"Her indifferent state of health unhappily prevents her being in town; and by that means, as I told Lady Catherine myself one day, has deprived the British court of its brightest ornament. Her ladyship seemed pleased with the idea, and you may imagine that I am happy on every occasion to offer those little delicate compliments which are always acceptable to ladies. I have more than once observed to Lady Catherine that her charming daughter seemed born to be a duchess, and that the most elevated rank, instead of giving her consequence, would be adorned by her. -- These are the kind of little things which please her ladyship, and it is a sort of attention which I conceive myself peculiarly bound to pay."
“不幸她身體柔弱，不能過(guò)京城去，正如我有一天跟咖苔琳夫人所說(shuō)的，這實(shí)在使得英國(guó)的宮庭里損失了一件最明媚的裝璜；她老人家對(duì)我這種說(shuō)法很是滿意。你們可以想象得到，在任何場(chǎng)合下，我都樂(lè)于說(shuō)幾句巧妙的恭維話，叫一般太太小姐們聽(tīng)得高興。我跟咖苔琳夫人說(shuō)過(guò)好多次，她的美麗的小姐是一位天生的公爵夫人，將來(lái)不管嫁給哪一位公爵姑爺，不論那位姑爺?shù)匚挥卸喔?，非但不?huì)增加小姐的體面，反而要讓小姐來(lái)為他爭(zhēng)光。這些話都叫她老人家聽(tīng)得高興極了，我總覺(jué)得我應(yīng)該在這方面特別留意。”

"You judge very properly," said Mr. Bennet, "and it is happy for you that you possess the talent of flattering with delicacy. May I ask whether these pleasing attentions proceed from the impulse of the moment, or are the result of previous study?"
班納特先生說(shuō)：“你說(shuō)得很恰當(dāng)，你既然有這種才能，能夠非常巧妙地捧人家的場(chǎng)，這對(duì)于你自己也會(huì)有好處。我是否可以請(qǐng)教你一下，你這種討人喜歡的奉承話，是臨時(shí)想起來(lái)的呢，還是老早想好了的？”

"They arise chiefly from what is passing at the time, and though I sometimes amuse myself with suggesting and arranging such little elegant compliments as may be adapted to ordinary occasions, I always wish to give them as unstudied an air as possible."
“大半是看臨時(shí)的情形想起來(lái)的；不過(guò)有時(shí)候我也自己跟自己打趣，預(yù)先想好一些很好的小恭維話，平常有機(jī)會(huì)就拿來(lái)應(yīng)用，而且臨說(shuō)的時(shí)候，總是要裝出是自然流露出來(lái)的?！?/div>

Mr. Bennet's expectations were fully answered. His cousin was as absurd as he had hoped, and he listened to him with the keenest enjoyment, maintaining at the same time the most resolute composure of countenance, and, except in an occasional glance at Elizabeth, requiring no partner in his pleasure.
班納特先生果然料想得完全正確，他這位表侄確實(shí)象他所想象的那樣荒謬，他聽(tīng)得非常有趣，不過(guò)表面上卻竭力保持鎮(zhèn)靜，除了偶而朝著伊麗莎白望一眼以外，他并不需要?jiǎng)e人來(lái)分享他這份愉快。

By tea-time, however, the dose had been enough, and Mr. Bennet was glad to take his guest into the drawing-room again, and when tea was over, glad to invite him to read aloud to the ladies. Mr. Collins readily assented, and a book was produced; but on beholding it (for every thing announced it to be from a circulating library), he started back, and begging pardon, protested that he never read novels. -- Kitty stared at him, and Lydia exclaimed. -- Other books were produced, and after some deliberation he chose Fordyce's Sermons. Lydia gaped as he opened the volume, and before he had, with very monotonous solemnity, read three pages, she interrupted him with,?"Do you know, mama, that my uncle Philips talks of turning away Richard, and if he does, Colonel Forster will hire him. My aunt told me so herself on Saturday. I shall walk to Meryton tomorrow to hear more about it, and to ask when Mr. Denny comes back from town."
不過(guò)到吃茶的時(shí)候，這一場(chǎng)罪總算受完了。班納特先生高高興興地把客人帶到會(huì)客室里，等到茶喝完了，他又高高興興地邀請(qǐng)他朗誦點(diǎn)什么給他的太太和小姐們聽(tīng)?？铝炙瓜壬⒖叹痛饝?yīng)了，于是她們就拿了一本書(shū)給他，可是一看到那本書(shū)（因?yàn)槟潜緯?shū)一眼就可以看出是從流通圖書(shū)館借來(lái)的）他就吃驚得往后一退，連忙聲明他從來(lái)不讀小說(shuō)，請(qǐng)求她們?cè)?。吉蒂?duì)他瞪著眼，麗迪雅叫起來(lái)了。于是她們另外拿了幾本書(shū)來(lái)，他仔細(xì)考慮了一下以后，選了一本弗迪斯的《講道集》。他一攤開(kāi)那本書(shū)，麗迪雅不禁目瞪口呆，等到他那么單調(diào)無(wú)味，一本正經(jīng)地剛要讀完三頁(yè)的時(shí)候，麗迪雅趕快岔斷了他：“媽媽，你知不知道腓力普姨爹要解雇李卻？要是他真的要解雇他，弗斯脫上校一定愿意雇他。這是星期六那一天姨爹親自告訴我的。我打算明天上麥里屯去多了解一些情況，順便問(wèn)問(wèn)他們，丹尼先生什么時(shí)候從城里回來(lái)?！?/div>

Lydia was bid by her two eldest sisters to hold her tongue; but Mr. Collins, much offended, laid aside his book, and said,?"I have often observed how little young ladies are interested by books of a serious stamp, though written solely for their benefit. It amazes me, I confess; -- for certainly, there can be nothing so advantageous to them as instruction. But I will no longer importune my young cousin."
兩個(gè)姐姐都吩咐麗迪雅住嘴；柯林斯先生非常生氣，放下了書(shū)本，說(shuō)道：“我老是看到年輕的小姐們對(duì)正經(jīng)書(shū)不感興趣，不過(guò)這些書(shū)完全是為了她們的好處寫(xiě)的。老實(shí)說(shuō)，這不能不叫我驚奇，因?yàn)閷?duì)她們最有利益的事情，當(dāng)然莫過(guò)于圣哲的教訓(xùn)?？墒俏乙膊辉敢饷銖?qiáng)我那年輕的表妹。”

Then turning to Mr. Bennet, he offered himself as his antagonist at backgammon. Mr. Bennet accepted the challenge, observing that he acted very wisely in leaving the girls to their own trifling amusements. Mrs. Bennet and her daughters apologised most civilly for Lydia's interruption, and promised that it should not occur again, if he would resume his book; but Mr. Collins, after assuring them that he bore his young cousin no ill will, and should never resent her behaviour as any affront, seated himself at another table with Mr. Bennet, and prepared for backgammon.
于是他轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)身來(lái)要求班納特先生跟他玩“貝加夢(mèng)”，班納特先生一面答應(yīng)了他，一面說(shuō)，這倒是個(gè)聰明的辦法，還是讓這些女孩子們?nèi)ジ闼齻冏约旱男⊥嫠嚢?。班納特太太和她五個(gè)女兒極有禮貌地向他道歉，請(qǐng)他原諒麗迪雅打斷了他朗誦對(duì)書(shū)，并且說(shuō)，他要是重新把那本書(shū)讀下去，她保證決不會(huì)有同樣的事件發(fā)生。柯林斯先生請(qǐng)她們不要介意，說(shuō)是他一點(diǎn)兒也不怪表妹，決不會(huì)認(rèn)為她冒犯了他而把她懷恨在心。他解釋過(guò)以后，就跟班納特先生坐到另一張桌子上去，準(zhǔn)備玩“貝加夢(mèng)”。