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Chapter 6
第六章
THE ladies of Longbourn soon waited on those of Netherfield.
浪博恩小姐们不久就去拜访尼日斐花园的小姐们了。
The visit was returned in due form.
人家照例回拜了她们。
Miss Bennet's pleasing manners grew on the good will of Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; and though the mother was found to be intolerable and the younger sisters not worth speaking to, a wish of being better acquainted with them was expressed towards the two eldest.
班纳特小姐惹人喜爱的举止赢得了赫斯特太太和宾格莱小姐的好感。尽管她们的母亲令人难以忍受，她们的几个妹妹不值得人去攀谈，两位宾格莱小姐还是表示了要和班纳特家两位大女儿进一步交往的愿望。
By Jane this attention was received with the greatest pleasure; but Elizabeth still saw superciliousness in their treatment of every body, hardly excepting even her sister, and could not like them; though their kindness to Jane, such as it was, had a value, as arising in all probability from the influence of their brother's admiration.
吉英极其高兴地接受了人家的这番美意。伊丽莎白却仍然觉出了她们待人的高傲，就连对她的姐姐几乎也不例外，所以她无法喜欢这两位宾格莱小姐；不过，她们之所以待吉英好，看来多半还是由于她们兄弟爱慕她的缘故。
It was generally evident whenever they met, that he did admire her; and to her it was equally evident that Jane was yielding to the preference which she had begun to entertain for him from the first, and was in a way to be very much in love;
每当他们俩在一起时，宾格莱对吉英的倾慕是人人可以看得出来的；伊丽莎白知道吉英也是如此，她从一开始对宾格莱就有好感，而且正在不断地加深，也可以说是爱上他了。
but she considered with pleasure that it was not likely to be discovered by the world in general, since Jane united with great strength of feeling a composure of temper and a uniform cheerfulness of manner, which would guard her from the suspicions of the impertinent. She mentioned this to her friend Miss Lucas.
可是她庆幸地想道，吉英虽说充满爱意，好在性格很镇定，外表上仍然保持着正常的和颜悦色，那就不会引起那些鲁莽人的怀疑，因此他俩的心意也就不会给人察觉了。伊丽莎白曾经跟自己的朋友卢卡斯小姐谈到过这一点。
"It may perhaps be pleasant," replied Charlotte, "to be able to impose on the public in such a case; but it is sometimes a disadvantage to be so very guarded. If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him; and it will then be but poor consolation to believe the world equally in the dark.
“这或许是件好事，”夏洛特回答说，“能在这类场合下给众人一个假象；但是将爱隐藏得很深，有时却难免带来不利。如果一个女人对她爱的对象一点儿也不透露出她的情感，她也许会失去得到他的机会；如果那时仍然以世人都还蒙在鼓里的想法来安慰自己，那就未免太可怜了。
There is so much of gratitude or vanity in almost every attachment, that it is not safe to leave any to itself. We can all begin freely — a slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement. In nine cases out of ten, a woman had better shew more affection than she feels. Bingley likes your sister undoubtedly; but he may never do more than like her, if she does not help him on."
在恋爱时，感恩图报和虚荣的心理几乎每个情人都有，如果不借助这些而听其自然，是很难成功的。情爱的事，开始的时候都好说——对某人有些偏爱好感，那是很自然的事；可要是得不到对方的鼓励，很少有人敢真正地去爱的。女人家十有八九都是心里有一分爱表面上就露出两分。毫无疑问，宾格莱喜欢你姐姐；可是你姐姐如果不主动推他一把的话，他也许永远只能是喜欢喜欢她罢了。”
"But she does help him on, as much as her nature will allow. If I can perceive her regard for him, he must be a simpleton indeed not to discover it too."
“不过她已经尽心竭力在帮他的忙了。要是我都能看出她对他的好感，而他却看不出，那他未免太蠢了。”
"Remember, Eliza, that he does not know Jane's disposition as you do."
“伊丽莎，你得记住，宾格莱可不像你那么了解吉英的性格。”
"But if a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to conceal it, he must find it out."
“假如一个女人爱上了一个男人，只要女方不故意瞒住男方，男方一定会看得出的。”
"Perhaps he must, if he sees enough of her. But though Bingley and Jane meet tolerably often, it is never for many hours together; and as they always see each other in large mixed parties, it is impossible that every moment should be employed in conversing together.
“或许，是这样的，如果他对她有足够了解的话。尽管宾格莱和吉英在一起的次数并不算少，可是每次待的时间都不长；而且总是在人多的场合下会面的，所以不可能把每一分钟都用在他们私下的交谈上。
Jane should therefore make the most of every half hour in which she can command his attention. When she is secure of him, there will be leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses."
因此，吉英应该充分利用每一次与宾格莱在一起的机会。等到能把他抓到手，再从从容容尽量去谈恋爱还来得及。”
"Your plan is a good one," replied Elizabeth, "where nothing is in question but the desire of being well married; and if I were determined to get a rich husband, or any husband, I dare say I should adopt it. But these are not Jane's feelings; she is not acting by design.
“你的这个办法不错，”伊丽莎白说，“如果不去考虑要有一个美满幸福的婚姻的话；如果我已决定要找一个阔绰的男人，或者是随便一个什么男人的话，我敢说我是应该照你说的去做的。可是，你说的这些并不适合于吉英的性情，她为人处事不耍心眼。
As yet, she cannot even be certain of the degree of her own regard, nor of its reasonableness. She has known him only a fortnight. She danced four dances with him at Meryton; she saw him one morning at his own house, and has since dined in company with him four times. This is not quite enough to make her understand his character."
而且，她自己也还拿不准她究竟对她钟情到什么地步，钟情得是否得体。他们认识才不过两个星期。她在麦里屯跟他跳了四次舞；有天上午她在家里见过他一次，此后又跟他吃过四次晚饭，可是总有别人在一起。就这么点儿来往，叫她怎么能了解他的性格呢。”
"Not as you represent it. Had she merely dined with him, she might only have discovered whether he had a good appetite; but you must remember that four evenings have been also spent together — and four evenings may do a great deal."
“事情并不是你所说的那样。要是她只跟他吃吃晚饭，那她或许只看得出他的饭量好不好；可是你得记住，饭后的四个晚上他们都在一起呀，四个晚上的作用可大着呢。”
"Yes; these four evenings have enabled them to ascertain that they both like Vingt-un better than Commerce; but with respect to any other leading characteristic, I do not imagine that much has been unfolded."
“是的；这四个晚上能使他们肯定一点，那就是他们俩都喜欢玩二十一点，不喜欢玩‘康梅司’（一种法国牌系）；但是就性格方面来说，我想他们彼此之间还是了解甚少的。”
"Well," said Charlotte, "I wish Jane success with all my heart; and if she were married to him tomorrow, I should think she had as good a chance of happiness as if she were to be studying his character for a twelvemonth. Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.
“唔，”夏洛特说，“不管怎样，我是衷心希望吉英成功；我以为即使她明天就跟他结婚，她必能获得的幸福，比起她花上一年的时间，研究了他的性格、再去跟他结婚所能获得的幸福，并不见得会少到哪里去。婚姻生活是否幸福，完全是个机会问题。
If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar before-hand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always contrive to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life."
一对爱人婚前脾气摸得非常透，或者脾气非常相同，这并不能保证他们俩就会幸福。他们总是弄到后来距离越来越远，彼此烦恼。你既然得和这个人过一辈子，你就尽量少了解他的缺点。”
"You make me laugh, Charlotte; but it is not sound. You know it is not sound, and that you would never act in this way yourself."
“你这番话妙透了，夏洛特。不过这种说法未必可靠。你心里也很清楚，你自己就不肯那么做。”
Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley's attentions to her sister, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise.
伊丽莎白一心只知道谈论宾格莱先生对她姐姐的殷勤，却一点儿没想到她自己已经成了宾格莱那位朋友的意中人。说到达西先生，他开头并不认为她怎么漂亮；他在跳舞会上望着她的时候，并没有带着丝毫的爱慕之意，第二次见面的时候，他也不过用吹毛求疵的眼光去看待她。
But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying.
可是，就在他刚刚对他自己和他的朋友们说过，她脸上几乎没有一处长得动人时，他却开始发现，她的那双美丽、富于灵气的黑眼睛把她的整个面庞衬托得聪颖伶俐。紧跟着他又发现其他几处同样令他心动的地方。
Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; — to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable no where, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.
他带着挑剔的眼光，发觉她的身段这儿也不匀称，那儿也不匀称，可是他到底不得不承认她体态轻盈，惹人喜爱；虽然他嘴上一口咬定她缺少上流社会的翩翩风采，却又被她落落大方爱打趣的作风打动了。对所有的这一切，伊丽莎白一点儿也不知晓。在她看来，达西只是一个处处不受欢迎的人，而且还认为她不够漂亮，不配做他的舞伴。
He began to wish to know more of her, and as a step towards conversing with her himself, attended to her conversation with others. His doing so drew her notice. It was at Sir William Lucas's, where a large party were assembled.
达西先生开始希望更多地了解伊丽莎白，为了将来有机会能与她交谈，他注意地听着她和别人的谈话。他的这一做法引起了伊丽莎白的注意。那是在爵士威廉·卢卡斯的府邸，当时正举办着一个盛大的晚会。
"What does Mr. Darcy mean," said she to Charlotte, "by listening to my conversation with Colonel Forster?"
“达西先生在听我和弗斯特上校谈话，不知道他是何用意？”伊丽莎白对夏洛特说。
"That is a question which Mr. Darcy only can answer."
“这个问题只有达西先生自己能够回答。”
"But if he does it any more, I shall certainly let him know that I see what he is about. He has a very satirical eye, and if I do not begin by being impertinent myself, I shall soon grow afraid of him."
“如果他下一次还这么做，我一定要让他知道一点儿我的厉害。他很会挖苦人，如果我自己不先给他点儿颜色看，我很快就会变得怕他了。”
On his approaching them soon afterwards, though without seeming to have any intention of speaking, Miss Lucas defied her friend to mention such a subject to him, which immediately provoking Elizabeth to do it, she turned to him and said,
不到一会儿工夫，达西又走到她身边来了，他表面上虽然并不想跟她们攀谈，卢卡斯小姐却不时怂恿伊丽莎白向他把这个问题正面提出来。伊丽莎白给她这样一激，便立刻转过脸来跟他说：
"Did not you think, Mr. Darcy, that I expressed myself uncommonly well just now, when I was teazing Colonel Forster to give us a ball at Meryton?"
“达西先生，我刚刚跟弗斯脱上校讲笑话，要他给我们在麦里屯开一次跳舞会，你看我的话是不是说得非常得体？”
"With great energy; but it is a subject which always makes a lady energetic."
“的确说得起劲极了，不过这件事本来就是叫小姐们非常起劲的。”
"You are severe on us."
“你又在讽刺我们了。”
"It will be her turn soon to be teazed," said Miss Lucas. "I am going to open the instrument, Eliza, and you know what follows."
“马上该轮到她被人缠了，”卢卡斯小姐说。“我去打开琴，伊丽莎，下文如何，你自个儿明白。”
"You are a very strange creature by way of a friend! — Always wanting me to play and sing before any body and every body! If my vanity had taken a musical turn, you would have been invaluable, but as it is, I would really rather not sit down before those who must be in the habit of hearing the very best performers."
“你这种朋友真是世上少有！──不管当着什么人的面，总是要我弹琴唱歌！要是我存心在音乐会上出风头，我真要对你感激不尽。可是宾客们都是听惯了第一流演奏家的，我实在不好意思在他们面前献丑。”
On Miss Lucas's persevering, however, she added, "Very well; if it must be so, it must." And gravely glancing at Mr. Darcy, "There is a fine old saying, which every body here is of course familiar with — "Keep your breath to cool your porridge," — and I shall keep mine to swell my song."
话虽如此，怎奈卢卡斯小姐再三要求，她便说道：“好吧，既是非献丑不可，只得献献丑吧。”她又板着脸对达西瞥了一眼，说道：“有句古话说得好，在场的人当然也晓得这句话：‘留口气吹凉稀饭’；我也就留口气唱歌吧。”
Her performance was pleasing, though by no means capital.
她的表演虽然说不上奇妙绝伦，却也怡人动听。
