"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 today, because I have reason to expect an addition to our family party."
第二天吃過早飯的時候，班納特先生對他的太太說：“我的好太太，我希望你今天的午飯準備得好一些，因為我預料今天一定有客人來。”
"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."
“你指的是那一位客人，我的好老爺？我一些也不知道有誰要來，除非夏綠蒂·盧卡斯碰巧會來看我們，我覺得拿我們平常的飯餐招待她也夠好了。我不相信她在家里經(jīng)常吃得這么好?！?/div>
"The person of whom I speak, is a gentleman and a stranger."
“我所說到的這位客人是位男賓，又是個生客。”
Mrs. Bennet's eyes sparkled. -- "A gentleman and a stranger! It is Mr. Bingley, I am sure. Why Jane -- you never dropt a word of this; you
sly thing! 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 today. Lydia, my love, ring the bell. I must speak to Hill, this moment."
班納特太太的眼睛閃亮了起來。“一位男賓又是一位生客！那準是彬格萊先生，沒有錯。──哦，吉英，你從來沒出過半點兒風聲，你這個狡猾的東西！──嘿，彬格萊先生要來，真叫我太高興啦?？墒签ぉだ咸鞝斞?！運氣真不好，今天連一點兒魚也買不著。──麗迪雅寶貝兒，代我按一按鈴。我要馬上吩咐希爾一下?！?/div>
"It is not Mr. Bingley," said her husband; "it is a person whom I never saw in the whole course of my life."
她的丈夫連忙說：“并不是彬格萊先生要來；說起這位客人，我一生都沒見過他?！?/div>
This
roused a general astonishment; and he had the pleasure of being eagerly questioned by his wife and five daughters at once.
這句話叫全家都吃了一驚。他的太太和五個女兒立刻迫切地追問他，使他頗為高興。
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."
拿他太太和女兒們的好奇心打趣了一陣以后，他便原原本本地說：“大約在一個月以前，我就收到了一封信，兩星期以前我寫了回信，因為我覺得這是件相當傷腦筋的事，得趁早留意。信是我的表侄柯林斯先生寄來的。我死了以后，這位表侄可以高興什么時候把你們攆出這所屋子，就什么時候攆出去?！?/div>
"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."
“噢，天啊，”他的太太叫起來了?！奥犇闾崞疬@件事我就受不了。請你別談那個討厭的家伙吧。你自己的產(chǎn)業(yè)不能讓自己的孩子繼承，卻要讓別人來繼承，這是世界上最難堪的事。如果我是你，一定早就想出辦法來補救這個問題啦。”
Jane and Elizabeth attempted to explain to her the nature of an entail. They had often attempted 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.
吉英和伊麗莎白設法把繼承權的問題跟她解釋了一下。其實她們一直沒法跟她解釋，可是這個問題跟她是講不明白的。她老是破口大罵，說是自己的產(chǎn)業(yè)不能由五個親生女兒繼承，卻白白送給一個和她們毫不相干的人，這實在是太不合情理。
"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."
“這的確是一最不公道的事，”班納特先生說，“柯林斯先生要繼承浪博恩的產(chǎn)業(yè)，他這樁罪過是洗也洗不清的。不過，要是你聽聽他這封信里所說的話，那你就會心腸軟一些，因為他這番表明心跡還算不錯?！?/div>
"No, that I am sure I shall not; and I think it was very
impertinent of him to write to you at all, and very
hypocritical. I hate such false friends. Why could not he keep on quarrelling with you, as his father did before him?"
“不，我相信我絕對不會心軟下來；我覺得他寫信給你真是既沒有禮貌，又非常虛偽。我恨這種虛偽的朋友。他為什么不象他的爸爸那樣跟你吵得不可開交呢？”
"Why, indeed, he does seem to have had some
filial scruples on that head, as you will hear."
“哦，真的，他對這個問題，好象也有些為了顧全孝道，猶豫不決，且讓我把信讀給你們聽吧：
"Hunsford, near Westerham, Kent,?15th October.?
DEAR SIR,?
THE disagreement subsisting between yourself and my late honoured father always gave me much uneasiness, and since I have had the misfortune to lose him I have frequently wished to heal the breach; but for some time I was kept back by my own doubts, fearing lest it might seem disrespectful to his memory for me to be on good terms with any one with whom it had always pleased him to be at variance." -- "There, Mrs. Bennet." -- "My mind however is now made up on the subject, for having received ordination at Easter, I have been so fortunate as to be distinguished by the patronage of the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, whose bounty and beneficence has preferred me to the valuable rectory of this parish, where it shall be my earnest endeavour to demean myself with grateful respect towards her Ladyship, and be ever ready to perform those rites and ceremonies which are instituted by the Church of England. As a clergyman, moreover, I feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessing of peace in all families within the reach of my influence; and on these grounds I flatter myself that my present overtures of good-will are highly commendable, and that the circumstance of my being next in the entail of Longbourn estate will be kindly overlooked on your side, and not lead you to reject the offered olive branch. I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologise for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends, -- but of this hereafter. If you should have no objection to receive me into your house, I propose myself the satisfaction of waiting on you and your family, Monday, November 18th, by four o'clock, and shall probably trespass on your hospitality till the Saturday se'nnight following, which I can do without any inconvenience, as Lady Catherine is far from objecting to my occasional absence on a Sunday, provided that some other clergyman is engaged to do the duty of the day. I remain, dear sir, with respectful compliments to your lady and daughters, your well-wisher and friend,?
WILLIAM COLLINS."
親愛的長者：
以前你為先父之間曾有些芥蒂，這一直使我感到不安。自先父不幸棄世以來，我常常想到要彌補這個裂痕；但我一時猶豫，沒有這樣做，怕的是先父生前既然對閣下唯恐仇視不及，而我今天卻來與閣下修好，這未免有辱先人。──“注意聽呀，我的好太太?！暴ぉげ贿^目前我對此事已經(jīng)拿定主張，因為我已在復活節(jié)那天受了圣職。多蒙故劉威斯·德·包爾公爵的孀妻咖苔琳·德·包爾夫人寵禮有加，恩惠并施，提拔我擔任該教區(qū)的教士，此后可以勉盡厥誠，恭待夫人左右，奉行英國教會所規(guī)定的一切儀節(jié)，這真是拜三生不幸。況且以一個教士的身份來說，我覺得我有責任盡我之所及，使家家戶戶得以敦穆親誼，促進友好。因此我自信這番好意一定會受到你的重視，而有關我繼承浪博恩產(chǎn)權一事，你也可不必介意。并請接受我獻上的這一枝橄欖枝。我這樣侵犯了諸位令媛的利益，真是深感不安，萬分抱歉，但請你放心，我極愿給她們一切可能的補償，此事容待以后詳談。如果你不反對我踵門拜候，我建議于十一月十八是，星期一，四點鐘前來拜謁，甚或在府上叨擾至下星期六為止。這對于我毫無不便之處，因為咖苔琳夫人決不會反對我星期日偶而離開教堂一下，只消有另一個教士主持這一天的事懷就行了。敬向尊夫人及諸位令媛致候。
你的祝福者和朋友威廉·柯林斯
十月十五日寫于威斯特漢附近的肯特郡漢斯福村
