By

Pride and Prejudice (Excerpt)

ByJane Austen

Chapter I

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that Nether fi eld Park is let at last?”

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

“But it is,’ returned she; “for Mrs.Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

“Do not you want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.

第 一 章

有錢的單身漢總要娶位太太，這是一條舉世公認(rèn)的真理。

這條真理還真夠深入人心的，每逢這樣的單身漢新搬到一個(gè)地方，四鄰八舍的人家盡管對(duì)他的心思想法1原譯“性情見識(shí)”。一無所知，卻把他視為自己某一個(gè)女兒的合法財(cái)產(chǎn)。

“親愛的貝內(nèi)特先生，”一天，貝內(nèi)特太太對(duì)丈夫說道，“你有沒有聽說內(nèi)瑟菲爾德莊園終于租出去啦？”

貝內(nèi)特先生回答說沒有2原譯“貝內(nèi)特先生回答道，沒有聽說”。為了突顯貝內(nèi)特先生對(duì)妻子的怠慢態(tài)度，譯文做了縮減。。

“的確租出去啦，”太太說道，“朗太太剛剛來過，她把這事一五一十地全告訴我了?！?/p>

貝內(nèi)特先生沒有理睬3原譯“答話”。。

“難道你不想知道是誰租去的嗎？”太太不耐煩地嚷道。

“Youwant to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”

This was invitation enough.

“Why, my dear, you must know,Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas,and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”

“What is his name?”

“Bingley.”

“Is he married or single?”

“Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or fi ve thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”

“How so? how can it affect them?’’

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”

“Is that his design in settling here?”

“Design! nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that hemayfall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.”

“既然你想告訴我，我聽聽也不妨?！?/p>

這句話足以逗引太太講下去了。

“哦，親愛的，你應(yīng)該知道，朗太太說內(nèi)瑟菲爾德讓英格蘭北部的一個(gè)闊少爺租去了；說他星期一那天乘坐一輛四輪馬車來看房子，看得非常中意，當(dāng)下就和莫里斯先生講妥了；說他打算趕在米迦勒節(jié)以前搬進(jìn)新居，下周末以前打發(fā)幾個(gè)用人先住進(jìn)來。”4原文一個(gè)say后面跟了三個(gè)that從句，從句之間用分號(hào)隔開，說明貝內(nèi)特太太這一長(zhǎng)段話是急火火的“一氣呵成”。原譯只用了一個(gè)“說”字，不足以展示她的急切心態(tài)，后改譯成三個(gè)“說”字，便能充分顯示她嫁女之心何等迫切。

“他姓什么？”

“賓利?！?/p>

“成家了還是單身？”

“哦！單身，親愛的，千真萬確！一個(gè)有錢的單身漢，每年有四五千鎊的收入。真是女兒們的好福氣！”

“這是怎么說？跟女兒們有什么關(guān)系？”

“親愛的貝內(nèi)特先生，”太太答道，“你怎么這么令人討厭！告訴你吧，我在琢磨他娶她們中的一個(gè)做太太呢?！?/p>

“他搬到這里就是為了這個(gè)打算？”

“打算！胡扯，你怎么能這么說話！他興許會(huì)看中她們中的哪一個(gè)，因此，他一來你就得去拜訪他?！?/p>

“I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for, as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.”

“My dear, you flatter me. I certainlyhavehad my share of beauty,but I do not pretend to be any thing extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.”

“In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.”

“But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.”

“It is more than I engage for, I assure you.”

“But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in general, you know they visit no new comers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible forusto visit him, if you do not.”

“You are over-scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying which ever he chuses of the girls; though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.”

“我看沒有那個(gè)必要。你帶著女兒們?nèi)ゾ托欣?，要不你索性打發(fā)她們自己去，這樣或許更好些，因?yàn)槟愕淖松⒉粊営谒齻冎械娜魏我粋€(gè)，你一去，賓利先生倒作興看中你呢?！?/p>

“親愛的，你太抬舉我啦。我以前確實(shí)有過美貌的時(shí)候，不過現(xiàn)在卻不敢硬充有什么出眾的地方了。一個(gè)女人家有了五個(gè)成年的女兒，就不該對(duì)自己的美貌再轉(zhuǎn)什么念頭了。”

“這么說來，女人家對(duì)自己的美貌也轉(zhuǎn)不了多久的念頭啦?！?/p>

“不過，親愛的，賓利先生一搬到這里，你可真得去見見他。”

“告訴你吧，這事我可不能答應(yīng)?！?/p>

“可你要為女兒們著想呀。請(qǐng)你想一想，她們誰要是嫁給他，那會(huì)是多好的一門親事啊。盧卡斯爵士夫婦打定主意要去，還不就是為了這個(gè)緣故，因?yàn)槟阒?，他們通常是不去拜訪新搬來的鄰居的。你真應(yīng)該去一次，要不然，我們母女就沒法去見他了?！?/p>

“你實(shí)在過于多慮了。賓利先生一定會(huì)很高興見到你的。我可以寫封信叫你帶去，就說他隨便想娶我哪位女兒，我都會(huì)欣然同意。不過，我要為小莉齊美言兩句?！?/p>

“I desire you will do no such thing.Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good humoured as Lydia. But you are always givingherthe preference.”

“They have none of them much to recommend them,” replied he; “they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.”

“Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.”

“You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least.”

“Ah! you do not know what I suffer.”

“But I hope you will get over it,and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood.”

“It will be no use to us if twenty such should come, since you will not visit them.”

“我希望你別做這種事。莉齊絲毫不比別的女兒強(qiáng)。我敢說，論長(zhǎng)相，她沒有簡(jiǎn)一半漂亮；論脾氣，她沒有莉迪亞一半好。5原譯：“論漂亮，她遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)及不上簡(jiǎn)；論性子，她遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)及不上莉迪亞?！毙抻喓蟮淖g文說得更絕對(duì)，“不及一半”恰是原作的字眼，因而更符合貝內(nèi)特太太的口吻?？赡憧偸瞧珢鬯??！?/p>

“她們哪一個(gè)也沒有多少好稱道的，”貝內(nèi)特先生答道，“她們像別人家的姑娘一樣，一個(gè)個(gè)又傻又蠢，倒是莉齊比幾個(gè)姐妹伶俐些。”

“貝內(nèi)特先生，你怎么能這樣糟蹋自己的孩子？你就喜歡氣我，壓根兒不體諒我那脆弱的神經(jīng)。”

“你錯(cuò)怪我了，親愛的。我非常尊重你的神經(jīng)。它們是我的老朋友啦。至少在這二十年里，我總是聽見你鄭重其事地說起它們?！?/p>

“唉！你不知道我受多大的罪?！?/p>

“我希望你會(huì)好起來，親眼看見好多每年有四千鎊收入的闊少爺搬到這一帶。”

“既然你不肯去拜訪，即使搬來二十個(gè)，那對(duì)我們又有什么用?！?/p>

“Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty I will visit them all.”

Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve,and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character.Hermind was less difficult to develope. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information,and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.

“放心吧，親愛的，等到搬來二十個(gè)，我一定去挨個(gè)拜訪?！?/p>

貝內(nèi)特先生是個(gè)古怪人，一方面乖覺詼諧，好挖苦人，另一方面又不茍言笑，變幻莫測(cè)，他太太積二十三年之經(jīng)驗(yàn)，還摸不透他的性格。這位太太的心性6原譯“腦子”。顯然，貝內(nèi)特太太既不是“腦子”問題，也不是“性格”問題，改譯成“心性”與原文mind正相吻合，因而也更加精確。就不那么難以捉摸了。她是個(gè)智力貧乏、孤陋寡聞、喜怒無常的女人。一碰到不稱心的時(shí)候，就自以為神經(jīng)架不住。她人生的大事，是把女兒們嫁出去；她人生的快慰，是訪親拜友和打聽消息。

《傲慢與偏見》（節(jié)選）

文/簡(jiǎn)·奧斯丁譯/孫致禮