Elizabeth read on:
伊麗莎白接著讀下去：

"I have seen them both. They are not married, nor can I find there was any intention of being so; but if you are willing to perform the engagements which I have ventured to make on your side, I hope it will not be long before they are. All that is required of you is to assure to your daughter, by settlement, her equal share of the five thousand pounds secured among your children after the decease of yourself and my sister; and, moreover, to enter into an engagement of allowing her, during your life, one hundred pounds per annum. These are conditions which, considering every thing, I had no hesitation in complying with, as far as I thought myself privileged, for you. I shall send this by express, that no time may be lost in bringing me your answer. You will easily comprehend, from these particulars, that Mr. Wickham's circumstances are not so hopeless as they are generally believed to be. The world has been deceived in that respect; and, I am happy to say, there will be some little money, even when all his debts are discharged, to settle on my niece, in addition to her own fortune. If, as I conclude will be the case, you send me full powers to act in your name throughout the whole of this business, I will immediately give directions to Haggerston for preparing a proper settlement. There will not be the smallest occasion for your coming to town again; therefore, stay quietly at Longbourn, and depend on my diligence and care. Send back your answer as soon as you can, and be careful to write explicitly. We have judged it best that my niece should be married from this house, of which I hope you will approve. She comes to us today. I shall write again as soon as any thing more is determined on.--- Your's, &c.?EDW. GARDINER."
我已經看到他們倆。他們并沒有結婚，我也看不出他們有什么結婚的打算；可是我大膽地向你提出條件來，要是你愿意照辦的話，他們不久就可以結婚了。我要求你的只有一點。你本來已經為你女兒們安排好五千磅遺產，準備在你和姐姐歸天以后給她們，那么請你立刻就把這位外甥女應得的一份給她吧。你還得和她訂一個契約，在你生前每年再津貼她一百鎊。這些條件我已經再三考慮，自以為有權利可以代你作主，因此便毫不遲疑地答應了。我特派專人前來送給你這封信，以便可以馬上得到你的回音。你了解了這些詳情以后，就會明白韋翰先生并不如一般人所料想的那么生計維艱，一籌莫展。一般人都把這件事弄錯了。甥女除了自己名下的錢以外，等韋翰把債務償清以后，還可以多些錢并給她，這使我很高興。你如果愿意根據我所說的情況，讓我全權代表你處理這件事，那么，我立刻就吩咐哈斯東去辦理財產過戶的手續(xù)。你不必再進城，大可以安心安意地待在浪搏恩。請你放心，我辦起事來既勤快又小心。請趕快給我回信，還得費你的神，寫得清楚明白些。我們以為最好就讓外甥女從這所屋子里出嫁，想你也會同意。她今天要上我們這兒來。倘有其他情形，容當隨時奉告。余不多及。愛德華·嘉丁納---八月二日 ?星期一，寫于天恩寺街

"Is it possible!" cried Elizabeth, when she had finished. -- "Can it be possible that he will marry her?"
伊麗莎白讀完了信問道：“這事可能嗎？他竟會同她結婚？”

"Wickham is not so undeserving, then, as we have thought him!" said her sister. "My dear father, I congratulate you."
她姐姐說：“那么，韋翰倒并不象我們所想象的那樣不成器啦。親愛的爸爸，恭喜你?！?/div>

"And have you answered the letter?" said Elizabeth.
“你寫了回信沒有？”伊麗莎白問。

"No; but it must be done soon."
“沒有寫回信，可是立刻就得寫。”

Most earnestly did she then intreat him to lose no more time before he wrote.
于是她極其誠懇地請求他馬上就回家去寫，不要耽擱。

"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?！?/div>

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?！?/div>

"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??！怎么不是，他們非結婚不可。沒有別的辦法?？墒怯袃杉挛液芟肱獋€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?！?/div>

"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(shù)，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。

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