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Chapter 2
第二章
Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley. He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid, she had no knowledge of it.
尽管班纳特先生在自己太太面前自始至终都说不想去拜访宾格莱先生，事实上一直都打算去拜访他，而且还是跟第一批人一起去拜访的。等到他去拜访过以后，当天晚上太太才知道实情。
It was then disclosed in the following manner. Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her with,
这消息透露出来的经过是这样的——他看到二女儿在捯饬她的帽子，就突然对她说：
"I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy."
“我希望宾格莱先生会喜欢你这顶帽子，丽萃。”
"We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes," said her mother resentfully, "since we are not to visit."
她母亲气愤地说：“我们既然都不准备拜访宾格莱先生，当然就无从知道他喜欢什么。”
"But you forget, mama," said Elizabeth, "that we shall meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him."
“可是你忘啦，妈妈，”伊丽莎白说，“我们将来可以在跳舞会上碰到他的，朗格太太不是答应过把他介绍给我们吗？”
"I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of her."
“我不相信朗格太太肯这么做。她自己有两个待嫁的亲侄女呢。而且她自私虚伪，我对她可没有什么好印象。”
"No more have I," said Mr. Bennet; "and I am glad to find that you do not depend on her serving you."
“我也这么认为的，”班纳特先生说；“我很高兴，你没有对她心存幻想。”
Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply; but unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.
班纳特太太现在无心与丈夫斗嘴，可是又控制不住情绪，只好借女儿来撒气。
"Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven's sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces."
“别那么咳个不停，吉蒂，你行行好！稍许体谅一下我的神经吧。你要把我的神经要咳裂啦。”
"Kitty has no discretion in her coughs," said her father; "she times them ill."
“吉蒂真不知趣，”她的父亲说；“咳嗽也不知道拣个时候。”
"I do not cough for my own amusement," replied Kitty fretfully. "When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?"
“我又不是故意咳着玩儿。”吉蒂气恼地回答道。“丽萃，你们下一次舞会是什么时候？”
"Tomorrow fortnight."
“从明天算起，还得再过两个星期。”
"Aye, so it is," cried her mother, "and Mrs. Long does not come back till the day before; so it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him herself."
“唔，原来如此，”她的母亲嚷道，“朗格太太也不可能为我们引见了，因为她在举办舞会的前一天才能回来，到那个时候她还不认识宾格莱先生呢。”
"Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley to her."
“哦，亲爱的，这样的话你正可以占上风了，反过来替她介绍这位贵人啦。”
"Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted with him myself; how can you be so teasing?"
“这不可能，班纳特，不可能，我自己还不认识他呢；你怎么老是逗我生气？”
"I honour your circumspection. A fortnight's acquaintance is certainly very little. One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a fortnight. But if we do not venture, somebody else will; and after all, Mrs. Long and her nieces must stand their chance; and therefore, as she will think it an act of kindness, if you decline the office, I will take it on myself."
“我真佩服你想得这般周到。两个星期的认识当然算不上什么。人们不能用两星期就真正了解一个人。不过，要是我们不去尝试尝试，别人可少不了要尝试的。话说到底，朗格太太和她的侄女一定不肯错过这个良机。如果你拒绝引见，我自己来办好了，反正她会觉得这是我们对她的一片好意。”
The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, "Nonsense, nonsense!"
女儿们都对瞪大眼睛看着父亲。班纳特太太只说了声：“简直是胡扯！”
"What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation?" cried he. "Do you consider the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on them, as nonsense? I cannot quite agree with you there. What say you, Mary? For you are a young lady of deep reflection I know, and read great books, and make extracts."
“你怎么这样大惊小怪！”他嚷道。你觉得重视例行的介绍礼仪是胡说八道吗？你这样的说法我可不大同意。你说呢，玛丽？我知道你是个有独到见解的女孩，饱读经典名著，还颇有心得。”
Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.
玛丽想发表点高见可又不知道怎么说才好。
"While Mary is adjusting her ideas," he continued, "let us return to Mr. Bingley."
于是班纳特先生接下去说：“让玛丽仔细想一想再发表意见吧，我们还是重新来谈谈宾格莱先生。”
"I am sick of Mr. Bingley," cried his wife.
“我现在讨厌听到宾格莱这个名字，”班纳特太太嚷起来了。
"I am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tell me so before?
“遗憾得很，你竟会跟我说这种话；你怎么不早说呢？
If I had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him.
要是今天上午听到你这样说，那我一定不会去拜访他了。
It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now."
这真叫不凑巧，现在既然拜访也拜访过了，我们可就避免不了要结交这个朋友。”
The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; though when the first tumult of joy was over, she began to declare that it was what she had expected all the while.
果然不出他所料，太太和女儿们一个个都大为惊异，尤其是班纳特太太，比谁都惊异得厉害；不过，这样欢天喜地地喧嚷了一阵以后，她便当众宣布，说这件事她早就料到的。
"How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should persuade you at last. I was sure you loved our girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! and it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning, and never said a word about it till now."
“遗憾得很，你竟会跟我说这种话；你怎么不早说呢？我亲爱的班纳特你真好，我早就知道我终究会说服你的。你对女儿们疼爱有加，我不信你会放弃这样的机会。我真太高兴了！也亏你能开出这样的玩笑，谁想到你竟会今天上午去拜访他，而且到现在一字不提。”
"Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you chuse," said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.
“吉蒂，现在你可以放心大胆地咳嗽啦，”班纳特先生一面说，一面走出房间，妻子的狂喜已经弄得他有些疲惫了。
"What an excellent father you have, girls," said she, when the door was shut. "I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness; or me either, for that matter.
门一关上，班纳特太太便对她的几个女儿说“孩子们，你们的爸爸真太好了！”在这件事情上，我不知道你们将来怎么才能报答我们做父母的对你们的关心。
At our time of life, it is not so pleasant I can tell you, to be making new acquaintance every day; but for your sakes, we would do any thing. Lydia, my love, though you are the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance with you at the next ball."
老实跟你们说吧，我们老夫妻活到这么一把年纪了，哪儿有兴致天天去交朋结友；可是为了你们，我们随便什么事都乐意去做。丽迪雅，乖宝贝，虽然你年纪最小，说不准在舞会上，宾格莱先生就偏偏要跟你跳呢。”
"Oh!" said Lydia stoutly, "I am not afraid; for though I am the youngest, I'm the tallest."
“噢！”丽迪雅满不在乎地说。“我才不怕呢。年纪虽然是我最小，可个子数我高呢。”
The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr. Bennet's visit, and determining when they should ask him to dinner.
于是她们一方面猜测那位贵人什么时候会来回拜班纳特先生，一方面盘算着什么时候请他来吃饭，就这样把一个晚上的工夫在闲谈中度过去了。
