楚看到達西先生跟她說話的。"

　　"嘿──那是後來她問起他喜歡不喜歡尼日斐花園，他才不得不已敷衍了她一下；可是據她說，他似乎非常生氣，好象怪她不該跟她說話似的。"

　　"彬格萊小姐告訴我，"吉英說，"他從來不愛多說話，除非跟知已的朋友們談談。他對待知已朋友非常和藹可親。"

　　"我跟本不相信這種話，要是他果真和藹可親，就該跟郎格太太說話啦。可是這裏面的奧妙是可想而知的，大家都說他非常驕傲，他所以沒跟郎格太太說話，或許是因為聽到朗格太太連馬車也沒有一部，臨時雇了車子來參加跳舞會吧。"

　　"他沒跟郎格太太說話，我倒不計較，"盧卡斯小姐說，"我只怪他當時沒跟伊麗莎跳舞。"

　　"麗萃，假如我是你，"她母親說，"我下次偏不跟他跳舞。"

　　"媽媽，我相信我可以萬無一失地向你保證，我怎麼也不跟他跳舞呢。"

　　"他雖然驕傲，"盧卡斯小姐說，"可不象一般人的驕傲那樣使我生氣，因為他的驕傲還勉強說得過去。這麼優秀的一個青年，門第好，又有錢，樣樣都比人家強，也難怪他要自以為了不起，照我的說法，他有權利驕傲。"

　　"這倒是真話，"伊莉莎白回答道，"要是他沒有觸犯我的驕傲，我也很容易原諒他的驕傲。"

　　"我以為驕傲是一般人的通病，"曼麗說。她覺得自己的見解很高明，因此提高了談話的興致。"從我所讀過的許多書看來，我相信那的確是非常普遍的一種通病，人性特別容易趨向於這方面，簡直誰都不免因為自己具有了某種品質而自命不凡。虛榮與驕傲是截然不同的兩件事，儘管字面上常常當作同義詞用，一個人可以驕傲而不虛榮。驕傲多半不外乎我們對我們自己的估價，虛榮卻牽涉到我們希望別人對我們的看法。"盧家一個小哥兒（他是跟他姐姐們一起來的）忽然說道："要是我也像達西先生那麼有錢，我真不知道會驕傲到什麼地步呢。我要養一群獵狗，還要每天喝一瓶酒。"班納特太太說："那你就喝得太過分啦，要量給我看見了，我就馬上奪掉你的酒瓶。"那孩子抗議道，她不應該那樣做；她接著又宣佈了一遍，說她一定要那樣，一場辯論直到客人告別時方才結束。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter 5

Within a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Bennets were particularly intimate. Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the King during his mayoralty. The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business and to his residence in a small market town; and quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world. For though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to every body. By nature inoffensive, friendly and obliging, his presentation at St. James's had made him courteous. 
Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever to be a valuable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet. -- They had several children. The eldest of them, a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven, was Elizabeth's intimate friend. 
That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to talk over a ball was absolutely necessary; and the morning after the assembly brought the former to Longbourn to hear and to communicate. 
"You began the evening well, Charlotte," said Mrs. Bennet with civil self-command to Miss Lucas. "You were Mr. Bingley's first choice." 
"Yes; -- but he seemed to like his second better." 
"Oh! -- you mean Jane, I suppose -- because he danced with her twice. To be sure that did seem as if he admired her -- indeed I rather believe he did -- I heard something about it -- but I hardly know what -- something about Mr. Robinson." 
"Perhaps you mean what I overheard between him and Mr. Robinson; did not I mention it to you? Mr. Robinson's asking him how he liked our Meryton assemblies, and whether he did not think there were a great many pretty women in the room, and which he thought the prettiest? and his answering immediately to the last question -- "Oh! the eldest Miss Bennet beyond a doubt, there cannot be two opinions on that point."" 
"Upon my word! -- Well, that was very decided indeed -- that does seem as if -- but, however, it may all come to nothing, you know." 
"My overhearings were more to the purpose than yours, Eliza," said Charlotte. "Mr. Darcy is not so well worth listening to as his friend, is he? -- Poor Eliza! -- to be only just tolerable." 
"I beg you would not put it into Lizzy's head to be vexed by his ill-treatment; for he is such a disagreeable man that it would be quite a misfortune to be liked by him. Mrs. Long told me last night that he sat close to her for half an hour without once opening his lips." 
"Are you quite sure, Ma'am? -- is not there a little mistake?" said Jane. -- "I certainly saw Mr. Darcy speaking to her." 
"Aye -- because she asked him at last how he liked Netherfield, and he could not help answering her; -- but she said he seemed very angry at being spoke to." 
"Miss Bingley told me," said Jane, "that he never speaks much unless among his intimate acquaintance. With them he is remarkably agreeable." 
"I do not believe a word of it, my dear. If he had been so very agreeable, he would have talked to Mrs. Long. But I can guess how it was; every body says that he is ate up with pride, and I dare say he had heard somehow that Mrs. Long does not keep a carriage, and had come to the ball in a hack chaise." 
"I do not mind his not talking to Mrs. Long," said Miss Lucas, "but I wish he had danced with Eliza." 
"Another time, Lizzy," said her mother, "I would not dance with him, if I were you." 
"I believe, Ma'am, I may safely promise you never to dance with him." 
"His pride," said Miss Lucas, "does not offend me so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, every thing in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud." 
"That is very true," replied Elizabeth, "and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine." 
"Pride," observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity of her reflections, "is a very common failing I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed, that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonimously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us." 
"If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy," cried a young Lucas who came with his sisters, "I should not care how proud I was. I would keep a pack of foxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine every day." 
"Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought," said Mrs. Bennet; "and if I were to see you at it, I should take away your bottle directly." 
The boy protested that she should not; she continued to declare that she would, and the argument ended only with the visit.

文章出處：大紀元-中英文對照文章